CASTRATI
I cease to be amazed at the ability of civilized human beings (whatever that means) to find a way to kill, torture and terrorize one another. In my lifetime, a period of close to 80 years, there have been three massacres that have captured the attention of the world. Starting with the holocaust, the indiscriminate killing of European Jews, and followed by the slaughter of Tutsis, by Hutus, in Rwanda. A few years ago the Sudanese government began the killing of African farmers in the western region of Darfur. As many as 400,000 people, the exact number unknown, have died, murdered in their villages. These outrages are perpetrated for reasons of power, jealousy and hatred.
But what about small injustices on individuals, instigated by persons or institutions of standing, with their victims. I am talking about CASTRATION. I was shocked to read an article in the Globe and mail by Robert Everett-Green about the prevalence of castration of young boys from the 16th to the 18th century to feed the demand for elaborate high-pitched soprano voices. The practice began in the churches to be able to form all-male choirs with strong soprano voices. Women were banned from singing in church choirs, but that’s another injustice. The larynx and vocal chords of a castrated boy would stop developing leaving him with a high-pitched soprano voice, but the chest cavity would grow resulting in a powerful voice. It achieved the aims of the church, but left the boy unable to produce children and enjoy the pleasures of sex. A pleasure that remains from youth until, in some cases well into the 80`s. Impoverished parents, for money I am sure, gave their sons over to the church for this purpose. How could parents do this to their male offspring? Castrated men were much in demand as baroque opera singers but not all succeeded. Many ended up as prostitutes, thieves and social outcasts. Some became priests. It is estimated that 4000 boys a year were castrated to fill the demand for strong soprano voices Was any serious thought given to the long-time happiness of the boy by the parents and the church? I think not!
