In the modern era, removing the human penis for any such activity is very rare (with some exceptions listed below), and references to removal of the penis are almost always symbolic. These procedures were performed in an effort to eliminate lust and to restore the Christian to a pristine state that existed prior to original sin.
In Russia, men of a devout group of Spiritual Christians known as the Skoptsy were castrated, either undergoing 'greater castration', which entailed removal of the penis, or 'lesser castration', in which the penis remained in place, while Skoptsy women underwent mastectomy. Castration has been used to create a class of servants or slaves called eunuchs in many different places and eras. The practice of castration (removal of the testicles) sometimes involved the removal of all or part of the penis, generally with a tube inserted to keep the urethra open for urination. Armies were sometimes known to sever the penises of their enemies to count the dead, as well as for trophies. In ancient civilizations, the removal of the human penis was sometimes used to demonstrate superiority or dominance over an enemy.
