There is most likely a lot you do not know about the traditional job of washing a girl’s Body. This is a tradition that goes back in ages and holds a special place in many cultures.
Bathing attendants have existed in many cultures from time immemorial. their job goes beyond hygiene. undergoing a bathing ritual is first and foremost a hygiene practice. It is also a means of social connection and is believed to cleanse spiritually too.
Being an intimate act, the bathing attendants possess outstanding personalities that allow them to do this job without violating the customer’s privacy. As for the bathing attendant, the ritual also represents the expression of their artistic prowess.
So, today, we are stepping into the world of a bathing attendant, to explore the historical background, the evolution, and the current state of this job.
Some of the questions addressed include places in history where bathing attendants were most common, what the typical job description of the bathing attendant was, whether the male bathing attendants had different roles to their female counterparts, whether a male bathing attendant could attend to a female client and vice versa, how the profession has evolved over the years and finally if anything similar to the historic bathing houses exist in this day and age.
Let’s get to work!
Historically, Where Were Bathing Attendants Most Common?
A deep dive into the historical background of bathing houses reveals names like the sento houses of Japan, tellaks of the Ottoman Empire, and the Turkish hammams. Historically, these places were more famous than others in the practice of bathing ritual houses.
The attendants in these houses had duties that ranged from full body scrub, massage, and even hair removal. In Japanese culture, the female attendees in the sento houses are referred to as yogis.
These women are skilled and trained to render many services including assisting women with bathing, hairdressing, and makeup, serving as confidants, storytellers, and matchmakers. only female attendants were allowed to attend to female clients.
What Are The Typical Duties of a Bathing Attendant?
The most crucial job of a bathing attendant is reading and understanding body language. He or she must respect social norms and ensure every customer is treated with respect and a sense of privacy to ensure utmost comfort.
Typically, the job of a bathing attendant is as listed below:
- Preparing the batting chambers
- Heating water
- Preparing oils, soaps, towels, and other toiletries needed for the bathing ritual
- Assisting in undressing
- Full body scrub/ wash
- Makeup
- Entertaining with storytelling among others.
Some bathing houses may have more or less duties for the bathing attendants. In general, the services provided in most of the bathing houses are as listed above.
What are the Differences Between the Roles of a Male and Female Attendant?
Could a female attendant serve a male client? well, it depends on what culture and time in history you are referring to. As for what was most commonly practiced across the majority of bathhouses, the female attendants attended to women and children while the male attendants only attended to the adult male clients.
However, exceptions existed across many cultures. Some cultures allowed female attendants to serve male clients, but behind closed doors in the client’s private home, away from public eyes. They were cultures that had no qualms with female attendants serving male clients even in public bathing houses in the full view of others.
In medieval Europe for example, it was a common practice for the female attendants known as bigness to bathe both males and females in private homes. Rome however allowed this in public baths. So, it’s a matter of what was considered culturally appropriate. conservative cultures such as the Japanese disallowed this practice.
How Has the Traditional Job Of Washing Girl’s Body Evolved?
The people’s sense of morality has changed over time, and so has the view about public bathing houses. At its peak, bathing houses were considered thriving businesses and the attendants enjoyed high status and good pay.
The same cannot be said about bathing houses today. so, the tradition of washing girls’ bodies does not hold the same esteem value as it did years back. The business has declined considerably starting with societies like Victorian England.
Does the Traditional Job of Washing Girls’ Bodies Exist Today?
Bathing houses exist today. However, they are a far cry from what they used to be, although some of the old are retained, modernized, or abolished. Today, the services of bathing attendants include massage, body treatments, and even social interaction similar to the traditional attendant.
Final Words
This article is only a glimpse into the rich history of traditional bathing jobs, their evolution, and what the typical job of a bathing attendant looks like today compared to the earlier days. While so much has changed, some of the traditional aspects of bathing rituals are retained to this day.
