Take a good look at this image from the San Bartolo murals.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bartolo_(Maya_site). This is a repainted version created by Heather Hurst, who as an artist/anthropologist won the MacArthur Genius award for this project. This mural was created in 100 BCE and shows the self-sacrifice so necessary for men to appease the gods with their blood letting. The penis is pierced with spines from a long spined sea urchin.
Women also self sacrificed by pulling cords studded with these spines through their tongue.
I guess in both cases it was to point out the need for self control in those areas:)
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