Happy Vulva Day!

Many moons ago, when I was studying radical anthropology, and vulva imagery in prehistoric art, we re-named 14 February as Vulva Day! Then a friend and I composed and performed The Vulva Show. We wore vulva masks, made slides of paintings and photos of vulvas and I sang:

I sing of all the vulvas in the world
I sing of all the vulvas that I mourn
I sing of all the vulvas that are cut and torn

I sing of all the vulvas that are sewn to fit a custom or a man
I sing of all the vulvas that are raped
I sing of all the sacred parts of women that are desecrate

I sing of women’s wisdom and I sing of women’s pain
I sing of women’s courage and I sing of women’s rage
I sing of ancient wisdom and I sing of ancient lore
I sing of times when women’s parts were named with reverence and with awe

I sing of times that may have been of times that may yet be
I sing of beauty, joy and love, exquisite ecstasy
I sing to break the silence and I sing to ease the pain
I sing and dream a future where we can be whole again

This was the first time I ever sang in public, unaccompanied, infront of a vagina dentata slide with a veil.

We called ourselves Sheela Na Gig, in honour of the goddesses who display their vulvas on medieaval church walls. And I also sang:

Síla na Gig

by Bríd Wyldearth 1993

Wild Witch, Vulva Woman,
Vulgar, vulgar Vulva Woman,
Orgasmic, dancing Vulva Woman, Sila na Gig.

Frog Woman, Toad Woman,
Bleeding Woman, Bloody Woman,
Eerie, hairy Faerie Woman, Sila na Gig.

Sitting on a steeple wall,
Bathing your vulva in the sun,
Laughing as they go to church, Sila na Gig.

Woman on the edge of time,
Gate between the worlds,
Doorway to life and death, Sila na Gig.

Wild Witch, Vulva Woman,
Vulgar, vulgar Vulva Woman,
Holy, sacred vulva woman, Sila na Gig.


This song came to me after I saw my first Síla on whittlesford church and I think I have uploaded my painting of her at the beginning of this entry.

We were celebrating our womanhood and our sexuality. We wanted to say that there is no excuse for rape or misogyny and that keeping wimmin covered up and hidden away from the world does not prevent rape, all it does is make wimmin feel responsible if they are raped.

So today I celebrate my vulva, my sexuality, my right to roam, dressed as I like and all the other luscious, beautiful and sacred parts of woman in the world!