Abstract

MORAL DE CALATRAVA, Paloma. The "closed woman": female impotence in the Middle Ages and medical and legal inspection by midwives. Dynamis [online]. 2013, vol.33, n.2, pp.461-483. ISSN 2340-7948.  https://dx.doi.org/10.4321/S0211-95362013000200009.

Sexual relationships were established in the 13th century as a prerequisite for confirming or annulling a marriage. Therefore, when a woman was accused of not being physically able to satisfy her marital sexual duties, a group of women had to inspect the wife's body for signs of virginity. This paper focuses on the medical and legal role of midwives in these cases. Latin and vernacular medical texts show there were two schools of thought about who should perform surgery designed to recover her sexual lost potency: the midwife or the surgeon. The Church, however, did not always compel "closed or impotent women" to undergo this surgical intervention, presenting the separation of the couple as an alternative. It is not clear whether midwifes or simply reputable women had to examine the female body before the divorce in these cases. Mediaeval ecclesiastical decrees use terms such as matrona or woman, but the present paper demonstrates that these refer to midwives.

Keywords : Midwives; female impotence; decrees; mediaeval surgery; marriage law.

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