Jus primae noctis

{{sex}}
'''Jus primae noctis''' (the right of the first night) or '''droit du seigneur''' (lord's right) is the alleged right of [[Monarchy|noblemen]] to have sex with peasant women, often on their wedding nights, particularly in [[medieval]] [[Europe]]. It is often presented as something sexy and naughty, and wouldn't you rather have it off with a suave nobleman instead of a stinking peasant? In other people's hands, it becomes about [[evil]] [[politicians]] raping our women or evil [[Islam|Muslims]] doing likewise.

Unfortunately for fans of bodice-rippers, it's not true in the commonly presented form. A lot of powerful men have used their position to have [[rape|sex with not entirely willing women]]. They could [[prostitution|buy sex]], or if they preferred they could use threats directed either against a [[woman]] or her husband. But as a codified rule or law, not so much. Like cannibalism, it's something you accuse your enemy of doing. But it's worrying how commonly it's something done by fictional heroes rather than villains.

==Origin==
Despite claims that it was all made up by [[Mel Gibson]] in the movie ''Braveheart'', it's not a new idea. The first recorded mention is appropriately enough in the first ever work of literature, the ''{{wpl|Epic of Gilgamesh}}'', wherein King G reportedly had the right to have sex with every new bride on her happy day. The [[Feral child|wild man]]/[[noble savage]] Enkidu protested but had his ass kicked by our handsome rapey protagonist whereupon the two guys teamed up for the rest of the epic and Gilgamesh presumably continued with his charming variant of [[marital rape]].<ref name=snopes>[http://www.snopes.com/weddings/customs/droit.asp First Knight], [[Snopes|Snopes.com]], 27 June 2005 </ref>

{{wpl|Herodotus}} mentions it as being practiced in [[Africa]] by the Adyrmachidae, an aboriginal tribe of [[Libya]], with whom "maidens about to be married are shown to the king, who [[Virgin|deflowers]] the one who pleases him", while the neighbouring, more democratic Nasamones let all wedding guests have sex with the bride.<ref>[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=9Wp4AAAAQBAJ&lpg=PA228&ots=p5tjuELZEN&dq=Adyrmachidae%20herodotus&pg=PA228#v=onepage&q=Adyrmachidae%20herodotus&f=false Herodotus: Volume 2: Herodotus and the World], Rosaria Vignolo Munson, p 228</ref> For reference, Herodotus also reported that other inhabitants of Africa included the Gindanes, whose "women wear one leather ankle band for each lover they have had", and The Atarantes who "have no individual names", which would make large social gatherings a whole lot easier.<ref>[http://courses.wcupa.edu/jones/his311/notes/herod.htm Ancient Nile Civilization and Herodotus], James A. Jones, West Chester University Department of History, 1999</ref>

The most common version relates to the west European Middle Ages, where feudal lords as well as kings supposedly had the right. In the 16<sup>th</sup> century, {{wpl|Hector Boece}} attributed the practice to King Evenus III of [[Scotland]]: "The lord of the ground sal have the maidinhead of all virginis dwelling on the same." He said the practice continued until St Margaret (1045-1093) replaced it with a bridal tax. The main flaw in this account is that Evenus did not exist.<ref name=sd>[http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1139/did-medieval-lords-have-right-of-the-first-night-with-the-local-brides Did medieval lords have "right of the first night" with the local brides?], Cecil Adams, The Straight Dope, December 20, 1996</ref><ref>{{wpa|Legendary kings of Scotland}}</ref>

It was mentioned in the 18<sup>th</sup> century by legal historian William Blackstone and several [[French]] Republicans including the philosopher [[Voltaire]], by which time it was long past.<ref name=io9/><ref name=wp>{{wpa|Droit du seigneur}}</ref>

===In fiction===
Many people are surprised to learn that ''Braveheart'' is not a documentary about medieval Scotland recorded using 13<sup>th</sup> century cine cameras.{{nofact}} The idea of ''jus primae noctis'' features in the plot of the movie, as the evil [[English]] King Edward I "Longshanks" schemes to impregnate every Scottish woman with treacherous English sperm that will instantly repudiate [[haggis]] and plaid and genuflect southwards.<ref name=io9>[http://io9.gizmodo.com/5944619/true-or-false-noblemen-had-the-right-to-sleep-with-any-woman-on-her-wedding-night True or False: Noblemen had the right to sleep with any woman on her wedding night], Keith Veronese, IO9, 20 September 2012</ref>

It also features in other films, including ''{{wpl|The War Lord}}'' (1965), in which Charlton Heston is an 11<sup>th</sup> century nobleman who uses ''jus primae noctis'' to steal a woman he loves on her wedding day.<ref>[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=np5TA-0215sC&lpg=PA171&ots=QLULTYYscx&dq=jus%20primae%20noctis%20braveheart&pg=PA171#v=onepage&q=jus%20primae%20noctis%20braveheart&f=false Screening the Past: Film and the Representation of History], Tony Barta, Greenwood, 1998, pp. 171-2</ref> In this case, Chuck is the actual, handsome, chivalrous hero of the film. Possibly this shows an improvement in sexual mores since the 1960s, or maybe it just goes to show how much cooler Chuck is than Mel Gibson, which admittedly is a low bar.

It also crops up, more vaguely, in Mozart's ''Marriage of Figaro''.<ref>[http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/the-marriage-of-figaro-proves-we-can-love-an-opera-that-omits-the-best-bits/article28607634/ The Marriage of Figaro proves we can love an opera that omits the best bits], Toronto Globe and Mail, 2016</ref>

A variant, that every capitalist had the right to sleep with any of the women working in his factories, appears precisely with such name ("Jus Primae Noctis") in a textbook for children (read: Party's propaganda) in [[George Orwell]]'s ''[[Nineteen Eighty-Four]]''.

===In anti-Islam propaganda===
More recently the [[myth]] has been transplanted from medieval Scotland to the [[Middle East]]. Noted advocate of [[women's rights]] [[Anders Breivik]] claimed in his manifesto that it was common throughout the [[Ottoman Empire]], but only used against [[Christian]] brides. He also linked the practice to the widespread use of rape in the [[Yugoslav Wars]] of the 1990s.<ref>[https://sites.google.com/site/breivikmanifesto/2083/book-1/16 1.16 Jus Primae Noctis &mdash; Institutionalised rape of Christians under the Ottoman Empire], Breivik Manifesto</ref> Breivik drew this idea from [[Bosnia]]n Serb leader and war criminal {{wpl|Biljana Plavšić|Biljana Plavšić,}} although it reflects 19<sup>th</sup> century [[Orientalism|Orientalist]] discourse from Lord Byron, Victor Hugo, and others, many of whom were fond of reflecting at length on Arab lords having their way with nubile and defenceless young women (see e.g. most of 19<sup>th</sup> century French academic painting).<ref>[http://www.todayszaman.com/op-ed_modern-hatred-rooted-in-history-persists-in-present-discourse-by-andras-riedlmayer-irvin-cemil-schick-_251866.html Modern hatred rooted in history persists in present discourse], Andras Riedlmayer and Irvin Cemil Schick, Today's Zaman, July 27, 2011</ref>

It has also been spread in other [[far-right]], white supremacist forums.<ref>[https://www.stormfront.org/forum/t459456-16/ History of the Turks.Why they are not caucasoid.], [[Stormfront]] forum thread</ref>

==Did it exist?==
Marriage fees paid by serfs appear to have been a genuine thing (going either to their lord or the church), but the suggestion that they were a replacement for ''jus primae noctis'' is unproven.<ref name=snopes/> Some cultures may have had a more general right allowing tribal leaders to have any woman they liked.<ref name=io9/> And some cultures would have been unable to stop the king or other ruler from doing anything he fancied. Most recent references suggest in Europe in the Middle Ages it was fiction, even those sources which try their hardest to come up with similar practices.<ref name=snopes/><ref name=sd/><ref name=io9/>

===A socialist/feminist fiction===
It's possible that the idea was popularised in the late Middle Ages or early modern period by enemies of the nobility, either proto-[[socialists]] or by absolute monarchs.<ref name=snopes/> Its use by Voltaire supports this idea. Some [[feminists]] have advanced the notion that although it's not true, it accurately reflects the status of women in patriarchy and in the TV series ''Firefly''.<ref>[http://thehandmirror.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/content-warning-rape-culture.html Content Warning Rape Culture], The Hand Mirror, Blogspot, 2016</ref>

==Manosphere view==
The [[manosphere]] appears obsessed with [[cuckold]]ry, so it's natural that they too should turn to ''jus primae noctis'' as a metaphor. It crops up a lot in conjunction with [[Donald Trump]]. For a [[MGTOW]] example:
{{quotebox|It's like 'Right of Prima Noctis' of the modern age. it's rich people and the govts they control thru their money. Donald Trump has been married what, 3-4 times now, had multiple batches of children. The average guy can't even afford 1 family for himself. So it's basically cucking the little guy, taking his wife's productive capacity. Leaving him only with debts and child support payments if he dares to breed.<ref>[http://www.mgtowhq.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=12330 There's a chink in The Matrix…], MGTOW HQ, 2016</ref>}}

==External links==
* [http://www.petalk.com/humanist/jpn.html Jus Primae Noctis], Rick Rickards, Philosophical Club of Cleveland, 2002.
* [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=63k6AAAAIAAJ&lpg=PA142&ots=prk-s5E3Iy&dq=jus%20primae%20noctis%20men's%20rights&pg=PA144#v=onepage&q=jus%20primae%20noctis%20men's%20rights&f=false Kinship Organisations and Group Marriage in Australia], Northcote Whitridge Thomas, CUP Archive, 1966
* [http://thepeoplescube.com/peoples-blog/obama-to-reinstitute-jus-primae-noctis-t9174.html Obama to Reinstitute Jus Primae Noctis]

==References==
{{Reflist|2|80%}}
[[Category:European history]]
[[Category:Latin phrases]]
[[Category:Medieval history]]
[[Category:Pseudohistory]]

Categories: European history, Latin phrases, Medieval history, Pseudohistory