Another name for the
penis bone (also commonly called the
baculum, Latin for "little rod"), found in all
primates,
insectivores, and
carnivores (with the
small exception of
homo sapien). this bone is not attached to the rest of the
skeletal system (a heterotropic skeletal element).
In many places,
penis bones are considered
lucky and are used as charms, or are given to girls whom boys have crushes on.
common names for the
os penis are:
- love bone
- pecker bone
- coon dong
- possum prick
- Texas toothpick
- mountain man toothpick
Ozark folklore states that the proper way to prepare a penis bone (most often from a
racoon) for use as a
trinket or
gift is to boil the bone clean, and use red thread or string to make a
necklace.
Voodoo tradition claims that these bones are excellent lucky charms for a
gambler. In fact, The Lucky Mojo Curio Company sells them on-line for only $3.50 a piece.