Episode 163 - Chastity Belts: Separating Fact From Fiction

Episode 163 - Chastity Belts: Separating Fact From Fiction

From History Uncovered by All That's Interesting

May 13, 2026 · 29 min · Episode 163

About this episode

This episode explores the myth of chastity belts and separates historical fact from fiction.

For centuries, the story has endured: medieval knights departing for war, locking their wives into iron chastity belts and riding off with the only key. It’s one of history’s most lurid and enduring legends — and almost certainly fiction. The familiar image of the chastity belt was largely manufactured centuries later through satire, hoaxes, dubious museum artifacts, and Victorian anxieties about sex and morality. But the real story is no less unsettling, involving anti-masturbation devices, fears of female sexuality, and a myth so compelling it embedded itself permanently in popular culture. In this episode, we separate historical fact from one of history’s most persistent sexual myths. https://allthatsinteresting.com/chastity-belt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: All That's Interesting

Topics covered

  • chastity belts
  • medieval history
  • sexual myths
  • female sexuality
  • cultural legends

Keywords

  • chastity belts
  • medieval knights
  • sexuality
  • myth
  • history
  • anti-masturbation devices
  • Victorian anxieties

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Episode 163 - Chastity Belts: Separating Fact From Fiction

Places: medieval

More episodes of History Uncovered

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the History Uncovered podcast page.