Droit du seigneur

Droit du Seigneur ('Lord's Right'), also known as ius primae noctis ('right of the first night'), was a supposed legal right in medieval Europe, allowing feudal lords to have sexual relations with subordinate women, in particular, on the wedding nights of the women.

Most historians have concluded that the idea is a myth and that all references to it are from later periods. Over the centuries, it became commonly portrayed in European literature as a practice that had occurred in earlier times or other places. In practice, it may have been the feudal lords using their power and influence over serfs to sexually exploit the women free of consequences instead of a legitimate legal right.

More information is available at [ Wikipedia:Droit_du_seigneur ]

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