In contemporary history, same-sex marriage began gaining legal recognition in the 21st century, but the origins of gay unions trace back much further. So, when did the first recorded same-sex marriage actually occur?
The first homosexual marriage was officiated in 1061. The couple’s names were Pedro Díaz and Muño Vandilaz and they shared a house next to the church of Santa María de Ordes, in the Ourense municipality of Rairiz de Veiga, in today’s Spain. On April 16, 1061 (more than 960 years ago) and with the consent of the parish priest, they celebrated the first homosexual marriage in Galicia and the first recorded in Europe.
The historical document recording this event was found in the archives of the Celanova Monastery, which is now kept in the Historical Archive of Madrid.
“Before the 11th century, homosexual prejudice did not have the notoriety or strength it has today,” explains Carlos Callón, who included this and other striking information in his essay Amigos e sodomitas: A configuração da homosexualidade na Idade Media (Friends and Sodomites: The Configuration of Homosexuality in the Middle Ages).
The Sin Christ Never Spoke About
“It’s fascinating to see how the Church did not initially penalize homosexuality. It was considered a minor sin, below adultery,” says Callón, a philologist and teacher, who also serves as the president and spokesperson for the Mesa pola Normalización Lingüística (Committee for Linguistic Normalization). Surprised by his findings, he notes that Christ never spoke about homosexuality “and he did talk a lot about sins!” he adds, laughing. The situation changed in the 11th century with the establishment of absolute monarchies, when the Church began to lead the charge in discrimination based on sexual orientation.
“Sodomy became a public sin, especially useful for consolidating power by considering it the most offensive in the eyes of God,” he asserts. Thus, Callón conceives the award-winning book as a work of research and dissemination “but also of resistance, bringing to light something that had been hidden.” Both aspects are combined in an analysis, with each chapter focusing on well-known documents—and others not so well-known, such as the first same-sex union in the country—that have never been examined from this perspective.
“When we think of homosexuality in the Middle Ages, we imagine a man tied up with firewood underneath him, about to be set on fire,” he says, quickly dispelling such an image. His investigations led him to discover, for example, that in the Crónica Troiana (Trojan Chronicle) “intense friendships between men” are depicted, with men accustomed to sleeping together or kissing in public without facing any repulsion or criticism. In contrast, “in the 21st century,” Callón and his partner found themselves having to file a lawsuit—which resulted in compensation—against a police officer for a homophobic attack on a street in Santiago de Compostela.
Back in the Middle Ages, these open relationships, established, of course, within the framework of a misogynistic society, were reflected in literature and painting. As Callón recalls as an anecdote, “the three Wise Men slept together.” Over time, a practice “that was not penalized during the first thousand years of Christianity” eventually became a reason for discrimination and even dismissal from a job.
The above is the translation of the interview Callón gave to the news site Galiciaé and can be found archived here.
What struck me as surprising was that last paragraph with the Three Wise Men sleeping together. After looking into it, I found that there are indeed medieval depictions where they are shown sharing the same bed. If I didn’t know any better about the characteristic medieval drawing perspective, they definitely look like they are having fun one on top of the other.
