the blog of author, illustrator and designer Kris Waldherr » Holly Tucker guest post: The Facts of Life, 17th Century Style

02.09

Holly Tucker guest post: The Facts of Life, 17th Century Style

Next up for my “Most Romantic Week on the Blogosphere” featuring the Love Tarot app, is a guest post by historian and novelist Holly Tucker, Ph.D. History geeks probably know Holly from her delightful website Wonders and Marvels. Holly is an Associate Professor at Vanderbilt University. Her upcoming book Blood Work (under contract with W.W. Norton) is about the politics of early medical experimentation in seventeenth century France and England.

Here, Holly offers us the other side of seventeenth century love to Sandra Gulland’s uber-romantic entry about love letters yesterday. Instead, she writes about the baroque era’s favorite sex manual (complete with a randy illustration from it). On top of that, today we’re giving away a copy of my illustrated novel The Lover’s Path to one blog commenter. Details at the end of this post.

Tomorrow’s post: Ruth Ann Amberstone writes about the sexiest card in the tarot.

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holly tucker

Forget Cosmo. Forget Maxim. Anyone looking for sex advice in the seventeenth- and eighteenth-centuries would head straight to Nicolas Venette’s The Mysteries of Conjugal Love Reveal’d.

Take a look at the two cupids uniting their hot torches to one another. That gives you a sense of the titillating tips that Venette’s books contained–all for the purpose of making babies, of course!

So where did babies come back then?

Until the late seventeenth century, humoralism was the primary way of understanding conception. Humoralism is associated with Galen, a second-century ACE Greek physician who lived in Rome. His work was substantially influenced by his predecessor Hippocrates.

Galen held that the body was governed by a system of fluids, of “humors”: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, black bile. Each body had a “complexion” that was specific to the individual–and reflected a greater tendency toward one of the four humors. This complexion helped determine the overall health of the person, as well as their character. “Sanguine” folks were upbeat and energetic. “Phlegmatic” folks were lethargic and sad. Yellow bile led to “choleric” folks who flew easily off the handle. And depressed “melancolics” suffered from an over-abundance of black bile.

Men and women were very different from one another. Men were hot and dry; women cold and wet. (This helps to explain why men have private parts outside their bodies, more on that another time.)

For Galen, both men and women contributed “seed” in the sex act. The seeds mixed–and their overall quality of the mixture would determine whether a girl or a boy would be born. The birth of a boy was proof of the father’s virility (his seed won the battle). The birth of a girl called the father’s macho-ness into question.

In fact, the birth of a girl was frequently associated with marital sterility in the early-modern era.

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TODAY’S GIVEAWAY: We have a copy of my illustrated novel The Lover’s Path, which inspired the Love Tarot! Set in sixteenth century Venice, The Lover’s Path is based on a true story of two sisters — one of which just happened to be the most famous courtesan of her time. (Learn more about it here or watch the YouTube video.) To enter, simply leave a comment for this post. For a double entry, tell us about your favorite love story from history.

The small print: You have until midnight EST on February 14 to leave your comment. Winner will be chosen at random and announced on this blog Monday, February 15, 2010. Sorry, but the giveaway is limited to U.S. and Canada only.

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Top art: Tristan and Isolde art from the Love Tarot app by Kris Waldherr.

More about the Love Tarot app: Considered to be the most romantic app in the App Store, the Love Tarot app offers gorgeous tarot readings inspired by famous love stories, such as Tristan and Isolde and Cupid and Psyche. This five star-rated app was recently relaunched to include a tarot journal for users to save their readings and other inspirations.

Available in Lite and Full versions, learn more here. Or download the Full version on iTunes now.

comments

Audra wrote on February 9, 2010 at 6:10 am:

I’m a bit of a V-Day scrooge, but I love this blog series already! Thank you!

How to pick my favorite love story from history? I have to say, I’ve been touched by the marriage of John and Abigail Adams — such romance during such a tumultuous time!

Audra wrote on February 9, 2010 at 6:11 am:

P.S. Wonders and Marvels *is* a fabulous website!

Artistawe wrote on February 9, 2010 at 7:09 am:

Wow! I’d love to get a copy of the Lover’s Path. I own the Goddess Tarot app and must say it is amazing and pretty accurate.

Not much of a history reader but my favorite love story happens to be Cupid and Psyche

Artistawe wrote on February 9, 2010 at 7:11 am:

P.S. I know am not eligible for the book (not in US or Canada) but just wanted to say the apps are amazing! And my kid absolutely love the Doomed Queens cut-outs

Melissa wrote on February 9, 2010 at 7:24 am:

Interesting post! I’ve often wondered if an individual could be a combination, for example, sanguine and choleric…

My favorite love story from history:

Abelard and Heloise. They were intellectual equals, which I think contributes to a *blissful* romance (but their story is full of tragedy as well…)

Michelle wrote on February 9, 2010 at 7:36 am:

I’m very fond of Horatio Nelson and Emma Hamilton, though I realize that “story” may be the operative term here!

Devika wrote on February 9, 2010 at 8:55 am:

Your art and books are INCREDIBLE, Kris! I’m really happy that you have this website and all the cool online/iPhone apps that are available!
I’m really hoping to get to take one of your publishing workshops; ideally, your children book workshop), and I’m hoping to take it at the end of March.
Your book and the Love Tarot deck are wonderful representations of Love!
My favourite love story (which is also tragic) is the French story of the double-tailed mermaid, Melusine, who never seems to be able to keep any man she falls in love with due to his eventual lack of trust.

Julie wrote on February 9, 2010 at 9:07 am:

Wow, this is so interesting! I am a big fan of Doomed Queens, Kris, and I can’t wait for the follow up.

I think my favorite love story from history is Czar Nicholas and Alexandra. I love to read about the Russian Revolution, and I think it’s fascinating to read about how genuinely in love those two were–especially since royal marriages were largely for political reasons and rarely considered love.

kriswaldherr wrote on February 9, 2010 at 9:15 am:

Julie, I also found the story of Nicholas and Alexandra fascinating and tragic. It took her so long to agree to marry him because of their religious differences. One can’t help but wonder if he’d have been so tolerant of her loyalty to Rasputin if he hadn’t been so in love with her.

Michelle, I think that Emma Hamilton and Horatio Nelson are a wonderful example. I seem to remember seeing a movie about them on TCM with Vivian Leigh as Emma.

Melissa, the letters of Abelard and Heloise are among the most passionate I think I’ve ever read.

Thanks all, for your great comments. I’m having a lot of fun with this too.

Jeanette Gonzalez wrote on February 9, 2010 at 9:36 am:

i’m loving your “most romantic week on the blogosphere” and look forward to reading each day!

and, my most favorite love story — well, that would have to be WUTHERING HEIGHTS!

P.S. — am also thoroughly enjoying ALL your app’s — lover’s tarot, goddess tarot — and now, the goddess oracle!

Sharyn/AJ wrote on February 9, 2010 at 9:57 am:

Not a happy ending story, but a love story in it’s own way, Kathrine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy.

Happy Valentine’s Kris,
Sharyn/AJ

Sheila wrote on February 9, 2010 at 10:16 am:

This sounds great. Please enter me in the giveaway.
Hard to pick one great love story in history, but I’ve always been facinated by Cleopatra and Mark Antony.

Katy Spears wrote on February 9, 2010 at 11:36 am:

Love this blog series! I remember learning about the sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic, etc. in high school. Fascinating!

I would love to win this giveaway.

Tweets that mention the blog of author, illustrator and designer Kris Waldherr » Holly Tucker guest post: The Facts of Life, 17th Century Style -- Topsy.com wrote on February 9, 2010 at 12:12 pm:

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by kris waldherr, dsaarinen. dsaarinen said: Forgot the link. The Facts of Life, 17th-Century Style: http://bit.ly/a8MR8G Book giveaway too! [...]

Leslie wrote on February 9, 2010 at 3:04 pm:

Wonderful blog! My favourite love story has to be that of Isis & Osiris! Oh my! What that girl would do for her man! Congrats on your new & up-coming oracle deck! Can hardly wait! Happy Valentine’s Day!

kim wrote on February 9, 2010 at 3:53 pm:

i love the art work in your cards!

my favorite story is tristan and isolde

Teresa Whittaker wrote on February 10, 2010 at 12:00 pm:

I have to give 3 love stories…
1. Isis & Osiris
2. Huble & Katie, The Way We Were
3. Noah & Allie, The Notebook. My Grandfather had Alzthiemers…

kris waldherr wrote on February 11, 2010 at 10:13 am:

All of these are such great stories. I also love the story of Isis and Osiris. For modern lovers, I must admit to a softness for Henry and Claire in The Time Traveler’s Wife — I wept like a baby at the end of that novel. And in other fiction, definitely Jane Eyre and Rochester, though he does seem quite Bryonesque now that I’m older and (hopefully) wiser.

Leah wrote on February 11, 2010 at 12:08 pm:

It is so interesting to look back on what people in the past understood about life, especially in contrast to what we know today.
I have recently been thinking of Arthur and Guinevere and how foreign they are to our current dominant ways of thinking about love and marriage.

An academic take on the humours:

Passions and Tempers: A History of the Humours
by Noga Arikha

Michelle Hamilton wrote on February 14, 2010 at 3:42 pm:

I love real life love stories. I think Abraham and Mary Lincoln were one of the most romantic couples in American history. They were intellectual equal and were completely devoted to each other. They had their differences–like all couples, but in the end they were soul mates. According to Lincoln family lore, Abraham Lincoln when he presented Mary Lincoln with a heart and diamond pendant he declared “I give you my heart.”

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Holly Tucker guest post: The Facts of Life, 17th Century Style

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