MUTILATION: A Study of Savagery - Ancient and Modern
Talk to the Western Reserve Unitarians
Dr. Rick Rickards, Sunday January 6, 2002

"Homo sum; humani nihil a me alienum puto" I am a man; nothing human is alien [foreign] to me. Terence (Heuton Timoroumenous. 1.1.25) Roman author 190 -- 160 BCE

WHAT IS IT?

[Mutilation is the wounding, maiming and disfiguring of the body, a practice common among savages…so says my 11th edition of Encyclopedia Brittanica which is now 90 years old!]

The year is now 2002 and the question before us today is -- are we still savages?

I am going to deal with the subject in the following categories: 1. Tattoos 2. Piercing  3. Circumcision 4. Female Circumcision 5. Other examples 6. Genital mutilation.

To begin with, let's have a few definitions. The word "Mutilation" comes from the Latin verb "mutilare" which means -- to maim, cripple, render imperfect. A mutilation, large or small, can be performed on any part of the body. These parts include the skin, face, head, mouth and teeth. Also included are the limbs, the torso and, naturally, the genitalia.

TATTOING

Let's start with the skin. It can be scratched, marked, cut and lined with permanent colors that are injected underneath it. These techniques are generally referred to collectively as Tattooing. Permanent marks of various colors are made by injecting dyes under the skin. These can be decorative and extremely complex and cover nearly all of the body. The word "Tattoo" came into the English language after Captain Cook visited Tahiti.  This was the term used by the natives to describe the practice widely used by the islanders. It comes from the Samoan word "Tatua" that means "to mark, or tap." The Polynesians invented the word, not the idea. The art of tattooing had been around for thousands of years

"The impulse to decorate the human body is universal" so says the 1997 video on the history of tattooing. They may be right! Certainly the history of tattooing is long and varied. It was forbidden in the Hebrew bible as early as the book of Leviticus [Lev. 19:28] "You shalt not make any cuttings in your flesh…nor print any marks upon you." So it must have been well known even in those days, approximately 1400 BCE. Apparently the worshippers of Baal were prone to having tattoos, so were the Greeks. On the other hand, the Romans forbade tattooing, that is until they invaded Briton in 55 BCE and found themselves facing natives who were painted purple with woad. Caesar said they looked fierce and terrifying in battle and soon afterwards the Roman Army started to get tattooed themselves. Christians living in Rome used to have a small cross tattooed inside their wrists as an indication of their faith and fellowship. We read that St. Paul in his epistle to the Galatians [Gal. 6:17] claimed that he had protection from all men. "…let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." This might have been a tattoo or a metaphor. In the 19th chapter of the book of Revelation, there is a person sitting on a white horse, and his name was called "Faithful and True." On his thigh a name was written "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS" That's a good example of biblical tattooing.

Tattoos became increasingly popular until the 4th century when Constantine established the Holy Roman Empire. Once again all tattooing was forbidden. The Coptic Christians, who lived in Egypt, never stopped producing religious tattoos and they kept the supply going until there was a large resurgence of the practice during the time of the Crusades. It was during that time that just about all of the soldiers had some religious emblem tattooed on them. After the Crusades interest in tattoos subsided and was not renewed until Capt. Cook rediscovered the art in the aborigines of Australia and New Zealand. In 1770 the explorer brought back a tattoo-covered native to England who was a chieftain. He was a fine example of native dignity and intelligence and made a great impression. The next thing we learn is that most well bred Englishmen were lining to get their own mark of distinction! Tattooing is illegal in Cleveland but not in the suburbs. I visited "Finest Lines" in Wickliffe last year and saw it first hand.

PIERCING

The practice that involves penetrating the flesh in some way is known as "piercing". It can be used to attach jewelry, such as an earring, or a chain, ring, or an ornament of some kind. Although such practices were usually confined to the ear, they have recently become used to transfix other parts of the body as well. Nose rings, eyebrows, cheeks, lips and tongues are becoming more popular all the time. So, too, are rings attached to the nipples, the navel and genital organs. All such procedures carry with them the risk of bacterial and viral infection and must be carried out like a surgical operation. The possibility of developing Tetanus, Hepatitis B, or AIDS is always present.

CIRCUMCISION

I want you to picture, if you will, a 99 year old man and his conversation with his god. The scene allegedly takes place about 1913 BCE and the text occurs in Genesis chapter 17. The man's name is Abraham and he is informed that he will be exceedingly fruitful and become many nations but there is to first to be a "covenant." Every man and male child is to be circumcised and that included poor old Abe himself. The act was carried out and the 99 year old became a father by getting his 90 year old wife pregnant. Awesome! The story marks official start of circumcision among the Jews, many of whom fervently believe in it until this day. It was followed by the customary type of warning from god that those who broke the covenant would be cut off from his people, so they shouldn't get any funny ideas! Of course, the Egyptians had been circumcising males for centuries, so had the Phoenicians and many other groups, all for their own variety of reasons, none of which involved public health! See The History of Human Marriage by Westermarck Vol 1 p561 et seq.

FEMALE CIRCUMCISION and MUTILATION

It must be said that neither the Bible nor the Qur'ãn advocates female circumcision. Nevertheless, there are many examples of countries, mostly Arabic and Muslim, in Africa and elsewhere that it is carried out. As with male circumcision there are all kinds of reasons why it is a good idea to circumcise females, none of which make any sense. At this time there are estimated to be 650 million men on earth who have undergone circumcision and 100 million women. The practice continues. A brief description of what this surgery entails can best be given by an account of the 3 ways in which it is performed.

First there is the Sunna procedure, considered to be the least damaging. The clitoris and part of the labia minora are removed permanently. Second there is the procedure in which the clitoris is completely removed along with all of the labia minora. Thirdly, there is the Pharaonic operation which obliterates the clitoris and both the labia minora and majora. This is followed by infibulation which means the surgical suture and closure of the damaged areas. All three operations are carried out without anesthesia and are performed by non medical personnel. It is amazing that anyone would agree to undergo such a dreadful disfigurement but it is said that men expect girls to have been circumcised or they will not marry them. The theory goes that women who have been mistreated this way make excellent wives and are much less likely to be unfaithful. Also, as young girls, they are more docile and are cured of masturbation.  One of the real dilemmas is that foreign immigrants are bringing these practices with them to the US and in most states we have no laws to prevent female genital mutilation! It's high time we did something about this.

GENERAL

When a human body has undergone some type of mutilation is said to be modified, hence the new expression "bod-mod" which is used to describe the phenomenon in general. The subject matter is immense. The practice of mutilation, in thousands of different ways, has been going on all over the world since the beginning of history. From the primitive tribes of Africa and South America to the intelligentsia of Paris and New York, mutilation varies only in degree and sophistication. It looks as though the art of mutilation, in one form or another, always was, is now, and maybe ever shall be, a part of our so-called "civilization and culture," whether we like it or not.

It was in the Fall of 1991 that the Iceman was discovered on the edge of a melting glacier in the Austrian alps. This caused something of a sensation. Ötzi, as he was nicknamed for the area where he was found, had been trapped in a crevasse for 5 millennia. In spite of this, or maybe because of it, he was in near perfect condition, dressed in fur and feathers, armed with a bow and arrows which he had made for himself. He started to thaw out as a result of recent global warming.  Those who first found the body conscientiously called in the authorities so they could contact his next of kin! This proved to be impossible. When the story finally hit the networks he became a celebrity overnight. Ötzi, must have been very appealing to the fair sex as the rugged outdoors type of man because, within a few days, 50 women had volunteered to use his semen and be artificially inseminated. It was not to be. To everyone's surprise it turned out that he had been castrated when he was young! Another shocker was that the Bronze Age man had a series of tattoos on his back and behind his knee and ankle, which matched the arthritis found in his joints below.  In other words he was a classic early example of primitive mutilation.

There are many examples of mutilation. Look at the statues of the enlightened Buddha, a man who lived more than 2500 years ago. You will find that he is always shown with extraordinary long ears. Why? Because they were mutilated by the heavy burden of earrings and jewelry, I don't think I have ever seen a depiction of him without this distortion. Thinking of Buddha's statues, the ones that exist [or used to exist] in Afghanistan, their recent destruction is a classic example of senseless mutilation.

Mention must be made about the Ubangi women with their huge lower lips or the giraffe necked women as an example of mutilation for fashion. Our ancestors with their tiny wasp waists in corsets weren't all that much different! At least the Ubangis could get pregnant and carry their young to full term!

Mutilation used to be the custom for corporal punishment. In the days of the Puritans people were branded for adultery (on the forehead) and blasphemy (on the tongue.) In the time of Henry 8th removal of ears was the punishment for the "crime" of not attending church! The lopping off hands and other organs is still done to this day in Islamic countries where it is the routine Muslim punishment for stealing.

The Christians have a long tradition of self-mutilation. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus proclaims [Matt. 5:29-30] "If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out. Or..If thy right hand offend thee cut it off - " I doubt that people takes him seriously these days, but this is what he is reported to have said.

I have seen a collection of Inca skulls in Lima, Peru which shows the gross distortion of heads caused by early head wrapping. Different classes of people had totally different shaped heads. In that society, I am fairly sure, nobody ever mistook a priest for a soldier. Once a priest, always a priest! Yet in those days how really different were they? Aren't the children in the 3rd millennium still subject to brain washing? Once special interest groups decide to educate youngsters along a certain line of thinking it becomes exceedingly hard to change their views later on!

Have you ever seen a member of the Hell's Angels close up? I have. They are really fierce looking and are into strange jewelry and body piercing in a big way. Another interesting feature is that the men never actually pay for anything. The women do.

Think of the plight of the Chinese girl's whose feet were deliberately squashed. Until recently it was considered fashionable to constrict them to produce the appearance of female "daintiness." What a lot of silly nonsense. These days we encourage human females to wear shoes which are too small with heels 3-4 inches high, or higher. We like to think we are a bit more civilized than the ancient Chinese, but not much!

Why did people mutilate each other? Why do they mutilate themselves? What purposes does it serve? The experts have all kinds of answers

GENITAL MUTILATION

What does the term "Genital Mutilation" really mean? Any and all damage which in any way affects the genitalia and the ability to use and enjoy them. The spaying and castration of domestic and farm animals are good examples of genital mutilation. It serves to make them more docile to handle, easier to fatten or more tender to eat. Stallions are gelded, bulls are castrated. Pigs and sheep are all rendered sterile and we mustn't forget the caponizing of chickens which, these days, can be done surgically or chemically. These are all "good " farming practices.

Unfortunately, throughout the ages similar practices have been carried out on children and adults. In Roman and Greek times there were great number of men in high positions who were eunuchs. That is to say they had no testicles. The word actually means "keeper of the bedchamber" but the practice was common among the priesthood of many different religions. For example, the Galli, the self mutilated priests who ran the cult of Attis and Cybele in Rome for 600 years. The Roman poet, Catullus [84-54 BCE] wrote a magnificent poem to Attis and his cult which provides us with a different view of religious ecstasy.

Jesus was another religious prophet who recommended castration, for those who could take it, in order to get into Heaven [see Matt.19:12]. Some early Christians followed his example, the most famous was the early church father Origen [185-254 CE] The practice was widespread. The last of the sect of Christian castrators, known as the Skoptsis, died in 1917. If you need an example of a modern cult with the same concept, just remember the 39 members of Heaven's Gate? They died while trying to visit comet Hale-Bopp in 1997. Most of them were self-made eunuchs too!

All through the middle ages it was the practice to castrate little boys to have them sing for the glory of god in the choir of the Sistine Chapel. A practice which was finally stopped by Pope Leo XIII at the end of the 19th century.

To my way of thinking all forms of damage and genital mutilation inflicted on children at any age constitutes child abuse. This would cover all kinds of surgery from total castration of young boys to sing in the Papal choir, all the way to subincision carried out by the Australian aborigines in which the urethra is slit wide open lengthwise to the scrotum. It also includes the three different kinds of circumcision which girls undergo in Africa and other countries. I also include all forms of male child abuse which is still carried out to this day. There is simply no justification in perpetuating the barbaric pastimes of ancient superstitions, The glans penis evolved as an organ which functions best when it is perpetually moist. It is like the tongue, it should never dry out. Allow it to dry and you will find that it had lost a lot of its sensitivity. 70 % of the sensory nerves are located in the human prepuce or foreskin. Imagine how your tongue might feel if it had been dried out soon after birth and only lubricated when about to be used at mealtimes. What a gruesome thought and yet it is analogous. Around the world there are 650 million men who have undergone surgery for circumcision, most of whom one might suppose, never gave their consent! There are only 100 million women who have undergone the horrors of FGM without the benefit of anesthesia. They have all suffered needlessly both from the barbarism of the surgery and the daily agony at the loss of their libido, There are laws in a few countries which forbid FGM from being practiced and there are efforts being made to pass similar legislation in the US. Never mind the limitations of people's religious freedom. The trouble with the freedom of religious practices is when they impinge on the rights of individuals…Nobody should have the right to mutilate another human being merely because their religious belief tells them to do so. Once they outlaw the practice of FGM I hope they extend the same rights to men!

Who can remember what the customs were 50 years ago? I can recall when the only women who had pierced ears were Gypsies and Spaniards! If a girl wore earrings, which most of them didn't, they were the kind which clipped on. Next time you watch a movie from the 40' or 50's notice how often the women wear nothing on their ears at all. If a woman had a tattoo, she worked in a circus! As for men, they rarely if ever wore an earring If they did it was a thick gold hoop only in the left ear. It indicated that they were sea captains who had sailed the 7 seas. I remember being told, when earrings for men were re-instituted, about 15 years ago that there was a taboo against wearing anything in the right ear because this indicated that the wearer was gay. These days anything goes! Little babies less than one year old come into my office all the time with both their ears pierced. I have made it a point to comment on this to the parents. Something like, "You have a beautiful baby, Ms. *** tell me did she mind having here ears pierced?" The reply is usually that of minor discomfort followed by great pride of ownership. Imagine my surprise last year when a couple said to me, "That's not our daughter, that's our son!" I must confess the child was well behaved and will probably soon blend in well with the average American youngster. Maybe he will grow up to be a professional athlete or a rock singer! In certain age groups earrings in both sexes are fast becoming the norm.

WHAT ARE PEOPLE TRYING TO TELL US?

Maybe something? Maybe nothing? Who can be sure? The pundits are always giving their brand of Psychobabble to explain the problems of the world. The modern trends of body modification [bod-mod] are supposed to gross us out. Sometimes they get close to succeeding. Rings are strategically placed in navels, through nipples, into necks, for that Neo- Frankenstein look. Also through lips, eyebrows, noses and tongues. The external genitalia are mutilated in all kinds of curious ways. The infamous "Prince Albert" for men and a variety of horrid mutilations for women. Those of you who are curious should check out the World Wide Web for details. There you will also find there are websites devoted exclusively to the sale of chastity belts for both sexes and endless sources of information on the taboo subjects of sadomasochism.

Who are these people? Are they the lunatic fringe? I am not so sure. We are witnessing a major change in human behavior, a protest to be sure, but one with far reaching effects. There is something going on in the way of Transgenderism - a new word which means there is no longer a clear definition of gender style. The sexes are no longer clearly recognized by their attire or ornamentation. We are drifting into a "no-person's land" where nothing is exclusively male or female any more. Whether we like it or not, mutilation in one way or another, is a part of our culture. One day we may understand the inhabitants of this Brave New World and what motivates them. Until then, the question remains, are we are savages or are we not?

"Homo sum; humani nihil a me alienum puto" I am a man; nothing human is alien [foreign] to me. Terence (Heuton Timoroumenous. 1.1.25) Roman author 190 --160 BCE

I like to repeat those sentiments to myself when I feel unduly pessimistic or skeptical about the world and its occupants. Sometimes, I find myself wondering if what the old Roman said is true?

Home