Eunuchs in nonfiction

I research how eunuchs (castrated men) are portrayed in literature. I’ve written the following articles to discuss the referenced nonfiction books.

In Defense of Eunuchs by Theophylact of Ohrid (c. 1107)

Eunuchism Display’d by Charles Ancillon (pseudonym C. D’Ollincan) and originally published in French (1707); translated into English by Robert Samber and published with the sole attribution “Written by a Person of Honour” (1718)

Aphrodisiacs and Anti-Aphrodisiacs by John Davenport (1869)

In the Land of the Lion and Sun, or Modern Persia by C. J. Wills (1883)

Memoirs of an Arabian Princess from Zanzibar by Emily Ruete (Sayyida Salme, Princess of Zanzibar and Oman), originally published in German (1886)

A History of Circumcision from the Earliest Times to the Present by Dr. Peter Charles Remondino (1891)

Books by Norman Mosley Penzer:

– An Annotated Bibliography of Sir Richard Francis Burton (1923)

– The history of Penzer’s edition of The Ocean of Story (1924-1928)

– The Harem (1936)

The Sexual History of the World War by Magnus Hirschfeld (1930)

Beyond the Sublime Porte by Barnette Miller (1931)

Effects of Castration on Men and Women by David O. Cauldwell (1947)

The Eunuch and the Virgin: A Study of Curious Customs by Peter Tompkins (1962)

Search the Scriptures: A Physician Examines Medicine in the Bible by Robert B. Greenblatt (1963)

The Keeper of the Bed: The Story of the Eunuch by Charles Humana (1973)

Sex in History by Reay Tannahill (1980)

Le Tribunal de l’Impuissance by Pierre Darmon (Paris: Editions du Seuil, 1979), translated into English as Damning the Innocent: A History of the Persecution of the Impotent in pre-Revolutionary France (New York: Viking, 1986).

Bookleggers and Smuthounds: The Trade in Erotica 1920-1940 by Jay A. Gertzman (1999) This does not describe anything about eunuchs per se, but it describes some of the men in New York City who distributed literature about eunuchs.

Desert Royal by Jean Sasson (1999) Contains a chapter about a Sudanese eunuch household slave in Saudi Arabia.

Surprise Balls by Yoav Tsoor (2008)

Life of a Eunuch by Piyush Saxena (2011)

Further reading

On 16 June 2003, I visited the British Library and searched for books on eunuchs. I came away with the following list. The British Library has these titles, but none of them were available to the public.

Cooke, Thomas, of Braintree, Essex. The Eunuch, or, the Darby captain, a Farce, etc. London, 1737.

Ethiopian Eunuch. An essay on the conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch…by a minister of the est. church of Scotland. Edinburgh 1752.

Hieron, Samuel. The Baptizing of the Eunuch: In 3 sermons. London, 1613.

Macculla, Vigors. The Irishman’s Scourge for farcical English Rebels, etc. or, the Ethiopian Eunuch, Ebed-Melechs, cast clouts! And rotten rags: in vain! A poem. London, 1814.

Money, Charles Forbes Septimus. The Ethiopian Eunuch. London, 1869.

Sedley, Charles, Bart. Bellamira, or the Mistress, a Comedy. London, 1687.

Thomson, Adam, Minister of Coldstream. The Joy of the Ethiopian Eunuch on his conversion to Christianity. Sermon.

Voltaire, Francois Marie Arouet de. Doubtful and Spurious Works. L’Odalisque, ou Histoire des amours de l’eunuque Zulphicara, Ouvrage traduit du turc par Voltaire. Constantinople, 1796. They also have an English copy.

Wiliams, H. Sylvester. The British Negro: A Factor in the Empire. “The Ethiopian Eunuch.” Two lectures. W. T. Moulton, Brighton, 1902.

Do you know what you are about? Or, a Protestant alarm to Great Britain: proving our late theatric squabble, a type of the present, contest for the crown of Poland; and that the division between Handel and Senesino, has more in it than we imagine. Also that the latter is no eunuch, but a Jesuit in disguise; with other particulars of the greatest importance. London: J. Roberts, 1733.

Caufeynon, Docteur, pseud. i.e. Jean Fauconney. L’Eunuchisme. Histoire generale de la castration. Paris, 1903.

Chabrely, Joseph Marie Edouard. De la castration chez l’homme. Paris, 1857.

England, Parliament. Petitions and Addresses to Parliament II. Single Petitions and Addresses, 170. Reasons Humbly Offered to Both Houses of Parliment (sic) for a Law to enact the Castration or Gelding of Popish Ecclesiastics, in this kingdom. As the best way to prevent the growth of Popery. London, Dublin.

Marschal, Franz Lorenz Von. Der Castration. Salzburg, 1791.

Noctes Bin anianae. Certain voluntary and satirical verses and compliments as were lately exchang’d between some of the choicest wits of the age. Collected with the greatest care and now printed without castration after the most correct copies. By T. S. Eliot, et al, London 1939, privately printed.

Pittard, Eugene. La castration chez l’homme et les modification morphologiques qu’elle entraine. Recherces sur les adaptes d’une secte d’eunuques mystiques, les Skoptzy. Avec 70 figures et graphiques. Paris, printed Switzerland, 1934.

2 Methods to stop Popery and Preserve the Chastity of English Wives…. London: Prottestant Evangelical Mission and Electoral Union 1868. (new version of 1700 Reasons)

The Priest Gelded: Or, Popery at the Last Gasp. London, 1747.

Some Reasons Humbly Offered Why the Castration of Persons found guilty of robbery and theft, may be the best method of punishment and for those crimes. Dublin, 1725.

Simon, pseud. The Political Sow-Gelder, or, The Castration of Whig and Tory. London, 1715.

The Gelding of the Devil. Or, the Prittiest jest that e’re was known. [a ballad] London, c. 1680.

Seaton, Mr. Am (sic) account of Mr. Seaton’s gelding of himself at Edinburgh, the -day of June 1707.

The Remarkable Trial of the Queen of Quavers (Polly Farmer) and her associates for Sorcery, witchcraft, and enchantment, at the assizes held in the moon, for the county of Gelding, before Rt. Hon. Sir Francis Lash…. London, 1777.

Gregory, Magistros. Gregorii Magistri et Cubicularii. Commentarius in Grammaticam.

Around 2005, I found these titles in Yale University’s catalog.

The Country Wife by William Wycherly. (13th century English drama that may have a eunuch reference.)

Fables of the East : selected tales, 1662-1785 / edited by Ros Ballaster.  Contains “‘The History of the Christian Eunuch’ from Eliza Haywood, Philidore and Placentia (1717) 103

Spanos / epimeleia, Hans Eideneier. Byzantine satire.  Also known as: Akolouthia tou anosiou tragogeneÌ„ spanou, a satire cast in the form of a liturgical text in which the beardless man (symbolizing a eunuch) is mocked. Title page facsimile from 1553 edition.

Blyden, Edward Wilmot, 1832-1912. Philip and the eunuch, or, The instruments and methods of Africa’s evangelization : a discourse delivered in the Park Street Church, Boston, U.S.A., Sunday, October 22, 1882. Cambridge [England]: J. Wilson, University Press, 1883.

Cooke, Thomas, 1703-1756. The eunuch, or the Darby captain : a farce as it is acted by his Majesty’s servants at the Theatre-royal in Drury-Lane. London : Printed and sold by J. Isted, A. Dodd, and E. Nutt, [1737] Based in part on Terence’s “Eunuchus”.

Harris, Christopher, 1951 July 6- Memoirs of a Byzantine eunuch / Christopher Harris. Sawtry : Dedalus, 2002.

Hemings, William, b. 1602? The eunuch, a tragedy. As it hath been acted with great applause. Written by William Hemmings, Oxon. Licensed, March 26, 1687. Roger L’Estrange. Originally published in 1653 under title: The fatal contract; revived by Settle in 1675 as “Love and revenge.”

Harrison, Paul Carter, 1936- Kuntu drama : plays of the African continuum / collected and with an introd. by Paul Carter Harrison ; pref. by Oliver Jackson. New York : Grove Press : distributed by Random House, c1974. Contents include: Goss, C. Mars: monument to the last Black eunuch.

Hieron, Samuel, 1576?-1617. The baptizing of the eunuch [electronic resource] : in three sermons vpon Act. 8. 36. 37. 38. By Samuel Hieron. London : Printed by Melch. Bradvvood for Samuel Macham, and are to be solde at his shop in Pauls church-yard at the signe of the Bull-head, 1613.

Kuo, Pao Kun, 1939-2002. Descendants of the eunuch admiral ; and, The spirits play : two plays / by Kuo Pao Kun ; edited by C.J.W.-L. Wee and Lee Chee Keng. Singapore : SNP International, c2003.

Lathrop, Joseph, 1731-1820. Sermons on various subjects, evangelical, devotional and practical. Adapted to the promotion of Christian piety, family religion and youthful virtue. By Joseph Lathrop. Printed at Worcester : by Isaiah Thomas, jun. Sold by him in Worcester and Springfield : by Thomas & Whipple, Newburyport, and by Thomas & Tappan, Portsmouth, March–1806. Variant/related title: Story of the Ethiopian eunuch.

Mieder, Wolfgang. Call a spade a spade : from classical phrase to racial slur : a case study / Wolfgang Mieder. New York : Peter Lang, c2002. International folkloristics, 1528-6533 ; v. 2

Roditi, Edouard. Delights of Turkey : twenty tales. New York : New Directions Pub. Corp., 1977.

Sitwell, Osbert, 1892-1969. Who killed Cock Robin? Remarks on poetry, on its criticism and, as a sad warning, the story of Eunuch Arden. By Osbert Sitwell. London, C.W. Daniel, 1921.

Snow, David, 1954- The passion and transfiguration of a post-apocalyptic eunuch [sound recording] / David Snow. [Greenville, Me.] : Opus One, c1979. 1 sound disc : analog, 33 1/3 rpm, stereo. ; 12 cm.

Tralow, Johannes, 1882-1968. Eunuch; Roman. Berlin: Verlag der Nation, [1957].

Yen, Hui-chʻing, 1877-1950. Stories of old China. Translated by W. W. Yen. Peking: Foreign Languages Press, 1958.