Fact or Fiction?
1-Month Anniversary
The Puritans of Salem Village thought of sex as an act appropriate only for creating live.
FICTION
The Puritans did not approve of pre-marital sex, neither did they approve of public displays of a sexual or sensual nature. However, sex to the Puritans was seen as one of the pleasures of marriage. It was a gift to be shared between husband and wife. A duty, in fact, and an understanding that each partner would provide pleasure for the other. That each partner would share their body fully and appropriately with their spouse, and each would unabashedly enjoy the other.
The “blessings” from such unreserved love and affection, of course, would be children. But children were a bonus. A loving bond, intimacy and sexual satisfaction were expected between husband and wife.
In fact, if a Puritan wife withheld sex from her husband or a Puritan husband withheld sex from his wife, they risked public scorn and punishment from the church. That punishment could be as simple as a humiliating stint in the stocks or the more painful and permanent horror of excommunication, or something in between.
The Puritans believed sex – loving, fruitful, passionate and fulfilling sex – between married couples was a gift from God that no (married) Puritan should refuse.
History is revised in this erotic tale of choice removed as the duty to submit wars with the desire to resist. Abigail Prescott, a 17th Century woman accused of witchcraft, seeks to prove herself unmarked by Satan. She willingly submits to her governor’s thorough examination but is ill-prepared for his shameful grueling probe, as it permits him to see and test her every inch and every hollow.
This is surprising to me! Knowing how a ton of our taboos in the US are based on Puritan teachings I would have thought sex would be strictly for procreation. Very interesting!
Thank you, Kay! I had the same feelings of surprise as I researched these people and their beliefs but the more I considered it, the more sense it made. They were god-fearing people, as we know, and they fully believed human sexuality was a gift from their creator. It was considered a unique and fulfilling way for a married couple (only) to show their affection so a life-long bond would be forged between them. Withholding sex from a partner would be the same as refusing God’s gracious gift. And to refuse God was to accept Satan. So, it all came back to faith and fear…