A representation of the male reproductive organ, used in ancient fertility rites and religious symbolism; also refers to the organ itself in anatomical contexts.
From Greek 'phallos,' used in ancient Greek religion and art as a symbol of fertility and regeneration. The term appeared in ritual processions and religious iconography, later adopted into anatomical terminology.
Ancient cultures were way more comfortable with sexual symbolism than Victorians were—phallic symbols appeared openly in Greek temples and Roman streets, which is why medieval and Victorian scholars were shocked and scandalized when they encountered these artifacts during archaeological excavations.
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