Writing about Fakir Musafar reminded me of one of the activities he helped bring into kinky culture – flesh hooks combined with suspension. His promotion of it was controversial, bringing charges of cultural appropriation. It’s a ritual used in multiple cultures – including some of the Native American tribes – and a bunch of white people adopting it into kinky culture was understandably not a welcome development for some.
I’ve never done it, but I have had several dommes say they’d love to do a flesh hook scene with me. Not sure what it is about me that creates the desire to suspend me from big metal hooks, but there clearly must be something. I doubt I’ll ever have the combination of nerve and opportunity.
While I might lack the right stuff, I do remember Mistress Matisse writing of her experience of a flesh hook scene. Oddly enough she was a participant rather than a coordinator. You can read about it over three of her old Control Tower articles – part 1, part 2 and part 3. An intense scene.
This is Mistress Matisse from a recent photograph on her Bluesky feed.
I think there was a not very good Hollywood film from the 90’s called The Cell that featured hook suspension. I didn’t ever meet Fakir (I’m not even close to being in that league), but I saw a ritual that he and his partner, Cléo Dubois, staged at Folsom, also in the 90s. Another somewhat similar guy who was very famous in those days was Bob Flannagan, who was the subject of a book and film.
Years ago, there was a guy who used to do crucifixion scenes. I don’t think he took nails through his hands, but he did take them through his feet. He sought out dommes who were thought of as the most skilled in those days, and one of the women he did this with was a friend. She told me that it was one of the most powerful scenes she ever did.
I asked her if putting nails through a guy’s feet really messy, and she said, surprisingly not. I think he had done it often enough, and the nails went through the same place every time, that there was scar tissue that minimized (but didn’t eliminate) the mess.
This stuff is very far from my own kink, and I don’t really know dommes any more, so extreme stuff like this isn’t in my future.
Bob Flannagan was great. I’ve got that book and his film around somewhere. Should dig them it up and watch it again. Amazing character.
I vaguely remember the cell as a cheesy late night watch. Don’t remember the hook scene, but I do remember a lot of fetishistic gear and BDSM trappings. Maybe I’ll stick it on again if I see it streaming somewhere.
Crucifixion sounds insane. I can kind of see how a hook suspension might work with an endorphin rush, but not putting nails through delicate things like your feet. Can’t imagine many dommes would have been comfortable with doing it.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing thoughts! Always appreciated.
-paltego