Prostitution (Earth-4552)

"You've forgotten the most important thing about whores...you don't buy them, you only rent them."

- - Tyrion Lannister

Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment, usually in the form of currency. Those who sell their sexual services are more commonly known simply as whores. A building where people engage in sexual activities with prostitutes is known as a brothel in Middle-Earth, though they tend to be called pleasure houses in Essos.

Prostitution in Middle-Earth
Prostitution is tacitly legal in the Nine Kingdoms, in the sense that there is no official law preventing brothels from openly operating in the major cities and towns. Organized religion does discourage prostitution, and it is socially frowned upon, but it is nonetheless present, sometimes seen as an outlet for "uncontrollable male sexual desires". Secular lords and kings have not (in general) tried to shut down prostitution, as taxing brothels is a good source of revenue.

Social customs are somewhat different in Dorne, which has more liberal attitudes towards sexuality. A holdover from the old court culture of the Elves' city-states on the western continent is that Dornish society still contains a group of elite courtesans, known as "paramours". Paramours are the unmarried lovers of Dornish nobles, and can be male or female. They are highly trained in courtly culture, and strictly speaking are not prostitutes. Some are even functionally treated as wives in all but name. Outsiders from the other kingdoms often dismissively think of Dornish paramours as mistresses, or as simple prostitutes.

Despite their vows of celibacy, some of the members of the Dark Brotherhood have been known to frequent a brothel in Mole's Town, a village in the Gift which is the settlement of commoners (i.e. including Women, and prostitutes) located closest to the Wall.

A common euphemistic name applied to prostitutes in Middle-Earth is "Sallys". When Catelyn Stark is led into the brothel owned by Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish, she shouts that he should be ashamed to bring a noblewoman into such a place, as if she were some "back-alley Sally" (though he actually brought her to his brothel because no one would think to look for her there). When Samwell Tarly is complaining to the Last Dragonborn that several members of the Dark Brotherhood secretly frequent the brothel in Mole's Town, he says it isn't fair that they swear oaths of celibacy but then flout their vows by sneaking off to enjoy a "Sally on the side".

Know Prostitutes in Middle-Earth
A number of prostitutes work at Littlefinger's brothel in King's Landing, owned by Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish.
 * Shae: former camp follower, then handmaiden to Sansa Stark and secret favorite of Tyrion Lannister. Later strangled to death by Tyrion, after discovering that she had sex with his own father, Tywin, who had sentenced Tyrion to death.


 * Ros: Littlefinger's aide. Originally from a brothel in the town outside of Winterfell castle, moved to King's Landing at the beginning of the War of the Five Kings. Became the majordomo that Littlefinger delegated the day-to-day running of the brothel to. Littlefinger ultimately found out she was spying on him for Varys, so as punishment he sold her to King Joffrey Baratheon, who killed her for a cheap thrill.
 * Armeca: from Flea Bottom.
 * Daisy: from Haystack Hall.
 * Mhaegen: a former favorite of King Robert Baratheon.
 * Mirelle
 * Kayla: a contortionist who can perform a Meereenese Knot.
 * Marei
 * Genna
 * Olyvar, a homosexual male prostitute. Caught the eye of Ser Loras Tyrell, and after successfully gaining information from him which Littlefinger used to thwart the Tyrells' plan to marry Sansa Stark to Loras - which resulted in the death of Ros - Olyvar became the new majordomo of the brothel, overseeing day-to-day operations. This position was more important than before since Littlefinger left the capital for the Eyrie.