Bizarre Ancient Lie Detector – The Mouth Of Truth – Bocca della Verità
A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - Bocca della Verità is an ancient stone mask that once served as a tool to determine if a person was lying or telling the truth. The name means "the Mouth of Truth" in English, and the superstition that the stone face can judge a person's honesty is still alive among some people.
Detail of the Oceanus mosaic, a depiction of the sea-god Oceanus, 3rd century AD, Römerhalle, Bad Kreuznach, Germany.
Located just outside the doors of the Paleochristian church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, at the foot of the Aventine Hills, Italy, the ancient carving has become famous over the years.
Its fame is primarily due to the macabre legend associated with the mask. According to ancient beliefs, "the Mouth of Truth" bites the hands of liars.
Unknown Origin Of The "Mouth Of Truth"
The massive marble mask weighs about 1300 kg and has a diameter of 1.75 meters. It probably depicts the face of the sea god, Oceanus. The eyes, nostrils, and mouth are open.
Historians are uncertain of the original purpose of the disc.
The ancient stone mask served as an ancient lie detector. Image credit: visitlazio.com
It was possibly used as a drain cover in the nearby Temple of Hercules Invictus. It had an oculus - a round open space in the middle of the roof. During the Roman age, this mysterious mask was just a sewer cover. For this reason, many historians have associated it to the water (river) divinities, drinking the rain, letting the water flow to the sea.
The Legend Of The "Mouth of Truth"
Starting from the Middle Ages, it was believed that if one told a lie with one's hand in the mouth of the sculpture, it would be bitten off. There was also a medieval legend about a wealthy wife of a Roman noble who was accused of adultery.
The woman denied the accusations. However, her husband wanted to test her by putting her hand inside the stone mouth. Knowing perfectly well that she was lying, the woman used a very clever strategy. In front of a group of curious witnesses who had gathered around the Mouth of Truth, the man who was her lover embraced her and kissed her.
The Mouth of Truth is known to English-speaking audiences mostly from its appearance in the 1953 film Roman Holiday. The film also uses the Mouth of Truth as a storytelling device since both Hepburn's and Peck's characters are not initially truthful with each other.
She pretended she didn't know him, accused him of being a madman, and the crowd chased him away. When she put her hand into the mouth, the woman declared that she had never kissed any other man apart from her husband and the poor madman who had just kissed her. In this way, she was confident that she hadn't lied and her hand was saved.
The betrayed husband saved her honor, but the Mouth of Truth lost its credibility, and it is said that since that day, it no longer carried out its function as a right and unappeasable judge.
This is just one of the many legends that mention this famous sculpture. In other stories, the mouth of the mask was the top of the holy spring situated in front of Mercury temple, where the Roman merchants used to swear their honesty during their trades.
Ancient Stone Mask Remains Popular In Modern Days
This ancient mask has never lost its popularity. Even today, it is the cause of queues of tourists who line up outside the beautiful Paleochristian church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. Many are eager to put their hands in this mouth, but some hesitate at the last minute.
Curiously, there is a similar sculpture of a lion in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, India, that, according to local lore, bites off one's hand if a lie is told.
It seems that these quite bizarre lie detectors were popular in ancient times.
Written by – A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com Senior Staff Writer
Updated on November 26, 2022
Copyright © AncientPages.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.com
More From Ancient Pages
-
Mystery Of Ancient Metal Clamps – Advanced Lost Technology Modern Science Still Cannot Explain
Ancient Technology | Jul 31, 2020
-
Mysterious Voynich Manuscript Was Written In Two Languages – Scientists Say
Archaeology | Apr 24, 2017
-
Bronze Age Royal Tombs Unearthed In Ruins Of Ancient City Of Pylos, Greece
Archaeology | Dec 30, 2019
-
The Lost Prophecy Reveals Chilling Future Events – The Last Words To Mankind?
Featured Stories | Jan 24, 2015
-
Rare Discovery Of A 2,500-Year-Old Ancient Receipt With The Name Of King Darius The Great
Archaeology | Mar 2, 2023
-
Medieval Manor Of Court De Wyck – Re-Discovered
Archaeology | Oct 10, 2023
-
Stunning Reconstructions Shows What Colchester Looked Like During Roman Times
News | Jul 2, 2022
-
World’s Oldest Shipwreck Discovered In Mediterranean
Archaeology | Apr 10, 2019
-
Legend Of Sleeping Hero Holger Danske: Viking Warrior Who Never Died
Featured Stories | May 8, 2016
-
Astonishing Lunar And Solar Calendars Created 30,000 B.C.
Artifacts | Aug 8, 2017
-
Bizarre Sound Of A Crash Remains An Unexplained Mystery
Featured Stories | Oct 22, 2020
-
On This Day In History: Battle Of Pinkie Was Fought – On September 10, 1547
News | Sep 10, 2016
-
Discovery In Alabama Reveals Evidence Of Skull Surgery In North America Thousands Of Years Earlier Than Previously Thought
Archaeology | Apr 2, 2022
-
Polycarp Of Smyrna: Burned At The Stake And Pierced With A Dagger
Featured Stories | Jun 25, 2020
-
Enigmatic ‘Stone Sleepers’ – Megalithic Tombstones ‘Stecci’ In The Western Balkans
Civilizations | Dec 3, 2018
-
Seshat: Goddess Of Astronomy Aligned Sacred Monuments To The Stars Long Before Imhotep
Egyptian Mythology | Mar 15, 2018
-
Hammer Of Thor – Great Loss Of Treasure That Protected Aesir Gods And Asgard
Featured Stories | Mar 14, 2018
-
Ancient Egyptian Guide To Rostau – The Underworld Of God Osiris May Be World’s Oldest Illustrated Book
Archaeology | Jan 2, 2020
-
Discovery At Fujiwarakyu Palace Complex Offers Better Glimpse Of 7th-Century Japan
Archaeology | Oct 21, 2015
-
Howard Carter Stole Tutankhamun’s Treasures – Previously Unpublished Letter Reveals
Archaeology | Aug 15, 2022