Mural of Mercury in Pompeii.

A phallus is a penis. Any object that visually resembles a penis or acts as a symbol for it may also be referred to as a phallus; however, such objects are more correctly referred to as being phallic. Such symbols often represent the fertility and cultural implications that are associated with the male sexual organ. Image File history File links Mercury_god. ... Image File history File links Mercury_god. ... Salle des illustres, ceiling painting, by Jean André Rixens. ... Look up Mercury in Wiktionary, the free dictionary // Mercury, or Mercurius, derives from the Roman god Mercury (mythology). ... A computer-generated depiction of the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79 which buried Pompeii, from Discovery Channels Pompeii: The Last Day. ... The penis (plural penises, penes, peni) or phallus is an external male sexual organ. ...

Etymology

Via Latin, and Greek φαλλος, from Indo-European *bhļ--no-, from root *bhel- "to inflate, swell"; compare Old Norse boli = "bull", Old English bulluc = "bullock", Greek φαλλη = "whale". [1] Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... Proto-Indo-European Indo-European studies Indo-European is originally a linguistic term, referring to the Indo-European language family. ... The root is the primary lexical unit of a word, which carries the most significant aspects of semantic content and cannot be reduced into smaller constituents. ... Old Norse or Danish tongue is the Germanic language once spoken by the inhabitants of the Nordic countries (for instance during the Viking Age). ... Look up bull in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Note: This page contains phonetic information presented in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) using Unicode. ... Bullock may refer to: bullock or ox, castrated male cattle Sandra Bullock, actress Alan Bullock, historian This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Whales are the largest species of exclusively aquatic mammals, members of the order Cetacea, which also includes dolphins and porpoises. ...

In physical anatomy

The term phallus refers to the erect male penis. It is sometimes also used to refer to the clitoris of a female, particularly during fetal development before sexual differentiation is evident. The penis (plural penises, penes, peni) or phallus is an external male sexual organ. ... A womans clitoris extends from the visible portion to a point below the pubic bone. ... Sexual differentiation is the process of development of the differences between males and females from an undifferentiated zygote (fertilized egg). ...

It also refers to the male sexual organ of certain birds, which differs anatomically from a true (i.e. mammalian) penis; see Bird anatomy. Orders Many - see section below. ... Anatomy of a typical bird Bird anatomy shows so many unusual adaptations (mostly aiding flight) that birds have earned their own unique class in the vertebrate phylum. ...

In art

This belt buckle was inspired by Aubrey Beardsley's illustration The Lacedaemonian Ambassadors.

Ancient sculptures of phalli have been found in many parts of the world, notably among the vestiges of ancient Greece and Rome; it is also common in India where the phallus (i.e. lingam) is a symbol of Shiva. Image File history File links Beardsley_Belt_Buckle. ... Image File history File links Beardsley_Belt_Buckle. ... Aubrey Beardsley Aubrey Vincent Beardsley (August 21, 1872 – March 16, 1898) was an influential English artist, illustrator, and author. ... An Italian Futurist sculpture by Umberto Boccioni at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City (MoMA). ... A relic is an object, especially a piece of the body or a personal item of someone of religious significance, carefully preserved with an air of veneration as a tangible memorial, Relics are an important aspect of Buddhism, some denominations of Christianity, Hinduism, shamanism, and many other personal belief systems. ... The Roman Forum was the central area around which ancient Rome developed. ... Linga worship (Estate of Cynthia and Harlen Welsh) The Lingam (also, Linga; Sanskrit , meaning mark or sign) is used as a symbol for the worship of the Hindu god Shiva. ... Shiva (Sanskrit: शिव; Hindi: शिव (when used to distinguish lordly status), and written Śiva in the official IAST transliteration, pronounced as ) is a form of Ishvara or God in the later Vedic scriptures of Hinduism. ...

The Hohle phallus, a 28,000-year-old siltstone phallus discovered in the Hohle Fels cave and first assembled in 2005, is among the oldest phallic representations known. ^[1]

Shakespeare often incorporated phallic symbols into his plays; swords and knives, for example, were phallic symbols representing the masculinity of their wielders. William Shakespeare—born April 1564; baptised April 26, 1564; died April 23, 1616 (O.S.), May 3, 1616 (N.S.)—has a reputation as the greatest of all writers in English. ... Swiss longsword, 15th or 16th century Sword (from Old English sweord, cognate to Old High German Schwert, literally wounding tool from a Proto-Indo-European root *swer- to wound, to hurt) is a term for a long edged weapon, fundamentally consisting of a blade, usually with two edges for striking...

In religion

In anthropology, phallicism or phallic worship refers to the ritual adoration of the human penis, or the phallus. Elements of phallicism have been found in many cultures, including Ancient Greece, certain Hindu sects in India and in Sumeria. Anthropology (from the Greek word άνθρωπος, human or person) consists of the study of humanity (see genus Homo). ... The penis (plural penises, penes, peni) or phallus is an external male sexual organ. ... Ancient Greece is the period in Greek history lasting for close to a millennium, until the rise of Christianity. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A sect is a small religious group that has branched off of a larger established religion. ... Sumer (or Shumer, Sumeria, Shinar, native ki-en-gir) formed the southern part of Mesopotamia from the time of settlement by the Sumerians until the time of Babylonia. ...

Shaivism

The Lingam, or Linga by some etymologists, is still used in Shaivism as a symbol for the worship of the Hindu God Shiva. The use of this symbol as an object of worship is a timeless tradition in India. Mainstream scholars connect the origin of the lingam to the early Indus Valley civilisation and to phallic worship in earlier prehistoric times. The lingam is usually found with the Yoni, the symbol for the female sexual organ. However, the lingam is not regarded by Hindus as a phallic structure but as an abstract symbol of the formless God, who is beyond the sensory perception of man. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Linga worship (Estate of Cynthia and Harlen Welsh) The Lingam (also, Linga; Sanskrit , meaning mark or sign) is used as a symbol for the worship of the Hindu god Shiva. ... Linga worship (Estate of Cynthia and Harlen Welsh) Lingam or Linga is the Sanskrit word for mark. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Shiva (Sanskrit: शिव; Hindi: शिव (when used to distinguish lordly status), and written Śiva in the official IAST transliteration, pronounced as ) is a form of Ishvara or God in the later Vedic scriptures of Hinduism. ... The word yoni is the Sanskrit word for the female reproductive organ. ...

Ancient Greece

In traditional Greek mythology, Hermes was considered to be a phallic deity associated with male fertility prior to being the messenger god. His offspring Pan was often portrayed as having a constant erection. Ancient Greece is the period in Greek history lasting for close to a millennium, until the rise of Christianity. ... // Greek mythology consists in part in a large collection of narratives that explain the origins of the world and detail the lives and adventures of a wide variety of gods, goddesses, heroes, and heroines. ... Hermes bearing the infant Dionysus, by Praxiteles Hermes (Greek IPA ), in Greek mythology, is the god of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of orators, literature and poets, of athletics, of weights and measures and invention and commerce in general, of liars, and of... Look up Pan in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Priapus was a Greek god of fertility whose symbol was an exaggerated phallus. The son of Aphrodite and either Dionysus or Adonis, he was the protector of livestock, fruit plants, gardens, and male genitalia. His name is the origin of the medical term priapism. Bronze sculpture, House of the Vettii, Pompeii In Greek mythology, Priapus was a fertility god, protector of livestock, fruit plants, gardens and male genitalia. ... Birth of Venus (a. ... Dionysus with a panther and satyr, in the Palazzo Altemps (Rome, Italy) Dionysus or Dionysos (Ancient Greek: Διώνυσος or Διόνυσος; also known as Bacchus in both Greek and Roman mythology and associated with the Italic Liber), the Thracian god of wine, represents not only the intoxicating power of wine, but also its... A 19th-century reproduction of a Greek bronze of Adonis found at Pompeii. ... Bronze sculpture depicting Priapus. ...

Ancient Scandinavia

The Norse god Freyr was a phallic deity, representing male fertility and love. Scandinavia is a region in Northern Europe named after the Scandinavian Peninsula. ... Norse or Scandinavian mythology comprises the pre-Christian religion, beliefs and legends of the Scandinavian people, including those who settled on Iceland, where the written sources for Norse mythology were assembled. ... This 19th century representation of Freyr shows him with his boar Gullinbursti and his sword. ...

The short story Völsa þáttr describes a family of Norwegians worshipping a conserved horse's penis. Völsa þáttr is a short story which is only extant in the Flatey Book, where it is found in a chapter of Ólofs saga Helga. ...

Ancient Rome

Ancient Romans wore phallic jewelry as talismans against the evil eye. The Roman Forum was the central area around which ancient Rome developed. ... John Phillip, The Evil Eye (1859), a self-portrait depicting the artist sketching a Spanish gypsy who thinks she is being given the evil eye The evil eye is a widely distributed element of folklore, in which it is believed that the envy elicited by the good luck of fortunate...

In psychoanalysis

Russian tented churches are sometimes interpreted as phallic symbols.

The symbolic version of the phallus, a phallic symbol is meant to represent male generative powers. According to Sigmund Freud's theory of psychoanalysis, while males possess a penis, no one can possess the symbolic phallus. Jacques Lacan's Ecrits: A Selection includes an essay titled The Significance of the Phallus which articulates the difference between "being" and "having" the phallus. Men are positioned as men insofar as they are seen to have the phallus. Women, not having the phallus, are seen to "be" the phallus, within a heterosexual framework. The symbolic phallus is the concept of being the ultimate man, and having this is compared to having the divine gift of God. 16th-century phallic church at Boris Godunovs estate near Moscow. ... 16th-century phallic church at Boris Godunovs estate near Moscow. ... The rocket-like church at Ostrov near Moscow is considered typical for Boris Godunovs reign. ... Phallic symbols are forms or concepts considered to be representations of the penis (or phallus) and the fertility and cultural implications that are associated with the male sexual organ. ... Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud (IPA: []) (May 6, 1856 – September 23, 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of the psychoanalytic school of psychology. ... Cover of Elisabeth Roudinescos biography of Lacan Jacques-Marie-Émile Lacan (April 13, 1901 – September 9, 1981) was a French psychoanalyst, psychiatrist, and doctor. ...

In "Gender Trouble", Judith Butler explores Freud's and Lacan's discussions of the symbolic phallus by pointing out the connection between the phallus and the penis. She writes, "The law requires conformity to its own notion of 'nature'. It gains its legitimacy through the binary and asymmetrical naturalization of bodies in which the phallus, though clearly not identical to the penis, deploys the penis as its naturalized instrument and sign" (135). In Bodies that Matter, she further explores the possibilities for the phallus in her discussion of The Lesbian Phallus. If, as she notes, Freud enumerates a set of analogies and substitutions that rhetorically affirm the fundamental transferability of the phallus from the penis elsewhere, then any number of other things might come to stand in for the phallus (62). Image:J Butler. ...

In gender studies

In cultural terms, phallocentrism is used to describe a male-centered doctrine or behavior, and sometimes refers to patriarchy, while gynocentrism is used to describe female-centered doctrine or behavior, and sometimes refers to matriarchy. Furthermore, the term yonic has often been used to describe something as vaginal and is considered the counterpart to the term phallic. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Patriarchy (from Greek: patria meaning father and arché meaning rule) is the anthropological term used to define the sociological condition where male members of a society tend to predominate in positions of power; with the more powerful the position, the more likely it is that a male will hold that... Gynocentrism (Greek γυνο, gyno-, woman, χεντρον, kentron, center) is the practice, often consciously adopted, of placing female human beings or the female point of view at the center of ones view of the world and its culture and history. ... Matriarchy is a form of society in which power is with the women and especially with the mothers of a community. ... The word yoni is the Sanskrit word for the female reproductive organ. ... Human female internal reproductive anatomy The vagina (from the Latin for sheath or scabbard ) is the tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female mammals, or to the cloaca in female birds and some reptiles. ...

In fiction

In the novel The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown describes the Eiffel Tower as a thousand-foot phallus. This article is about the novel. ... The Tower at sunrise. ...

See also

• Cerne Abbas giant
• Lingam
• Middle finger
• Shiva
• Warrior of Hirschlanden
• Yonic

The Cerne Abbas giant is a hill figure of a giant naked man on a hillside near the village of Cerne Abbas to the north of Dorchester in Dorset, England. ... Linga worship (Estate of Cynthia and Harlen Welsh) The Lingam (also, Linga; Sanskrit , meaning mark or sign) is used as a symbol for the worship of the Hindu god Shiva. ... This article is about the gesture. ... Shiva (Sanskrit: शिव; Hindi: शिव (when used to distinguish lordly status), and written Śiva in the official IAST transliteration, pronounced as ) is a form of Ishvara or God in the later Vedic scriptures of Hinduism. ... The Warrior of Hirschlanden is a statue of a nude ithyphallic warrior made of sandstone, the first known iron age life-size anthropomorphic statue north of the alps. ... The word yoni is the Sanskrit word for the female reproductive organ. ...

Notes

1. ^ Amos, Jonathan, "Ancient phallus unearthed in cave", BBC News, 2005-07-25. Retrieved on 2006-07-08.

2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 25 is the 206th day (207th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 159 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 8 is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 176 days remaining. ...

References

• Keuls, Eva C. (1985). The Reign of the Phallus. New York: Harper & Row. ISBN 0520079299.
• Leick, Gwendolyn (1994). Sex and Eroticism in Mesopotamian Literature. New York: Routledge. ISBN 0415065348.
• Lyons, Andrew P.; Harriet D. Lyons (2004). Irregular Connections: A History of Anthropology and Sexuality. U Nebraska Press. ISBN 080328036X.