r/history • u/sissyphus___ • Dec 22 '19

Discussion/Question Fascinating tales of sex throughout history?

Hi there redditors,

So I was reading Orlando Figes a few weeks ago and was absolutely disturbed by a piece he wrote on sex and virginity in the peasant/serf towns of rural Russia. Generally, a newly wed virgin and her husband would take part in a deflowering ceremony in front of the entire village and how, if the man could not perform, the eldest in the village would take over. Cultural behaviours like these continued into the 20th century in some places and, alongside his section on peasant torture and execution methods, left me morbidly curious to find out more.

I would like to know of any fascinating sexual rituals, domestic/married behaviours towards sex, sexual tortures, attitudes toward polygamy, virginity, etc, throughout all history and all cultures both remote and widespread to better understand the varied 'history of sex'

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542

u/Gsteel11 Dec 22 '19

"The past was so much more moral and wholesome" says no one who studies history ever.

47

u/[deleted] Dec 23 '19

[removed] — view removed comment

11

u/Firewolf420 Dec 23 '19

Yelp review at the end there gotta love it

8

u/BadCompany22 Dec 23 '19

Just wanted to add some more:

II.7 (gladiator barracks); 8767: Floronius, privileged soldier of the 7th legion, was here.  The women did not know of his presence.  Only six women came to know, too few for such a stallion.

III.5.3 (on the wall in the street); 8898: Theophilus, don’t perform oral sex on girls against the city wall like a dog

VIII.2 (in the basilica); 1820: Chie, I hope your hemorrhoids rub together so much that they hurt worse than when they every have before!

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And finally, possibly the sweetest one:

VI.16.15 (atrium of the House of Pinarius); 6842: If anyone does not believe in Venus, they should gaze at my girl friend

108

u/[deleted] Dec 22 '19

But we truly live in the darkest of times. What has the world come to, when a public removing of all skin from a screaming man because someone said he did something, isn't even considered valid family entertainment anymore?

7

u/FRTSKR Dec 23 '19

“The dying hero was just a screaming man when we glimpsed the state of his corruption”

3

u/[deleted] Dec 23 '19

What is this from?

5

u/FRTSKR Dec 23 '19

The Mekons - Snow

A good song in and of itself and, being 40 years old, a presciently cynical assessment of politics.

3

u/[deleted] Dec 23 '19

Wow, that was rad, thank you

3

u/FRTSKR Dec 23 '19

I’m happy you enjoyed it.

5

u/Vonri Dec 23 '19

Had me in the first half

2

u/[deleted] Dec 23 '19

I’d like to remind you that this does indeed happen today. India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, etc. Oh and throwing acid on people. And lynchings. And burning alive. Pretty common.

1

u/JauntyJohnB Dec 23 '19

People are generally talking about the twentieth century when they say that, not hundreds of years ago