Medieval Sex According To Eleanor Janega

Dr. Eleanor Janega and Dan Snow talk about Medieval sex in this full episode of Dan Snow's History Hit podcast and reveal the truth Victorians did not want you to know. Click here for more Eleanor Janega on Dan Snow's podcast channel: https://youtu.be/r1IUtWIbrYs In this episode, Dan Snow sits down with historian Dr. Eleanor Janega to debunk the Victorian myth that the Middle Ages was a period of repressed chastity. From "shagging in the fields" to the scandalous behavior of monks and nuns, they reveal how medieval folk navigated the strict moral tightrope of the Catholic Church while embracing a surprisingly progressive view of female pleasure and sexual agency. The conversation dives deep into the "Two Seed Theory" of reproduction, the reality of courtly love as an excuse for extramarital affairs, and the shocking truth behind the invention of the chastity belt. We also explore how medieval women used herbal abortifacients like Pennyroyal and how "horny aunts" were prayed out of purgatory. It’s an eye-opening look at a side of history that the Victorians tried their best to bury. 0:00 Introduction 1:05 The Church’s Moral Tightrope 3:02 The Science of the Female Orgasm 4:10 Forbidden Days: When You Couldn’t Have Sex 5:42 Why Women Were Considered "Sex-Crazed" 8:01 The Myth of the Chastity Belt 10:05 Peasant Shagging vs. Royal Arranged Marriages 13:07 The Best Places for a Secret tryst 15:12 Pilgrimage: The Medieval "Lads on Tour" 18:22 Sodomy and Queer Life in Monasteries 23:28 Medieval Contraception and Abortion 33:25 Power, Widows, and the Wife of Bath 41:35 Purgatory and the "Good Death" #Medieval #EleanorJanega #History You can now become a History Hit member right here on YouTube! Join for access to a new exclusive documentary every week, and access to over 160+ of our documentaries presented by world-renowned historians like Dan Snow, Eleanor Janega, Tristan Hughes, Mary Beard, Matt Lewis and more. Get an exclusive release every week by signing up here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZwU2G-KVl-P-O-B35chZOQ/join