The Castrato Sacrifice: Was it Justified? Page: 4
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The procedure had been used for different purposes, some sinister, some even "pious,"
since ancient times. The reasons for castration varied according to the culture and times of the
period. Tracing the origins of such practices is not an easy task, and in some cases impossible.
The more sinister reasons for castration can be quite bone-chilling. According to some
twelfth and thirteenth century accounts, many times castration was used as punishment or
revenge. Narratives describe many instances where men were castrated by fellow men upon
discovering an extramarital sexual affair with one of their kinswomen. Although these affairs
were generally considered to be consensual, the kinsman's honor was at stake, and therefore
castration was deemed a suitable punishment for such an offense. Adultery was also a recognized
offense punishable by "justified" castration, although the courts did try and control the actual act
of such punishments. Canon law even supported these ideas under more specific circumstances.
A Christian European found guilty of an adulterous affair with a Saracen woman was punishable
by castration according to Canon Law. Further tales of castration involve even clerics and
monks. They could be castrated for sexual crimes just as a layperson. Terrifyingly detailed
accounts of such situations, some even involving nuns, are told by Aelred Rievaulx, an abbot
serving from the years 1147-1167. This so-called "judicial castration" was used in many aspects
of life as a punishment, particularly for sexually-related offenses. Ancient Babylonian law even
contained references to this practice. The Code of Hammurabi (1728-1686 B.C.), one of the
oldest surviving examples of legislation, makes a specific reference to eunuchs and castration
being used as a form of punishment (Cohen-Wheeler 1997).
Castration was not always used as a punishment, however. The procedure was also used
for "noble" religious purposes as well. The story is told of an early patristic philosopher by the
name of Origen. He actually castrated himself to "become a eunuch for the kingdom of heaven's4
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Sowle, Jennifer. The Castrato Sacrifice: Was it Justified?, thesis, August 2006; Denton, Texas. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc5343/m1/7/: accessed May 10, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .