Voluptuousness

Lust refers to sensuality, pleasure and sexual desire, which one experiences during masturbation, sexual intercourse, or sex fantasies. Lust also includes active action for increasing sexual satisfaction. The term voluptuousness is frequently found in the literature of past centuries. At that time, however, it did not yet have a disreputable/ derogatory meaning in the sense of sexual debauchery or vice. This only arose during the development of the language into early New High German. At the beginning of its history, voluptuousness was used to describe a feeling of pleasure, that is, simply something that gives great pleasure. It also meant the cultivation or promotion of a sensation that was pleasurable and urgent. Depending on the moral conception, lust was and is also considered nefarious or sacrilegious. Contrary to popular belief, voluptuousness is not only about physical desire. It is also about the release of erotic fantasies. Behind the word and the ideas associated with it are strong temptations and urges. The opposite of voluptuousness is therefore best described by the word frigidity.

In both Greek and ancient Roman mythology, there were “goddesses of voluptuousness” in the sense: The Greek goddess Hedone and the Roman goddess Voluptas. In Latin, the noun voluptās originally denotes enjoyment, pleasure, and lust — in both a positive and negative sense. Voluptās is derived from the adverb volup (pleasurable) and the verb volo (to desire, wish). In Christianity, however, voluptuousness stands for one of the seven deadly sins. Especially because other sins can arise from voluptuousness. The opposite of voluptuousness from a religious standpoint is therefore chastity. In the Middle Ages and early modern times, lust was a frequent accusation against supposed witches and heretics. Heretical (supposedly irreligious) groups were often accused of immoral, immoral lifestyles or the practice of free love. These practices did exist in isolated cases in certain sects, but as a rule, the opposite was the case. Many people who turned away from the church at that time had particularly high moral standards. The Cathars were even characterized by a markedly hostile attitude towards everything physical and sexual. At the height of the witch-hunts (1550-1650), women were often accused that their excessive voluptuousness would drive them to have sexual intercourse with the devil himself. The secret meetings of alleged witches and sorcerers, known as covens or devil dances, were also used by the church for condemnation. The regional participants were accused of celebrating sex orgies out of lust and worshipping the devil at these nocturnal events.