The chastity belt is a subject steeped in myth and misconception, often portrayed as a medieval device used to enforce female virtue through physical restraint. The image of a woman locked in an iron-clad device, her chastity safeguarded from infidelity, has become a symbol of male-dominated control and the obsession with sexual purity. Yet the real history behind the chastity belt is far more nuanced, with much of the popular narrative emerging later, particularly during the Victorian era when society became heavily preoccupied with regulating sexuality. The Victorian era not only reignited myths surrounding chastity belts but also contributed other bizarre devices such as hysteria machines, reflecting a widespread cultural […]
