While some body parts are famous in life, others gain renown once they are removed from their famous body. Here are the most famous preserved body parts, and the stories of how they came to survive the death of their owners.
Rasputin’s Penis
Rasputin’s penis had a rather colourful life while still attached to its owner. Since his death, it has continued to be an object of fascination. Rasputin had a reputation for using his penis as a method of spreading his holy message amongst women. He became a hated figure, among the common people and nobles alike. It was a conspiracy of nobles who finally murdered Rasputin – and, it is claimed, castrated the body. The organ of Russia’s greatest Casanova can now be seen at the Erotica Museum in St. Petersburg, which purchased it from descendants of a maid who, in turn, claimed to have rescued it from the scene of Rasputin’s murder.
Henri IV’s Head
During revolutions, even the dead are not safe from violence. During the French revolution the tombs of former kings were desecrated, and their bodies scattered. Henri IV, called ‘The Good’ and founder of the Bourbon dynasty, suffered the indignity of being dug up nearly 200 years after his death. His head was detached, and passed between collectors of macabre items. The identity of the head was not confirmed until 2010, however, when a team of scientists studied the head and compared it to known portraits of the king and the death mask of the monarch. The head has since been reburied by descendants of the king.
Napoleon’s Penis
While the Napoleon complex, which associates short stature with a drive for power, may be based on a historical misunderstanding – Napoleon being of an average height for the time – there may still be a Freudian explanation for his urge to conquer Europe. After his death, an autopsy was performed on the emperor to establish why he died. Napoleon’s heart and stomach were officially removed – but the servant of the doctor who performed the examination recorded privately that various other unspecified parts were taken.
For decades, rumours have existed that one of these parts was the Emperor’s penis. The penis has been auctioned several times and displayed. The thing now known as Napoleon’s Napoleon seems to be a genuine body part of the great conqueror, but no one quite agrees as to whether it is a penis or not. The preserved member, about an inch long, has been described variously as a tendon, a piece of leather, a grape, and a shrivelled sea horse.
Galileo’s Finger
Galileo suffered greatly for his refusal to deny his belief that the Earth travels around the sun. He was kept under house arrest by the Church, for saying what every school child knows today. After his death he was buried in a modest tomb. As soon as later generations recognised his greatness, he was removed to a grand mausoleum. During the move, his admirers decided to take relics – and one of these was the middle finger of Galileo’s right hand. The finger can now be seen in the Museum of the History of Science – named after Galileo – in Florence. The preservation of a middle finger has given Galileo the ability to eternally flip off the church, which only formally apologised for its mistake regarding heliocentricism in 1992.
Einstein’s Eyes
The bodies of saints were often raided for relics as soon as they died. Einstein – secular saint of the modern day – was no exception. As well as taking the brain from Einstein’s corpse, the doctor who dissected him also removed his eyeballs. While his brain may have been a legitimate object of study, it is hard to see what Einstein’s eyes could teach us. The eyes were passed to another of Einstein’s doctors and they remain in his possession today. Rumour has it that they are locked in a safe deposit box in New York. When asked why he has kept the eyes the new owner said it was to keep Einstein with him.
Einstein’s Brain
Einstein’s brain is perhaps the most famous organ of the 20th century. The brain became synonymous with genius, and remains an item of fascination for neuroscientists. Within hours of Einstein’s death, his brain was removed for study to try and understand the source of his insights. Several interesting differences between his brain and other people’s were noticed. After the initial study, however, the brain went missing – with no one knowing for certain what had happened to it. Sections of the brain had been given to researchers but the main portions of the brain were still with the doctor who had removed it. The travels of the brain which changed 20th century physics have been documented in several books and films.
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Rasputin’s Penis
Rasputin’s penis had a rather colourful life while still attached to its owner. Since his death, it has continued to be an object of fascination. Rasputin had a reputation for using his penis as a method of spreading his holy message amongst women. He became a hated figure, among the common people and nobles alike. It was a conspiracy of nobles who finally murdered Rasputin – and, it is claimed, castrated the body. The organ of Russia’s greatest Casanova can now be seen at the Erotica Museum in St. Petersburg, which purchased it from descendants of a maid who, in turn, claimed to have rescued it from the scene of Rasputin’s murder.
Henri IV’s Head
During revolutions, even the dead are not safe from violence. During the French revolution the tombs of former kings were desecrated, and their bodies scattered. Henri IV, called ‘The Good’ and founder of the Bourbon dynasty, suffered the indignity of being dug up nearly 200 years after his death. His head was detached, and passed between collectors of macabre items. The identity of the head was not confirmed until 2010, however, when a team of scientists studied the head and compared it to known portraits of the king and the death mask of the monarch. The head has since been reburied by descendants of the king.
Napoleon’s Penis
While the Napoleon complex, which associates short stature with a drive for power, may be based on a historical misunderstanding – Napoleon being of an average height for the time – there may still be a Freudian explanation for his urge to conquer Europe. After his death, an autopsy was performed on the emperor to establish why he died. Napoleon’s heart and stomach were officially removed – but the servant of the doctor who performed the examination recorded privately that various other unspecified parts were taken.
For decades, rumours have existed that one of these parts was the Emperor’s penis. The penis has been auctioned several times and displayed. The thing now known as Napoleon’s Napoleon seems to be a genuine body part of the great conqueror, but no one quite agrees as to whether it is a penis or not. The preserved member, about an inch long, has been described variously as a tendon, a piece of leather, a grape, and a shrivelled sea horse.
Galileo’s Finger
Galileo suffered greatly for his refusal to deny his belief that the Earth travels around the sun. He was kept under house arrest by the Church, for saying what every school child knows today. After his death he was buried in a modest tomb. As soon as later generations recognised his greatness, he was removed to a grand mausoleum. During the move, his admirers decided to take relics – and one of these was the middle finger of Galileo’s right hand. The finger can now be seen in the Museum of the History of Science – named after Galileo – in Florence. The preservation of a middle finger has given Galileo the ability to eternally flip off the church, which only formally apologised for its mistake regarding heliocentricism in 1992.
Einstein’s Eyes
The bodies of saints were often raided for relics as soon as they died. Einstein – secular saint of the modern day – was no exception. As well as taking the brain from Einstein’s corpse, the doctor who dissected him also removed his eyeballs. While his brain may have been a legitimate object of study, it is hard to see what Einstein’s eyes could teach us. The eyes were passed to another of Einstein’s doctors and they remain in his possession today. Rumour has it that they are locked in a safe deposit box in New York. When asked why he has kept the eyes the new owner said it was to keep Einstein with him.
Einstein’s Brain
Einstein’s brain is perhaps the most famous organ of the 20th century. The brain became synonymous with genius, and remains an item of fascination for neuroscientists. Within hours of Einstein’s death, his brain was removed for study to try and understand the source of his insights. Several interesting differences between his brain and other people’s were noticed. After the initial study, however, the brain went missing – with no one knowing for certain what had happened to it. Sections of the brain had been given to researchers but the main portions of the brain were still with the doctor who had removed it. The travels of the brain which changed 20th century physics have been documented in several books and films.
READ MORE: Weirdest Movie Costumes Were Created