A BDSM Reading List

[franknot]

I started with.. "The History & Arts of the Dominatrix"  by Anne O Nomis (Author)
Just $3 on kindle .. It's very well researched and is difficult to put down... here are some blurbs from the first two chapters.

   Chapter I- deals with the ancient roots of the Dominatrix from Mesopotamia to ancient Greece.
 The author describes sacred rituals of gender transformation, punishment, pain and ecstasy for the all powerful 'Goddess Inanna' ..also known as Ishtar.. the goddess of love, fertility, and war. She was worshipped in Sumer (modern Iraq) as early as (c. 4000–3100 BCE).
For thousands of years various Goddesses held power over sexuality, fertility and allure, which was celebrated in the ancient world, but these Goddesses were to be killed off by the influence of the patriarchal religions of Christianity and Islam, in which female sexuality was made passive.

  Chapter II- Is a fascinating look at where FemDom began in the "modern era".
 *(from the opening paragraph) ..."The earliest documentation of the Dominatrix profession is found within rare books of the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries, which reveal the identities and set-up of the women who ran flagellation establishments within England. From early flagellation brothel ‘Whipstresses’ to famous courtesan ‘Birch Disciplinarians’ and the ‘Governesses’ of the golden age, the occupational craft developed with elaborate tools and equipment, and was paired with refined skills and knowledge. Their profession was set up to cater to the fantasy desire of erotic domination by a powerful sexual woman, who was trained to be a strong disciplinarian figure. These female flagellants were savvy erotic entrepreneurs of their era whose clientele included the elite of the British aristocracy, politicians, and yes – even royalty. It was to ‘Her’ that men reported, to worship and be disciplined by a superior woman, to be bound and punished, and put to pain and release; it was with ‘Her’ that they could share their non-normative longings and desires – in the company of someone with an open mind. This chapter examines the male desire that informed the craft, the development of the niche occupation, and complex set-up and skills"... 
    *  *  *
 This period had its very own clever and innovative "Mistress Jessy" .. 
  She was Theresa Berkley who died in 1836 was one of the most famous English Dominatrix Governesses. She had her discipline establishment at Charlotte Street (now Hallam Street), off Portland Place in Marylebone, and seemingly took the profession of domination to a whole new level in England. She designed a specialist flagellation frame with bondage fixing points in 1828, which was known as ‘The Berkley Horse’ ..

Does this original version look a bit familiar? 

She also had a suspension system – a hook and pulley on her second floor, to ‘draw a man up by her hands’, as part of her highly specialised equipment.

  Theresa Berkley was predominantly a dominant (i.e. Dominatrix) Governess who also had a system of apprenticeship at her establishment so that women could work for her while learning the craft. They would gain knowledge of the psychology, role-play scenarios, equipment and techniques, before going on to become a Governess themselves.
 

[Mistress Ito]

Thanks for sharing! You always share good stuff with us

[franknot]

16 hours ago, Mistress Ito said:

Thanks for sharing! You always share good stuff with us

.. You might want to check these out if you haven't already. 

* Discovering Kinbaku, Zetsu Nawa:  What my Adventures in Japan Taught Me About the Art of Erotic Rope Bondage https://a.co/d/09wqkLSn

* The Beauty of Kinbaku: (Or everything you ever wanted to know about Japanese erotic bondage when you suddenly realized you didn't speak Japanese.) Second Edition - Completely Revised and Updated https://a.co/d/0enAPu5z