Bondage
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Featured:  Illustration: Portrait fantaisiste du marquis de Sade (1866) by H. Biberstein |
In its most basic sense, the word bondage refers to the state or condition of being bound to an unfree labor system, as in slavery, indentured servitude, or serfdom. More generally, "bondage" may refer to any state of subjection to a force, influence, or power. In recent times, it has also become a generally recognised moniker for certain sexual practices.
Etymology
The word bondage is derived from the Middle English bonde ("serf"), which came from the Old English (Anglo-Saxon) word bōnda ("husbandman"), which itself comes from the Old Norse bōndi, the past participle of būa ("to live").
Various usages
Specific meanings of "bondage" and words with the "bond-" prefix include:
- Debt bondage, a modern form of slavery in which people are bound by debt, rather than legal ownership.
- Bondage (BDSM) in BDSM is the practice of tying people up for sexual pleasure.
- Self bondage in BDSM is the practice of tying oneself up just for fun or for sexual pleasure.
- The term bondage is also used figuratively in religion, to mean spiritual attachment, such as to the physical world, or an evil compelling force, such as original sin.
- A bondmaid is a woman servant.
- A bondman, or bondsman, is a man servant.
See also
