500 - 999 AD

Justinian - detail from a mosaic  

 

508         King Clovis I of the Franks is baptised.  He confessed to same-sex relations.

521    ​Justinian puts to death Bishop Isiah of Rhodes & Bishop Alexander of Diospolis for 

        seducing younger men.  

533​    Justinian declared all same-sex acts were to be punished by burning & castration 

        under the injunction of divine law.

c.550​   Columba curses Findchán and Áid’s “carnal love.”

         ​   Procopius claimed that the Heruli people [Danish islanders] had a system in which 

          boys had intercourse with men until they went through a manly rite of passage and 

          became men.

                A Coptic love spell was made by Apapolo to compel the love of another man Phello.  

            Phello will be restless until he finds Apapolo, and satisfies the latter’s desire. 

559​    Roman Law was tightened against same-sex sexual acts.  

c.591​    Finnian’s penitentials define punishment for certain acts.  For those who satisfy 

        themselves with their lips receive 3 years.  If it has become a habit they receive 7 

        years.  Having sex through the back is also denounced, but punishment is left up to 

        the individual priest-confessor.   

603​    Aethelbert’s law codes make no mention of punishments for same-sex unions.  

c.670​    Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury’s law codes state: “if boys fornicate between 

          themselves” they were to be beaten.  He who releases semen into the mouth were 

          to be punished with 7 years of penance.  A boy who indulges in intercourse with an 

          adult male in holy orders is to fast for 3 periods of 40 days.

693​     A regional Spanish Council declared that clerics found guilty of sodomy should be 

          deposed & exiled.

716-20​    Egbert wrote to St. Boniface with words, which could be interpreted as imbued with 

            love.

c732​  Birth of Alcuin of York.  A letter to Bishop Arno has to modern eyes extremely      

                   homoerotic content.

             Alcuin, medallion from the Bamberg Bible, 9th century; in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris.

750​    A scholar has noted that pederasty is a theme in in early Abbasid poetry appeared 

           around this period.  

781-2​    Alcuin’s homoerotic poetry can all be dated before his meeting with Charlemagne. 

c.800​    Abu Nuwas, Arab poet wrote erotic love poetry celebrating beautiful boys.  

804​    Death of Alcuin of York. 

               Kūkai [Kōbō Daishi], a Japanese Buddhist monk visits China.  Posthumous legends  

            began that he introduced male same-sex love from this visit.

812​    Bo Juyi writes ‘Night Rain’ – a poem of love for Yuan Zhen, from whom he is 

            separated by their respective careers.

Yuan Zhen

814​    Bo Juyi [Bai Juyi] sends Yuan Zhen money worth half-a-year’s salary.

816​    Death of Abu Nuwas, one of the greatest Arabic poets, breaker of taboos, including 

            sodomy in poetry.

819​    Yuan Zhen and Bo Juyi are able to reunite briefly.

821-2​    Bo Juyi and Yuan Zhen are able to meet up again.

829​     Yuan Zhen and Bo Juyi are able to meet for one last time.

Bo/Bai Juyi, depicted centuries after he died

831​    Yuan Zhen dies unexpectedly, ruining their plans to retire together. Bo Juyi 

            composes 2 formal dirges and 3 songs for the pall-bearers. 

835​    Death of Kūkai [Kōbō Daishi], a Japanese Buddhist monk.  Legends began that he 

            introduced male same-sex love from his visit to China.

837     ​Walafrid Straba becomes Abbot of Reichenau Abbey.  He wrote verses, which could 

            be termed homoerotic in content.

c.847    ​Benedict Levita forged a document calling for sodomites to be burnt.  

890     ​Notker Balbulus becomes librarian at the Abbey of St. Gall.  He is known for his 

            verses, which today would be described as having homoerotic content.

920​     Death of Salamo, cleric.  Known for writing homoerotic verse.    

Bibliography

Bray, Alan, The Friend, University of Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 2003.

Griffin, Gabriele, (ed.), Who’s Who in Lesbian & Gay Writing, Routledge: London, 2002. 

Norton, Rictor, My Dear Boy: Gay Love Letters through the Centuries, San Francisco: Leyland Publications: 1998.

Woods, Gregory, Homosexuality in Literature, London: Yale University Press, 1998.

Aldrich, Robert & Garry Wotherspoon (eds.), Who’s Who in Gay & Lesbian History: From Antiquity to World War II: London, Routledge, 2001.

Aldrich, Robert, Gay Life Stories, London: Thames & Hudson, 2023.

Rowse, A.L., Homosexuals in History, London: Wiedenfeld & Nicholson, 1977.

Spencer, Colin, Homosexuality, a History, London: Fourth Estate, 1995.