Surfaces

An odalisque is elevated above low work slaves in order that her beauty is preserved so that she can be put to use as a pleasure slave, a sexual servant. Accordingly, she is - compared to other slaves - pampered and spoilt. She is preserved from toil - she does no work. She is well-fed and is kept in luxurious conditions. She is essentially naked. She is valued for her beauty and her sexuality.

An important aspect of keeping an odalisque is to provide her with suitably lavish surfaces throughout her environment. She is not a dungeon slave. She is not kept in a grungy cement pit. She is, instead, provided with soft cushions, rugs, silk cloth - gentle and soft surfaces that are not abrasive to her naked skin. Slavekeepers should invest in such things and provide an odalisque with a sumptuous, beautiful and sensual environment in which she may luxuriate as she waits to serve her Master's bed.

Surrender and respect

There is a deep ambivalence in male sexuality. It is well documented. In daily life it takes this form: a man will yearn for a woman who willingly surrenders herself to him and behaves as a lewd, cock-crazy animal for him, meeting all his most perverse desires, and yet as soon as a woman does this for him he no longer respects her. In a crude form we find it in situations where a man - or a group of men - enjoy a "loose" woman while at the same time denigrating her as a "stupid slut". Men want women who are free and easy but - here is the twist - they don't respect women who are.

There is no purpose in theorising about the roots and causes of this hypocrisy; we merely need to note that it is widespread and a reality of male sexual life. We then need to address it and take it into account. This is why slave play under Code d' Odalisque is heavily codified and wrapped in a developed system of etiquette and elegance. It is why the Code identifies and defines the institution of the odalisque and asserts its nobility. An odalisque, by definition, willingly surrenders herself to male sexual fantasy - the Code then seeks to ensure that she is afforded due respect and is not subject to denigration. An odalisque is a noble creature; Slavekeepers are bound by the slave code to respect her and not to make her into an object of misogyny and abuse.

It is necessary to codify this and to place it within a context of defined protocols and rules and standards of behaviour in order to prevent the odalisque being caught up in this syndrome; this then enables her to be exactly the lewd, cock-crazy animal of her Master's desires. The motive dynamism of odalisque slave play is fantasy projection. An odalisque makes herself the passive vehicle of male sexual fantasy. She makes herself the sex-loving woman of his dreams. The formality of play - the slave positions and code of etiquette - is in part to prevent a self-hating reflex to take hold. Men can hate themselves for the vulnerability of desire. Code d' Odalisque constructs a civilized formality whose purpose is to keep male players as gentlemen and to institutionalise respect for the consenting female.

Certainly, an odalisque should be confident that she will not experience a backlash of disrespect if she surrenders herself to her Master and what other men might be put over her. Men are not going to use her and then dismiss her by saying "What a stupid bitch" or "What a dumb slut" or similar. On the contrary, under Code d' Odalisque female cockslaves are prized and regarded as a treasures. Here is a woman who willingly gives herself - her body, her sex - for male erotic indulgence. She is to be celebrated! The Code institutionalises a deep respect for her. She is a slave - that is a measure of her submission - but among slaves she is a rare treasure, the most valued of slaves.

Male players might usefully reflect on this aspect of male sexuality in themselves. When a woman agrees to sleep with you, do you respect her in the morning? Or do you wake up thinking "only a stupid slut would sleep with me..." It is a deeply neurotic thought. But it is, as we said, very common. It has no place in the psychology of a Slavekeeper who owns an odalisque. When she surrenders herself to him, and meets his desires - is happily used to satisfy his lusts - he respects her and values her all the more.

Yoga for odalisques

Code d' Odalisque is pro-health. Sex and vitality go together. An odalisque is devoted to pleasure and the enjoyment of pleasure depends upon physical vitality. The surest way to sustain or increase libido is to maintain a high level of physical vitality. A regime of physical exercise is therefore an indispensable part of the odalisque's life. She must keep herself beautiful, and she must keep herself physically fit and healthy. Simple forms of light exercise are ideal for this - walking, jogging, cycling, swimming.

As well, a simple regime of hatha yoga is perfect for keeping an odalisque fit, healthy and flexible. Yoga involves stretching the body. It brings balance to the energies of the body, improves posture and elasticity, deepens breathing, aids relaxation, concentrates the mind, increases stamina and keeps the body supple. A basic routine of hatha yoga asanas (postures) every day will help keep an odalisque in good physical condition to perform her duties. The routine called 'Salute to the Sun' is good for beginners, but other routines are specifically designed for sexual health.

There are many good introductory books on yoga and yoga classes are usually inexpensive. There is no need to detail yoga practices here. But Slavekeepers and Slavetrainers are encouraged to include some yoga - or a similar system such as "tai chi" - in the daily discipline of an odalisque.

The importance of charity

Code d'Odalisque works against forced prostitution

One of the unique features of Code d' Odalisque is that it codifies an ethos of charity and compassion into what is otherwise an entirely hedonistic culture of self-indulgence. Odalisque slave play under Code d' Ode is about sex, pleasure and captivity - but always in a safe, legal and consensual framework. Consensual slavery is post-slavery slavery. In the modern world the institution of historical slavery has been abolished. Only consensual slavery - as a mode of reverence and submission - remains. 

An important part of this under Code d' Odalisque is an active sense of charity directed at combatting the remnants of historical slavery and especially the sexual abuse of women and girls. The sad fact is that women and girls in many parts of the world are still used as sexual slaves or, more correctly, are lured into forced prostitution. This is an inhuman and barbaric trade that has no place in the modern world. The revival of odalisque slavery on a consensual basis under the Code acknowledges this fact and seeks to counter it. People who indulge in consensual sex-slave play ought to have a keen awareness that there remains non-consensual sex slavery today and they should denounce it and work against it. Eradicating non-consensual slavery is a noble cause. 

When a woman is taken as a (consenting) odalisque by a Master, she is "purchased". This takes the form of a donation given to an appropriate charity. Under the Code, the "slave price" is said to be "commuted to alms". For legal purposes, no money ever changes hands between players. It is, of course, illegal to actually buy and sell people. Instead, there is a play sale of the slave. Her Master pays a small sum of money to a charity and this suffices as the "slave price". The Code includes details of the formal steps by which this is done. The slavewoman decides what charity will benefit from the donation and the Slavekeeper decides how much he will donate. All donations are directed at campaigns to eradicate forced position and related abuses against women and girls. 

Charity is an important part of Code d' Odalisque culture. Code culture is luxurious, decadent, debauched, hedonistic - but this is off-set by a genuine concern for the plight of women and girls who are suffering under forced prostitution. There are hundreds of thousands or even millions of women and girls in this situation today - even in so-called Western countries. While Code d' Odalisque may be an exercise in sexual self-indulgence for all involved, it is not without conscience. The Code seeks to build a civilized, urbane institution of consensual slavery in a fully post-slavery world.