The History and Application of - Figging

Figging is a term unknown by many outside of the BDSM community. Even inside the community it is one of the least known forms of erotic play. For those that are aware of it though, the mere mention of it in a group draws Oooohs and Aaaahs. For those of you that aren't aware of what figging is, it is the insertion of peeled ginger root into the rectum. You might ask "why would some one do that?!!!?" before you think about the kind of people you are talking about. It is an intense experience and shouldn't be discarded or negated off hand. It isn't for the faint of heart but it is unique and frequently dramatic.

Figging didn't originate in the BDSM community though. Many have linked it back to Victorian corporal punishment as documented in many forms of literature of the times. It was used to encourage the relaxation of the buttocks during caning. It actually dates back beyond that and has origin in animal training techniques. There is a phrase still used in horse racing, "in full fig" which refers to a horse that has been given some form of additional stimulation. In the current times it is referring to drugs but originally it was a practice to insert ginger root into the anus of a horse to cause it to lift it's tail and step lively. It was called feague, to feague a horse, in the late 18th century and referred to by Francis Grose in his book Grose's Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. He described it as:


Feague
To feague a horse; to put ginger up a horse’s fundament, and formerly, as it is said, a live eel, to make him lively and carry his tail well; it is said, a forfeit is incurred by any horse-dealer’s servant, who shall shew a horse without first feaguing him. Feague is used, figuratively, for encouraging or spiriting one up.

It is hard to tell where it dates back from after this however. The etymology of the word is unclear. Old Dutch had fegōn which means "to cleanse". In German, fegen means to clean but in Proto-Germanic faginōnan means "to cleanse, make beautiful" which can certainly connect with the definition of feague. Icelandic also has the word fægja which means "to polish" and that could suit as well. In any case, the current version of what we do can be related back to animal husbandry.

As with any form of sadomasochistic play safety should be considered. I would always recommend that someone in this lifestyle, and especially those doing the actions, become familiar with the philosophies of SSC (Safe Sane and Consensual) and RACK (Risk-Aware Consensual Kink) to help in being aware of all the risks and taking preventative measures to avoid unwanted damage or repercussions. Other that someone being overly careless with the insertion process, the only real thing to be aware of is that some people do have an allergic reaction to ginger. Be certain that the person receiving this isn't.

Now down to the fundamentals. First you need the ginger root. You can send your slave out to the grocery store to pick it out. I like the emotional torture that this brings. Ginger root has a number of tubers that resemble fingers. Because of this, it is sold as a hand. The piece that is chosen for this should have e section or finger that is at lease 4 inches long. The first time this is tried, I highly recommend using fresh ginger.

To prepare the ginger, choose the finger you wish to use and cut it off of the hand. Don't cut it at the joint, however, unless they are very long. You want the cut to extend into the hand. Try to make it alt least 4 inches long. Take a paring knife or vegetable peeler and remove the brown skin. Take care to remove all of the skin and smooth out any bumps or knots. Be careful to not remove too much of the meat as it will weaken the finger. Don't rush though this. Wash the root under cold water periodically to remove any loose skin.

Now comes the tricky part. Approximately 2/3 of the way down you need to carve out a section of the finger similar to a but plug. This will give the sphincter something to hold onto and keep the finger in place. Be careful with this as you don't want to cut away too much and weaken the finger but it has to be enough to hold on to. The concave ring that you create should be at least 1/2 in wide but you don't need to go very deep. It just has to be enough to hold it in place. If you cut away too much it will break off.

Now for the play. I find that the best position is to have the slave laying on their stomach with pillows to prop their hips and butt up. I like having them bound in this position but that, of course, is optional. Do NOT use lube. It will inhibit the sensations brought on by the ginger. Use cold water to keep the finger wet and take your time.

Be patient now. Take your time and begin to slowly insert the finger into the slaves anus. Don't rush it. Wet ginger has enough lubricant if you take your time. When the anus opens and begins to accept the finger, slowly slide it in up to the ring that you created. Let the sphincter close around it. The effect of the ginger builds so you have time to do this slowly. The effects aren't instant.

When it is in place, sit back and get prepared to enjoy the show or, as was popular in the Victorian era, begin your caning. Slave can become quite vocal as the effects of the ginger grow. If the ginger is decent the burning sensation can be pretty intense. Of course perception of pain is relative and there are a few slaves that don't find it overly intense. They are few and far between though. If you find the need, or just desire, to enhance the effects, I like to spend some time squeezing the butt cheeks together.

The effects of the ginger last about 20 min and ease off fairly rapidly. One of the nicest things about this procedure is that, no matter how intense the sensations for your slave can be, you will not cause damage to your slave by doing this. This is where I mention how to add additional sensation :D. Old ginger tends to lose it's potency so you always want to buy it as fresh as possible. However, if you have any fingers of adequate size left over, put them in a sealed plastic bag and put them in the vegetable drawer of your fridge for a couple of days. Check on them and if the bag has moisture in it and a little mold on the skin you are ready for fun. If not put it back in the fridge for a couple more days. Don't worry about the mold as you will be taking all of that off. The mold is harmless and doesn't penetrate the skin.

Peel and prepare the ginger as normal but when you play the result is going to be dramatically enhanced. Make certain to discard anything that is left over at this point.