Meta Month, Day Eight: Virgin Priestesses

[mark_asphodel]

OK.  Since socraticwaffles went there with the "Can women who aren't virgins ride flying unicorns?" query, I'm totally asking this one.

That whole sacrifice-four-priestesses to Medeus thing at the end of FE3... did Gharnef just need four female clerics of royal/noble blood, or did he need magical virgins of holy blood?
It's not a totally voyeuristic question.  Nyna was married, after all, and despite the problems in her marriage to Hardin I'd have expected the marriage at least would be consummated (royal marriages often having a fair amount of ceremony to validate this, at least in our world).  The bedroom is as good a place as any for Hardin to have that "She's just not into you, sucker" moment, too...

Maria does not appear to have been molested, or otherwise ill-treated, during her captivity in the War of Darkness.  Any abuse she might have suffered would be during this period (War of Heroes), and all we're told of is spiritual abuse-- the "soul shattering" part.

Lena and Elice, though, kind of have boyfriends.  I take Lena's recruitment conversation with Julian to mean that she is under some vow of chastity of some kind, and she hadn't broken it yet for him or anyone else.  Dunno about Elice... I don't recall even a mention of chastity vows in her case, but she seems to have no problems getting married.  Then again, I kind of suspect postwar Elice is allowed to do whatever the hell she wants.  Who's going to stop her-- her adoring little brother?  Riiiight.

Still no indication that Elice was really friendly with Merric... or anyone else... before then, though it does put the brakes on speculation that she was "Gharnef's Sex Slave" or however you want to put it.  And yes, that speculation is out there-- how'd you think the line "She's only alive 'cause Gharnef wanted her" is going to be interpreted by a fair number of people?  Double meanings in FE are not unheard of, after all.

So, does resurrecting a dragon require the life force of magical noblewomen?  Or the life force of magical noble virgins?  I dunno, man, but it bugs me whenever I try to write something that deals with Nyna and Hardin.

Comments

[amielleon]

Given the divine right shenanigans, I'd go with noblewomen myself -- especially, as you said, the virginity of a good number of them can be seriously questioned.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

It can be questioned, but are we supposed to question it? Are we supposed to just default to the concept of pure virginal sacrifices? I dunno, but it makes me feel dissatisfied to contemplate it.

[xirysa.livejournal.com]

Going with noble women, yeah--there really doesn't seem to be anything that says they must be virgins. (Though if the are, I suppose that's just a plus? Somehow.)

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I guess that, like virgins-and-unicorns, the idea of virgin sacrifices is just pretty entrenched in popular culture and it's easy to assume that the virginity thing is part of the sacrifice requirements. Maybe it is a plus, I dunno.

[hooves.livejournal.com]

I really don't know but...it'd be so funny if everything was done and the whole resurrection didn't work 'cause one of 'em wasn't a virgin. LAWL

I'd go with just the magical noblewomen part myself, but i'm not sure how being a magical noblewoman would be all that different from a magical not-noblewoman. Thoughhhh then you could say they could get a magical virgin chick anywhere, (and they could search for younger girls so it'd be a sure thing), whereas there is a lot less of a chance they'll get a noblewoman at all-- and magical ones would be fewer and further in between. P:

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

It'd be so funny if everything was done and the whole resurrection didn't work 'cause one of 'em wasn't a virgin. LAWL

Hahah. Crackfic time!

but i'm not sure how being a magical noblewoman would be all that different from a magical not-noblewoman.

That too. Especially considering the recent genesis of nobility in Altea and Macedon. Must be some transformative thing that happened a couple of generations back.

[thenicochan.livejournal.com]

Magical Noblewomen seems about right, as I can def see Nyna losing hers to Hardin... Of course, at the same time, he could come to realize she isn't in to him when she shys away from intimacy and thus she kept her "pureness"?

The idea of Elice as Gharnef's Sex Slave makes me a very sad panda. Though it would explain her hooking up with Merric. He's safe, he likes her (well, the idolized Wise Princess she appears to be), and he wouldn't force sex on her if she asked him not to. Very safe.

...Hmm..

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

Of course, at the same time, he could come to realize she isn't in to him when she shys away from intimacy and thus she kept her "pureness"?

That's definitely one way it could've happened, but here's what I don't like about it-- Hardin's downward spiral would've begun within days of the wedding, and the scripts indicate he was an effective and good king/emperor for at least a short while.

The idea of Elice as Gharnef's Sex Slave makes me a very sad panda.

I don't think he would've touched her (or had a minion do so) until her brother was confirmed dead. Her usefulness as a breeder is lessened if there's someone standing between her kid and the ability to activate Falchion.

Though it would explain her hooking up with Merric.

I think this is also convincing wrt: the soul-shattering. IMO, what was done to those girls was the spiritual equivalent of rape. Metaphorical rape.

[thenicochan.livejournal.com]

Hardin's downward spiral would've begun within days of the wedding

I'm not so sure. Hardin seems so enamored with her, I can easily see the man making excuses for her behavior. Their sudden marriage, or even taking into account she had been thrust into a position of leadership over their kingdom and now had to rule...Not to mention he would probably be bogged down with all the duties of a new Emperor.

Metaphorical rape.

Agreed. I, personally, would think my mind being defiled to be just as bad, if not worse, than my body being defiled. It also makes a lot of sense for Elice/Merric, and adds that lovely tragic spin that the universe just loves. :)

New headcanon, I think.

[samuraiter.livejournal.com]

I suspect that they only have to be of specific bloodlines. As for virginity, I sense that it is not required to ride a Pegasus, cast holy spells, be sacrificed to Dragons and Demon Kings, etc. Otherwise, Serra would be doing nothing but sitting on the sidelines and whistling.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

Hah. And, you, of course, say that of Serra with nothing but the greatest affection. :)

[samuraiter.livejournal.com]

She is the priestess, I must confess. :-)

[shining-valor.livejournal.com]

Okay, I just had to sit here and laugh at your cross-out.

[samuraiter.livejournal.com]

I love Serra to pieces, but she is my most frequently paired character when I write. Next to Lyn, but everybody pairs Lyn.

[shining-valor.livejournal.com]

Specific bloodlines perhaps. And since they tend to end up ruling people... ergo magical noble persons. Female persons, because they are pretty and tragical and fun for evil male sorcerers to mess with.