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ABOUT THE MOUTH OF TRUTH (Bocca Della Verita)

The Mouth Of Truth is a marble disk, denoting a Roman river god, which hangs in the portico of the Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin in Rome. Legend has it that before it was traduced by a clever philanderer it had the ability to identify liars. If someone told a lie while their hand was inserted in the god’s mouth, the hand would supposedly be bitten off (This no doubt accounted for the prevalence of the one-handed politicians at various times, and think of the prospective amount of handicapped in high office today!).

The Mouth supposedly lost its marvelous talent at snapping liars after a suspicious husband induced his wife to slip her hand into the mouth. A curious crowd (no doubt taking bets as to the outcome) gathered to watch the moment of truth. Just as she was about to endure this test of chastity, a handsome young man leaped from the crowd and began to kiss and fondle her madly. The incensed husband pulled this interloper away from his swooning wife and chased the attacker away, sure that he was a madman. But he was not. He was, in fact, the ingenious, quick-thinking swain of the wife who realized that she could now insert her dainty hand into the mouth of the God (and who knows where else it had been) and say truthfully that no man had ever kissed or fondled her except for her husband and the crazy fellow from the crowd. The god, however, was not amused. Incensed, it has so far never bitten off another hand. It has been a liar’s holiday.