Scatalogic Rites of All Nations: A dissertation upon the employment of excrementitious remedial agents in religion, therapeutics, divination, witchcraft, love-philters, etc., in all parts of the globeBourke, John Gregory
Religion
Scatalogic Rites of All Nations: A dissertation upon the employment of excrementitious remedial agents in religion, therapeutics, divination, witchcraft, love-philters, etc., in all parts of the globe
Bourke, John Gregory
Scatology
Frommann gives an instance of a woman who made love-philters out of her
own excrement. As late as Frommann’s day, the use of such philters was
punishable with death. The remedies for love-philters were composed of
human skull, coral, verbena flowers, secundines, or after-birth, and
a copious flow of urine. He says that Paracelsus taught that when one
person ate or drank anything given off by the skin of another, he would
fall desperately in love with that other. “Quod illi, qui ederunt aut
biberunt aliquid a scorte datum, in amorem alicujus conjiciantur et
rapiantur.” (Frommann, “Tractatus de Fascinatione,” pp. 820, 826, 970,
quoting Paracelsus, Tract. 1, de Morbis Amantium, cap. v.) He also cites
Beckherius to the effect that some philters were made of perspiration,
menses, or semen.—(Idem, quoting Beckherius, “Sapgyr. Microc.,” p. 89.)
John Leo, in Purchas (vol. ii. p. 850), speaks of “the roote Surnay
growing also upon the Western part of Mount Atlas.... The inhabitants of
Mount Atlas doe commonly report that many of those damosels which keepe
Cattell upon the said Mountaines, lose their Virginitie by no other
occasion than by making water upon said Roote.... This roote is said to
be comfortable and preseruatiue unto the priuie partes of man, and being
drunk in an Electuary to stirre up Venereal lust.”
Reginald Scot mentions a “Wolves yard” among the ingredients in a
love-philter.—(“Discoverie of Witchecraft,” London, 1651, p. 62.)
Human ordure was in constant use in the manufacture of these philters,
being administered both internally and externally. On this point it may
be proper to give the exact words of Schurig, who explains that it was
sometimes put in porridge, and in other cases in the shoes. In the last
example, the man who made such use of the excrement of his lady love was
completely cured of his infatuation, after wearing the defiled shoes
one hour. “Contra Philtræ tam interne quam externe adhiberi solet amatæ
puellæ stercus, ab exsiccato enim atque in pulmento personæ philtratæ
exhibito amorem in maximam antipathiam mutatam annotavit Eberhardus
Gockelius ... etiam Capitanei cujusdam meminit qui, postquam amasiæ
stercus novis calceis imposuerat, posteaque iisdem per integram horam
spatiatus fuerat ab illius amore liberabatur.”—(“Chylologia,” p. 774.)
Leopard-dung was in repute as an aphrodisiac.—(Idem, p. 820.)
“The urine that has been voided by a bull immediately after covering ...
taken in drink,” as an aphrodisiac; and “the groin well rubbed with earth
moistened with this urine.”—(Pliny, Bohn, lib. xxviii. cap. 80.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account