The Fires of Lust

Harvey, Katherine

$27.50

Adding to cart… The item has been added
Author
Harvey, Katherine
Publish Date
11/08/2021
Book Type
Hardcover
Publisher Name
REAKTN
Subtitle
Sex in the Middle Ages
Number of Pages
320
ISBN-10
1789144892
ISBN-13
9781789144895
SKU
9781789144895

Description

An illuminating exploration of the surprisingly familiar sex lives of ordinary medieval people.

The medieval humoral system of medicine suggested that it was possible to die from having too much—or too little—sex, while the Roman Catholic Church taught that virginity was the ideal state. Holy men and women committed themselves to lifelong abstinence in the name of religion. Everyone was forced to conform to restrictive rules about who they could have sex with, in what way, how often, and even when, and could be harshly punished for getting it wrong. Other experiences are more familiar. Like us, medieval people faced challenges in finding a suitable partner or trying to get pregnant (or trying not to). They also struggled with many of the same social issues, such as whether prostitution should be legalized. Above all, they shared our fondness for dirty jokes and erotic images. By exploring their sex lives, the book brings ordinary medieval people to life and reveals details of their most personal thoughts and experiences. Ultimately, it provides us with an important and intimate connection to the past.