Tongue splitting (original) (raw)
Tongue splitting is a type of body modification in which the tongue is cut from its tip partway towards its base, forking the end. It may affect speech more or less, but reportedly can enhance the pleasure of kissing and one may be able to learn to move the forks of the tongue independently. It is not permitted everywhere and some surgeons may refuse to do it.
It was also used as a punishment in the Byzantine Empire. When an emperor was overthrown (as happened frequently), he often had his tongue split, according to the tradition that such a mutilation made an emperor ineligible to rule again. (Alternate punishments were slicing off the nose, or blinding.)