Foutin was a syncretic amalgam of

Priapus In Greek mythology, Priapus (; ) is a minor rustic fertility god, protector of livestock, fruit plants, gardens, and male genitalia. Priapus is marked by his oversized, permanent erection, which gave rise to the medical term priapism. He becam ...

with

Pothinus Pothinus or Potheinos (; early 1st century BC – 48 or 47 BC), a eunuch, was regent for Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator of the Ptolemaic Kingdom. He is most remembered for turning Ptolemy against his sister and co-ruler Cleopatra, thus star ...

, a figure of uncertain

historicity Historicity is the historical actuality of persons and events, meaning the quality of being part of history instead of being a historical myth, legend, or fiction. The historicity of a claim about the past is its factual status. Historicity deno ...

alleged by

Irenaeus Irenaeus ( or ; ; ) was a Greeks, Greek bishop noted for his role in guiding and expanding Christianity, Christian communities in the southern regions of present-day France and, more widely, for the development of Christian theology by oppos ...

to have been the first bishop of

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

. The similarity of the name ''Pothinus'' and the

Old French Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th

linguistic assimilation Language shift, also known as language transfer, language replacement or language assimilation, is the process whereby a speech community shifts to a different language, usually over an extended period of time. Often, languages that are perceived ...

; the name ''Foutin'' may have originated from "foutre", which meant "to fuck", but it may also have been an intentionally altered version of Pothinus' name. He was believed to have an influence in restoring fertility to barren women and vigor and virility to impotent men. At Varailles in Provence, waxen images of the members of both sexes were offered to St. Foutin, and suspended to the ceiling of his chapel. Pierre de L'Estoile commented that, as the ceiling was covered with them, when the wind blew them about, it produced an effect which was calculated to much disturb the devotions of the worshippers. At a church in Embrun there was a large phallus said to be a relic of St. Foutin. The worshippers were in the habit of offering wine to this deity, as a libation">Embrun, Hautes-Alpes">Embrun there was a large phallus said to be a relic of St. Foutin. The worshippers were in the habit of offering wine to this deity, as a libation (the wine was poured over the head of the organ); a sacred vessel underneath caught the wine, which was then called ''holy vinegar'', and believed to be an efficacious remedy in cases of sterility, impotence, or want of virility. When Protestants conquered Embrun in 1585, they reported that the relic's head was reddened from the wine.

References

* 2nd-century Christian saints Folk saints Gallo-Roman saints {{saint-stub

See also

References