inner dork: vestal virgins

Did you know...

Vestal virgins have been around since before Christ. Vesta, the Roman goddess the virgins honored, was the oldest daughter of Saturn. She never married, but dedicated herself to hearth and home. Vesta evolved into quite the matriarch, commanding a circular temple that stood in the center of Rome. Every Roman house had a shrine to Vesta, and every meal began and ended with an offering to Vesta.
So, what about the virgins?
They, the virgins, were actually priestesses who kept watch over a sacred fire that burned in Vesta's temple. The custom began in primitive times, when fires were difficult to make. (So, before Bic and Zippo) People would obtain fire from the local chief, (the fire chief?) whose daughters kept a flame burning at all times. (A flame of love, baby) Eventually fire making became routine, but the vestal virgins must have appealed to the Romans, who kept six virgins posted in Vesta's temple round the clock, keeping the city's home fire aglow. (So, I guess lose virignity out a job, huh?)