Defecation
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"In world literature and especially in anonymous oral tradition we find many examples of the interweaving of death throes and the act of defecation."--Rabelais and His World (1965) by Mikhail Bakhtin |
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Defecation is the act or process by which organisms eliminate solid or semisolid waste material (feces) from the digestive tract via the anus.
In art
- Brant Broughton Church Carving of a defecating man
- The Perfumer by Bernard Picart
- Der kleine Narr (The Little Fool) by Hans Sebald Beham (1500-1550)
- National Conveniences: Four ways of shitting[1], 1796 is a print by James Gillray (1757–1815)
- Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec at the beach at Le Crotoy, Picardie in 1898
Mythology and tradition
Some people groups have culturally significant stories in which defecation plays a role. In a Wemale legend from the Maluku Islands, Indonesia, the mythical girl Hainuwele defecates valuable objects.
One of the traditions of Catalonia (Spain) is the Caganer, a figurine depicted in the act of defecation appearing in nativity scenes in Catalonia and neighbouring areas with Catalan culture. The exact origin of the Caganer is lost, but the tradition has existed since at least the 18th century. Another Catalan Christmas tradition associated with defecation is the Tió de Nadal.
In Japan, it is said that visiting a bookstore for a while perhaps has a laxative effect. The effect is called Mariko Aoki phenomenon.
See also
![[1]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:National_Conveniences_1024.jpg){kind=link}