Medieval Sex? Did they do it back then? (doc)

Dr. Janega (History Hit, 5/2/22); Ashley Wells, Pat Macpherson, Crystal Q. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Medieval Pleasures: What was sex really like in the Middle Ages?

(History Hit) WARNING: Contains strong language and sexual content! Get ready to indulge in some medieval pleasures. In this three-part series, historian Dr. Eleanor Janega (@Going Medieval) takes us on a journey into the sumptuous world of sex, booze, and sport throughout the Medieval period.

Is it all right to talk about this subject?

In this episode, Dr. Janega and Dr. Kate Lister (@whoresofyore) take to the streets of York to uncover the sex lives of folks living here over 500 years ago.

Armed with medieval chat-up lines, they attempt to woo a suitor while revealing the hidden ribald meanings behind some common words and phrases, giving us insight into the diverse, bold, and unabashed sexual appetites of medieval people and the role the Church had in controlling the sex lives of Christian worshippers.

And at the Tower of London, she explores courtly love and how the royal bedchamber was a very crowded place, particularly when a regal marriage was consummated.

She also investigates the complicated rules governing the sex trade in the British capital, where almost anything goes as long as it happens in the approved Red Light District.

Prehistoric origins of sex? Sex at Dawn

Come with Dr. Janega as she ventures into the heady world of medieval pleasure...and if you want to know more about what went on in medieval bedrooms and beyond, check out Dr. Lister's fascinating new Betwixt the Sheets podcast on History Hit.

What can be heard on it is a discussion with Dr. Janega: pod.fo/e/11b847 They discuss all things -- aphrodisiacs, sex diaries, religious rules, as well as bizarre fertility treatments involving actual fish in places they should never go.

WARNING: This episode includes explicit language and adult themes!

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