In ancient times, a girl's desirability as a wife among primitives was increased by bearing a child before marriage, showing the shift in societal values towards chastity and fidelity. [1]
Men have long regarded women as peculiar, even abnormal, believing women did not have souls and denying them names, leading to the custom for priests to have initial intercourse with virgins due to the fear of the first sex relation with a woman. [2] Virgins were dedicated to tending sacred temple fires, symbolizing the purifying spirit of their venerated deities. [3] Primitives restricted bathing practices of virgins due to beliefs about childbirth and spirits. [4]
Religious leaders conceived as being born of virgins often have careers marked by miraculous events, with their return eagerly anticipated by their followers. [5]
Virgin daughters were valued as commercial assets by fathers, leading to the enforcement of chastity norms and the emergence of professional prostitute classes. [6]