We spend a lot of time on ModBlog talking about the image galleries, and the wide variety of images contained within them. In addition to the galleries, the stories, and ModBlog, BMEzine is host to it’s own Wiki. It’s a great resource to get information regarding all sorts of topics that cover the entire spectrum of the body modification world.
Today I wanted to share with you an article about an unusual form of scar that at one point was extremely popular in certain parts of the world.
What you’re seeing here is what is known as a dueling scar or Renommierschmiss. I’ll let the Wiki explain.
At the turn of the 20th century, the dueling scar (or bragging scar, or Renommierschmiss) was popularized by upper-class Austrians and Germans who saw it as a mark of their class and honor, due to the social importance of dueling societies at Austrian universities at the time. If you were a doctor, lawyer, or professor, the dueling scar was a tattoo that signified your inclusion in an elite social rank, and visitors to university cafes would expect to see young men with bandaged faces.
The sport at the time was very different from modern fencing. The men used heavy sabers, and took turns chopping at each other five times apiece repeatedly. While padding was worn, the goal was to be injured. Kevin McAleer (author of Dueling: The Cult of Honor in Fin-de-Siecle Germany) writes,
The idea was to stand your man and show courage—not to inflict a wound, but to be wounded. That’s the very strange part of it—the true winner was he who walked away with a nice juicy scar, to show that he’d stood the test. The point was not to get the other guy, but to show that you could take it. You’d get these guys who looked like they’d walked into a propeller. It was pretty gnarly, but the guys were damn proud to look that way.
The scars showed you had courage and education, and were good husband material. A lot of these kids were rather good-looking, and you didn’t have to ruin your whole face in dueling. The scars usually accumulated on the left side of the face, so from the right profile, he still looked good. And even if it was an ugly, knotted scar, women were attracted by everything it implied, and the pride with which the wearer bore it.
The main thing we’ve learned from this, is that no matter the culture or the era, chicks dig scars.
But seriously, it seems that while the practice of dueling for scars seems to have faded over time, the practice of intentional scarification has definitely carried on. Now I haven’t had the pleasure of getting a gnarly, unintentional scar, but I’m sure some of you have. Anyone have a “I got this scar when…” story to share?
Comments
166 responses to “The more you know”
Oh, and one on my left arm that looks as if it was given to me by a fork.
Oh, and one on my left arm that looks as if it was given to me by a fork.
First off, any tradition that was common for young men around the turn of the century in Germany and Austria is most likely to be best documented by photos from the Nazi area. It IS NOT a celebration of the Nazi regime to use a photo that prominently features the ritual that is being discussed even if the photo is of an SS officer.
Secondly, I have number of natural scars, ranging from the puncture wound from a compound fracture of my tibia and where one of my front teeth went through my lip as the other one broke during a pit.
First off, any tradition that was common for young men around the turn of the century in Germany and Austria is most likely to be best documented by photos from the Nazi area. It IS NOT a celebration of the Nazi regime to use a photo that prominently features the ritual that is being discussed even if the photo is of an SS officer.
Secondly, I have number of natural scars, ranging from the puncture wound from a compound fracture of my tibia and where one of my front teeth went through my lip as the other one broke during a pit.
I think Rob said it best in the post “The main thing we’ve learned from this, is that no matter the culture or the era, chicks dig scars.”
and we ALL know that is soooo true…my other half LOVES this great big 8 inch fucker on my stomach…ok its there for medical reason, not me being gored by a raging bull or anything…but she still loves it, loves kissing it an everything…makes me less concious of it 🙂
but I have tons of lil scars all over me ranging from bmx and skateboard accidents….to knife accidents…to crazy ex’s trying to kill me…yea lol..
Oh and I remember reading the wiki for that years ago and even then I totally ignored the SS guy….but fuck man his scar is fucking gnarly…dont care what side he was on, I’d shake his hand just outta respect for that…cos thats one beauty on his face..
I think Rob said it best in the post “The main thing we’ve learned from this, is that no matter the culture or the era, chicks dig scars.”
and we ALL know that is soooo true…my other half LOVES this great big 8 inch fucker on my stomach…ok its there for medical reason, not me being gored by a raging bull or anything…but she still loves it, loves kissing it an everything…makes me less concious of it 🙂
but I have tons of lil scars all over me ranging from bmx and skateboard accidents….to knife accidents…to crazy ex’s trying to kill me…yea lol..
Oh and I remember reading the wiki for that years ago and even then I totally ignored the SS guy….but fuck man his scar is fucking gnarly…dont care what side he was on, I’d shake his hand just outta respect for that…cos thats one beauty on his face..
what chokehold said, my first thought wasn’t that it was a nazi officer, it was moreso about how you somehow got the rights to watermark a vintage photograph as property of bmezine.
what chokehold said, my first thought wasn’t that it was a nazi officer, it was moreso about how you somehow got the rights to watermark a vintage photograph as property of bmezine.
Well I think I’ll chime in here. As a long time BME staff member and a Jew, I will admit when I saw the picture I blinked a few times. Nazi officers tend to illicit a startled reaction from me. But that’s about it. I actually do think it’s a pretty cool picture.
I’ve also found the posts about who this officer was to be interesting. Interesting does not equate admiration. I don’t really see the problem with the photo. This is a post about history. The photo is historical. We should be able to view images from history and discuss them without admonishing Rob for posting it.
This isn’t a celebration of Nazis or an admiration of them. This is a discussion of dueling scars.
Speaking of scars. The first thing that came to my mind was the actor Tommy Flanagan.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0281107/
Well I think I’ll chime in here. As a long time BME staff member and a Jew, I will admit when I saw the picture I blinked a few times. Nazi officers tend to illicit a startled reaction from me. But that’s about it. I actually do think it’s a pretty cool picture.
I’ve also found the posts about who this officer was to be interesting. Interesting does not equate admiration. I don’t really see the problem with the photo. This is a post about history. The photo is historical. We should be able to view images from history and discuss them without admonishing Rob for posting it.
This isn’t a celebration of Nazis or an admiration of them. This is a discussion of dueling scars.
Speaking of scars. The first thing that came to my mind was the actor Tommy Flanagan.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0281107/
As for the watermark, that’s an old one. Rob didn’t put that on there (and neither did I). That’s from way back, from the BME Encyclopedia which later got turned into the Wiki. It would have been Shannon who watermarked that photo.
As for the watermark, that’s an old one. Rob didn’t put that on there (and neither did I). That’s from way back, from the BME Encyclopedia which later got turned into the Wiki. It would have been Shannon who watermarked that photo.
Tommy Flanagan? Is that the guy that was in Braveheart. It’s funny how you can picture somebody by such a bare bones description. large scale facial scars are rare enough in Hollywood that it could only be that guy.
Tommy Flanagan? Is that the guy that was in Braveheart. It’s funny how you can picture somebody by such a bare bones description. large scale facial scars are rare enough in Hollywood that it could only be that guy.
i agree with jen and the others here that the purpose of the picture surely isn’t to propagate nazi ideology.
that’s not the problem here at all, at least in my opinion. (and if i say ‘problem’ i’m already exaggerating – it’s an oversight, really.)
in light of what a ‘schmiss’ was and still is, i still believe that rob should have added a few sentences about that. wouldn’t have hurt the posting or the topic at all. you know, for the sake of completeness as historic ressource (because, last time i checked ‘history’ in the scientific sense also includes contemporary causa).
i agree with jen and the others here that the purpose of the picture surely isn’t to propagate nazi ideology.
that’s not the problem here at all, at least in my opinion. (and if i say ‘problem’ i’m already exaggerating – it’s an oversight, really.)
in light of what a ‘schmiss’ was and still is, i still believe that rob should have added a few sentences about that. wouldn’t have hurt the posting or the topic at all. you know, for the sake of completeness as historic ressource (because, last time i checked ‘history’ in the scientific sense also includes contemporary causa).
Scars through both eyebrows, one on my forehead and another on the chin. Hockey.
Scars through both eyebrows, one on my forehead and another on the chin. Hockey.
@werewolf #41, it kinda is history since this photo is from the past and documented in that time period, and i really fucking hate racist fascist asshole and all of their kind. on the other hand i hate censorship just as much.
also i had a convo about this type of scar and its fucking gnarly to think about taking a damn broadsword to the face on purpose, this guy and many like him (bearing these specific scars) may be total ass hats but damn do they have some balls for being able to take a sword to the damn face!
@werewolf #41, it kinda is history since this photo is from the past and documented in that time period, and i really fucking hate racist fascist asshole and all of their kind. on the other hand i hate censorship just as much.
also i had a convo about this type of scar and its fucking gnarly to think about taking a damn broadsword to the face on purpose, this guy and many like him (bearing these specific scars) may be total ass hats but damn do they have some balls for being able to take a sword to the damn face!
@ Fat Tony (#60): you’ll hear no argument from me on the censorship issue – totally agree with you. but (and now i really will shut up about it, i promise) would’ve wished for a teensy weensy bit more background info (e.g. some of the stuff that was posted in the comments) to clarify what’s going on with this specific kind of scarring in this day and age.
and, yeah, ballsy they may be, but ass hats doesn’t even come close to describing them. 🙂
@ Fat Tony (#60): you’ll hear no argument from me on the censorship issue – totally agree with you. but (and now i really will shut up about it, i promise) would’ve wished for a teensy weensy bit more background info (e.g. some of the stuff that was posted in the comments) to clarify what’s going on with this specific kind of scarring in this day and age.
and, yeah, ballsy they may be, but ass hats doesn’t even come close to describing them. 🙂
I’m not offended, it’s a fucking bad ass scar no matter who it is on.
I’m not offended, it’s a fucking bad ass scar no matter who it is on.
I’m not offended, it’s a fucking bad ass scar no matter who it is on. I don’t have any scars worth mentioning because I don’t scar well.
I’m not offended, it’s a fucking bad ass scar no matter who it is on. I don’t have any scars worth mentioning because I don’t scar well.
Shamos, yes. I love that guy. He was in last week’s episode of Lie to Me as well. He’s in Sin City. Sons of Anarchy. Smokin’ Aces. He’s in a lot of things.
The story behind his scar is super messed up too. He was the victim of a mugging. I don’t know why they felt it necessary to slash his face up like that but he’s sure turning it into something positive with his acting. This is what it says on IMDB about his scars:
One night, as he left a pub he was working at, people told him to give them his coat and records and when he refused, a guy jumped on his back, stabbed him, and scarred his face. He nearly died.
The only other heavily scarred actor I can think of is Richard Lynch and his scars are because he set himself on fire…
Shamos, yes. I love that guy. He was in last week’s episode of Lie to Me as well. He’s in Sin City. Sons of Anarchy. Smokin’ Aces. He’s in a lot of things.
The story behind his scar is super messed up too. He was the victim of a mugging. I don’t know why they felt it necessary to slash his face up like that but he’s sure turning it into something positive with his acting. This is what it says on IMDB about his scars:
One night, as he left a pub he was working at, people told him to give them his coat and records and when he refused, a guy jumped on his back, stabbed him, and scarred his face. He nearly died.
The only other heavily scarred actor I can think of is Richard Lynch and his scars are because he set himself on fire…
Shawn: I’m actually impressed about that your predicted shitstorm turned out to be a rather pleasant-to follow discussion. Seems like modblog has matured :). To add to what werwolf (#41) said: Duelling student corporations are still existing in German-speaking academia (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), albeit they have become quite a fringe phenomenon now and have been experiencing severe membership decline in the past few decades.
Shawn: I’m actually impressed about that your predicted shitstorm turned out to be a rather pleasant-to follow discussion. Seems like modblog has matured :). To add to what werwolf (#41) said: Duelling student corporations are still existing in German-speaking academia (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), albeit they have become quite a fringe phenomenon now and have been experiencing severe membership decline in the past few decades.
let’s not forget nazi’s tried to destroy intire colture… i’m 100% jewish and honestly i don’t give a f*** about nazi
colture. not even if his intire body was coverd with tattoo’s and his tongue was splited. that history should be talked about only in history lessons and ceremonies ///
people should take their heads out of their asses and look around… 6 million people were burned alive in europ
just becous of that, so called, cool nazi exite…
let’s not forget nazi’s tried to destroy intire colture… i’m 100% jewish and honestly i don’t give a f*** about nazi
colture. not even if his intire body was coverd with tattoo’s and his tongue was splited. that history should be talked about only in history lessons and ceremonies ///
people should take their heads out of their asses and look around… 6 million people were burned alive in europ
just becous of that, so called, cool nazi exite…
This is what the Nick piercing was based on that I did (http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Nick_piercing)
This is what the Nick piercing was based on that I did (http://wiki.bmezine.com/index.php/Nick_piercing)
Battle Scars should be from battles.
Battle Scars should be from battles.
i have two gnarly scars on my left ankle from a bimalleolar fracture (two broken bones and a dislocation), the end result was a 4inch plate and two screws. my friends and i, all girls, were jumped by some men.. well, boys.. men don’t hit women,.. and a brawl broke out. i saw one guy jump on my friend who is a very small female who was highly intoxicated.. i pulled him off and threw him as hard as i could, his friend who was standing behind me saw this and he kicked downward on my ankle. 5 months later i’m just walking normal again.
turned out to be an epic weekend, my friends sold my ticket to the cancerbats concert the next night and bought me a bag of pills for when i got out of surgery. epic weekend; epic story; epic scars XD
i have two gnarly scars on my left ankle from a bimalleolar fracture (two broken bones and a dislocation), the end result was a 4inch plate and two screws. my friends and i, all girls, were jumped by some men.. well, boys.. men don’t hit women,.. and a brawl broke out. i saw one guy jump on my friend who is a very small female who was highly intoxicated.. i pulled him off and threw him as hard as i could, his friend who was standing behind me saw this and he kicked downward on my ankle. 5 months later i’m just walking normal again.
turned out to be an epic weekend, my friends sold my ticket to the cancerbats concert the next night and bought me a bag of pills for when i got out of surgery. epic weekend; epic story; epic scars XD
Hmm. I’m surprised there wasn’t atleast SOME real controversy over this post. I thought it was cool.
Anyway, I have a scar on the bottom of my foot from having stepped on a small piece of glass. I have scars up the side of my left leg from being a stupid drunk. I have a small scar on my knee from when I was in third grade. A kindergartener tripped me and stabbed me in the knee with a PLASTIC spork. Not so gnarly, haha. I have tons of accidental tiny circular scars from burning myself with cigarettes. I have one big X on each of my thighs. Though I let me ex boyfriend cut one of the Xs deeper, and it’s really gross now. It’s about a half inch thick and three or four inches long. It’s dark pink and raised. I’ve had it for nearly two years now. It was stupid, but I thought he knew what he was doing. That’s beside the point though. I have three small lines under each of my eyes. They’ve faded a lot. I have a triangle and a square on the outside of my left wrist. And lastly, on the side of my right wrist I have a tiny raised pink scar from a night that my boyfriend tied me up, and when he went to cut off the duct tape, he sliced into my arm. Hahahaha.
Hmm. I’m surprised there wasn’t atleast SOME real controversy over this post. I thought it was cool.
Anyway, I have a scar on the bottom of my foot from having stepped on a small piece of glass. I have scars up the side of my left leg from being a stupid drunk. I have a small scar on my knee from when I was in third grade. A kindergartener tripped me and stabbed me in the knee with a PLASTIC spork. Not so gnarly, haha. I have tons of accidental tiny circular scars from burning myself with cigarettes. I have one big X on each of my thighs. Though I let me ex boyfriend cut one of the Xs deeper, and it’s really gross now. It’s about a half inch thick and three or four inches long. It’s dark pink and raised. I’ve had it for nearly two years now. It was stupid, but I thought he knew what he was doing. That’s beside the point though. I have three small lines under each of my eyes. They’ve faded a lot. I have a triangle and a square on the outside of my left wrist. And lastly, on the side of my right wrist I have a tiny raised pink scar from a night that my boyfriend tied me up, and when he went to cut off the duct tape, he sliced into my arm. Hahahaha.
I could hardly focus on the article’s relevance and history without feeling sick about the poor choice of photos that accompany it. Come on, photoshop and paint programs exist, your could have at least cropped it down to the face to avoid controversy but I’m assuming now that’s all you really wanted from this anyhow.
I could hardly focus on the article’s relevance and history without feeling sick about the poor choice of photos that accompany it. Come on, photoshop and paint programs exist, your could have at least cropped it down to the face to avoid controversy but I’m assuming now that’s all you really wanted from this anyhow.
@HJP: The only time I ever use photoshop on an image is to crop it for a “Guess What?” article. Also, think about what the comments would be like if I had cropped it. You can be sure there would be a significant portion of people who would be upset that I tried to hide who the person in the photo really was.
The fact is, the article is mostly a discussion on the BME Wiki entry, which uses the image as an example. Yes I could have used another image, but anyone going to read the full entry (which was the point), would have seen the image anyway. The choice I has was to either attempt to conceal something and pass it off as innocent, or post the image and let it stand on its own, allowing the reader to make their own judgement.
As has been mentioned earlier in the comments, part of the ritual of the dueling scar is that it is done by uber-nationalist extremists (at least in the latter half of the trend), of which the picture is a prime example of.
Part of what I do here at BME is to promote discussion. Sometimes that means I may have to post something I don’t personally agree with. Do I think that the person in the picture is the scum of the earth? Yes. Does that mean I should pretend he never existed and shy away from anything that may bring up him or those like him? No. In fact, going over the comments, the majority of people realized that I wasn’t posting the image to create controversy, but simply relaying historical information, which in turn lead to a healthy discussion on both the historical aspects of the article, as well as personal stories about scars.
Finally, when you think about it, a scar is a permanent reminder of a traumatic event. Which is why I asked people to share their stories. Sure they may fade over time, but their presence will never fully go away, and those that have them, will remember them always. Much like the atrocities in WWII, scars and the emotions behind them will remain long after the events take place. It’s how we choose to live our lives after the fact that can help define us as people. We must never forget what happened, or pretend that the evils that caused it never existed, because when we do, it gives them an opportunity to return.
@HJP: The only time I ever use photoshop on an image is to crop it for a “Guess What?” article. Also, think about what the comments would be like if I had cropped it. You can be sure there would be a significant portion of people who would be upset that I tried to hide who the person in the photo really was.
The fact is, the article is mostly a discussion on the BME Wiki entry, which uses the image as an example. Yes I could have used another image, but anyone going to read the full entry (which was the point), would have seen the image anyway. The choice I has was to either attempt to conceal something and pass it off as innocent, or post the image and let it stand on its own, allowing the reader to make their own judgement.
As has been mentioned earlier in the comments, part of the ritual of the dueling scar is that it is done by uber-nationalist extremists (at least in the latter half of the trend), of which the picture is a prime example of.
Part of what I do here at BME is to promote discussion. Sometimes that means I may have to post something I don’t personally agree with. Do I think that the person in the picture is the scum of the earth? Yes. Does that mean I should pretend he never existed and shy away from anything that may bring up him or those like him? No. In fact, going over the comments, the majority of people realized that I wasn’t posting the image to create controversy, but simply relaying historical information, which in turn lead to a healthy discussion on both the historical aspects of the article, as well as personal stories about scars.
Finally, when you think about it, a scar is a permanent reminder of a traumatic event. Which is why I asked people to share their stories. Sure they may fade over time, but their presence will never fully go away, and those that have them, will remember them always. Much like the atrocities in WWII, scars and the emotions behind them will remain long after the events take place. It’s how we choose to live our lives after the fact that can help define us as people. We must never forget what happened, or pretend that the evils that caused it never existed, because when we do, it gives them an opportunity to return.
The dueling (“Mensur”) referred to is fought ought between “schlagende Verbindungen” (fighting fraternities). You can read more about it at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_fencing. It is still being done today, although it is far less popular. One reason for example is when one insults another member of a different fraternerty. Scars are less common today since a doctor has to be present at all duels and surgical suture has come a long way. However, I did know someone who made a sport out of going for the top of the earlobes of his opponent, ending the duel in his favor for excessive bleeding. The main point of the Mensur is to stand A fairly realistic representation of Mensur fighting (in a German TV movie) can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezQ38BnjG9Q
The dueling (“Mensur”) referred to is fought ought between “schlagende Verbindungen” (fighting fraternities). You can read more about it at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_fencing. It is still being done today, although it is far less popular. One reason for example is when one insults another member of a different fraternerty. Scars are less common today since a doctor has to be present at all duels and surgical suture has come a long way. However, I did know someone who made a sport out of going for the top of the earlobes of his opponent, ending the duel in his favor for excessive bleeding. The main point of the Mensur is to stand A fairly realistic representation of Mensur fighting (in a German TV movie) can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezQ38BnjG9Q
As far as the whole “appeal” of it goes… I’m pretty much indifferent. But if it’s a deliberately inflicted and very obvious scar that has no interesting story behind it (such as my boyfriend faceplanting onto a coffee table when he was two, resulting in a scar under his eye)… well, I think it’s a bit silly.
As far as the whole “appeal” of it goes… I’m pretty much indifferent. But if it’s a deliberately inflicted and very obvious scar that has no interesting story behind it (such as my boyfriend faceplanting onto a coffee table when he was two, resulting in a scar under his eye)… well, I think it’s a bit silly.
I have this scar from my eye to up under my chin, from when two stories of scaffolding on wheels, broke apart and the cross bar, sliced up my face, and the scaffolding broke apart and came down on top of me.. Woke up under the scaffolding and all I have to show for it is this awesome ‘dueling’ scar from eye to neck.
I have this scar from my eye to up under my chin, from when two stories of scaffolding on wheels, broke apart and the cross bar, sliced up my face, and the scaffolding broke apart and came down on top of me.. Woke up under the scaffolding and all I have to show for it is this awesome ‘dueling’ scar from eye to neck.