Dissonance? Pliny and Birth through the Mouth
Dissonance? Pliny and Birth through the Mouth
This chapter considers the possibility that one of the traits of the weasel deemed harmonious—giving birth through the mouth—might actually cause unexpected dissonance. There is another animal suspected of giving birth in the same unnatural fashion: the crow. Pliny elaborates on the information offered in Aristotle, asserting not only that the crow copulates with its mouth but also that it gives birth through its mouth. How then can we explain that the weasel, an animal that, like the crow, gives birth through the mouth, was, unlike the crow, considered good for women in labor?
Keywords: weasel, childbirth, crow, Pliny, giving birth, Aristotle
Chicago Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
Please, subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.
To troubleshoot, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us.
