Dyan Elliott In the fourth century, clerics began to distinguish themselves from members of the laity by virtue of their augmented claims to holiness. Because clerical celibacy was key to this distinction, religious authorities of all stripes—patristic authors, popes, theologians, canonists, monastic founders, and commentators—became progressively sensitive to sexual scandals […]
Tag: medieval sexuality
The Reputation of Edward II
Kit Heyam During his lifetime and the four centuries following his death, King Edward II (1307-1327) acquired a reputation for having engaged in sexual and romantic relationships with his male favourites, and having been murdered by penetration with a red-hot spit. The Reputation of Edward II, 1305-1697: A Literary Transformation of […]
‘Behaviour Which Merits a Horrible and Wretched Death’: Sex, Sin and the Black Death in Medieval England
Medieval people feared that the Black Death was a punishment for sin, and hoped that abstaining from sex could save them.
Virgin Whore
A surprisingly prevalent theme in late English medieval literature and culture: the celebration of the Virgin Mary’s sexuality.
Obscene Pedagogies: Transgressive Talk and Sexual Education in Late Medieval Britain
Obscenity is useful as a tool for teaching about sex and consent in the Middle Ages, and today.
Like a Virgin? The Medieval Origins of a Modern Debate
A recent Vatican ruling on consecrated virgins has caused controversy, but there are medieval precedents for the new approach.
Inventing Incest in Early Medieval Europe
The sixth century saw the emergence of a new understanding of the concept of incest, which was swiftly legislated in both secular and canon law.
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