Flatulist

Le Petomane

There are a number of scattered references to ancient and medieval professional flatulists, performers who could produce various rhythms and pitches with their intestinal wind. Saint Augustine in De Civitate Dei (14.24) mentions some performers who did have

such command of their bowels, that they can break wind continuously at will, so as to produce the effect of singing.

Juan Luis Vives in his 1522 commentary to Augustine's work testifies to having himself witnessed such a feat , a remark referenced by Michel de Montaigne in an essay .

The professional flatulists of medieval Ireland were called braigetori. They are listed together with other performers and musicians in the 12th century Tech Midchúarda, a diagram of the banqueting hall of Tara. As entertainers, these braigetori ranked at the lower end of the scale headed by bards, fili and harpers.

The occupation of the flatulist appears to have been common at the courts of European nobility during the Dark Ages, and maybe even have Proto-Germanic roots. The peordh rune of the Anglo-Saxon futhorc has been suggested to be named after the fart based on the rune poem stanza:

Peorð byþ symble plega and hlehter / wlancum [on middum], ðar wigan sittaþ / on beorsele bliþe ætsomne

[a fart?] is a source of recreation and amusement to the great, where warriors sit blithely together in the banqueting-hall.

But the more widely accepted interpretation links the name to pearwood, suggesting that the poem refers to a wooden game-board or similar.

The art of flatulating was also practiced in the Far East, as is evident from a story dating to the Japanese Kamakura period (1185–1333), set forth in an illustrated scroll, tells of a professional performer of flatulence dances called Oribe, who tricked his rival into soiling and thus disgracing himself in an attempt to mimick him.

An example of a late medival flatulist is preserved in an entry in the 13th century English Liber Feodorum (Book of Fees), listing one Roland the Farter, who held Hemingstone manor in the county of Suffolk, for which he was obliged to perform "Unum saltum et siffletum et unum bumbulum" (one jump, one whistle, and one fart) annually at the king Henry II's court every Christmas. But professional farting seems no longer restricted to the aristocracy. The Activa Vita character in the 14th century allegorical poem Piers Plowman appears to number flatulating among the abilities desirable in a good entertainer in general, paralleling with storytelling, fiddling or playing the harp:

Ac for I kan neiþer taboure no trompe ne telle no gestes Farten ne fyþelen at festes, ne harpen

Evidence of deliberate flatulating at social occasions continues into the Modern Age. In the 16th century, Rabelais details how Panurge when getting up, gave

a fart ('un pet'), a leap ('un sault'), and a whistle ('un sublet'), and joyously cried out 'Long live Pantagruel!'

Pantagruel so addressed immediately intends to respond in like fashion, but miserably soils himself in the attempt. Panurge's salute is closely paralleled by the obligation of Roland the Farter detailed above.

A notable flatulist in Victorian times was Joseph Pujol, known by his stage name le Pétomane (pictured above), who performed in France from 1887. A contemporary flatulist, allegedly the only representant of his trade today, appears as Mr. Methane.

References

• Valerie J. Allen, Broken Air Exemplaria (2004). ([1] PDF version)