A case study of the folklore of sexuality, this text examines the myth of the "droit de cuissage" and how for seven hundred years each era used the mythical custom to its own ends in an insight into popular misconceptions of the Middle Ages. Studies

From the late Middle Ages to THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO to Mel Gibson's BRAVEHEART, the ultimate symbol of feudal barbarism has been the right of a feudal lord to sleep with the bride of a vassal on her wedding night. But here, in a fascinating case study of the folklore of sexuality, Alain Boureau elegantly demonstrates such tradition is a myth.