Tribute to Le Pétomane ~ and the Winds of Change! (encore)

In the cavern, shadows gather round the stew

or huddle in crannies (but only on weekends)

to hear Platonic oratorios rendered inoffensively

by descendants of Aristotle and his Orchestra of

Broken Winds.

(From "An Epilogue of Sorts" by Antares)

Joseph Pujol (1857~1945)

Le Pétomane (French pronunciation: [ləpetɔˈman]) was the stage name of the French flatulist (professional farter) and entertainer Joseph Pujol (June 1, 1857–1945). He was famous for his remarkable control of the abdominal muscles, which enabled him to seem to fart at will. His stage name combines the French verb péter, "to fart" with the -mane, "-maniac" suffix, which translates to "fartomaniac". The profession is also referred to as "flatulist", "farteur", or "fartiste".

It is a common misconception that Joseph Pujol actually passed intestinal gas as part of his stage performance. Rather, Pujol was able to "inhale" or move air into his rectum and then control the release of that air with his anal sphincter muscles. Evidence of his ability to control those muscles was seen in the early accounts of demonstrations of his abilities to fellow soldiers.

[Source: Wikipedia. First posted 9 February 2012, reposted 4 July 2014 & 20 January 2016]