During the Middle Ages the feudal lords were, together with the members of the clergy, who formed the ruling class. The lord owned land and vassals lived and worked on it. The vassal had to swear obedience to the lord through a symbolic ceremony, the oath of vassalage.
Among the privileges that the nobles had, there is one that draws special attention, the right to pernada, which in Latin is known as "ius primae noctis". With the legal recognition of this privilege, a feudal lord could spend the first wedding night with the wife of one of his vassals. In this way, the woman's virginity was offered as a gift.
A supposed privilege on which historians cannot agree
There are all kinds of myths and beliefs about the Middle Ages, many of them being simple historical falsehoods. With regard to the right of pernada, there is no single version.
Some historians maintain that the ius primae noctis is integrated into the framework of the existing legal relationships between the lord and his vassals. This custom is not reflected in the legal texts of the Middle Ages, as it was a tradition based on custom.
Other historians claim that the pernada right never existed and that it is actually one of the legends or myths of the Middle Ages. In this sense, there are historical records (for example, the codes of Alfonso X in Spain) in which it was expressly forbidden that the lord could impose his will on the wife of one of his vassals.
Although the right to pernada is debatable from the point of view of historical documentation, there is evidence that reveals the sexual servitude of women for the benefit of feudal lords (in daily life in European feudal territories, husbands tried to to please the lords and for this they gave in to their wives and looked the other way).
On the Latin American haciendas
In some Latin American countries the owners of the old haciendas exercised a kind of personal dictatorship over the workers. In that social context, it was quite common for the landowner to have intimate relationships with the women who lived within his domain.
It was not about the right of pernada in a strict sense, but in practice it was a form of sexual abuse.
The sexual domination of women
The sexual exploitation of women presents different versions throughout history. The ancient Arab harems, the odalisques of the Ottoman Empire or the geishas of Japan are some examples in which women are subjected to sex.
At present, there is no right to pernada in a legal sense, but different forms of sexual slavery continue to be maintained.
Fotolia photos: Erica Guilane-Nachez
