Vagina loquens
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Vagina loquens or "talking vagina", is a tradition in literature, dating back to the medieval folklore motif of the "talking cunt". These tales usually involve vagina]s talking due to the effect of magic or charms, and often admitting to their unchastity. Another tradition is a vagina that acquires the power of speech to play the role of informant and reveal a history of previous lovers.
Examples
One of the first instances of the motif is in the medieval fabliau "Le Chevalier Qui Fist parler les Cons", which was included in the novel Nocrion (1747). Its most famous use is by Diderot in Les bijoux indiscrets (1748). In the twentieth century, the motif was taken cruelly to its apex by William Burroughs's Naked Lunch (1959).
In American literature, a talking vagina is featured in the Ozark folktale The Magic Walking Stick (collected in Pissing in the Snow, and Other Ozark Folktales), in which vaginas are made to act as informants. The taking vagina theme is the central trope of The Vagina Monologues.
In film, it has been explored in Pussy Talk (1975) and in Marquis (1989).
Classification
The tale is classified as AT 1391 or Every Hole to Tell the Truth in the Aarne-Thompson classification system, belonging to the category Anecdotes and Jokes, The Foolish Wife and Her Husband. It is usually coupled with motif H451.
See also
