Sex Fact: Ancient Dildos

Contributor: Kayla Kayla
The first dildo? Oh yes, it was a long time ago! Excavations of many ancient civilizations have shown stone objects that were obviously sculptures of penises. Those who made the discoveries say that the sculptures were made for religious and fertility rituals.

Fast forward to Ancient Greece, and they were using phallic-objects made from wood and leather. A drop of olive oil functioned as their lubricant. Greeks are also the ones who came up with the idea of hysteria - the lack of sperm causing the "wandering uterus" in women. When Greek men went off to war, they often gave their wives sex toys to help prevent hysteria.

Fun fact: Italians gave us the word "diletto" which means "to delight" which is where the modern word "dildo" comes from!

These sex facts were found from Go Ask Alice!.

So, which one of the ancient-dildo materials do you like the most?
Answers (private voting - your screen name will NOT appear in the results):
Stone
61  (66%)
Wood
26  (28%)
Leather
6  (6%)
Total votes: 93
Poll is closed
12/05/2011
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Contributor: Eucaly Eucaly
I've seen this before. It's hilarious that researchers were in denial for so long that these things were dildos.
12/05/2011
Contributor: Philia Philia
I'm saying wood, but I think that might be more because I've been coveting a wood dildo in general lately. Or maybe I'm just picturing well-aged wood vs. well-aged stone, and the stone seems really scratchy.

... and then I had to do an image search, and I saw a Chinese one made out of jade. That changes the whole "stone" thing for me.
12/05/2011
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
I could imagine some ancient stone dildos feeling amazing. Wow. I should probably go become friends with a sculptor or something.
12/05/2011
Contributor: Mellifer Mellifer
Precious stones would be nice.
12/05/2011
Contributor: Rawhide Rawhide
I've dreamed many a time about a cock made of leather. Yes, I know, not the most hygenic or practical material for a dildo. I just wanna hold it and jack it off with some Huberd's shoe grease.
12/05/2011
Contributor: Silverdrop Silverdrop
I love the origin of the word dildo.
12/05/2011
Contributor: Rin (aka Nire) Rin (aka Nire)
Quote:
Originally posted by Mellifer
Precious stones would be nice.
The dildo is now DIAMONDS!

Actually, despite the fact that it would be wildly expensive, I kind of now want a dildo made of diamond. If only to brag about it.
12/05/2011
Contributor: Sublime Sublime
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova
I could imagine some ancient stone dildos feeling amazing. Wow. I should probably go become friends with a sculptor or something.
I definitely agree. The other materials (especially wood) kinda scare me.
12/05/2011
Contributor: dawnkye dawnkye
I've been lusting after a nob essence toy forever so I have to go with wood.
12/05/2011
Contributor: SaMiKaY SaMiKaY
That is so interesting! I never thought of dildos being an ancient thing... I would definitely like a stone one though!
12/06/2011
Contributor: bayosgirl bayosgirl
I saw this on the History Channel. Ancient Greco-Roman culture was extremely sexual. Kind of makes me proud of my roots.
12/06/2011
Contributor: Chirple Chirple
I've seen some really awesome ivory ones, but I don't think I have the pictures any more.

Some people really went to town decorating them.
12/06/2011
Contributor: Nissa Nissa Nissa Nissa
Haven't they been using dildos and sex toys to combat hysteria in women for a while.. I mean just until the last couple centuries. I remember there being a vibrating chair of some sort. *shrug*
12/06/2011
Contributor: Philia Philia
Excuse me while I totally geek out for a minute ...

OK, so do you know the expression "I read this in Modern Jackass Magazine?" It's what you say as a disclaimer when you're saying something that you're pretty sure is true, but there's a possibility that at least part of it is completely misguided. So with that disclaimer, I'm saying the following -- just because I was thinking it when I read this post earlier today anyway.

I think that the use of sex toys to combat hysteria in women, at least in the 19th-C & early 20th-C versions (which is the historical wave that Freud came in on) was about making women have orgasms, because hysteria was related more to women unconsciously not accepting their place in society. So like a woman would be required to be a housewife and mother, take orders from her husband, etc. (and were still in many ways literally, legally their husband's property), and they'd behave all properly on the outside but then meanwhile get these crazy physical ticks, like "hysterical blindness" or paralysis or losing control of a limb. So one thing they'd do is try to reconnect women with their "femininity" in ways that fell into 2 categories. One, they'd basically make them go into enforced bed rest (if you've read Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wall Paper," it's all about a woman who goes crazy because they try to treat her postpartum depression by basically locking her in a room and not allowing her to do anything.) They literally thought that not enough blood was going to the women's uteruses. The other was that they'd draw them out sexually, like hysteria and frigidity were connected, but the idea was that they could get women in touch with their desire to please their man, be a good mom, etc. by kind of introducing orgasm into their lives, and that would solve the hysteria problem because women would be happier with their roles.

I love the fact that we basically don't have hysteria anymore. The closest thing in gender terms is probably eating disorders and the body dysmorphia that can come with it, which can be related to women's sense of their societal roles, pressure to be successful, beautiful, and sexual. And there are other conditions with similar symptoms, like the other kind of body dysmorphia where you feel like your hand doesn't belong to you and similar stuff. But what was so clearly to those older folks a specific condition, hysteria, just doesn't exist any more. Was it a bullshit disease to begin with, or did people stop getting it because society changed? I think it's a little of both.

Anyway, reading about the "wandering uterus" problem in the first post made me think about all the different ways that "uteruses" can "wander" and how many of those a dildo is useful for. I love how what looks to us (or at least to me) to be a really simple equation: lonely wife + dildo = wife won't cheat on husband (and a wandering uterus is one that maybe get impregnated by someone else) is instead kind of medicalized and overcomplicated in the Greek version: wife with no sperm in uterus + dildo = nonwandering uterus because the elements have been balanced and so the uterus won't go floating off into a sea of elemental imbalance. And then the 19th/early-20th century version is like "her uterus is wandering! Jim, can you get that orgasmatron and see if you can't just get it back on task.'
12/06/2011
Contributor: acherryontop8 acherryontop8
Quote:
Originally posted by Kayla
The first dildo? Oh yes, it was a long time ago! Excavations of many ancient civilizations have shown stone objects that were obviously sculptures of penises. Those who made the discoveries say that the sculptures were made for religious and ... more
This is awesome
12/07/2011
Contributor: kadytheredpanda kadytheredpanda
I never knew about leather dildos before. Cool!
12/07/2011
Contributor: Masokisti Masokisti
Quote:
Originally posted by Rin (aka Nire)
The dildo is now DIAMONDS!

Actually, despite the fact that it would be wildly expensive, I kind of now want a dildo made of diamond. If only to brag about it.
Well, it'd never break
12/07/2011
Contributor: Maiden Maiden
I voted stone, because I wanted one of those polished stone ones EF carried awhile back, but honestly all three sound good to me. I actually own a vibe that has a leather sleeve. In fact in was a review assignment I did early on. While it's definitely NOT hygienic, it is a great item to have for a leather slut like me
12/07/2011
Contributor: Nissa Nissa Nissa Nissa
Quote:
Originally posted by Philia
Excuse me while I totally geek out for a minute ...

OK, so do you know the expression "I read this in Modern Jackass Magazine?" It's what you say as a disclaimer when you're saying something that you're pretty sure is ... more
I loved this post

I think what they called hysteria is probably what we call anxiety disorder today. I guess I should buy a bunch of vibrators and dildos to combat my "hysteria".
12/08/2011
Contributor: paige09nicole paige09nicole
What they called hysteria was a joke. It was a good excuse for doctors to get into womens pants. Although,thinking about dildos back in the day is pretty awesome.
12/08/2011
Contributor: SimpleTeaser SimpleTeaser
Quote:
Originally posted by Philia
Excuse me while I totally geek out for a minute ...

OK, so do you know the expression "I read this in Modern Jackass Magazine?" It's what you say as a disclaimer when you're saying something that you're pretty sure is ... more
Great post!
12/08/2011
Contributor: SimpleTeaser SimpleTeaser
Quote:
Originally posted by Kayla
The first dildo? Oh yes, it was a long time ago! Excavations of many ancient civilizations have shown stone objects that were obviously sculptures of penises. Those who made the discoveries say that the sculptures were made for religious and ... more
I'd have to say, "Stone". The wood seems like it would splinter.
12/08/2011
Contributor: Rin (aka Nire) Rin (aka Nire)
Quote:
Originally posted by SimpleTeaser
I'd have to say, "Stone". The wood seems like it would splinter.
I was about to correct you and say a properly sealed wooden toy shouldn't splinter, but then I remembered we're talking about ancient dildos. I don't know if they had good sealants (or sealants at all) way back in the day...
12/08/2011
Contributor: Cherry21 Cherry21
Quote:
Originally posted by Kayla
The first dildo? Oh yes, it was a long time ago! Excavations of many ancient civilizations have shown stone objects that were obviously sculptures of penises. Those who made the discoveries say that the sculptures were made for religious and ... more
theres a new movie coming out called Hysteria, its aobut the invention of vibrators,and doctors who used to use them on women in dr. offices.
12/08/2011
Contributor: Nissa Nissa Nissa Nissa
Quote:
Originally posted by Cherry21
theres a new movie coming out called Hysteria, its aobut the invention of vibrators,and doctors who used to use them on women in dr. offices.
Interesting. Didn't know that.
12/09/2011
Contributor: namelesschaos namelesschaos
I voted for wood because I love my Nob Essence toys but I've tried stone and in an era before modern sealants I'd say they were probably a little safer.
12/09/2011
Contributor: WhoopieDoo WhoopieDoo
Quote:
Originally posted by Cherry21
theres a new movie coming out called Hysteria, its aobut the invention of vibrators,and doctors who used to use them on women in dr. offices.
ZOMG I WANT TO SEE THIS NOW!
12/09/2011
Contributor: Ivy Wilde Ivy Wilde
Stone. I saw some jade dildos when I was in China that I was very tempted by. But this was before I'd discovered the joy of sex toys, and I was too nervous to actually buy one.
12/09/2011
Contributor: froggiemoma froggiemoma
I would say stone for this kitty.
12/09/2011