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. 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. First is a world of repressed urges a pious world of strict adherence to Christian teachings on the evils of giving into bodily desires. Tales of the Lewd, Nude, Rude, and Crude: Volume Four: The Manliest Manicure eBook : Goodtimes, Desiree: : Kindle Store Skip to main content. Ruth Mazo Karras, the leading expert in the field of mediaeval sexuality suggests two views. 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. 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.
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. Journal of the University of St Andrews History Society, Vol.1:1 (2011)
The Lewd, the Crude and the Downright Rude: Heterosexual Sex in Medieval Western Europe
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