The innocence of the garden: Adamitism

Q. Adamitism Doesn't sound that innocent.

A. It's innocent enough. Adamitism is dressing like Adam; that is, without any clothes.

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Q. Nudity, then

A. Indeed. A search on the Internet reveals adamitism being used as a euphemism for nudity on porn sites and, in a nice archaism, in various ordinances relating to entertainment licences in the USA. For example, there's one from Hernando County, Florida, 'pertaining to adult-oriented amusement' in bars, in which it notes that 'human adamitism' along with other pastimes such as 'coprophilia, fellatio, flagellation, frottage and hyphephilia' - what's that - are not permitted under the terms of the licence.

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However, this is getting off the point.

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Q. So, what is the point, then

A. Adamites, the practitioners of Adamitism, were members of one of several religious sects founded at various times between the 2nd and 17th centuries which believed that going around naked - that is like Adam and Eve before the Fall - would bring about a state of innocence. Naturally there were many who saw this - and perhaps some who espoused it - as little more than an excuse for carnal pursuits, however, there were no doubt many deeply pious men and women who really believed they were on to something.

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Q. So, in effect, Adamitism is 'going naked for God'

A. Exactly.

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Q. Presumably there must have been 'Evites' to partner the Adamites

A. There were, but, though women took part in Adamite activities, the term Evite was a jocular creation of the newspapers. In an article in The Guardian in 1713, the journalist Joseph Addison makes the observation that the 'Evites daily increase so that fig leaves are shortly coming into fashion'.

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Q. Wasn't there one version of the Bible which states that Adam and Eve didn't go around naked at all

A. Not exactly. You're probably thinking of the Geneva Bible, also known as the 'Breeches Bible' because it describes Adam and Eve after eating of the Tree of Knowledge as sewing together fig leaves and making 'breeches' rather than just covering up their shame with 'aprons' or 'loincloths' as per other editions.

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Q. Geneva Bible

A. The Geneva Bible was an English translation of the Bible published in Geneva (1557-60) by a colony of Protestant scholars in exile from England. They had fled from London during the reign of the Catholic 'Bloody' Mary I.

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Q. And isn't adamite a kind of mineral as well

A. It is. It's a crystal, typically bright-green in colour, though it can come in yellow or purple. Very pretty.

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By Simon Smith