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 and trying to get pregnant (or trying not to). They also struggled with many of the same social issues, such as whether prostitution should be legalised. Above all, they shared our fondness for dirty jokes and erotic images.
By exploring their sex lives, Katherine Harvey, author of The Fires of Lust: Sex in the Middle Ages, brings ordinary medieval people to life, revealing details of their most personal thoughts and experiences, and providing us with an important and intimate connection to the past.
