How did women fake their virginity in the Middle Ages?

Many girls dream of meeting that very noble knight of medieval love, but in reality this period was by no means shrouded in an aura of romance. This is especially true for love and sex. Later, the girl’s chastity was associated with the image of the Virgin Mary, a symbol of Christian purity and virtue. The church and society were harsh on those who “knew sin” before binding themselves into holy matrimony, so they had to resort to subterfuge. We tell how women managed to cheat on their husbands in the Middle Ages.

Note: This material contains descriptions of dangerous recipes and practices that existed in the Middle Ages. The post is for informational purposes only and is not a call to action. The author and editors remind you that you should contact medical professionals in any health-related situation.

leeches

Since sexual intercourse often took place in front of witnesses, one of the signs that the girl was a virgin was bleeding. Therefore, people who had previously been subjected to male caresses tried to leave traces of blood on the sheets with the help of leeches. Yes, they applied these blood-sucking worms to the vagina to make it look like “a spear had just pierced the ring.” By the way, the method was effective and very convincing. Needless to say that the procedure itself is unpleasant and even dangerous to health?

bull blood

Women also imitated their chastity with the help of a fish bladder filled with bull’s blood. The important thing was to ensure that the blood got on the sheets at the right time. In medieval Italy, such tricks were often performed by girls of easy virtue with clients and inexperienced young men who wanted to spend the night with virgins.

herbal bath

There was another way to prove your innocence – artificially narrowing the vagina. To do this, women went to herbalists who provided them with special decoctions. The most popular recipe was based on egg whites, flea mint tincture and herbs. They moistened a cloth with this product, which they used to wipe the intimate areas two to three times a day. Another recipe involved natron powder, calcium carbonate, a mineral salt mined from the bottom of lakes. True, this was not available in the villages, so peasant women would put crushed blackberries in it instead.

The most popular were the recipes of the 11th-century gynecologist Trotula de Ruggiero. In his treatise De Passionibus Mulierum Curandarum (Latin: “On the Diseases of Gynecology”), he described in detail the drugs that helped solve such a delicate problem. For example, high society ladies cooked ink nuts, rose petals, sumac fruits, bananas, comfrey, alum, bolus and full clay in rainwater. To achieve the desired result, they squatted and steamed their genitals.

bridal exchange

In special cases, aristocrats resorted to extreme measures and offered their husbands an innocent maid on their wedding night. At night, due to weak light sources, the quiet girl did not raise any suspicions. Of course, the artist was paid handsomely for the adventure.

Fraud or bribery of a doctor

Many especially jealous and religious husbands wanted to make sure of the bride’s chastity before marriage. They sent a reliable doctor to his father’s house, who was required to provide a medical report. True, control was not always carried out clearly. Although the girl was perceived as a commodity in the Middle Ages, her body was still considered a taboo subject. Therefore, the called expert had to establish everything based on indirect signs, one of which was humility. An innocent girl’s waist should be tight. The doctor paid special attention to his gait and manner of speaking. But in the 16th century they stopped standing on ceremony with applicants and examined them completely naked.