Blog, Poems and more

DOWN

IN CIRCLES THEY GO

REPETITIVE FLOW

ENDLESS SCHEME

SAME OL’ THEME

BEARING INSIDE

SOMETHING TO HYDE

ONE TWO THREE FOUR FIVE SIX SEVEN

COUNTING BRINGS YOU UP TO HEAVEN

AND ALLOWS YOU THERE TO SMELL

THE BURNING CREATURES DOWN IN HELL

DO NOT BE AFRAID

IT’S JUST A LITTLE BLADE

THAT FEELS SO NICE AND TENDER

AND HELPS YOU TO SURRENDER

STIMULATION

EVOKES SENSATION

AND CONTROLS

YOUR INMOST GOALS

FOR YOU HAVE BEEN COMMISSIONED

TO BE SO WELL CONDITIONED

DANCING THROUGH THE MOONLIT NIGHT

SENSING DANGER AND DELIGHT

ACTING OUT A FANCY DREAM

LIVING UP TO THE EXTREME

BLISSFUL THAT I LEFT MY TOMB

                Angels use them, demons too 

              They lift you up, and they subdue

          They steer and rule your inner mind

        They make you see and make you blind 

    Messengers, oh messengers – why are you so sincere

    You act as if the way you speak has never been unclear

                                                                              DOWN  

                           You rush in like a mighty storm

                         You like to twist and to transform

                     You sweep the branches of my brain

                  And make my will and thoughts insane

       Messengers, oh messengers – why are you so severe

       You act as if I would enjoy your gifts of pain and fear

                     You swoop down like a bird of prey

                   You grab my soul in its dismay

                     You feast upon its grainy mesh

                       As if it was some juicy flesh

            Messengers, oh messengers – you occupy my land

    And claim your stake yet do not name your Master of Command

                           And then you force me into a scheme

                        That’s wilder as my wildest dream

                         And make me play a freakish role

                              That does not fit within my soul

            Messengers, oh messengers – you are too strong for me

Brain Disease – Brain Decease

In the following blog entries I would like to present some of my poems under the somewhat confusing title: Brain Disease – Brain Decease.

And for sure, brains often get confused - mildly and severely - and they tend to tell all kinds of stories (and tales), sometimes grandiose and at other times disastrous (well, often times combined, to make it more effective – and entertaining).

My poems deal with the many facets of our brain – both functional and dysfunctional. They delve into obsessive, destructive and self-delusional brain modes – and by doing so provide some (unexpected?) insights (hopefully). So, please brace yourself and enjoy this rough ride through the weird and often dangerous aspects of our (my) manifolded brain.

As an addendum to what I have written before, I would like to write down some of the aspects Annette Peller pointed out in her book ‘Chriffierte Körper – Disziplinierte Körper. Female Genital Cutting. Rituelle Verwundung als Statussymbol’.

 To my knowledge, there is no English translation of the book. The title would probably read as follows: Ciphered Bodies - Disciplined Bodies. Female genital cutting. Ritual wounding as a status symbol '. The book represents her PhD thesis and was written in 2000.

First, Annette Peller prefers to use the word ‘Excision’ instead of cutting or mutilation, since it is somewhat more neutral and the term is better able to handle certain aspect of ritual wounding.

Annette Peller did much of her research while living with the Arbore and other ethnic groups in Southern Ethiopia.

A girl or woman who wants to undergo such body modifications (or ritual punishments, like flogging) must be willing and able to endure strong pain and to accept non-reversible body changes. After finishing, her ability to suffer pain is regarded as a sign of strong character and a firm commitment to the group values (group cohesion).

Annette Peller is well aware of the harmful consequences of such rituals, but she also emphasizes that such rituals are (still) a necessary part of a group or tribe culture and ethnic identity. Therefore, in order to stop or change such rituals, much effort has to be put into changing their world of living (tribal understanding of marital value assessment of a woman).

Besides excision, she also lists other rituals like the knocking out of a lower front tooth, people modifying their body with lip plates or with elongated body parts (like the neck). The common denominator seems to be the need to belong to a certain ethnic group and to obtain their acceptance.

 Group values are very important and adhering to their practice is demanded from all group members - who often themselves strongly wish to undergo such body changing rituals since they want to be a respected member of the group.

Body modifications can be seen in mostly all cultures around the world, like piercing, tattoos, decorative scars (like the ones from fencing), body painting … and the like.

Annette Peller also refers to some historical explanations:

·       Excision as a form of male dominance and the attempt to domesticate or reduce female sexuality

·       Excision should limit the girls vulnerability since they become less interesting for human predators and wild animals (since their body odor is reduced). Remark: in some societies it is forbidden for menstruating women to approach herds of beef or camels. This may be a reason why women are usually excluded from hunt since their body odor could attract predators.

·       Excision (incl. infibulation) as a form of birth control in order to limit the use of scarce resources

·       Excision was practiced by members of upper social castes (like the king’s woman or members of the royal family), or enforced onto members of low social status like female slaves.

·       Excision was practiced in order to cut off the ‘representation or incorporation of the male soul’ in a woman (i.e. the clitoris) or the representation or incorporation of the female soul in a man (i.e. the prepuce). Such belief of bisexuality was / is common by certain African tribes.

 Some of these aspects (true or not) were new to me and I find them interesting as they may explain certain aspects of the origin of excision (Female Genital Mutilation, Female Genital Cutting, and other terms of description).

Note: Some referenced books, articles and illustrations are very explicit. Viewer discretion strongly advised.

Remark: this selection of literature may be biased and does certainly only scratch the surface of available publications (both Pro and Con).

Picture: Lascaux Caves (France) - Prehistoric Paintings. A man with a bird head and a bison. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license / Author: Peter80

History

Male Genital Representation in Paleolithic Art: Erection and Circumcision Before History. Conclusions of the authors: The erection in Paleolithic art is explicitly represented in almost all the figures defined as unequivocally male that have survived to the present and in many objects of portable art. Circumcision and/or foreskin retraction of the penis are present in most of the works. Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0090429509000831

History of Circumcision from the dawn of the human race. Link: http://www.circlist.com/history/history.html

Male Genital Representation in Paleolithic Art: Erection and Circumcision Before History. Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0090429509000831

Circumcision: History, Philosophy and Facts, by Amin El-Gohary. Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281175077_Circumcision_History_Philosophy_and_Facts

Genesis of Symbolic Thought, by Alan Barnard, Cambridge University Press, 2012

Die bizarre Geschichte der Beschneidung: Wie die Anti-Masturbations-Bewegung die Beschneidung populär machte. Link: https://ichi.pro/de/die-bizarre-geschichte-der-beschneidung-36815805176512

Die Geschichte der Bescheidung – von der Antike bis zur heutigen Zeit. Link: http://nocirc-deutschland.de/die-geschichte-der-bescheidung-von-der-antike-bis-zur-heutigen-zeit/

CIRP: History of Circumcision. Link: http://www.cirp.org/library/history/

History of circumcision. Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_circumcision

The Ideal Prepuce in Ancient Greece and Rome. Link (not secure): http://www.cirp.org/library/history/hodges2/

Medical Use of Foreskin

The Foreskin Industry. The Bio-Engineering and Cosmetics Industries. Link (not secure): http://acroposthion.com/the-foreskin-industry/

Foreskin derived stem cells could be used to treat congenital muscular dystrophy (February 14, 2014). Link (not secure): http://stemcellsfreak.com/2014/02/foreskin-stem-cells.html

7 Surprising Things Circumcised Foreskins Are Actually Used For, by Chase Christy. Link: https://www.ranker.com/list/what-circumcised-foreskins-are-used-for/chase-christy?ref=dshare&source=emshare

Human Foreskin Patent Examples:

US7790455: HUMAN FORESKIN FIBROBLAST CONDITIONED MEDIA FORCULTURINGES CELLS

US8318486: Co-culturing mammalian embryonic stem cells with human foreskin fibroblasts

General Information: CIRCLIST Home Page

Picture: Female Symbols: Authors: AnonMoos, Miraceti, Public domain

Female GM

Prevalence of FGM: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_genital_mutilation

WHO FGM Statement: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/female-genital-mutilation

Unites Nations General Assembly: Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 17 December 2015 / 80th plenary meeting / Title: The girl child. Link: https://www.iom.int/sites/default/files/jahia/webdav/shared/shared/mainsite/policy_and_research/un/64/a-res-64-145.pdf

Deutscher Bundestag:  Genitalbeschneidung von Mädchen und Frauen / Geschichte und Begründungen / 20. April 2018. Contains many useful literature references. Link: https://docplayer.org/119236527-Sachstand-genitalbeschneidung-von-maedchen-und-frauen-geschichte-und-begruendungen-wissenschaftliche-dienste.html

Magisterarbeit Dörthe Engels: Die islamrechtliche Beurteilung der Mädchenbeschneidung. Eine kritische Analyse des Beschlusstextes der Gelehrtenkonferenz „Verbot des Missbrauchs des weiblichen Körpers“ vom 22. bis 23. November 2006 an der Azhar-Universität in Kairo im Kontext moderner Entwicklungen in der islamischen Rechtsfindungspraxis.    Translation: Master Thesis Dörthe Engels: The Islamic Law Assessment of Female Circumcision. A critical analysis of the final text of the scholars' conference “Prohibition of Abuse of the Female Body” from November 22nd to 23rd, 2006 at the Azhar University in Cairo in the context of modern developments in Islamic legal practice. Remark: highly recommended

Anette Peller: Chiffrierte Körper - Disziplinierte Körper: Female Genital Cutting. Rituelle Verwundung als Statussymbol - Kindle Ausgabe

Involuntary Foreskinectomy Awareness - America's Forgotten History of Female Circumcision. Link: https://sites.google.com/site/completebaby/female

Female genital mutilation (FGM) frequently asked questions. Link: https://www.unfpa.org/resources/female-genital-mutilation-fgm-frequently-asked-questions

Female Circumcision: The History, the Current Prevalence and the Approach to a Patient, by Jewel Llamas. Link: https://med.virginia.edu/family-medicine/wp-content/uploads/sites/285/2017/01/Jewel-Llamas-Paper-KT3.pdf

PREVALENCE OF AND SUPPORT FOR FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION WITHIN THE COPTS OF EGYPT: UNICEF REPORT (2013). Link: https://copticliterature.wordpress.com/2014/03/12/prevalence-of-and-support-for-female-genital-mutilation-within-the-copts-of-egypt-unicef-report-2013/

Picture: Antwerp, circa 1520-30. Photographed at the museum by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-Non-Commercial-ShareAlike license.

Male GC

The Ritual of Circumcision, by Karen Ericksen Paige. Link (not secure): http://www.noharmm.org/paige.htm

The history of circumcision, by W.D. DUNSMUIR and E.M. GORDON, Department of Urology, St George's Hospital. Link: https://bjui-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/1464410x/1999/83/S1

Evolution of male circumcision as normative control. Link: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3149/jms.1203.265

The masturbation taboo and the rise of routine male circumcision: A review of the historiography - Review Essay, by Robert Darby. Link (not secure): http://www.cirp.org/library/history/darby4/

WHEN DID MEN START GETTING CIRCUMCISED? Link (not secure): http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/07/the-history-of-circumcision/

CIRCLIST – Australia. Link (not secure): http://www.circlist.com/rites/australia.html

How did circumcision become common in the United States? Link (not secure):  http://circumcisiondebate.org/past-and-present

Circumcision rates in the US: https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/circumcision-rates-by-state

US Circumcision Incidence Rate (1932 to 1971) and (1979 to 2006): U.S. Circumcision Statistics (cirp.org)

Why Is Circumcision So Popular in America? Link https://matthewtontonoz.com/2015/01/05/why-is-circumcision-so-popular-in-america/

Male circumcision_ a South Korean perspective. Link (not secure): http://www.cirp.org/library/cultural/kim1/

Prevalence of circumcision: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prevalence_of_circumcision

Picture: Tommaso di Ser Giovanni di Simone: Expulsion from Eden. 1426-1428 (altered in 1680, and restored in 1980). Public Domain

Special Literature

Porn Flakes: Kellogg, Graham and the Crusade for Moral Fiber: Link (not secure): http://web.archive.org/web/19961226151826/http://sunsite.unc.edu/stayfree/10/graham.htm

CIRCLIST - Circumcision in Art. Link: https://circlist.com/history/art.html

It is strange that in modern times with all our technological advances and understanding of how nature / technology works … there are still 30% of all adult males circumcised (thereof two-thirds being Muslims). The current male circumcision rate is about 5,000 per day, or 1,8 million per year.

For female circumcision (all types): about 200 million girls and woman have suffered some form of female genital mutilation, and about three million are considered at risk of undergoing FGM annually. Source: https://www.who.int/teams/sexual-and-reproductive-health-and-research/areas-of-work/female-genital-mutilation/prevalence-of-female-genital-mutilation

All this means that ancient rites and traditions are still a significant ‘indicator’ of humanity (better: human conditions). So, on the one hand quantum computers and on the other: ‘knifes and stones’ (including surgical tools).

And not to forget: at least two monotheistic religions do not conceive male circumcision (and partially also female circumcision) as ‘inhumane’ and therefore forbidden, on the contrary, the are more or less obliged to do this in the name of their God.

Picture: Circumcision of Abraham, from the Bible of Jean de Sy, ca. 1355-1357, between circa 1355 and circa 1357. Source: https://ru.pinterest.com/pin/498281146250652156/. Public Domain

Jewish religion: male circumcision is a prerequisite for their holy covenant with God

Islam: here, the situation is a bit trickier, because it is recognized that male and female circumcision had been around long before their religion was established. For male circumcision: they follow the rules of Abraham.

Islam: for female circumcision: they (partially) kept tribal and community rites and integrated them into their religion and made them acceptable as ‘not strictly demanded’ but ‘honorable’ to do. Though there have been quite some Fatwas against female circumcision, not much has changed (see citations: Master Thesis Dörthe Engels: The Islamic Law Assessment of Female Circumcision).

Picture: Anonymous Beschneidung Christi. Kunsthistorisches Museum; circa 1490 to 1500 ; copyright holder: Belvedere, Wien; RKDimages, Art-work number 264894. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license

Christianity: male genital circumcision was strongly disfavored and the focus was on the ‘circumcision of the heart’. But it must be noted that the Orthodox Churches practiced male circumcision after the 12th century (or earlier) and that Coptic Christians in Egypt used to practice female circumcision, see: https://copticliterature.wordpress.com/2014/03/12/prevalence-of-and-support-for-female-genital-mutilation-within-the-copts-of-egypt-unicef-report-2013/

OK, so this means that male circumcision will not go away anytime soon, probably never.

What about FGM: I regret to say that I don’t expect to see much progress in the next 10 to 20 years. Why: because it needs to change the societal and cultural settings of many of the African countries / tribes / families. How long will it take: 50 years, 100 ?

HMG was and still is done for (alleged) ‘health purposes’ as well as for many other reasons like: group and ethnical identity, rite of passage, prevention of masturbation, and for FGM/C: cultural value of virginity, value for marriage, social acceptance.

And yet, we (I) should do our best to follow the recommendations of the WHO, i.e.to focus on:

·       strengthening the health sector response: developing and implementing guidelines, tools, training and policy to ensure that health care providers can provide medical care and counselling to girls and women living with FGM and communicate for prevention of the practice;

·       building evidence: generating knowledge about the causes, consequences and costs of the practice, including why health care providers carry out the practice, how to abandon the practice, and how to care for those who have experienced FGM;

Now, finally, I would like to come back to my original questions about who/how/why invented such ideas of ‘circumcision’. Here I drew much helpful information from the book ‘Genesis of Symbolic Thought’ by Alan Barnard (highly recommended)

Picture: Genesis of Symbolic Thought, Alan Barnard

A person can only grasp the concept of ‘circumcision’ if they are enough evolved (like homo sapiens (sapiens)) to understand the meaning and implications of doing this. Furthermore, in order to connect this practice with cultural or religious identity and embed it into the cycle of life, more abstract concepts and symbolizations must be understood and communicated.  Theories of mind and the understanding of levels on intentionality must also be available.  

 The generation of symbolic thought could have occurred about 100,00 years ago but most certainly around 50,000 years ago, as can be derived from cave art. This came together with the use of tools for ornamentation (and possibly modification) of the body. And of course, the understanding of concepts of fertility and sexual behavior must have been evolved as well.

Picture: Petroglyph, Fremont archaeological culture, eastern Utah, United States. Copyright by J. Q. Jacobs, jqjacobs.net". This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5. Link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Petroglyph_jqjacobs.jpg

 I think it can be safely assumed that Neandertals (120,000 BCE) as well as the upcoming Homo sapiens already had a complex understanding of life and death (e.g., burial rites). They also must have understood the importance of the ‘reproductive organs’ – and they must also have had a pretty good understanding of how they worked.

I assume they must have felt that ‘fathering’ and ‘mothering’ a child is part of the mystery of life, something that must be secured and protected by all means and at all cost. The knew about sickness, bodily harm and death, and that it is most important to produce offspring.

Then they (most certainly) must have felt sexual desire und lust. Were they surprised about this, fascinated, or profoundly bewildered?

They must have developed a sufficient understanding of how the sex organs facilitated reproduction (conceiving, birth). Have they revered these organs (I think so)?

Picture: Anbangbang_gallery_Mimi_rock_art_cropped. Source: Photo by and ©2002 Dustin M. Ramsey (Kralizec!). This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5. Link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anbangbang_gallery_Mimi_rock_art_cropped.jpg

But how did they communicate their ideas among themselves? By gestures, symbolic paintings, onomatopoeia (the process of creating a word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes). How did they express their more abstract ideas? For sure, they must have been creative and invented means to do this, and for sure, they also must have had their prodigies.

Maybe they have felt the need to paint, tattoo, or ornament their bodies, or to carry out other types of body modifications like elongated necks (means: pushed down collar bones), lip plugs, discs or plates, [you see, I am talking about these practices, though very strange to me), teeth sharpening, scarification, … there are certainly more extremes [now I stop]..

Maybe they have felt the need to sacrifice ‘something’ to the Powers of the World (earthly elements, mystical figures, symbolic representations of abstract meanings, …).  But what to sacrifice? Flowers, fruits of the garden, animals, children (see Inca child sacrifices), adolescents, grown-up people, foreigners, slaves, …. but would anyone dare sacrifice parts of his private parts (must certainly be a male issue).

Picture: Kohaito, grotta di adi alauti con pitture rupestri databili al 2500 ac ca. 14 bestiame. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5. Author: Sailko.Link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kohaito,_grotta_di_adi_alauti_con_pitture_rupestri_databili_al_2500_ac_ca._14_bestiame.JPG

Sure, they most likely invented methods to cut foreskin if there was a dangerous phimosis, and must also have come up with remedies against other life threating harms (e.g., during birth, involuntary penis mutilation due to an accident, …). Did they practice male (and female) circumcision just to keep them clean and non-smelly?  Did they cut on order to minimize or even extend sexual pleasure and/or to prevent masturbation (loss of semen).

As there were most certainly fights amongst different tribes / groups, they may have felt the need to kill and capture some remains of their victims as signs of their superiority (like scalps, body parts, and, yes, foreskins, (or entire penises).  

Speaking about foreskin as a trophy: see the Bible (Old Testament): Book of Samuel, Chapter 18, Verses 26 and 27: When the servants reported these terms to David, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. Before the wedding day arrived, David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented them as payment in full to become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave his daughter Michal to David in marriage.

Picture: Chongoni Rock-Art Area-110134. This file has been provided by UNESCO (unesco.org) as part of a GLAM-Wiki partnership. It is also available on the UNESCO website. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 IGO

And what about female circumcision / cutting / mutilation? To keep them at bay, to prevent promiscuity, to tame their sexual appetite? I cannot really assume that this practice was invented by woman. I think it was male control issue. Am I wrong?

And why is only the (male) prepuce sacrificed to a God and not the cut female parts? (Oh well, for sure, woman are less worthy than men, so their body parts don’t count as legitimate sacrifices).

As you can see, I don’t know the answers. The origin and initial concepts remain a mystery.

In Africa, FGM/C is known to be practiced among certain communities in 29 countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and Zambia.

Certain ethnic groups in Asian countries practice FGM/C, including in communities in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

In the Middle East, the practice occurs in Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen, as well as in Iraq, Iran and the State of Palestine.

In Eastern Europe, recent info shows that certain communities are practicing FGM in Georgia and the Russian Federation.

In South America, certain communities are known to practice FGM in Columbia, Ecuador, Panama and Peru.

And in many western countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom and various European countries, FGM is practiced among diaspora populations from areas where the practice is common.

Immigrants and Refugees from FGM-Countries bear witness of these procedures

Picture: Prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation (Africa, Middle East), UNICEF 2016. Author: Johnuniq, FGM prevalence UNICEF 2016, Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FGM_prevalence_UNICEF_2016.svg

Picture: Prevalence of female genital mutilation (2020). Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prevalence_of_female_genital_mutilation Author: Nederlandse Leeuw. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0

Reasons for why FGM is still practiced are:

Psychosexual reasons:

FGM is carried out as a way to control women’s sexuality, which is sometimes said to be insatiable if parts of the genitalia, especially the clitoris, are not removed. It is thought to ensure virginity and sexual restraint before marriage and fidelity afterward, and to increase male sexual pleasure.

Sociological and cultural reasons:

FGM is seen as part of a girl’s initiation into womanhood and as an intrinsic part of a community’s cultural heritage. Sometimes myths about female genitalia (e.g., that an uncut clitoris will grow to the size of a penis, or that FGM will enhance fertility or promote child survival) perpetuate the practice.

Some ancient ethnical groups thought of a human being as having two sexual contributions:  the female part of a boy is connected to his prepuce (since it is the female part of his body), and the male soul of the girl is located in the clitoris (the male part of a woman). Only when prepuce and clitoris are cut, a male and a female gain their true identity.

Hygiene and aesthetic reasons:

In some communities, the external female genitalia are considered dirty and ugly and are removed, ostensibly to promote hygiene and aesthetic appeal.

Religious reasons:

Although FGM is not endorsed by either Islam or by Christianity, supposed religious doctrine is often used to justify the practice.

Socio-economic factors:

In many communities, FGM/C is a prerequisite for marriage. Where women are largely dependent on men, economic necessity can be a major driver of the procedure. FGM/C sometimes is a prerequisite for the right to inherit. It may also be a major income source for practitioners.

webMD makes the following Statements:

There is some evidence that circumcision has health benefits, including:

Less risk of urinary tract infections

A reduced risk of some sexually     transmitted diseases in men

Protection against penile     cancer and a lower risk of cervical cancer in     female sex partners

Prevention of balanitis (inflammation of     the glans) and balanoposthitis (inflammation of the glans and     foreskin)

Prevention of phimosis (the inability to retract the     foreskin) and paraphimosis (the inability to return the foreskin to     its original location)

Circumcision also makes it easier to keep the end     of the penis clean. Note: Some studies show that good hygiene     can help prevent certain problems with the penis, including infections and     swelling, even if the penis is not circumcised. In addition, using     a condom during sex will help prevent STDs and other infections.

The use of circumcision for medical or health     reasons is an issue that continues to be debated. The American Academy     of Pediatrics (AAP) found that the health benefits     of newborn male circumcision outweigh the risks, but the     benefits are not great enough to recommend universal newborn     circumcision.

Link: https://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/guide/circumcision

The Mayo Clinic make statements as follows:

Sometimes there's a medical need for circumcision, such as when the foreskin is too tight to be pulled back (retracted) over the glans. In other cases, particularly in parts of Africa, circumcision is recommended for older boys or men to reduce the risk of certain sexually transmitted infections.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says the benefits of circumcision outweigh the risks. However, the AAP doesn't recommend routine circumcision for all male newborns. The AAP leaves the circumcision decision up to parents — and supports use of anesthetics for infants who have the procedure. 

Circumcision might have various health benefits, including:

 Easier hygiene. Circumcision makes it simpler to wash the penis. However, boys with uncircumcised penises can be taught to wash regularly beneath the foreskin.

Decreased risk of urinary tract infections. The risk of urinary tract infections in males is low, but these infections are more common in uncircumcised males. Severe infections early in life can lead to kidney problems later.

Decreased risk of sexually transmitted infections. Circumcised men might have a lower risk of certain sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. Still, safe sexual practices remain essential.

 Prevention of penile problems. Occasionally, the foreskin on an uncircumcised penis can be difficult or impossible to retract (phimosis). This can lead to inflammation of the foreskin or head of the penis.

Decreased risk of penile cancer. Although cancer of the penis is rare, it's less common in circumcised men. In addition, cervical cancer is less common in the female sexual partners of circumcised men.

The risks of not being circumcised, however, are not only rare, but avoidable with proper care of the penis.

Circumcision might not be an option if certain blood-clotting disorders are present. Also, circumcision might not be appropriate for premature babies who still require medical care in the hospital nursery or for babies born with abnormalities of the penis.

Circumcision doesn't affect fertility, nor is circumcision generally thought to enhance or detract from sexual pleasure for men or their partners.

Link: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/circumcision/about/pac-20393550

Now I would like to list some of the alleged benefits and related reasoning:

Historically, during the 18th and 19th centuries, circumcision was propagated as the remedy of almost all known ailments such as impotence, sterility, priapism, masturbation, venereal disease, epilepsy, bed-wetting, night terrors, paralysis, and homosexuality. It was also employed as a prophylactic measure against tuberculosis, cancer, syphilis, polio, idiocy, and forgetfulness

Picture: Three illustration from The Silent Friend by R. & L. Perry & Co. (1853) showing (left to right) the ‘General appearance of the features through Onanism’, ‘The meagre appearance of the features through Onanism’, and, ‘Spermatorrheal Opthalmia [inflammation of the eye] consequent through Onanism’.

Penile cancer was literally nonexistent in circumcised men based on a survey conducted in USA of 1250 large general hospitals in 1932 by Wolbarst Walsham (1903) re-iterates the putative association of phimosis with impotence and suggests that it may also predispose to sterility, priapism, excess masturbation and even venereal disease.

 Warren (1915) adds epilepsy, nocturnal enuresis, night terrors and ‘precocious sexual unrest’ to the list of dangers, and this accepted catalogue of `phimotic ills' is extended in American textbooks to include other aspects of `sexual erethism' such as homosexuality

In the 19th century, during the Victorian era of medical experimentation in the United States and English-speaking countries, circumcision was promoted as preventing masturbation in boys and as a “cure” for “hysteria” in women. Some Victorian doctors went beyond the masturbation argument – claiming that circumcision prevented or cured conditions ranging from syphilis to epilepsy to mental retardation.

Virtually all medical texts at the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century prescribed circumcision for a variety of ills, ranging from epilepsy and hydrocephalus to malnutrition and tuberculosis, and confidently asserted that it was a cure for the "disease" of masturbation

Picture: Die Frau als Hausärztin – Ein ärztliches Nachschlagebuch für die Frau, by Dr. med. Anna Fischer Dückelmann, Copyright 1911, Link: https://archive.org/details/diefraualshaus00fiscuoft/mode/2up?view=theater

Following Spitz and Hare, Comfort observed that punitive treatments for the vice introduced in the second half of the nineteenth century included chastity belts and genital infibulation for both sexes, and spiked collars to wrap around the penis of boys afflicted by nocturnal emissions, as recommended by J.L. Milton in his much-reprinted book on Spermatorrhoea (condition of excessive, involuntary ejaculation)

Before 600 BC, Middle East, Religious Identity: Jews adopted circumcision from the Egyptians and are believed to be the first to perform it upon newborns

The practice was taken up by the Phoenicians around 400 BC, from either the Egyptians or Israelites, and propagated to other nations.

In 170 BC, ritual circumcision was banned by Greeks. Renowned Greek philosophers construed circumcision as a flaw of the human body, hence only Jews and slaves were subjected to this practice.

Greeks, Romans: prepuce was highly valued; exposed glans was ridiculed, forbidden

Pircture: Sprinter on a vase, Fikellura style amphora with a running man, Greek, 6th century BC, from Kamiros, Rhodes, Aegean Sea, Winning at the ancient Games, British Museum (7667202636).jpg. Author: Carole Raddato. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0

Now we jump a little bit forward in time …

Western societies (especially Germany) used threat of mutilation against the practice of masturbation. Side Note: children’s stories like the one about the disobedient Struwwelpeter (who turns ugly) ...

Picture: Heinrich Hoffmann (1908 – 1894):  Der Struwwelpeter; Frankfurt am Main : Literarische Anstalt Rütten & Loening, 1917 (400. Auflage); Exemplar der Universitätsbibliothek Braunschweig Signatur: 2007-0968. Public Domain

.. and the also disobedient Daumenlutscher (suck-a-thumb / well not for long since a tailor cuts them off) (ca. 1845) were en vogue to threaten disobedient children, and let’s one wonder if there was a connection with the height of the masturbation scare in Germany 

Der Struwwelpeter: Die Geschichte vom Daumenlutscher (created 1858): Tafel 1. Heinrich Hoffmann: Der Struwwelpeter; Frankfurt am Main : Literarische Anstalt Rütten & Loening, 1917 (400. Auflage); Exemplar der Universitätsbibliothek Braunschweig, Signatur: 2007-0968. Public Domain

The essence of this cruel short story: 

Conrad, listen up and don’t be  dumb

and stop this awful suck-a-thumb

but if you still will do

The tailor comes and cuts them through

Britain: 1860 to 1940s: Circumcision was recommended to prevent masturbation for both male and female (clitoridectomy)·        

US: Circumcision was widely propagated due to (alleged) health benefits.

o   The circumcision rate between 19032 and 1971 was growing from 30% to about 90% (1960s) and then a slight decline to about 80% (according to the National Health and Social Life Survey).

o   Also the Mayo Clinic reports Total Circumcision Rates for the years 1960 to 2000 in the order of 80 %. .

o   The prevalence of adult circumcision in the time span 1950 to 2006 was in the order: 40 to 30% for the West; between 70 to 60% for the South and Midwest, and about 80% for the Northeast:

Note: some doctors also practice involuntary female circumcision in the 1950s,

Picture: Postcard of Battle Creek Sanitarium exercise class, c. 1911, The Dillard Library collection. Public Domain

Special Case: J.H. Kellogg’s best-selling prescriptions for clean and healthy living in the 1880s. He led the Western Health Reform Institute in Battle Creek, Michigan.

o   These included a list of 39 signs by which masturbators could be detected, and a set of remedies, including bandaging and caging the genitals; tying the hands to prevent touching; sewing up the foreskin with silver wire to prevent erection and create sufficient discomfort to make sexual impulse unwelcome;

The following list provides some information about what may count as trustworthy assumptions / facts about the development of human foreskin and the practice of Human Genital Modification HGM. I took this information from a variety of sources (see upcoming literature list). 

Incomplete staff with phallic morphology from Cueto de la Mina cave (Asturias). Paleolithic Age. Author: José-Manuel Benito / Public Domain / https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bastón_fálico_paleolítico.png

·       The evolution of foreskin happened around 100 million years ago in proto-mammalian species

·       In primates, the foreskin has been present in the genitalia of both sexes of mammals for at least 65 million years and likely has been present for over 100 million years of evolution, based on its commonality as an anatomical feature in mammals (Link: (http://www.intactwiki.org/wiki/Evolution_of_the_Foreskin)

·       Emergence of the archaic Homo Sapiens about 300,000 years ago, and the modern Homo sapiens around 160,000 years ago, most likely with complete foreskin

·       Cave Art indicates that Circumcision was practiced in Europe before or within the last Ice Age (115,000 to 11,700 years ago)

·       Male Genital Representation in Paleolithic Art: Erection and Circumcision Before History. Conclusions of the authors: The erection in Paleolithic art (38,000 to 11,000 BCE in Europe) is explicitly represented in almost all the figures defined as unequivocally male that have survived to the present and in many objects of portable art. Circumcision and/or foreskin retraction of the penis are present in most of the works. Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0090429509000831

·       Cave paintings by the Ang-Gnarra People in Australia (15,000 to 50,000 BCE) indicate that circumcision was already part of their culture. http://www.circlist.com/history/history.html

·       Nomadic tribes of the north-eastern African and Arabian Peninsula practiced circumcision around 6000 BCE (mostly likely as puberty rite).

·       Before 10,000 BCE, Australia, Middle East, Africa, South & Central America: Pre-Historic Sacrificial Rites removing the foreskin began at various places and times as a rite of passage from boyhood to manhood.

Picture: Neolithic cave paintings found in Tassil-n-Ajjer (Plateau of the Chasms) region of the Sahara. https://www.loc.gov/item/94043019/ Source: Library of Congress Country Study of Algeria. Public Domain

Infant foreskins seem to be a multi-million-dollar industry since neonatal fibroblasts / stem cells gained from the foreskin (prepuce) can be used for: breathable bandages, treatment of bedsores, hair-grow stimulants, anti-aging cosmetic face creams, and injectable collagen.

Foreskin derived stem cells could be used to treat congenital muscular dystrophy.

A patent search finds thousands of patent applications (most are not granted) dealing with all sorts of ‘prepuce-related things’, like: prepuce stretching, cutting, prosthesis, restoration, cleaning, stripping, measuring, stitching, surgical treatment of juvenile phimosis, but also the use of human foreskin cells suitable for culturing stem cells.

Patent applications may use text snippets like (just look at the catch words):

 ·       The present invention is generally related to skin care compositions, and more specifically to cosmeceuticals and medicaments for topical application, including a skin cream, comprising exosome enriched cell culture medium conditioned by foreskin-derived fibroblast cells grown in two-dimensional culture.

·       In preferred embodiments of the present invention, monolayer cultures of primary human foreskin fibroblasts are used to …

·       In a preferred embodiment of the organotypic artificial skin of the present invention, the fibroblast is an in vitro culture isolated from the following cells: fibroblasts of mammalian skin, preferably human fibroblasts, including isolated primary infants skin fibroblasts, adult dermal fibroblasts, and juvenile foreskin fibroblasts, most preferably in vitro cultures of juvenile foreskin fibroblasts.

·       Other means of obtaining the initial keratinocytes may also be employed. For instance, keratinocytes may be isolated from neonatal foreskin retrieved from circumcision using the techniques detailed in …

·       An injection for treating skin defects, the injection mainly consists of cellular components, and the content of the cellular components per milliliter of the injection is 10-50 million; the cellular components are the skin of an aborted fetal skin or a foreskin removed by a newborn At least one of dermal fibroblast stem cells, fibroblast precursor cells, and fibroblasts collected after low-serum or serum-free culture and expansion.

·       The skin substitute of any of claims 2, 12, or 20, wherein the keratinocytes are neonatal foreskin keratinocytes, adult keratinocytes, or keratinocyte-like cells derived from pluripotential stem cells or from epithelial cells.

·       The engineered fibroblast cell of claim 9, wherein the mammalian tissues are derived from a placenta, umbilical cord, foreskin, skin, omentum, adipose tissue, and/or bone marrow.

·       A composition according to claim 9, wherein the epidermal cells originate in human foreskin.

·       The encapsulated material of claim 11, wherein the biological material is selected from pancreatic islet cells, human foreskin fibroblasts

·       The present invention relates to human foreskin cells, which are capable of maintaining stem cells in an undifferentiated state in culture

In other words, the prepuce seems to be a very powerful and valuable part of the body, only the circumcised don’t profit from this ‘beneficial income’.

In the next few Blogs, I would like to write about male and female ‘circumcision’.

For men, the term circumcision is somewhat ‘obvious’ for it is widely practiced and is ‘recommended’ or ‘demanded’ by the Jewish religion as well as within the Muslim faith system (although there is room to argue about this). 

Male circumcision comes in a variety of practices.

Female circumcision (there are 4 main types) is also called Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) or Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting/Circumcision (FGM/C).

All this can be summarized under the terms Human Genital Circumcision (HMC) or Human Genital Mutilation (HMG).

The terms Mutilation and Cutting are often times not accepted since they bear the connotation of harmful, illegal. For this Blog, I will use the term H(uman)GM, F(emale)GM, and M(ale)GM, the ‘M’ stands for the more neutral term Modification, but I keep the original abbreviations and meanings in the citations. 

Picture:  Egyptian Circumcision, bas-relief found in the temple of Khons. Source: History of Circumcision, by P.C. Remondo, M.D. 1891. (I have colored it for better representation

There is lots of information about the various types of HMC/HMG on the internet and in medical text books and journals. Viewer discretion is advised since the used graphics and pictures can be very disturbing (but only reflect reality)

Why am I interest in this topic?

I’m interested because I was wondering where/when/why this ‘custom’ was ‘invented’ and by whom. Does this ‘custom’ reflect deeper layers of humanity, i.e., was it a ‘’necessary’ element of human development? And why is it still practiced today?

Similar questions can be asked in regard to all types of Human Body Modifications and Ornamentation (but this is not covered here, maybe later, if I dare to look into this).

The other reason why I am interested is that during history, many false (and dangerous) claims have been made about related health and esthetical benefits. It is almost unbelievable how medical practitioners (individuals and whole organizations) argued about the advantages of circumcision, e.g., treatment of female hysteria, mental illness, masturbation homosexuality,…). All this caused great pain and damage to (mostly unknowing, uninformed) patients with long-lasting devastating effects.

It is evident that much harm and great suffering has been brought to men and women, and yet it is still practiced as many believe that the benefits outweigh the troubles.

 As benefits are named: group/tribe membership and acceptance, belonging to  certain ethnicity, necessary rite of passage, fertility rite,  cultural identity, test of personal character and ability to endure pain, increased value as marriage partner, improved esthetics and health.

Picture: (Male) Circumcision knife, Europe, 1775-1785 / Library reference: Science Museum A610550. Photo number: L0058051 / https://wellcomecollection.org/works/wwzw9nhc. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. 

This means that these practices will not go  away anytime in the near future. To a certain extent, they are even demanded by many of the circumcised persons themselves.

I would like to express my deepest sympathy for all those who were and still are (without consent, unknowingly or under heavy societal and peer pressure) subjugated under these procedures, but I know that even my strongest feelings of empathy are by no means adequate to what neonates, young boys and girls, men and women have to endure.

 I have done some literature research and found there is a huge amount of literature that is hardly to absorb/read. I will provide a list of used literature later. I most certainly do not claim to know or understand everything.

Again, my most basic question is regarding why and when such practiced where ‘invented’ by humanity and why Human Genital Modification (HGM) has become part of cultural identity and spirituality / religion.

Of course, I will also write about the plethora of pseudo-ethical and antiscientific arguments for male and female circumcision (e.g. Kellogg’s, Victorian age, Prevention of masturbation, Healing of hysteria, …)

References for Antisemitism in Fairy Tales

Oliver Geister: Märchen in dunklen Zeiten (2021- Geschichte des Märchens im „Dritten Reich“

The Brothers Grimm and Anti-Semitism (in German)

Judenhass der Brüder Grimm - Eine lange Liste antisemitischer Textstellen (Archiv) (deutschlandfunk.de)

Fairy Tale: Der Jude im Dorn (The Jew in the Thorns) – in German

Antisemitismus in Märchen - der Jude im Dorn - history and fairytales

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hermann_Vogel-The_Jew_Among_Thorns-3.jpg

Fairy Tale: The Good Cloth (in German)

Seite:Kinder und Hausmärchen (Grimm) 1812 II 361.jpg – Wikisource

SAGEN.at - DER GUTE LAPPEN

Collection of Fairy Tales

https://cpb-ca-c1.wpmucdn.com/myriverside.sd43.bc.ca/dist/0/3626/files/2018/01/The-Brothers-Grimm-1yfwcr9-1x4yq9t.pdf

Kinder- und gesammelt du : Grimm, Jacob, 1785-1863 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/folktexts.html

https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=ft067n99wt&chunk.id=ch7&toc.depth=1&brand=ucpress

http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/folktexts.html#c

http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type0955.html

Fairy Tale Classification

https://fairy-folk-tale.fandom.com/wiki/Aarne-Thompson-Uther_Index#Animal_Tales

http://oaks.nvg.org/uther.html

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wladimir_Jakowlewitsch_Propp

Fairy Tale Interpretations and History

Alice Dassel: Märcheninterpretationen

Jeanette Haas: Why the bear didn't eat the girl. Interesting connections of Original Germany Fairy Tales to the 21st Century / in German:  Märchenhaft: Verblüffende Relevanz Deutscher Märchen für das 21. Jahrhundert: Erkenntnisse für das Leben

Maria Tatar: The hard facts of the Grimm’s Fairy Tales

Maria Tatar: Off with their heads. Fairy Tales and the Culture of Childhood

Maria Tatar: The Grimm Reader. The Classic Tales of the Brothers Grimm

Maria Tatar: Enchanted Hunters. The Power of stories in childhood

Jack Zipes: Fairy Tales and the Art of Subversion

Another example of NAZI interpretation. 

In Little Red Riding Hood (Rotkäppchen) the girl symbolizes the poor German Volk, and the evil Wolf the Jews. And guess who the Hunter was?

By Jessie Willcox Smith (1863 – 1935)

https://socialistreadinggroup.wordpress.com/2018/07/08/little-red-cap-and-brier-rose/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17837440

By Gustave Doré

http://members.tripod.com/volobuef/page_maerchen_ilustracoes_volksm.htm, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=842221

Not so surprisingly, the NAZIs even invented new Fairy Tale!

There is so much more to say, e.g. that Hitler was a fanatic viewer of movies, in particular Fairy Tales (especially Snow White (Schneewittchen)) and Disney’s Micky Maus Comics(!).

On December 22, 1937, Goebbels wrote in his diary:

Ich schenke dem Führer 30 Klassefilme der letzten 4 Jahre und 18 Micky-Maus-Filme … zu Weihnachten. Er freut sich sehr darüber. Ist ganz glücklich über diesen Schatz, der ihm hoffentlich viel Freude und Erholung spenden wird.

I'm giving the Führer 30 great films from the last 4 years and 18 Mickey Mouse films ... for Christmas. He is very happy about it. Is very happy about this treasure, which will hopefully give him a lot of joy and relaxation (Google translation).

As I said in the beginning, both, Goebbels and Hitler, promoted (suited) Fairy Tales and their interpretations for the education of German children and families, and to encourage the youth to sacrifice their lives for the Führer.

That both of them committed suicide is tragical, but there is no word or feeling that I know of that could represent the horror brought about so many people, and in particular all Jewish and non-Jewish captives in the KZs, where most of them were brutally murdered.

⁋ It may be relieving to know that even in the concentration camps, prisoners succeeded to write and draw Fairy Tale booklets (for themselves, but some could be smuggled out of the KZs and given to relatives for print).

⁋ It was reported that Anne Frankl told children fairy tale during her imprisonment  (Auschwitz) and death in Bergen-Belsen.

Rotkäppchen Herkunft/Rechte: Deutsches Märchen- und Wesersagenmuseum / Hanna Dose [CC BY-NC-SA]

NAZI changed Fairy Tales

If a fairy tale did not fit or allow what was believed to be a proper German/NAZI interpretation, it would be altered.

Example: Hansel and Gretel

Von Ludwig Richter - Hänsel und Gretel Illustration für das Märchen / Gemeinfrei, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8348127

We all know this Fairy Tale. But it was a problem for the NAZIs, for could a good German mother speak to her husband:

"You know what, man," replied the woman, "we want to take the children out early in the morning into the forest, where it is the thickest. We'll make them a fire and give each of them a piece of bread, then go we get to our work and leave them alone. They cannot find their way home and we are rid of them. "

- "No, woman," said the man, "I don't; how can I bring myself to leave my children alone in the forest! The wild animals would soon come and tear them apart." - "Oh, you fool," she said, "then the four of us will have to die of hunger, you can only plane the boards for the coffins," and left him no peace until he consented. "But the poor children take me on," said the man. (Google Translation)

Remark: in the very original Hansel and Gretel version, the ‘mother’ was really her mother, not the ‘stepmother’. This change was introduced by Wilhelm Grimm (since stepmother are almost always evil – or had to be).

Hansel and Gretel. Kinder- und gesammelt du : Grimm, Jacob, 1785-1863 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

The NAZI -oriented explanations were:

Since a good German mother (or stepmother) could never abandon her children, this part of the story had been changed by the evil forces that always worked against the Germanic ideal. In the original (unaltered) version, the mother and father dropped the children off dearly hoping that they would be found and rescued from someone else. (Hmm, in the middle of a thick forest?).

And what about the witch (German: Hexe)? One interpreter  tried to change the word Hexe into ‘Böse Zauberin’ (evil sorceress), because Hexe stemmed from the Germanic ‘Hagadise, Hagezussa’ and was – according to the interpreter - a term for a honorable Germanic herb woman, and not for something who is as evil as the ‘witch’ in Hansel und Gretel. (Makes sense?).

Witch House Kinder- und gesammelt du : Grimm, Jacob, 1785-1863 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

But wait, the far better tale interpretation is: the witch symbolizes ‘Roma and Juda’ who always tried to slaughter the Germanic/German Volk.

For example, such changed fairy tales were promoted during wartime by the collectable fairy tale publications from the Winterhilfswerk des Deutschen Volkes (Winter Relief of the German People).