From luring in unicorns to protecting the Roman Empire, myths have surrounded virginity for centuries. But is virginity itself a myth?

In this episode from the archive, Kate speaks to Anke Bernau about where the so-called cherry comes from, what it stands for and why it has been important throughout history.

*WARNING there are mentions of sexual assault in this episode*

Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Peter Dennis.

Please vote for us for Listeners' Choice at the British Podcast Awards! Follow this link - https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting - and don’t forget to confirm the email. Thank you!

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  

You can take part in our listener survey here.

All music from Epidemic Sounds.

Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society. A podcast by History Hit.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.