Fascinus: Phallic Symbol and God of Male Power

There are many customs from past civilizations. Some, more surprising than others, can surprise us and make us smile.

Everything surrounding the god Fascinus clearly falls into this category.

You must suspect it from the title but, yes, the Romans represented it with a phallic symbol.

A very popular lucky object, the fascinus (yes, the object has the same name as the god with whom it is associated) was used to bring luck, to ward off the evil eye and more broadly to protect us in everyone's lives. days.

Despite what we might think at first, there was nothing sexual about the fascinus symbol in itself.

From the legionnaire fighting on the front to the young child in fragile health: people from all over Roman society could use it as a good luck charm.

In short, today it is the fascinus, this amusing phallic symbol, which will be the subject of our article.

Who was the god Fascinus?

We cannot talk about this Roman lucky charm without at least mentioning the god it serves to represent.

Fascinus was the god of superior masculine power, this power which creates and which gives the courage to stand proudly. There alone we already see a link with the phallus.

In ancient Rome, Fascinus was also revered for his connection to witchcraft, magic, and certain forms of esotericism.

As man protects his family and loved ones, certain particular rituals aimed to invoke Fascinus so that he comes to the aid of pregnant women and children.

To learn more about the practice of witchcraft in Rome, here is a book by Marcel Le Glay which deals with the subject.

Interesting fact: the Latin word “fascinum” comes from the verb “fascinare” which itself translates into French as “to bewitch”, “to cast a spell”. We clearly see the link with witchcraft here!

If these terms sound familiar to you, that's completely normal. The French word “fascinate” actually derives directly from this.

In summary, what we must remember with the figure of the god Fascinus is that masculine power was not necessarily linked to sexuality or eroticism in the minds of past civilizations.

We also see through him that the Romans had deities for absolutely every facet of their lives.

If you are interested in this very significant culture for European peoples, here is a collection of classical Roman and Greek lucky charms that should satisfy your curiosity.

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A famous Roman lucky charm

It is clear: the Romans were very superstitious people.

We know this from the incredible amount of symbols, lucky charms, jewelry and writings that evoke or represent objects used as magical protection.

There is one object in particular that will interest us today: the fascinus (also known as the tintinnabulum ).

Used to represent the god of the same name, this divine phallus was often represented decorated with a pair of wings, and sometimes even feet.

These attributes were undoubtedly intended to evoke qualities of speed and alertness... two things which, it is certain, can help to effectively combat evil.

Although a phallic symbol can be shocking today, you should know that this was not the case at the time.

The fascinus was even perfectly accepted by Roman religious authorities.

Concretely, if he was so popular at the time, it was undoubtedly for his intrinsic qualities.

The fascinus actually had two main uses.

On the one hand, it was used as protection, and more specifically as protection against the evil eye.

Some, besides this, used it more simply as a symbol of fertility which they then hung in the marital bedroom when they wanted to conceive.

To some people this is just fun folklore. If you ask us, there are real powers hidden behind the fascinus.

If the qualities of the fascinus speak to you too, here is a Roman phallic pendant as it was worn in the past.

A lucky charm worn by everyone, really

We have already said it but this element is absolutely essential to understand: there was nothing sexual in the symbol of the fascinus. It is a religious lucky charm linked to a cult, present in ancient temples.

Among the people and groups who most used this Roman lucky charm, we can notably cite:

• The priests of Fascinus, inevitably, wore it as a religious pendant...
• … just like the Vestal Virgins, worshipers devoted to the goddess Vesta (who were closely linked to the god Fascinus).
• In fact, worshipers of most Roman gods used fascinus.
• By extension, Greek mythology also recognized his powers. Deities of the pantheon such as Poseidon or Hera are linked to him in certain myths.
• Certain Roman legionary corps particularly appreciated this phallic symbol which they saw as a means of protecting themselves in war.
• Roman doctors from the four corners of the empire sometimes incorporated it into their curative practices. As surprising as it may seem, it is indeed the truth. Here is another article that will tell you about it.
• Mothers often gave them to their children to wear when they were young.
• All the people of Rome knew the fascinus which they particularly liked to use as graffiti on the walls of the city. (We wonder why…)

Other phallic symbols in history

From ancient sculptures from Antiquity (or even from Prehistory) to certain works of modern art, phallic symbols have always been a subject of creation... particular.

Like the fascinus (which was created in Rome), most of the examples found by archaeologists are linked to Greek and Roman civilizations. The door of such a temple was decorated with a phallus, while the cults of such goddesses included scabrous references. Some even speak of great classical authors, notably Homer, some of whose lost writings featured the fascinus.

In Hellenic mythology, Hermes possesses certain attributes alluding to the phallus and sexual organs in general. A beloved messenger god, the roads throughout classical Greece were dotted with upright pillars known as “herma”. You should know that many of them were decorated with phallic motifs.

Another mythological character, Priapus is the son of the deities Aphrodite and Dionysus. In many Greek regions he held the role of male fertility god. Most representations of Priapus show him adorned with a penis of gigantic size.

Satyrs and their friends the nymphs, creatures of poets and the arts, could honor the gods of Greek mythology through ceremonies that included sexual references.

In fact, most ancient peoples (Celts, Persians, Germans and many others) saw phallic symbols as great good luck charms.

This idea continued throughout the Middle Ages. (Yes, if you look closely, you can even see such patterns in cathedrals!)

Today too, phallic symbols are more present than we might think. So look at the ads with the right magnifying glass and you will see what we want to talk about.

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