Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

Medieval Lesbians

Jan 17, 2025

Tess Wingard, a medieval historian and author of "Unclean Beasts," joins to unravel the hidden stories of lesbian relationships in the medieval era. They discuss the surprising documentation of same-sex love, including a scandal involving a dildo in a court case. The conversation highlights the male-run church's fears over nuns' closeness and challenges historians face in uncovering these intimate histories. Wingard also touches on intriguing cases like Katharina Hetzeldorf, showcasing how courage and love defied the oppressive norms of their time.

45:38

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Tess Wingard

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Quick takeaways

Medieval evidence of lesbian relationships is scarce, yet artifacts like the Etchingham-Oxenbridge memorial challenge assumptions about women's emotional bonds.

The Fourth Lateran Council enforced structured confessional practices, reshaping societal attitudes towards sexuality and scrutinizing non-reproductive sexual behaviors.

Deep dives

Medieval Lesbian Evidence

Historical records lack substantial evidence of lesbian relationships prior to the 1970s, making it challenging to explore queer history. However, artifacts such as the brass memorial for Elizabeth Etchingham and Agnes Oxenbridge provide hints at medieval lesbian lives, portraying two women in a manner typically reserved for married couples. This memorial, which shows the women gazing into each other's eyes rather than looking outward, suggests a significant emotional bond that transcends conventional friendship. Such discoveries encourage historians to rethink the evidence needed to acknowledge the existence of lesbian relationships during this period.

Intro

2min

Unearthing Lesbian Histories

6min

Unearthing Medieval Lesbian History

14min

Exploring Historical Perceptions of Female Same-Sex Relationships

3min

Love Against the Law

5min

Navigating Historical Gender Identity: The Case of Katharina Hetzeldorf

3min

Gender Identity in Medieval History

13min

How do you begin to look for examples of lesbians in the medieval period?

Even though it was deeply frowned upon by the powers that be, the clues are very much there... if you know where to look.

What examples do we have? How did the male-run church respond to fears that nuns were getting too close for their liking? And how did a 13th century court react when a dildo was presented in a case against a woman accused of sodomy?

Joining Kate today is medieval historian Tess Wingard to help us find out more. You can find out more about Tess's work here: https://tesswingard.wordpress.com/

This episode was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

All music from Epidemic Sounds/All3 Media.

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