The article discusses the role played by rumour and gossip in denouncing the act of sodomy and in trying to prosecute sodomites in the early modern Southern Low Countries. Although sodomy was considered an ‘unmentionable vice' in the early modern period, this article argues that sodomy was a popular subject among urban slanderers in the region. Consequently, denunciation was a common way of identifying sodomites, and early modern authorities were often forced to take action because of local gossip. Using trial records and bailiff accounts dating from 1400 to 1700, this article analyses the different ways in which rumours about sodomy were disseminated in early modern urban society. In doing so, this essay aims to nuance the idea that the political elites were the main engine behind the persecution of sodomites and reveals the important role urban gossip and sexual slander played in early modern sodomy trials.

中文翻译：

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近代荷兰南部的八卦、诽谤和鸡奸

这篇文章讨论了谣言和八卦在谴责鸡奸行为和试图起诉现代早期南部低地国家的鸡奸方面所起的作用。尽管鸡奸在近代初期被认为是一种“不可告人的恶习”，但本文认为鸡奸是该地区城市诽谤者的热门话题。因此，谴责是识别鸡奸的常见方式，早期的现代当局往往因为当地的八卦而被迫采取行动。本文使用可追溯至 1400 年至 1700 年的审判记录和法警账户，分析了有关鸡奸谣言在早期现代城市社会中传播的不同方式。在这样做，