Vagina dentata
Encyclopedia
Vagina dentata is Latin
for toothed vagina
. Various cultures have folk tales
about women with toothed vaginas, frequently told as cautionary tale
s warning of the dangers of sex with strange women and to discourage the act of rape
.
The vagina dentata appears in the myths of several cultures. Erich Neumann
relays one such myth in which "a fish inhabits the vagina of the Terrible Mother; the hero is the man who overcomes the Terrible Mother, breaks the teeth out of her vagina, and so makes her into a woman."
The legend also appears in the mythology of the Chaco
and Guiana
tribes. In some versions, the hero leaves one tooth. An Ainu language
tale containing this element was published as "The Island of Women" by Basil Hall Chamberlain
, where it was described as a well known Japanese tale by E. B. Tylor.
In his book, The Wimp Factor, Stephen J. Ducat expresses the view that these myths express the threat sexual intercourse poses for men who, although entering triumphantly, always leave diminished.
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for toothed vagina
Vagina
The vagina is a fibromuscular tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. Female insects and other invertebrates also have a vagina, which is the terminal part of the...
. Various cultures have folk tales
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
about women with toothed vaginas, frequently told as cautionary tale
Cautionary tale
A cautionary tale is a tale told in folklore, to warn its hearer of a danger. There are three essential parts to a cautionary tale, though they can be introduced in a large variety of ways. First, a taboo or prohibition is stated: some act, location, or thing is said to be dangerous. Then, the...
s warning of the dangers of sex with strange women and to discourage the act of rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
.
The vagina dentata appears in the myths of several cultures. Erich Neumann
Erich Neumann (psychologist)
Erich Neumann , was a psychologist, writer, and one of Carl Jung's most gifted students.-Career:Neumann was born in Berlin. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Berlin in 1927. He later moved to Tel Aviv. For many years, he regularly returned to Zürich, Switzerland to give lectures at the...
relays one such myth in which "a fish inhabits the vagina of the Terrible Mother; the hero is the man who overcomes the Terrible Mother, breaks the teeth out of her vagina, and so makes her into a woman."
The legend also appears in the mythology of the Chaco
Chaco (tribe)
The Chaco tribe is a native American tribe in Paraguay who built complex stone edifices that aligned with solar and lunar trajectories. The Chaco had no written language and so all knowledge required for building their structures had to be passed by word of mouth over many generations...
and Guiana
The Guianas
The Guyanas or the Guianas refers to a region in north-eastern South America which includes the following three territories:* French Guiana, an overseas department of France;...
tribes. In some versions, the hero leaves one tooth. An Ainu language
Ainu language
Ainu is one of the Ainu languages, spoken by members of the Ainu ethnic group on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaidō....
tale containing this element was published as "The Island of Women" by Basil Hall Chamberlain
Basil Hall Chamberlain
Basil Hall Chamberlain was a professor of Tokyo Imperial University and one of the foremost British Japanologists active in Japan during the late 19th century. He also wrote some of the earliest translations of haiku into English...
, where it was described as a well known Japanese tale by E. B. Tylor.
In his book, The Wimp Factor, Stephen J. Ducat expresses the view that these myths express the threat sexual intercourse poses for men who, although entering triumphantly, always leave diminished.
See also
- TeethTeeth (film)Teeth is a 2007 comedy horror film written and directed by Mitchell Lichtenstein, about a teenage girl who has teeth in her vagina. It premiered January 19, 2007 at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival in the independent drama category...
, a horror comedy film in which the protagonist has a vagina dentata - Penetration AngstPenetration angstPenetration Angst is a 2003 UK horror film, written, produced and directed by Wolfgang Büld and starring Fiona Horsey. The film was later released in the United States, on DVD, as Angst.-Plot summary:...
, another horror film on the topic - Rape-aXe, a South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n anti-rape device - Snow CrashSnow CrashSnow Crash is Neal Stephenson's third novel, published in 1992. Like many of Stephenson's other novels it covers history, linguistics, anthropology, archaeology, religion, computer science, politics, cryptography, memetics, and philosophy....
, the 1992 novel by Wired Magazine author Neal StephensonNeal StephensonNeal Town Stephenson is an American writer known for his works of speculative fiction.Difficult to categorize, his novels have been variously referred to as science fiction, historical fiction, cyberpunk, and postcyberpunk...
, in which the character Y.T. uses a dentata device. - Moon Over SohoMoon Over SohoMoon Over Soho is the second novel in the Rivers of London series by English author Ben Aaronovitch. The novel was released on 21st April 2011 through Gollancz and was well received.-Plot:...
, the second book in the Rivers of LondonRivers of London (novel)Rivers of London is the first novel in the series of the same name by English author Ben Aaronovitch. The novel was released on 10th January 2011 through Gollancz and was well received by critics, earning a Galaxy National Book Awards nomination for Aaronovitch in the New Writer of the Year...
series by Ben AaronovitchBen AaronovitchBen Denis Aaronovitch is a London-born British writer who has worked on television series including Doctor Who, Casualty, Jupiter Moon and Dark Knight...
features an assassin with vagina dentata.