Historical Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 39

[cahn]

Last post, along with the usual 18th-century suspects, included the Ottonians; changing ideas of conception and women's sexual pleasure; Isabella of Parma (the one who fell in love, and vice versa, with her husband's sister); Henry IV and Bertha (and Henry's second wife divorcing him for "unspeakable sexual acts"). (Okay, Isabella of Parma was 18th century.)

Comments

Living in the ages before birth control...

[selenak]

To be fair, even in high medieval times, a high ranking noblewoman like Agnes would not have been expected to do the raising on her lonesome, but would have had lots of servants and tutors available. Still, that didn't spare her all the pregnancies and births!

(And that's why in my earliest Frederician story I had MT react to that "you never faced death on the battlefield" remark with basically "oh yeah? Try being pregnant and giving birth just once!")

Re: Living in the ages before birth control...

[cahn]

Yeah, Fritz! And without epidurals and a much higher chance of death!