From Ornamentation to Mutilation. Genital Decorations and Cultural Operations in the Male.

Marks, designs, and decorations for the body, particularly the genitals, have been used for thousands of years to distinguish between different groups.

Genital ornamentation has long been seen as a natural part of this process. Practices like circumcision, subincision, and infibulation are often connected to rites of passage, marking the transition from young to adult and from one social group to another. These regulations are still prevalent in Africa today, and have spiritual and symbolic meanings in certain faiths. Castration has long been used as a means of creating eunuchs in powerful households to guarantee a pure family line. This tradition is echoed in the castrati singers of the Medieval period in the West and also today in medical treatments directed at diseases of the prostate.

Through years of studying and travel, the author has gained a deep understanding of this subject, which is now presented in this book.