Sexual insignia

Vulva and phallus on a ladder, possibly a reference to adultery (Yper Museum, SM 002958)

Sexual insignia are a special category. They were particularly popular in the 14th century. Depictions of couples making love, men exposing their genitals, running phalluses and flying vulvas. Some insignia also make subtle references to sexual intercourse. “Skewering” is a euphemism for lovemaking, wings can refer to “fucking” and “counting steps” is a veiled term for adultery.


It is these insignia that give us a different picture of the Middle Ages. Their meaning is anyone's guess. Apart from the sexual insignia themselves, there are no other sources about the pins. There are no written references and they cannot be found anywhere in images from the period. So we have to make do with hypotheses and possible explanations.

Man exposing genitals (Yper Museum, SM 002953)

fertility

Various insignia refer to sowing, harvesting and agriculture. This often also refers to human fertility and reproduction. For example, there are several insignia depicting a woman digging a phallus out of the ground with a spade. A clear reference to the harvest. Were these insignia perhaps worn as a means of boosting one's own fertility?

A woman digs up a phallus (Yper Museum, SM 005841)
Man exposing genitals (Yper Museum, SM 002951)

Amulet

In ancient times, sexual representations were known to ward off evil. Plutarch writes that everything that is indecent and obscene distracts evil. According to him, genitals arouse disgust but at the same time tickle the funny bone. Whether the sexual insignia from the 14th century had the same function is not entirely certain. Perhaps they were simply humorous, provocative representations that were popular with young people?

Link with folk tales

As with other insignia, sexual insignia sometimes have a link with literature. The 13th-century French and German folk tales are intriguing. In some of them, genitals appear as independent characters. This is reminiscent of sexual insignia in which phalluses and vulvas with legs and wings move independently.

An example of such a story is the nuns' tournament. Here, after an argument, a knight bids farewell to his genitals: they each go their separate ways. The phallus ends up in a convent, where the sisters argue about the find. To keep the peace, the mother superior organises a tournament. The winner is allowed to take the prize to her room. But when the tournament ends, the phallus has disappeared without a trace. This is where the story ends; we do not know how it ends.

Vulva and phallus with legs (Yper Museum, SM 005018)

More naughty badges below

Couple making love Description This badge can almost be read like a comic strip. On the left, you see a young woman and an elderly gentleman. On the right, you see the same couple making love. The man is lying underneath, the submissive position in that period. The scene is a warning to couples with a large age difference. (SM 002950) Period: 1325-1374 Technique/material: cast tin-lead alloy
Man displaying his genitals Description A man displays astonishing flexibility. His genitals are clearly visible in the centre. (SM 002951) Period: 1325-1374 Technique/material: cast tin-lead alloy
Man displaying his genitals Description A clothed man raises his legs in the air. He displays his phallus with his hands. (SM 002952) Period: 1325-1374 Technique/material: cast tin-lead alloy
Man displays his genitals Description Two men are sitting under a tree. The man on the right displays his enlarged genitals. The man on the left is half naked. (SM 002953) Period: 1325-1374 Technique/material: cast tin-lead alloy
An unopened phallus Description A woman with a spade in her hand caresses a phallus in the ground. (SM 002954) Period: 1300-1349 Technique/material: cast tin-lead alloy
Two figures with a spade and phallus Description Two women are standing in a field. One is caressing a phallus that is still buried in the ground, the other is holding a spade. At the top is the text ‘vedel apri’. (SM 005022) Period: 1275-1300 Technique/material: cast tin-lead alloy
An unopened phallus Description A woman with a spade in her hand caresses a phallus in the ground. (SM 005841) Period: 1300-1349 Technique/material: cast tin-lead alloy
Phallic animal Description A man (his head is missing) sits on a crowned phallic animal and plays a stringed instrument. The glans rests on a jug. Playing the fiddle (‘vedelen’) is a metaphor for sex. (SM 002956) Period: 1325-1374 Technique/material: cast tin-lead alloy
Phallus animal and vulva Description On the left, a phallus on two legs; on the right, a vulva on two legs with a hat and staff in the middle. (SM 002957) Period: 1325-1374 Technique/material: cast tin-lead alloy
Vulva and phallus on ladder Description A phallus and a vulva are standing on a ladder. The phallus is at the top, confirming the established order: the man is above the woman. Or is it a reference to the expression ‘een trapken onttellen’ (to count steps), which refers to adultery (SM 002958)? Period: 1325-1374 Technique/material: cast tin-lead alloy
Phallic animal Description A phallus with legs and a tail. The top part of the figure is missing. (SM 002961) Period: 1200-1500 Technique/material: cast tin-lead alloy
Vulva and phallus on a spit Description A phallus on a spit. Beneath it, you can see a vulva as a drip tray. “Skewering” is a metaphor for sexual intercourse. (SM 002960) Period: 1200-1500 Technique/material: cast tin-lead alloy
Phallic animal Description A phallic animal with legs and wings. The wings may be a reference to birds or “fucking”. (SM 002962) Period: 1200-1500 Technique/material: cast tin-lead alloy
Man exposing his genitals Description A man wearing a hat carries a broken basket. She has a bare bottom and enlarged genitals. (SM 002963) Period: 1325-1375 Technique/material: cast tin-lead alloy
Phallic animal Description A crowned phallic animal with wings and a bell. (SM 002964) Period: 1200-1500 Technique/material: cast tin-lead alloy
Phallic animal and vulva Description A phallic animal with a bell around its neck and a vulva with legs. The letters “RINGELIN” are inscribed at the bottom. (SM 0050818) Period: 1330-1349 Technique/material: cast tin-lead alloy
Phallus Description A phallus with scrotum. A parody of the French fleur-de-lis. (SM 005019) Period: before August 1383 Technique/material: cast tin-lead alloy
Vulva Description A crowned vulva with wings. (SM 005021) Period: before August 1383 Technique/material: cast tin-lead alloy
Couple making love Description Copulating couple, not completely preserved. The mourning woman is sitting on the man's lap. This insignia is finished on both sides and is hollow inside. The man's lower body, which is missing, was probably attached with a hinge so that it could move. (SM 005843) Period: before August 1383 Technique/material: cast tin-lead alloy