The myths of Women and cats, BIG cats, go far back, here it is the ancient goddess, Cybele who sits enthroned with her lions
The cult of the penis/phallos in some old religions is something very strange and contradictory as it (often) includes an eradication of the functioning of the organ. For instance one of the most interesting and intriguing Magna Maters (and there are several!) of ancient times, Cybele, had a eunich lover, Attis, whom she - testicles or not - loved dearly. Not only did she have this eunich lover, but her priests also were eunichs which indicates that to worship this high ranking goddess one had to give up one's maleness ....
When one thinks of the orgies that are part of the worship of her it gets quite weird: WHAT were all these eunichs doing to please the goddess??? Male gods, like e.g. Allah, promises their followers endless sexual exploits with virgins, but Cybele prefers eunichs for her orgies. That gives rise to thoughts about some of the symbolic implications of the genitals.
John Wayne Gacy (1942-1994), the "Killer clown", seems to have been obsessed with the male member. Not only did he rape, torture and murder at least 33 young men, but in prison he drew several drawings, some of the male member. OK, there is a nude woman, but still, it's the penis and its presumed drive that seems to have first priority. It sort of encompasses everything that goes on in the head of the man who is depicted in the drawing.
Men worshipping male genitals obviously identify with their penis in a manner women don't with their vagina, but some may be as obsessed with their breasts as e.g. John Wayne Gacy were with the male genitals. That, for instance, goes with our old friend, Cybele, who were depicted as "many-breasted". And, as we know, female genitals are not excluded to what is kept secret under a woman's skirt, jeans or whatever: Woman not only has sex and gives birth, but she is also nurturing. Her role is so much bigger than the male's, but I suspect that men identify more with their sexual appendage than women do with their genitals.
In a badge an enormous phallus is the "stepping ground" of what, presumably, is a woman who is pushing a wheelbarrow, loaded with penises. It's from 1375-1450 CE, but how is it to be interpreted? Is it an (aggressive, man-hating???) woman who has cut of a bunch of phalli and now is fleeing with her loot or someone who in one way or another is a worshipper of men and/or male sexuality???? As I think the figure resembles a man more than a woman I suspect that this is in reality a male who, like e.g. John Wayne Gacy, is out to worship what he sees as the symbol of himself.
Who were the worshippers of the vagina figures, known as "Sheela Na Gig", from the Middle Ages that are to be found throughout most of Europe? And what was the purpose of them? It's weird that there hasn't been much about them in the old annals. Theories are that they were meant to ward of evil spirits as they are often positioned over doors or windows that might give them access. However, that doesn't really explain HOW that would work: Were those evil spirits in awe of the female and her magic genitals or were they disgusted by the way they were displayed? As the figures are not "Vagina Dentata" and the face of them don't look scary I doubt they were meant to frighten off demons or the like.
As of today there still aren't any definite interpretation of these figures. Which to me looks like a proof that we don't know as much about the beliefs and religions of the past as we ought to know ....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vagina_dentata
https://www.webmd.com/women/anatomy-function-care-conditions-clitoris
https://www.jstor.org/stable/3024834
https://www.academia.edu/16882536/Phallic_Worship_In_Ancient_Religions
https://www.gaudiumivfcentre.com/blog/sperm-cramps-its-causes-symptoms-diagnosis-and-prevention/
https://newatlas.com/medical/male-birth-control-stk333/
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/male-drone-bee-dying/
https://www.wafb.com/2024/08/01/la-becomes-first-legalize-surgical-castration-child-rapists/
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/creep-claims-setting-firework-tied-33681441
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/10778012241279816
https://www.genderedspecies.com/
https://www.theoi.com/Phrygios/Attis.html
Wikipedia
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