Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society
Host: Kate Lister
Guest: Dr. Anke Bernau (Senior Lecturer in Medieval Literature, University of Manchester, author of Virgins: A Cultural History)
Episode: Origins of Virginity
Date: August 26, 2025

Episode Overview

In this compelling episode, Kate Lister explores the cultural and historical origins of virginity, challenging myths and misunderstandings that persist to this day. Joined by Dr. Anke Bernau, an expert in the cultural history of virginity, the conversation delves into religious, social, and gendered perspectives, revealing how the concept has been constructed and weaponized throughout history. Listeners are taken on a journey from ancient civilizations to modern purity culture, debunking persistent myths (hello, hymen!) and asking what the future holds for this deeply problematic social construct.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Defining Virginity: A Murky Construct

[05:08–07:09]

• Virginity is commonly assumed to be self-evident but falls apart under scrutiny.
• Kate Lister and Anke Bernau question what actually constitutes "loss of virginity": "Well, what kind of sex is it? Only man and woman, penis and vagina sex and therefore is oral sex and finger sex and same sex sex. That just doesn't count?" (Lister, 05:57)
• Virginity definitions shift across time and cultures; it's not strictly a female concept, though most historical policing focuses on women.

2. Gendered Emphasis & Origins in Christianity

[07:09–09:58]

• Early Christianity gave value to both male and female virginity to distinguish itself from prior religious and civic cultures.
• Over time, institutional Christianity and patriarchal social orders focused nearly exclusively on female virginity, tying it to property, inheritance, and social alliances.
• Male virginity lost its significance outside religious orders.

"In theory I would say that in Christianity, early Christianity, male and female virginity were both very, very important. ... But then...how do you police it?" – Dr. Bernau, 07:23

3. Virginity, Property, and Patriarchy

[08:57–09:58]

• The obsession with female virginity historically relates to controlling lineage and property.
• Ensuring a bride's virginity equates to ensuring legitimate heirs.

"If it's about property...you want to make sure the property doesn't get alienated....So how do you ensure that? By knowing that the children are yours." – Dr. Bernau, 09:21

4. Testing for Virginity: Myths, Risks, and Rituals

[11:22–14:57], [30:12–32:31]

• The idea that virginity can be medically or visually 'proven' is debunked. Historical tests ranged from the bizarre (sounds when urinating) to dangerous (reliance on bleeding).
• The hymen as a "seal" is a myth: not all women have them, shape varies, and their condition is not linked to sexual activity.

"You can't possibly look at someone's genitals and see what kind of sex they've been having." – Kate Lister, 11:38
"The hymen is just this myth, however, a very powerful one." – Dr. Bernau, 25:49

• Medieval and early modern "life hacks" included fake bleeding and various physical tests.

Notable practices:

• Blushing and bodily signs as “evidence”
• Blood on wedding sheets as proof
• Smuggling in sponges soaked in blood to fake virginity (referenced in the 18th-century erotic novel Fanny Hill, 32:31)

5. Cult of Virginity: Ancient to Early Modern Periods

[13:57–19:23]

• The Vestal Virgins in Rome and Christian virgin martyrs exemplify the social stakes around female chastity.
• Draconian punishments, such as live entombment or mutilation, reflect communal anxiety about purity and reputation.

"If you got caught misbehaving as a vestal, ...they entombed them alive if they were caught." – Lister, 16:25

• Collective reputation is linked to women's bodies; breaches of chastity jeopardize entire communities, not just individuals.

6. Virgin Saints & Martyr Narratives

[20:17–24:15]

• Virgin saints endure violent tests of chastity (torture, mutilation, murder) as proof of their bodily integrity and spiritual commitment.
• These stories often conflate sexual violence with religious or social testing, highlighting the dangers of cultural obsession.

"It's almost like her body needs to be tested....She then gets dismembered publicly." – Dr. Bernau, 20:36

7. The Hymen Myth Debunked

[24:28–27:55]

• The hymen, historically invoked as a 'seal' of virginity, is exposed as baseless.
• Medically, a "perfect hymen" is rare; the myth persists despite being questioned throughout history.

"If you had what's called medically a perfect hymen...you would have all kinds of health problems, as writers have known for centuries." – Dr. Bernau, 24:39
"It's never been accepted as this uniform test." – Lister, 26:46

8. Virginity and Power: Elizabeth I and Beyond

[33:10–35:36]

• Elizabeth I masterfully wielded her perceived virginity for political power, presenting herself as ‘married to the country.’
• Virginity at times was linked to manliness and spiritual purity, subverting later associations with female passivity.

"She used virginity very cleverly...I'm married to my country." – Dr. Bernau, 33:29
"Virginity was sometimes associated with being more manly or more man, like." – Dr. Bernau, 33:47

9. Men, Virginity, and Changing Perceptions

[35:36–37:37]

• No equivalent physical test existed for male virginity.
• Being a virgin could mark masculine self-control (especially in religious contexts) or be stigmatized, both historically and today.

10. Virginity in the Modern Era: Ongoing Myths and New Narratives

[38:01–50:43]

• Virginity remains a significant personal and cultural "life event," still subject to gift, stigma, or process narratives.
• “Second virginity” and redefinitions are emerging, especially among LGBTQ+ communities and survivors of abuse.
• Purity culture persists, notably in the U.S., with rituals like purity balls and abstinence education—sometimes seen as empowering, sometimes deeply damaging.

"The cult of virginity and the emphasis on virginity is still very much with us, isn't it?" – Lister, 37:37

• Shifts in language: Talk of "first times" rather than "virginity."
• Some scholars and communities seek to reclaim or dispense with the term entirely due to its patriarchal baggage.
• Hymenoplasty (hymen reconstruction surgery) still exists—marketed either as "empowering" or as a way to protect women from harm in cultures with high pressure to "prove" virginity.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "You can't possibly look at someone's genitals and see what kind of sex they've been having." —Kate Lister [11:38]
• "The hymen is just this myth, however, a very powerful one. To this very day we have tests, medical tests that claim to be tests to ascertain whether someone is a virgin or not." —Dr. Anke Bernau [25:49]
• "Their [virgin saints’] bodies are stripped naked...it's horrific violence. Many scholars have read it as being also very disturbing and very problematic because of being titillating." —Dr. Anke Bernau [22:33]
• "Why on earth would anyone want that first time feel, that awkward fumbling and like not really knowing what you were doing? Why would anyone want that?" —Kate Lister on marketed hymenoplasty [47:42]
• "So much of it becomes about class, is about race as well as class." —Dr. Anke Bernau [47:06]
• "Watch this space, to where those discussions are going. I mean, of course, as we're seeing at the moment, we know that there isn't just a linear, progressive narrative in things to do with sexual matters, unfortunately." —Dr. Anke Bernau [51:46]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction to Episode & Topic: [03:32–04:47]
• What is Virginity? Problems Defining: [05:08–07:09]
• Virginity & Christian Doctrine: [07:23–09:58]
• Virginity & Property: [09:21–09:58]
• Social Consequences, Policing, Myths: [11:22–14:57]
• Testing Virginity: Non-hymen Methods: [30:12–32:31]
• Saints, Martyrdom, Community Stakes: [13:57–24:15]
• Hymen Myth and Medical Reality: [24:28–27:55]
• Elizabeth I and Political Uses: [33:10–35:36]
• Modern Purity Culture and Shifting Narratives: [38:01–50:43]
• What’s Next for Virginity?: [48:54–51:46]

Conclusion

This episode offers a richly detailed, myth-busting look at the origins and endurance of virginity as a social construct. With trademark humor and empathy, Kate Lister and Dr. Anke Bernau reject pseudo-scientific "tests," examine shifting cultural values, and show how the obsession with virginity has shaped—and continues to shape—lives and societies. Whether examining nuns’ beards, medieval torture, or 21st-century reconstructive surgery, it’s clear that virginity remains far more cultural than corporeal.

For more:

• Find Dr. Anke Bernau at the University of Manchester, or her book Virgins: A Cultural History.
• Suggested further listening: Earlier episodes on purity, sex education, and religious practices.

This summary skips adverts and focuses on substantive, content-rich discussion. Episode produced by History Hit.