I recently read a blog post at Creative Coaching Concepts asking “Is Spanking Spiritual?”. What a wonderful time to ask that question! Lenten whipping was just in the news, with the Philippine government requested that Lenten self-flagellants inspect their scourges before whipping themselves, lest they develop infections in their wounds. Whipping oneself for Lent is perhaps the most popular spiritual spanking practiced today. Ludwig has blogged seperately on this as well, Penitentiam Agite!
Since the early middle-ages, various Christian sects have flagellated themselves to celebrate the crucification of Christ, who according to their scripture was whipped before being nailed to the cross. They viewed the pain as a form of penance for their sins, and even scourged themselves in public and on pilgrimages from town to town. While monks thrashing themselves in hair-shirts might be a bit squicky, I’ve seen a nice adult cartoon of a pert-breasted nun whipping herself. Even acclaimed surrealist artist, Max Ernst, got into the religious spanking act, with a famous painting of the Virgin Mary spanking the childhood Jesus on his bare butt. Self flagellation continues to this day in many parts of the world, and I once knew a monk in the States who actually whipped himself with a scourge tipped in nails (eek!)
Religious whipping predates Christianity, and was used for spiritual purposes by many ancient religions including the Cult of Isis in Egypt and later the Roman Empire, and the Dionysian cults in Greece. Indeed I can easily imagine drunken debauchery in the woods, cult members reveling in the kiss of the lash.
Most famous of all religious whipping is the Lupercalia, an ancient Roman festival to purify the city and enhance fertility. Ancient fertility rituals varied, but always had a sexual undertone, if not outright sexual acts in the fields. In the Lupercalia naked young women were lashed upon the breasts and buttocks as they ran to increase their own fertility.
In more modern times Neopagans and Wiccans use flagellation in initiation, purification and sex magick rituals. Gardnarian and Alexandrian Wicca both ask of an initiate that they be willing to suffer to learn, and this may be literally enacted through ceremonial whipping. Ritualistic sex magick can go even further with pain (and pleasure) used to build magickal energy.
In Miss Francy’s original post, her curious questioner was specifically concerned with Buddhism and the concept of causing no hurt in the world. I am not a Buddhist and can not speak with any authority on how this might be compatible with their tenants, but I am a Neopagan priest, and I can say that spanking and bdsm can be practiced in full accordance with my church’s doctrine. There is a long history of flagellation among spiritual devotees, and if one expands the concept further to include any infliction of pain for spiritual purposes several books could reasonably be filled with examples spanning the globe.
