Jillian Chantal

Those of you that know me well know I complete about 7 crossword puzzles a day and do so in pen (gasp!).  The other day as I filled in a puzzle, one of the  answers was codpiece and I said to myself,  “Self, this is a good thing to talk about on Friday Facts.”  And here we are- a Friday needing a fact.  So here ya go.

Codpieces came about so that men would have easy access to relieving themselves without removing their breeches (sounds pretty lazy to me). The name came from the old English word for scrotum or “codd” – the pieces of fabric that made up the cod piece were initially flat and laced or tied closed.

There is a story about Anne Boleyn and the Duke of Bologna wherein he appeared before her after leaving his lady love and hastily closing his cod piece- the bulge in his pants amused her and she asked him if that was his cod or  was he just glad to see her. (Of course, she said it in old English, not modern slang) . Interesting that the old saying came from  her, huh?  Another nail in her coffin (pun intended).

Henry heard her comment and thought the Duke was sporting the newest style from the European Continent and he asked his tailors to make his codpieces padded  like Bologna.  He meant the Duke but his tailors pictured sausages and thus the size of Henrys’ codpieces were quite large. 

Codpieces are used more these days in the sadist and/or leather culture.  Some ballet boys also pad their tights.  AND some, like Barishnikov, don’t- or so I’ve heard.

check out the Prince of Persia’s codpiece: