Beiträge zur Rechtsgeschichte Österreichs 9. Jahrgang Heft 1/2019, pp. 50-61, 2019/05/21
Sexualität vor Gericht
Deviante geschlechtliche Praktiken und deren Verfolgung vom 14. bis zum 19. Jahrhundert
This paper discusses the origin of the idea of chastity and sexual rigorousness in relation to the society of the Slovak territory in the early Middle Ages. The oldest sources are the so-called Moravian-Pannonian Legends, namely the Life of Constantine and the Life of Method. The above-mentioned outlook of the author is to be found in Moravian legal texts where sexual crimes and their punishments are of great importance. While the idea of chastity and sexual rigorousness had an important place in legal texts of the 9th century, this topic is represented rather briefly in the legends. The opposite can be observed in the period of the dynasty of Arpád in the Hungarian Kingdom, where we encounter two legends originally based on the above-mentioned ideas. To us, these legends are known as the Legend of Saint Emeric and the Legend of Saint Margaret. Emeric was described as a monarch’s son who decided to remain a virgin for his entire life. He took this decision despite his status as the heir to the throne and a married man. Margaret spent her short life in a monastery and the legend does not only describe her repugnance to marriage, but also her unattractive looks and disregard towards personal hygiene.
Keywords: Arpádians – chastity – legends – Moravia – sexual rigorousness
