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"Eunuchs."
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River god
\"Ancient Egypt. Land of the Pharaohs. The Valley of the Kings lies ravaged by the war, drained of its lifeblood as weak men inherit the cherished crown. In the city of Thebes, at the Festival of Osiris, loyal subjects of the Pharaoh gather to pay homage to their leader. But Taita - a wise and formidably gifted eunuch slave - sees him only as a symbol of a kingdom's fading glory. Beside Taita stand his protégés: Lostris, daughter of Lord Intef, beautiful beyond her years ; and Tanus, proud young army officer, who has vowed to avenge the death - at Intef's and - of his father, and seize Lostris as his prize. Together they share a dream-to restore the majesty of the true Pharaoh of Pharaohs on the glittering banks of the Nile.\"--Page 4 of cover.
Book
Unraveling the Eunuch Myth: Men, Eunuchs, and the Multifaceted Nature of their Roles
The purpose behind this study is to examine the factors contributing to the prevalence of large number of eunuchs worldwide, with specifically focus on Pakistan. The Eunuchs are marginalized subcultural groups that include those who identified as genderqueer women. Their unique begging techniques, such as slapping their hollow hands together, are one of their strategies to divert others attention towards them. Data for the paper was gathered from 12 semi-structured interviews with Eunuch and three semi-structured interviews with Guru in three Dera locations: Taxila, Wah, and Hasanabdal. Their live experiences were also recorded from childhood to old age across a wide range of settings, such as family, school, Guru, Dera colleagues, the workplace, and encounters with the public. The findings showed that, despite the fact that some of the eunuchs that come out in the market may look or behave in a manner that is often associated with eunuchs, most of them are male, and some of them were even married. They adopt it for economic reasons; however, adopting an artificial female role has caused role conflict in their lives. Traditionally, at household level, a male is supposed to take care of the home, such as finances, and appear masculine, but adopting an artificial female role for the male body increases the complications at social and family levels. The men by the name of Bread Winner have been facing exploitation, pushing them to adopt a character that is culturally and socially forbidden in the Pakistani community.
Journal Article
The castrato
The Castratois a nuanced exploration of why innumerable boys were castrated for singing between the mid-sixteenth and late-nineteenth centuries. It shows that the entire foundation of Western classical singing, culminating in bel canto, was birthed from an unlikely and historically unique set of desires, public and private, aesthetic, economic, and political. In Italy, castration for singing was understood through the lens of Catholic blood sacrifice as expressed in idioms of offering and renunciation and, paradoxically, in satire, verbal abuse, and even the symbolism of the castrato's comic cousin Pulcinella. Sacrifice in turn was inseparable from the system of patriarchy-involving teachers, patrons, colleagues, and relatives-whereby castrated males were produced not as nonmen, as often thought nowadays, but as idealized males. Yet what captivated audiences and composers-from Cavalli and Pergolesi to Handel, Mozart, and Rossini-were the extraordinary capacities of castrato voices, a phenomenon ultimately unsettled by Enlightenment morality. Although the castrati failed to survive, their musicality and vocality have persisted long past their literal demise.
eBook
Desert god
On the gleaming banks of the Nile, the brilliant Taita -- a freed slave and advisor to the Pharaoh -- devises a plan to destroy Egypt's most feared enemy, the mighty Hyksos. His quest will take him on an epic journey up the ancient river, through Arabia and the magical city of Babylon and across the open seas -- all in the company of the Pharaoh's exquisite sisters. With the future of the kingdom itself on his shoulders, Taita plunges into a world where the line between loyalty and betrayal shifts like the desert sands, evil waits in the shadows and death lingers on the edge of darkness.
Book
NE SPADONES FIANT: DOMITIAN'S EMASCULATION BAN
This article questions the prevailing opinion that Domitian's prohibition of castration was intended as a protective measure devised to check masters’ abuses on their slaves, as part of a larger trend towards more enlightened attitudes towards slavery among the Romans. While brutal, castration was the only type of mutilation which increased the monetary value of slaves. Banning it curtailed slaves’ chances of social climbing and narrowed their channels towards positions of power. The emasculation ban is, instead, better understood as one of the many measures directed towards the control of the sexual behaviour and the sumptuary practices of the Roman elite. Introduced as a censorial decree, the ban gave Domitian the opportunity to act as the upholder of Republican traditions at the same time as he impinged on the private lives of his subjects and put senators and equestrians under his thumb. The article also argues that, contrary to what is usually argued, the constant re-enforcement of the prohibition to castrate by Domitian's successors is an indication of the effectiveness of the Roman legal machinery and its capacity to reach the most distant corners of the Roman empire.
Journal Article
Eunuch and emperor in the great age of Qing rule
\"This book offers a new understanding of eunuchs and their connection to imperial rule in early-to- mid-Qing China (1644-1800). Historians have traditionally viewed this period as one in which China's greatest emperors crafted policies that curtailed eunuch power, following its surge in the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Using archival, epigraphic, and other newly available sources, Norman Kutcher demonstrates the continuing influence and even empowerment of eunuchs throughout this period. The book traces this empowerment to eunuchs' exploitation of the gap between imperial rhetoric and practice and to their networking and other collective action in and beyond the city of Beijing\"--Provided by publisher.
Book
Eunuchs in Burmese history: An overview
Despite the fact that Burmese courts had sizeable harems and that eunuchs are typically associated with harems, little attention has been paid to the presence of eunuchs in Burmese courts. This essay provides an overview of the existing English-language literature on eunuchs in Burmese courts, focusing on the three Burmese courts for which mention of eunuchs has survived in the historical record, namely the court at Pegu of the Taungoo dynasty (1486–1599), the court of Mrauk U of the Arakan kingdom (1429–1785), and the so-called ‘Court of Ava’ of the Konbaung dynasty (1765–1885). Noting the descriptions of eunuchs as Muslim, the essay considers the evidence regarding their numbers, their functions, and their possible origins.
Journal Article
Choosing Castration: A Thematic Analysis of the Perceived Pros and Cons of Genital Injuries and Ablation by Men Who Voluntarily Sought Castration
Some men elect castration voluntarily without any clear medical reason. Here we aim to document their perception of genital ablation and injuries to better understand their motivations for castration. Participants completed an online survey with open-ended questions related to their perspectives on castration, genital ablation, and genital injuries. Thematic analyses were performed on the responses to these questions. Responses were obtained from 208 male castrated individuals (51.9 ± 16.0 years old). Among these, 154 were physically castrated, 36 chemically castrated, and 18 nullified (had testicles and penis removed). The majority learned about castration from media (55.8%) or animal castration (23.4%). The circumstances when they first wanted to be castrated varied greatly. Most (46.3%) wished to achieve an idealized self motivated by gender dysphoria, body integrity dysphoria, or wanting to be conspicuously non-sexual. The top themes we identified related to the respondents’ perceptions of the pros of genital ablation were physical appearance, psychological benefit (i.e., a “eunuch calm”), and being non-sexual. Conversely, themes related to the cons they saw in having no genitals ranged from no disadvantages to loss of sexual/reproductive capability. Some perceived performing genital injury as a step toward ultimate castration or nullification. The respondents similarly varied in whether they saw any loss in having non-functional testicles. Perceptions in this regard appeared to differ depending on whether the respondents were taking supplemental androgens post-castration. Motivations for castration vary greatly between individuals. Clinicians need to understand men’s diverse perceptions on castration in order to provide appropriate care for individuals with strong castration desire.
Journal Article