File:16thc-German-woodcut-Chastity-belt.jpg

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  • English: A 16th-century German satirical colored woodcut whose general theme is the uselessness of chastity belts in ensuring the faithfulness of beautiful young wives married to old ugly husbands. The young wife is dipping into the bag of money which her old husband is offering to give her (to encourage her to remain placidly in the chastity belt he has locked on her), but she intends to use it to buy her freedom to enjoy her young handsome lover (who is bringing her a key).
For another closely-related 16th-century woodcut (with different artwork, a better view of the lock, and the poem spelled according to a different German dialect, but basically the same idea), see Image:Alfons_luder_kunde.gif .

Here's an approximate rendering of the text in the image (based on a transcript of the text in the Image:Alfons_luder_kunde.gif version of the woodcut which is provided in Eric John Dingwall's 1931 book The Girdle of Chastity), arranged to bring out the poetic form:

der alt man
gelt und gütz gnung wil ich dir geben
wiltü nach meinem wilen leben.
greift mit er hand In mein taschen
das schloss wil Ich dir erlasen.
DES IUNG WEIB
Eß hilft kain schlos vir frauwen list.
kain trew mag sein da lieb nit ist.
darumb Ein schlüsel der mir gfelt.
den wil ich kauffen umb dein gelt.
DER IUNG GSEL
Ich drag Ein schlüßel zu solchen schlosen.
wie wol Eß manchen hat verdrosen.
der hat der narrn kappen vüll.
der Rechte lieb ERkauffenn wül.

Here's an attempted rendering of this text into modern German:

Der alte Mann
Geld und Güter genug will ich dir geben
willst du nach meinem Willen leben.
Greif mit der Hand in meine Tasche,
das Schloss will ich dir erlassen.
Das junge Weib
Es hilft kein Schloss vor der Frauen List
keine Treue kann sein wo Liebe nicht ist.
Darum einen Schlüssel, der mir gefällt,
den will ich kaufen um[=für] dein Geld.
Der junge Geselle
Ich trage einen Schlüssel zu solchen Schlössern.
obwohl es manchen verdrossen hat.
Der hat der Narrenkappe viel,
der rechte Liebe erkaufen will.

Dingwall translates what "DES IUNG WEIB" (the young wife) says as: "No lock is of avail against the cunning of women; there can be no fidelity where love is not present: for that reason will I buy with your money the key I lack".

This woodcut has been attributed to Peter Flötner and Hans Baldung, but Dingwall prefers to attribute it to H. Vogtherr (however, it is not entirely clear to me whether Dingwall is referring to this version, or to the alternative version Image:Alfons luder kunde.gif ).

For a completely different Renaissance chastity-belt caricature (though expressing the same basic sentiments), see File:Chastity belt satire.jpg.

Note that historically the use of chastity belts was a Renaissance phenomenon, not actually medieval ...

  • Français : Ceinture de chasteté: Caricature allemande de la Renaissance avec un mari vieilli riche, une jeune épouse ceinturée rétive, et un bel amant.
Date 16th century
date QS:P571,+1550-00-00T00:00:00Z/7
Source/Photographer The illustration (without text) has been published in Unmentionables: A Brief History of Underwear by Elaine Benson and John Esten ISBN 0-684-82266-0 1996 etc.
Other versions
alternate version

Licensing

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This is a faithful photographic reproduction of a two-dimensional, public domain work of art. The work of art itself is in the public domain for the following reason:
Public domain

This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer.

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1929.

This file has been identified as being free of known restrictions under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights.
The official position taken by the Wikimedia Foundation is that "faithful reproductions of two-dimensional public domain works of art are public domain".
This photographic reproduction is therefore also considered to be in the public domain in the United States. In other jurisdictions, re-use of this content may be restricted; see Reuse of PD-Art photographs for details.

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current19:08, 28 April 2006Thumbnail for version as of 19:08, 28 April 2006756 × 979 (382 KB)AnonMoos (talk | contribs)A 16th-century German satirical colored woodcut whose general theme is the uselesness of chastity belts in ensuring the faithfulness of beautiful young wives married to old ugly husbands. The young wife is dipping into the bag of money which her old husb

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