So, why is human nudity such a taboo issue?

[Cocoa Beware]

This. I couldn't even enjoy the beautiful nudists because I would have bleached-and-burned my eyes long before I met them.

I'm pretty sure we have a few good reasons for wearing clothes as a part of adaptive social behavior as well.

The thing about animals is that sure they don't wear clothing, but then again they do stuff like have sex in public. Our huge brains have made social interaction much more complicated, as we are now capable of being self conscious.

I figure there has to be some reason we prefer being clad rather then nude, something about clothing has helped us to cooperate and survive, otherwise we never would have bothered in the first place.

Perhaps it was something as simple as blowing the minds of rival clans in appearing more sophisticated and technologically advanced, then becoming widespread through imitation.

[Baruch]

Berserkers went into battle in the nude.  For example, Celtic shock troops only wore plaster dreadlocks and jewelry into battle.  The message was ... "We are not afraid of your little wee-wees".

[baronvonrort]

During the Pre Islamic period of ignorance, the people used to perform Tawaf of the Ka'ba naked.
www.sunnah.com/search/?q=naked+tawaf

In Mecca people did Tawaf of the Ka'ba while naked, before $Profit Mo outlawed it.

[Baruch]

I suspect there were quite a few pagan Arab practices that Muhammad didn't approve of.  Muhammad was at the very least an apocalyptic puritan.  But this probably refers to the lack of the Byzantine/Persian loan custom of covering women up.  The wife of Muhammad's primary pagan opponent, attended the battlefield, and cut out and ate raw, the heart of one of Muhammad's uncles when he was slain in battle.  No modesty there in action, and I don't think she wore much covering either, at least as portrayed later.  Pre-Islamic Muslim women were less modest but more free, otherwise Muhammad would not have had the chance to marry his employer, and older woman.  Muhammad according to his reputation, was incorruptible ... I don't think he took payment for anything.  Others who followed him, were not as upright.

[peacewithoutgod]

I've been reading an old book (The Source, by James Michener), which sort of explains how early Judaism ran into conflict with other cultures over sex and nudity. They were particularly appalled when they saw the ancient Greeks exercising and playing games nude in their gymnasiums.

The Abrahamic trifecta of religions rose from a rigid philosophy of Hebrews who followed Yahweh, and it's description looked to me remarkably like the musings of some autistic people who I know. Their interpretations were very rigid, allowing for few if any gray zones in their law. While the Greeks appreciated art and beauty, which included the beauty of the human body, the Jews despised both as superficial "vanity". They were obsessed with the idea that beauty can only exist in the "soul" and that all physical attempts to beautify their world were "abominations" which attempted to upstage their souls' beauty. Therefore, their synagogues were plain and ugly, their mode of dress plain, their world was depressing, and their hearts were cold. It's no wonder other people didn't like them! Christianity and Islam bear the influence of their ideas to this day, and while most aren't afraid to have jewels and precious metals all over their churches, a naked breast will still send them into hysterics.

[aitm]

I've been reading an old book by James Michener, which sort of explains how early Judaism ran into conflict with other cultures over sex and nudity. They were particularly appalled when they saw the ancient Greeks exercising and playing games nude in their gymnasiums

Interesting enough that the jewish laws forbade nudity and homosexuality thanks to the greeks and tattoo's and skin cuttings thanks to the egyptians and it is interesting to note that the egyptians commonly used pig blood in their religious rituals which may explain the aversion to pork. The jews, if nothing else, wanted to separate their religious habits from those whom would fuck them over.

[peacewithoutgod]

Distinguising themselves from their enemies has always been in large part the motivation behind Jewish theology, especiall circumcision. Perhaps it was when they saw the prostitute priestesses of Moloch that they decided that sex is evil, but historian and novelist Michener (he actually taught history before he began writing novels) tells more the story of how their pre-existing religious ideas drove the wedge between Jews and other peoples. It is an old work, much of what was known then has since been updated and corrected, and I haven't read whatever that may be. I'm just beginning to indulge my curiosity on these very interesting people, hoping to understand better what really made them so different in the world, prior to that big diaspora.

[ApostateLois]

Incidentally, one of my fav super hero comics is appropriately named Naked Justice:

[spoiler][/spoiler]

A surprisingly fun comic book series, with a lot of homoerotic happenings (obviously), but with a surprisingly heart felt look at how a chatacter who's powers only work from being naked and overcoming that stigma.

Not only naked, but pube-less.

[Munch]

Not only naked, but pube-less.

I think that's a side effect of shooting lightning from such regions

[Hydra009]

I've been reading an old book (The Source, by James Michener), which sort of explains how early Judaism ran into conflict with other cultures over sex and nudity. They were particularly appalled when they saw the ancient Greeks exercising and playing games nude in their gymnasiums.

Apologies if this turns out to be a dumb question, but didn't ancient athletes pretty much have to be nude or semi-nude in order to stand a chance?  These were the days before hemmed garments, and I'd imagine that flowing togas and the like would be a huge handicap.

[Munch]

Apologies if this turns out to be a dumb question, but didn't ancient athletes pretty much have to be nude or semi-nude in order to stand a chance?  These were the days before hemmed garments, and I'd imagine that flowing togas and the like would be a huge handicap.

Suddenly now I appreciate boxer briefs more, running in an Olympic race would make your thighs sore from all the swinging ^^

It actually put me in mind of a page in one of the marvel avengers comics, where marvels version of Hercules appeared to join in their sports day or something similar.


Sorry for the size, on my tablet atm.

[peacewithoutgod]

Apologies if this turns out to be a dumb question, but didn't ancient athletes pretty much have to be nude or semi-nude in order to stand a chance?  These were the days before hemmed garments, and I'd imagine that flowing togas and the like would be a huge handicap.

Were there really no hemmed garments in those days? Didn't they hem their togas to keep them from fraying at the edges?

A simple loincloth would not have required much imagination, and I doubt these were eschewed for practical reasons. No, I think the Greeks just liked to play in the buff, because they were proud of their bodies and all the parts that go with it.

[Baruch]

Jewish people are like the other Semites of the desert (Arabs) ... in not liking port.  However the Assyrians and Babylonians and Canaanites were Semites too.  Generally in Judaism, the explanation against eating some things is, you don't eat a bottom feeder.  This requires some medical and biological knowledge.  Also even in modern times, pig or sheep tartar is not unknown in Lebanon.  This is a very bad idea.  Pigs and shellfish are bottom feeders.

Yes, the Greek males like nudity ... it was a very homoerotic society, and misogynistic, except in Sparta.  It was the Greeks who covered their women ... the Arabs learned it from them.  At the Olympic races, they ran in the nude, and women were excluded as fans, on pain of death.  Not every sport was nude, just not covered much.  The brutal pankration boxing (with brass knuckles) had them in loin clothes ... an probably didn't forbid hits below the belt ;-(

Ancient Egyptians circumcised, it is an African custom.  Semites being closest to African while not in Africa.  It was Greeks and Romans who didn't do that, and were horrified by it.

[Mermaid]

Apologies if this turns out to be a dumb question, but didn't ancient athletes pretty much have to be nude or semi-nude in order to stand a chance?  These were the days before hemmed garments, and I'd imagine that flowing togas and the like would be a huge handicap.

Not a dumb question. The word "Gynmasium" means, literally, "to train naked".

[Baruch]

The best part of being a pro-Greek Jewish male of ancient times, was having a fake foreskin sewed on your peter without anesthesia, so that nobody would know your religion in the health club workout ;-(