covermore
Europe France Paris Travel

Victor Noir at Pere Lachaise Cemetery

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.

Victor Noir's tomb at Père Lachaise Cemetery

Also presumably life-size.

the notable bulge, rubbed to bronze

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?

a female's touch on Victor Noir's Bulge

About the author

Corinne Mossati

Corinne Mossati is a drinks writer, author of GROW YOUR OWN COCKTAIL GARDEN, SHRUBS & BOTANICAL SODAS and founder/editor of Gourmantic, Cocktails & Bars and The Gourmantic Garden. She has been writing extensively about spirits, cocktails, bars and cocktail gardening in more recent years. She is a spirits and cocktail competition judge, Icons of Whisky Australia nominee, contributor to Diageo Bar Academy, cocktail developer and is named in Australian Bartender Magazine's Top 100 Most Influential List. Her cocktail garden was featured on ABC TV’s Gardening Australia and has won several awards. She is a contributor to Real World Gardener radio program and is featured in several publications including Pip Magazine, Organic Gardener, Australian Bartender and Breathe (UK). Read the full bio here.

12 Comments