“Unnecessary Conversations”: Talking Sex in the Early Modern Polish Village

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter shows us how early modern Polish peasants used to discuss sex. Despite the rules of decorum, conversations about sex were still conducted in private, intimate settings. However, because sexual life was strictly regulated by law and some forms of intimate behaviour were prosecuted by the local judiciary, it was not uncommon for these private conversations to find their way into the interrogation protocols of people accused of transgressing moral norms. Those records are compared and contrasted with folk ditties on sexual themes, which were recorded contemporaneously by proto-folklorists. The chapter shows the potential of cross-referencing different sources to gain access to early modern peasant conversations, especially when it comes to themes deemed to be intimate or taboo.