The Lewd, the Crude and the Downright Rude: Heterosexual Sex in Medieval Western Europe
By Jimmy Boulton
Journal of the University of St Andrews History Society, Vol.1:1 (2011)
Introduction: As a mediaeval history student, the subject of sexual practices in the Middle Ages may seem to be a rather crude one to be studying, yet it is a topic that raises its head in many areas of historical enquiry. If one wishes to enter into the psyche of people in the mediaeval world, it is vital to examine every part of their lives, even that which they may have considered the most private. If one has never really considered thinking about sex in the Middle Ages, it is useful to pause and think of what images pop up when one does. Ruth Mazo Karras, the leading expert in the field of mediaeval sexuality suggests two views. First is a world of repressed urges; a pious world of strict adherence to Christian teachings on the evils of giving into bodily desires. The other vision is one of lewd knights sleeping with ladies of the court away from the prying eyes of their families; of monks and nuns copulating in secret passages; of kings and nobles with multiple mistresses; and of peasants coupling behind bushes by the side of the road. The tales of Geoffrey Chaucer and Giovanni Boccaccio paint an image of a world that far from being ignorant or reticent about sex, was promoting it as the hottest of topics. Neither of these views is incorrect and it is this seemingly irreconcilable contrast in opinion between the clergy and laity that forms the basis of this enquiry.
One immediate problem that confronts us when we consider sex in Mediaeval Europe is that the vast majority of our written sources were written by celibate clerics that were shut away in monasteries, far from the temptations or even sight of members of the opposite sex. This makes them very unreliable sources for examining sexual practice and so for the most part we must use other kinds of sources.
Mediaeval literature would appear to be the most useful yet it also has its problems. Writers of mediaeval fiction were not historians; they composed and wrote solely to entertain. This is not to say that they are without use, indeed we can find out much from them.
The Lewd, the Crude and the Downright Rude: Heterosexual Sex in Medieval Western Europe
By Jimmy Boulton
Journal of the University of St Andrews History Society, Vol.1:1 (2011)
Introduction: As a mediaeval history student, the subject of sexual practices in the Middle Ages may seem to be a rather crude one to be studying, yet it is a topic that raises its head in many areas of historical enquiry. If one wishes to enter into the psyche of people in the mediaeval world, it is vital to examine every part of their lives, even that which they may have considered the most private. If one has never really considered thinking about sex in the Middle Ages, it is useful to pause and think of what images pop up when one does. Ruth Mazo Karras, the leading expert in the field of mediaeval sexuality suggests two views. First is a world of repressed urges; a pious world of strict adherence to Christian teachings on the evils of giving into bodily desires. The other vision is one of lewd knights sleeping with ladies of the court away from the prying eyes of their families; of monks and nuns copulating in secret passages; of kings and nobles with multiple mistresses; and of peasants coupling behind bushes by the side of the road. The tales of Geoffrey Chaucer and Giovanni Boccaccio paint an image of a world that far from being ignorant or reticent about sex, was promoting it as the hottest of topics. Neither of these views is incorrect and it is this seemingly irreconcilable contrast in opinion between the clergy and laity that forms the basis of this enquiry.
One immediate problem that confronts us when we consider sex in Mediaeval Europe is that the vast majority of our written sources were written by celibate clerics that were shut away in monasteries, far from the temptations or even sight of members of the opposite sex. This makes them very unreliable sources for examining sexual practice and so for the most part we must use other kinds of sources.
Mediaeval literature would appear to be the most useful yet it also has its problems. Writers of mediaeval fiction were not historians; they composed and wrote solely to entertain. This is not to say that they are without use, indeed we can find out much from them.
Click here to read this article from the University of St Andrews
See also our feature on Sex in the Middle Ages
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