Anne O Nomis (which means Anonymous) is the author of the first book on the history of the Dominatrix phenomenon, an expert in the field of archeology and art history, not only spent many hours in the archives of libraries and museum halls, but also experienced many practices of secret art. History and Art of the Dominatrix was published in December 2013 in English. In the interview below, Ann o Nomis talks about her work on the book and the transformation of the Dominatrix profession in today’s world.
– Let’s start with the most commonplace. Where did the idea for the book come from ?
I worked as a manager of a design gallery in Melbourne. Opposite our building was a professional dungeon, where more than ten Dominatrix worked. I often saw women walking past our window in stunning boots and with large duffel bags. And in local pubs there were special cocktails “Red stiletto” and “Madame”, in honor of the women who spent what we called Dominatrix dollars there. One day at the Polly Bar, a woman ordered her slave to kiss my boots. And he fell at my feet. I was in the company of friends and it made a big impression on me.
Then I was invited to the birthday of one of these women , and I began to ask them about what they were doing , how and when female domination appeared. The versions were very different. One believed that this is a modern phenomenon, which is part of emancipation, the other suggested that it is associated with punishments in schools of the Victorian period. But no one knew for sure. When I returned home, I started googling, but I did n’t find anything meaningful either. I studied art history and was sure that there should be literature on this topic. But a search in libraries also gave nothing … And then I decided to write a book.
– And how did you manage to realize this idea literally from scratch?
The book tries to reflect the entire history of the Dominatrix as much as I could trace it. Considering that we are talking about a phenomenon that existed underground, it was not so easy to find the necessary archival materials. Sometimes, to take a trail, a small advertisement was enough that informed about the “teacher”. But the terms that were used were so vague that at times it was difficult to understand what it was about. I am fortunate to have studied Archeology and Comparative Art Studies at University College London. It is just one block from the British Library and two blocks from the British Museum. I used my university status to gain access to information.
– But you managed to reveal the topic not only thanks to the archives.
Domination is a very complex concept, it is a tapestry woven from many different threads that magically creates a single fabric. As part of my research, I entered a one-year internship in a dungeon. I had to spend there at least three times a week for six hours, and of course this is in addition to my usual work. Every second evening, I dressed in black clothes , my lady instructor tightly tightened the corset on me, and in this way I was literally pulled into this world for a whole year. It was a unique experience. I studied with different Mistresses, was an assistant during the sessions, cleaned all the equipment.
In fact, I was a slave, experiencing both sides of this art as part of my training. Studying the role of the Top, I got to the very bottom. I saw the full spectrum of female domination practices . There are a lot of different requests: people come who are exclusively interested in crossdressing transformations ( just write – crossdressing) and those who want to be tied with ropes or go through a scenario of hard interrogation, or receive traditional corporal punishment from a school mentor. Each client has a personal approach, and a package is created for him depending on his fetishes.
Many people associate the emergence of the BDSM culture with the Marquis De Sade and Leopold Sacher Von Masoch.
People do think that the ideas of dominance, submission and discipline are a modern phenomenon, but they are not. I begin my research by analyzing sources in Sumerian and Akkadian. The hymns to the goddess Inanna, also known as Ishtar, describe rituals that can be judged precisely as the practice of female domination. Her cult included crossdresser ministers, representatives of the third sex. I am also particularly interested in the connection between the emergence of ancient tools for controlling animals and the practice of domination in the world of humans.
In the book, I tried to describe what exactly the dominatrix was doing at different times, to trace the emergence of a special segment of the language that reflected the nature of the relationship. When it comes to the Lady, I write “I” and “She” with a capital letter. It’s a bit like addressing royalty. I also studied the development of the fetishist style, as we would call it today. The hostesses and mistresses of the 18th century were of course not dressed in latex, they were wearing corsets. The term Dominatrix itself appeared only in the XX century.
Unfortunately, many sources that existed were destroyed, however, for example, recommendations on which rods are best used for flogging, as well as descriptions of wooden devices that were used to restrict freedom, have been preserved. These devices were relatively convenient for “victims”, and they are a lot like what modern Dominatrix use in dungeons. – It creates the feeling that today the understanding of what BDSM, including what makes dominatrix formed bestsellers such as “50 Shades of Gray” and mainstream pornography, such as sites like kink.com. How adequate is this picture?
Honestly, I haven’t read 50 Shades, but people in the kink community say that the book depicts a rather unhealthy relationship that would not be welcomed among those who practice BDSM. This also applies to materials that are used for dominance, such as wires and all kinds of homemade devices that are simply not safe. As far as pornography is concerned , there is certainly a distortion, because video materials usually offer sex as one of the main forms of action, although, as we know, the Dominatrix does not offer sexual services. It is very common in internet pornography to see that the dominatrix is fucking her slave. In fact, this is a commercial move to satisfy the desire of men who want to see it , but this is absolutely not typical of what really happens in dungeons.
– So what is really going on there?
The dominatrix profession is based on a deep understanding of how to excite and refuse to achieve what excites. Sessions are not 15-minute clips created for a man to satisfy himself on his own. They go on for hours. The purpose of the session is not to satisfy the man , but to introduce him to the role of submission, to lead him through a deep experience, to push him into new areas of experience that may have been closed to him before. It doesn’t happen right away. This is a gradual process. Often the relationship between the slaves and the Dominatrix continues for years. In many cases, the slave visits his Mistress once a month or once every two months.
for many years. Close friendships develop between them. You won’t see this on porn sites, but it’s reality.
– So what do the dominatrix offer their clients?
What you usually see is an alphabetical list of possible actions or general areas of interest. However, so far no one has tried to formulate what exactly is included in the dominatrix’s sphere of activity. In my book, I offer my concept. I named it “The Art of the Seven Dimensions”. In fact, these are seven main categories of what the dominatrix does . The first is the worship of a woman as a Goddess, Queen, or some kind of supreme being. A woman is the owner of knowledge and wisdom. Hence her erotic power. In this context, the status of a man
physically reduced to the bottom, which turns him into a servant. Another area is restriction of freedom, slavery and imprisonment. Bondage is both a physical and a mental state. Paradoxically, this frees the man from social obligations. A game in which a man is imprisoned in a collar in the space of his Lady is a ritual that allows you to extract a man from social space and free him from the pressure of daily norms. That is, in fact, in confinement they find freedom from work, from the obligations imposed on them.
– That is, we can say that obedience is a form of freedom. But is it possible to talk about the loss of control, because the man himself chooses which scenarios of domination are of interest to him, and in fact indirectly controls this process.
This is not entirely true. I have often seen the dominatrix deliberately avoid the dominatrix methods that her slave liked. I also saw cases of absolute loss of control, when a man was literally deconstructed, taken apart to pieces, and then put back together, and he could not understand what had happened to him at all.
What other dimensions do you highlight?
Of course it is discipline and punishment , within which learning takes place according to certain rules. And again, the key point here is a kind of relaxation, which is based on the clarity of the system of behavior and the absence of social uncertainty. Every day, many people experience tremendous socio-cultural pressure on how to behave and what to say. Mistress’s teaching is based on a system of animal training, within which any social animal, be it a dog or a person, finds relief in a structured system of rules. These rules are determined by the Mistress. In fact, we are talking about the Pavlovian system of reflexes, when a slave expects a certain disciplining reaction to his action.
I also discuss in detail the topic of crossdressing and gender transformation, and related roles, which is especially important for people who have both genders.
Another possibility is going beyond the boundaries of your own body. Sensory deprivation, cocooning people, playing with pain when the body experiences an excess of endorphins. This is close to shamanic practices of ecstasy for going out of the body. – Can we say that today, society is ready to recognize the dominatrix as a profession?
My book tells how the dominatrix were persecuted by the authorities over the years. Their practices were considered criminal. But today, my profession is gaining recognition.
I believe that the more confident a dominatrix can talk about what they are doing , the more it gives them legitimacy, and at the same time allows them to dispel myths and stereotypes. The big problem is that BDSM as an industry remains out of regulation. Of course, there are opportunities for formal education in Australia, Germany, and a number of others.
countries. But after all, anyone can create a website and claim that she is a Dominatrix without having any experience. Also, if we attribute the Dominatrix to the sex industry, then the question arises about the proportions between psychological and sexual tools of work.
This profession for me is both work and art. First of all, erotic art. Something like Geisha in Japan and Geter in Greece. – I got the impression from your story that the Dominatrix is more of a therapist. Yes, they are partly therapists, partly teachers and much more … It depends very much on how they come to this. There are only four main areas of activity, of which women come to the profession: – Education, pedagogy: the hostess of the dungeon, where I underwent an internship in Australia, was a child educator before. Many successful Dominatrixes have similar experiences, which helps them treat men like little children.
– People of the stage – actresses, dancers, sometimes strippers. And in the 17th and 18th centuries, dominatrix governesses were often also actresses.
– Another area is medicine, primarily nurses. In dungeons, along with the school classroom, rooms with medical equipment are very often used. – And finally, there are former prostitutes who come from the traditional sex industry – Would you advise a young lady to choose a dominatrix as a profession?
Unfortunately, there was no dominatrix in the list of possible jobs that I was offered. It is not surprising that I could not understand in any way what my vocation was. I think it is important to go into this area at that stage of life when a woman is in harmony with her body and sexuality. You need to be confident enough to clearly define boundaries for your customers, because if you don’t, customers can be physically hurt. I have occasionally come across successful dominatrixes at 21, but in general they should be older and very confident. This profession is especially suitable for those who are interested in psychology, since we work with the darkest human fantasies.
– What are the risks?
Most of the work takes place in dark, curtained rooms, wearing corsets and wearing very high heels, which is not a very healthy environment, which clearly contributes to a lack of vitamin D. It is necessary to clearly define the boundaries of the work schedule and not forget to spend time in the sun . But the same problems exist in the sex industry and everyone who works night shifts. Another aspect, about responsibility: before the start of the research, I did not even suspect that with these practices you can really kill someone if you are not careful enough. Clients are often not aware of the dangers of their requests or do not speak about medical problems that can lead to complications.
