Body Piercing History
Body piercing is one of the oldest forms of body modification known to man. It has played different roles throughout history such as:
Rite of Passage
Roman soldiers wore nipple rings to display manhood.
Caesar's Roman guards pierced their nipples in honor of their emperor, but it was said that the real purpose was to hold their cloaks in place.
Social Standing
Upper-class Aztecs and Mayans adorned their lips with labrets of pure gold.
In ancient Egypt, only pharoahs and their royal families were permitted to pierce their navels.
In India, elite were distinguished by the value of their nose jewelry. Ironically, nostril piercing was later adopted by western hippies who traveled to India in the 1960s and 70s, and by the punks of the 80s and 90s, in order to shock the social rank it once stood for.
In the Name of Religion
Aztec and Mayan shamans and high priests pierced their tongues to communicate with their gods.
Sex & Fashion
In the 14th century, Queen Isabella of Bavaria spurred a fashion movement that encouraged rich woman to pierce their nipples and pass gold chains through them.
In the 1890s, Victorian women pierced their nipples with jewels sold by famous Parisian jewelers.
Perhaps it was Prince Albert, husband to Queen Victoria of England, who made the ultimate fashion sacrifice. To avoid an unsightly bulge in his tight trousers, Prince Al had his penis pierced and held to one side by a hook in his pants. This piercing, then called a 'Dressing Ring' was later named in honor of the Prince's fashion sense.
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