Ampallang
Encyclopedia
The ampallang is a male genital piercing
that penetrates horizontally
through the entire glans
of the penis
. The piercing may be transurethral (passing through the urethra
). A variant on this piercing is the shaft ampallang
, which penetrates the shaft of the penis horizontally at any point along its length. The counterpart to this piercing is the apadravya
, which penetrates the glans vertically. The combination of an ampallang and an apadravya is sometimes referred to as the magic cross
.
This is an advanced piercing, and the procedure can be extremely painful. Full healing usually takes between four and six months, but can take a year or more.
This piercing, once healed, is often pleasurable to the bearer because it stimulates the internal penis tissues. It can be sexually stimulating to the receiving partner during sexual intercourse
, usually due to stimulation of the G spot.
loss, both during the procedure and during the initial healing process. The measurement for the piercing jewelry is typically done by the receiver in private on his erect penis, while the actual piercing is done on his flaccid penis. The long healing process requires that the bearer abstain from sexual intercourse for a lengthy period of time, on the order of six weeks to six months.
It is possible for this piercing to injure or damage the teeth and soft palate
of the giving party during oral sex
.
If this piercing is transurethral, it can divert the flow of urine
, forcing the bearer to sit down or take other measures during urination. The piercing will leave a tube of scar tissue, which will remain even if the jewelry is removed and the piercing allowed to heal.
are almost exclusively worn in ampallangs, both initially and after they are healed. Jewelry must be long enough to accommodate the expansion of the penis during erection
, at the risk of extreme discomfort for the wearer. After initial healing the piercing can be stretched and larger jewelry can be inserted, reaching sizes above 10 mm in diameter.
and Borneo
(Dayak people
). In some cultures, having an ampallang may be seen as a pre-requisite for marriage. Thomas Cavendish
claims that in the Philippines the practice was an invention of the women to prevent sodomy (the Philippines variant included a spur).
In contemporary society, it became popularized along with the many genital piercings practiced amongst the gay
BDSM
community prior to the establishment of the body piercing industry in the 1980s and 1990s. Due to its legitimate primitive
origins, this piercing is closely associated with the modern primitive
movement.
According to urban legend
, should this piercing penetrate the corpus cavernosum penis
, the recipient could bleed to death. This is not true, although should the piercing penetrate the corpus cavernosum, it may bleed more heavily, both initially and during the healing process, than it normally would.
Body piercing
Body piercing, a form of body modification, is the practice of puncturing or cutting a part of the human body, creating an opening in which jewelry may be worn. The word piercing can refer to the act or practice of body piercing, or to an opening in the body created by this act or practice...
that penetrates horizontally
Horizontal plane
In geometry, physics, astronomy, geography, and related sciences, a plane is said to be horizontal at a given point if it is perpendicular to the gradient of the gravity field at that point— in other words, if apparent gravity makes a plumb bob hang perpendicular to the plane at that point.In...
through the entire glans
Glans penis
The glans penis is the sensitive bulbous structure at the distal end of the penis. The glans penis is anatomically homologous to the clitoral glans of the female...
of the penis
Penis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...
. The piercing may be transurethral (passing through the urethra
Urethra
In anatomy, the urethra is a tube that connects the urinary bladder to the genitals for the removal of fluids out of the body. In males, the urethra travels through the penis, and carries semen as well as urine...
). A variant on this piercing is the shaft ampallang
Deep shaft piercing
Deep shaft piercings are piercings which pass through the penile shaft. They are most commonly seen in the form of deeply placed ampallangs and apadravyas. They are more rare piercings due to associated pain, difficulty, bleeding and long healing times...
, which penetrates the shaft of the penis horizontally at any point along its length. The counterpart to this piercing is the apadravya
Apadravya
The apadravya, like the ampallang, is a piercing that passes through the glans. While the ampallang passes horizontally through the glans, the apadravya passes vertically through the glans from top to bottom, almost always placed centrally and passing through the urethra...
, which penetrates the glans vertically. The combination of an ampallang and an apadravya is sometimes referred to as the magic cross
Magic cross piercing
The magic cross is a combination of piercings, consisting of both an ampallang and an apdravya. These two piercings together form a cross through the glans of the penis. Although each piercing is usually done during separate sessions, some people have had them both done in the same sitting.-...
.
This is an advanced piercing, and the procedure can be extremely painful. Full healing usually takes between four and six months, but can take a year or more.
This piercing, once healed, is often pleasurable to the bearer because it stimulates the internal penis tissues. It can be sexually stimulating to the receiving partner during sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
, usually due to stimulation of the G spot.
Health issues
The primary health issues related to this piercing are during the procedure itself and during the healing process. Depending on the placement, there can be a significant amount of bloodBlood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
loss, both during the procedure and during the initial healing process. The measurement for the piercing jewelry is typically done by the receiver in private on his erect penis, while the actual piercing is done on his flaccid penis. The long healing process requires that the bearer abstain from sexual intercourse for a lengthy period of time, on the order of six weeks to six months.
It is possible for this piercing to injure or damage the teeth and soft palate
Soft palate
The soft palate is the soft tissue constituting the back of the roof of the mouth. The soft palate is distinguished from the hard palate at the front of the mouth in that it does not contain bone....
of the giving party during oral sex
Oral sex
Oral sex is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a sex partner by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat. Cunnilingus refers to oral sex performed on females while fellatio refer to oral sex performed on males. Anilingus refers to oral stimulation of a person's anus...
.
If this piercing is transurethral, it can divert the flow of urine
Urine
Urine is a typically sterile liquid by-product of the body that is secreted by the kidneys through a process called urination and excreted through the urethra. Cellular metabolism generates numerous by-products, many rich in nitrogen, that require elimination from the bloodstream...
, forcing the bearer to sit down or take other measures during urination. The piercing will leave a tube of scar tissue, which will remain even if the jewelry is removed and the piercing allowed to heal.
Jewelry
Straight barbellsBarbell (piercing)
Barbell style piercing jewelry is composed of a straight bar and with a bead on each end, one or both beads unscrewable for removal and/or changing of the beads. Often one of the beads is fixed, either via epoxy or welding, so that only one bead is used to install or remove the jewelry...
are almost exclusively worn in ampallangs, both initially and after they are healed. Jewelry must be long enough to accommodate the expansion of the penis during erection
Erection
Penile erection is a physiological phenomenon where the penis becomes enlarged and firm. Penile erection is the result of a complex interaction of psychological, neural, vascular and endocrine factors, and is usually, though not exclusively, associated with sexual arousal...
, at the risk of extreme discomfort for the wearer. After initial healing the piercing can be stretched and larger jewelry can be inserted, reaching sizes above 10 mm in diameter.
History and culture
This piercing predated European contact with tribes in (among others) the PhilippinesPhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
(Dayak people
Dayak people
The Dayak or Dyak are the native people of Borneo. It is a loose term for over 200 riverine and hill-dwelling ethnic subgroups, located principally in the interior of Borneo, each with its own dialect, customs, laws, territory and culture, although common distinguishing traits are readily...
). In some cultures, having an ampallang may be seen as a pre-requisite for marriage. Thomas Cavendish
Thomas Cavendish
Sir Thomas Cavendish was an English explorer and a privateer known as "The Navigator" because he was the first who deliberately tried to emulate Sir Francis Drake and raid the Spanish towns and ships in the Pacific and return by circumnavigating the globe...
claims that in the Philippines the practice was an invention of the women to prevent sodomy (the Philippines variant included a spur).
In contemporary society, it became popularized along with the many genital piercings practiced amongst the gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
BDSM
BDSM
BDSM is an erotic preference and a form of sexual expression involving the consensual use of restraint, intense sensory stimulation, and fantasy power role-play. The compound acronym BDSM is derived from the terms bondage and discipline , dominance and submission , and sadism and masochism...
community prior to the establishment of the body piercing industry in the 1980s and 1990s. Due to its legitimate primitive
Primitive
Primitive may refer to:* Anarcho-primitivism, an anarchist critique of the origins and progress of civilization* Primitive culture, one that lacks major signs of economic development or modernity...
origins, this piercing is closely associated with the modern primitive
Modern primitive
Modern primitives or urban primitives are people in developed nations who engage in body modification rituals and practices while making reference or homage to the rite of passage practices in "primitive cultures" These practices may include body piercing, tattooing, play piercing, flesh hook...
movement.
According to urban legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
, should this piercing penetrate the corpus cavernosum penis
Corpus cavernosum penis
The corpus cavernosum penis is one of a pair of sponge-like regions of erectile tissue which contain most of the blood in the penis during penile erection...
, the recipient could bleed to death. This is not true, although should the piercing penetrate the corpus cavernosum, it may bleed more heavily, both initially and during the healing process, than it normally would.