"The intensity of pleasure is largely dependent on the arrangement at mating" - wrote the author of the 1926 "Perfect Marriage". For those times, it was a breakthrough thesis. And even more groundbreaking were the practical tips that came with it ...
Theodoor Hendrik Van de Velde was one of the true pioneers of sexology for the masses. His textbook contained the first detailed guide to erotic techniques and positions in modern Europe. In 1935, the book also reached Poland. The author strongly advised against love in a missionary position (read more on this) . But what did he recommend?
"Primitive but effective excitement"
Evolution, not revolution. This slogan apparently contained Van de Velde's approach to sexual positions. He devoted a lot of attention to modifying the "normal alignment". He described each of the variants in detail, but in the absence of any graphic aids (the author showed sex only on… mathematical charts of reaching orgasm), not all of his instructions sound intuitive. He was the first to mention "upright position". Even though it does not seem like a beginner's solution at all.
In the normal position, after inserting the penis into the vagina, the woman closes and straightens her legs - so that the man's thighs embrace the woman's thighs. There are great benefits for the man:intensification of the stimulation acting on the penis (in a primitive but effective way) and the certainty that the penis will not slip out of the vagina.
Cover illustration of the "Bocian" magazine. 1926.
The author recommended this variant especially "in cases where the penis is not too small, but the erection is insufficient - either constantly or accidentally". He said that he took his "upright position" "from the love practices of the Middle East." The second variety on his list is "folded position" - allegedly very far eastern ("[liked] in the case of the Chinese, for example, as can be seen from the drawings in their" lovers' manuals "). He described them as follows:
The maximum execution here is that the woman, lying on her back, throws her legs over the man's shoulders, with her legs bent at the hip joints. In this way, the man, lying on top of the woman, places her in two during the immissio penis.
For Van de Velde, it was a good option, especially for mature women who had had a number of births behind them. Such "with a flabby and wide vagina". However, he preferred a more convenient solution. He referred to them as "the usual gynecological position". While all his sexual terminology is a bit of a mouse today, this one term sounds outright bizarre. Rather, no writer of a 21st century sex manual would follow it.
The gynecological position is a dorsal position, with the legs bent as far as possible, apart as far as is comfortable, while at the same time the legs are bent at the knee joints. How much this position allows for the area around the vulva and perineum is demonstrated by its wide application in surgical gynecology.
Cover illustration of the "Bocian" magazine. 1925.
"A gentle spasm of pleasure." Side sex
Most of his attention is the author of A Perfect Marriage he devoted to such positions. With a good medical rationale. About the side technique, with the man in the back, he wrote:"Coitus in this position may indeed be the most sparing form of co-operation for both the wife and the husband, because this arrangement is the most comfortable for each of the spouses, and the least effort".
The only problem was that the position gave the partner little pleasure:“The strongest friction and irritation of the sexual parts of a woman is directed at the genital area (…) where it is least effective. Because clitoris there is no contact with the penis, the amount of excitement that a woman experiences in this type of mating is negligible ”. Van de Velde was of the opinion that trouble was also a blessing. He pointed out that this was a good position in the event of a woman's weakness or illness. When a man needs sex badly, and she should not strain herself. "The mild spasm of pleasure arising in these conditions is, however, as a reflex, sufficient and gives a satisfying relaxation" - he assured.
Orgasms in the sideways position from behind were supposed to be experienced by "easily excitable" women. Mistresses "not very excitable" should not experiment with this arrangement at all. Van de Velde guaranteed that it would have "almost no significance" to them. There was still a third group, the most problematic:women of medium excitability. The Dutchman recommended a practice for them, which in the 1920s still shocked even specialists. They slowly came to terms with "teasing techniques" as part of foreplay. However, Van de Velde advised husbands to reach the clitoris with their fingers also during proper intercourse.
Specifically with the finger of the right hand, because as the author explained:"Left [sideways positioning] is more often used because a man tries to have his right hand free to be able to attract and caress a woman."
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"Maybe they'll tell me this is abnormal ..."
A few years later, Paweł Klinger, a sexologist from Łódź, formulated similar guidelines. He emphasized that " clitoris one should not only irritate ante coitum , but also during coit ". Although he had anticipated voices of opposition, he was sure that he was right. “Maybe they will tell me that this is abnormal, but please don't forget the difference in this case if the husband does it with passion and during the intercourse, or the woman herself in the cold, it's over. The difference in a woman's psyche is huge and obvious ”- he assured himself.
In the light of a perfect marriage the lateral position had the added advantage of working well during pregnancy. This aspect was also highlighted by the French author of the handbook Marital Love in the Light of Science from 1931. "The man, to complete the act, is placed on the side or back of the woman, carefully avoiding pressure on her stomach and arousing her with sudden movements," he recommended.
"Soapy virtue." Cover illustration of the "Bocian" magazine. 1925.
For many readers, this instruction was no less controversial than the suggestion of clitoral irritation during sex. After all, other specialists were telling them to their heads that any sexual activity during pregnancy was deadly and simply pointless. August Czarnowski warned in 1914:
Due to the presence of the fetus in the uterus, the sexual juices (...) are locked, obstructing the desired outflow during mating. Consequently, despite the greatest efforts on the part of the husband to bring the common bliss to its peak, the woman for her part does not experience it and remains dissatisfied!
In the case of repeated attempts, a woman must become frustrated and eventually develop into a serious medical condition.
"Misunderstanding". Cover illustration of the "Bocian" magazine. 1924.
The future mother "gradually loses her health, humor and all advantages and proper authorities, in short - she changes beyond recognition, as if behind some mysterious curse!" Only strict abstinence until the baby is born can prevent her from falling. And if you believe Jean Fauconney - much longer.
Author of Marital love in the light of science he wrote:“Sexual pleasures are [even] more harmful during breastfeeding than during pregnancy. It is quite common for a child to vomit mother's milk after more lascivious sexual intercourse or suffer from temporary but violent diarrhea ”. Modern science of the relationship between sperm in the vagina and the poison in milk has of course not confirmed.
The rear side position was approved by specialists. The same cannot be said for its reverse - that is, the position where the partners face each other.
Van de Velde did not pay much attention to this technique. He admitted that he avoids crushing a woman by a too heavy partner. At the same time, however, there was the problem of "pressure on the lower leg", and the man had limited freedom of movement. Even so, the item was probably very popular in the early 1900s.
Polish author Aleksander Parczewski mentioned that, according to many people, the lateral anterior position was a contraceptive. In 1935, he wrote:“Coating on the side consists in putting the man on the right side and the woman on the left side. As a result of lying on its side, the male member does not reach the cervix and the vaginal walls press against each other ”. In fact, such security was of zero value. And even the charlatan that Parczewski was, without a doubt, admitted it.
Sources:
The article was based on the literature and materials collected by the author during the work on the book The age of hypocrisy. Sex and erotica in pre-war Poland . This book was published as the first book under the brand of "Curiosities of history". Buy with a discount on empik.com.