Vagina dentata

Latin for "toothed vagina".

Often crops up as a sexist projection onto women's bodies of men's fear of women's sexuality. Devouring mothers and all that.

Sometimes appears in fiction as an instance of fantastical biology, or a science-fictional body modification or device.

As a rape deterrent, it rather rests on the presumption that men will have access to women's bodies anyhow, and that they will go far enough for a device located in the vagina to make any difference, thereby circumscribing women's inevitable position as victims.

Sonette Ehlers with a screenshot and a prototype of the Rapex, a female condom. (Photo: Reuters, taken from Robyn Dixon, "Controversy in South Africa over device to snare rapists", Sept. 2, 2005.)

The development of a real-life version (the "Rapex", invented by Sonette Ehlers in 2005) inspired criticism that they would be useless against rape committed with the help of foreign objects; might enrage rapists and incite further violence; or might expose victims to blood-borne contagions should their attackers' skin break. Ehlers said she had been inspired to invent it after meeting a woman who had been raped who told her, "If only I had teeth down there."

Examples

Fantasy

• Tanith Lee's "Weasel Bride"

Science-Fiction

• Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash.

Other

• Piero Schivazappa's "Femina Ridens" (transl. "Frightened Woman", 1969); misogynystic millionaire kidnaps and tortures a woman; he creates a vagina dentata doorway.

External Links

• Wikipedia entry about vagina dentata