Rubbing It
Here lies
Victor Noir
Deceased age 22
19th century French journalist
Shot in a duel for publicly criticising a relation of Napoléon III
His tomb at Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris depicts him in a life-size bronze statue, presumably the way he had fallen to his demise, his chapeau on the side, legs slightly apart and sporting a notable bulge in his trousers.
Also presumably life-size.
In life, he was known to be a womaniser, a sex symbol. In death, he became a fertility symbol. Women visit his tomb for a ritual. They touch his stiffness. They rub themselves against it. They perform all kinds of unmentionables. And it is all in the name of fertility, or curing sexual ailments, or better sexual gratification or even to find a husband. Men just look on and take photographs of the women performing various acts.
This photograph depicts one such woman who went as far as touching (OK… rubbing) the cold hard bronze in the name of such folklore.
Who am I to argue with tradition?
Related Articles:
hahahaha, that is hillarious!!!
Anil - Thank you. I couldn’t help myself! :)
Dave and Deb – 22 and already a ladies man! Though his statue makes him look much older.
Haha, I love it! I have no desire for fertility, so I will stay far away and take pictures if I ever visit. Fun post, poor guy though, we was so young!
Gourmantic—this post is epic. For this reason, and this reason alone, I am going to revise my will to stipulate that I’m buried on my back! Haha! Just kidding. Maybe.
Daniel - Hello and welcome :)
Your comment made me laugh out loud! Just make sure you request heavy duty bronze… come to think of it, maybe I should start writing epitaphs. Kidding. Well, maybe…
[...] not have time to lose myself in Montmartre, or shop at Lafayette Gourmet for zizi-shaped mints, or rub Victor Noir’s bulge for luck at Cimetière du Père-Lachaise. But once I have dropped my luggage at Gare [...]
[...] camera and grope Juliet’s right breast for luck. This peculiar tradition, as bizarre as women rubbing the bulge in Victor Noir’s trousers at Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris, was probably started by someone with a fetish for cold shiny metallic [...]