A question about the use of historically accurate terms.

[ElectricBlue]

Ok! I am convinced. There is an overwhelming consensus on avoiding anachronisms. But I wonder. What about wedgies? In one scene, one of the submissive girls gives wedgie to her mistress. With non-elastic historical clothes, it might not be a thing. I guess, she can still pull up the cloth between her crack, but you know…it is not the same thing. Or she can tie a rope up her cunt to replicate a modern wedgie.

Sigh. You don't sound convinced at all, not when you keep coming up with more daft suggestions. Why don't you set your story down at the local mall, in 2025, and avoid the issue completely? This sounds like the least historical piece on Lit, to be brutal.

 

[TheNovelist2000]

Sigh. You don't sound convinced at all, not when you keep coming up with more daft suggestions. Why don't you set your story down at the local mall, in 2025, and avoid the issue completely? This sounds like the least historical piece on Lit, to be brutal.

No... I am serious. I am willing to spend a large amount of time researching and getting details right. But, of course, the goal of the story is to talk about power dynamics between people and interesting sex. Some sexual perversions like tying your mistress's cunt with fine ropes beneath her dress to torment her would have been unthinkable in historical periods, but if we are just gonna talk about missionary sex, what is the point of writing a story at all. But as you said, doing so without care would be quite wrong. Whatever perversion discussed has to be filtered through the lenses of history to make them immersive. Like Cleopatra using bees instead of a vibrator. Or putting vegetables up the arse instead of using dildos. You just have to be inventive a bit.

 

[StillStunned]

Some sexual perversions like tying your mistress's cunt with fine ropes beneath her dress to torment her would have been unthinkable in historical periods,

Whatever makes you say that? People are people, and always have been. Modern kinks aren't new.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Or putting vegetables up the arse instead of using dildos. You just have to be inventive a bit.

Well yes, but you seem to be reverting to cliché. I mean, "wedgies" - are you serious? That's not sexy at the best of times, yet you want to apply it to your slave on a boat, which might be a galley, might be a galleon, you don't seem to know which is which. I agree, you need to do a little bit more research...

 

[TheNovelist2000]

Whatever makes you say that? People are people, and always have been. Modern kinks aren't new.

I am not sure about the 1700s, when I am setting my story in, but I've read somewhere that during the Mediaeval period, the Church did not allow anything but missionary (at least in western Europe). I think women went to physicians to get fingered because their husbands did not do that for them. But Karma Sutra is also a very old book (400 BC to 200 BC), meaning that people have been kinky all along. (At least, in the East.)

 

[SinclairGroupLLP]

There’s an easier way of handling this - you are already talking about sirens and the like. Those aren’t real. You don’t need to be a slave to historical fiction then, because you’ve already introduced magical elements into the story. Just make it your own world, model it on the period of you want, but I’d just say this is a fantasy setting and then you can put everybody in anything you want, historically accurate or not. Makes everything a whole lot easier on you and hopefully will keep all the potential anachronisms to a minimum.

 

[StillStunned]

but I've read somewhere that during the Mediaeval period, the Church did not allow anything but missionary (at least in western Europe).

Well, there wasn't a single monolithic "Medieval period", and there wasn't a single monolithic "Church" during that time, with a single monolithic policy. The whole situation of what was and was not allowed was fluid, with shades of grey, and even then humans have a tendency not to follow rules when it comes to things like their own pleasure.

 

[StillStunned]

Vicar: “I have been asked by His Grace to read aloud this missive, sent by His Holiness himself, our Holy Father the Pope in Rome…”

Congregation: *Swoon*

V: “…with regard to modern-day practices in the relations between man and wife. His Holiness’s missive is strongly worded, urging all good Christian men and women to refrain from any heathen habits.”

C: “Hear hear!”

V: “Of course, as His Grace explained to me, this is intended mostly for the licentious people in towns and cities, not proper God-fearing folk like those in our parish, sturdy yeomen like yourselves.”

C: *Murmurs of approval*

V: “So I will forego a full reading of the Holy Father’s admonishments, and simply give you the gist of his message. His Holiness reminds you that in your, ahum, relations, in which you of course engage only for the purpose of procreation to engender more good Christian men and women such as yourselves…”

C: “Of course…”

V: “…you will confine yourselves to the most basic of positions, namely the good Christian woman lying on her back and her good Christian husband lying on top of her, in the accepted manner.”

C: *More murmurs of approval*

V: “You will of course not engage in such ungodly positions as “doggy style”, where… let me read this carefully… the wife is on her knees and the husband mounts her from behind… Is that right? I suppose it must be.”

C: *Silence*

V: “Nor will you engage in what His Holiness calls “the lady of the manor”, which seems to be where the husband is on his back and his wife is on top of him – how would that even work?”

C: *Murmurs, less disapproving now*

V: “The Holy Father also mentions “the lady of the manor returning home”, which if I understand it correctly involves the wife in the same position, but with her back to her husband’s face.”

C: *Restless shuffling*

V: “He also forbids the “pisces”, which I can’t figure out but seems to have the husband and wife on top of each other, but facing the wrong way around… His Holiness’s head must be filled with visions, I fear, for this all seems highly unlikely. There’s a whole section here that appears to have nothing to do with procreation at all, given the body parts involved.”

C: “Tell us!”

V: “No, I think that will have to do for now. I fear I’m becoming quite agitated. Some of these illustrations… Well, if anyone needs guidance, perhaps they can come and talk to me and we can… Ahum. Amen.”

C: *Stampedes out of the church*

 

[Britva415]

during the Mediaeval period, the Church did not allow anything but missionary (at least in western Europe)

People everywhere always ever have defied their churches.

 

[Nynah]

People everywhere always ever have defied their churches.

Unsurprising that the Church has always been overly interested in things that need not concern them, including being taken to church.

 

[TheNovelist2000]

There’s an easier way of handling this - you are already talking about sirens and the like. Those aren’t real. You don’t need to be a slave to historical fiction then, because you’ve already introduced magical elements into the story. Just make it your own world, model it on the period of you want, but I’d just say this is a fantasy setting and then you can put everybody in anything you want, historically accurate or not. Makes everything a whole lot easier on you and hopefully will keep all the potential anachronisms to a minimum.

That was what I was thinking at the beginning, but now I'm sold on being more period accurate. Otherwise, I will get the same criticism in the comments about how 'panties' do not belong in the 1700s.

 

[Davidbeer1]

I’m writing a long fantasy erotica involving the Spanish Crown, sirens, magic, amulets, galleys, carts, horses, and farms. But I’m reluctant to use historically accurate terms for garments and sex—words like chemise, drawers, and undergarments. I prefer modern words like panties, bras, skirts, cunt, pussy, tits. Would that feel jarring or out of place in a story like this? Or is it acceptable to keep the language modern for clarity and tone? As a reader, what would you personally prefer?

Here is an excerpt.

Luca’s expression hardened as he replied, "The courts don’t give a damn about excuses. As far as the Crown is concerned, your father is a thief and will be tried as such." He went closer to her, whispering: "Your father is a good navigator though. Losing him would be a shame.”

"What do you want from me?" Anne said meekly, her heart racing faster. She had always noticed the way he looked at her whenever they met on the deck. His gaze always wandered to her intimate places—though the same could be said for the whole crew—piercing through her clothes.

“I want you…,” he murmured. “You are not like those whores that money can buy. But you will give yourself to me tonight”. Anne flinched as his hand touched her cheek, the warmth of it sickening.

“You are gonna comeback to this place at midnight when everyone is asleep,” Luca smiled. Whoever is awake will be assigned to the deck for something to do. So, in the sleeping quarter, it is gonna be only you and sleeping men.”

His hand travelled to her lip, making Anne quiver. “There, you take off your dress,” he said. “Underwear and everything. You fold them neatly and put them in your trunk. You will then take your favorite pair of panties in your hand and return here. Then, wait for me,” he ended the conversation.

As Notwise says, "panties" is an obvious anachronism. It sticks out like a sore thumb and breaks the reader's concentration.