Death erection
Postmortem erection often found in those executed by hanging From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A death erection, angel lust, rigor erectus, or terminal erection[1] is a post-mortem erection, technically a priapism, observed in the corpses of men who have been executed, particularly by hanging.[2]
Overview
The phenomenon has been attributed to pressure on the cerebellum created by the noose.[3] Spinal cord injuries are known to be associated with priapism.[4] Injuries to the cerebellum or spinal cord are often associated with priapism in living patients.[2]
Death by hanging, whether an execution or a suicide, has been observed to affect the genitals of both men and women. In women, the labia and clitoris may become engorged and there may be a discharge of blood from the vagina[5] while in men, "a more or less complete state of erection of the penis, with discharge of urine, mucus or prostatic fluid is a frequent occurrence ... present for one in three cases."[5] Other causes of death may also result in these effects, including fatal gunshots to the head, damage to major blood vessels, and violent death by poisoning. A postmortem priapism is an indicator that death was likely swift and violent.[5]
In popular culture
- In The Sexuality of Christ in Renaissance Art and in Modern Oblivion,[6] art historian and critic Leo Steinberg alleges that a number of Renaissance-era artists depicted Jesus Christ with an emphasis on his genitalia—including after the crucifixion with a post-mortem erection—a motif which Steinberg named ostentatio genitalium. The artwork was suppressed by the Roman Catholic Church for several centuries.
- The "Cyclops" section of James Joyce's Ulysses makes multiple uses of the terminal erection as a motif.[7]
- In The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon relates an anecdote attributed to Abulfeda that Ali, on the death of Muhammad, exclaimed, O propheta, certe penis tuus cælum versus erectus est (O prophet, thy penis is erect unto the sky).[8] This understanding of the anecdote, however, is based on a mistranslation of the Arabic source by John Gagnier, who translated Abulfeda's Life of Muhammad into Latin. The English translation of the Arabic source should read: "In one account, ʿAlī, may God be best pleased with him, was called upon, while he was washing him [the Prophet], to raise his gaze to the sky."[9]
- This phenomenon is a recurring theme in the writing of William S. Burroughs, appearing in many of his books including Naked Lunch and Cities of the Red Night.[10]
See also
References
External links
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