No, it's "viehische Sünde" in the pamphlet itself.
Okay, that's what I had thought (I saw several instances of that and none of "Sodomie"), but as I said, I couldn't be sure.
So! Did a little research on the Utretcht sodomy trials of 1730. They conveniently have their own Wikipedia page. In it, I find three interesting things:
1. Extensive claims that the "sodomy" persecutions were for homosexual behavior. [ETA: not sure if that means exclusively, but seems to be at least primarily.] For example,
The ruins of the Dom Church's nave had for years been a meeting place for homosexuals when in April 1730, the city authorities started an investigation at the request of the Dom's sacristan, Josua Wils.
2. A modern-day plaque in the location of the commemorating the victims. The plaque uses both the word "Sodomie" and "Homoseksualiteit":
The Dom Square was once a place where, in the ruins of the middle nave of the church, gay cruising took place. Since 1999 it has hosted a stone, the so-called Sodomonument, commemorating the deaths of the persecuted sodomites, and telling that the terminology has changed to homosexuality, and the city wants its women and men to live their lives in freedom.
3. Scans of contemporary Dutch pamphlets using the word "Sodomie": here and here.
So then I dug up some more sources. The English contemporary newspaper quotes I found all use the English word "sodomy", and at least one of them makes it pretty clear that homosexuality is what we're talking about here:
Hague, Sept. 1. Last Week a Dutch Minister at Viana, three Leagues from Utrecht, absconded by Night from that Place, being accused of Sodomy, not only by and with some of those who have been lately executed, but by others whom he has endeavoured to seduce to that unnatural Crime; and ’tis said he was so harden’d in his Iniquity, that he has attempted to prove, from Pasages of Scripture, that it was not only not a Sin, but a Practice more acceptable to the Deity, than the Love of Women! (London Journal)
Note the date. This is not just recent history but breaking news when Peter is passing through (August 6-~18)!
(Btw, no points for guessing which Biblical passage the minister relied most heavily on. :P)
Then there was this article, which refers to an 18th century Dutch dictionary:
In the Dutch Republic the word sodomy and the definitions given in early modern texts differ somewhat. Egbert Buys described in part nine of his 1777 dictionary sodomy as lechery against nature, that could be committed with persons of the same sex or with animals, and he added that it was especially in vogue in Italy [self: always Italy! :P I should add that the Florentines were notorious in the Late Middle Ages/early Renaissance and I have an entire book on the subject] "but elsewhere was punishable with fire. According to Theo van der Meer sodomy in the seventeenth century included all sexual activities that were not aimed at reproduction. He cites amongst others Joost de Damhouder, a sixteenth century jurist and legal adviser. De Damhouder described sodomy as a crime against nature, committed by a man (he uses the reflexive pronoun ‘himself’) with himself or with another human or beast. The legal definition of sodomy was, according to Van der Meer, anal contact, either active or passive, with ejaculation in the body, and again bestiality is mentioned.
So between the fact that modern and 18th century English uses "sodomy" for bestiality and same-sex relationships (in modern English, only in a historical sense, like "poltroon" :P), modern (ditto in a historical sense) and 18th century Dutch uses "Sodomie" for bestiality and same-sex relationships, and we have at least 3 modern-day Germans reporting that 18th century German used "Sodomie" for bestiality and same-sex relationships, I'm going to conclude that modern German is the odd one out and that the meaning narrowed during the 19th century.
Tangentially, even more interesting because unusual:
One of the legal definitions originates from the 1532 Constitutio Criminalis Carolina, a law introduced by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, which was still in use in the Dutch Republic in the eighteenth century. In the Carolina the word sodomy is not used, however the act is described as an act against nature, moreover it specifies the improper behaviour: when a human commits indecency with an animal, between two men or between two women. The law does not mention anal penetration, and it mentions women specifically, unlike for example De Damhouder’s definition.
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Another thread called "sodomy"
Date: 2021-03-21 04:09 pm (UTC)Okay, that's what I had thought (I saw several instances of that and none of "Sodomie"), but as I said, I couldn't be sure.
So! Did a little research on the Utretcht sodomy trials of 1730. They conveniently have their own Wikipedia page. In it, I find three interesting things:
1. Extensive claims that the "sodomy" persecutions were for homosexual behavior. [ETA: not sure if that means exclusively, but seems to be at least primarily.] For example,
The ruins of the Dom Church's nave had for years been a meeting place for homosexuals when in April 1730, the city authorities started an investigation at the request of the Dom's sacristan, Josua Wils.
2. A modern-day plaque in the location of the commemorating the victims. The plaque uses both the word "Sodomie" and "Homoseksualiteit":
The Dom Square was once a place where, in the ruins of the middle nave of the church, gay cruising took place. Since 1999 it has hosted a stone, the so-called Sodomonument, commemorating the deaths of the persecuted sodomites, and telling that the terminology has changed to homosexuality, and the city wants its women and men to live their lives in freedom.
3. Scans of contemporary Dutch pamphlets using the word "Sodomie": here and here.
So then I dug up some more sources. The English contemporary newspaper quotes I found all use the English word "sodomy", and at least one of them makes it pretty clear that homosexuality is what we're talking about here:
Hague, Sept. 1. Last Week a Dutch Minister at Viana, three Leagues from Utrecht, absconded by Night from that Place, being accused of Sodomy, not only by and with some of those who have been lately executed, but by others whom he has endeavoured to seduce to that unnatural Crime; and ’tis said he was so harden’d in his Iniquity, that he has attempted to prove, from Pasages of Scripture, that it was not only not a Sin, but a Practice more acceptable to the Deity, than the Love of Women! (London Journal)
Note the date. This is not just recent history but breaking news when Peter is passing through (August 6-~18)!
(Btw, no points for guessing which Biblical passage the minister relied most heavily on. :P)
Then there was this article, which refers to an 18th century Dutch dictionary:
In the Dutch Republic the word sodomy and the definitions given in early modern texts differ somewhat. Egbert Buys described in part nine of his 1777 dictionary sodomy as lechery against nature, that could be committed with persons of the same sex or with animals, and he added that it was especially in vogue in Italy [self: always Italy! :P I should add that the Florentines were notorious in the Late Middle Ages/early Renaissance and I have an entire book on the subject] "but elsewhere was punishable with fire. According to Theo van der Meer sodomy in the seventeenth century included all sexual activities that were not aimed at reproduction. He cites amongst others Joost de Damhouder, a sixteenth century jurist and legal adviser. De Damhouder described sodomy as a crime against nature, committed by a man (he uses the reflexive pronoun ‘himself’) with himself or with another human or beast. The legal definition of sodomy was, according to Van der Meer, anal contact, either active or passive, with ejaculation in the body, and again bestiality is mentioned.
So between the fact that modern and 18th century English uses "sodomy" for bestiality and same-sex relationships (in modern English, only in a historical sense, like "poltroon" :P), modern (ditto in a historical sense) and 18th century Dutch uses "Sodomie" for bestiality and same-sex relationships, and we have at least 3 modern-day Germans reporting that 18th century German used "Sodomie" for bestiality and same-sex relationships, I'm going to conclude that modern German is the odd one out and that the meaning narrowed during the 19th century.
Tangentially, even more interesting because unusual:
One of the legal definitions originates from the 1532 Constitutio Criminalis Carolina, a law introduced by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, which was still in use in the Dutch Republic in the eighteenth century. In the Carolina the word sodomy is not used, however the act is described as an act against nature, moreover it specifies the improper behaviour: when a human commits indecency with an animal, between two men or between two women. The law does not mention anal penetration, and it mentions women specifically, unlike for example De Damhouder’s definition.