‘The Flower of Virginity’: Hymenal Bleeding and Becoming a Woman

Abstract

After examining accounts of menarche and the ways in which menstruation more generally was written about in early modern England, I will move on to examine representations of hymenal bleeding. This chapter will examine the link that was perceived to exist between the blood that was sometimes lost upon first intercourse and menstrual blood. In order to do this, it will outline early modern assumptions about the physiology of the venous system of the womb and vagina, from where this blood was thought to emanate. Hymenal bleeding is, arguably, an even more personal, intimate event than menstruation, and this has meant that there are no surviving accounts of women’s personal experiences to review. It is nevertheless revelatory to analyse and contrast the presentation of defloration and vaginal bleeding from medical works with each other and also with literary works by men and women.