Rezwana Islam
LIB200.6501
Prof. Tom Regan
Assignment # 2
10/9/2007
Crushing the Pistachio
Eroticism deals with sexual love and this involves the human body. Among
African societies, such as in Senegal, in order for the human body to be considered erotic,
it should not be completely naked like here in the Western world. Instead, it has to be
accessorized or covered. Example of this is the bethio, an erotic short perfumed skirt
adorned with erotic motifs and worn as underclothing, to be revealed only to the lover. In
the Western pornographic world, everything is made to look graphic so that there is no
room left for the imagination. However, in the Senegal society, the bethio (from Islam
influence), covers that body part which makes the male aware of its erotic allurement
with the perfume in it, tantalizing the male olfactory sense. The bethio is tied around the
lower body loosely instead of tightly. It is tied so carelessly and to me it is meant to look
as though it can fall anytime—like a tease or an invitation for erotic acts.
Before Muslim influenced the Senegal society, young men and women were
given sexual education in forms of conversations with grandparents, erotic games,
literature, aphrodisiacs, and information were provided in the arts of the body. The foci
were in the hairstyle, body ornaments and mutilations that served to prepare the neophyte
for tactile and olfactory senses meant to enhance eroticism. This shows that the Senegal
society had no restraint or qualms about erotic love when the time was right for it. On
the other hand, Muslim society is sexually repressed. Senegalese societies although
influenced with Muslim culture have rituals, magic and spell in their social practices;
they have these religious ceremonies, where griots were invited by a host to
Rezwana Islam
LIB200.6501
Prof. Tom Regan
Assignment # 2
10/9/2007
perform dances and songs that had bold lyrics to narrate the erotic discovery of the body.
This entertainment was meant to bring eroticism into the consciousness what Muslim
culture repressed.