Vagina dentata (Latin for toothed vagina) describes a folk tale in which a woman's vagina is said to contain teeth, with the associated implication that sexual intercourse might result in injury or castration for the man.

The grain of truth in these stories is that dermoid cysts, which can occur anywhere in the body, often contain teeth.^[1] Although there are no documented examples, it is hypothetically possible for a tooth-containing dermoid cyst to develop in a woman's vagina.

In folklore[link]

Such folk stories are frequently told as cautionary tales warning of the dangers of sex with strange women and to discourage rape.^[1]

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."^[2]

The legend also appears in the mythology of the Chaco and Guiana tribes of South America. In some versions, the hero leaves one tooth.^[3] 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.^[4]

Metaphorical usage[link]

In her controversial best-seller Sexual Personae (1991), Camille Paglia wrote:

The toothed vagina is no sexist hallucination: every penis is made less by every vagina, just as mankind, male and female, is devoured by mother nature.^[5]

In his book, The Wimp Factor, Stephen J. Ducat expresses a similar view, that these myths express the threat sexual intercourse poses for men who, although entering triumphantly, always leave diminished.^[6]

See also[link]

• Teeth, a horror comedy film in which the protagonist has a vagina dentata
• Penetration Angst, another horror film on the topic
• Rape-aXe, a South African anti-rape device
• Snow Crash, the 1992 novel by Wired magazine author Neal Stephenson, in which the character Y.T. uses an anti-rape device worn internally called a dentata.^[7]
• Moon Over Soho, the second book in the Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch features an assassin with vagina dentata.

References[link]

Notes

External links[link]

• Dr. Dean Edell Health Central
• Article at BBC - h2hg
• Artist's vision of Vagina Dentata by a Czech fine art photographer Jan Krasňan (from his series created in October 2010)

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Jess Dobkin (born 1970) is a performance artist.

Career[link]

Dobkin's work often features her body "as a reference point". Such work includes The Two Boobs, a breast puppet show, and Composite Body.

Controversy[link]

In July 2006, Dobkin prepared a controversial work entitled Lactation Station Breast Milk Bar, in which participants were invited to sample human breast milk.^[1]

Personal life[link]

She currently lives in Toronto, Canada.

Dobkin is openly lesbian.^[2]

Her fan base is global.

References[link]

External links[link]

• jessdobkin.com

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