This post contains a little historical swearing.
Recently I listened to a podcast in which they discussed swearing in historical fiction. I very rarely swear myself, and seldom use it in my novels, not because of sensibility but rather relevance. Appropriate use of swearing is about fitting in with the society you live in, and the setting of a novel is no different.
Melissa Mohr in her book Holy Sh*t explores our uses of swear words and oaths from ancient times to today. Swear words we use today did not have the same meaning as in the past. In the Middle Ages the worst words were about what was holy, in the 16th century words we may consider obscene today were standard English, and by the 18th century they were more about bodily functions. In the past the most offensive words used God’s name: God’s blood, God’s wounds, bones, and nails. A statute of 1606 forbade the use of God’s name spoken jestingly or profanely in plays. Damn and Hell where early variations of such blasphemous oaths as were the variations, gad and gog. Holy words aside, if you really wanted to offend someone in the 16th century, you’d probably call them a whore, knave, thief, harlot, cuckold, or false. They still cared more about a reputation for bad behaviour, than an insult against their person.
Many words we consider crude or vulgar today were commonly used in medieval times as standard expressions, such as arse, fart, shit, turd, bollocks, prick, piss. More offensive in medieval times would be to say something unholy, like, ‘the devil rot thee’ or ‘a pox on you’. The f-word was a slightly rude word for sexual intercourse but was not offensive as it is today. The f-word is often used in modern historical novels being published today, used as an offensive remark, yet in early periods it would likely have had a different connotation. One novelist has admitted using the f-word for shock value appearing on nearly every page, I’ve not read it, but it just feels out of place for a medieval novel. Bernard Cornwell in his historical novels avoids the f-word and other modern anachronisms to maintain historical ‘accuracy’ and appeal to a broader audience, instead he uses terms like “bloody” and “goddamn,” which were likely more prevalent in an historical setting.
Words intended to be offensive have changed over time and will continue to do so. What people have said and did in the past some may or may not find unpleasant today. Words should always be perceived in the time they are written. However, you can’t make characters in a novel speak in the language of their own time, the intention of fiction is to create the illusion of historical authenticity without alienating the modern reader. S.J. Parris advocates avoiding overly archaic language and aiming for accessibility, while still maintaining creative freedom to breathe life into long-dead characters.