posted
Okay, so in my latest project, I've got a character who is a eunuch.
How does castration affect muscle growth? If he was castrated very early in life (say, at age 10), how would that affect his growth through puberty and adulthood?
I need him to be physically powerful, and would prefer to have him suffer through adolescence without. . . um. . . equipment, but that's not central to the story. His physical strength is, however. . . so if, in order to be a powerhouse, he has to be altered post-puberty, that's fine.
Can anyone help?
[ February 28, 2005, 11:46 AM: Message edited by: Scott R ]
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quote: A subject of castration who is castrated before the onset of puberty will retain his high voice, slight build and small genitals, won't develop pubic hair, and will have a small sex drive or none at all.
I've also read (can't find source) that castrated males will develop more typically female softness to their bodies. However, as there are many very strong female body builders, I don't think it would be very difficult to explain a strong eunuch.
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posted
As you can guess, I'm intrigued with what you're going to do with this.
If you want him to simply not have his genitals, but not have suffered other physical effect (i.e. high voice, soft/slight build) he could always have undergone hormone treatments. To my understanding with proper hormone treatments he would likely develop normally in all the other non-genital aspects.
[edit to add: Some of this could also depend on what exactly caused his deficiency, story-wise. If he was born deformed, he might have retain much of his own hormone producing ability while simply not having functional equipment. If he was born normal and healthy but later surgically castrated he would need the hormone treatments. If surgical castration isn't essential to your story, you might read some case studies about hermaphroditism and other genetic or hormonal sexual birth defects.]
posted
Then you'll want to take note of something I learned from the links above. To paraphrase, post-puberty castrati can still get erections and perform sexually. Therefore, eunuchs castrated in this manner were created less to have non-sexually threatening protectors than to have protectors (of harems, of governmental business - especially in china) who left no threat of starting their own dynasty (i.e. leaving offspring).
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posted
Hmm. That's fine, Karl. It will work for what I'm planning to do, though I will have to modify things a bit.
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posted
One of the linked articles above states that post-puberty removal of testicals does not prevent erection or ability to perform sexual intercourse. In fact, some women preferred to have eunuch lovers because they supposedly could perform for much longer (and had the added advantage of no embarrasing bastard children.)
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posted
Okay - I deleted my above post for obvious reasons (too many family members on Hatrack) but I thank KarlEd for the answer to my question that has always puzzled me.
posted
Great, so now it looks like I just had to spout out that info. Way to make me look like a eunuch-fetishist. Posts: 6394 | Registered: Dec 1999
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quote: The further they moved into the forest, the more quiet the world became. At the moment of utter stillness, Dahlia heard a song. Ooo-loo-wee, ah-looo-lay, lee-loo-lee-loo. The voice piped like a child's, but just like the elk's bellowing, it touched something deep inside her. The elk hurried toward the singer, springing over the earth. And Dahlia ran after him. Just as lightly, just as quick. Nurse was left behind her somewhere, and she never knew until she looked slowly, casually, to her left, down her arm. There were her fingers, and then the blur of greenery. She could still feel where he had held her hand, but Nurse was gone, and she was alone to chase after the elk. And she was not afraid to be alone. Her legs felt long and strong, and her heart as huge as a boulder, her shoulders wide, and a rippling fierceness surged within her.
And she bellowed as she ran.
In front of her, there was a clearing. The elk slowed, and so did Dahlia. She realized that she was soaking wet, as if she had taken a bath fully clothed. But she was not chilled in the least. The air in the clearing was humid and warm and fragrant with the smell of the elk.
And at the other side of the clearing, was the singer.
:whistles something about not being an attention whore:
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posted
Scott, I can't find the topic where you announced that Blackberry Witch (or was that the final title?) was being published in Writers of the Future. When is that coming out?
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