HISTORY

"Contact with (menstrual blood) turns new wine sour, crops touched by it become barren, grafts die, seed in gardens are dried up, the fruit of trees fall off, the edge of steel and the gleam of ivory are dulled, hives of bees die, even bronze and iron are at once seized by rust, and a horrible smell fills the air; to taste it drives dogs mad and infects their bites with an incurable poison." (Plinius the Elder, Naturalis historia) [1] [2]

Antiquity
In ancient times, mostly male philosophers and historians discussed menstruation. The topic was always considered from a male point of view, that is, the male body was the starting point of studies and the female body was regarded inferior. Since menstruation is a female phenomenon, it was seen as another sign of imperfection of the female body. [3] [ONE-SEX-MODEL]

For earlier philosophers menstruation was a cleaning process which was part of the female body once a month. The Greek philosopher Pythagoras (570-510 BC) considered menstruation a natural excretory process of excessive nutrients. Hippocrates (460-370 BC), the most important physician in antiquity, investigated women from the point of humoral pathology according to which the abundance of liquid stored in a woman had to escape once a month. For the Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BC) male ejaculation was similar to menstruation. [3]

The Roman historian Gaius Plinius Secundus (23-79 AD), commonly known by his Anglicized name Pliny the Elder, described in his encyclopedic work „Naturalis Historia" that menstrual blood was the source of new life. [2] Similar to a cake, the male sperm was like yeast responsible for the rise and shape of the dough. He thought that except during pregnancy menstrual blood was poisonous and women could only survive because menstruation had immunized them during years of adaptation. (See quote above) [3]

Middle Ages
In medieval times, Pliny's teachings continued to be propagated. The monthly blood proved women's inferiority. The Benedictine, poet and polymath Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) informed in her "causae et curae" that Eve had her first period after the Fall of Man. However, she also recognized the relation between menstruation and fertility. [3] [4]

Enlightenment
During Enlightenment man was credited with the rational and woman with the unrestrained and animal-like. For the European writer and philosopher Jean Jaques Rousseau (1712-1778) menstruation was a disease of civilization and a natural reaction of the female body on too little exercise, too much food and limited sexuality. [3]

Modern Age
Myths about menstruation continued up to the 20th century. In 1919, the Viennese paediatrician and immunologist Béla Schick (1877-1967) stated that roses faded a lot faster when they were touched by the menstruating domestic help.
Over the course of time, the medical-historical note on the supposed discovery of the menstrual poison menotoxin was investigated. As late as the year 1958, the physician Karl Johann Burger could refute the legend about menotoxin. [3] [5]

Religion
There are also taboos and bans on menstruation in religious communities. A menstruating woman is often considered impure. This is why Christianity, Judaism and Hinduism sometimes keep women from rituals. In some parts of the world the exclusion from temples and social life for women is still supported. [3] [6] [7]
However, there are also pagan and esoteric traditions which celebrate female cults, such as that of the moon goddess. During the female cycle which can proceed along the moon phases the divine reveals itself in the female body. [8] [9] [10]

Culture
In many cultures, menstruation is considered a female problem which shouldn't be discussed. In the comedy "Superbad" (directed by Greg Mottola, 2007) the menstrual blood is faced with a lot of disgust. [12]

But there are also films like "Elegy" (directed by Isabel Coixet, 2008) [13] or "Talk to Her" (written and directed by Pedro Almodovar, 2002) [14] which present menstruation as an interesting symbol of the mystical female.

In fine arts, artists like Sarah Lewy, John Anna, Vanessa Tiegs or Jen Lewis break the taboo of menstrual blood by using it in their pictures and videos. [15] [16]

In her art performance "Vaginal Kniting" (2013), Casey Jenkins discussed her vagina and menstruation which caused partly loud and derogatory criticism. [17] [18]

The young blogger Rupi Kaur provoked people on Instagram with a photo of herself wearing sweatpants which showed a blood stain on the crotch. The deletion of the photo by Instagram caused a debate on social networks. In the end, the internet platform retrieved the censorship and apologized to Rupi Kaur for the procedure. [19] [20]

Further Links:

VAGINAL KNITTING, Casey Jenkins, 2013 (YouTube)

VAGINAL KNITTING reactions:
Vaginal Knitting REACTION!!!, 2013 (YouTube)
Vaginal Knitting WHY OH WHY Review/Reaction, 2013 (YouTube)
Vaginal Knitting REACTION, 2013 (YouTube)

Lacy Green, PERIOD HATIN', 2013 (YouTube)