Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

  • The Fires of Lust

  • Sex in the Middle Ages
  • By: Katherine Harvey
  • Narrated by: Corrie James
  • Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (6 ratings)

$0.00 for first 30 days

Thousands of incredible audiobooks and podcasts to take wherever you go.
Immerse yourself in a world of storytelling with the Plus Catalogue - unlimited listening to thousands of select audiobooks, podcasts and Audible Originals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
The Fires of Lust cover art

The Fires of Lust

By: Katherine Harvey
Narrated by: Corrie James
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

Virgin cover art
Great and Horrible News cover art
Mortal Monarchs cover art
Sex cover art
The Once and Future Sex cover art
Vital Organs cover art
A Curious History of Sex cover art
In Search of the Dark Ages cover art
The Devil in the Shape of a Woman cover art
Ask a Historian cover art
Sex, the World History cover art
Naked Feminism cover art
Elizabeth's London cover art
Holy Sh*t cover art
Dr. Johnson's London cover art
The Anglo-Saxon World cover art

Summary

An illuminating exploration of the surprisingly familiar sex lives of ordinary medieval people.

The medieval humoral system of medicine suggested that it was possible to die from having too much - or too little - sex, while the Roman Catholic Church taught that virginity was the ideal state. Holy men and women committed themselves to lifelong abstinence in the name of religion. Everyone was forced to conform to restrictive rules about who they could have sex with, in what way, how often, and even when, and could be harshly punished for getting it wrong.

Other experiences are more familiar. Like us, medieval people faced challenges in finding a suitable partner or trying to get pregnant (or trying not to). They also struggled with many of the same social issues, such as whether prostitution should be legalized. Above all, they shared our fondness for dirty jokes and erotic images. By exploring their sex lives, the book brings ordinary medieval people to life, revealing details of their most personal thoughts and experiences. Ultimately, it provides us with an important and intimate connection to the past.

Contains mature themes.

©2021 Katherine Harvey (P)2021 Tantor
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

Love Books? You'll Love Audible.

Transform your day

Transform your day

Replace endless scrolling with endless listening. Chores can be fun.

Listen everywhere

Listen everywhere

You can’t turn pages while you drive—but you can press play.

Carry your entire Library

Carry your entire Library

Your stories go where you go. Audiobooks don’t weigh a thing.

Listen and learn

Listen and learn

Discover stories that can change your mind, your well-being, and your life.

Reach your reading goals

Reach your reading goals

Download titles to listen offline, wherever you are in the world.

Find your niche

Find your niche

WIth thousands of titles to explore, there’s something for everyone.

Try for £0.00 £7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

What listeners say about The Fires of Lust

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A witty examination of medieval attitudes

Katherine dismantles modern preconceptions of medieval attitudes to sex and the body, through an examination of contemporary sources. A thoroughly entertaining and interesting listen.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!