The history of the chastity belt - unknown facts and amazing discoveries. Chastity belt for women: modern models, history and interesting facts

How to be sure of the fidelity of your woman if you go to war or hunting (hunting - an important event for a few days or even weeks? Who will take care of the wife?

IN ancient times Of course, they already knew perfectly well where children come from. And how would you do it so that they don't exist? A sore spot for slave owners who needed a healthy labor force, and not a worker groaning from toxicosis or bleeding from a miscarriage, for whom, by the way, he paid money. Therefore, a leather belt was invented for the slaves, with its design protecting the slave from male encroachments, with a small hole for natural needs.

Enlightened people of the Antique period would never have thought to put such belts on their wives and daughters, they were worn only on slaves. But the dark medieval husbands liked the idea. And the belts had already begun to be forged from iron - to be sure, and the hole was sometimes framed with teeth. Even lovers of BDSM will not pull such an extreme, therefore, there is no more reliable way to preserve family honor, as stupid medieval men thought.

However, they considered for the time being: until women began to die often from infection or improper development pelvic bones that did not contribute to the birth of healthy offspring. The fact is that marriageable age in the Middle Ages came early, from 13-14 years old, when the physical formation of a person is still ongoing. The piece of iron fettered the body, preventing the bones from developing as they should.

It is wrong to think that the chastity belt was used everywhere and all medieval ladies wore these iron or leather panties. This idea was quickly abandoned, even the churchmen were forced to admit its ineffectiveness. But it was not forbidden to wear - the husband was the sovereign master of his wife, and before marriage - the father (uncle, brother, etc.). The main purpose of the chastity belt is to observe this very loyalty, to promote virtue for sure.

Archaeologists have found many graves from the Middle Ages with female remains, which were chastity belts. How neurasthenic and jealous were medieval men if they feared that their wives would cheat on them even in Paradise. However, in earthly life, not all husbands blamed their wives for this. The Middle Ages were a time of wars and, accordingly, violence. Even in peacetime, an attack by robbers was not ruled out, so the men guarded “their own” as best they could, as best they could.

In Italy, the real one spread to chastity belts, they were made of expensive leather and even of gold or silver, decorated with jewelry or skillful chasing. The belt received exquisite names - “Venetian (Florentine) lattice”, or “Bergamum castle”.

From the 16th century began mass production of chastity belts. They were ordered not only by husbands for their wives, but also by fathers and mothers for their daughters, and put on the unfortunate girls who had reached puberty. How cool it must have been to screw somewhere in society:

- You know, our eldest is already locked in the Bergamo Castle, yes, yes. Keep this in mind when looking for a wife for your heir.

The mother proudly handed the key to her daughter's virginity belt to the groom at the wedding, thereby proving the bride's virtue. This is a significant advantage, even against beauty and money, for there was no worse shame than the nickname "cuckold." It was even worse to marry a "walker". Walking was anyone who is not a virgin.

Often belts were forged from iron and wearing such “underwear” was a real torment. Calluses rubbed on intimate places and hips, bedsores occurred. About the fact that it's just inconvenient, and there is nothing to say. Many spouses did not allow their halves to remove the belt during their stay in the house, you never know what? What if one of the servants or his own squire shows an unhealthy interest? The belt was removed only after it became known that the woman would become a mother or for a very rare ablution in those days.

Few women who wear chastity belts live to a ripe old age. The absence of even rare hygiene procedures and as a result - infection of the genital organs, deformations in the structure of the skeleton, and even in the absence of normal medicine, did their job.

Shocking cases are known: the spouse arrived home, opened the belt with his key, performed his marital debt closed and left. And the wife got pregnant. Often there was no duplicate key, and when they decided to save the poor woman from the iron shackles with the help of tools, then while they received permission from the authorities and the church for this, the lady died in agony. Husband was convicted, but who makes it easier? There were many such cases: people did not learn lessons, learned from mistakes slowly. Ignorance, religiosity and fear of losing honor pushed husbands and fathers to such abuse.

Once, archaeologists opened several graves with female skeletons, and all were wearing chastity belts. We found out that these were unfortunate widows who did not wait for their husbands from. The chastity belt began to gain popularity in Europe precisely at the time. Men did not want anyone to use their property during their absence.

However, human nature is active and quick-witted. The craftsmen who made chastity belts soon began to make duplicate keys as well. And they sold them secretly for decent money (often much more expensive than the belt itself with the first key) to wives or their lovers. Even caricatures on this subject have been preserved: a knight is leaving with a key in a close-up, his wife is waving a handkerchief to him, wiping her tears, from the height of the fortress wall, and a good fellow lurking in the bushes under the wall, languidly devouring the beauty with his eyes, and with the same key.

The first chastity belts could be opened with a master key and an ordinary knife, but the technology of locks was improved - demand creates supply. They began to make complex locks, even with traps, thanks to which the husband who arrived could even count the number of horns that he could grow. A cunning lock with a “nipper” bit off a piece of what they tried to open the treasured lock. Cruel punishment waited for the lady in this case, the men did not particularly think about the problem: it is possible or not to beat a woman, especially since there is evidence.

A woman in the Middle Ages was simply property and had practically no value, and a girl was generally empty space: how many of them did not live up to marriageable age thanks to the belts that protected their virginity? But at that time, education was not encouraged, and people from generation to generation lived the same way, like their ancestors, developing very slowly.

Over time, humanity, of course, abandoned such an instrument of torture as a chastity belt. But first, this terrible object was given a second life, moreover ... for young men. IN Victorian era in England, special devices were made to prevent boys from masturbating. At that time, the brightest minds in the field of medicine quite seriously believed that it was very harmful and could cause almost all diseases: from blindness to insanity. Fighters against masturbation set to work in an adult way, improving the device, even supplementing it with electric current discharges. It took a long time to realize that this is extremely inefficient and very dangerous.

Currently, such belts for both women and men can be found in sex shops, they are in some demand among modern lovers who are not constrained by any prejudices and prohibitions to diversify their intimate relationship. And the belt does not pose any danger, because now you do not need to look for a blacksmith to open the lock if the key is suddenly lost.

Do you miss the past? For those beautiful centuries when ladies wore beautiful dresses with crinolines, and men sang serenades under the windows? Yes, it was. And there were also things that now it is impossible to think about without getting goosebumps of horror. Here are these, for example. And no, these are not instruments of torture.

Chastity belt

Oddly enough, stories of knights and kings locking chastity belts on the bodies of their women are a myth. In the Middle Ages, medicine was in its infancy, but, apparently, there was enough knowledge to understand: a metal trap on a woman would kill her pretty soon. The friction of metal against the skin and genitals would certainly lead to injuries, and the constant contamination of injured areas would lead to sepsis and death. The first noteworthy mention of a chastity belt dates back to 1405, but it is not known what exactly these belts were used for. There is a version that the "chastity belt" actually saved women from rape. Found belts allegedly from the Middle Ages were later recognized as forgeries of the Victorian era. And from this moment all the most interesting begins.

The reign of Queen Victoria can be considered the heyday of Puritan morality. Her Majesty was a talented politician, but years of widowhood turned her into a supporter of strictness and alleged holiness. "Victorian morality" prescribed abstinence even for legal spouses, not to mention free women. It was during this period that women began to close in "chastity belts". And not in order to remain faithful to the spouse. Terrible devices were even worn on young virgins in order to prevent attempts at masturbation, which was declared a terrible sin. In fairness, it is worth noting that the same fate awaited the young men. But the fact is that from a certain age, the young man became a man and controlled his life (and body) himself. A woman, on the other hand, from under the authority of her father, uncle or brother passed under the authority of her husband. And he had the right to close the torture device on her every night. To not sin.

Lady saddle

Modern young ladies, who are fond of horse riding, master riding in a side saddle with great pleasure. Firstly, it is really very beautiful, and secondly, it demonstrates the highest skill of the rider. But modern world is a world where horse riding is a hobby, and women have the right to freedom of movement and use vehicles instead of horses. And before the saddle was nothing more than a tool for restricting the freedom of a woman. Initially, both men and women rode in what is called the “male” seat, but then this seat was considered indecent for women. Ladies' saddles were invented with an overestimated pommel (for which a woman threw her right leg) and one left stirrup. The lady could sit in the saddle only with male help, while falling from the saddle guaranteed her either death or severe injuries: as a rule, the unfortunate leg remained in the stirrup, and the horse dragged the woman along. Naturally, women preferred to ride at a walk: for a gallop or even a trot, one had to have circus dexterity.

What does it mean? That a woman could go anywhere only and exclusively accompanied by a man. Driving a horse "like a man" and "like a lady" has serious differences, so a woman, accustomed to riding a lady from her youth, in a critical situation could not jump into the saddle like a man and thereby ensure her freedom of movement. The saddle was a tool that made it possible to keep a woman in submission and dependence on a man. Not to mention how many women it killed or mercilessly maimed.

Bandages

The Chinese believed that a girl should have a tiny foot, mincing gait and a fragile figure, swaying like a twig in the wind. That's why they broke girls' legs. The "lotus foot" is a custom that has made many women disabled. At the age of four or five years, the girl's foot was bandaged, pressing her fingers to it. No more bandages were removed. The foot, of course, did not stop growing, but deformed, causing hellish pain to the girl. By about the age of 10, the girl received a “graceful” 10-centimeter foot and could now begin to learn to walk again. Alas, some remained chained to a chair until the end of their days, while the rest could not move without outside help. Wherein " lotus foot» was considered necessary condition in order to successfully marry. After all, only commoners who had to work hard were not maimed.

Corset

Only in the 19th century, doctors finally started talking about the dangers of corsets, and before that, women were dragged into these torture devices made of fabric and whalebone. Here is an incomplete list of complications that awaited a woman who wore a corset every day: compression of the heart muscle, bone deformity chest, paralysis of the lungs, suffocation, fainting and spontaneous abortions. And all this is at best. At worst, death from one of these causes.

Razor

The terrible tradition of female circumcision still exists. In many Middle Eastern and African countries still, in the 21st century, they continue to mutilate little girls in the name of chastity. There are three types of female circumcision: in the first case, they remove skin folds around the clitoris, so that it is constantly open. Secondly, both the clitoris itself and the labia minora are cut off. This forever deprives a woman of the opportunity to receive sexual satisfaction. It is believed that this terrible, crippling operation will make future woman chaste. The third and most terrible option is pharaonic circumcision. For a little girl, both the clitoris and the labia minora are removed, and the large ones are sewn together so that only a tiny hole is left for the release of menstrual blood. The fact is that such an operation guarantees the bride's virginity: the man's penis simply cannot penetrate through this hole, and on the wedding night, the husband cuts the scar with a razor.

grown woman, having undergone a circumcision procedure, is not just forever deprived of the opportunity to obtain sexual satisfaction. These mutilating operations make themselves felt at the moment when a woman bears and gives birth to a child. Mutilated genitals simply cannot withstand the load: old scars are torn. Women who survive the "Pharaoh's circumcision" are likely to die or remain forever mutilated and sick: after the crippled vulva ruptures and fistulas form between the vagina and rectum.

Found a picture of a mysterious object -

What could it be? Doesn't look like a key case... Does anyone know? Then bags were not common, and little things were worn on the belt or in pouches, "pockets", but why such a form?

And a lot has been written about chastity belts, but there are completely different versions, I give them below, as well as photos of old, modern and MALE (!) chastity belts, for those who are interested.

And here are some more old engravings with ladies in Chastity Belts, donkey ears on the husband’s hat, that is, he is deceived.
A Naked Woman With a Chastity Belt Cheating On Her Husband


A naked woman with a chastity belt sits on a bed with her foot on a chest and offers a key to a finely attired man with fools ears; two figures observe the scene from the shadows and a fool empties a sheet of lice? into a basket.

Engraving made by Heinrich Wirrich, Germany, 1575-1600.


A nude female figure wearing the belt standing at centre; taking bracelets (?) out of the money bag worn by the male figure at left and passing them to the figure at right who is holding the key.

Woodcut made by Heinrich Vogtherr II, Germany, 1540 (circa).

Here's what Wikipedia says: Chastity belt, Venetian lattice - a device that mechanically prevents sexual intercourse. Some chastity belts also prevent masturbation.

Stories of knights going on a crusade and putting chastity belts on their wives or lovers are most likely fiction. First, there is no reliable evidence of the use of chastity belts in the early Middle Ages. Secondly, knights usually died in such campaigns (300 thousand knights participated in one of the campaigns; 260 thousand of them died from plague and other diseases, 20 thousand fell in battle and only 20 thousand returned home).

The first mention of chastity belts in songs and poems dates back to the 12th century. But these references are most likely poetic metaphors. The first serious mention of chastity belts dates back to the 15th century. The book "Bellifortis", completed on August 28, 1405 by Konrad Kyeser von Eichstätt, contains an illustration with the comment "This is a heavy iron belt that closes the women of Florence." The text also mentions other Italian cities - Rome, Venice, Milan, Bergamo - as places where chastity belts are produced. However, we do not know if this information is true or the author's fiction.

The first chastity belts that have come down to us date back to the 16th century, in particular, the skeleton of a young woman with a chastity belt found in a 16th century grave. In this century, their mass production began.

IN Victorian England first invented men's belt fidelity. It was used to stop boys from masturbating. Then in England it was believed that masturbation leads to blindness, insanity, sudden death etc.

In the 20th century, stainless steel was invented, belts from which can be worn indefinitely. Wearing a stainless steel chastity belt is uncomfortable at first, but you can get used to the uncomfortable feeling.

Chastity belts for both sexes are often used in sadomasochistic games.

In modern Indonesia, where hostility towards the Chinese is strong, some Chinese women wear chastity belts for fear of being raped. Also in some massage parlors The Indonesian administration requires masseuses to wear analogue chastity belts while working as a way to let visitors know that intimate services are not provided in this salon.

Collection of Sir Henry Wellcome, Museum and Library, London, England.

Chastity belt at El Rasrto flea market - Madrid

And here's more:
Venetian lattice, Bergamo castle ... If you think that these are the names of architectural decorations, then you are mistaken. But surely you know another "name" of the device, which left an indelible mark on the history of mankind - the chastity belt.
For the first time, devices that lock a woman from known male attacks appeared in ancient Greece. Slaves wore a leather belt of two strips: the first clasped the waist, and the second passed between the legs. The main purpose of the execution was to protect the slave from pregnancy: while carrying a child, a woman could not work, and the slave owner did not need such a turn of events.
The experience of the ancient Greeks came in handy in the Middle Ages. The custom to close the wife “on the lock” was introduced by a certain German emperor (his name history has not conveyed to us). Each time, going outside the castle, the jealous man forced the blacksmith to put on his wife an iron belt, which he personally removed upon his return. The device was truly an instrument of torture: a bulky structure with many locks, covering the entire lower part of the sufferer's body. The "keeper of virtue" provided only a small opening for the administration of natural needs, and there was no question of personal hygiene. Well, the only key was kept by the vigilant spouse all the time.
Men liked the innovation of the German monarch. Soon throughout Europe, and especially in Italy, chastity belts came into fashion. The models differed from the ancient Greek "guardians" only by the material from which they were made: to belts from bull skin added iron, silver and gold. The best copies were made in Bergamo and Venice, which is why they received the names "Bergamo castle" and "Venetian lattice". During the Renaissance, the expression "to lock up a wife or mistress in a Bergamo way" was widely used.
In order to stop the love affairs of their frivolous wives, prudent husbands invented the so-called iron guard of chastity - the "chastity belt", or, as it was also called, the "Girdle of Venus".

According to one version, the first inventor of the "chastity belt" was the tyrant of Padua Francesco II, according to another - more common version - the belts were made in Bergamo and were called "Venetian lattices", or "Bergamum locks".

In those days, there was such an expression as "lock your wife in a Bergamo way." The belt was designed so that the woman who wore it could fulfill her natural needs, but not sexual intercourse.

Models of chastity belts were different. Many of them were made of precious metals - silver, gold - and decorated with beautiful chasing and inlay.

It should be noted that the "chastity belt" was quite an expensive "decoration". It was used mainly by the ruling classes - the wealthy merchants, the bourgeoisie and the princes. Moreover, the "belt of Venus" was considered the official means of protecting female chastity from male claims.

Mothers proudly told the suitors that their daughters had been wearing the "Venetian lattice" almost from childhood. For men, such a bride was a real gift, since virginity was rare in those days. The key to the lock all this time was kept by a vigilant mother. On the day of the wedding, she solemnly handed it to her son-in-law. From now on, he became the sole owner of this precious wealth.

Often, the "chastity belt" was the first gift that a young husband brought to his wife the morning after the wedding. The wife was obliged to wear this "best defense of the virtue of respectable women" always and everywhere. Only the husband could take it off when he wanted to "share a bed with his wife
The girdle of Venus has become the official means of protecting female chastity. So, young man asking for the girl’s hand, her mother proudly declared that she had been wearing the “Venetian lattice” since the age of 12, day and night. The groom received the key to the device on the wedding day from the hands of his parents and became its sole owner. Moreover, the wedding took place in the bride's house, and after the "mysterious moment" the groom announced to his parents and friends waiting at the door that "the castle and the gates of paradise were unharmed."

Particular interest in the invention flared up during the Crusades. Going to war for several years, the knight was not sure of the fidelity of the lady of the heart, so he dressed her in humiliating "underwear". And the unfortunate had to endure torment: they rubbed calluses on their lower backs and in intimate places, sometimes even bedsores formed, their figure changed. Sometimes the sufferer had to be released from the "marital fetters" because of fear for her life - after a special judgment, illuminated by church authorities, they did a "fitting operation." Of course, the husband was notified about this in advance, so that the jealous man, not finding the “keeper of fidelity” in place, did not commit lynching over the liberated woman.
There were also tragic outcomes. Recently, during the opening of ancient burials in the territory of the destroyed castles in Bavaria, female skeletons were discovered, “decorated” with the rusty remains of virtue belts. Historians believe that these are the remains of unfortunate widows, whose husbands did not return from military campaigns, and they involuntarily had to be faithful until their death.

However, the era that gave birth to chastity belts also created an antidote for them. Cunning manufacturers of "keepers" derived a double benefit from the sale of their products: for fabulous money they handed over the "unit" and the key to the jealous spouse, and for a fee they provided a copy of the key to the wife or her ardent admirer.
The trick with the duplicate was no secret, and the initially cruel ritual gave rise to many anecdotes and funny stories. For example, the Grenoble Museum has an old tapestry depicting a knight in armor riding out of the castle gates. A woman is waving her handkerchief from the window. A very intricate key hangs on a chain around the knight's neck. And from behind the bushes, another knight (not weighed down with armor) peeps out, who has exactly the same key hanging around his neck ...
And in medieval German folklore there is a charming tale about the love of a princess and a page: “... An angry king imprisoned his daughter in a high, high tower, after putting on her a belt of innocence. A faithful servant was also imprisoned with her ... Once or twice a week, a page in love with the princess, risking his life, climbed the tower under cover of night and spent several hours in gentle conversations with his beloved. They were separated by a heavy grating, and armed guards kept watch at the doors. The page managed to beg the royal mechanic, who made the belt, to reveal his secret ... Five years later, sensing the approach of death, the king ordered his daughter to be brought to him. She appeared, full of remorse, not hoping for forgiveness, with a baby in her arms, accompanied by her son and daughter. The king was struck like thunder, but then changed his anger to mercy. Having learned about the page's nocturnal exploits, admiring his love for his daughter and courage, he knighted the page, and then blessed their marriage.

However, fairy tales are fairy tales, and so that such mistakes do not occur, the design of the belts began to complicate. In the 17th century, jewelers took over. Previously, any adulterer could open the lock with a nail or the tip of a dagger, but skilled craftsmen corrected this oversight by providing the lock with a secret: if they tried to open the mechanism with an “alien” master key, the spring grip pinched the rod and at the same time bit off a piece of metal. Thus, the owner of sexual property could count how many times his "treasure" was attempted.
Many belts that have survived to our times can only be called masterpieces of jewelry and engineering art. They depict scenes of carnal sins with amazing skill: adultery and punishment, seduction and torment, as well as lines from Holy Scripture ...
Do not think that the passion for the "keepers of allegiance" shook only old Europe. In our open spaces there were also admirers unconventional way the preservation of virtue. Here is what the court archives of past centuries have to say about it.

In the 60s of the 19th century, a Moscow merchant, “in order to save his young wife from temptation”, ordered an adaptation from an experienced locksmith. From the belt, although "made diligently", the young woman suffered greatly. Upon returning from trips, the merchant staged wild scenes of jealousy and "taught his wife by mortal combat." Unable to bear the cruelty, the wife fled to the nearest monastery, where she told everything to the abbess. She invited the assistant chief of police, who was extremely indignant. They called an investigator, a doctor and a locksmith. The unfortunate woman was freed from the terrible device and placed in the monastery infirmary for treatment.
The merchant, upon returning from another trip, was immediately taken to the police department, where the chief of police personally carried out fisticuffs against jealous husband(corporal punishment was abolished by royal rescript, but the law enforcement officer neglected this). Soon, by a court verdict, the merchant was sentenced to imprisonment, but for a short time. Staying in prison became a real nightmare for him - cellmates, having learned about the bullying of his wife, constantly beat him ... By the decision of the Holy Synod, the marriage was annulled, and the victim of jealousy was tonsured as a nun ...
Another incident, which happened around the same time, ended tragically. A craftsman put on a similar belt for his wife, going to the southern provinces to work. Neither he nor his wife suspected the onset of pregnancy. Through certain time relatives, concerned about the condition of the young woman, were forced to invite a midwife. The pregnant woman was already unconscious. Upon discovering the belt, the midwife immediately called the police. It took several hours to rid the woman of the terrible device. She was rescued, but the child died. The returned husband ended up behind bars and returned home only after a couple of years... Full of remorse, he went to atone for sin in the monasteries and soon froze somewhere along the way.

"Keeper of loyalty" eventually sunk into oblivion, but not forever. Chastity belts can be seen in the museums of many European cities. And in the same Europe, to this day, there are workshops where chastity belts are still made at the request of the current jealous people. In addition to mechanical locks, modern products use the latest materials, advances in technology and electronics. According to the confessions of the craftsmen, they are ordered about 100 belts of innocence a year. This is such an eternal business, supported by male jealousy.

But here's something else that's interesting:

“We find approximately the same diversity in the fundamental assessment of female chastity. Face to face with classes and eras that attached great importance to virginity, there are those who not only did not glorify, but almost even condemned the bride, if she was still untouched on her wedding night. on the one hand, some eras and classes consider it a disgrace for a girl if she was ever seen accompanied by a man or if she appeared in a public place without parents, then others allowed a young girl who had reached puberty to receive her lover in her bedroom for whole years at night for whole years ("trial nights", "Kommnächte"). And, moreover, note - not only one. Without any harm to her reputation, she has the right to set aside one lover and give him away a place for another, third, fourth, if her expectations and demands have not been adequately satisfied. Neither her good name nor her marital happiness suffers any damage from the fact that for months she has given each of her lovers the opportunity to prove whether he possesses the qualities that she requires from her future husband. The same view allowed the pubescent boy to ascertain in this way the physical merits of the girl who chose him, gave him the right to decide, depending on this experience, whether he intended to marry her or not. He also had the right to spend several trial nights with a number of girls, and the fact that these trial nights did not exclude sexual relations did not connect him at all with this girl.

Male modern

Male

Modern
There are a lot of them here.

Human sexual activity has always been the subject of special study by man himself. It so happened that sexual desire has the strongest influence on the subconscious of people, forcing them to go to unimaginable deeds. For example, in using different kind auxiliary items to improve quality intimate life. All sorts of whips, handcuffs, collars, masks have been created that exacerbate sexual experiences to incredible heights. But there are also objects whose purpose is just the opposite - preventing the possibility of enjoying or in general the sexual intercourse itself. One such thing is a chastity belt. The history of the emergence of such a device, the principles of its operation, the benefits and harms, Interesting Facts we will consider about the chastity belt in the article.

The ancient world - the birthplace of the chastity belt

The chastity belt is a device worn over the genital area, which makes it impossible intimacy and self-satisfaction. Most often you can find belts for women, to a lesser extent they were also produced for men. The purpose of this item was very simple - to prevent the wife from cheating during the absence of her husband. The first information about chastity belts is found in the description Everyday life Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.

At the same time, it is impossible to say exactly by whom and when such a device was invented. And it was a leather two-band belt that was worn by a female slave. One strip was worn at the waist, the other - passed between the legs. The product could not be called a "chastity belt", since it was worn not on a wife - a free woman, but on a slave. And it was done solely for economic reasons.

The belt did not allow a woman to become pregnant, since a pregnant slave, according to the laws of that time, did not work, that is, she did not bring money. And it was unprofitable for its owner. Information about such belts is extremely scarce, and now it is no longer possible to say exactly where it was used - in Hellas or Rome. After that, chastity belts were “forgotten” untilXIIcentury, that is, there was no news about them for at least 650-700 years.

During the Middle Ages, again, the news about chastity belts was extremely inaccurate. Yes, for the first time this historical era they were used by an unnamed German emperor, who went either on a crusade or somewhere else on his imperial business. The king ordered his blacksmith to forge an iron belt for his wife. The monarch personally put on and took off the belt with his missus.

This chastity belt was nothing more than an instrument of torture. The device had several locks, completely covering the entire lower part of the woman's body from extraneous encroachments. Such a belt deprived a person of any opportunity to monitor personal hygiene; a small hole was intended for the administration of natural needs. Only one key was made to the protective device from sex, and it was constantly with the woman's husband.

Development of chastity belts in the Middle Ages

Such an unusual act of the German emperor was very liked by the rest of the wealthy husbands of all of Europe. Chastity belts began to spread rapidly, especially in great demand for them in Italy. Now they were made not only from leather, it was possible to order beautiful belts from several combinations of materials - leather, gold, silver, iron. The best copies were made in Venice, Bergamo and Florence. The product was famous for its beautiful appearance. The first real historical mention of such toys dates back to 1405, when the writer Konrad Kiezer wrote about "heavy iron belts covering the women of Florence."

There was even such an expression "close your wife in the Florentine manner." There are new synonyms for this subject: “Girdle of Venus”, “Florentine lattice”, “Venetian lattice”, “Castle from Bergamo”, “chastity belt”. In Italy of the XII-XIII centuries, girls from the age of 13-14 used chastity belts, and their mothers wedding day gave the groom the key to the castle. The husband was the sole custodian of the key to this device, he, after the first wedding night came out of the bedroom and told those present that "the gate and castle leading to paradise were intact."

The most popular chastity belts became in the era of the Crusades. The knights went to war for several years and not all of them were sure of marital fidelity his other half. That's why I had to use a chastity belt. But he did not always fully fulfill his function:

• firstly, this product, made mainly of metal, posed a serious danger to the health and life of a woman.

The belt led to the formation of calluses on the genitals and in the groin, bedsores appeared, the figure changed in a person. If there was a threat to life, the belt was removed, but only by a court decision and in the presence of a representative of the church. Naturally, the husband, who was in distant lands, was immediately informed of such an action. After all, if, upon arrival home, the spouse did not find a protective device on his wife, then he could well take the life of his beloved;

• secondly, the chastity belt was not a 100% guarantee that a woman would remain faithful to her spouse.

"Girdle of Venus" did not always protect against treason

The fact is that the manufacture of even one belt was a very profitable business, that is, only rich and very rich people could afford such a toy. And the manufacturers of these metal devices were not always honest, so for money they could make not only one key for the woman's husband, but also its duplicate for the latter's lover.

At first, such a trick helped open the lock on the chastity belt in the absence of her husband. This gave rise to a wave of funny stories. Thus, the Grenoble Museum contains a tapestry, which depicts a knight leaving on a campaign, and his wife, dressed in a belt. On the neck of the knight you can see the key to the castle to metal toy. And another man lurks in the bushes, who holds an identical key in his hands and is waiting for the departure of her husband-knight.

That is, if the key to the lock to the chastity belt fell into the hands of a woman or her lover during the absence of a spouse, then this device did not save from treason. And most importantly, it was impossible to establish whether or not the chastity belt was opened when the husband was not at home. It was sometimes possible to open the lock even with the help of a nail or the tip of a dagger. Therefore, inXVIIcentury, more complex designs began to be made. The lock began to be equipped with a secret: if they tried to open it with a master key or other device, then the grip of the spring clamped this master key and a piece of metal remained in the lock. This was proof that they tried to remove the belt without the knowledge of the husband.

If you want to loop your wife - lay out a lot of money!

"Venetian lattices" were expensive, only people with big money could order them. In terms of value, these products were comparable to the prices of weapons, which were valued at the highest level. After all, it guaranteed the protection of both the whole state and the individual in the troubled Middle Ages. Constant wars, crusades, uprisings required the development of military affairs. So, a medium-priced chastity belt made of leather and iron could be compared with the cost:

1. half a war horse;
2. two swords;
3. 10 oxen;
4. 24 sheep;
5. 98 quarters of wheat.

And if the object for protection against sex was made of gold or silver, then this indicated that at least the count, if not the duke, was a jealous husband. precious metals in Western Europe were extremely expensive, especially before the Great Geographical Discoveries, after which the influx of such materials increased significantly from the New World. Therefore, the "Venetian belt" made of precious metals was equal in value to several dozen swords - the main weapon of medieval knights.

Many chastity belts are truly masterpieces of engineering and jewelry art. On them you can find lines from the Bible about adultery, carnal sins, seduction and punishment for this sin. Many scientists have questioned the real existence of chastity belts. However, in 1999, a burial with female skeletons was discovered in Bavaria. Some of them had rusty metal rings, confirming that such mechanisms were indeed invented and used by jealous husbands.

It is not known whether the death of women with chastity belts occurred from the effects of wearing the belts themselves, or for other reasons. In any case, this device was extremely unpleasant to use and brought serious harm to health. Particularly affected were women who wore belts during early pregnancy. The metal lattice did not allow the fetus to develop normally, miscarriage and even death could occur.

Continued development of “chastity bars”: men began to suffer too

From the Middle Ages, chastity belts migrated to England in the second halfXIXcentury. This period of history is known as the Victorian era. foggy albion Strict ascetic customs reigned, a distinctive feature of which was the suppression of all sexuality. Girls and boys were taught the idea that self-satisfaction causes hair growth on the arms, dementia, insanity, blindness. Therefore, the chastity belt was finalized according to the ideas of those times. Now the woman could not have sex or even masturbate.

In the Victorian era, chastity belts were also invented for men. They were supposed to prevent the spread of onanism. These devices are dated to 1889. With the help of such devices, they fought against morning erections, which were considered unhealthy. The genital organ was placed in a special tube, and to pubic hair forceps were attached. When an erection appeared, the forceps pulled on the hair and caused pain: the erection disappeared.

At the beginning of the 20th century, and also in England, they came up with another mechanism to combat erection. The male genital organ was in a spring, which was connected to an electrical sensor. The ensuing erection caused a short circuit in the electrical network and the penis received a current discharge. After that, the excitement could be forgotten. But basically chastity belts were created specifically for women. Even in our progressiveXXIcentury, you can order a chastity belt.

Make it from modern materials using the latest technological advances. Distinctive feature"Venetian gratings" of our days can be called a lower metal content in them and the introduction of electronics. More sparing materials for human health are actively used - latex, silicone, rubber, stainless steel. They allow you to wear a chastity belt for a long time. This accessory has found its place in BDSM games these days. About 200 such toys are produced annually in Western Europe alone.

Was there even a chastity belt?

Despite the documented facts of the use of chastity belts, the presence of these items on female skeletons, there are experts who question their real existence. Albrecht Klassen, a Germanist professor, claims that such belts were never actually used. He believes that even in the Middle Ages, they did not really believe in the effectiveness of chastity belts. Klassen considers the item to be a piece of Renaissance art.

His invention appears to the scientist as a joke of people over the Middle Ages, a way to ridicule the way of life of this period of history. The professor in his scientific work cites facts according to which the "belts of Venus", presented in museums as real, were made much later - in XVIII-XIX centuries. Therefore, Klassen is inclined to consider the chastity belt as an allegory female infidelity, but not as a real-life object.

However, in any case, even if the belt was not used, it was extremely harmful to the woman. Because the inability to monitor personal hygiene in the conditions of the Middle Ages with primitive medicine inevitably led to the most sad consequences. On the other hand, the depiction of these objects in paintings, the skeletons of women with belts, and the evidence of historians indicate at least that people knew about the existence of "grids". It is human nature to rewrite history, create profitable and unprofitable myths, so the production of chastity belts in the 18th and 19th centuries can be explained as follows.

But recent research indicates that this is most likely a myth spread by historians in the 18th and 19th centuries who sought to emphasize the backwardness of the Middle Ages compared to their enlightenment.

The first mention of a metal chastity belt is found in a book written by the German author Konrad Kieser von Eichstätt in 1405. But this is more of a joke than a description of actual devices that were widely used. Other references to chastity belts in the 16th and 17th centuries can be interpreted as irony, satire, or metaphor in a historical context.

A rope tied to the waist was used to represent the chastity of the bride in ancient Rome. But the idea that medieval women for a long period wearing metal belts is highly questionable from a medical point of view. Prolonged contact of skin with metal leads to abrasions, wounds and infections.

Modern historians believe that many surviving chastity belts believed to be from the Middle Ages are forgeries from the Victorian era.

In fact, the Victorians believed in the harm of masturbation, which led to the creation of numerous patents for the manufacture of chastity belts for men.

Note: the reliability and dating of the listed artifacts is not known for certain.

1400 year. Metal chastity belt with scalloped slots.

1500 year. Cowrie shell medallion depicting a man who opens women's belt fidelity.

1600 year. Medieval chastity belt with lock.

1500 year. Fabric-lined chastity belt embellished with floral designs and a heart pierced by arrows.

1500 year. Two iron chastity belts.

1450 year. A metal chastity belt decorated with embossing and consisting of two panels joined together.

1400 year. Iron chastity belt with lock and engraving.

1400 year. Padlock and flower engraving.

1450 year. Ornately decorated hinged chastity belt.

1000 year. french belt loyalty since the Crusades.

1500 year. Narrow chastity belt covered with silk.

1500 year. Velvet-covered chastity belt.

“It is quite possible that the vast majority of extant examples were made in the 18th and 19th centuries as a curiosity for the lustful or for fun.”
British museum

1550 year. Iron chastity belt with floral design and padlock.