“Images of erect phalli had a talismanic quality in ancient Rome. They derived from the deity Priapus, god of fertility and protector of gardens and fields and livestock. As a talisman, it served a variety of purposes…We see this in tintinnabula (fig. 1), a sort of phallic wind chime. Bells were believed to be protective as well, so a phallus hung with bells would have been an charm of significant good fortune.”
