Medieval Obscenity

This episode contains obscene and sexual language throughout

The medieval world was far from prudish, it was positively bawdy. Writers, preachers, and even everyday neighbours used blunt, often hilarious language to talk about sex and the body—not just for laughs, but to make sharp points about morality, hypocrisy, and power. Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by Prof. Carissa Harris to celebrate Medieval obscenity, from bawdy verse to barbed sermons, explicit language was a tool: it punctured vanity, exposed corruption, and brought lofty ideas down to earth with a thump.

Expect double meanings and razor wit. Wordplay was a medieval superpower.

More:

Sex: The Medieval Rules

https://open.spotify.com/episode/04dWeyQsk50eXP0dNNWQrK

Gone Medieval is presented by Dr Eleanor Janega. The audio editor is Amy Haddow. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. 

You can take part in our listener survey here:

https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

---

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.