Previously we introduced the concept of sexual taxonomy, today we’ll continue with three more positions as shown above; woman supine or, on her back, woman prone, or face down, and woman superior, her on top.

Throughout early written human sexual history the male superior, woman supine, i.e. missionary position, was synonymous with sexual intercourse.  However…   

            “In one fabliau (short, usually ribald and humorous, tales by medieval French poets), when a man spies on his wife as she commits adultery, he sees her rear end while the priest is on top of her, suggesting that the male superior position did not have to mean that the woman remained supine.” From SEXUALITY IN MEDIEVAL EUROPE.

Another medieval reference to the male superior position is in the Hebrew story of Lilith (Lĭl'ĭth).  According to the anonymous, The Alphabet of Ben-Sira, written sometime between the 8th and 11th centuries, Lilith was Adam’s first wife in the Garden of Eden.  Lilith refused to submit to Adam sexually in the male superior position.  "She said, 'I will not lie below,' and he said, 'I will not lie beneath you…For you are fit only to be in the bottom position, while I am to be the superior one.'".  Lilith promptly left the Garden, mated with several demons, and created a line of countless demonic offspring, succubi (sŭk'yə-bī').  God then gave Adam the submissive Eve, whose own male children would be tormented by Lilith’s succubi.  According to legend succubi would descend upon men while they slept and have coitus with them, thereby causing erotic dreams and nocturnal emissions (wet dreams).

Sweet dreams.

Live Long and Prosper,
-DMG

Please check out the Dud's Erotica web site at: http://dudserotica.com/

"Lilith." Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 2008. Answers.com 05 Jan. 2009. http://www.answers.com/topic/lilith

Karras, Ruth Mazo.  (2005) Sexuality In Medieval Europe.  Doing unto others.  Routledge, New York and London.

Here is The Alphabet of Ben Sira, but it is in German, so if you’re really interested, brush up on your Deutsche.