Project Description#
The series “Scatology in Culture” is an interdisciplinary OSINT investigation into the role of excrement and bodily waste in global culture, art, philosophy, economics, and science. The research was conducted as part of the FolkUp Research Lab (Lucerna).
Subject: scatology—not as a medical term nor as vulgarity, but as a cultural phenomenon with a millennia-long history. From Diogenes defecating in the marketplace to Manzoni’s jar of feces valued at €275,000—excrement occupies a stable and paradoxical place in the history of human thought.
Methodology: OSINT—systematic collection, verification, and analysis of open-source material across eight research directions. Each direction undergoes a separate in-depth examination grounded in academic sources, archival data, and expert assessment.
Series Structure (9 Materials)#
Direction 1: Thought and Language#
| Material | Topic | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Philosophy: From Diogenes to Postmodernism | Cynics, Freud, Bataille, Kristeva, Žižek, Laporta | 25+ |
| Linguistics: Taboo Etymology | Proto-Slavic *govьno, PIE *skeyd-, Tabuation, Euphemisms | 30+ |
Direction 2: Art and Literature#
| Material | Topic | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Art: From Manzoni to Pavlenskiy | Merda d’artista, Ofili, Delvoye, Viennese and Moscow Actionism | 25+ |
| Literature: From Rabelais to Sorokin | Swift, Sade, Joyce, Kharms, Kundera, Bukowski | 25+ |
Direction 3: Power and Money#
| Material | Topic | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Economics: From Guano to FMT Startups | Guano Wars, Ambergris, Kopi Luwak, Coprolites, Biotech | 25+ |
| Politics: Feces as Protest Weapon | Diogenes, Luther, Actionism, Biological Weapons, Sanitation and Power | 30+ |
Direction 4: Body and Myth#
| Material | Topic | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine: Microbiome and the FMT Revolution | Fecal Microbiota Transplantation, Coprology, Bristol Stool Scale, Microbiome | 30+ |
| Mythology: Sacred Excrement | Sterquilinus, Scarabaeus, Kavaya-no-kami, Bonnacon, Feast of Fools | 25+ |
10 Functions of Scatology in Culture#
The research identified ten stable functions that scatology performs in global culture:
Carnivalesque Overthrow of Power—Bakhtin, Rabelais, Fabliaux, Feast of Fools. The bodily lower stratum overturns hierarchy, equalizing king and beggar.
Philosophical Transgression—Bataille, Kristeva, Diogenes. Excrement as the boundary where authentic knowledge begins.
Psychoanalytic Connection to Creativity and Money—Freud. Feces as the child’s first “product,” prototype of exchange and accumulation.
Critique of Hypocrisy and Convention—Swift, Luther, Kundera. “Kitsch = absolute denial of the existence of feces” (Kundera).
Artistic Provocation and Taboo Destruction—Manzoni, Ofili, Serrano. Art tests the boundaries of the permissible.
Political Protest and Actionism—Viennese Actionists, Pavlenskiy, Voina collective. The body becomes a weapon.
Critique of Capitalism and Commodification—Delvoye, Manzoni. The machine that transforms food into feces—a mirror of consumption.
Ideological Exposure—Žižek. Three types of toilets = three political ideologies.
Medical Revolution—FMT, microbiome. Feces transform from waste into medicine.
Economic Engine and casus belli—guano, ambergris, kopi luwak. Wars were fought literally over excrement.
Key Figures#
| Fact | Figure |
|---|---|
| Manzoni’s jar (auction record) | €275,000 (2016) |
| Ofili’s “The Holy Virgin Mary” | $4.6 million (2015) |
| Peruvian guano exports (1840–1870) | $500 million |
| Viking coprolite (estimate) | $39,000 |
| Kopi Luwak (wild) | $1,300/kg |
| FMT efficacy for C. difficile | 85–90% |
| Global human feces per year | 290–400 million tons |
Credibility Markers#
The series employs a system of markers:
- [CONFIRMED]—2+ sources, academic consensus
- [PARTIALLY CONFIRMED]—discrepancies between sources or interpretations
- [DISPUTED]—no academic consensus
- [LEGEND]—mythological or folkloric tradition
Metadata#
- Investigation ID: INV-033
- Date: 03.03.2026
- Language: English (translation)
- Series: 9 materials (1 overview + 8 thematic)
- Sources: 200+
- Research Directions: philosophy, art, literature, economics, politics, linguistics, medicine, mythology
FolkUp Research Lab | Lucerna