Beyond Death

Often, when we think of the Middle Ages, we tend to imagine that historical period as one of darkness, punishments, plagues, and chastity pushed to the limits of asexuality.

As if having sex, or even just thinking about sex, were so forbidden that no one dared, under penalty of death.

In reality, nothing could be further from the truth: in the Middle Ages, people loved to play, not just with swords, dice, or words… but also with the senses.

Religion certainly held a strong grip on people’s minds at the time, but not enough to stop them from enjoying the pleasures of social life and physical intimacy. Outwardly, they preached restraint and virtue, but behind the walls of a house, a castle (or even a church or convent), things were quite different.

Many games were well known that offered a socially acceptable way to flirt, to touch, to gaze… and to desire.

Here are just a few of the most famous games from the Middle Ages:

The most well-known among them was the game of hot cockles, usually played during Christmas festivities. A young man would lie down with his head resting in a lady’s lap, thus “blindfolded.”

One by one, the other ladies would approach and touch his bottom; his task was to guess whose hand it was.

If he guessed correctly, he would receive a kiss. If he was wrong, the lady had the right to punish him with a playful slap on the butt.

We’re talking about an extremely sensual game, because the position itself was intimately ambiguous: head in the lap, prolonged physical contact.

The game required direct physical touch, and it was common to joke about hands being too gentle… or too mischievous.

Add to that the fact that women’s fashion of the time included deep, plunging necklines, while men wore very tight-fitting trousers, and voilà!

Guessing who had touched him almost always led to lingering glances and bursts of laughter, creating a powerful erotic tension.

Another popular game was the dice of love. It was usually played in courtly settings, in gardens, or in private chambers, and consisted of rolling a die engraved with actions such as: kiss whoever is looking at you, caress the hand of the lady to your right, or whisper a desire to the person next to you.

Whoever rolled the die could not refuse the penalty. Let’s just say it was the ancestor of today’s erotic dice, often sold in sex shops or online.

It was an extremely sensual game, as each action carried a physical, symbolic, or emotional meaning. There was also the thrill of the “punishment” or forfeit, often to be performed in front of others. And in some settings, the die included more explicit actions, especially when the company was carefully selected.

Another even more intriguing game involved triolets and erotic riddles. These were typically played during evening gatherings or shared readings and consisted of presenting short double-entendre poems or riddles that seemed innocent but hinted at the body, desire, or physical love.

Whoever failed to guess correctly had to “pay a forfeit” with a romantic or symbolic penalty.

It was a highly seductive game, as the words themselves became a form of mental flirtation. Ambiguity allowed for transgression under the guise of culture. At times, two “poets” would challenge each other in a duel of provocative verses.

As you can see, the Middle Ages weren’t just an era of rosaries and fasting, of executions and torture, they were also a time of desire, allusion, playfulness, and physical contact… just like any other era, from the dawn of time to today.

And you? Would you have played?

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