The Once and Future Sex

Going Medieval on Women's Roles in Society

By: Eleanor Janega

Narrated by: Samara Naeymi

Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

A vibrant and illuminating exploration of medieval thinking on women's beauty, sexuality, and behavior.

What makes for the ideal woman? How should she look, love, and be? In this high-spirited history, medievalist Eleanor Janega turns to the Middle Ages, the era that bridged the ancient world and modern society, to unfurl its suppositions about women and reveal what's shifted over time—and what hasn't.

Enshrined medieval thinkers, almost always male, subscribed to a blend of classical Greek and Roman philosophy and Christian theology for their concepts of the sexes. For the height of female attractiveness, they chose the mythical Helen of Troy, whose imagined pear shape, small breasts, and golden hair served as beauty's epitome. Casting Eve's shadow over medieval women, they derided them as oversexed sinners, inherently lustful, insatiable, and weak. And, unless a nun, a woman was to be the embodiment of perfect motherhood.

In The Once and Future Sex, Janega unravels the restricting expectations on medieval women and the ones on women today. She boldly questions why, if our ideas of women have changed drastically over time, we cannot reimagine them now to create a more equitable future.

©2023 Eleanor Janega (P)2023 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Fascinating and educational

This is one that I didn’t want to end. There is so much not taught to us or considered general knowledge when it comes to women of the past, especially medieval. We have more in common than we think. We also have a long way to go in respecting roles of women in the past and today.

Fantastically entertaining and enlightening

I discovered Dr. Janega through her History Hit videos and have always appreciated her ability to not just explain history but also make it relevant to the present

This book takes it to the next level. It’s full of wonderful insights and is a great read from start to finish

A complex and important history

Dr Janega always delivers written or verbal information with a style that is never dull!

Medieval views (prejudiced) of women, many from monks and priests, are very much alive today.

As a 60+ man I liked to think that the place of women in our society has improved tremendously since Medieval times. Dr Janega let’s us know that this isn’t necessarily true and how women are viewed by some have deep roots.

Great reading too!

Definitely recommended.

An absolute delight!

I yearn to push this wonderful book into the hands of every fan of history, fantasy genre fiction, and anyone the least bit interested in the presence of women in religious and daily life in Europe’s past. It could only have been better if Dr. Janega had narrated it herself, but hey, there’s always the We’re Not So Different podcast! (Also Samara Naeymi is great! I just already loved Eleanor Janega’s delivery and voice before preordering this.)

Dr. Janega hits it out of the park

I loved this book. Not only is it a fascinating look at a group of people we don't get to delve into very often. We also get an insightful critique of our own ideas about women. The narrator was excellent and her tone and hint of wry wit was perfect for the piece. I would love to see this pairing again with future projects

Fantastic

I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of this book. Not only valuable for medieval history lovers but for anyone thinking about modern women's lives. if you aren't afraid of some salty language, I recommend listening to this when the young women (and men) in your life are in earshot. There are so many good points made by pulling the absurdities of cultural constructs and shining a mirror to the injustices they create.

Insightful and informative book

Dr Eleanor Janega presents history topics in a dynamic and relatable manner. I follow all of her documentaries on History Hits. Her documentaries are like having an informative and fun chat with a friend over a pint. I hope this is the first of many books from Dr Janega.

Love Dr Janega

A superlative communicator, Dr Janega introduces us to the world of medieval women, from queens to peasants and nuns to prostitutes. I adore her and everything she does.

Highly recommend

The book is, of course, fascinating. One thing though- although the narrator did a good job, Eleanor Janega has fans that know her through History Hit and various podcasts… those fans are here to listen to Eleanor share her work. Personally, I would’ve preferred it if the audio book was read by Eleanor- her passion for the Middle Ages is palpable and her cadence is really nice. Anyway, don’t let that stop you from enjoying this fantastic book- I learned so much!

Very Informative and Insightful

I really enjoyed listening to this book. I had to listen to it in 30-45 minute chunks though…both to sit with and process the material and to manage my feelings around it. The book brings attention to social constructs that may frustrate and anger, but are worth knowing.