dravidian circumcision

[Guest guest]

Hi group.

 

This site:

 

http://www.geocities.

com/Athens/Ithaca/1335/Anthro/sud_afr.html#circ

 

makes the claim:

 

'Circumcision, both male and female, was practiced by Dravidians and is

still widely practiced in Africa.'

 

But cites no proof that I can

find. I have always been very interested in the possibility of pre-

muslim practices of male and female circumcision in the Subcontinent,

but have not come across any evidence for them in my reading. The

closest thing I have found is the genital mutilations described in

Kamasutra VII.2, interestingly attributed to the southern country:

 

'The people of the southern countries think that true sexual pleasure

cannot be obtained without perforating the lingam, and they therefore

cause it to be pierced like the lobes of the ears of an infant pierced

for earrings.

 

'Now, when a young man perforates his lingam he should

pierce it with a sharp instrument, and then stand in water so long as

the blood continues to flow. At night, he should engage in sexual

intercourse, even with vigour, so as to clean the hole. After this he

should continue to wash the hole with decoctions, and increase the size

by putting into it small pieces of cane, and the wrightia

antidysenterica, and thus gradually enlarging the orifice. It may also

be washed with liquorice mixed with honey, and the size of the hole

increased by the fruit stalks of the simapatra plant. The hole should

also be anointed with a small quantity of oil.

 

'In the hole made in

the lingam a man may put Apadravyas of various forms, such as the

'round', the 'round on one side', the 'wooden mortar', the 'flower',

the 'armlet', the 'bone of the heron', the 'goad of the elephant', the

'collection of eight balls', the 'lock of hair', the 'place where four

roads meet', and other things named according to their forms and means

of using them. All these Apadravyas should be rough on the outside

according to their requirements.' [from Burton's 'translation', which

is what comes ready to hand online]

 

But this is not circumcision. Can

anyone think what the makers of this site are thinking of; does any

evidence for dravidian circumcision come to mind?

 

Phillip

[Guest guest]

It should be noted that the site "The Sudroid (Indo-African) Race"

is created by an unknown but well-funded "Dalitstan" organization,

with some specific objectives.

 

Yashwant

 

 

 

INDOLOGY, "phillip.ernest@v..."

<phillip.ernest@v...> wrote:

> Hi group.

>

> This site:

>

> http://www.geocities.

> com/Athens/Ithaca/1335/Anthro/sud_afr.html#circ

>

> makes the claim:

>

> 'Circumcision, both male and female, was practiced by Dravidians

and is

> still widely practiced in Africa.'

>

> But cites no proof that I can

> find. I have always been very interested in the possibility of

pre-

> muslim practices of male and female circumcision in the

Subcontinent,

> but have not come across any evidence for them in my reading. The

> closest thing I have found is the genital mutilations described in

> Kamasutra VII.2, interestingly attributed to the southern

country:

>

> 'The people of the southern countries think that true sexual

pleasure

> cannot be obtained without perforating the lingam, and they

therefore

> cause it to be pierced like the lobes of the ears of an infant

pierced

> for earrings.

>

> 'Now, when a young man perforates his lingam he should

> pierce it with a sharp instrument, and then stand in water so long

as

> the blood continues to flow. At night, he should engage in sexual

> intercourse, even with vigour, so as to clean the hole. After this

he

> should continue to wash the hole with decoctions, and increase the

size

> by putting into it small pieces of cane, and the wrightia

> antidysenterica, and thus gradually enlarging the orifice. It may

also

> be washed with liquorice mixed with honey, and the size of the

hole

> increased by the fruit stalks of the simapatra plant. The hole

should

> also be anointed with a small quantity of oil.

>

> 'In the hole made in

> the lingam a man may put Apadravyas of various forms, such as the

> 'round', the 'round on one side', the 'wooden mortar',

the 'flower',

> the 'armlet', the 'bone of the heron', the 'goad of the elephant',

the

> 'collection of eight balls', the 'lock of hair', the 'place where

four

> roads meet', and other things named according to their forms and

means

> of using them. All these Apadravyas should be rough on the outside

> according to their requirements.' [from Burton's 'translation',

which

> is what comes ready to hand online]

>

> But this is not circumcision. Can

> anyone think what the makers of this site are thinking of; does

any

> evidence for dravidian circumcision come to mind?

>

> Phillip