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True or False: SEP 20, 2012 Noblemen had the right to sleep with any woman on her wedding night Weve Reached the DEC 19, 2011 Braveheart Phase of Congress Latest Apocalyptic Tango SEP 20, 2012 4:09 PM
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True or False: Noblemen had the right to sleep with any woman on her wedding night
Keith Veronese

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Like In medieval societies, noblemen and upper and 171,359 others like this. class men supposedly had the right to take the virginity of peasant women. This tradition has appeared in many works of fiction, including 1984, the Discworld series, and Gilgamesh.

In the movie Braveheart, for example, the practice of jus primae noctis is used as way to "breed out" the Scottish by Edward Longshanks, making for an emotional and memorable scene. But did this actually happen in real life? Let's find out. An ancient Concept The idea of a king or other nobleman having the right to sexually entertain a woman on her wedding night is known as jus primae noctis, a Latin phrase translating to "right of the first night." The concept often extended to allow noblemen to take the virginity of any lower class woman in their territory. Doctor Doom invoked this practice, droit du seigneur, on at least occasion and it's mentioned in texts from the last several centuries. The nobleman's right to a woman's virginity appears very early in written storytelling. King Gilgamesh of Uruk makes use of his noble right to bed the female (and the male if he chooses) in the epic poem Gilgamesh. Jus primae noctis appears again in Herodotus' 5th Century B.C.E. Historia. Herodutus describes a tribal ruler who demanded that all virgins who desired to marry take an audience before him, with the ruler making it his whim to take the virginity of those who wanted to become married.

Fiction informing reality? Late Middle Age and Renaissance era texts struggle to determine if this practice ever occurred. Voltaire included the concept in 1746's Dictionnaire philosophique, and his writings were a big part of why so many people believe this practice really happened. Voltaire also wrote a play revolving around droit du seigneur, but he condemned the practice. A text from 15th Century Switzerland references the Lord of Maur demanding the right to take either the virginity of a bride or a fee, to be paid on the behalf of the betrothed. This right appears to be merely symbolic, as the fee required was exceptionally small I doubt many husbands would skip out on Lord Maur's tax. While the symbolic right appears to have existed, no firm evidence suggests the physical practice of taking a bride's virginity on her wedding night ever actually occured in antiquity. However, Hawaiian and Kurdish tribal leaders are believed to have exercised the option to take the virginity of women under their protection, but whether this right was tied to the women's marriage is debatable. A nobleman's logistical nightmare From a logistical standpoint, the process of a nobleman having sex with a newly married woman poses a number of problems. A number of "secret" weddings would probably happen, as a result. If you chose not to marry in secret, could also try assembling a group of burly friends and family members to assault the coming nobleman. You can just imagine some fiefdoms where nobles died at an astonishing rate thanks to the date and time of the event, as well as the vulnerability of the nobleman at the time it would be easy to catch him with his pants down. Top image from the movie Braveheart. Doctor Doom panels from Super-Villain Team Up #7.

38 discussions in response to Keith Veronese

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You are following 99TelepodProblemss comments 99TelepodProblems and 10 more

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a month ago

When Doom demands your "company" like does little Doom have armor on too? Is there some kind of cock hatch through which the real Doom can stand up? Is he totally freeballing it under that little green tunic? Or is his penis some clever bit of hydraulically operated machinery? Someone must know the answer.

You are following MikeTheGirls comments MikeTheGirl and 2 more

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a month ago

Considering the trouble bastards (original meaning -- not the insult) caused and can cause within a system of rule by blood or divine right or whatever, you'd think it would be very important to NOT go around sleeping with the kitchen wenches and the peasants. At least not until you had firmly established a line of succession say three or four male heirs deep.

I understand prima nocte as a psychological instrument of control, but if one out of every four or five people on your land is related to you things would get weird awfully quick (if say, no one was pissed off that they or their partner was raped). More

You are following Garrison Deans comments Garrison Dean and 1 more Reply a month ago Poor Doctor Doom. No First Night for you.

You are following El Els comments El El and 1 more Reply a month ago I imagine that a woman without her Virginly sheath was condemned if exposed or wouldn't marry out of fear? What would happen to such women?

You are following Mr.Allsparks comments Mr.Allspark

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a month ago

Fiction informing reality? Yep. Look at advancements of technology/science now compared to science fiction.

You are following Quasi Hatracks comments Quasi Hatrack and 4 more
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a month ago

...assembling a group of burly friends and family members to assault the coming nobleman I think at that point it's a little too late.

You are following thedbs comments thedb and 2 more

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a month ago

thedb and 2 more

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a month ago

'the coming nobleman.' I giggled at this part.

You are following FrankN.Steins comments FrankN.Stein Reply a month ago Probably also depends on the monarch....

You are following Defendants comments Defendant and 3 more Reply a month ago So, then, what was the real impetus for William Wallace?

You are following darklordofthesith16s comments darklordofthesith1 and 2 more Reply a month ago Another myth of the Middle Ages, much like the belief that many believed the Earth was Flat, the myth that the Church was anti-science/Natural Philosophy, and the great historical liberties/inaccuracies surrounding the Galileo affairs, the Witch Hunts, and the Inquisition among many others. The Middle Ages is an era that is much derided based upon many false pretenses, and hopefully one day this will be corrected in our educational systems.
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