• True or False?

    There was contraceptive practice of jumping backwards seven times and then sneezing after sex to prevent pregnancy.

    True! It is a true belief but not for the medieval times; it was Ancient Greek; definitely cited by Middle Ages people but not a standard practice!

  • Fun Fact!

    This suggestive looking painting is actual a depiction of Jesus’ side wound! Figures like this one were popular in the Middle Ages and are now referred to as “Christ’s Vagina!”

  • True or False?

    In some medieval theology, castration was used to make someone a more ethical person!

    It’s true! People believed that removing the penis or balls was a way to make people more ethical. There were even assassins sent to castrate people!

  • Fun Fact!

    Ale brewing was originally a female craft! It was so popular for women to brew ale that they were given the name “alewives.” Thanks ladies!

  • True or False?

    In the Middle Ages, with intersex people, the challenge was not so much thinking that their bodies were sinful, but when it came to who they were going to choose who to marry.

    Well, it’s a mixed bag but it’s mostly true! Our perception of biological gender is a lot more fixed than it ever really has been. They didn’t have the ability to know much about biological sex, but if people began to suspect that you were intersex, you might get accused of homosexuality.

  • Fun Fact!

    Medieval people thought that it was possible for a woman to die if she did not have enough sex! They believed men and women both had seed that needed to be expelled; if it wasn’t let out often enough, the woman could become ill!

  • True or False?

    Jealous husbands created chastity belts for their wives during the medieval period.

    That’s false! But it is a very prevalent rumor that was invented in the Victorian times!

  • Fun Fact!

    One popular feature of marginalia was nuns plucking penises from trees! It was meant to imply that despite their vows, nuns were horny!

  • True or False?

    There was a practice called prima noctae where a knight was allowed to have sex with a woman before her husband after their wedding.

    False! This is invented about the Middle Ages, like chastity belts, etc; another Victorian invention about control and nobility.

    However, kings and knights were often really late on payments, so they would allow their armies to rape and pillage whoever and wherever they wanted as their payment.