8 Interesting Facts About Sex In Medieval Times

There were some do’s and don’ts, there were some rules, there were some etiquettes which might seem hilarious(забавный) today. I’m not sure how those people used to track if any rules were broken but I guess there was some sort of awareness(осведомленность) spread among people by the church that told them about the repercussions(последствия) for sexual sins after death.

But trust me after reading these twelve eight surprising facts that I’ve compiled, you’ll be glad that you weren’t born in those times.

1. The missionary was the only legal sexual position.

The only sexual position which was deemed(считалась) legal by the Catholic Church was the missionary. I mean can you believe it? They thought missionary was the only way to go because other positions may confuse gender roles or emphasize(подчеркивать) the pleasurable aspects of the act since sex was considered just an engine of procreation(деторождение).

2. Sex before marriage was death.

Sex before marriage was a big no. It still is today for people in certain religions and cultures. But if you were caught having sex back then before getting married then you’d be executed by disembowelment(потрошение).

3. The church was equivalent to the back seat of a car.

There was a lack of privacy in medieval homes and societies and it was hard for couples to find places where they could enjoy themselves. A famous historian Ruth Mazo Karras states that

“the church, safe, dry, and deserted for much of the day, might have been the equivalent of the back seat of a car.”

4. Condoms were made of animal parts and cloth(ткань).

The Church back then and even today considers the use of a condom or anything that stops the natural process of ejaculation a sin. But historians have found records of people using condoms in those days too. Although the purpose was to deal with STDs(не запланированная беременность). But let me you those condoms back then weren’t anything like they are today. They were made of animal bladders(мочевой пузырь), intestines(кишки), and linen(льняное полотно). And unlike today, they were reused over and over again.

5. Hardened bread loaves(зачерствевшие буханки хлеба) were used as dildos.

Although masturbation was considered a sin(грех), people still used different ways to please themselves sexually. The women used to bake loaves of bread until they were hard enough to be used as dildos. I can’t imagine how that would’ve worked out.

6. You get a prize when your husband takes your virginity(девственность).

Women back then were judged(осуждались) on the basis of their virginity. If you weren’t a virgin, you weren’t considered pure(чистой). And if you’re able to save yourself up until you’re married then you definitely deserved a prize. The husbands were supposed to give their wives gifts after consummating their marriage.(заключение брака)

7. You weren’t supposed to enjoy sex.(Вы не должны были получать удовольствие от секса.)

Well, this is ridiculous. Sex in those days was just considered evil(злом) but a necessary evil to make babies. This meant that you could have sex but just because you had to. You were not supposed to enjoy, and if you were doing it just for the sake of pleasure then it was considered a sin. If that’s the case, we’re all sinners now.

8. If you want your virginity back — just pray(молись).

Like I said before, women were judged on the basis of their virginity. Virginity was like a badge of honor. If women lost their virginity, even if after their marriage, you used to pray for the rest of their lives to win it back. I mean nothing changed physically but from the religious point of view, women could reach higher levels of divinity if they prayed for getting their virginity back.