The Blowjob Historically: Why The World Loves Head

We've talked about blowjobs quite a few times. We've given blowjob recommendations. And also some things not to do during blowjobs and even more things not to do during blowjobs. Also, Camille Crimson gave us 5 reasons to give a good blowjob, as well as Camille's top 5 tips for giving a blowjob. But where does the idea of blowjobs come from, anyway? How has this coveted act been portrayed over the centuries? Bethany Kibblesmith is back with a well-researched two-part series on blowjobs: a historical perspective.

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Fellatio. What a great word. Rolls right off the tongue, doesn’t? It might surprise you, but the blowjob is older than you could guess.

But where did the blowjob come from? As well as I can guess, it has likely always been a part of mammalian sexual practice. Not across the board of course. Some of you might have heard of bonobo apes before, a close relative to chimps and, well, to us. Anthropologists and biologists, as well as sexologists, are basically obsessed with bonoboes, because of their extensive recreational sexual behavior. They have sex for fun, females exchange oral sex, and they do indeed engage in fellatio. Just like us!

Scientists have also seen fellatio while watching fruit bats have sex. They found that if the female fellated the male, sex lasted significantly longer. Many, many other kinds of animals engage in licking behavior, but I’m not confident enough to label this an exclusively sexual behavior.

As for humans, the very first recorded mention of something resembling fellatio would be the myth of Osiris and Isis in ancient Egypt. Long story short, Osiris was killed and cut up by an evil jealous brother. His penis was missing, so they made him a fake one and his wife, Isis, used her breath to bring it to life. Sounds like a blowjob to me!

The word fellatio is derived from Latin, from a word simply meaning ‘to suck’. Further, the one doing the sucking is referred to as a fellatrix if female, a fellator if male. The word ‘fellatio’ first appeared in print in 1887, but the act itself is older. Way, way older.

In fact, the Romans distinguish between two types of oral sex with a male partner; there is fellatio, which is a blowjob where the purpose is for the fellatrix/fellator to arouse their partner or stimulate them to the point of ejaculation.

The Romans also had a name for oral sex where the penis was more forcefully inserted into the receiver’s mouth and stimulated via hip thrusts. This is called irrumation. This kind in particular was used to establish dominance and to shame or punish the fellator or fellatrix, often a slave or person of lower status.

In the ruins of Pompeii, there are frescos on the walls of brothels and bath houses depicting both kinds of fellatio. In Rome, as in Greece, the blowjob was seen as a taboo, an act only prostitutes or lowly people performed. There are also various pieces of pottery from Rome and Greece showing blowjobs, some from as early as 510BCE.

The blowjob, in all its glory, could not possibly be contained in the Mediterranean. The Moches, a Peruvian civilization, also used fellatio as decorative element in their pottery. Another fabulous fellatio vessel from a different Peruvian culture shows how common this sex act was among these people.

You’d be hard-pressed to find an ancient culture that didn’t have some clear evidence or artifact showing fellatio’s presence in sexual activities. These aren’t coincidental, rare fluke items. Chinese scrolls show blowjobs, as do Japanese scrolls, and most importantly, it is at this point we get to talk about the Kama Sutra, one of the most modern, sex positive ancient texts.

It might surprise you to know that the blowjob, in the Kama Sutra, was not elevated to the almost spiritual status of other sex acts. In unspecified circumstances, it was acceptable, and Indian art of this time extensively details contorted ways to fellate, but it was still seen as a dirty act, practiced mostly by eunuchs, lower-class women and lusty women. The practice was still described in extensive detail, including a mention of 69ing (Congress of the Crow!), but was seen as inappropriate for married women to perform.

This is merely part 1 in a two-part series on the history of blowjobs. Find out more in our next edition!

We're very excited to have Bethany Kibblesmith as GetLusty's newest writer. She's passionate about keeping it sexy inside and outside the bedroom in her own relationship and in yours.  

Bethany is twenty-two and an English major. When she isn't scrambling to finish homework, she's with her boyfriend, reading, doing yoga or cooking. She enjoys the finer things in life like, secondhand clothes, warm showers, and socks without holes. She writes plays when she isn't writing for school or GetLusty. And if you meet her she will, without question, make a sex joke at some point. Email her at Bethany@GetLusty.com if you have any questions!

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You Should Know: Your 11 Sexual Rights

Did you know you have sexual rights? Both women and men--regardless of your orientation--have sexual rights. And given our current political situation, we thought now was an excellent time to consider our sexual rights. Does your candidate support women's sexual and reproductive rights? Amy Jo Goddard explains more about your sexual rights; where they come from and why they're important to you!

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Given the latest attacks on women’s sexual and reproductive rights and the responses of many critical thinking lawmakers about men’s sexual rights, I thought it was high time I posted the actual Declaration of Sexual Rights.

I’ve often heard people’s surprise at the idea of having sexual rights. I hope you’ll give some thought to the eleven rights that my colleagues at the World Association for Sexology drafted back in 1999. Bring into the light how important it is that we address sexuality as a fundamental part of who we are and of our total freedom, equality and certainly, our pursuit of happiness.

Below is the Declaration of Sexual Rights expanded. It is adopted from the 14th World Congress of Sexology, Hong Kong, 1999. That document was itself adopted from the Universal Declaration of Sexual Rights.

Sexuality is an integral part of the personality of every human being. Its full development depends upon the satisfaction of basic human needs such as the desire for contact, intimacy, emotional expression, pleasure, tenderness and love.

Sexuality is constructed through the interaction between the individual and social structures. Full development of sexuality is essential for individual, interpersonal, and societal well being.

Sexual rights are universal human rights based on the inherent freedom, dignity, and equality of all human beings. Since health is a fundamental human right, so must sexual health be a basic human right.

In order to assure that human beings and societies develop healthy sexuality, the following sexual rights must be recognized, promoted, respected, and defended by all societies through all means. Sexual health is the result of an environment that recognizes, respects and exercises these sexual rights.

The 11 Sexual Rights: 


#1. The right to sexual freedom. Sexual freedom encompasses the possibility for individuals to express their full sexual potential. However, this excludes all forms of sexual coercion, exploitation and abuse at any time and situations in life.

#2 The right to sexual autonomy, sexual integrity, and safety of the sexual body. This right involves the ability to make autonomous decisions about one’s sexual life within a context of one’s own personal and social ethics. It also encompasses control and enjoyment of our own bodies free from torture, mutilation and violence of any sort.

#3 The right to sexual privacy. This involves the right for individual decisions and behaviors about intimacy as long as they do not intrude on the sexual rights of others.

#4 The right to sexual equity. This refers to freedom from all forms of discrimination regardless of sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, race, social class, religion, or physical and emotional disability.

#5 The right to sexual pleasure. Sexual pleasure, including autoeroticism, is a source of physical, psychological, intellectual and spiritual well being.

#6 The right to emotional sexual expression. Sexual expression is more than erotic pleasure or sexual acts. Individuals have a right to express their sexuality through communication, touch, emotional expression and love.

#7 The right to sexually associate freely. This means the possibility to marry or not, to divorce, and to establish other types of responsible sexual associations.

#8 The right to make free and responsible reproductive choices. This encompasses the right to decide whether or not to have children, the number and spacing of children, and the right to full access to the means of fertility regulation.


#9 The right to sexual information based upon scientific inquiry. This right implies that sexual information should be generated through the process of unencumbered and yet scientifically ethical inquiry, and disseminated in appropriate ways at all societal levels.

#10 The right to comprehensive sexuality education. This is a lifelong process from birth throughout the life cycle and should involve all social institutions.

#11 The right to sexual health care. Sexual health care should be available for prevention and treatment of all sexual concerns, problems and disorders.

Amy Jo Goddard is a sexual empowerment coach, author, and sexuality educator who blogs regularly at www.amyjogoddard.com. She is founder of SPECTRA, a mentorship program to help sexuality professionals make more money doing the sexuality work they are passionate about.

As a David Neagle Certified Miracle of Money coach, Amy Jo helps women and couples create financial abundance, sexual pleasure and create the relationships and lives they desire. She teaches her Women’s Sexually Empowered Life Program in New York City and travels the US teaching courses and speaking at sexuality events. Visit www.amyjogoddard.com to get your free copy of her "Bringing Sexy Back: How to Revitalize a Dwindling Sex Life" audio class! Follow her on @amyjogoddard on Twitter.

You have read this article emotional / for couples / for men / for women / sexual health / Sexuality with the title . You can bookmark this page URL https://lucero-momentosdepasion.blogspot.com/2012/10/you-should-know-your-11-sexual-rights.html. Thanks!