Note 58 — TALE OF KAMAR AL-ZAMAN.53

“The belief that young pigeons’ blood resembles the virginal discharge is universal,” says Sir Richard Burton, in a footnote; “but the blood most resembling man’s is that of the pig, which in other points is so very human. In our day Arabs and Hindus rarely submit to inspection the nuptial sheet, as practised by the Israelites and Persians. The bride takes to bed a white kerchief with which she staunches the blood and next morning the stains are displayed in the Harem. In Darfour this is done by the bridegroom. “Prima Venus debet esse cruenta” (Love’s first battle should be bloody), say the Easterns with much truth, and they have no faith in our complaisant creed which allows the hymen-membrane to disappear by any but one accident.” The creed, of course, is not peculiar to the East, and realistic descriptions of this “sanguinary combat” will be found in Nicolas Chorier’s Dialogues, Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure, (op. cit.), and other erotic works. C.f. also the modern custom of including a clean sheet among the bride’s trousseau. Further remarks on this subject will be found in our preliminary essay to this volume, “Human Nature, Tradition, and Virginity.”