Ebenim - The Nunnery

Ebenim

Jul. 30, 2007

The Nunnery

Posted in Mirth

The Nun, from the Library of Congress

We currently live near a convent. I've been wondering...

If a creamery sells Ice Cream, if a bakery sells baked goods, if an eatery sells meatloaf, and if a cannery sells cans...

What does a nunnery sell?

From Leviticus 25

And if you sell anything to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor’s hand, you shall not oppress one another. According to the number of years after the Jubilee you shall buy from your neighbor, and according to the number of years of crops he shall sell to you.

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Aug. 4, 2007 - What A Nunnery Sells

Posted by searedlips

Indulgences :)

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Sep. 8, 2009 - Umm..."Nunnery" used to be (and sometimes still is) slang for a brothel.

Posted by Anonymous

particularly during the rennaisance as before the reform of the Church chastity vows meant little and it wasn't too unusual for monks/friars/priests to take advantage of the women that were sworn to be subservient to them.

Hamlet's "Hie thee to a nunnery" actually was telling Ophelia that she was little better than a ***** and needed to join a brothel so as to not contaminate the more respectable people in the castle. Most people now read that as "convent" instead of "brothel" but back then it was not unusual for girls of any age in the nobility to go to a convent to learn the skills needed to be a fine lady or lady in waiting, often as the final prep for finding a husband. [Note, to enter a covent or monestary as a potential nun or monk the child's parents had to pay off the abbot or bishop otherwise their standing was that of a lay servant there as charity. While cheaper than a noble's dowry it was an expensive way to dispose of extra children.] Hamlet was deliberately trying to alienate Ophelia and telling her to go to a convent wouldn't have resulted in such an extreme reaction-if anything it would imply she was ready to be married and a compliment.

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Occasional thoughts and dialogue on Biblical fatherhood and family life to the Glory of God with a little mirth thrown in for good measure.