Sword swallowing how does it work

But a featured exhibition of sword swallowing at the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago brought sword swallowing mania to America, where a whole new generation of performers emerged, making some fascinating innovations along the way: multiple swords, bayonets, hot swords, and glowing neon tubes, among other feats. Meyer is one of the best-known contemporary sword swallowers.

It takes practice, sometimes over many years, to develop sufficient skill for safe relatively speaking sword swallowing. The term is a bit of a misnomer, since swallowing is actually the last thing you want to do with a sharp blade, since it involves contraction of numerous muscles; instead, the idea is to completely relax the throat and turn it into one long "living scabbard.

Essentially, sword swallowers have to figure out how to carefully align a sword with their upper esophageal sphincter -- a ring of muscle at the top end of the throat-- and straighten the pharynx, commonly achieved by hyper-extending the neck by tipping the head waaay back. The practitioner must then move his tongue out of the way and consciously relax his throat as he "swallows" -- not an easy thing to do because of our involuntary gag reflex, the body's defense mechanism against swallowing foreign objects.

There are nerve endings lining the back of the throat that can detect any intrusive, non-chewed-food objects, generating nerve impulses which neurons carry to the brain stem. The brain responds by using motor neurons to instruct the throat muscles to contract.

The end result: you retch, sometimes vomiting, as the body attempts to force the unwanted object out of the throat and mouth. On the way down, the sword straightens out the curve of the esophagus and nudges certain organs out of the way.

Per the book Bizarre Medical Abnormalities , published in In their normal state in the adult these organs are not in a straight line, but are so placed by the passage of the sword. In the first place they head is thrown back, so that the mouth is in the direction of the esophagus, the curves of which disappear or become less as the sword proceeds; the angle that the esophagus makes with the stomach is obliterated, and finally the stomach is distended in the vertical diameter and its internal curve disappears, thus permitting the blade to traverse the greater diameter of the stomach.

The same book also notes that sword swallowers proved vital to studying the human digestive system in the 19th century. Specifically, a Scottish physicist named Stevens had an assistant sword swallower down small metal tubes with holes in them, filled with pieces of meat. After a set interval of time, the acrobat would "disgorge" the tubes, and Stevens could study how much the meat had been digested.

Also, in , a sword swallower visited Freiburg, Germany, so impressing a local doctor named Keller that he examined the man's throat with a laryngeal mirror. His colleague, one Dr. Muller, is credited with first suggesting that such acrobats would make terrific subjects for esophagoscopy, because of their ability to voluntarily relax all the muscles in the throat at the same time.

Another colleague, Adolph Kussmaul, actually performed the first successful esophagoscopy on the visiting sword swallower using a rudimentary endoscope basically a straight tube , mirrors, and a gas lamp for illumination. The results were a bit disappointing because of the poor illumination, but it did lead to further improvements in the technique. A famous sword and snake swallower of the mids, called Sallementro, claimed he learned his art at 17 from a friend; it took him three months.

He tried starting with full-sized swords, but discovered "it made my swallow sore, very sore, and I used lemon and sugar to cure it.

Knives, he found, were easier than swords because of the shorter length. Snakes proved less tricky, although Sallementro was careful to "cut the stingers out, 'cos it might hurt you. Unlike swords, snakes are quite helpful to the process, naturally inclined to seek out a dark hole down which to disappear -- unless the swallower coughs too much, in which case the snake seeks to escape back up the hatch.

Sallementro said that swallowing snakes "tickles a little, but it don't make you want to retch. When is World Sword Swallower's Day? Can I perform at the next Big Swallow? In fact, sword swallowing is quite real - it is an ancient but deadly art with a long and colorful history.

Encyclopedia Britannica : Sword Swallowing: "A magician's trick false dating back to ancient Greece and Rome true involving the swallowing of a sword without bodily injury. In reality, sword swallowing is not an illusion or trick. Top of Page "Don't you use a gimmick, a fake sword that curls or folds up? Many people think that sword swallowers use a fake sword known as a "gaff" in the business that curls or folds up into the handle, but this is simply not the case for real sword swallowers.

Some books also erroneously claim that sword swallowers use gimmicks such as plastic, asbestos or metal sheaths that are swallowed first to protect the esophagus, or gutta-percha tips to protect their insides from the tip of the blade when they swallow their swords. These too are false myths that simply are not true for real sword swallowers. Encyclopedia Britannica : "Sword swallowers employ slightly varying methods.

The tube is centimeters With a width of 25 millimeters a little less than an inch , the tube permits easy entry of flat-bladed swords.

It would actually be more uncomfortable to pre-swallow a sheath and attempt to walk out on stage or deliver an introduction for several minutes with a sheath down the throat than it is to actually swallow a sword.

Top of Page "It's not real, is it? There are no smoke and mirrors. Sword swallowers really do swallow real swords - that's why we've been called "sword swallowers" for thousands of years.

No, professional sword swallowing is definitely NOT a magic "trick" or "stage illusion" as many people believe, nor is it a Hollywood stunt. Yes, there are some magicians or illusionists who buy fake curl-up swords or do balloon tricks to imitate real sword swallowers. But the true professional sword swallower does not rely on gimmicks.

Because professional sword swallowers generally work in close proximity to the audience, a fake "rollup" or telescoping sword known as a "gaff" in the business would be easily noticeable, and brand such a performer as a fake. That's why many sword swallowers have an audience member, preferably someone from the medical field, to inspect the sword first, and sometimes even pull out the sword, just to verify that it is indeed real and not a trick. Still don't believe it? Then check out the x-rays and read on The art of sword swallowing comes from a long and colorful history.

Sword swallowing originated about years ago in India around BC by fakirs and shaman priests who developed the art along with fire-walking on hot coals, snake handling, and other ascetic religious practices, as demonstration of their invulnerability, power, and connection with their gods.

Legend has it that sword swallowing began in either the region that is now Andhra Pradesh or Karnataka, India, and there is still a tribe known as the Konda Dhora tribe in the state of Andhra Pradesh where the ancient art of sword swallowing was rumored to be passed down from father to son for centuries. Unfortunately, there is little evidence of this practice today.

Sword swallowing was often seen at festivals throughout the ancient Roman empire. Capuleius, in his Metamorphoseon, tells of seeing the feat in Athens, performed by a juggler on horseback, and sword swallowers were mentioned in AD during the Teutonic fight for Rome. The art and practice of sword swallowing traveled north from India into China around AD, and became popular in Japan in the 8th century.

It was often seen as part of an acrobatic form of entertainment known as Sangaku, which also featured juggling, tightrope walking, contortion, and other related skills. This type of performance art was "street theater" and the performers traveled throughout Japan. Sangaku, like other forms of drama popular in Japan prior to the 11th century, traced its origins to southern China and India.

The Dervish Orders of the Sufis reflect the meeting of Islam and Hindu thought in the 8th century "dervish" is Persian for "beggar. Some are religious entertainers hired to chant the zikr dirge, and some only perform Dervish ceremonies on special occasions.

Dervishes are known for working themselves into frenzies, whirling themselves about, and committing great feats of strength this is where we get the term "Whirling Dervishes". One of the Dervish orders founded in AD was the order of Rifais who eat glass, walk on hot coals, and swallow swords.

Sword swallowing spread north from Greece and Rome into Europe at the hands of medieval jongleurs and other street performers who performed in public areas. In the Middle Ages, sword swallowers, like magicians, jugglers and other entertainers, were often condemned and persecuted by the Catholic Church. Still, in most places they were popular with the common folk, and the tradition of the wandering entertainer remained strong. By the midth century, performers wandered more freely and became common sights on street corners and at festivals across Europe.

Sword swallowing began to die out in Europe in the late s, and in Sweden in when variety shows were formally outlawed. Sword swallowing came to America in , but did not start becoming popular in America until when sword swallowers were one of the hit features of the Chicago World's Fair. In the s, sword swallowing became an expected part of traveling sideshows, which flourished from around to the 's.

In the 's, with the increasing popularity and cost efficiency of mechanical rides at carnivals, one by one the side shows began to disappear, and with the growing popularity of TV, the Internet, video games and other forms of entertainment in the s, 70s, and 80s, the popularity of sideshows and sword swallowing began to decrease.

Since , there have been only a very small number of the old-fashioned traveling in-1 sideshows left touring the United States. For general information on the history of sword swallowing, visit our History page. And for a list of the remaining living sword swallowers around the world, visit our Performers page. There are less than a few dozen professional sword swallowers left actively performing around the world today.

In addition, there are a few dozen surviving injured or retired veteran sword swallowers who have swallowed a sword at one time in their lives, and a small number of beginners who have managed to swallow a sword at least one time in their lives, but may not be actively performing as full-time professionals. In comparison with other rare or dangerous occupations and passions, there are over 2. Everest since over people have run the 4 minute mile over times since over astronauts have flown in outer space since Yet there are less than a few dozen professional sword swallowers left actively performing the year old ancient art around the world today.

Out of a world population of over 7 billion people in the world today, that makes each sword swallower unique at being about 1 out of every million people in the world. For a list of the actively performing SSAI members and other sword swallowers around the world today, visit the Performers page.

In many cases, sword swallowing is often handed down from sword swallower to sword swallower, such as in a village in the state of Andhra Pradesh in central India where the ancient art is passed down from father to son, and sometimes the swords are handed down as well.

Sword swallowing is not something you can just learn on your own in an afternoon. Many people study the art for years, often as apprentices under experienced sword swallowers, before they manage to learn to master it. SSAI research from sword swallowers around the world has shown that it can take some people from 3 years to 7 years to learn to swallow a sword, and up to 5 years to master it , and some NEVER learn.

Many of us come from varied entertainment backgrounds, and we all have different reasons for why we swallow swords, but in general, most of us do it because we CAN , and because most other people CAN'T! If we didn't, who would? Somebody has to do these things, or you would never get to see feats like this. Many of us have chosen sword swallowing because it is a real feat, not a fake trick or deception, which sets us apart from other performers, knowing that there are a very limited number of sword swallowers left in the world today.

Some of us do it to educate others and demonstrate the possibilities of stretching the mind and overcoming the limitations of the human body. Some of us do it to help preserve a dying ancient art. Others do it because they just crave the attention!

It's not so much that I like to swallow swords, it just that I like animals more when they're alive. So how do you do it? In order to swallow a sword, in medical terms, a sword swallower must: insert the tip of the blade into the oral cavity, repress the gag reflex in the back of the throat, navigate a 90 degree turn down the pharynx , find the proper alignment into the esophagus , slide the blade through the cricopharyngeus upper esophageal sphincter UES , flip open the epiglottis so that the blade goes into the glottal chamber behind the prominentia laryngea and the voice box , repress the peristalsys reflex , slide the blade down the esophagus into the thoraxic chamber , between the lungs , nudge the heart slightly to the left, slide the blade past the sternum and breast bone through the diaphragm , relax the lower esophageal sphincter LES , slide the blade through the lower esophageal sphincter and into the upper stomach , past the liver and kidneys , repress the retch reflex in the stomach , and insert the blade all the way down to the duodenum.

Each step must be done correctly and very precisely - one slightly wrong move and you could puncture any of those organs and kill yourself. More importantly, in psychological terms, it take years of practice - for some sword swallowers from 3 years to as much as 10 years - and a strong mind-over-matter mental attitude - to study and learn the medical physiology, to consciously relax one's mind and body, get past the uncomfortable sensations, focus very carefully on the correct alignment and placement, repress the gag reflex and retch reflex, and make sure you direct the blade precisely where it needs to go without puncturing yourself in order to swallow a single sword - and sometimes several more years to work up to multiple swords and other more complicated and daring feats.

Combining these physical and mental disciplines correctly every time is what makes sword swallowing so extremely difficult and extremely dangerous.

Watch moving x-ray fluoroscopy More on how sword swallowing works Top of Page "What does it feel like to swallow a sword? Does it hurt? If you poke yourself in the throat or esophagus while swallowing a sword, it can be quite painful and give you a "sword throat", or worse, a perforated esophagus or punctured stomach resulting in serious medical injuries. In some cases, if the esophageal sphincter is not relaxed and does not open properly while swallowing a sword or multiple swords, it can cause a painful bruising feeling in the center of the chest that can make it difficult to swallow food for several days.

For the most part, if done properly, sword swallowing usually does not actually hurt terribly painfully, but it can sure feel VERY uncomfortable! It almost always makes your eyes water, and it constantly makes you feel like you're going to gag or get sick. Sometimes if the sword is a bit cold, you can feel the cool sensation as the blade travels down your throat.

Often when withdrawing the sword, you are left with a taste of stomach acids and metal in your mouth. The act of swallowing a sword is not really a fun or "pleasant" feeling itself, but the audience response usually makes it worth the discomfort. Top of Page "What does it taste like to swallow a sword? In some cases, depending on the type of metal used in the blade, it can sometimes taste a bit metallic. Lady Sandra Reed commented on the taste of metal and Red Stuart often says that your mouth and throat need to learn to overcome the metallic taste so that your throat does not rebel against the strange taste going down your throat.

However, many of the newer swords nowadays have little to no flavor at all - much like the taste of a fork - except as the sword is being removed, at which time there may be the unpleasant taste of the stomach acids. Top of Page "Isn't it dangerous? Can't you hurt yourself? Have you ever cut yourself? Sword swallowers risk their lives every time they swallow a sword, just for the audience's entertainment pleasure! These are the structures that the sword passes by on its way down.

When a performer swallows a sword , it takes the same path that food does, but the process is significantly different. Swallowing food involves the contraction of several muscles. Sword swallowing, on the other hand, requires deliberate relaxation of the upper GI tract. Here's what happens:. Sometimes, the sword also passes the lower esophageal sphincter and enters the stomach, but this doesn't necessarily happen every time. The distance from the teeth to the portion of the stomach that connects to the esophagus, known as the cardia, is approximately 15 inches 40 centimeters.

The Sword Swallowers Association International SSAI defines a sword swallower as a person who can swallow a inch centimeter sword, which wouldn't necessarily enter the stomach. The SSAI's maximum recommended length for a swallowed sword is 33 inches 83 centimeters , which would put the tip of the sword well into the performer's stomach [source: swordswallow. Those three steps can sound deceptively easy, but sword swallowing is extremely difficult to master. It's also not something that people should try without the help of an experienced professional.

We'll look at why — and what can go wrong — in the next section. The stomach is a curvy pouch in the digestive system. In many people, the esophagus makes a distinct curve at the entrance to the stomach. In others, the junction is a little straighter. This can have a big impact on the length of a sword that a performer can swallow without injuring himself. The process of swallowing a sword involves more than just lining everything up and letting gravity do its work.

In order to successfully swallow a sword, a performer must learn to relax muscles that are typically not under voluntary control. These include the upper and lower esophageal sphincters and the muscles of the esophagus that are involved in peristalsis.

He must also make the performance look easy, which can be a challenge. If you have ever swallowed a mouthful of food that was too large or not thoroughly chewed, you know how sensitive your esophagus can be.

A sword swallower must move a cold, rigid sword down the entire length of his throat and esophagus without showing any discomfort. The human body also has a defense mechanism that has the sole function of preventing everything but chewed, swallowed food from entering the throat — the gag reflex. When you accidentally touch the back of your throat with your toothbrush and involuntarily gag, you've activated this reflex. In some people, the gag reflex is quite sensitive and can be activated by touching the back of the mouth.

In others, the gag reflex is minimal. A successful sword swallower has to learn to ignore his gag reflex. This is not easy. Reflexes are involuntary — they happen without deliberate effort or thought. Your reflexes allow you to jerk your hand away from a hot stove, and they're also involved in the involuntary portions of body processes like urinating. All of these reflexes are vital to survival, and all of them happen without the involvement of your conscious mind.

Reflexes involve several physiological components that combine to form a reflex arc. In the case of your gag reflex, nerve endings in the back of your throat detect an intrusive object.

This generates nerve impulses, which a neuron carries to the integration center in your brain stem. The brain stem, using a motor neuron, instructs the muscles in your throat — the effectors — to contract. The result is a retch intended to force foreign objects out of the throat and mouth. All of this is involuntary and happens in an instant.

Learning to ignore an involuntary process takes a tremendous amount of practice. In the case of sword swallowing, it generally involves deliberately activating the gag reflex over and over. The process can cause vomiting and considerable discomfort.

It also dulls or removes a process intended to protect the person from harm. This is one of the many reasons why sword swallowing is dangerous. We'll look at some of the hazards of sword swallowing in the next section. Some sword swallowers use other long, narrow objects in their performances, like oil dipsticks, medical forceps, drum sticks and pool cues.

Authentic sword swallowers really insert all of these objects into their throats. Swallowing a long balloon, on the other hand, is a different matter.

Balloon swallowing is an illusion — but telling how it's done would reveal the secret of the trick. Sword swallowing involves deliberately conditioning your body to do something its defense mechanisms prohibit, so it's not surprising that it's a dangerous activity.

It's also not widely studied in the field of medicine, perhaps because there are so few sword swallowers. The results of the most thorough medical study appeared in the British Medical Journal.

The study involved the voluntary survey of English-speaking sword swallowers. Forty-six of the 48 performers who responded consented to having their data used in the study. Thirty-three of the respondents included information about their medical histories.