Rosalie Gilbert (author of The Very Secret Sex Lives of Medieval Women) hints at what you can except when you attend the Abbey Medieval Festival.
Life took a surprising turn today when it unexpectedly presented the opportunity to speak with the very delightful radio personality, Steve Austin, on his afternoon radio program for the Nationwide ABC, Drive.
Steve takes us homeward through that peak hour traffic and today I was invited to join him. We took a trip back to the middle ages while everyone else took the trip from workplace to home. Or tavern. It’s a Friday, after all.
With the Abbey Medieval Festival only 5 weeks away, Steve had many pressing questions, like what might he find there, what are my hot activity picks, what would a medieval wear and what do people most want to know?
(Yes, it’s a real fire. Yes, we ARE going to eat that!)
More than anything, he wanted to know secret medieval lady things, and I’m certain that now he has more questions than ever before.
You can listen in here. Scroll across to 2:39:28
The Very Secret Sex Lives of Medieval Women
An Inside Look at Women & Sex in Medieval Times
An inside look at sexual practices in medieval times. Were medieval women slaves to their husband’s desires, jealously secured in a chastity belt in his absence? Was sex a duty or could it be a pleasure? Did a woman have a say about her own female sexuality, body, and who did or didn’t get up close and personal with it? No. And yes. It’s complicated.
Romance, courtship, and behind closed doors. The intimate lives of medieval women were as complex as for modern women. They loved and lost, hoped and schemed, were lifted up and cast down. They were hopeful and lovelorn. Some had it forced upon them, others made aphrodisiacs and dressed for success. Some were chaste and some were lusty. Having sex was complicated. Not having sex, was even more so.