nd_of_threat_did_lesbianism_pose_in_the_early_modern_period.docx

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What kind of threat did lesbianism pose in the early modern period

!re"orio #$pe%& a 'panish ()rist *ritin" in the sixteenth +ent)ry& p)ts pen to paper to +laim,

-.emale homosex)als are less of a threat than male homosex)als/ 1 #$pe% *rites his opinion

after the ort)")ese ')preme o)rt +larified their 1527 papal brief on the p)nishment for

female same3sex relationships/ ertainly& many historians tend to a"ree *ith s)+h an opinion&

*ith many play*ri"hts )sin" the notion of lesbianism as a h)mo)ro)s de4i+e in their *orks/ 2

espite this& ho*e4er& there is plenty of e4iden+e to s)""est that homosex)al female

relationships posed ()st as si"nifi+ant of a threat to early modern )ropean so+iety as their

male +o)nterparts/ Indeed& re+ords sho* that the iss)e *as taken serio)sly eno)"h that

*omen +o)ld be and in some +ases *ere exe+)ted for their sex)al beha4io)r/ he 8)estion

remains& tho)"h& of pre+isely *hat threat lesbianism posed/ sin" 4ario)s so)r+es and +lose

analysis& this essay *ill introd)+e the important themes that *ill +ontrib)te to the ar")ment

of *hi+h aspe+ts of early modern life& if any& lesbianism threatened/

o +ontext)alise& early modern )rope *as in the pro+ess of re+o4erin" from the

:la+k eath& one of the most pi4otal disasters of the time/ he disease& *hi+h broke o)t in

1;)r so)l is en"endered in s)+h a +ondition

that& +ontained in an earthly body& it is in+lined to pro+reate/ ; With these *ords& he presents

the idea that reprod)+tion is instin+ti4e, a basi+ h)man need/ And& *hile the pop)lation *as

steadily in+reasin" d)rin" the fifteenth +ent)ry on*ards& the rate of in+rease *as slo* and

often fl)+t)ated/


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sex other than for reprod)+ti4e p)rposes as a -*aste of male seed/ 5 In this *ay& lesbianism

be+ame a threat to early modern so+iety be+a)se homosex)al relationships *ere not

+ontrib)tin" to b)ildin" the +ontinents pop)lation ba+k )p/

o 4ie* thin"s more broadly& tho)"h& the idea of lesbianism +ontradi+tin" pop)lation "ro*th

m)st be tra+ed ba+k to roots/ In short& it *as mainly the heterosex)al marria"es in )rope

that *ere behind the steady in+rease of pop)lation d)rin" the medie4al period/ If lesbianism

threatened pop)lation& it threatened and )ndermined marria"e on an e8)al s+ale/ Indeed&

many feared the san+tity of heterosex)al marria"e *as bein" )ndermined and it *as mostly

the +onnotations that this bro)"ht that distressed them/ In a patriar+hal so+iety& many men

feared independent *omen that they belie4ed +o)ld take their male pri4ile"es/ Women *ho

li4ed alone or *ith other *omen *ere 4ie*ed as s)spi+io)s by othersF they belie4ed a

*oman in early modern )rope +o)ld not make an honest li4in" be+a)se it *as diffi+)lt for

her to "ain her o*n property and +areer/ Indeed& C)lia Adams *rites of the inheritan+e system

in fifteenth3+ent)ry Getherlands, -When depri4ed of a son family heads t)rned to

"randsons& sons3in3la*& and relati4es by pre4io)s marria"es to fill the "ap *omen *ere

only temporary s)bstit)tes for men/6 In short& in a so+iety dominated by men& the male

bloodline *as )sed to o*nin" property& *orkin" and makin" a li4in"/ Women s)+h as

=ar"aret a4endish& *ho *rites in The &on#ent o Pleasure: -I *ill take so many Goble

ersons of my o*n 'ex& as my state *ill plentif)lly maintain to li4e in+loisterd *ith all

the deli"hts and pleas)res that are allo*able and la*f)l& *ere 4ie*ed as threatenin" the

order that )ropean so+iety 4ie*ed as normal/7 =any men and indeed& some *omen& *ere

afraid of the disinte"ration of patriar+hy/ A++ordin"ly& lesbianism *as seen to pose a threat to

e4erythin" that *as familiar and& in a period that *as already re+o4erin" from :la+k eath a

5 Ian =a+lean& The 'enaissance !otion o (omen ?hi+a"o, ni4ersity of hi+a"o ress@& p/ ;5

6 C)lia Adams& The "amilial State: 'uling "amilies and Merchant &apitalism in Early Modern Europe ?Itha+a,ornell ni4ersity ress& 2005@& pp/ B5 E 9;

7 =ar"aret a4endish& The &on#ent o Pleasure ?Ge*+astle& 166B@

2


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fe* +ent)ries earlier& *as an )n*el+ome so+ietal presen+e/ o potentially +hallen"e an

established so+ial str)+t)re in an already fra"ile time *as a 4ery real threat to many/ #yndal

oper s)ms this )p ni+ely& *ritin", -In marria"e& ed)+ation& politi+s and reli"ion& the

sixteenth +ent)ry does indeed seem to be the +r)+ible of a stable patriar+hal so+iety/B

It *as not ()st patriar+hy that appeared to be an established order& ho*e4er/ #esbianism and

same3sex relationships seemin"ly posed a threat onto the beliefs of monar+hy& too/ In

n"land& Henry DIII passed la*s to try to pre4ent sodomy in 15;; and& later in 16


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Got only this& b)t in the eyes of nat)re& there *as essentially little point to same3sex

+o)ples& as they did not +ontrib)te to the "reater "ood of )ropean pop)lation in+rease/ 11

h)s& *omen had to find alternati4e *ays to marry& *hi+h led to in+reased +ases of

+rossdressin"/ As Dem and :onnie :)llo)"h *rite, -ross dressin" and impersonation *as

an in+reasin"ly important theme in the sixteenth and se4enteenth +ent)ries& it be+ame

important to *omen *ho *o)ld try to fool ministers into think they *ere )nifyin" a

heterosex)al +o)ple/12 here are +ertainly many +ases of *omen marryin" of *omen& b)t to

find a +ase in *hi+h both *omen *ere indeed a+tin" as *omen is reasonably rare/ he

betrayal of honesty that marryin" thro)"h the method of +rossdressin" presented *as& by la*&

a reason to trial a *oman/ his is represented by the +ase of atharina #in+k and atharine

=)hlhahn in 'axony& in 1721/ #in+k li4ed as a male and& despite findin" o)t e4ent)ally that

her h)sband *as in fa+t a *oman& =)hlmahn res)med sex)al relations *ith #in+k/ It *as

only after bein" o)ted by =)hlhahns mother that the +o)ple *ere prose+)ted/ #in+k *as

beheaded and her body b)rnedF =)hlhahn *as senten+ed to three years imprisonment and

then banishment/1; .rom this& it m)st also be noted that it is not ()st so+iety that *as

threatened by lesbianism/ Indi4id)al li4es *ere also affe+ted or& indeed& ended by same3sex

relationships/ he marria"e of t*o *omen in *hi+h a female h)sband *as in4ol4ed p)t both

parties at risk/ 'odomy la*s passed in 'pain in 1


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b)rden on my book L feel relie4ed/1


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then it *o)ld not be )nreasonable to say that lesbianism& +ertainly in terms of male pri4ile"es

and so+ial hierar+hy& did not pose a threat in the early modern period/

he 4ie*in" of lesbian +o)ples as a lo4in" )nit also poses the ar")ment of the morality of

lesbianism/ Indeed& it is easy to see same3sex +o)ples as threatenin" to so+iety *hen only the

politi+al and reli"io)s debates are st)died/ o +larify, *hile many belie4ed the )nion or +lose

relationship of t*o *omen *as s)spi+io)s& there is e4iden+e to s)""est that others& in+l)din"

ministers and parishes& *hi+h *ere not fa%ed/ While the s)pposed threat to the holiness of a

heterosex)al marria"e *as present& there are re+orded marria"es bet*een *omen in *hi+h

*ere absent of fra)d/

17

Indeed& t*o entries on the axal marria"e re"ister appear to do+)ment

the solemni%in" )nion of t*o lesbian +o)ples at the arish of resb)ry, Hannah Wri"ht and

Anne !askill in 1707 and bet*een Anne Gorton and Ali+e i+kford a year later/1B hat bein"

the +ase& the minister +ond)+tin" the marria"e *o)ld ha4e kno*n he *as )nifyin" t*o

*omen/ While ")essin" his reasonin" *o)ld be p)re spe+)lation& the +onnotations of these

+ases *o)ld be that lesbianism +o)ld not ha4e posed a threat so s)bstantial to so+iety that

they *ere denied reli"io)s re+o"nition and )nionF that offi+ials and h)r+h ministers +o)ld

not ha4e +ared abo)t same3sex +o)ples eno)"h to ref)se them marria"e in all +ases/

he de"ree of +are to*ards same3sex +o)ples by offi+ials also extends all the *ay )p to the

n"lish monar+hy/ It is *ell kno*n that Kin" Cames I *as in4ol4ed in a strin" of homosex)al

relationships *ith his +o)rtiers& the most *ell3kno*n bein" *ith !eor"e Dilliers/ he

ni+kname Cames +alled !eor"e& -'teenie& deri4ed from the bibli+al des+ription of 't/

'tephen ha4in" -the fa+e of an an"el/19 he pair *rote ea+h other n)mero)s lo4e letters for

se4eral years )ntil Dillierss death in 162B/ he monar+hy *as "i4en the ri"ht to r)le by

-i4ine i"ht& somethin" *hi+h Cames himself *as keen to impose/ His spee+h to his #ords

17 ibid/& Gorton& Paradigms o Same.Se+ Marriage in the %ong Eighteenth &entury& p/ 16

1B Dalerie ra)b& The 'enaissance o %esbianism in Early Modern England ?ambrid"e, ambrid"e ni4ersityress& 2002@& p/ ;B2

19 i+tor Gorton& My Dear oy: Gay %o#e %etters through the &enturies ?anterb)ry, ni4ersity of Kent ress&199B@& p/ 1

6


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and ommons at Whitehall in 1609 in+l)ded the phrase, -he 'tate of =onar+hie is the

s)premest thin" )pon arth, for Kin"s are not onely !ods #ie)tenants )pon arth& and sit

)pon !ods throne& b)t e4en by !od himselfe they are +alled !ods/ 20 If Cames belie4ed his

*ords to be tr)e& like so many of his s)b(e+ts and +iti%ens d)rin" the period did& then this

presents the idea that the Kin" *as en"a"in" in homosex)al relationships& despite it bein"

a"ainst the reli"ion that he +laimed to be a -!od of/ :y settin" this example& *ith the +ase of

!eor"e Dilliers& it +an be ar")ed that lesbianism did not pose a threat to early modern )rope

be+a)se the Kin" himself& *ho *as 4ie*ed by many as a !od& or at least a ser4ant of !od&

pra+ti+ally +ondoned homosex)al beha4io)r by de+larin" his lo4e for another man in 4ario)s

letters bet*een the pair/

.inally& to f)rther +o)nter the notion of lesbianism posin" a threat to early modern )rope&

the reason for *hi+h *omen *ere a+t)ally p)t on trial for m)st be examined/ While some

*omen& s)+h as atharina #in+k& *ere exe+)ted for their homosex)al +rimes& it is important

to note pre+isely *hat *omen d)rin" the period *ere a+t)ally +on4i+ted of/ Indeed& the

is+ipline >rdinan+e of 15;7 in A)"sb)r" +ondemned -damned& forbidden +op)lation ?sex

)sin" instr)ments@& as did the 'panish sodomy la*s of 1


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)berman *rites, -ases of lesbian sex)ality J*ere related to +on+erns abo)t *omens

"ender beha4io)r rather than sex)al ob(e+t +hoi+e/2; hat is to say& the threat that lesbianism

*as per+ei4ed to ha4e fo+)sed more on the fra)d and apparent attempted destr)+tion of

patriar+hy than it *as on a+t)al same3sex relationships/ .rom this& it m)st be +onsidered that

lesbianism itself did not a+t)ally pose a threat in the early modern period& b)t it *as rather

the female beha4io)r that +o)ld potentially arise from it/

o +on+l)de& tho)"h& despite the fears of the potential mo4ement a*ay from patriar+hy and

the fl)+t)atin" pop)lation& the threat that lesbianism posed to the early modern period *as

a+t)ally rather minimal/ he per+eption of a patriar+hal so+iety still remains a pop)lar topi+

in modern times and& perhaps more importantly& tho)"h it is tr)e that lesbianism did not

+ontrib)te to the importan+e of pop)lation in+rease& demo"raphi+ trends pro4e that sin+e the

period the )ropean pop)lation has in+reased dramati+ally/24erall& then& the kind of threat that lesbianism posed to the early modern period

*as mildly so+ial& b)t *as not si"nifi+ant eno)"h to remain a fo+al point of so+iety&

espe+ially *ith the :)""ery A+t bein" repealed by the >ffen+es a"ainst the erson A+t in

1B61/26

2; =artin )berman& et/ al& $idden rom $istory: 'eclaiming the Gay and %esbian Past ?Ge* Mork, en")in&1991@& p/ 67

2


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Word count: 2,530

:iblio"raphy

Primary sources

a4endish& =ar"aret& The &on#ent o Pleasure ?Ge*+astle& 166B@

Cames I& -A 'pea+h to the #ords and ommons of the arliament at White3Hall& on

Wednesday the NNI of =ar+h/ Anno 1609 J1610& in The (or4es o the most $igh and

Mightie Prince 5ames, )ing o Great ritaine, "rance and Ireland ?#ondon& 1616@

Secondary sources

Adams& C)lia& The "amilial State: 'uling "amilies and Merchant &apitalism in Early

Modern Europe ?Itha+a, ornell ni4ersity ress& 2005@

A4ent& yan& -!ro*th is !ood& The Economist ?Washin"ton& 2010@

:(rkl)nd& Cenny& %esbianism in S-edish %iterature: An Ambiguous Aair ?#ondon, al"ra4e

=a+millan& 201


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H)nt& =ar"aret& -he 'apphi+ 'train, n"lish #esbians in the #on" i"hteenth ent)ry&

Single-omen in the European Past, /012./322 ?hiladelphia, ni4ersity of ennsyl4ania

ress& 1999@

=a+lean& Ian& The 'enaissance !otion o (omen ?hi+a"o, ni4ersity of hi+a"o ress@

=alanima& aolo& -ner"y and op)lation in )rope, he =edie4al !ro*th ?10 th E 1ffen+es a"ainst the erson A+t 1B61 J***/le"islation/"o4/)k & ?last

a++essed, 2B/10/2015@

10
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/http://www.legislation.gov.uk/

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