Ever wondered where your beloved sex toys started out? Where did vibrators come from? Who created the first ever dildo? Well, we’re here to tell you that the sexy play things you use today are very different from how they started out.
When was the first vibrator invented?
Curious to know where your vibrating pal started out its journey? Let us run through the creation of one of the most loved and iconic sex toys of all time.
Female hysteria, created by men in the 1800s, was thought to be a symptom of a ‘wandering womb’ which caused madness in women. Now we know that this diagnosis is quite clearly wrong, and these women were probably suffering from untreated mental health issues or general societal frustrations, but stick with us here. We have probably all heard the story about doctors using orgasms to cure hysteria, and these were originally performed the old-fashioned way. That was until a personal massager made its way onto the market. Dr Granville, born in 1833, was the first to patent the electric vibrator… but for male use only. What a killjoy.
Granville envisioned his vibrating tool as a nerve stimulating massager for male bodily aches and pains. Doctors however, had other ideas. As their fingers and wrists literally couldn’t keep up with demand from their female patients, they began using Granville’s vibrator to get the women to orgasm. Granville did not condone his creation being used in this way… but we’re pretty sure a lot of women would have been extremely happy about this vibrating bad boy.
During the 60s and 70s, sex positivity grew and with it the creation of more vibrators - this time labelled as sex toys. The progression of female pleasure has come a long way since Granville’s male massager.
When was the first dildo made?
By now, you’re probably pretty used to the glossy, silicone goodness of your beautiful modern dildo, but we’d be lying if we said they started out that way. The oldest dildo discovered so far is thought to be around 28,000 years old, and oh, did we mention that it’s made of stone? Found in the German mountain range of Swabian Jura, this rock hard dildo seems to be the first of its kind. Not sure we’d trade our beautiful silicone dildos for one made of stone, but whatever gets your rock off.
We know that stone dildos were in use, so it’s likely that other materials were used to create dildos in years gone by. People probably also used household objects, or anything they could get their hands on to use as a makeshift dildo. Buying a dildo used to be very taboo, and it could be socially inappropriate - especially for couples. Now we can order one discreetly at the click of a button and are free to explore our likes and dislikes in the privacy of our own homes.
The first butt plug
Sex toys have had a bit of a rocky past in the western world and have only recently become less of a taboo. However, we can’t say the same for Asia. China in particular boasts of a sexy past with adult toys, sexual fluidity and orgies, something that many liberal countries struggle with today. It’s safe to say that they were definitely having some fun in ancient China.
How exactly do we know about their kinky past? Well, after excavating various 2,000 year old tombs, a few interesting items were uncovered. Including a bronze dildo and a couple of jade butt plugs. Now, the research is unsure whether these items were used for religious or ritualistic purposes in death, or for sexual acts. Or maybe both. One thing is for sure - they were definitely getting their fill. There is also documentation surrounding the Han Dynasty’s attitude towards sex, which mentions emperors having same-sex partners, multiple different partners and their general openness to sex around that time. So, it’s not unlikely that they would have used sex toys.
The next appearance of one of our favourite sex toys, was in the 19th century. ‘Doctor Young’s Ideal Rectal Dilator’ was the 1800s equivalent to the modern day butt plug. Now, this piece of kit was designed to be inserted into the anus to cure… well anything really. We’re not sure how they came to decide that entering this device into your rectum would treat headaches, insomnia, and anorexia among other things - but they got one thing right, it probably would have helped treat irritability - if you know what we mean. These didn’t just come in one size either, oh no, you could level up your rectal dilator if you wanted to. This most definitely influenced the toys we see on the market today.
The creation of many sex toys seems to have been… accidental, and that is definietly the case with both the vibrator and Dr Young’s dilator. Both, coincidentally, being born in the 1800s - we’re not sure exactly what was going on around that time but we are HERE for it. All we know is that butt plugs have become a popular addition to the sex toy universe, so say thank you to the unaware doctors.
Sex dolls
As it turns out, we’ve been getting it on with inanimate objects for hundreds of years. The sex doll craze first began in the 15th century with a bunch of sexually deprived sailors. These guys created dolls made out of cloth to *cough cough* accompany them on their long journeys. Given the sexy French name of ‘dame de voyage’, we’re pretty sure this is as sexy as these DIY sex dolls got, but they got the job done.
Strangely, the next appearance of inflatable sex dolls, as we know them today, was during the second world war. Hitler actually manufactured a load of Aryan sex dolls to send out to soldiers, and yes, you read that correctly. As STDs were a major health issue during the war, to minimise soldiers frequenting prostitutes, sex dolls were created as the next best option. Although this seemed like a great way to relieve sexual urges and prevent illness, the soldiers were not too happy and the plan never went ahead. Maybe mixing war and sex dolls gave off the wrong impression. Plus, not everyone wanted to carry around a sex doll on the battlefield - which is understandable.
Despite their colourful past, the sex dolls of the 21st century look and feel more life like than ever - definitely better than one made out of cloth.
The history of Ben Wa Balls
Ben Wa Balls have been around for a long, long time, originating from around 500A.D to be specific. Now, these tiny balls began their journey in Japan, as a tool to enhance male pleasure. Are we seeing a theme here?! Despite their original sexist intentions, these balls were also found by women to be extremely pleasurable. Who knew that a few small balls floating freely inside your vagina could cause such tantalising sensations?
In the modern day it was soon realised that Ben Wa Balls had actual health benefits for women too. Enter, Dr Kegel. Most vagina owners have probably heard of Kegel exercises, you know the ones that strengthen your pelvic floor? Yeah, well this is what Dr Kegel envisioned, and it became a non-invasive way to help tighten pelvic and vaginal muscles. This then developed into utilising Kegel balls or more commonly known, Ben Wa Balls, whilst doing Kegel exercises to help keep these muscles in tip top shape. Penis owners can also benefit from Kegel exercises.
So, fancy giving Ben Wa Balls a go? Our beginners guide has all the info you need to tone those inner muscles and to have an all-round pleasurable experience.
The origin of the Fleshlight
Now, when it comes to male masturbators, there is unlikely to be such an interesting story as the one explaining the first Fleshlight. In 1995, an American cop, Steve Shubin, was told to avoid having sex with his pregnant wife as it might cause complications due to her being 40. As his wife had other means of satisfying herself, Steve went on a journey to create one of his own. A lot of trial and error, and mixing together various substances in his garage, ensued in order to create the perfect male masturbator - one that almost felt like the real thing. Shubin started to get to work on making his sex toy portable and discreet, and that’s when he came up with the idea of a flashlight. Merging the two together - the Fleshlight was born. After receiving the official patent for the design in 98’, it was just a matter of time before Shubin’s design was all over the sex industry and one of the most popular male toys.
Male masturbators have changed designs over the years, but the original Fleshlight is still a hit with penis owners all over the world.
The history behind your most beloved sex toys is vast and very wild, but what did you expect? Sexual freedom and experimentation has become the norm for many countries, but it wasn’t always that way, and in many areas of the world it still isn’t. So, hug your dildo tight tonight and think of your ancestors - because stone dildos walked so silicone dildos could run.
