I am not sure if this is the right forum to post this, or even what I want to say. Nevertheless here goes:

On the EA Welcome page, there appears from time to time a pic of two Chinese eunuch boys. I find that picture absolutely haunting! There is so much unsaid in that picture, so many unanswered questions...

Does anyone else feel this way, or am I just weird?

Disturbing images to follow --- you may NOT want to scroll down any further!

I scanned those images out of P. Scholz's book "Eunuchs & Castrati, A Cultural History." It's a cropped image. I also did the 2 Eunuch Licenses, which I find even more disturbing to look at. "Smile for the camera" is somehow NOT fitting in this case, I think.

I also have a very high res file of the tiny image of a Chinese eunuch boy which has been running around the Internet since at least 1996.

Thanks to Mr. Flo for letting me borrow the book. The image comes from a British collection, and only certain people can even GET IN to look at this set, much less copy them. This is the most common one. I'll link it later on, but be warned, it's full frontal nudity and/or lack thereof. Ironically, it doesn't fall 'word for word' into the classification of child pornography, either.

I'm a bit reluctant to post it, but it is on topic and it is a prime example of only one small facet of what can happen in ... er...certain situations.

History has been, and continues to be, cruel at times.

But you're right, the images are very haunting and quite disturbing, actually.

Chinese Eunuch, young ... 1890.

A larger view of the Eunuch Licenses from the front page. These were work ID's, of sorts, for the eunuchs.

The next.

The 2 boys from the front page, with their little buddy this time. Color scan, 100k, 18 secs. over 56k.

http://www.dakoniko.com/images/3eunboysnew03hires.jpg

And last but not least, as a Retiree.

Mr. Yu Chunhe, as a eunuch for the last emporer, Pu Yi, he was witness to the fall of the Empire, and lived in the Forbidden City for 18 years. He started work in 1898 at the age of 17.

The reality that the pictures capture haunts those who view them. I don't think that they are over the top or pornographic. They depict a historical reality. Thank you for posting them.

Thank you all for these images. In the days of the Chinese Emperor the choice of beocming a eunuch made tghe difference for a boy born in poverty to live a life of wealth. We have to remember that in other and older cultures people were not as obsessed with sexual gratification in the way we are. Giving up sex was weighed against the opportunity to live a wealthy pampered and protected life in the Forbidden City, being close to the Emperor and ahving honor all of one's life. So in their terms giving up their sex organs was an acceptable price to pay for that kind of life. The alternative for them would be poverty, danger, fear and hunger.

Just as in medieval times the choir boys who were castrated were honored and consiered to have a place ready in heaven. in their terms this was much better than having sex.

The idea of eunuchs is ancient. Babylonian priests were eunuchs and in most societies that had eunuchs, tghey were honored and considered a caste above -- not just apart -- and had access to opportunities for wealth and power that sexed men could not hope for.

Today people just equate it with sex or no sex. But then being a eunuch was something semi-divine.

I beg to differ, Yankee.

I do not claim to be an expert on either the Chinese eunuchs or the Italian Castrati, but from what I understand in both cases you are correct that the boys, most of the time. came from poor backgrounds.

HOWEVER...

In most cases the eunuchs were chosen by their families, or possibly forces outside the family, they were not volunteers. And even if they did agree, we are talking about boys 6 or 8 years old, who have no concept of sexuality, or the seriousness of what they were facing.

I suspect that most men over the age of 20, whether eunuchs or not, would prefer to have the choice themselves, even at the cost of great riches.

In my opinion any male castrated before puberty has been treated no better than the Roman slaves.

Take another look at the "wiped clean" frontal view that Paolo just posted. Is the look on that boy's face a look of peace and tranquility? Even the three eunuch boys don't look that thrilled to me.