The Agency of Prostitutes in the Late Middle Ages
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Date
2021-05
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
Historically, prostitution has been viewed as a sinful trade that stemmed from the lust and licentiousness of unkept women; however, it was still a relatively common practice in Europe during the late Middle Ages. As immoral as it was, it was often still permitted by both the ecclesiastical and secular powers. Deemed a "necessary evil" and a potential for the opportunity to perform Catholic good works by converting women who had strayed, society turned an overall blind eye to these women. The trade became a "women's sphere," and men were fairly detached from the brothels' ongoings aside from paying customers. Female bawds ran brothels, women taught each other what they needed to know, and prostitution provided women with the agency to survive without a man's help or control. Prostitutes are a fascinating example of women in the late Middle Ages who manage to make less than ideal circumstances work for themselves.
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Keywords
prostitution, sexuality, women, sumptuary laws, medieval, Augustine