Wildtime
2nd Level Red Feather
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Written sometime in the 90s, this piece gave me my first glimpse into the history of tickling--albeit an inaccurate one.
Aside from cleaning up the spelling (I think I used Canadian spelling though), and minor editing to clarify its' mechanics, this article has been left verbatim.
It is somewhat amazing, startling, interesting, and a little sad. As a confirmed tickler (and occasional switchable submissive ticklee) since distant childhood (we're talking early single digits here), I am vexed- yes, vexed -as to how many in the B&D community perceive and practice the gentle torment of tickling. First, there seems to be an attitude that tickling isn't as 'serious' as other forms of S&M, and it is mostly a form of teasing. Also, I have come to realize that many of those who regard tickling as a rather silly method of S&M play are themselves so ticklish that they will not allow themselves to experience something new, i.e. to be tied and tickled. Yet, considering their ticklishness, it would be quite torturous for them, you know? I notice with some irony too that these submissives--who consider their fetishes and servitude's part of their lifestyle and have a need far punishment--won't receive a tickling because it is either not a serious enough punishment or they can't take it. Yet, they are the ones who live for spanking, whipping, slapping, piercing, and several other more traditionally painful and even seemingly brutal B&D activities--and some submissives get into it all quite heavily. They seem the ideal candidates for a real torture.
As my lonely tickle frustration was about to take me to 'Ted Bundyish' lengths of satiation and my venom was on the verge of overflow, I realized something. Much literature had been written on S&M, B&D, fetishes, slavery and servitude, and all of it running the gamut from criminal case histories to supportive, defensive psychological studies, from fiction to how-to instructions from those in the know. Most of this was written from the standpoint of tradition. The literature out there usually deals with the aforementioned whipping, spanking, etc.; traditional activities associated with pain - certainly admitting that I mean the "good' pain, the desired, craved discomfort/ discipline of B&D & S&M rather than the "bad," wrong pain.
But that was it. The tradition of pain - with fun, relationships, servitude, sexuality, fantasy, ribaldry, the erotic, the explicit, fetishism, role-playing, lifestyles and sundry all mixed in various proportions - was about all that B&D S&M literature contained. There was very little written about painless, insidious tickling. Some fiction here, scholarly but short references there, but nothing combining history, theory, thought and emotion to tickling in the way traditional B&D had been covered. I realized many S&M people didn't understand tickling (or didn't care to) because they had never been taught it. Part of it, I suppose, is that there are simply more people into the traditional forms of S&M than the more exotic tickling. But still, there's always something new to learn in B&D S&M, right? Aha! After feeling left out in this community for so long because my kink didn't match everyone else's, (the oddball in a club of oddballs, to put it more dramatically) I have discovered my place. I could educate. Not scientifically, to be sure - I haven't done any serious studies on this subject, but then, I could still bring the message of tickling to the people, show 'em the history of tickling from the distant past well into this century. Show the S&M community how a proper tickling can be the closest thing to real torture than the whippings most people get, yet how tickling is much safer (go ahead, tickle near the kidneys!). I could bring to all the emotions and reasoning behind a tickler/ticklee, in this specialized "field" (it helps to think of us ticklers as S&M'ers who have branched off. If your torments won't make your prisoner talk, call on one of us). Anyway, this is my treatise on tickling. A historical document which will attempt to bring to the B&D/S&M world an idea of what makes ticklers tick. Sure, I know this is an undertaking that is too big for me to do justice to, and I'm sure I'll have facts wrong, some of my theories will be discounted, and many people will disagree with what I've written. But then, I ENCOURAGE HEARING FROM YOU! I mean, it's like I'm alone out here! That's why I'm writing this! Hello out there. Oh, and do keep in mind that this is being written from a hetero male dominant tickler (with submissive ticklee tendencies and a bit of a foot fetish) point of view. Try to read into this a perspective that is right for you. Damn, what am I about to do? Oh, well, here goes.
Chinese tickle torture. This is a cliché that most of us have heard at some point in our lives. As it turns out, there is much truth in this type of torture having been used. While the research I've personally done on this topic has yielded little specific info or examples, the fact that this "cliché" about tickling even exists, and tickling for purpose of torture exists as an idea in many countries besides America, perhaps a historical look at tickling is in order.
In looking to the Chinese as tickling torturers, I should first note that my information on this topic (as well as much of what's in this document) is pieced together from a variety of sources and contacts, as well as bits of rumour and hearsay I've come across through the years. However, I've always tried to back up any claims involving tickling that I've found with what little facts there are. In ancient times, Chinese society was quite advanced in many areas, including medical knowledge and theory. It was during these ancient times, approximately 2000-3000 BC, that the Chinese brought into use massage, reflexology and acupuncture for the treatment of both physical and mental well being. It was during these years, these centuries, of studying the workings of the human body - so the theory goes - down to such minuscule specifics as the location and functioning of nerve endings that it was discovered that on certain parts of the body these nerve endings were in abundance and that these nerves reacted in various ways to various stimuli. In other words, while humans have always been sensitive (ticklish), the Chinese were probably the first to document the phenomenon. They became aware that the areas of the body often the most sensitive to pain were also the most sensitive to pleasure. In touching these areas in specific, deliberate ways, such as a continually firm but gentle stroke, a tickling sensation (a sort of nerve-confusing pleasure/pain combination) could be created which was physiologically difficult to endure. I don't know of any specific historical cases supporting this, but in past "Dear Abby" columns, Abigail Van Buren has stated that scholars have found references to tickling torture in "ancient Chinese writings" (no specifics from ol' Abby). It seems to make sense that something so simple and easy yet unbearable would be used as a subtle torture, though. It would require very little physical energy of the tormentor, no special skills are needed, nor special equipment (other than restraints). How/why this was developed into torture and under what conditions it was used I haven't discovered (punishment? confessions?), but perhaps the following will flesh things out some.
First, consider what is known about European "traditional" tortures - they were sometimes used to punish, but more often that not, used more to bring about a confession or to get information. They were often brutal, unrefined and lacked subtlety. What is known about Chinese torture (in fact, Asian in general, and ancient Roman tortures as well) is that their 'best' tortures (tortures effective in combing physical and mental anguish with the added "benefit" in that they were long and endlessly lingering) seemed to be made for extended use. While whipping and beating were used for both confessions and as punishment in Asia, the 'classics' of Chinese torture'- water dripping on one's head (now said by some that this may actually be fictional), bamboo under the fingernails, binding a prisoner in an uncomfortable position, etc. - may have been designed for extended, 'endless' punishing use.
For suffering punishment, to drive the victim mad, even to execute the victim, slowly, with the stress created by continual pain. This is perhaps why the Chinese are considered at least in lore as fearsome torturers. This also may be why something so mild, so simple as tickling, when endless, becomes agonizing. It is a subtle punishment. While this is mostly my own theory, there is some information to back it up.
Margaret Meade wrote an article in which it was mentioned that in ancient China honey would be coated on a victim's feet and animals (possibly cats, though probably goats would lick the honey off, creating a tickling sensation - and the animal wouldn't stop unless it was pulled away. More than likely the victim's feet were just continually re-coated with honey, licked more, until... I've heard about this article, but I can't actually find the damn thing anywhere.
This torment was possibly used to get people to talk, but Cecil Adams and fiction writer Octave Mirbeau offer a more sinister reason. According to Cecil Adams' book The Straight Dope, tickling was conceivably used as a slow death penalty. Adams' version (originally proposed by Dr. Joost Merloo) suggests that the Romans, not Chinese, came up with a similarly suggested-from-the-above method of tickle torture, which lasted for several hours, although it was used expressly for executions. A person can indeed be tickled to death (more on that later), so it is probable that Chinese tickle torture did exist, although when, or to what extent it was used, or who else used it isn't completely known.
Apparently, the Koreans, Vietnamese, and even Japanese may have used it in times past. It is interesting to recall, too, that Asian countries even today have taboos on touching in public even more stringent than here in the U.S. (remember, many Asians don't shake hands traditionally, they bow, showing a submissiveness without physical contact). With a sort of 'mental block' against touching already in place in someone's mind, a torment based on a continuous light touching of an intimate area on the body would seem even more stressful and maddeningly tickle when applied.
The victim would simply not be used to being touched; hence, a touch paranoia or phobia would be aggravated with such a torture as tickling. Even today, tickling is used in Japan widely in the S&M scene, while touching in public is still rather forbidden, and harmless tickling between children or parent and child is rare. Tickling may have been used also by the invading Mongols, since it would have been a potentially excruciating torment to those sensitive to it, yet would cause no scars or damage to any captive female the invaders would want to take with them. Take note, dominants! It is rumoured that the Arabs or Turks used tickling for harem discipline, but I can find nothing substantial to confirm this story. Great fantasy, though. Despite Asians general disdain for tickling due to its history, in India, much like in the U.S., light tickling is often used as a non-S&M related foreplay to overcome inhibitions.
One last word on Chinese tickle torture. Author Octave Mirbeau writes in his fictional book The Torture Garden on several types of Chinese tortures. While the book was written in the 1860's and fictional in nature, many of the tortures described sound real. Adding to the Chinese tickle torture myth is a torment from the book called "the torture of the caress". This is a torment in which a young man is tied immobile to a table, then an old woman unceasingly uses one skilled hand to stroke the tied man's sides, ribs, and torso. The man dies After four non-stop hours of this. It is a fictional work, and it may seem a ridiculous form of torture and death, but there are several things to remember which make a seemingly mild torture work. First, the victims are not S&M players in a scene, but prisoners who have no choice in what is about to happen to them. Secondly, the bondage is quite uncomfortable and immobile. Thirdly, no limits are respected! The torture would be as prolonged as necessary. No rest breaks. Also consider that most people who were tickled did not get a teasing little stroke, but a full brunt tickle assault on their most sensitive places by people whom the victim didn't know or trust. Just a continuous, unmerciful tickling. When those of you reading this who are yourselves ticklish realize all of these factors, you may now understand how tickling was used very effectively as torture for years, even into this century.
Now that Chinese tickling has been dealt with somewhat, let's move on several hundred years into medieval times and the amazing variety of European tickle tortures. Did such a thing exist? Absolutely! Actually, the Europeans developed tickling for both pleasurable and torturous uses. We'll start with the torture first.
Some of the first recorded tickling in Europe comes from France. In the 1200's there was a crusade against a seat of French citizens called the Albiginese. In the eyes of French authorities, the Albiginese were considered religious heretics and were thus targets of the government of that time.
Many history books on this subject mention that a man by the name of Simon de Montfort was a major player in the crusades against the Albiginese. Far fewer history books note however, that de Montfort took an active role in the torturing of the women accused of heresy. Rumor again, but apparently Simon de Montfort was the first person of note to use tickling with a feather on the soles of a person's feet for torture, although, again, it's said that that was also a Chinese method. Anyway, throughout the information I've gathered - depending on its accuracy, of course - de Montfort's routine was this: an accused heretic would be tied down to wooden planks and her feet were tickled with a feather. When the prisoner could take no more, the woman would confess to the charges of heresy. De Montfort would then sentence the prisoner to death, and continue his tickling until the victim died. This was especially sadistic as de Montfort had already gotten the confession he wanted from a torment the victim couldn't withstand, then he'd essentially order more of the same torment to the now cooperating prisoner for what amounted to the rest of the prisoner's life.
Once more, specifics may not be completely correct; however, it has been documented by Havelock Ellis that Simon de Montfort did tickle his heretic prisoners to death with a feather.
Before continuing on into the various Inquisitions, perhaps now is the time to address the question of whether or not someone could truly be tickled to death. That's been answered in history, and more specific examples will be presented later in this treatise. Yes, people can be tickled to death. But how? Firstly and most obviously, this torment didn't work on those who were not ticklish. So, those who were the most sensitive to this torment suffered greatly. Death could have occurred in several different ways. A continuous tickling would have the victim near breathless with both begging and screaming. A lack of oxygen in the lungs would result in a low blood oxygen level. If this condition continued, at it's worst, the body would begin to shut down and would cause muscle cramping. The heart, being a muscle, would eventually stop - although it would be the last muscle to shut down, so a victim tickled literally to death would suffer much before the end would come (According to The Encyclopedia Of Unusual Sex Practices, prolonged tickling can also lead to loss of bladder control, vomiting, dizziness and fainting). If the heart didn't stop, the victim, unable to get oxygen, might suffocate. In an April 1926 issue of The New York Times there is a brief story of a 15 year old girl tickling her 13 year old sister to death. The younger girl got so worked up that a major artery burst, causing internal bleeding. So if the victim was weak enough, a tickling death could result in this way (remember that when this type of torture was popular the general health care of the day was quite poor). There may be other methods of death I'm overlooking, but this'll give you a general idea. By the way, tickling torture, though used on both men and women, was one of the few tortures where it was historically accurate that the victims were often young, good looking women. Younger women and girls are more tickle sensitive than older women because they are nearer puberty (there's a definite link between tickling and sex), their skin would be softer than that of a man's or a working woman's, and it was often the hidden agenda of a torturer in the Middle Ages to give an accused witch who was good looking a tickling rather than some other more scarring torture which might have ruined her beauty (never mind that a confession would lead to a burning later). To this end, the traditional rack was used for tickling. According to the fetish magazine Tickling Times #1, a good looking woman would be stretched tightly on a rack, but then it would be a feather that would be the actual tool used to torment the woman. In what country this was used wasn't mentioned. Interestingly, in Havelock Ellis' study, he notes that insane people, especially adolescent girls, are highly ticklish, seeming as if their nervous system is easily overloaded. This study also mentions that in Iceland "It may be known whether a youth is pure or a maid is intact by their susceptibility to tickling. Anyway, there's more on those kinky Europeans.
In Germany, witch hunters took the Chinese method of tickling and refined it. In their version, an accused witch would have her feet placed in stocks and a leather harness would be strapped tightly around her chest. The woman's soles would then be covered with salt water. Goats would then be allowed to lick off the salt water, the animal's raspy tongue tickling the woman's rough foot bottoms (this was, After all, before Dr. Scholls and Jergin's(tm) lotion, and it would take a somewhat rougher touch to tickle). As the prisoner struggled, laughed, screamed or gasped the leather harness would become more constricting, threatening to cut off her air. Supposedly, this was a very effective tickling method (and how often do you hear about German witches today?). At least two books, The History of Torture and The Inquisition briefly mention the 'torture of the goat's tongue', as it is called. An Italian tickling contact of mine mentions that this was also a popular, legal form of torture in Italy, and its past use is common knowledge to many of his countrymen (just like Americans might know about the Salem witch trials of old). The Spanish used a similar method, only it was used much less often and was used against men and women more equally. In fact, there's a very realistic tickle-torture scene from a Spanish language film. Unfortunately I don't know the film's name or plot, but the scene's great. A man is tied to a rack as the chief inquisitor asks him something (in Spanish) while the man's feet are brushed with brine. Soon a friar releases two goats at the man's feet, which lick his soles until he's dissolved into helpless laughter. Still the guy won't cooperate. So, with the goats still at his feet, a smaller goat is held, up to lick that squeamish spot on the neck just behind the man's ear. Finally, the guy breaks. I mean, who wouldn't?
I wish I knew the movie's name, as it is the only flick I've seen with a tickling-used-as-torture scene. It is as the Inquisition ends that tickling for torture begins to slowly fade and tickling for pleasure, (albeit sadistic, kinky and twisted pleasure) begins.
If only Catherine the Great had gotten together with Lucrezia and Cesare Borgia; now that would have been a party! You see, these are probably the most famous names linked to tickling in history. First, Catherine. In the 1700's foot tickling in Russia became the rage as an erotic turn on for the women of the highest classes (Just as oral sex was THE thing in the 1970s and bondage/fetishism became popular in the A.I.D.S.- riddled 1980s).
Apparently, the Russians picked it up from the Tartar tribes of the now and former Soviet Union, who originally may have gotten it from the Chinese or Mongols. Catherine the Great (a German by birth - and the Germans have their own tickling history, don't they?) was married to Peter the Great, although it was a loveless marriage. According to William Rossi's The Sex Life Of The Foot And Shoe, foot tickling was performed on Catherine by either female servants or eunuchs. They would stroke her soles with long feathers or bushy brushes as they sang dirty songs, the entire scene reeking of decadence to get The empress into a sexual mood for when her husband returned to the bedroom. It wasn't just Catherine who underwent this treatment; many women of her court were 'into' the foot tickling, as were notable female Russian leaders After the death of Catherine. Rossi writes that Anna Leopoldova had six women 'on call' specifically as court ticklers. While Rossi specifically mentions that this tickling went on in the bedrooms of only the rich and famous Russian women (an activity that he suggests created many an orgasm for the women), he implies that Russians of every social level got involved. Further, he teasingly hints that when his book was written (in the early 1960's), Soviet women in high positions were even then getting their feet tickled as a sexual turn on, although presumably not by eunuchs or other hired hands.
Tickling is apparently rather ingrained in Russian society. Around 1988 I attended one of the "Tournée of Animation" films at a Dallas theater. One of the animation shorts came from the U.S.S.R; Russia, specifically, if I remember. The action took place in a mental asylum, the crazies all running around wild.
In one spot, an inmate has another on the ground and is tickling his ribs. More fascinating, though, are the myths of Russia. According to Russian folklore, there were two races of beings who would often tickle travelers to death. The LESHIYE were spirit men who lived in the woods and would confuse travelers with their voices like wind, rustling leaves and animal cries. At times, if the Leshiye got a traveler to leave the road, death by tickling would sometimes be his fate. The RUSALKY were also to be avoided. Travelers would sometimes meet up with these beautiful but evil female spirits. A spirit would ask the traveler riddles, and, if satisfied with the answers, she would let the traveler go. However, if her questions weren't answered, a Rusalka would then tickle her victim to death right there on the spot, male or female, young or old. Also, according to Arrowsmith and Moorse's mythology book, A Field Guide to the Little People, those who didn't carry wormswood in their pocket also met the tickling fate. What makes this all especially arresting to me is that this is not some modern fantasy or a sexual bit of lore known only to fetishistic adults, but it is mythology commonly known among Russian people (a la our Paul Bunyan or Pecos Bill) as well as the Romanians, Poles, and Czechs. In fact, there is even a Russian opera entitled RUSALKA, although I don't think any tickling occurs. Coupling all of this with the tickling exploits of the Russian aristocracy and those of her neighbor, China, Russia sounds like THE place to visit. Interestingly, Russians and tickling as sexual dominance have been featured twice, at least, in film. THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV depicts Lee J. Cobb as a lusty man who, near the film's beginning, ties a comely wench to a couch and tickles her bare feet with the pointed end of a feather. In the 1960's a film called THE GREAT CATHERINE was released, French actress Jeanne Moreau playing Catherine, Empress of Russia. Strangely, Catherine isn't tickled in this film, but actually does the tickling, first teasing a bound Peter O'Toole with her bare toes, then giving him a vigorous rib tickling. The one-act play written by George Bernard Shaw (on which the film is loosely based) features this scene as well - rare treat in the mainstream media of a woman dominating a man with tickling. Catch it if it plays in your town. Ah, but did Catherine herself tickle the men in her life? Who knows. On to Spain.
The Borgia family. These guys were perverts. Although famous sexually I guess because of their incestuous relationship and incredible promiscuity, brother Cesare and sister Lucrezia had other kinks as well. Again, from The Tickling Times comes this story from Fra Tomaso, a fixture in the tickling underground during the 1980s (are he and servant Scheherezade still around?): After a nice dinner, Cesare Borgia used to like to spend time with his serving women. One of his favorite activities, it is said, would be to have one of the serving wenches falsely accused of a crime, After which she would be sent to the dungeon. There, Cesare would be waiting, wearing an executioner's hood which made him unrecognizable to the serving girl. When the girl was bound immobile, Cesare would tickle her body throughout the night (I assume there was sexual activity as well). If that wasn't kinky enough, sister Lucrezia also learned about this fetish. She supposedly was so intrigued by Cesare's tickling exploits that she had a rack installed in her bedchambers and would tickle her female servants on it. Once she accidentally got so into the tickling torture that she accidentally tickled one of her servant girls to death. Now I don't know how much of this is true, but the Borgia's WERE a kinky and sadistic family. It would all make a great movie.
As the centuries go on, it becomes easier to separate tickling myth from tickling fact, although tickling examples are still difficult to find. The ones that are out there though are fantastic. An episode from about two years ago of CNBC's REAL PERSONAL show dealt with massage and the physical touch in relation to mental and physical well being. Eventually, the subject of tickling came up, as well as this great, obscure nugget. In France during the 1800's there was a group of upper class women who enjoyed having young men over for something other than the same old tired group sex. These women would gang up on a man, hold him down and tickle him until he fainted. Sadly, the woman on the TV show didn't get anymore specific than what I've written. Interestingly, though, at the call-in portion of the show, all of the callers were women and nearly all of them agreed that to be tied down and relentlessly tickled would definitely be torture for them.
The fascinating history of tickling torture continues into this century. It is in the late 1800's and early 1900's that the tickling Germans once again show up. At least, it is thought. Some out there in the tickling underground have heard of the Kitzlersekte, but for those who don't, here's a taste of what was probably the world's greatest tickling order. The Kitzlersekte (Tickle-sect) began in the late 1800's by a group of men into tickling. The men would hold meetings where their wives were held down (possibly tied?) and tickled their feet until the women fainted. This group continued to thrive until the law stopped them. It seemed that some in the sect were bringing in teenage girls. Tickling a teenager in itself wasn't illegal, but these girls were the misbehaving daughters or nieces of the men in the sect who would be subjected, as punishment, to the Kitzlersekte's practices. Unfortunately, ticklish girls who are at their age of sexual awakening are even more ticklish than before puberty. Reportedly, some of the girls tickled by the sect would go into spasmodic convulsions of laughter from the relentless assault, and the younger girls would sometimes die. Thus endith the Kitzlersekte. (There was an amateur video company called Maybird some years back which sold a video featuring a German woman foot-tickling her 'maid' and her niece, all of which was reminiscent of the Kitzlersekte). I had a German tickle contact who told me, strangely, not only is tickling not very popular in Germany, but he'd never heard of the Kitzlersekte. This is where the origin of the 'tickle sect' becomes difficult to track. I read about the Kitlersekte in a dictionary of German culture, in the German language. But history gets easily confused, I guess. Currently, there is a book out called The Sacred Fire, by Goldberg. In this book Goldberg has a paragraph on a group of men in Russia called 'The Ticklers', who also tickled their wives until they fainted. Whether this is the same group as the Kitzlersekte or something different, I have yet to discover. It may be the Russians were the ticklers, and this German dictionary merely gave them the name 'Kitzlersekte', thus confusing my research. Funny how Russian tickling once again shows up. We'll bid goodbye to the tickling Germaniacs for now, but we'll hear from them again later in the century.
In 20th century America, people were starting to take notice of tickling as a sadistic game, albeit a very mild one, more a mischievous act than actual cruelty. This kind of thinking towards tickling can be reflected in a short tickling bit in the film THE GREAT ZIGFIELD (William Powell tickles Louise Rainier's foot and she chides him for being 'bad') and a little scene in Charlie Chaplin's THE FLOORWALKER - a 1912 feature, probably the first depiction of tickling on film (Interestingly, Chaplin's LAST film - A KING IN NEW YORK - also shows Chuck tickling a girl's foot). Some serious study into tickling also begins to take place around the turn of the century. Sadly, the research done ain't much at this point. Nevertheless, Erasimus Darwin did some writing on the subject of tickling (his theory being tickling as a sensation is a type of warning/defense system. I'll expound on this later.), as did Havelock Ellis in his Psychology of Sex -he mentions Simon de Montfort, in fact, although it is in the complete, unabridged version; the shorter version mentions nothing. In the October 1897 issue of Journal of Psychology, Hall and Allin did a study called Tickling and Laughter, although it is rather clinical, dull, and equates tickling laughter directly as a result of a humor release, rather than Darwin's (and other's) theory that the release of laughter is from some other biological reason, humor being indirectly related at best. One theory about tickling proposed that, since older and married women seemed to be less ticklish, ticklishness was nature's form of rape prevention (a squirming woman was difficult to get hold of, I guess). This, of course, begged several questions: what about ticklish men? What about those older or married women who were still very ticklish? What about the fact that tickling alone is or can be interpreted as an aggressive act? Are non-ticklish women "supposed" to be raped? Surely, there have been ticklish rape victims? This theory no longer stands. The book Man With A Maid was printed in the 1880s, this book featuring quite a bit of underarm and vaginal tickling. In the teens or early 1920's a major newspaper had a blurb about a 'peasant' girl on a train being tickled by several male passengers. A short story was published in which, at one point, two men are paid to tickle an ill boy until he faints (I don't know why - I can't track down this elusive story). And I've mentioned the tickling death in 1926 of the New York girl. Tickling doesn't surface in the underground, or anywhere else, much again until World War Two and, once more, the 'Invasion of the Tickling Germans'!
With an apparent nod to medieval torturers and the Kitzlersekte (Russians? Germans?), the Nazis proved that it was the Germans, not the Chinese, who were the tickle champs of the world. In the concentration camps during WWII it was a favorite game of the female German soldiers stationed there to single out the dark-haired Jewish girls and tickle their feet until they fainted. VERY similar to the Kitzlersekte. There was no real reason for this task, other than the sheer dominating torture it brought on. The tools used were either short feathers or long fingernails along the girls' soles, although it is possible that ticklish tummies, ribs and underarms were also tormented (apparently, boys were spared, as were blond girls). Also similar to the Kitzlersekte was that some young girls died. At least two books published in Germany mention that Anne Frank herself underwent this treatment at least twice, and would become terrified if the Nazi women were near. Of course, being a dark-haired 15-year-old Jewish girl, Anne Frank was a prime-tickling target. Even her famous diary tells how ticklish her chest and stomach were as Dr. Dussel tried to listen to her heartbeat when she was ill. I've been told that to this day, tickling in Germany is an integral part to the S&M lifestyle, although my contact actually living in Germany tells me otherwise (Prestige's Student Fetish Videos line dealing with tickling has some German women featured. My personal amateur video collection features a bit of German tickling - but I could always use more!).
After WWII comes an interesting bit of tickling info, and probably the first serious, non-fictional treatment of tickling as a component of B&D/S&M play. The January 1947 issue of The American Journal of Psychotherapy ran an article entitled A Rare case of Sadomasochism: Torture by Tickling. It was a case study of a man obsessed with tickling and sexual ideas concerning tickling since childhood. As we now know, childhood is usually when forms of fetishistic or S&M related behavior develop or come to our attention. I vividly recall tickling 'adventures' or fantasies as a pre-pubescent child, as do most of my tickling contacts, and, in fact, most people into B&D/S&M have such memories related to their interest. This article went on to describe some of the things the subject had in his collection - he had incredibly rare items (the peasant girl news item and the shorts story of the boy being tickled), writings, painting he had commissioned and, possibly, photos, from the 1920's or earlier, all related to tickling. His collection is feared lost, but who knows what will turn up with the tickling underground on the lookout. The article goes on still further, telling how the man's wife and even the maid used to humor his tickling fetish, occasionally, 'humorously' tying visiting women's feet for a playful tickle. Where can I meet these women? Although the article takes an unkind look at his interest -and the guy did get rather carried away-this is the one tickling article every tickler should own.
As we enter the modern age, we now know that tickling is very popular in the bedroom even without any regards to S&M. It is a form of play, which involves dominant and submissive behavior that is seemingly utterly natural. The Joy of Sex has a brief mention of tickling as an arousal tool, while The Joy Of Touch has a great chapter devoted completely to tickling. Tickling has been written on in both the Dear Abby and Ann Landers columns, has been briefly mentioned by Mike Royko, and has even turned up in a "Dear Dotty" piece in the National Inquirer (and, yes, Dottie's ticklish!).
Recently, Glamour had a bit on tickling in its Health and Fitness section, where it was stated that tickling was erotic because the one being tickled is allowing the touch of another to set off his/her sensual responses (the Cecil Adams book also has some good information on tickling related to sex, as does the Havelock Ellis piece).
Tickling has appeared in film (too many to mention, but beginners should catch NORTH TO ALASKA, CANNON BALL RUN II, DIRTY DANCING, ROBOCOP II and the famous but impossible to find VARIETY GIRL; SIRENS explores both the impish childishness and the sensual/sexual/submissive sides of tickling quite well.), and on TV (HELP WANTED: MALE, BONNIE AND CLYDE: THE EARLY YEARS, THE CHILDREN NOBODY WANTED-even the Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles have a villain named Tortelli who tickles his victims-just to name a few).
Geraldo (I think; it was some talk show) did an episode on unusual crime and punishments. For example, one teenage model in NY got busted for drug possession for the 3rd time, so her step-father, at wit's end, got two of his female police friends to cuff his daughter and tickle her good as punishment.
And let's not forget the small, but ever-growing underground out there. Magazines such as Tickling, Ticklish, Tied and Tickled, the contact papers out there, video companies such as Cal-Star, SOA, Platinum, Harmony and so on, as well as the kinky art of Italian Franco Saudelli all add to the world of tickling.
Of course, the lament of most ticklers (myself included) is that there still isn't enough quality material out their for our special interest; for the longest time there haven't been special clubs, groups or organizations-a la People Exchanging Power or Eugenspiegel-out there for those of us who love tickling and take it seriously (well, seriously as one possibly can). People who like to beat or be beaten have clubs and printed matter; the publications for gay leathermen feature some truly frightening acts (Mace and pummeling as an aphrodisiac!?!) Transvestitism is slowly beginning to gain discrete, semi-acceptance, Why no contact mag or support group so ticklers can meet 'n' greet?
Actually, I've heard about a few groups over the years. There was a club which had a newsletter called The Feather. You'd send in $13 and a survey and they promised to send you an audiotape. I know that some people got the newsletter, but I received nothing. Recently there's been a club, Worldwide Ticklers (WWT) started by a fellow named Bob Marshall, a photographer and real-live tickle enthusiast. He's been tickling and corresponding with ticklers for many years. I joined his club and have written a few pieces for him. Sadly, as of this writing the club is progressing at an extremely slow rate, despite Bob's having appeared on CNBC's Real Personal AND having garnered the interest of The Howard Stern Show ("Butt Bongo is dead!" quoting Mr. Stern after he'd tickled three different women on his 1994 Christmas show on the E! channel. Ah, I love VCRs.)
For those of you who want to join a club for real tickle enthusiasts and maybe kick Mr. Marshall in the butt, the current club address is WWT. An even newer newsletter called Fingers and Feathers has surfaced in CA, but I haven't had the chance to investigate it yet. I should point out that, as far as I can tell, none of these clubs, organizations, etc. are intentional rip-offs (who's going to get rich off of $13 from a closeted, non-mainstream group?). With the exception of the infamous Tobias Hackner 'family' of ticklers (he makes big money selling other people's tickling related work-his 'amateur' Lesbian Tickling audio tape is the soundtrack to Nu-Vue's video Ticklerama), these clubs aren't too successful because those who run them are regular folks who have real jobs; thus, their time is taken up there, and their money goes to gas, rent, food and so on. Few can Afford the time or the postage required for hundreds of newsletters, no matter how sincere the individual's interest. Compounding the problems is the fact that so many people are shy about their interest - especially women - so there isn't much participation back into the clubs. One person can't do it all alone. Any kinky millionaires interested in publishing? Perhaps my treatise will help change things, open people's eyes, get things going for a new social group. After all, it's not just us 'unknowns' who are into tickling. Take a look at some of these celebrities involved with tickling:
Liz Taylor - 'Alfalfa' Switzer used to tickler her mercilessly on the set of her first film;
Groucho Marx - liked having the soles of his feet finger stroked, just like his mother Minnie did years before;
Kelly Lynch - admitted on TV that when Tom Cruise tickled her under the covers in COCKTAIL that she wasn't acting;
Mia Sara - to get her to laugh in FERRIS BUEHLER'S DAY OFF, according to Tiger Beat Magazine, lucky Matthew Broderick had to tickle her foot;
Lisa Marie Presley - ticklee, People magazine;
Danny Devito and Rhea Perlman - a famous tickling couple;
Florence Henderson - quite sensitive;
Sinead O'Conner - admitted to sensitive feet on MTV;
Dianne Lane - admitted it on a TV interview;
Nancy Spungeon - Sid Vicious' girl;
Brooke Shields
Sara Hickman & Annabella - of Bowowow;
Joan Jett and the Runaways - used to gang-tickle drummer Sandy West;
Janet Jackson - rumored on the Joan Rivers show to be 'the most ticklish woman in showbiz';
Michael Jackson - ticklish in 'The Making of Thriller';
Jamie Lee Curtis
Kim Zmescal - NBS showed her getting her feet wrapped at the 1992 Olympics as a teammate kept tickling;
Robin Williams - infamous tickler;
Bill Murray - his victims include Gilda Radner and Geena Davis
I know I left some people out (this list is just from memory), but you get the idea. Tickler/Ticklees are everywhere - and we are obsessed! Of course, sometimes we go too far.
There's a photo out there of a sleeping Marilyn Monroe (a playful tickler herself, it's said) about to have her bare foot tickled by Montgomery Clift. At the worst, this would be a little annoying to any of us - though a good way for a dom to wake up a sleeping sub. But there have been times in recent history when ticklers, like other far more dangerous sex criminals, have crossed the lines of the law. In 1984, a fellow by the name of Richard Hatcher was arrested for breaking and entering. Richard, a quiet, well-liked son of a local preacher, would sneak into women's homes and steal their shoes, and often tickle their feet and toes. On the night he was caught, Hatcher had broken into the room of a 15-year-old girl, tickled her feet as she slept and, when she woke up and screamed, he fled with one shoe. Later that night, Hatcher broke into the room belonging to the girl's older sister. Richard got three of her shoes, and again, tickled her feet until she awoke screaming. After he was caught, Hatcher was sent into mental therapy.
This all happened in New Jersey, but when I was a student at the University of North Texas, there was a similar occurrence. Around 1988-89, a young, unidentified man (no, not me) would walk into the unlocked rooms of female students during the night as they slept. Once in the room, the man would sit on the girl's bed and stroke her bare foot, often tickling her awake. This guy got away with this activity at least three times, and would always smile and say "I'm sorry, I'm in the wrong room" when the woman would awaken. He was never captured. And this, After U.N.T. was visited by a criminal toe-sucker in Z985 (they caught him, but that's a different treatise). In both the Hatcher case and the U.N.T. case the tickler never used force or threats, and, when caught, would flee. This is not to excuse what these guys did, but please, when confronted with a tickler, S&M'ers, just give him what he wants and no one gets hurt. The excellent magazine Ticklish featured a letter in issue #2 from "Alan N." of Louisville, KY. He sent the magazine three news articles about tickling incidents in his area. One dealt with two hookers who robbed a man, but tickled him endlessly before they robbed a man, then decided to tickle him endlessly before they were through. Another news item related some bikers in Potato Creek State Park who were caught putting a woman through a tickling initiation. The final item was about a woman who wrote a state prison official with a serious offer to tickle prisoners to get information on crimes. I think I'm in love. Didn't this already happen to that girl in NY?
Finally, perhaps a brief word on the actual mechanics of tickling. After all, just as those who whip know the names, history and function of their devices, I know my tickling. The sensation of a tickle is thought to be similar to an itch in how it works, but, then, what makes an itch isn't completely understood. From the July 1983 issue of Sky, the Delta in-flight magazine, of all places, comes this regarding tickling:
"Assume a camera and tape recorder are registering your response as you are tickled. You laugh and simultaneously look away. You are frantic, even gleefully embarrassed. Deep inside you are emotionally enjoying the attention, but physiologically you do not act as if you're receiving pleasure. All behaviors imply that you are trying to avoid the tickler."
A 1974 article from The New York Times magazine discloses that the natural purpose of tickling apparently goes back to our evolutionary roots. A lion, for example, when stalking an animal, will remain quiet and still until the final pounce.
When attacked, however, a lion will react loudly, bare its teeth, and its hair will stand on end. The same thing happens when an ape is attacked. The same thing, in an evolved style, happens in humans. Tickling is thought to be a sort of warning system built into the skin, and as I've mentioned, the most ticklish body parts are often also the most vulnerable to injury.
When a person is tickled they may develop goose bumps, which is the human evolutionary equivalent to an animal's hair standing on end (goose bumps are hair follicles that have become more pronounced due to tiny constricting muscles under the skin). The barring of teeth and 'monkey shrieking' are seen in humans as the involuntary grinning and high pitched laughing protestations, which occur during tickling (although I met one woman in College who, when tickled unexpectedly, made obvious 'orgasmic' moaning and gasping sounds).
Since humans aren't really in any danger of injury in physical contact with someone they know, tickling, while causing a desperate, unbearable sensation, can be withstood to a degree. A real tickle assault (torture) would cause extreme discomfort, while a false assault provides some discomfort, but also a playful challenge to endure, as well enjoyment of the attention and human touch.
It should be noted that experts now think that trying to quietly endure the tickling can also make it more unbearable, while letting go and laughing makes it easier to take. Relating to sex, tickling releases positive chemicals (such as endorphins) into the bloodstream, and brings about rapid breathing and heart rate-these same occurrences found in people having sex, or when people are sexually aroused from foreplay other than tickling. Other articles on tickling and laughter include: Robinson's "Ticklishness" (Tuke's Dictionary of Psychological Medicine), Allin's "On Laughter," Psychological Review, May 1903; and there was even a Vogue article (circa 1984) on tickling.
More on the evolution bit: The reason most people can't tickle themselves (although that isn't always true, either) is, since the tickler's intent is known and there is no contest, then there is no threat, nothing to stir the evolutionary roots. An attack is presented which is neither threatening nor pleasantly challenging. A high-strung, non-ticklish woman (or man), let's say, isn't ticklish because your 'assault' is neither amusing nor threatening to her. She's too serious to find it funny, too focused to be scared. A high-strung ticklish woman feels an unpleasant (unbearable) sensation because her high-strung nervousness makes her body believe it's under an uncontrollable attack. A relaxed, non-ticklish woman has nothing to fear and is comfortable being "assaulted". A relaxed, yet ticklish lady is the best because, although she sees the tickling as an attack, it's from a friendly foe and she can meet the challenge (though sensitive, she's willing to be tickled to see where it leads).
Sexual pleasure or arousal comes when the tickling relationship is taken over by the dominant (the tickler), and the ticklee is now BY NATURE submissive, taking pleasure from an unbearable "punishment"-assuming the ticklee trusts the partner, just as in any dominate/submissive relationship. Pretty deep, huh?
By the way, how do you know someone's enjoying it? The subject wiggles, but does not especially pull away, that's a good sign. Also, if her eyes roll back in her head briefly or her tongue lolls and curls (since these signs or more pronounced in women than men) there is enjoyment. A blissed-out facial expression is a positive sign, while an expression of stress or surrender might mean to hold back or take a break. Sexual arousal is a sure sign, but remember not to go too far.
Although tickling is safer than whipping, etc. as far as prolonged use-since tickling is a random, light stroke, rather than repetitive, semi-heavy pressure-it can cause (non-dangerous) muscle cramping and it still may be a good idea for the dom and sub to use code words (a 'yellow light' might be best, since a 'red light' could be accidentally called out in ticklish desperation, that desperation being part of the game. Tickling is normally more psychologically bearable with bondage than without.) Still, it is up to the participants.
Like any other method of S&M play, communication is important: talk about the tickling beforehand. Some people have had bad, panic inducing tickling experiences while other people just don't know how to tickle. As always, check the tickle victim's wrists and ankles for rope burn and circulation problems. Let your victim have breather breaks! Generally, all the usual rules for bondage should be followed.
So, in closing, I hope I've given the S&M/B&D community something to think about. It all kinda makes you want to treat us ticklers with a little more respect, eh? From the first female of the Bagandi tribe who tickled her mate's underarms as a prelude to sex (thus creating a custom for all Bagandi women) to the modern Japanese game show which often features tickling endurance by bikini clad women as part of the contest, tickling truly does have an ancient history and worldwide appeal. From Michelle Bauer, the new B-movie scream queen who starred in TIED AND TICKLED #1 (way back when!) to Joey Buttafucco, who, according to testimony by Amy Fisher, enjoyed tickling his teen girlfriend, tickling is clearly enjoyed and practiced by many already-let's all give it a chance.
Aside from cleaning up the spelling (I think I used Canadian spelling though), and minor editing to clarify its' mechanics, this article has been left verbatim.
A Treatise on Tickling
By "M"
By "M"
It is somewhat amazing, startling, interesting, and a little sad. As a confirmed tickler (and occasional switchable submissive ticklee) since distant childhood (we're talking early single digits here), I am vexed- yes, vexed -as to how many in the B&D community perceive and practice the gentle torment of tickling. First, there seems to be an attitude that tickling isn't as 'serious' as other forms of S&M, and it is mostly a form of teasing. Also, I have come to realize that many of those who regard tickling as a rather silly method of S&M play are themselves so ticklish that they will not allow themselves to experience something new, i.e. to be tied and tickled. Yet, considering their ticklishness, it would be quite torturous for them, you know? I notice with some irony too that these submissives--who consider their fetishes and servitude's part of their lifestyle and have a need far punishment--won't receive a tickling because it is either not a serious enough punishment or they can't take it. Yet, they are the ones who live for spanking, whipping, slapping, piercing, and several other more traditionally painful and even seemingly brutal B&D activities--and some submissives get into it all quite heavily. They seem the ideal candidates for a real torture.
As my lonely tickle frustration was about to take me to 'Ted Bundyish' lengths of satiation and my venom was on the verge of overflow, I realized something. Much literature had been written on S&M, B&D, fetishes, slavery and servitude, and all of it running the gamut from criminal case histories to supportive, defensive psychological studies, from fiction to how-to instructions from those in the know. Most of this was written from the standpoint of tradition. The literature out there usually deals with the aforementioned whipping, spanking, etc.; traditional activities associated with pain - certainly admitting that I mean the "good' pain, the desired, craved discomfort/ discipline of B&D & S&M rather than the "bad," wrong pain.
But that was it. The tradition of pain - with fun, relationships, servitude, sexuality, fantasy, ribaldry, the erotic, the explicit, fetishism, role-playing, lifestyles and sundry all mixed in various proportions - was about all that B&D S&M literature contained. There was very little written about painless, insidious tickling. Some fiction here, scholarly but short references there, but nothing combining history, theory, thought and emotion to tickling in the way traditional B&D had been covered. I realized many S&M people didn't understand tickling (or didn't care to) because they had never been taught it. Part of it, I suppose, is that there are simply more people into the traditional forms of S&M than the more exotic tickling. But still, there's always something new to learn in B&D S&M, right? Aha! After feeling left out in this community for so long because my kink didn't match everyone else's, (the oddball in a club of oddballs, to put it more dramatically) I have discovered my place. I could educate. Not scientifically, to be sure - I haven't done any serious studies on this subject, but then, I could still bring the message of tickling to the people, show 'em the history of tickling from the distant past well into this century. Show the S&M community how a proper tickling can be the closest thing to real torture than the whippings most people get, yet how tickling is much safer (go ahead, tickle near the kidneys!). I could bring to all the emotions and reasoning behind a tickler/ticklee, in this specialized "field" (it helps to think of us ticklers as S&M'ers who have branched off. If your torments won't make your prisoner talk, call on one of us). Anyway, this is my treatise on tickling. A historical document which will attempt to bring to the B&D/S&M world an idea of what makes ticklers tick. Sure, I know this is an undertaking that is too big for me to do justice to, and I'm sure I'll have facts wrong, some of my theories will be discounted, and many people will disagree with what I've written. But then, I ENCOURAGE HEARING FROM YOU! I mean, it's like I'm alone out here! That's why I'm writing this! Hello out there. Oh, and do keep in mind that this is being written from a hetero male dominant tickler (with submissive ticklee tendencies and a bit of a foot fetish) point of view. Try to read into this a perspective that is right for you. Damn, what am I about to do? Oh, well, here goes.
Chinese tickle torture. This is a cliché that most of us have heard at some point in our lives. As it turns out, there is much truth in this type of torture having been used. While the research I've personally done on this topic has yielded little specific info or examples, the fact that this "cliché" about tickling even exists, and tickling for purpose of torture exists as an idea in many countries besides America, perhaps a historical look at tickling is in order.
In looking to the Chinese as tickling torturers, I should first note that my information on this topic (as well as much of what's in this document) is pieced together from a variety of sources and contacts, as well as bits of rumour and hearsay I've come across through the years. However, I've always tried to back up any claims involving tickling that I've found with what little facts there are. In ancient times, Chinese society was quite advanced in many areas, including medical knowledge and theory. It was during these ancient times, approximately 2000-3000 BC, that the Chinese brought into use massage, reflexology and acupuncture for the treatment of both physical and mental well being. It was during these years, these centuries, of studying the workings of the human body - so the theory goes - down to such minuscule specifics as the location and functioning of nerve endings that it was discovered that on certain parts of the body these nerve endings were in abundance and that these nerves reacted in various ways to various stimuli. In other words, while humans have always been sensitive (ticklish), the Chinese were probably the first to document the phenomenon. They became aware that the areas of the body often the most sensitive to pain were also the most sensitive to pleasure. In touching these areas in specific, deliberate ways, such as a continually firm but gentle stroke, a tickling sensation (a sort of nerve-confusing pleasure/pain combination) could be created which was physiologically difficult to endure. I don't know of any specific historical cases supporting this, but in past "Dear Abby" columns, Abigail Van Buren has stated that scholars have found references to tickling torture in "ancient Chinese writings" (no specifics from ol' Abby). It seems to make sense that something so simple and easy yet unbearable would be used as a subtle torture, though. It would require very little physical energy of the tormentor, no special skills are needed, nor special equipment (other than restraints). How/why this was developed into torture and under what conditions it was used I haven't discovered (punishment? confessions?), but perhaps the following will flesh things out some.
First, consider what is known about European "traditional" tortures - they were sometimes used to punish, but more often that not, used more to bring about a confession or to get information. They were often brutal, unrefined and lacked subtlety. What is known about Chinese torture (in fact, Asian in general, and ancient Roman tortures as well) is that their 'best' tortures (tortures effective in combing physical and mental anguish with the added "benefit" in that they were long and endlessly lingering) seemed to be made for extended use. While whipping and beating were used for both confessions and as punishment in Asia, the 'classics' of Chinese torture'- water dripping on one's head (now said by some that this may actually be fictional), bamboo under the fingernails, binding a prisoner in an uncomfortable position, etc. - may have been designed for extended, 'endless' punishing use.
For suffering punishment, to drive the victim mad, even to execute the victim, slowly, with the stress created by continual pain. This is perhaps why the Chinese are considered at least in lore as fearsome torturers. This also may be why something so mild, so simple as tickling, when endless, becomes agonizing. It is a subtle punishment. While this is mostly my own theory, there is some information to back it up.
Margaret Meade wrote an article in which it was mentioned that in ancient China honey would be coated on a victim's feet and animals (possibly cats, though probably goats would lick the honey off, creating a tickling sensation - and the animal wouldn't stop unless it was pulled away. More than likely the victim's feet were just continually re-coated with honey, licked more, until... I've heard about this article, but I can't actually find the damn thing anywhere.
This torment was possibly used to get people to talk, but Cecil Adams and fiction writer Octave Mirbeau offer a more sinister reason. According to Cecil Adams' book The Straight Dope, tickling was conceivably used as a slow death penalty. Adams' version (originally proposed by Dr. Joost Merloo) suggests that the Romans, not Chinese, came up with a similarly suggested-from-the-above method of tickle torture, which lasted for several hours, although it was used expressly for executions. A person can indeed be tickled to death (more on that later), so it is probable that Chinese tickle torture did exist, although when, or to what extent it was used, or who else used it isn't completely known.
Apparently, the Koreans, Vietnamese, and even Japanese may have used it in times past. It is interesting to recall, too, that Asian countries even today have taboos on touching in public even more stringent than here in the U.S. (remember, many Asians don't shake hands traditionally, they bow, showing a submissiveness without physical contact). With a sort of 'mental block' against touching already in place in someone's mind, a torment based on a continuous light touching of an intimate area on the body would seem even more stressful and maddeningly tickle when applied.
The victim would simply not be used to being touched; hence, a touch paranoia or phobia would be aggravated with such a torture as tickling. Even today, tickling is used in Japan widely in the S&M scene, while touching in public is still rather forbidden, and harmless tickling between children or parent and child is rare. Tickling may have been used also by the invading Mongols, since it would have been a potentially excruciating torment to those sensitive to it, yet would cause no scars or damage to any captive female the invaders would want to take with them. Take note, dominants! It is rumoured that the Arabs or Turks used tickling for harem discipline, but I can find nothing substantial to confirm this story. Great fantasy, though. Despite Asians general disdain for tickling due to its history, in India, much like in the U.S., light tickling is often used as a non-S&M related foreplay to overcome inhibitions.
One last word on Chinese tickle torture. Author Octave Mirbeau writes in his fictional book The Torture Garden on several types of Chinese tortures. While the book was written in the 1860's and fictional in nature, many of the tortures described sound real. Adding to the Chinese tickle torture myth is a torment from the book called "the torture of the caress". This is a torment in which a young man is tied immobile to a table, then an old woman unceasingly uses one skilled hand to stroke the tied man's sides, ribs, and torso. The man dies After four non-stop hours of this. It is a fictional work, and it may seem a ridiculous form of torture and death, but there are several things to remember which make a seemingly mild torture work. First, the victims are not S&M players in a scene, but prisoners who have no choice in what is about to happen to them. Secondly, the bondage is quite uncomfortable and immobile. Thirdly, no limits are respected! The torture would be as prolonged as necessary. No rest breaks. Also consider that most people who were tickled did not get a teasing little stroke, but a full brunt tickle assault on their most sensitive places by people whom the victim didn't know or trust. Just a continuous, unmerciful tickling. When those of you reading this who are yourselves ticklish realize all of these factors, you may now understand how tickling was used very effectively as torture for years, even into this century.
Now that Chinese tickling has been dealt with somewhat, let's move on several hundred years into medieval times and the amazing variety of European tickle tortures. Did such a thing exist? Absolutely! Actually, the Europeans developed tickling for both pleasurable and torturous uses. We'll start with the torture first.
Some of the first recorded tickling in Europe comes from France. In the 1200's there was a crusade against a seat of French citizens called the Albiginese. In the eyes of French authorities, the Albiginese were considered religious heretics and were thus targets of the government of that time.
Many history books on this subject mention that a man by the name of Simon de Montfort was a major player in the crusades against the Albiginese. Far fewer history books note however, that de Montfort took an active role in the torturing of the women accused of heresy. Rumor again, but apparently Simon de Montfort was the first person of note to use tickling with a feather on the soles of a person's feet for torture, although, again, it's said that that was also a Chinese method. Anyway, throughout the information I've gathered - depending on its accuracy, of course - de Montfort's routine was this: an accused heretic would be tied down to wooden planks and her feet were tickled with a feather. When the prisoner could take no more, the woman would confess to the charges of heresy. De Montfort would then sentence the prisoner to death, and continue his tickling until the victim died. This was especially sadistic as de Montfort had already gotten the confession he wanted from a torment the victim couldn't withstand, then he'd essentially order more of the same torment to the now cooperating prisoner for what amounted to the rest of the prisoner's life.
Once more, specifics may not be completely correct; however, it has been documented by Havelock Ellis that Simon de Montfort did tickle his heretic prisoners to death with a feather.
Before continuing on into the various Inquisitions, perhaps now is the time to address the question of whether or not someone could truly be tickled to death. That's been answered in history, and more specific examples will be presented later in this treatise. Yes, people can be tickled to death. But how? Firstly and most obviously, this torment didn't work on those who were not ticklish. So, those who were the most sensitive to this torment suffered greatly. Death could have occurred in several different ways. A continuous tickling would have the victim near breathless with both begging and screaming. A lack of oxygen in the lungs would result in a low blood oxygen level. If this condition continued, at it's worst, the body would begin to shut down and would cause muscle cramping. The heart, being a muscle, would eventually stop - although it would be the last muscle to shut down, so a victim tickled literally to death would suffer much before the end would come (According to The Encyclopedia Of Unusual Sex Practices, prolonged tickling can also lead to loss of bladder control, vomiting, dizziness and fainting). If the heart didn't stop, the victim, unable to get oxygen, might suffocate. In an April 1926 issue of The New York Times there is a brief story of a 15 year old girl tickling her 13 year old sister to death. The younger girl got so worked up that a major artery burst, causing internal bleeding. So if the victim was weak enough, a tickling death could result in this way (remember that when this type of torture was popular the general health care of the day was quite poor). There may be other methods of death I'm overlooking, but this'll give you a general idea. By the way, tickling torture, though used on both men and women, was one of the few tortures where it was historically accurate that the victims were often young, good looking women. Younger women and girls are more tickle sensitive than older women because they are nearer puberty (there's a definite link between tickling and sex), their skin would be softer than that of a man's or a working woman's, and it was often the hidden agenda of a torturer in the Middle Ages to give an accused witch who was good looking a tickling rather than some other more scarring torture which might have ruined her beauty (never mind that a confession would lead to a burning later). To this end, the traditional rack was used for tickling. According to the fetish magazine Tickling Times #1, a good looking woman would be stretched tightly on a rack, but then it would be a feather that would be the actual tool used to torment the woman. In what country this was used wasn't mentioned. Interestingly, in Havelock Ellis' study, he notes that insane people, especially adolescent girls, are highly ticklish, seeming as if their nervous system is easily overloaded. This study also mentions that in Iceland "It may be known whether a youth is pure or a maid is intact by their susceptibility to tickling. Anyway, there's more on those kinky Europeans.
In Germany, witch hunters took the Chinese method of tickling and refined it. In their version, an accused witch would have her feet placed in stocks and a leather harness would be strapped tightly around her chest. The woman's soles would then be covered with salt water. Goats would then be allowed to lick off the salt water, the animal's raspy tongue tickling the woman's rough foot bottoms (this was, After all, before Dr. Scholls and Jergin's(tm) lotion, and it would take a somewhat rougher touch to tickle). As the prisoner struggled, laughed, screamed or gasped the leather harness would become more constricting, threatening to cut off her air. Supposedly, this was a very effective tickling method (and how often do you hear about German witches today?). At least two books, The History of Torture and The Inquisition briefly mention the 'torture of the goat's tongue', as it is called. An Italian tickling contact of mine mentions that this was also a popular, legal form of torture in Italy, and its past use is common knowledge to many of his countrymen (just like Americans might know about the Salem witch trials of old). The Spanish used a similar method, only it was used much less often and was used against men and women more equally. In fact, there's a very realistic tickle-torture scene from a Spanish language film. Unfortunately I don't know the film's name or plot, but the scene's great. A man is tied to a rack as the chief inquisitor asks him something (in Spanish) while the man's feet are brushed with brine. Soon a friar releases two goats at the man's feet, which lick his soles until he's dissolved into helpless laughter. Still the guy won't cooperate. So, with the goats still at his feet, a smaller goat is held, up to lick that squeamish spot on the neck just behind the man's ear. Finally, the guy breaks. I mean, who wouldn't?
I wish I knew the movie's name, as it is the only flick I've seen with a tickling-used-as-torture scene. It is as the Inquisition ends that tickling for torture begins to slowly fade and tickling for pleasure, (albeit sadistic, kinky and twisted pleasure) begins.
If only Catherine the Great had gotten together with Lucrezia and Cesare Borgia; now that would have been a party! You see, these are probably the most famous names linked to tickling in history. First, Catherine. In the 1700's foot tickling in Russia became the rage as an erotic turn on for the women of the highest classes (Just as oral sex was THE thing in the 1970s and bondage/fetishism became popular in the A.I.D.S.- riddled 1980s).
Apparently, the Russians picked it up from the Tartar tribes of the now and former Soviet Union, who originally may have gotten it from the Chinese or Mongols. Catherine the Great (a German by birth - and the Germans have their own tickling history, don't they?) was married to Peter the Great, although it was a loveless marriage. According to William Rossi's The Sex Life Of The Foot And Shoe, foot tickling was performed on Catherine by either female servants or eunuchs. They would stroke her soles with long feathers or bushy brushes as they sang dirty songs, the entire scene reeking of decadence to get The empress into a sexual mood for when her husband returned to the bedroom. It wasn't just Catherine who underwent this treatment; many women of her court were 'into' the foot tickling, as were notable female Russian leaders After the death of Catherine. Rossi writes that Anna Leopoldova had six women 'on call' specifically as court ticklers. While Rossi specifically mentions that this tickling went on in the bedrooms of only the rich and famous Russian women (an activity that he suggests created many an orgasm for the women), he implies that Russians of every social level got involved. Further, he teasingly hints that when his book was written (in the early 1960's), Soviet women in high positions were even then getting their feet tickled as a sexual turn on, although presumably not by eunuchs or other hired hands.
Tickling is apparently rather ingrained in Russian society. Around 1988 I attended one of the "Tournée of Animation" films at a Dallas theater. One of the animation shorts came from the U.S.S.R; Russia, specifically, if I remember. The action took place in a mental asylum, the crazies all running around wild.
In one spot, an inmate has another on the ground and is tickling his ribs. More fascinating, though, are the myths of Russia. According to Russian folklore, there were two races of beings who would often tickle travelers to death. The LESHIYE were spirit men who lived in the woods and would confuse travelers with their voices like wind, rustling leaves and animal cries. At times, if the Leshiye got a traveler to leave the road, death by tickling would sometimes be his fate. The RUSALKY were also to be avoided. Travelers would sometimes meet up with these beautiful but evil female spirits. A spirit would ask the traveler riddles, and, if satisfied with the answers, she would let the traveler go. However, if her questions weren't answered, a Rusalka would then tickle her victim to death right there on the spot, male or female, young or old. Also, according to Arrowsmith and Moorse's mythology book, A Field Guide to the Little People, those who didn't carry wormswood in their pocket also met the tickling fate. What makes this all especially arresting to me is that this is not some modern fantasy or a sexual bit of lore known only to fetishistic adults, but it is mythology commonly known among Russian people (a la our Paul Bunyan or Pecos Bill) as well as the Romanians, Poles, and Czechs. In fact, there is even a Russian opera entitled RUSALKA, although I don't think any tickling occurs. Coupling all of this with the tickling exploits of the Russian aristocracy and those of her neighbor, China, Russia sounds like THE place to visit. Interestingly, Russians and tickling as sexual dominance have been featured twice, at least, in film. THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV depicts Lee J. Cobb as a lusty man who, near the film's beginning, ties a comely wench to a couch and tickles her bare feet with the pointed end of a feather. In the 1960's a film called THE GREAT CATHERINE was released, French actress Jeanne Moreau playing Catherine, Empress of Russia. Strangely, Catherine isn't tickled in this film, but actually does the tickling, first teasing a bound Peter O'Toole with her bare toes, then giving him a vigorous rib tickling. The one-act play written by George Bernard Shaw (on which the film is loosely based) features this scene as well - rare treat in the mainstream media of a woman dominating a man with tickling. Catch it if it plays in your town. Ah, but did Catherine herself tickle the men in her life? Who knows. On to Spain.
The Borgia family. These guys were perverts. Although famous sexually I guess because of their incestuous relationship and incredible promiscuity, brother Cesare and sister Lucrezia had other kinks as well. Again, from The Tickling Times comes this story from Fra Tomaso, a fixture in the tickling underground during the 1980s (are he and servant Scheherezade still around?): After a nice dinner, Cesare Borgia used to like to spend time with his serving women. One of his favorite activities, it is said, would be to have one of the serving wenches falsely accused of a crime, After which she would be sent to the dungeon. There, Cesare would be waiting, wearing an executioner's hood which made him unrecognizable to the serving girl. When the girl was bound immobile, Cesare would tickle her body throughout the night (I assume there was sexual activity as well). If that wasn't kinky enough, sister Lucrezia also learned about this fetish. She supposedly was so intrigued by Cesare's tickling exploits that she had a rack installed in her bedchambers and would tickle her female servants on it. Once she accidentally got so into the tickling torture that she accidentally tickled one of her servant girls to death. Now I don't know how much of this is true, but the Borgia's WERE a kinky and sadistic family. It would all make a great movie.
As the centuries go on, it becomes easier to separate tickling myth from tickling fact, although tickling examples are still difficult to find. The ones that are out there though are fantastic. An episode from about two years ago of CNBC's REAL PERSONAL show dealt with massage and the physical touch in relation to mental and physical well being. Eventually, the subject of tickling came up, as well as this great, obscure nugget. In France during the 1800's there was a group of upper class women who enjoyed having young men over for something other than the same old tired group sex. These women would gang up on a man, hold him down and tickle him until he fainted. Sadly, the woman on the TV show didn't get anymore specific than what I've written. Interestingly, though, at the call-in portion of the show, all of the callers were women and nearly all of them agreed that to be tied down and relentlessly tickled would definitely be torture for them.
The fascinating history of tickling torture continues into this century. It is in the late 1800's and early 1900's that the tickling Germans once again show up. At least, it is thought. Some out there in the tickling underground have heard of the Kitzlersekte, but for those who don't, here's a taste of what was probably the world's greatest tickling order. The Kitzlersekte (Tickle-sect) began in the late 1800's by a group of men into tickling. The men would hold meetings where their wives were held down (possibly tied?) and tickled their feet until the women fainted. This group continued to thrive until the law stopped them. It seemed that some in the sect were bringing in teenage girls. Tickling a teenager in itself wasn't illegal, but these girls were the misbehaving daughters or nieces of the men in the sect who would be subjected, as punishment, to the Kitzlersekte's practices. Unfortunately, ticklish girls who are at their age of sexual awakening are even more ticklish than before puberty. Reportedly, some of the girls tickled by the sect would go into spasmodic convulsions of laughter from the relentless assault, and the younger girls would sometimes die. Thus endith the Kitzlersekte. (There was an amateur video company called Maybird some years back which sold a video featuring a German woman foot-tickling her 'maid' and her niece, all of which was reminiscent of the Kitzlersekte). I had a German tickle contact who told me, strangely, not only is tickling not very popular in Germany, but he'd never heard of the Kitzlersekte. This is where the origin of the 'tickle sect' becomes difficult to track. I read about the Kitlersekte in a dictionary of German culture, in the German language. But history gets easily confused, I guess. Currently, there is a book out called The Sacred Fire, by Goldberg. In this book Goldberg has a paragraph on a group of men in Russia called 'The Ticklers', who also tickled their wives until they fainted. Whether this is the same group as the Kitzlersekte or something different, I have yet to discover. It may be the Russians were the ticklers, and this German dictionary merely gave them the name 'Kitzlersekte', thus confusing my research. Funny how Russian tickling once again shows up. We'll bid goodbye to the tickling Germaniacs for now, but we'll hear from them again later in the century.
In 20th century America, people were starting to take notice of tickling as a sadistic game, albeit a very mild one, more a mischievous act than actual cruelty. This kind of thinking towards tickling can be reflected in a short tickling bit in the film THE GREAT ZIGFIELD (William Powell tickles Louise Rainier's foot and she chides him for being 'bad') and a little scene in Charlie Chaplin's THE FLOORWALKER - a 1912 feature, probably the first depiction of tickling on film (Interestingly, Chaplin's LAST film - A KING IN NEW YORK - also shows Chuck tickling a girl's foot). Some serious study into tickling also begins to take place around the turn of the century. Sadly, the research done ain't much at this point. Nevertheless, Erasimus Darwin did some writing on the subject of tickling (his theory being tickling as a sensation is a type of warning/defense system. I'll expound on this later.), as did Havelock Ellis in his Psychology of Sex -he mentions Simon de Montfort, in fact, although it is in the complete, unabridged version; the shorter version mentions nothing. In the October 1897 issue of Journal of Psychology, Hall and Allin did a study called Tickling and Laughter, although it is rather clinical, dull, and equates tickling laughter directly as a result of a humor release, rather than Darwin's (and other's) theory that the release of laughter is from some other biological reason, humor being indirectly related at best. One theory about tickling proposed that, since older and married women seemed to be less ticklish, ticklishness was nature's form of rape prevention (a squirming woman was difficult to get hold of, I guess). This, of course, begged several questions: what about ticklish men? What about those older or married women who were still very ticklish? What about the fact that tickling alone is or can be interpreted as an aggressive act? Are non-ticklish women "supposed" to be raped? Surely, there have been ticklish rape victims? This theory no longer stands. The book Man With A Maid was printed in the 1880s, this book featuring quite a bit of underarm and vaginal tickling. In the teens or early 1920's a major newspaper had a blurb about a 'peasant' girl on a train being tickled by several male passengers. A short story was published in which, at one point, two men are paid to tickle an ill boy until he faints (I don't know why - I can't track down this elusive story). And I've mentioned the tickling death in 1926 of the New York girl. Tickling doesn't surface in the underground, or anywhere else, much again until World War Two and, once more, the 'Invasion of the Tickling Germans'!
With an apparent nod to medieval torturers and the Kitzlersekte (Russians? Germans?), the Nazis proved that it was the Germans, not the Chinese, who were the tickle champs of the world. In the concentration camps during WWII it was a favorite game of the female German soldiers stationed there to single out the dark-haired Jewish girls and tickle their feet until they fainted. VERY similar to the Kitzlersekte. There was no real reason for this task, other than the sheer dominating torture it brought on. The tools used were either short feathers or long fingernails along the girls' soles, although it is possible that ticklish tummies, ribs and underarms were also tormented (apparently, boys were spared, as were blond girls). Also similar to the Kitzlersekte was that some young girls died. At least two books published in Germany mention that Anne Frank herself underwent this treatment at least twice, and would become terrified if the Nazi women were near. Of course, being a dark-haired 15-year-old Jewish girl, Anne Frank was a prime-tickling target. Even her famous diary tells how ticklish her chest and stomach were as Dr. Dussel tried to listen to her heartbeat when she was ill. I've been told that to this day, tickling in Germany is an integral part to the S&M lifestyle, although my contact actually living in Germany tells me otherwise (Prestige's Student Fetish Videos line dealing with tickling has some German women featured. My personal amateur video collection features a bit of German tickling - but I could always use more!).
After WWII comes an interesting bit of tickling info, and probably the first serious, non-fictional treatment of tickling as a component of B&D/S&M play. The January 1947 issue of The American Journal of Psychotherapy ran an article entitled A Rare case of Sadomasochism: Torture by Tickling. It was a case study of a man obsessed with tickling and sexual ideas concerning tickling since childhood. As we now know, childhood is usually when forms of fetishistic or S&M related behavior develop or come to our attention. I vividly recall tickling 'adventures' or fantasies as a pre-pubescent child, as do most of my tickling contacts, and, in fact, most people into B&D/S&M have such memories related to their interest. This article went on to describe some of the things the subject had in his collection - he had incredibly rare items (the peasant girl news item and the shorts story of the boy being tickled), writings, painting he had commissioned and, possibly, photos, from the 1920's or earlier, all related to tickling. His collection is feared lost, but who knows what will turn up with the tickling underground on the lookout. The article goes on still further, telling how the man's wife and even the maid used to humor his tickling fetish, occasionally, 'humorously' tying visiting women's feet for a playful tickle. Where can I meet these women? Although the article takes an unkind look at his interest -and the guy did get rather carried away-this is the one tickling article every tickler should own.
As we enter the modern age, we now know that tickling is very popular in the bedroom even without any regards to S&M. It is a form of play, which involves dominant and submissive behavior that is seemingly utterly natural. The Joy of Sex has a brief mention of tickling as an arousal tool, while The Joy Of Touch has a great chapter devoted completely to tickling. Tickling has been written on in both the Dear Abby and Ann Landers columns, has been briefly mentioned by Mike Royko, and has even turned up in a "Dear Dotty" piece in the National Inquirer (and, yes, Dottie's ticklish!).
Recently, Glamour had a bit on tickling in its Health and Fitness section, where it was stated that tickling was erotic because the one being tickled is allowing the touch of another to set off his/her sensual responses (the Cecil Adams book also has some good information on tickling related to sex, as does the Havelock Ellis piece).
Tickling has appeared in film (too many to mention, but beginners should catch NORTH TO ALASKA, CANNON BALL RUN II, DIRTY DANCING, ROBOCOP II and the famous but impossible to find VARIETY GIRL; SIRENS explores both the impish childishness and the sensual/sexual/submissive sides of tickling quite well.), and on TV (HELP WANTED: MALE, BONNIE AND CLYDE: THE EARLY YEARS, THE CHILDREN NOBODY WANTED-even the Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles have a villain named Tortelli who tickles his victims-just to name a few).
Geraldo (I think; it was some talk show) did an episode on unusual crime and punishments. For example, one teenage model in NY got busted for drug possession for the 3rd time, so her step-father, at wit's end, got two of his female police friends to cuff his daughter and tickle her good as punishment.
And let's not forget the small, but ever-growing underground out there. Magazines such as Tickling, Ticklish, Tied and Tickled, the contact papers out there, video companies such as Cal-Star, SOA, Platinum, Harmony and so on, as well as the kinky art of Italian Franco Saudelli all add to the world of tickling.
Of course, the lament of most ticklers (myself included) is that there still isn't enough quality material out their for our special interest; for the longest time there haven't been special clubs, groups or organizations-a la People Exchanging Power or Eugenspiegel-out there for those of us who love tickling and take it seriously (well, seriously as one possibly can). People who like to beat or be beaten have clubs and printed matter; the publications for gay leathermen feature some truly frightening acts (Mace and pummeling as an aphrodisiac!?!) Transvestitism is slowly beginning to gain discrete, semi-acceptance, Why no contact mag or support group so ticklers can meet 'n' greet?
Actually, I've heard about a few groups over the years. There was a club which had a newsletter called The Feather. You'd send in $13 and a survey and they promised to send you an audiotape. I know that some people got the newsletter, but I received nothing. Recently there's been a club, Worldwide Ticklers (WWT) started by a fellow named Bob Marshall, a photographer and real-live tickle enthusiast. He's been tickling and corresponding with ticklers for many years. I joined his club and have written a few pieces for him. Sadly, as of this writing the club is progressing at an extremely slow rate, despite Bob's having appeared on CNBC's Real Personal AND having garnered the interest of The Howard Stern Show ("Butt Bongo is dead!" quoting Mr. Stern after he'd tickled three different women on his 1994 Christmas show on the E! channel. Ah, I love VCRs.)
For those of you who want to join a club for real tickle enthusiasts and maybe kick Mr. Marshall in the butt, the current club address is WWT. An even newer newsletter called Fingers and Feathers has surfaced in CA, but I haven't had the chance to investigate it yet. I should point out that, as far as I can tell, none of these clubs, organizations, etc. are intentional rip-offs (who's going to get rich off of $13 from a closeted, non-mainstream group?). With the exception of the infamous Tobias Hackner 'family' of ticklers (he makes big money selling other people's tickling related work-his 'amateur' Lesbian Tickling audio tape is the soundtrack to Nu-Vue's video Ticklerama), these clubs aren't too successful because those who run them are regular folks who have real jobs; thus, their time is taken up there, and their money goes to gas, rent, food and so on. Few can Afford the time or the postage required for hundreds of newsletters, no matter how sincere the individual's interest. Compounding the problems is the fact that so many people are shy about their interest - especially women - so there isn't much participation back into the clubs. One person can't do it all alone. Any kinky millionaires interested in publishing? Perhaps my treatise will help change things, open people's eyes, get things going for a new social group. After all, it's not just us 'unknowns' who are into tickling. Take a look at some of these celebrities involved with tickling:
Liz Taylor - 'Alfalfa' Switzer used to tickler her mercilessly on the set of her first film;
Groucho Marx - liked having the soles of his feet finger stroked, just like his mother Minnie did years before;
Kelly Lynch - admitted on TV that when Tom Cruise tickled her under the covers in COCKTAIL that she wasn't acting;
Mia Sara - to get her to laugh in FERRIS BUEHLER'S DAY OFF, according to Tiger Beat Magazine, lucky Matthew Broderick had to tickle her foot;
Lisa Marie Presley - ticklee, People magazine;
Danny Devito and Rhea Perlman - a famous tickling couple;
Florence Henderson - quite sensitive;
Sinead O'Conner - admitted to sensitive feet on MTV;
Dianne Lane - admitted it on a TV interview;
Nancy Spungeon - Sid Vicious' girl;
Brooke Shields
Sara Hickman & Annabella - of Bowowow;
Joan Jett and the Runaways - used to gang-tickle drummer Sandy West;
Janet Jackson - rumored on the Joan Rivers show to be 'the most ticklish woman in showbiz';
Michael Jackson - ticklish in 'The Making of Thriller';
Jamie Lee Curtis
Kim Zmescal - NBS showed her getting her feet wrapped at the 1992 Olympics as a teammate kept tickling;
Robin Williams - infamous tickler;
Bill Murray - his victims include Gilda Radner and Geena Davis
I know I left some people out (this list is just from memory), but you get the idea. Tickler/Ticklees are everywhere - and we are obsessed! Of course, sometimes we go too far.
There's a photo out there of a sleeping Marilyn Monroe (a playful tickler herself, it's said) about to have her bare foot tickled by Montgomery Clift. At the worst, this would be a little annoying to any of us - though a good way for a dom to wake up a sleeping sub. But there have been times in recent history when ticklers, like other far more dangerous sex criminals, have crossed the lines of the law. In 1984, a fellow by the name of Richard Hatcher was arrested for breaking and entering. Richard, a quiet, well-liked son of a local preacher, would sneak into women's homes and steal their shoes, and often tickle their feet and toes. On the night he was caught, Hatcher had broken into the room of a 15-year-old girl, tickled her feet as she slept and, when she woke up and screamed, he fled with one shoe. Later that night, Hatcher broke into the room belonging to the girl's older sister. Richard got three of her shoes, and again, tickled her feet until she awoke screaming. After he was caught, Hatcher was sent into mental therapy.
This all happened in New Jersey, but when I was a student at the University of North Texas, there was a similar occurrence. Around 1988-89, a young, unidentified man (no, not me) would walk into the unlocked rooms of female students during the night as they slept. Once in the room, the man would sit on the girl's bed and stroke her bare foot, often tickling her awake. This guy got away with this activity at least three times, and would always smile and say "I'm sorry, I'm in the wrong room" when the woman would awaken. He was never captured. And this, After U.N.T. was visited by a criminal toe-sucker in Z985 (they caught him, but that's a different treatise). In both the Hatcher case and the U.N.T. case the tickler never used force or threats, and, when caught, would flee. This is not to excuse what these guys did, but please, when confronted with a tickler, S&M'ers, just give him what he wants and no one gets hurt. The excellent magazine Ticklish featured a letter in issue #2 from "Alan N." of Louisville, KY. He sent the magazine three news articles about tickling incidents in his area. One dealt with two hookers who robbed a man, but tickled him endlessly before they robbed a man, then decided to tickle him endlessly before they were through. Another news item related some bikers in Potato Creek State Park who were caught putting a woman through a tickling initiation. The final item was about a woman who wrote a state prison official with a serious offer to tickle prisoners to get information on crimes. I think I'm in love. Didn't this already happen to that girl in NY?
Finally, perhaps a brief word on the actual mechanics of tickling. After all, just as those who whip know the names, history and function of their devices, I know my tickling. The sensation of a tickle is thought to be similar to an itch in how it works, but, then, what makes an itch isn't completely understood. From the July 1983 issue of Sky, the Delta in-flight magazine, of all places, comes this regarding tickling:
"Assume a camera and tape recorder are registering your response as you are tickled. You laugh and simultaneously look away. You are frantic, even gleefully embarrassed. Deep inside you are emotionally enjoying the attention, but physiologically you do not act as if you're receiving pleasure. All behaviors imply that you are trying to avoid the tickler."
A 1974 article from The New York Times magazine discloses that the natural purpose of tickling apparently goes back to our evolutionary roots. A lion, for example, when stalking an animal, will remain quiet and still until the final pounce.
When attacked, however, a lion will react loudly, bare its teeth, and its hair will stand on end. The same thing happens when an ape is attacked. The same thing, in an evolved style, happens in humans. Tickling is thought to be a sort of warning system built into the skin, and as I've mentioned, the most ticklish body parts are often also the most vulnerable to injury.
When a person is tickled they may develop goose bumps, which is the human evolutionary equivalent to an animal's hair standing on end (goose bumps are hair follicles that have become more pronounced due to tiny constricting muscles under the skin). The barring of teeth and 'monkey shrieking' are seen in humans as the involuntary grinning and high pitched laughing protestations, which occur during tickling (although I met one woman in College who, when tickled unexpectedly, made obvious 'orgasmic' moaning and gasping sounds).
Since humans aren't really in any danger of injury in physical contact with someone they know, tickling, while causing a desperate, unbearable sensation, can be withstood to a degree. A real tickle assault (torture) would cause extreme discomfort, while a false assault provides some discomfort, but also a playful challenge to endure, as well enjoyment of the attention and human touch.
It should be noted that experts now think that trying to quietly endure the tickling can also make it more unbearable, while letting go and laughing makes it easier to take. Relating to sex, tickling releases positive chemicals (such as endorphins) into the bloodstream, and brings about rapid breathing and heart rate-these same occurrences found in people having sex, or when people are sexually aroused from foreplay other than tickling. Other articles on tickling and laughter include: Robinson's "Ticklishness" (Tuke's Dictionary of Psychological Medicine), Allin's "On Laughter," Psychological Review, May 1903; and there was even a Vogue article (circa 1984) on tickling.
More on the evolution bit: The reason most people can't tickle themselves (although that isn't always true, either) is, since the tickler's intent is known and there is no contest, then there is no threat, nothing to stir the evolutionary roots. An attack is presented which is neither threatening nor pleasantly challenging. A high-strung, non-ticklish woman (or man), let's say, isn't ticklish because your 'assault' is neither amusing nor threatening to her. She's too serious to find it funny, too focused to be scared. A high-strung ticklish woman feels an unpleasant (unbearable) sensation because her high-strung nervousness makes her body believe it's under an uncontrollable attack. A relaxed, non-ticklish woman has nothing to fear and is comfortable being "assaulted". A relaxed, yet ticklish lady is the best because, although she sees the tickling as an attack, it's from a friendly foe and she can meet the challenge (though sensitive, she's willing to be tickled to see where it leads).
Sexual pleasure or arousal comes when the tickling relationship is taken over by the dominant (the tickler), and the ticklee is now BY NATURE submissive, taking pleasure from an unbearable "punishment"-assuming the ticklee trusts the partner, just as in any dominate/submissive relationship. Pretty deep, huh?
By the way, how do you know someone's enjoying it? The subject wiggles, but does not especially pull away, that's a good sign. Also, if her eyes roll back in her head briefly or her tongue lolls and curls (since these signs or more pronounced in women than men) there is enjoyment. A blissed-out facial expression is a positive sign, while an expression of stress or surrender might mean to hold back or take a break. Sexual arousal is a sure sign, but remember not to go too far.
Although tickling is safer than whipping, etc. as far as prolonged use-since tickling is a random, light stroke, rather than repetitive, semi-heavy pressure-it can cause (non-dangerous) muscle cramping and it still may be a good idea for the dom and sub to use code words (a 'yellow light' might be best, since a 'red light' could be accidentally called out in ticklish desperation, that desperation being part of the game. Tickling is normally more psychologically bearable with bondage than without.) Still, it is up to the participants.
Like any other method of S&M play, communication is important: talk about the tickling beforehand. Some people have had bad, panic inducing tickling experiences while other people just don't know how to tickle. As always, check the tickle victim's wrists and ankles for rope burn and circulation problems. Let your victim have breather breaks! Generally, all the usual rules for bondage should be followed.
So, in closing, I hope I've given the S&M/B&D community something to think about. It all kinda makes you want to treat us ticklers with a little more respect, eh? From the first female of the Bagandi tribe who tickled her mate's underarms as a prelude to sex (thus creating a custom for all Bagandi women) to the modern Japanese game show which often features tickling endurance by bikini clad women as part of the contest, tickling truly does have an ancient history and worldwide appeal. From Michelle Bauer, the new B-movie scream queen who starred in TIED AND TICKLED #1 (way back when!) to Joey Buttafucco, who, according to testimony by Amy Fisher, enjoyed tickling his teen girlfriend, tickling is clearly enjoyed and practiced by many already-let's all give it a chance.
!!
