logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2021
31m 36s

Sex in the Middle Ages

History Hit
About this episode

Despite being a key part of society and everyday life, medieval sexuality was probably left out of your history lessons at school. But how much do we really know about these very private aspects of life in the Middle Ages? Dr Cat Jarman is joined by historian Dr Eleanor Janega from the London School of Economics, who tells us all about medieval sex toys, religious rules, sex workers and more. Please be aware there are adult themes in this episode.


Eleanor’s book, The Middle Ages: A Graphic History, is out now


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Today
Peasants' Revolt on Film: The Uprising Reviewed
How accurate is Hollywood's take on the Peasants' Revolt? It is 1381, and England is at breaking point. A civilian army of thousands stormed the capital, making demands of King Richard II. Now, Paul Greengrass’s new film, The Uprising, brings the revolt to the big screen, starrin ... Show More
1h 2m
Sep 15
The Invention of Hell
"All hope, abandon ye who enter here." These words from Dante’s Divine Comedy may shape our modern vision of hell, but did you know that the Bible says surprisingly little about it? In fact, hell as we know it was constantly reinvented during the Middle Ages.Dr. Eleanor Janega is ... Show More
54m 47s
Sep 11
Sword in the Stone: Origins of Arthurian Legends
Who first imagined King Arthur pulling a shining blade from solid rock? What do extraordinary Bronze Age discoveries reveal about the legend's deeper roots?Matt Lewis is joined by Amy Jeffs to uncover the surprising origins of the sword in the stone (and other Arthurian legends), ... Show More
51m 51s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2025
Medieval Sex
Warning: this episode contains explicit language.Medieval people weren’t prudish—far from it. Dan is joined by medieval historian Dr Eleanor Janega to explore sex, marriage, and desire in the Middle Ages. They delve into the beliefs around sodomy as “non-procreative sex”; pilgrim ... Show More
42m 14s
Apr 2022
Medieval Sex
*WARNING this episode includes explicit language and adult themes*What were your medieval ancestors getting up to in the bedroom? Join sex historian Kate Lister, Betwixt the Sheets, to find out.Medievalist and George Michael super-fan Dr Eleanor Janega is on the podcast to chat a ... Show More
42m 56s
Mar 2023
Medieval Women: Beauty, Work & Pubic Hair
How would a medieval woman achieve a Brazilian bikini line? Why can’t you trust a nun in the night time? And what were women doing at Medieval universities? Kate is joined for the THIRD time by Eleanor Janega to talk about how women were expected to be in the medieval era, and ho ... Show More
38m 4s
Jan 2025
Medieval Sex Myths
From medieval d*ck pics to sex with monks, how did people in medieval times think about sex and sexuality?It was a period that spanned roughly 1,000 years and even though views on sex were largely shaped by the dominant Christian faith, whether this filtered down to every day exp ... Show More
46m 4s
Mar 2023
Medieval women: everything you wanted to know
What chores did medieval women have to get through each day? How could plucking your eyebrows in the Middle Ages land you in hell? And why did people believe that older women’s looks could kill? In our latest “Everything you wanted to know” episode, medievalist Dr Eleanor Janega ... Show More
1h 4m
Feb 2024
Sex Work in the Middle Ages
Medieval England was not subtle.Take sex work, for example. You knew exactly where to go, because the streets were labelled accordingly. Cokkes Lane, anyone?Not only that, but the areas were sanctioned by a Bishop. Yes, you read that correctly. Ever wondered how sex work was view ... Show More
41m 8s
Oct 2024
Medieval Chastity Belts: History Unlocked
Sexual purity was hugely importance in the medieval world, especially for women.How did chastity work in practice? Why was it so important? And was the infamous chastity belt really used?Joining Kate today is friend of the show and co-host of our sister podcast, Gone Medieval, El ... Show More
45m 38s
May 2022
Tudor Sex
WARNING: This episode includes adult themes and explicit words.Why did Henry VIII want everyone to know about his wet dreams? What animal product were condoms made from? And was coffee really ruining the sex lives of wives?Suzannah Lipscomb from our sister podcast, Not Just the T ... Show More
45m 28s
Jan 2025
Medieval Lesbians
How do you begin to look for examples of lesbians in the medieval period?Even though it was deeply frowned upon by the powers that be, the clues are very much there... if you know where to look.What examples do we have? How did the male-run church respond to fears that nuns were ... Show More
45m 38s
Aug 2022
Viking Sex
Who was Loki having sex with? What is a horse penis cult? And were the Vikings as brutal as we think they were?Betwixt the Sheets today, Kate is joined by Dr Cat Jarman, one of the hosts of our sister podcast Gone Medieval. From the recollections of Ibn Fadlan to Icelandic sagas ... Show More
47m 24s