Penis removal
In ancient civilizations, removal of the human penis was sometimes used as a means of demonstrating superiority: armies were sometimes known to sever the penises of their enemies for trophies. Some castrati were also known to have all or part of the penis removed as part of their castration.In the modern era, removal of the human penis is rare, and references to castration and removal of the penis are almost always symbolic.
The missing penis in Egyptian myth
Osiris was killed by his brother Set, torn to pieces, with the penis disposed of in the Nile. Osiris's wife, Isis, with the assistance of Thoth, was able to return Osiris to life, but had to implement a make-shift artificial male member. Through it, she conceived Horus.
Some men have penile amputations, known as penectomies, for medical reasons. Cancer, for example, sometimes necessitates removal of all or part of the penis. In rare instances, botched childhood circumcisions have also resulted in full or partial penectomies.
Issues related to the removal of the penis appear in psychology, for example in the condition known as castration anxiety. Others, who associate the organ with rape and male dominance and aggression, may consciously or subconsciously see the organ (their own or those of others) as a weapon and express a hatred for it, potentially desiring to see it violently removed.
Some men have undergone penectomies as a voluntary body modification, but professional opinion is divided as to whether or not the desire for penile amputation is a pathology, thus including it as part of a body dysmorphic disorder. Voluntary subincision, removal of the glans penis, and bifurcation of the penis are related topics.
There have been incidents in which men have been assaulted, usually by their girlfriends or wives, by having their penises severed. Lorena Bobbitt, for example, is well-known for cutting off her husband, John Wayne Bobbitt's penis for revenge when she discovered his infidelity. Bobbitt's penis was successfully reattached, and he went on to have a short career in pornographic movies.
This was not the first modern case, however. On May 18th 1936 Sada Abe (also known as Abe Sada) strangled her lover Kichizo Ishida (Ishida Kichizo) and cut off his penis, placing it in her kimono and carrying it around with her for days before eventually turning it over to the police. She spent a very brief time in jail, and was granted amnesty in 1940. The penis was last seen at a department store exhibition in 1949. This episode was the basis of the film In the Realm of the Senses.
Other forms of penis-related violence have also been recorded. For example, in July 2002, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, a 17-year-old girl superglued her boyfriend's erect penis to his abdomen to punish him for his infidelity. The boyfriend required emergency medical attention but not removal of the penis.
Mutilation or forcible removal of the penis has special symbolic significance. As a symbol of male sexuality, fertility, masculinity, and, some feel, male aggression, the removal of the penis may be inspired by a desire to emasculate, and sometimes results in the emasculation of, the victim. Another motive, particularly in cases of spousal assault, is obviously sexual.
The following are documented cases of men having their penises severed:
Human penis removal in medicine and psychology
Involuntary penis removal (assault)
Symbolism and ramifications of involuntary penis removal
Documented cases
Related topics
External links