The History of Erotica Through Centuries

The History of Erotica: You may have heard of it through 50 Shades of Grey, but Erotica is an ancient art.

From the sumerian all the way to the modern times, we have always used steamy literature to express ourselves.

An insight into the history of erotica

Bridegroom, let me caress you,
My precious caress is more savoury than honey,
In the bedchamber, honey-filled,
Let me enjoy your goodly beauty,
Lion, let me caress you,
My precious caress is more savoury than honey.

These words are a part of the world’s oldest known piece of erotica
– also named the oldest love poem known to humanity.

Written by a lyrical female to her groom, the Sumerian King Shi-Sin, the poem was written around 2.000 years before Christ and named “Istanbul #2461”.

But honestly, eroticism has been present in our minds way before that.

The history of erotica goes way back.

Rock paintings as old as 28.000 years depict explicit sex scenes.

Ever since humans found a way to express themselves, we have been giving life to the dirtiest creations of our imagination.

Erotica — a word derived directly from Eros — means stories about all things love.

But not just any love — erotic love. The most carnal and passionate of them all.

EROTICA IS ART

When did we separate art and erotica?

It’s been around for so long, and some of the most resonating books in humankind history are erotica.

One good example is 1001 Arabian Nights, a book which brings a series of stories that are fixed in our collective imagination — such as Aladdin and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.

However, the book is also known for its racy tales and erotic poems.

From the 19th century onwards, however, the production and distribution of risqué stories has exploded.

And with the advent of photography, visual erotic content was more available than ever, changing the course of the history of erotica forever.

Nowadays, with the great amount of visual porn everywhere, the options are virtually infinite. And yet, we seemed to have labeled erotica as a shameful, cringe worthy secret thing.

We seemed to have forgotten erotica & art are the same thing, and a driving force propelling culture through centuries.

BERLINABLE comes to challenge the idea that literature and erotica are different things.

Our mission is putting erotica on the top shelf. And to make sure no one forgets we should never be afraid of our desires and fantasies.

More than a part of us, they are pieces of art.

Ready to indulge in some spicy erotic literature?
Get lost in the hundreds of stories of our authors -
they are just one click away…

Originally published on BERLINABLE