History is replete with legendary rulers: Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Henry VIII, and Napoleon Bonaparte. These names echo through time due to their military conquests, political intrigue, or sheer charisma. Yet, history has not been equally kind to all sovereigns. Many monarchs, despite rul

By the late 17th and 18th centuries, the meaning and acceptability of profanity began to shift. As the Enlightenment approached and public piety slowly declined, religious oaths lost some of their intensity. Swearing became more associated with rudeness than heresy. Ironically, as religious swear

Swearing was seen as particularly unfeminine. Early Modern society expected women to be modest and pious, so a woman using profanity was doubly condemned. Female characters in literature who swore were often portrayed as shrews, witches, or prostitutes. In real life, women caught swearing publicl

In Early Modern England, swearing wasn’t just rude—it was illegal. The 1606 act under James I imposed fines on those who took God’s name in vain. It stipulated that: A first offence resulted in a fine of 12 pence or time in the stocks.   A second offence