Incest in popular culture
Encyclopedia
Incest
is a somewhat popular topic in English erotic fiction; there are entire collections and websites devoted solely to this genre, with an entire genre of pornographic pulp fiction known as "incest novels". This is probably because, as with many other fetish
es, the taboo
nature of the act adds to the titillation. With the advent of the Internet, even more of this type of fiction is available.
Besides this, incest is sometimes mentioned or described in mainstream, non-erotic fiction. Connotations can be negative, positive, or neutral.
's One Hundred Years of Solitude
, there are several cases of sex between more or less close relatives, including that which occurs between a nephew and aunt. Other works of literature show consequences not so grave, such as Arundhati Roy
's The God of Small Things
, in which fraternal twins share a cathartic
sexual experience.
In Time Enough for Love
, Lazarus Long
uses genetic arguments to initially dissuade a brother and sister he has adopted from sexual experimentation with each other, but he later arranges for them to be married, having discovered that they (in an extremely rare but scientifically possible circumstance) are not brother and sister on a genetic level; he also consummates his strong sexual attraction to his own mother, whom he goes back in time to see again. Long is himself cloned into two female forms, Lorelei Lee and Lapis Lazuli, who while raised as his daughters, are later said to have seduced him.
In his last book published before Heinlein's death, To Sail Beyond the Sunset
, the mother, Maureen Johnson, encourages her husband (Brian Johnson) to sleep with their teen daughter, Nancy, and is with him when he actually does so. Maureen later discovers that her two youngest children are engaged in heterosexual incest, which bothers her primarily in that the sister will not let her brother see other women.
Incest is a frequent theme in the work of V. C. Andrews.The Dollanganger series, starting with the book "Flowers in the Attic", the main character, Cathy Dollanganger, develops an incestuous relationship with her older brother, Chris, after being locked up in the attic for over three years, even living with him as his wife. In the following sequels, they find out that their parents were half-uncle and niece (as well as half-siblings). Their grandfather was obsessed with his mother, stepmother, and daughter. The Cutler series, starting with the book Dawn, the main character, Dawn, who was abducted at birth, discovers that her new boyfriend is really her brother. Her brother obsesses over her and at one point rape
s her. Elsewhere in the series, it is revealed that Dawn's father is really her half-brother. Her grandfather is really her biological father and that the woman she had believed to be her grandmother was raped as a teenager by her own father, resulting in the birth of a child. She later marries her adopted brother. The Casteel series' main character, Heaven, falls in love with her uncle and has a daughter with him. The Landry series' main character, Ruby, finds out that her first boyfriend is really her half-brother and even marries him in one of the sequels. In the Logan series, the main character, Melody, discovers that her boyfriend (who is a distant cousin) was obsessed with his twin sister.
Vladimir Nabokov
's novel Ada or Ardor: A Family Chronicle
deals very heavily with the incestuous relationships in the intricate family tree of the main character Van Veen. There are explicit moments of sexual relations primarily between Van and his sister, Ada, as well as between Ada and her younger sister, Lucette. Nabokov does not necessarily deal with any complexities or consequences, social or otherwise, which may be inherent to incestuous relationships—outside of the strictly practical concerns of having to hide the taboo relationships from others. Incest in Ada seems mainly to be a sexual manifestation of the characters' intellectual incestuousness, and operates on a similar plane as do other instances of "sexual transgression" in Nabokov's novels of this period, such as pedophilia
in Lolita
and homosexuality
in Pale Fire
.
Incest plays an influential role in George R. R. Martin
's bestselling fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire
. In the series, incest is illegal and seen as abnormal; however, children born from incestuous parents (brother and sister, father and daughter) are healthy and no different from children born from non-incestuous parents, although one of them is extremely sadistic
and psychologically unstable. Two of the main characters, the queen Cersei Lannister and her brother Jaime Lannister, practice incest in secret, which leads to a major war across the land when it is discovered that their illegitimate children (not the King's) have inherited the throne. Their public denials of the incest and their secret love for each other causes a great deal of tension and conflict in the series. The royal house of Targaryen was known to have practiced the custom of sibling incest and often polygamy
for hundreds of years. The first Targaryen king, Aegon, wed both of his sisters, Visenya and Rhaenys. Baelor I, a.k.a. Baelor the Blessed, imprisoned his three sisters (who were also his wives) in the Maidenvault so as not to be tempted by their beauty. There may be evidence of genetic problems due to inbreeding
in the Targaryen family, as some of them, such as Aerion Brightflame and Aerys II, were insane. King Jahaerys II once famously stated that the gods flip a coin when a Targaryen is born to determine his or her fate: on one side lies greatness, the other madness. Theon Greyjoy also unwittingly makes sexual advances upon his sister, Asha, after meeting her for the first time in many years. Upon arriving at their father's castle, Asha's identity is revealed, and Asha, among others, proceed to mock Theon for his actions.
Incest is a central theme in Mario Puzo
's The Family.
Anne Rice
's Mayfair trilogy
deals with a family of witches who are heavily inbred. One character fathers children with his sister, daughter, and granddaughter.
Incest is detailed in Linda Howard's novel, Shades of Twilight. It deals with the incestuous feelings the main character, Roanna, has for her second cousin, Webb, who is married to another cousin, Jessie. It is revealed that Jessie had a secret incestuous affair with her father and became pregnant by him, which led to her grandmother accidentally killing her and Webb leaving the family when he is blamed for her death. At the end of the book, when the secrets of Jessie's death are cleared, Webb professes his love for Roanna and marries her after she becomes pregnant with his child.
's Tigana
, a consensual, sexual relationship is strongly hinted between Dianora and her brother, Baerd.
In J. R. R. Tolkien
's The Children of Húrin
, the characters Túrin
and Nienor
, who are brother and sister, unwittingly enter into an incestuous marriage when they meet for the first time while Nienor is suffering from amnesia. This is a development of the story explored more briefly in Tolkien's The Silmarillion
, Unfinished Tales
and Book of Lost Tales, all of which included versions of the tale.
In the Elenium
trilogy by David Eddings
, Queen Ehlana's widowed father Aldreas carried on an incestuous affair with his sister, Princess Arissa. She had initially seduced him in their youth with the intent of getting him to marry her, as one of the advisors had found an obscure law which would permit it, but was thwarted by the hero's father. The affair resumed after the death of Ehlana's mother and continued until the King's death, at which time Arissa was confined to a convent.
P. C. Hodgell
's God Stalker Chronicles feature a group of races tied together by religion. The Highborn race was trying to bred the "Tyr-Ridan", three people representing the three faces of their god, to full fill a prophecy that the Tyr-Ridan would defeat Perimal Darkling, their god's enemy. The breeding project involved brother-sister and other incestuous matings.
In the novel Silverhand by Morgan Llywelyn and Michael Scott, the main antagonists Sarel and Lares, who are twins, facilitate their magic through an incestuous relationship.
In Richard Wagner
's Der Ring des Nibelungen
, the hero Siegfried
is the son of the incestuous relationship between Siegmund
and Sieglinde
.
In George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire
, Queen Cersei and her twin brother, Jaime, have been in love with each other since they were young and have been having an affair since then. It is further revealed that Cersei's three children were fathered by Jaime as a result of their affair. This remains unknown to the King. Her justification lay with the fact they shared a womb, stating that they were one person split into two.
The historical fantasy
novel Teito Monogatari
(Hiroshi Aramata
) features a subplot involving incest. The minister of finance copulates with his sister, producing a daughter; an act which foils the efforts of the protagonist Yasunori Kato
.
In The Mists of Avalon
by Marion Zimmer Bradley
, half siblings Arthur
and Morgaine engage in sexual intercourse during a religious ritual and then again the morning afterwards, which leads to the conception of Mordred
. After Morgaine finds out that they are siblings, she is repulsed and immediately draws away from him. However, Arthur continues to have feelings for Morgaine. Arthur and Morgaine's mother Igraine
notices that during Arthur's wedding ceremony to Gwenhwyfar, that Gwenhwyfar is looking at Lancelet
while Arthur is looking at Morgaine. Gwenhwyfar is also raped at one point by a man who claimed to have the same father as her. Morgaine has an unrequited love for Lancelet, her half-first cousin (their mothers are half-sisters) and the two share an intimate moment. Morgaine also has an affair with her stepson Accolon
and is almost raped by Accolon's older brother. It is also strongly implied that Lancelet harbors homosexual feelings for Arthur, which he believes may be the reason for his attraction to Arthur's wife. The three of them even share an intimate moment.
, Ursula K. Le Guin
and Robert A. Heinlein
. Le Guin's short story "Nine Lives" features ten clones (five male, five female) of the same person, whose intimate relationship includes incest. Her novel The Left Hand of Darkness
contains a story of two siblings who mate, despite a taboo against it.
A character in Isaac Asimov
's The Last Question
states that he is the son of siblings.
Frank Herbert
's Children of Dune
sees the marriage of fraternal twins Ghanima and Leto II in the closing chapter of the book. However, the marriage is non-sexual and merely a means to cement the imperial throne solely under the Atreides name. All children born under this marriage are secretly those of Ghanima and the House Corrino prince Farad'n.
In Piers Anthony
's Bio of a Space Tyrant
, The main character's sister has sex with him when he is 15 and she is 12.
's Wideacre Trilogy, Wideacre
and The Favored Child, the central female character of "Wideacre", Beatrice, committs incest with her brother, Harry, and her two children, Julia and Richard, were fathered by Harry. In The Favored Child, Richard rapes Julia and forces her to marry him when she discovers that she is pregnant with his child, Sarah (or Meridon). Philippa Gregory
also insinuates incest between siblings in her novel The Other Boleyn Girl
. It seems that George Boleyn has had some level of a sexual relationship with both of his sisters, Anne and Mary.
It also played a minor role in Stephanie Laurens
' 12th Cynster novel The Truth About Love, where the villainous Fritham siblings, Jordan and Eleanor, often tryst in Hellabore Hall's Garden of Night. They murder the heroine's mother Miribelle, purely because she heard and witnessed them in the Garden of Night (which was directly under the balcony of the Hall), and thus tried to prevent her daughter Jacqueline from ever consorting with them again. This creates a huge problem for Jordan, who had plotted to gain Hellabore Hall through a marriage with Jacqueline.
Thomas Mann
's The Holy Sinner
explores the spiritual consequences of unintentional incest. His short story "The Blood of the Walsungs" also depicts brother-sister incest, drawing explicitly on Wagner's Siegmund and Sieglinde.
At the end of A. S. Byatt
's novella Morpho Eugenia
, a Victorian
naturalist—recently married into an aristocratic
family—discovers the ongoing affair between his languid, alluring wife and her brother.
Pauline Melville
's The Ventriloquist's Tale explores the impact of European colonization on the Amerindians of Guyana
through the affair of a pair of half-Scottish
, half-Guyanese siblings at the time of a solar eclipse
.
Incest plays a minor role in Robert Cormier
's novel Fade
. The main character, a teenage boy named Paul Moreaux, has the ability to disappear or 'fade' from sight. He uses the 'fade' to spy on two new friends, twins Emerson and his sister Page Winslow, and is shocked to witness an incestuous encounter between the two.
Doris Lessing
's short story, "Each Other", in the anthology A Man and Two Women (Granada 1965) features the incestuous relationship between Fred and Freda, adult brother and sister and each in another relationship.
In Penelope Lively
's book Moon Tiger
, the main character Claudia Hampton reveals to the reader that she had an incestuous relationship with her brother Gordon while both were in their late teens.
In Ian McEwan
's novel The Cement Garden
, the tension between the protagonist
Jack and his older sister Julie culminates in incest. Also, Donna Tartt
's The Secret History
contains incest between the twins Charles and Camilla, which is not revealed until the final chapters of the book.
The intersex
narrator of Jeffrey Eugenides
' Middlesex
traces his condition to a rare recessive gene which he inherited from his grandparents, a brother and sister who fled Greece
for Detroit, Michigan when the Turkish army invaded in 1922. His parents had also been second cousins.
John Irving
's book The Hotel New Hampshire
chronicles the lives of the Berry family. Two of the Berry siblings, John and Franny, share a closeness that develops into an incestuous encounter when they are adults.
In James Ellroy
's novel White Jazz
, the main character David Klein has an incestuous relationship with his sister Meg.
Helen Dunmore
's A Spell of Winter centers around the story of orphans Catherine and Rob Allen, who grow up in the bleak, desolate environment of their grandfather's country manor and whose relationship eventually evolves into a sexual one.
Teresa, the troubled protagonist of Alice Hoffman
's White Horses, idolizes her brother Silver, and only after several incestuous episodes and a lifetime of disappointment does she discover that all along she has only been in love with the man she thought he was.
In A Little Demonstration of Affection by Elizabeth Winthrop
, teenage siblings Jenny and Charley struggle with their growing attraction to each other.
Paul Theroux
's 1978 novel Picture Palace revolves around the incestuous love that the protagonist, Maude Pratt, has for her brother Orlando, without realizing that he is having an affair with their sister Phoebe.
The Josephine Hart
novel Damage
(and 1992 Louis Malle
film) has an implicit depiction of incest. The character Anna (portrayed by Juliette Binoche
) alludes to having had an incestuous relationship with her brother, who commits suicide because of his desire for her.
Carlos Ruiz Zafón
's best-selling novel The Shadow of the Wind
features main characters Julián Carax and Penélope Aldaya who are siblings and also lovers.
Liza and Ludwig Pursewarden in Lawrence Durrell
's The Alexandria Quartet
(1957–60) are sister and brother. They have a long sexual relationship until she marries a man called David Mountolive.
In Matthew Gregory Lewis
's Gothic novel, The Monk
, the protagonist, Ambrosio, lusts after and eventually rapes the girl, Antonia, who he later discovers to be his sister.
Judith Krantz
's book Princess Daisy
contains some rather graphic scenes of a woman being raped by her half-brother.
In the novel "Hide" by Lisa Gardner
, it is revealed that a previous mental patient and serial killer, Christopher forced his younger sister Natalie into performing sexual acts on him when they were teenagers.
In E. Annie Proulx
's 1993 novel The Shipping News
and the 2001 film adaptation of the same name
, it is explained that Agnis Hamm was once raped by her teenage half-brother when she was 12, resulting in a pregnancy which was terminated.
. But in the third installment, City of Glass
, it is later revealed they are not siblings, so it really isn't incest. However, Clary's real older brother, Jonathan Christopher Morgenstern (who Clary has never met), impersonates Sebastian Verlac (whom Clary or the other characters have also never met). Clary is unaware that Sebastian is really her brother spying for their father, Valentine, and it leads to them sharing a kiss. However, unlike when she kisses Jace (even when they still think they are related), she notices that kissing Sebastian feels wrong.
One young adult novel of note is Francesca Lia Block
's Wasteland, which features the incestuous relationship of a teenage brother and sister.
In the Young-Adult series Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz
, which features vampires reincarnated every lifetime and couples who are "bonded" and find each other every lifetime, two of the semi-main characters, who are a bonded couple, are twins.
In Sonya Hartnett
's Sleeping Dogs
, a brother and sister's incest is only one symptom of the family's degradation.
Jana Frey's My Sister's Kiss features consensual incest relationship between teenage brother and sister.
In his Unbreakable Bonds romance/erotica series (Brothers Without Borders and Sterling Gold), Leiland Dale deals with the incestuous love between two sets of brothers.
The erotica novel Tempestuous Relations by Amanda Young tells the relationship that develops between twins Dominic and Mason.
's Paradise Lost
in which Satan
commits incest with his daughter, Sin. Their child, Death, after terrible childbirth
, proceeds to rape his mother.
The 1959 novel The Manchurian Candidate
(and less explicitly in the two film adaptations based upon it) portrays incest between Eleanor Iselin and her son Raymond and refers to earlier incest between Eleanor and her own father.
, the chief picker of the apple crop, Mr Rose, has an incestuous relationship with his daughter, Rose Rose, and even makes her pregnant.
In Charlotte Vale Allen
's book Daddy's Girl, she narrates how the main character was viewed by her father as his lover not his daughter.
Ralph Ellison
's Invisible Man
also deals with incest. The main character, at one point in the novel, comes into contact with a family in which the daughter has been impregnated by the father.
In F. Scott Fitzgerald
's novel Tender Is the Night
, the character Nicole Diver eventually has a nervous breakdown
as a result of an incestuous relationship with her father.
In Poppy Z Brite's book Lost Souls there are two incidences of adult/child incest. Wallace Creech sleeps with his young adult daughter Jessy and vampire, Zillah, has a deeply sexual relationship with his son, Nothing.
In Zacharias Topelius
's Tales of the Barber-Surgeon, the forefather of Bertelskiöld noble family, Gustav Bertel, is son of his older sister. It is revealed only on the last pages of Book I that his sister, whom he had thought to be only his sister of his father's earlier marriage (he has assumed his mother died at childbirth) is also his mother and he got begotten in an incestuous relationship with his father and sister.
Theodore Sturgeon
's science fiction
short story "If All Men Were Brothers, Would You Let One Marry Your Sister?
" depicts an utopian society based on the absence of an incest taboo.
Julia Stiles portrays a teenager in love with her father in the film Wicked
and murders her mother.
In My Bedroom, by Donna Hill describes a girl raped by her father.
Jessie is the central character in Stephen King
's Gerald's Game
. She is sexually abused
by her father at the age of 10.
Toni Morrison
's The Bluest Eye
echoes Ellison's work in its portrayal of father-daughter incest, which, like in Invisible Man, is portrayed not as consensual incest but as child molestation.
In Denise Mina
's crime-fiction novel Garnethill
, the main character Maureen O'Donnell is raped by her father.
In Harper Lee
's only novel, To Kill a Mockingbird
it is not stated but insinuated that Mayella Ewell is sexually abused by her father.
In Danielle Steel
's novel Malice, the main character Grace shoots and kills her father when he tries to rape her after her mother's funeral. He had been sexually abusing her almost nightly for years after her mother became ill and could no longer satisfy him.
In Sapphire
's debut novel Push
, the main character, Precious, has two children with her own father. She is also sexually abused by her mother.
The eponymous narrator of Kelly Braffet's Josie and Jack is homeschooled by her sometimes-abusive, mostly absent father, an academic. When Josie follows her brother Jack away from home and into the arms of a string of older women seduced by his charms, she begins to recognize the underlying personality traits – possessiveness, control freak – shared by the father she loathes and the brother she adores.
, written by Elaine Marie Alphin. He has been sexually abused
all his life by his father, a serial killer
of more than 20 young boys. In Jim Grimsley's Dream Boy
, the adolescent Nathan is sexually abused by his drunken father and it is clear that his mother knows, but does nothing.
play Oedipus the King
, based on the story from Greek mythology
, in which the title character unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother. This act came to great prominence in the 20th century with Freud's
analysis of the Oedipus complex
as lying beneath the psychology of all men. Its female counterpart is called the Electra complex
. Incest also plays a major role in the sequel to Oedipus, Antigone
, which revolves around the lives of the four children produced by Oedipus and his mother. The main figure is their oldest daughter, Antigone, who believes she and her siblings are cursed because of their parents. Also, Antigone is engaged to her first cousin, once removed, Haemon (which was, however, not considered incestuous in the culture of the time nor is today in other parts of the world).
My Mother by George Bataille is a coming-of-age story leading to a mother/son relationship. Christophe Honore's Ma Mère movie is loosely based on the book.
In The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things
by JT LeRoy
, five-year-old Jeremiah is physically and sexually abused by his prostitute
mother.
In Incendies
, a French-Canadian film about twin siblings travelling to Lebanon to find their brother and father in obedience to their late mother's will, the twins discover that they are the product of incest between their mother and a son she had in 1970, who raped her aged 18 when she was in prison for murder of a Christian far-right militant. They then give the two envelopes their mother has prepared (labelled "to the father" and "to the son" in French) to the same man after finding him in their own country under an assumed identity.
In Ken Park
, a 2002 drama based on Larry Clark
's journals and stories, an incestuous relationship develops between the protagonist and his girlfriend's mother. As a result of this and other socially sensitive material depicted in the film, an uncensored version of the movie has been made unavailable in many countries.
's novel Rant
features the possibility of time travel
combined with incest. By replacing one's own father, grandfather and great-grandfather by the means of time travel, one might purify one's own gene
tic material to a great extent. The main character, who is assumably the product of such a process, has for example, a largely extended ability to smell, increased perception and has also an increased ability to deal with pain and poisoning.
In Selena kitt
's novel Under Mr. Nolan's Bed , the main character, Leah, finds herself torn between her best friend and her best friend's father.
Time for the Stars
in which Tom returns from his travels to marry his great grand niece, having known her telepathically since she was a baby. Glory Road
in which a mother and her daughters (18 and 13 years old) offer their sexual favors to the protagonist—the more of them he accepts, by their cultural standards, the more he honors them—but, bound by his own Earthly inhibitions, he does them the dishonor of refusing their offer.
's works, either enacted or imagined. Examples include Go Down, Moses
, The Sound and the Fury
and Sanctuary
.
The novel, First Love: A Gothic Tale
by Joyce Carol Oates
, portrays the abusive/sexual relationship 11-year-old Josie has with her adult cousin, Jared. The psychological and physical abuse she receives from her mother and aunt makes her believe that Jared's sexual abuse is a form of him expressing his love to her.
The novel (and subsequent manga series), Silver, is about the main character's love for her cousin turn into hate when he betrays her by killing her father and pretending to be in love with her so he can gain her inheritance. She seeks out revenge against him by disguising herself as the "perfect woman" and begins an affair with him, with intents on ruining his life by taking away all the things he desires.
, she purports to having a consensual incestuous relationship with her father, John Phillips, the frontman for the 1960s rock group, The Mamas and the Papas. She spoke of the decade long affair on The Oprah Winfrey Show
.
In Daddy: An Erotic Memoir, author Raul Schmidt (pseudonym) chronicles his consensual sexual relationships with both of his adult daughters.
In The Kiss, by Kathryn Harrison
, the author gives her account of the consensual sexual relationship she had with her father as a young adult.
Strong at the Heart: How it feels to heal from sexual abuse, by Carolyn Lehman, includes a number of true stories of incest.
Casanova would accidentally fall in love with his own daughter, Leonilda, only finding out the truth when she introduces him to her mother. Of which Casanova writes, "My hair stood on end, and I relapsed into a gloomy silence." Having been courting her for some time, the "rapid transition from carnal to paternal love" was almost overwhelming emotionally.
Where There Is Evil by Sandra Brown
tells the story of the disappearance of 12-year-old Moira Anderson in 1957 and the involvement of Alex Gartshore, the author's father and a convicted child molester
, as a member of a pedophile
ring.
, tells the story of Saint Phalle's history of sexual abuse at the hands of her father.
Don't Tell Mummy: A True Story of the Ultimate Betrayal tells the story of Toni Maguire who was abused by her father from the age of six to 14, when he gets her pregnant
.
Please, Daddy, No: A Boy Betrayed by Stuart Howarth describes his abuse at the hands of his father and the despair that drove him to kill him years later.
In A Girl Called Karen: A True Story of Sex Abuse and Resilience by Karen McConnell, Eileen Brand is abused by both her father and stepfather.
In Mikey Walsh's Gypsy Boy, he reveals how he was sexually abused as a child by his uncle over a period of a few years.
comic book series by Warren Ellis
and John Cassaday
, Doc Brass was a the result of an eugenics
experiment that went all the way back to the French revolution
. In issue #5, 'The Good Doctor,' it is revealed that his parents were siblings.
In the Alan Moore
graphic novel Lost Girls
, incest plays a prominent part in the retelling of the story of Wendy Darling
and her brothers from Peter Pan
and Dorothy Gale
and her "uncle" (actually her father) from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
.
ese manga
such as Osamu Tezuka
's Ayako (1972–1973). Incest has also been a subject in Japanese anime
, dating all the way back to one of the medium's earliest pornographic
titles, Cream Lemon
. Sibling incest is the most common manifestation.
and Please Twins!
, are serious, even sympathetic, studies of the characters as they struggle with their emotions and societal taboos. In Please Twins!
this is because both girls fell in love with the protagonist, despite knowing that either of them could be his biological twin sister. Also the side character Matagu has shown an obvious sexual attraction to his younger sister, who is fully aware that he is a pervert. In Koi Kaze, a brother and sister fall in love without realizing their blood relationship, and when they do find out, they struggle with continuing the relationship and hurting their parents or moving onto a platonic relationship and lying to themselves. They even consider a suicide pact, but they ultimately decide to continue the relationship and live together.
The incestuous feelings may be a source of trouble or angst for the protagonists. In shojo manga Boku wa Imōto ni Koi o Suru
, Yori and Iku are twin brother and sister who have been extremely close all their lives and who now begin to fall in love with each other and have to face the consequences of it. It is later revealed that they are half-twins due to them being the product of a heteropaternal superfecundation (they have different fathers). At the end, Yori attempts to separate from her for 10 years but when he and Iku reunite, he says that he still loves her and it is hinted that they have resumed their relationship. In the manga Tsumi Ni Nureta Futari, Kasumi begins an incestuous affair with her younger brother, Yoshiki, after being separated most of their lives. Their friends and mother try to separate them, even by kidnapping and violence. At the end, Yoshiki fakes his death so he and Kasumi can move to Rome and be together for good.
In the manga series Oniichan☆Control, Noa's big brother Hirose Goushi is in love with her, but tries to control himself, as he knows he should not. However, Noa is fully aware of this and is in love with her brother, so she does everything she can to get him to stop restraining himself all while pretending to be an innocent little sister.
Shojo manga author Kaori Yuki
has used this theme twice. In Godchild
, the protagonist, Cain Hargreaves, is the product of the incestuous union of his father and his father's older sister, inheriting gold-green eyes and the curse of being unable to love anyone who was not blood related to him. Cain also has a love interest in his half-sister/cousin who doesn't return his feelings. Later, in Angel Sanctuary
, she uses incest as a necessary plot device
. Setsuna Mudo is in love with his sister, Sara, who returns his feelings. As it turns out, Setsuna is the reincarnation of the angel Alexiel, who long ago was punished to be reincarnated as a human, while Sara is in fact Jibril, the Angel of Water. They are so determined to stay together that they willingly abandon their family and future without a second thought and Setsuna searches relentlessly in Hell for Sara's soul.
Sometimes the incest is ambiguous or suggested. In Revolutionary Girl Utena
, the character Nanami Kiryuu expresses sexual desire and jealousy towards her older brother Touga, who is the school playboy. Another character, Kozue Kaoru, uses her sexuality to elicit a frustrated protectiveness from her twin brother Miki. Incestuous themes between the central character Anthy Himemiya and her brother Akio Ohtori develop towards the end of the show.
Sometimes, these feelings end up happily. In Myself ; Yourself
, twins Shuusuke and Shuri elope near the end of the series. In the epilogue, it is implied that they return to Sakuranomori and are a couple. In Yosuga no Sora
, Sora has feelings for her twin brother, Haru, ever since they were kids. After their parents passed away, they moved back to the old house and Sora has been keeping her feelings suppressed while she fantasizes being with him. In episode 11 and 12, they had opened themselves to their feelings and decide to abandon their friends and home to be together.
Other times, the love story ends dramatically. In the manga series Flowers of Evil, Se-Joon has loved his twin sister, Se-Wan, ever since childhood. They eventually make forbidden love one night, which Se-Joon regrets. They attempt to redeem themselves by running away, during which Se-Wan dies. At the end, despaired over the loss of his beloved sister, Se-Joon committs suicide with a photo of him and her in his arms.
In some series, sibling incest is shown to be common or allowed in a particular setting. In anime and manga Vampire Knight
, pureblooded vampires often marry siblings to keep their bloodline pure – Yuki Cross's parents were siblings, and it was stated that she was "born" to be Kaname's (her older brother) wife. In Tenchi Muyo!
, the character of Ayeka was once engaged to her half-brother, Yosho. On Ayeka's planet, such a thing is not considered bad. She is later shown to have feelings for Yosho's grandson Tenchi, who is technically her nephew
.
In other occurrences, the incest is the result of special circumstances. In Hitsuji no Uta
, the two protagonists (who are twins) suffer from a strange disease that forces them to isolate themselves from society and develop an infatuation with each other as a consequence of that.
Sometimes, the incest is reserved to the antagonists. The anime and manga Black Lagoon
alludes to an incestuous relationship between two antagonist
s, the Romanian young twins Hansel and Gretel. It is mainly used to enhance the repercussions of their highly traumatic
childhood and illustrate their unbalanced mental state. In Shakugan no Shana
, the Tomogara twin siblings Sorath and Tiriel publicly expressed incest through kissing each other. In the anime Twilight of the Dark Master
, an incestuous relationship is hinted at/revealed between two of Tsunami's enemies, the Long siblings.
The incestuous feelings are not always returned. In the anime/manga series Shugo Chara!
, the character Utau is in love with her older brother, Ikuto. She forcefully kisses him in both the anime and manga. Ikuto, though, does not return her feelings. In the manga series 17-Sai no Real, Ruri finds out that her brother, Keito, has feelings for her. He is very jealous of her relationship with Jyunya and attempts to rape her once. At the end, they reconcile and remain close.
Others use incest mainly for shock value and titillation. For example, in Ouran High School Host Club
, two of the main characters, Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin, are identical twins who often engage in romantic displays to titillate the female patrons of the Host Club; the two have a close bond, but there is no clear evidence that their romantic behavior is anything but an act. However, they do sometimes act affectionate with each other while no one else is around, and they share a bed as well.
In the anime and manga
.hack//Legend of the Twilight
, the characters Rena and Shugo, siblings, carry out actions that allude to an incestuous attraction to each other's in-game avatars. This is usually done through as a running gag, or more serious instances. Shugo's dedication to saving Rena when she disappears may be an incarnation for an incestuous romantic caring for her, although this is questionable.
There may also be cases, used for dramatics, where one or both of the characters do not know of their relationship, such as seen in Berserk
where the character Farnese appears to house incestuous feelings for her (although unknown to her) half-brother Serpico. He knows and refutes her advances. In the manga Andante, Natsu discovers that his girlfriend, Mel, is his half-sister by the same father and they break up. Previously, Natsu had dated Mei after his father married her mother but they broke up when they became attracted to other people.
Other times, incest is just a passing reference. In Tenjho Tenge
, Mana Kuzunoha
, the deceased girlfriend of the deceased brother of Maya Natsume
, Shin Natsume
, once stated that Shin and Maya treated each other like lovers instead of siblings. In the anime/manga series Bleach
, in Chapter 430 it is suggested by Karin that her sister Yuzu has incestuous feelings for their older brother Ichigo.
Sometimes, they may be the representation of a character's desire. In the manga After School Nightmare
, by Setona Mizushiro
, one of the three main characters, the teenage student Sou Mizuhashi, is often persuaded by his elder sister Ai into having sexual intercourses with her (he even loses his virginity to her). Though, it is later revealed in the story that this does not occur in reality, but it only happens in a sort of oneiric/subcounscious state of the characters' mind.
Even in other cases, the incestuous relationship happens when the characters are not themselves, by reason of brainwashing, amnesia or other circumstances. In the series Big O in Episode 9, it is revealed that Mr. Wise's 40 year old son is a child of incest with his sister, though this due to the fact at the time when all memories were wiped out at the time they were unaware of who the other was. In the series Ayashi no Ceres, Aya is nearly raped by her twin brother, Aki, when he is brainwashed by Mikagi.
In Maze
, Mei and her brother, Akira, had an incestuous encounter when they were young and this led him to being viewed as an outcast by their parents. However, they are still in love with each other and remain together, despite their love being a taboo.
The manga series Densen Complex, portrays several stories of sibling incest.
, the character Kyouka Kanejou is known to have a severe brother complex. To the point she has a room with nothing but his images everywhere, uses her influence to keep any other girls away from him, and even wishes for nothing more than for her brother to take her virginity.
In the series Kiddy Grade
, the agent Tweedledum is known to have a strong sister complex towards his partner/sister Tweedledee.
In the anime/manga series My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute
, it is heavily hinted that the character Kirino has a brother complex as she loves adult games with a little sister love theme. She also hints a feeling of jealousy when her brother is with, or shows interest in, other girls.
In the manga series Girls Saurus
, Subaru Chiryū, the main character Shingo Chiryū's little sister, has a strong incestuous love towards him, to the point that tries to drive away the other girls who are interested in him, as well as proclaiming she wishes to bear her brother's child.
In the anime/manga To Love-Ru
, it is often highly suggested that Mikan Yuuki has feelings beyond sisterly affection to her brother, Rito. This was more evident in the OVA, where she even asked if they were not blood related, so he would marry her. In the 5th OVA, when the main female cast is stricken by a pollen that confesses their true feelings, Mikan was infected and almost confessed to Rito that she loves him before being interrupted.
In the anime/manga Tona-Gura!, it is suggested that Marie Kagura has a secret brother complex to her older brother Yuji, with stronger hints later as she becomes jealous of Yuji's and Kazuki's growing relationship
In the manga Super-Dreadnought Girl 4946
, Kuumi, despite her usual dark and cold personality towards her brother Makoto, reveals she actually is in love with her brother. Revealed she adopted that personality both as a way to distance him from her, as well as feeling she was nothing more than a hindrance to him while they were children. However, she often shows strong hints of jealousy towards Mana and any other girl that shows interest in him.
In the series They Are My Noble Masters
, Both brother and sister Ren and Mihato comment they have brother/sister complex. Also it is often suggested that Shinra regularly "molests" her little sister Miyu due to the fact Shinra cannot resist anything she finds "cute".
In Re:Birth - The Lunatic Taker, Ayaka is known to have a deep love for her younger brother Renji. However, she hides a disturbing yandere personality, and would not hesitate (if anything she finds pleasure in do so) to kill whomever is believed to be a threat to his safety.
In the manga and anime series Magikano
, the character Maika displays a brother complex towards her older brother and central protagonist Haruo. She becomes jealous when other girls try to get close to Haruo, and one episode focuses around several other characters trying to figure out why Maika developed a brother complex in the first place.
In the manga version of Kirarin Revolution
, a minor character, Ren, appears to be in love with his twin sister, Rin, as he does whatever she tells him to do and almost kissed her.
In This Ugly Yet Beautiful World
, Kimi has a brother complex towards her older brother, Ryou. She is overprotective of him to the point that she tries to keep Ryou and Akari separated from each other. Elsewhere, Takeru is the object of unrequited love from Mari, his cousin, who is very jealous of Takeru and Hikari's relationship, to the point of verbal and physical violence.
In Sister Princess
, all of Wataru's twelve younger sisters have a brother complex for him. While this may seem normal, one sister, Sakuya, has much deeper feelings for him that she gets very jealous of the other sisters and has breakdowns when she thinks Wataru is not getting close enough to her.
revolves around this theme: step-siblings Miki and Yuu at one point believe they are half-siblings but this turns out to be false and they actually get married in the anime.
In the series Kiss×Sis
, the twin sisters Ako and Riko are in love with their step-brother Keita. However they have no blood relations to each other. In one chapter and an OVA
episode however, Ako and Riko do experiment with each other to practice for if ever they ended up having a threesome with Keita.
In the anime/manga series Blood Plus, Diva's rape of Riku is technically incest, since Riku is the adopted younger brother of Saya, who is Diva's twin sister. If so, then the Diva's twin daughters, that resulted from the rape, are the somewhat product of incest.
In the series Oniichan no Koto Nanka Zenzen Suki Janain Dakara ne!!
, Nao has a sexual attraction to her brother Shūsuke before it was revealed to her she is adopted. To the point she was completely shocked that she could no longer have the tragic romantic life of incest lovers.
In the manga series Kimi ga Uso o Tsuita, the main character Saki falls in love with her older brother Midori, whom she has recently met, as well as he is in love with her. It is later revealed they are not blood related, and in the end of the manga get married.
In the manga Sugar Family, Yuka is said to have some degree of romantic interest in her step-brother/teacher, Taichi, who has a severe case of sister complex towards her.
In the anime series Da Capo
, Jun'ichi is in love with his adopted sister, Nemu, and is pursued by his cousin, Sakura. Since they are not related by blood, they relationship is accepted by their friends. In Da Capo II, it is revealed that the two female main characters, Otome and Yume, are their granddaughters and both are in love with Yoshiyuki, the imaginary son Sakura wished she had with Jun'ichi.
In the manga series Cherry Juice
, Otome develops feelings for her step-brother, Minami, who has always loved her. Even their own family and friends encourage them to get married. At the end, they begin dating after confessing.
In the anime and manga series Georgie!, Georgie has been extremely close with her adopted brothers, Abel and Arthur, all their lives. However, the brothers have feelings for her and Georgie eventually realizes that she loves Abel. They have a night together and she moves in with Arthur to give birth to her and Abel's son, whom she named after Abel, after Abel is executed.
In the manga series Flower of Eden
, Midori has feelings for her brother, Tokio. However, he admits that they are actually step-siblings and he confesses his love to her. His family, who hates Midori and blames her for their parents' death, try to separate them. But at the end, they marry when his family understands what makes Tokio happy.
In the manga series Kiken Junai D.N.A, Ami develops feelings for her brother, Chihiro, even though she knows it's wrong. However, Chihiro admits that he is actually her adopted brother and they can have a relationship. At the end, they are married and have a daughter.
In a manga one-shot, Suki to Ienai, Shiina is in love with her adopted brother, Kiri. She keeps this and his adoption a secret, but he later admits that he knew of the adoption all along and confesses his love to her.
In the manga series Ano Koro ni Aitai, after Yuzuru found out that her older brother, Fuyuhisa, is adopted, she tries very hard to forget her feelings for him, but couldn't.
In the manga series, Desire Climax
, Mio is heavily pursued by her younger brother, Hina, who even tries to rape her and tries seduce her boyfriend, Shoei. She later begins to suspect that Shoei is her half-brother when she thinks her mother had an affair with his father. However, it turns out that neither Shoei and Hina are her brothers, but are half-brothers themselves (they have the same father).
In the series, Happy World!
, Elle comes to live with Takeshi as his step-sister. However, as time goes by, they begin to fall in love with each other, despite her being an angel and he being human. At the end, they have a daughter named Prayer. However, Prayer is not Takeshi's child biologically because she was hatched from an angel's egg and was adopted by him.
In True Tears
, Shin'ichiro is in love with his adopted sister, Hitomi. However, because she was told by his mother that he is her borther, she keeps her feelings for him suppressed, even though she wants to be with him. However, she does eventually learn that it was a lie and they begin a relationship.
In Yoru Made Matenai, Haruka and her step-brother, Tsukasa, have been in love with each other since they began living under the same roof and began their intimate relationship at age 12.
In Oniichan Love, Sumire has feelings for her older step-brother, Kon, who returns her feelings, even though not until the very end due to their status as siblings by marriage.
In the series, Mamotte Lollipop, Ichi was in love with his step-sister, Sarasa, in his young teens. However, she never returned his feelings and ended up marrying Zero's older brother, and he does eventually get over her to make her happy.
In the manhwa series, Forbidden Kiss, Haeun falls in love with her step-brother Shin, who has loved her ever since he first met her. After repeated denials and initial rejection from their parents, they become a couple.
s are not only not incestuous, but actually have been desirable in Japan.
In the anime and manga series Elfen Lied
, Kohta and his first cousin, Yuka, had been extremely close as children and eventually develop a romantic relationship as teenagers. At the end, they marry and have a daughter, Nyu, who was named after Kohta's first love.
In the series Black Butler, Ciel is engaged to his first cousin, Elizabeth. While he is not completely open about his feelings for her, he cares deeply for her and feels it is his duty to protect her. She, on the other hand, is more open about her feelings for him and is always trying her hardest to make Ciel smile more.
Fruits Basket
involved incest between several of the members of the zodiac. It consists of mainly cousin relationships and one case of an affair between a nephew and aunt by marriage.
In Kokoro wo Hadaka ni Shite, Mina and her cousin, Yukiya, have romantic feelings for each other.
In Kodomo no Jikan
, Rin's mother, Aki, was in a romantic relationship with her first cousin, Reiji, who became a father figure to Rin. After Aki's death, Reiji took custody of Rin and seems to be projecting his feelings for Aki to Rin, as he gets jealous over Daisuke and is possessive of her.
In Canvas 2, Elis is in love with her first cousin, Hiroki, who doesn't return her feelings until the end.
Similarly, in the series Kamichama Karin
, Karin begins to suspect that her love interest, Kazune, is her half-brother after finding out that they have the same picture of their parents. However, this turns out to be false when Kazune reveals that he is his father's clone and she is his wife turned back into a child and that his cousin, Himeka, who had feelings for Kazune, is their daughter. In Kamichama Karin Chu, it is revealed that they will marry and Suzune is their son from the future.
In the manga Ai to Himemoto, Mao has had romantic feelings towards her uncle, Jin, ever since she went to live with him. However, she finds out they are not blood-related and begin a relationship. At the end, they are married and have two children.
In the manga version of Pita-Ten, Kotarou discovers that his first crush, Shia, is actually his great-grandmother who is a demon in a permanently young body.
In the manga version of Kodocha
, it is said that Sana's biological parents were uncle and niece.
In the series, Crimson Climax
, Ryo develops feelings for her cousin, Hotaruko. She later has sexual relations with a man named Mizuno. Hotaruko was raped by Bungo, who is revealed to be her uncle. Near the end, it is revealed that Hotaruko is not Ryo's cousin but is her mother and Mizuno is Hotaruko's twin brother. It is also presumed that Ryo is the product of incest between Hotaruko and Mizuno because it was said that if the twins had not been born, Ryo would not have been born.
, it is highly suggested that Danichirou Sanka has a disturbing incestuous love towards his daughter Rea, such as taking photos of her naked and wishing to kill Chihiro Furuya under the belief he "stole" his daughter from him. The maids even rumor that his wife sleeps with other men because of her husband's attraction to their daughter.
In the manga series, Bitter Virgin
, Hinako was sexually abused by her stepfather, resulting in the birth of a child and a miscarriage.
In the series Kaze to Ki no Uta
, Gilbert is physically, emotionally, and sexually abused by his father, Auguste, who poses as his uncle. Auguste, who is interested in making Gilbert as his own personal pet, can be kind to Gilbert at one time and then be cruel in another. His influence is so strong that Gilbert actually believes they are in love.
manga and anime; there, its treatment ranges from lighthearted to serious, and can go as far as mixing the theme with controversial sub-genres such as ero guro. In Juan Gotoh's Boys Empire, Makoto Tamura, who appears 12 years old, impregnates his same age girlfriend Hitomi, his older sister Mina, and his mother Umeko.
In the manga Aki Sora
, Aki is in love with her little brother, Sora, and is later able to persuade him into a sexual relationship, though he often considers breaking it off due to the fact he cannot see a future with this relationship. In the final chapter, they compromise and end their forbidden relationship. Later on in the manga he is repeatedly forced to have sex with his twin sister Nami. It is later discovered that their parents had been brother and sister.
and shonen ai manga. Apart from the previously mentioned Kaze to Ki no Uta, examples include Love Prism by Asami Tojo and Uso to Kiss by Masara Minase.
Papa to Kiss in the Dark
centers around a 15 year old boy having an incestuous relationship with his father, who is later revealed to be his uncle.
s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (original series 1974–1994 and remake series 2003–2006), and Wrong Turn
(2003) feature villains who are the product of inbreeding
.
In the musical The Rocky Horror Show
and the 1975 film The Rocky Horror Picture Show
, Riff Raff (Richard O'Brien
) and Magenta (Patricia Quinn
) are revealed to be brother and sister who have a sexual relationship. In the unproduced sequel Revenge of the Old Queen
, it is implied that Dr. Frank-N-Furter had been incestuously involved with his own mother, the "Old Queen" of the planet Transsexual (in the galaxy of Transylvania
); she later dies in the throes of seducing her own grandson.
The sequel to Richard O'Brien
's The Rocky Horror Picture Show
is a musical called Shock Treatment
which meets Brad and Janet some time after their adventure with Frank 'n' Furter. In this film, brother and sister Cosmo and Nation McKinley are clearly displayed as having a sexual relationship. The film even includes a bedroom scene between the two during the song 'Lullaby'. These two siblings are, as in The Rocky Horror Picture Show
, played by Richard O'Brien
and Patricia Quinn
.
The pornographic Taboo film series
of the 1980s deal exclusively with incest, including mother/son, brother/sister and father/daughter.
In the 2001 film Kate & Leopold
, Stuart Bessers' (Liev Schreiber
) ex-girlfriend Kate McKay (Meg Ryan
) is revealed to be his close ancestor, as she is destined to travel back in time to marry another of Stuart's ancestors, Leopold (Hugh Jackman
).
In the 2004 film, Van Helsing
, Count Dracula
(Richard Roxburgh
) intends to make a young, Gypsy princess, Anna Valerious (Kate Beckinsale
), his newest bride, both of them knowing that Dracula is one of Anna's ancestors.
Park Chan-Wook
's Oldboy
(2003) features an instance of brother-sister incest as well as father-daughter incest, both resulting in possible pregnancies.
The 2006 film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
features Borat Sagdiyev
as an incestuous journalist, also featuring his whole village in Kazakhstan living under an incestuous way of life.
Anne of the Thousand Days
(1969), when Anne Boleyn is on trial for treason by adultery, her own brother (among many others) is accused of being her lover. This theme is also used in The Other Boleyn Girl (2008), where Anne Boleyn (Natalie Portman
), in pure desperation to be with child, asks her own brother George (Jim Sturgess
) to have sex with her. At first, George agrees for the sake of Anne's safety, but as they prepare, they both realize they cannot go through with it. They are both later charged with incest, and although innocent, they are both sentenced to death.
Incest is also a main plot device in the movie Caligula
(1979), in which the title character
(Malcolm McDowell
) has sexual relations with his sisters.
In Ridley Scott
's film, Gladiator
(2000), the new Emperor Commodus
is in love with his sister Lucilla
, though she does not return his affections in that way.
In Excalibur
(1981) Mordred is Arthur's illegitimate son born by his half-sister Morgause.
In Cat People
(1982), Paul Gallier (Malcolm McDowell
) wants to sleep with his sister Irena (Nastassja Kinski
) in order not to transform into a panther in order to live up to his family's werecat
heritage.
In the 2006 film The Hamiltons
, Wendell and his twin sister, Darlene, have an incestuous relationship and share it openly.
Sweet Smell of Success
(1957), The treacherous newspaper columnist J. J. Hunsecker (played by Burt Lancaster
), has repressed incestuous feelings for his younger sister, Susan. Although not stated during the film, J. J.'s feelings are implied by several things. Such as him consistently touching Susan in borderline-inappropriate ways, keeping an 8×11 photograph of her (and only one of her) on his desk and (of course) his refusal to let Susan marry or even date other men.
Bunny Lake is Missing
(1965) An incestuous relationship is implied between the two siblings, Steven ('Stevie') and Ann Lake. But the possessive Steven, furious at Ann's daughter, Bunny, for stealing his sister's loving attention, kidnaps the child with intentions to kill her.
Scarface
(1983), Gina Montana, claims that her older brother, Tony, has incestuous feelings for her after he kills her husband, Manny. However, whether Tony actually had these desires is left up to the viewer.
In the film adaptation of The Hotel New Hampshire
(1984), John (Rob Lowe
) feels intense sexual desire for his sister, Franny (Jodie Foster
). Franny succumbs and, after spending an entire day having sex, they move on a strictly platonic
relationship.
In the film adaptation of Flowers in the Attic
(1987), Cathy shares a close bond with her older brother, Chris, that is hinted to be incestuous, but not shown, while they are imprisoned in the attic with their siblings.
In the Channel 4
film Close My Eyes
(1991), a brother and sister (Clive Owen
and Saskia Reeves
) embark on a passionate but incestuous love affair. In this film there are a few sexual scenes between the siblings.
The Cement Garden
(1993), after the death of their mother, the siblings Jack and Julie begin an incestuous relationship.
In Angels & Insects
(1996), the hero discovers that his wife has been participating in an incestuous affair with her brother which began when they were young, and that all of his children are in fact not his own, but rather the product of the incestuous union.
The film Kickboxing Academy (1997) features real life brothers and sisters Christopher Khayman Lee
and Chyler Leigh
who kissed each other on the set with a french kiss
. Christopher Lee was 18 years old at the time while his sister was 14 years old at the time.
Julien Donkey-Boy
(1999) stars Julien (Ewen Bremner
) and his disturbing life and family. Toward the end of the film it is revealed that his sister Pearl (Chloë Sevigny
) is pregnant as a result of an incestuous act between the two of them.
In L.I.E (2001) a boy's friend has an incestuous relationship with his sister during a time when they are all discovering their sexuality.
The 2004 motion picture Eurotrip
includes a scene in which inebriated siblings Jamie and Jenny French kiss
. This is then used as a plot device to reveal the (now sober) siblings' revulsion at their behavior.
La Coupure (2006) (French-Canadian) is a film about a brother and his sister in love since their adolescent years and their struggle to end their incestuous relationship.
The comedy Blades of Glory
(2007) features a pair of brother-sister figure skaters who are revealed to be lovers. They were played by Will Arnett
and Amy Poehler
, who are married in real life.
(1997), based on the play by Wendy McLeod, is about the ongoing consensual incestuous relationship of a pair of fraternal twins (played by Josh Hamilton
and Parker Posey
).
In the 2003 film The Dreamers, fraternal twins Théo (Louis Garrel
) and Isabelle (Eva Green
) have an incestuous relationship.
In Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008), Prince Nuada (Luke Goss
) harbors romantic feelings for his twin sister, princess Nuala (Anna Walton
). It is unclear whether she returns the sentiment, or ever returned those feelings in the past. As commented by Goss in an interview, "There is an incestuous relationship that's not maybe overly obvious to everybody, but some people hopefully will pick up on the fact, certainly from my direction towards her."
(1994), Top Dollar, the main antagonist, and his half sister, Myca, are also lovers which is revealed in the scene when Top Dollar holds a meeting with his associates where they discuss new plans for their Devil's Night criminal activities.
The Devil's Advocate
(1997) features two scenes where Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves
) fantasizes about having sex with Christabella (Connie Nielsen), who is revealed to be his half-sister towards the climax.
and Jodhi May
) is portrayed in the English
film Sister My Sister
(1994), which is based on a true story.
In the 1998 film Velvet Goldmine
, the singer, Curt Wilde, allegedly had an incestuous relationship with his older brother when he was 13. His parents had Wilde start shock treatments
to "fry the fairy clean out of him".
Harry + Max
(2004) features an incestuous relationship between two teen idol
brothers.
In Starcrossed
(2005), Darren (J. B. Ghuman, Jr.) and Connor (Marshall Allman
) are two brothers who, as teenagers, realize that the feelings they have for each other are not just those of brothers.
At the end of the 1996 film Lone Star
, Sheriff Sam Deeds (Chris Cooper
) and his high school sweetheart and current lover Pilar Cruz (Elizabeth Pena
) both learn they have the same father, Pilar's mother having been Sam's father's mistress.
In the 2005 film The King, the main character has a sexual relationship with his pastor's daughter and gets her pregnant. He knows, though she does not, that the pastor is also his father and uncle, who had an affair with his mother.
In Curse of the Golden Flower
(2006), a prince and his half-sister unknowingly enter into an incestuous relationship. There is also an instance between a woman and her stepson.
, based on E. Annie Proulx
's 1993 novel of the same name
, it is revealed that Agnis Hamm was raped by her 15-year-old half-brother Guy Quoyle when she was 12 and terminated the resulting pregnancy.
In Murali K. Thalluri
's film 2:37
(2006), High school student, Melody, is raped and impregnated
by her brother, Marcus.
In Triloquist (2008), Angelina is raped by her psychotic brother Nobert, resulting in the birth of a child.
In Daniel & Ana (2009) Daniel and Ana Torres are kidnapped and forced to have sex while being videotaped. After being released they must return to their lives and family home as if nothing happened. Daniel unable to cope or speak to anyone about his feelings, and Ana going ahead with the marriage to her fiance, culminates in Daniel raping Ana.
(1960), Ben Zachary (Burt Lancaster
) represses his romantic feelings for his adopted sister, Rachel (Audrey Hepburn
), although Rachel sees no problem with their relationship since they are not blood relatives.
The film Clueless (1995) concludes with former step siblings Cher (Alicia Silverstone
) and Josh (Paul Rudd
), getting together at her teacher's wedding. Cher points out early on in the movie that her father was quote "hardly even married to the woman(Josh's Mom), and that was five years ago!"
The film Cruel Intentions
(1999) and to a lesser extent, the film it is based on, Dangerous Liaisons
(1988), features a quasi-incestuous step-sibling relationship. Cruel Intentions 2
(2000) also includes a short part that features identical twin sisters Gretchen and Sarah (real-life twins Alicia and Annie Sorell
) making out.
In the film The Royal Tenenbaums
, (2001), Richie Tenenbaum (Luke Wilson
) has a lifelong secret love for his adopted sister, Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow
), who eventually returns his affections.
The Ballad of Jack and Rose
features a scene in which step-siblings Rose and Thaddius ( played by Camilla Belle
and Paul Dano
respectively) engage in sexual intercourse, a fact which Rose parades in front of her father later on in the film.
) is deceived into believing his girlfriend (Heather Graham) is his sister.
In the 2001 film Joe Dirt
, a hillbilly girl Joe made love to seems, for a while, to be his sister. Having shared almost the same background it is, however, revealed later that she is not in fact related. But a scene is shown in humor for the audience where Joe Dirt is making love to the girl again, but enjoying it only because he wants her to be his sister. Shouting over and over again in passion: "You're my sister". However, Joe immediately commented that never happened and only stated so as a joke to the audience.
In Molly
an autistic woman tells her brother she is attracted to him and asks him to marry her, not understanding this would be incest. He then explains to her that siblings can't get married and the dangers of inbreeding.
(1942). While the relationship is explicit in Henry Bellamann
's best-selling 1940 novel of the same name, Joseph Breen
, director of the Production Code Authority and his superior, Will H. Hays
, first president of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America forbade clearly showing that Dr. Tower (Claude Rains
) commits incest with his daughter Cassandra (Betty Field
) in the film.
In 1976, The Man Who Fell to Earth
was released, which features a sex scene where an actress plays with the penis of Rip Torn
's character, Nathan Bryce, and speaks into it like a microphone while stating, "you're not a thing like my father."
Roman Polanski
's Chinatown (1974) features father-daughter incest, resulting in the daughter giving birth to her own half-sister.
In Stay As You Are
(1978), a girl (Nastassja Kinski
) falls in love with a man (Marcello Mastroianni
) who may be her father.
In the Mexican film Angel de Fuego, after his mother left her circus-born Alma starts an affair with her father, has sex with him and becomes impregnated by him.
In Butterfly
(Matt Cimber, 1982), a miner living in the Nevada desert, who has not seen his daughter for years, is confronted then seduced by his now sexy and troubling teenage child, while struggling against his own reluctance as well as the 1937 rural society.
In the 1997 film U Turn, Grace (Jennifer Lopez
) and Jake (Nick Nolte
) are initially thought to be husband and wife. Towards the climax of the film however it is revealed that after the death of her mother, Grace married her father Jake and had been having sex with him.
Wicked (1998), starring Julia Stiles
and William R. Moses
, features an incestuous father-daughter relationship.
The 1999 film The Cider House Rules
depicts a father-daughter incestuous relationship that results in the daughter's pregnancy.
Tim Roth
's 1999 film The War Zone
explores the effect of father-daughter incest on a family.
In Girl, Interrupted
(2000), a recently released patient of the mental institution, Daisy Randone (Brittany Murphy
), is well known to have had an incestuous relationship with her father, which eventually leads her to commit suicide.
The Ballad of Jack and Rose
(2005), Rose (Camilla Belle
) is in love with her father, Jack (Daniel Day-Lewis
), although he is unable to accept his romantic feelings for her.
In The Quiet
(2005), A young woman (Camilla Belle
) discovers an incestuous relationship between her God-father (Martin Donovan
) and his daughter (Elisha Cuthbert
).
In Madeinusa
(2006), The Mayor of an indigenous community lusts after his 14 year old daughter and has off screen sex with her in the days between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, the days when his village believes God is dead and cannot see what is happening in the world.
In Burning Palms
(2010), One of the short stories features a woman who meets her fiance's 15 year old daughter. The father and daughter seem to have an incestuous relationship from the way they touch and talk to each other. It is not known whether or not they actually have committed incest.
Based on a true story, the 1993 TV film Shattered Trust: The Shari Karney Story
stars Melissa Gilbert
as Shari Karney, an incest victim who was sexually abused by her father.
In Forrest Gump
(1994), it is heavily implied, though never outright stated, that the character Jenny Curran and her sisters (who are never seen) are sexually abused by their widowed father. Forrest Gump
, who narrates throughout the film, observes that "he was a very lovin' man, always touchin' and huggin' Jenny and her sisters". Eventually, custody of Jenny is given to her grandmother.
In 2005 film An American Haunting
, the curse turns out to be caused by the father sexually abusing his daughter.
In the 2009 Oscar-winning
movie Precious
, the titular character (played by Gabourey Sidibe
) had been sexually-abused by her father, who has gotten her pregnant twice, and mother.
(1962), the character Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey
) has an incestuous relationship with his mother (who had an incestuous affair with her father) while in his hypnotized state. One of the film's most notable scenes is one which involves the two of them sharing a passionate kiss. Their relationship is shown more explicitly in the 2004 remake
.
In the movie The Damned (1969), by Luchino Visconti
, the deviant young character of Martin (played by Helmut Berger
) besides having paedophilian tendencies, forces his mother Sophie (played by Ingrid Thulin
) into having a sexual intercourse with him.
My Lover My Son
(1970), by John Newland
, in which the main character (played by Romy Schneider
) falls in love with her son (played by Dennis Waterman
, who was only 10 years younger).
Murmur of the Heart
(French: Le souffle au cœur) (1971) by Louis Malle
that tells a coming-of-age story about a 15-year-old boy who is growing up in bourgeois surroundings in Dijon
, France
. The various adventures of the boy lead to an incestuous relationship with his mother.
In Bernardo Bertolucci
's film La Luna
(aka Luna) (1979), Jill Clayburgh
plays an opera
singer on tour in Italy
whose desperate attempts to wean her son off of drugs result in an incestuous relationship with the boy.
The 1992 horror film Sleepwalkers
, the energy vampires, Charles and his mother, Mary maintain an incestuous relationship. Although the reason remains unexplained, it may be the simple fact that they have lived so long with each other.
The Australia
n film Bad Boy Bubby
(1993) depicts an incestuous relationship between a mother and her adult son, who has never been outside his mother's house in his life.
The film Spanking the Monkey
(1994) depicts a situation in which mother-son incest takes place, leading the latter to attempt suicide
.
The French
film La Petite Lili
(2005) portrays a fictional case of incipient consensual mother-son incest between independent adults.
In the 2006 remake of Black Christmas
, Billy's mother, desperate to have a child, goes up into Billy's attic and has sex with him, resulting in her giving birth to her daughter and Billy's daughter/half-sister, Agnes.
Savage Grace
(2007), based on the true story of the dysfunctional, incestuous relationship between heiress Barbara Daly Baekeland
and her son Antony.
(and its 1997 remake
), a man and his stepdaughter have a sexual relationship.
In the French film Beau-père
(1981) after the sudden death of his wife, Remy (Patrick Dewaere
), is forced to take care of his 14-year-old stepdaughter (Ariel Besse) who, unbeknownst to him, has fallen in love with him. He finally sucumbs to the girls insinuations, move out of town and start living as a couple.
The 2006 film Mini's First Time
features a sexual relationship between the main character, Mini, and her stepfather, Martin.
In the Italian film My Father's Wife, (also in English) a woman frustrated with her husband's infidelity and her failing sexual life starts having sex with her stepson. Eventually, the woman is killed by her husband.
's film Careful (1992) features one character, Johann, lusting after his mother and another character, Klara, who is attracted to her father (who lusts after his other daughter)
In Pedro Almodóvar
's 2006 film Volver
, a man lusts after his stepdaughter, who is in fact the product of incest between her mother and her mother's father.
(1997) features what at first appears to be a non-consensual incestuous relationship between a mother, Kate (Nastassja Kinski
), and her son, Jimmy (Ryan Phillipe). Kate's psychotic husband Ray (John Savage) repeatedly forces Kate and teenaged Jimmy to have sex, often at gunpoint, while he watches. Ray, whom Jimmy believes to be his father, had been rendered impotent years earlier by a castrating war wound and violently commands Kate and Jimmy to provide these vicarious thrills. Jimmy's situation is further complicated by two children he has fathered with the woman he believes to be his mother. However, it is later revealed that Jimmy is not really related to Kate or Ray when Jimmy discovers that Ray kidnapped him when he was only an infant.
is allowed.
In Gone with the Wind
(1939), two first cousins marry; however this practice was common and widely accepted in the Southern United States in the 19th century.
In The Godfather
(1972), two first cousins marry.
The Portrait of a Lady
(1996), Isabel Archer (Nicole Kidman
) and her cousin, Ralph (Martin Donovan
) share a close friendship until, upon Ralph's deathbed, they each admit to being in love with the other (although this may not have been considered incest at the time the film is set). One the films most memorable scenes is an interpolated dream sequence in which Isabel has an erotic fantasy involving her cousin.
In Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion (1997), it is implied that the character Michelle lost her virginity
to a cousin.
Mean Girls
(2004), Karen Smith (Amanda Seyfried
), the ditsy one of the plastics, revealed that she made out with her first cousin, not understanding that first cousins are directly related.
In the South Korean film Maundy Thursday
(2006), Yu-jeong (Lee Na-young
) reveals that she was raped at the age of 15 by her older cousin.
Kissing Cousins
(2008), starring Samrat Chakrabarti
and Rebecca Hazlewood
, A "relatively" romantic comedy about a professional heartbreaker (and cynical bachelor) who teams up with his attractive cousin from the UK in order to fool his friends into believing he is capable of a relationship.
In The Blue Lagoon
(1980), two cousins grow up as lovers and have a child after being marooned on an island for many years.
, a man has sex with his niece atop a washing machine.
In the film Hannibal Rising (2007), a young Hannibal Lecter
(Gaspard Ulliel
) falls in love with his aunt, Lady Murasaki (Gong Li
) and enters into a mild incestuous relationship with her (although, as they are not biologically related, this may not truly be incest).
The well known Marathi film Gharkul features an incestuous relationship.
In the Korean film Old Boy
, a man has sex with woman who turns out to be his daughter, whom he has not seen in years. Elsewhere, another character had an incestuous relationship with his sister, who committed suicide when she suspected she was pregnant and the relationship was accidentally publicized.
featured a storyline whereby Fallon Colby and Adam Carrington become attracted to one another, eventually sharing a kiss, not realising that they were in fact sister and brother. Fallon would also go on to marry and divorce two of her cousins, Myles and Jeff Colby.
The FOX television drama House
featured two young patients, a husband and wife, who share the same symptoms. Later it is revealed that they are agnate half-siblings and they suffer from hereditary angioedema inherited from their father. (Episode 3x05, Fools for Love). In the episode 2x13, Skin Deep
; a teenage supermodel confesses to having an incestuous relationship with her father simply to get what she wants.
In The Simpsons
, Springfield
's rival town Shelbyville was founded specifically to allow men to marry their cousins because, according to Shelbyville Manhattan, the founder of the city, "they're so attractive". There was also the relationship between Cletus Spuckler
and his wife Brandine, who may be siblings, mother and son, or even father and daughter.
The CW television series Supernatural
stars two brothers who are mistaken for lovers on occasion. In the season 4 episode "The Monster at the End of This Book", fans of a fictional Supernatural book series are revealed to have a subgroup who believe the brothers to also be lovers (which is also true of fans of the TV show itself; this phenomenon is called "Wincest" by real-life fans). In other episode, Family Remains,they find a wild girl and a wild boy living in secret room under a house, and they come from a relationship of one father and his daughter.
Incest is sometimes added to the plot of episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
. In the episode "Blood Drops" (1.07), a young girl is sexually abused by her father, who is also her grandfather. Her mother is also her half-sister. The episode "Committed" (5.21), portrays mother-son incest. In "Table Stakes" (1.15), a brother and sister fake being a couple to avoid the authorities; they even allow themselves to be caught making love by the CSIs. In "Burden of Proof", the Father raped his daughter as she reminded him of her mother back when she was younger, and the father killed the soon to be step father after she told him while trying to frame him for molesting her.
The Fox sitcom Arrested Development constantly plays with the idea of incest. The most ongoing is George Michael Bluth's (Michael Cera
) crush on his cousin Maeby Fünke (Alia Shawkat
), who in turn has a crush on Steve Holt (Justin Grant Wade), another cousin. In another scene, Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman
) sings the song "Afternoon Delight
" with his niece Maeby at the company Christmas
party, not realizing the sexual innuendo of the song, Lindsay Bluth (Portia de Rossi
) and her nephew George Michael also sing the song in the same episode, also not realizing the sexual content. Lindsay reveals to her brother Michael, that she has always had a small attraction towards him once it is stipulated that she was adopted. Lindsay also attempts to steal her daughter Maeby's love interest, Steve Holt (her nephew), by pretending to be Maeby's sister, although she is unsuccessful. Lucille Bluth (Jessica Walter
) and her son, Buster (Tony Hale
), live together, even though Buster is in his mid-30s and they have a comedic codependent relationship, although it is not sexual.
In HBO's Rome
, Octavia seduces her brother Octavian in the hopes of learning some of his secrets during pillow-talk, and Octavian is once accused of having an affair with his great uncle, Julius Caesar
.
featured an episode, "Home
", in which a family in the real Pennsylvania town of Home
had pursued incestuous relationships for several generations and, as a result, developed genetic deformities. The episode received a TV-MA rating and was banned from replaying for years.
, titled "The Secret Sharer" (air date: 16 November 1995). A seventeen-year-old girl named Julia (Miriam Reichmeister) is brought in after a suicide attempt. She at first resists all attempts at treatment and will not talk about the reason for trying to take her own life. As the episode progresses, however, the reason for her bizarre behaviour is revealed: following the death of their mother, the girl's attempts to comfort her younger teenage brother Kyle (Austin O'Brien
), who was hit particularly hard by the loss, eventually resulted in a sexual encounter between the two and she is now pregnant with his child.
The British
soap opera
Brookside
ran a controversial storyline featuring consensual incestuous sex between the two sibling characters, Nat and Georgia Simpson, in the 1990s.
In "The Killings at Badger's Drift
", an episode of the British television series Midsomer Murders
, an old woman discovers a brother and sister in an incestuous relationship.
The television series Prison Break
(2005) portrays the character Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell (Robert Knepper
) as the product of incestuous rape, specifically that of his Down's Syndrome-afflicted aunt by his father; he was also molested by his father. Siblings President Caroline Reynolds and Terrence Steadman were also incestuous lovers.
In the finale episode of the third season of FX Network's television drama Nip/Tuck
, Quentin Costa
(Bruno Campos
) and Kit McGraw (Rhona Mitra
) are exposed as incestuous lovers, of likewise incestuous parents. This discovery comes soon after Quentin is unmasked as the serial killer The Carver
, the main antagonist
of the third season, along with his accomplice, Kit.
In the FX Network's comedy series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
, the McPoyle brothers are heavily "implied" to have an incestuous relationship with each other and are explicitly seen publicly tongue kissing their deaf-mute
sister.
The British soap Family Affairs
featured a storyline involving Gavin and Polly Arnold, a brother and sister in a consensual incestuous relationship.
I, Claudius
was a 1976 BBC Television adaptation of Robert Graves
's I, Claudius
and Claudius the God. In it, the sordid lives of the Caesars are detailed, including the historical incestuous relationship between Caligula
and his sister Drusilla.
In Degrassi Takes Manhattan
, a drunk Fiona gets jealous when she sees her twin brother Declan making out with his girlfriend Holly J. at a party. She grabs Declan and pulls him into the middle of the room and kisses him.
In the Coming Up series for the UK's Channel 4
, a woman who is obsessed with breaking social taboos seduces her brother during the 7/7 bombings in London. They eventually part ways as they realize they cannot be a normal couple.
In the Family Guy
episode "Hannah Banana
", Meg Griffin
reveals that she and her brother, Chris Griffin
, practice kissing on each other. Another instance is in the episode "Halloween on Spooner Street
", when siblings Meg and Chris Griffin unknowingly play Seven minutes in heaven
at a Halloween party. Upon finding out each other's identities, they are shocked and disgusted, but in a later scene they are proud of themselves for finally "hooking up" with someone.
In American Dad, an explicit example is seen in the episode "Stannie Get your Gun". After Steve stole Roger's cookie, in revenge, Roger convinces Steve that he was adopted (and later, that he was kidnapped by his "fake" parents). Then, Steve tells Hayley, his big sister, that he is going to do "something they both wanted to do for years", and then, he French kisses Hayley passionately. So: Steve is in love with Hayley, but he respects the line between brothers and sisters. In a later episode Steve masturbates to a nude portrait of Hayley done by Roger (though he only painted from the chin down), becoming obsessed with it. However he became horrified upon discovering it was of his sister.
Wizards of Waverly Place
is known for the strong incestuous subtext between Justin and Alex Russo (the pairing named 'Jalex' by fan fiction writers). In the first two seasons, their bodies end up flirting with each other the two times they have other people's brains in them, their mother tells to Alex she should date Justin when she temporarily forgets who he is, they almost never like the other one boyfriend/girlfriend, they hug tenderly every few episodes (something they rarely do with other people), and they spend most of their time together. In the third season, they even pretend once to be a couple to "help" their little brother Max with his girlfriend.
plot has dealt with incest between two members of the Ashworth family, Rhys Ashworth
and his half-sister Beth Clement
. They did not know they were half brother and sister when they began seeing each other; upon finding out they were related when their dad died, they tried to halt the relationship, but in the end could not stay away despite Rhys moving into a relationship with Mercedes McQueen
and Beth moving into a relationship with Rhys' best friend, Gilly Roach
. When Beth is planning to be married to Gilly, they decide they must leave Hollyoaks, as they cannot end their relationship and see no other way to be together.
In the German television soap opera Alles was zählt, one of the main characters, Jennifer Steinkamp, had a secret affair with her half-brother Maximilian.
In British soap opera Emmerdale
, characters Ryan and Maisie were in a romantic and sexual relationship until it was revealed that they shared the same father.
In the CBS horror series Harper's Island, it is revealed in the last episode that main characters Abby Mills and Henry Dunn are half siblings, sharing the same mother even though the mother gave Henry up for adoption. Henry learned of this from his biological father and is still in love with Abby. However, when Abby finds out, she calls him sick and wants to leave him.
episode "Divorce Party", two teens who are in love and having a child discover they are actually half-brother and sister when they figure out they have the same father.
In the Law & Order: SVU episode "Families" in season 5, a young girl is found dead in an ally. It is revealed that she is pregnant with her brother's child. They initially question her brother, until they realize that the victim's father and the father of her boyfriend Aidan Connor are the same person, and the victim's mother was Aidan Connor's father's mistress.
television drama Lost
features two step-siblings, Boone
and Shannon
, who engaged in an incestuous encounter.
In the 2009 remake of Melrose Place
, there was a storyline of Violet (Ashlee Simpson
) having a relationship with her stepbrother, Levi. Both adopted into the same family, they had a romance during high school and had plans to run away together. However, Violet left their family, stealing money as well, and ended their relationship.
, Amanda Sommers and Daniel Meade, sexual lovers, briefly panic when they believe Amanda's father is Bradford Meade (also Daniel's father). However, this proves not to be the case, much to the relief of both Daniel and Amanda.
In the Law and Order: SVU episode "Repression", Megan Ramsey, after having a session with her therapist, reveals that she was raped by her father when she was fifteen. However, it is later revealed this was all just a delusion brought up by a suggestive state in a sodium pentothal session with her therapist, and in fact she was still a virgin.
In Veronica Mars
, we can piece together from flashbacks that Dunccan Kane's father Jake Kane told him that his high school girlfriend Veronica may be his half-sister and his father Jake and Veronica's mother were high school sweethearts and had continued to have an affair over the years despite their marriage to others. This prompted Duncan to break up with Veronica (before Lily Kane's death). Shortly afterwards, the two consensual sex while both were under the influence of GHB. When Veronica finds out and asks Duncan about it, he says it was wrong of him to do it because he knew that they were brother and sister. A DNA test later reveals that Veronica was Jake Kane's and therefore Duncan was not her brother.
Mystery!
production of Heat of the Sun (1999), former Scotland Yard
detective Albert Tyburn investigates a murder that involves what seems to be father-daughter incest in colonial Nairobi
, Kenya
.
In the 2006 episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
named "Taboo", a young woman seduces and is impregnated by her father. The franchise touched again the issue in the 2009 episode of Law & Order: CI named "Family Values
". Paul Devildis develops an incestuous attraction towards his daughter Kathy, which due to his deep religious beliefs makes him believe everyone else as well is attracted to her in a lustful way and therefore sinners. In turn he goes on a killing spree under the belief he is doing god's work.
In Twin Peaks
, David Lynch's 1990–91 cult hit, seventeen year-old Laura Palmer, whose brutal murder causes the events depicted in the series to unfold, has been sexually abused on a regular basis by a demonic entity referred to as Bob, who has taken possession of her father Leland.
A storyline arc at the end of Melrose Places second season (which concluded early in the third) dealt with Alison Parker (Courtney Thorne-Smith
) and her sister Meredith being molested by their father when they were children.
The Storyteller
episode Sapsorrow features a situation where a daughter is forced to engagement with her father.
In the Breakout Kings
episode Out of the Mouths of Babes, a young girl named Tess is revealed to have been sexually abused by her father, but blamed the school councilor out of fear.
features a mother and son, Joanna and Guy, sleeping together, albeit unknowingly as Guy was abandoned by Joanna as a baby.
In the seventh season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, its revealed that after Spike bit his own mother, she was so overwhelmed with the power that she tried to rid herself of him. Spike tried to reason with her, but his mother grew so angry that she insinuated that Spike had always had a sexual fascination with her. She even tried to seduce Spike before he killed her.
In the NCIS
episode "Meat Puzzle", a killer named Vincent Hanlan (Morgan Weisser
) is convicted of the rape and murder of a female Navy Lieutenant but Ducky notes Vincent was unable to rape the woman as he was impotent and he beat her to death in a rage. Later Vincent's brother implies Vincent and their mother have a consensual sexual relationship ("They have lots of secrets, terrible secrets with each other") This is also implied when his mother, Mary (Lee Garlington
) caresses Vincent's face and winks at him in a seductive way
In season 4 of Smallville
, it is implied that Jason Teague (Jensen Ackles
) is in a relationship with his mother, Genevieve (Jane Seymour
); this is hinted at by Lionel Luthor
(John Glover
) many times.
entitled "Eric's Hot Cousin", Eric Forman
(Topher Grace
) is tricked into thinking that he is not related to his cousin, whom he desires but only learns the truth as he is embarrassed in front of his parents.
In an episode of Seinfeld
named "The Junk Mail
", George Costanza
convinces his cousin to start a romantic relationship with him. However, he was not actually interested in her; he simply wanted to anger his father (although she was into it, even referring to herself as his girlfriend). They never have sex, however.
In the 8th season of the popular sitcom Friends
Ross was shown sexually attracted to his cousin Denise Richards.
In The Big Bang Theory
episode "The Adhesive Duck Deficiency", Howard Wolowitz
reveals he lost his virginity to his second cousin at his uncle's funeral. He also has a strong attachment to his mother, which borders on an Oedipus complex
.
, Kat Slater and Harry Slater. Zoe discovered Kat who she thought was her sister is actually her mother who had been sexually abused by her uncle Harry resulting in her becoming pregnant with Zoe.
In the Futurama
episode "Roswell that Ends Well", the crew is sent back in time to the 1940s while watching a supernova
occur. With the loss of all guidance systems, their ship crash lands at Roswell
, where Philip J. Fry
meets his grandfather, Enos. Professor Farnsworth
then warns Fry not to interfere with anything lest he disrupt his own timeline. In an attempt to prevent his grandfather's death, however, Fry locks him in a cabin out in the middle of nowhere – which unknown to him is a nuclear test zone (resulting in his grandfather's death). Soon afterward, he quickly becomes entangled in his young grandmother's emotional despair and ends up sleeping with her. The Professor, after discovering the two, then informs Fry that he is his own grandfather. This is a reference to the famous Grandfather Paradox
of time travel
.
In the TV series Malcolm in the Middle
episode College Recruiters, Reese's Russian bride claimed that the man she was having sex with was her brother, though this was an obvious lie to cover up her affair.
" by psychedelic rock band The Doors
, in which Jim Morrison sings, "Father/ Yes son?/ I want to kill you/ Mother, I want to... (fuck you),"
In his classic song for the Flamin' Groovies' 1970 album "Flamingo
", Roy Loney's song "Second Cousin" describes a man's desire to marry his second cousin ("with the kind of body on her make a bald man tear his hair!") despite the opposition of their families.
Prince
's groundbreakingly explicit album Dirty Mind
contains the song "Sister", an ode to incest.
British musician Kate Bush
's song "The Kick Inside
" from her 1978 album of the same name depicts an incestuous relationship, pregnancy and suicide involving a brother and sister.
The song "Fa La Fa Lee" by rock band Sparks
contains the line:
"Fa la fa lee /she ain't heavy, she's a brother to me/
What I need, she can't be /
Nature, nurture, who's to say?/
But still fa la, fa lee /
Anything between us is a felony
"
Southern California
n Pop Punk
band Blink 182 are notorious for being lighthearted about it in songs like, "The Grandpa Song", and "The Country Song", as well they joke about it frequently at live shows.
The song "Weakest Moments" by American rock musician John Mellencamp
contains the line "Well, I hear you downstairs/ you're fooling around/ with your father's brother/ and your mother's gown".
The song "Don't Wake The Baby" by Jack Off Jill
is also apparently about father-daughter incest.
American rock band Giant Drag
have a song called "YFLMD" – which stands for "You Fuck Like My Dad".
Alternative rock
band Pixies
utilize themes of incest in several songs, including "The Holiday Song", "Nimrod's Son", "Break My Body", and "Broken Face".
The German
metal
band Rammstein
touches on incest in “Spiel mit mir”, ("Play with me"), featuring an incestuous relationship between brothers. In “Spiel mit mir”, the older brother apparently forces himself on his younger brother for sex so he will be able to sleep. Rammstein has written other songs dealing with incest including “Laichzeit” (“Spawn time”) and “Tier” (“Animal”).
Alternative rock band 3 Doors Down
also deals with father-daughter incest in the song "Sarah Yellin'", and the subsequent murder of the father by his daughter.
The song "Little Sister" by Queens of the Stone Age
deals with what can be seen as a brother-sister relationship.
Nirvana
released an album entitled Incesticide
on December 15, 1992.
Steely Dan
's "Cousin Dupree" from their 2000 album Two Against Nature
is about a travelling singer who lusts after his cousin. For example, "When I see my little cousin Janine walk in / All I could say was ow-ow-ouch / ... How about a kiss for your cousin Dupree."
American singer Sophie B. Hawkins
sings about brother-sister incest in her song "Don't Stop Swaying" from the 1992 album Tongues and Tails
. The spoken phrase at the end of the song is explicit: "Hansel and Gretel are holding hands deep in the forest. They are lost. This is their own story. The two have fallen in love, and so, after a long quietness amidst the creatures of the night, they begin to kiss."
There are many examples where incestuous themes are interpreted into lyrics that are undoubtedly dealing with "normal sex". For instance, the term "mama" and "my old lady" are sometimes misinterpreted as representing "mother".
Arena rock band Queen
was criticized for their song "Tie Your Mother Down
", for the theory that the song was about incestuous rape, although cursory inspection of the lyrics reveals that the song actually refers to the singer's girlfriend's mother, who wants to prevent her daughter from seeing the singer.
On his 2003 album Poodle Hat
, "Weird Al" Yankovic
included a parody of Avril Lavigne
's song, "Complicated (Avril Lavigne song)" titled "A Complicated Song". The song was sung in the first-person, and one of the verses sung was about going to dinner to propose to his girlfriend, only to learn that she was his cousin. The verse was sung as, "How was I supposed to know we were both related?/Believe me, if I knew she was my cousin, we never would have dated."
In their 2003 "metal opera" Days of Rising Doom, the band Aina
tells through music a story that features an unknowing incestuous relationship between the Ainae princess Oriana and her half-brother Syrius. The evil warlord Sorvahr abducts the queen Oria from his brother Talon, the king of the land of Aina, and rapes her until she bears a son named Syrius. Oriana, whom Oria had conceived with Talon before Sorvahr kidnapped her, encounters Syrius many years later, who was being groomed to be the leader of Sorvahr's Krakhon army, falls in love with him, and has sexual intercourse
with him. In a later battle between the Ainae and Krakhon, Syrius calls a truce between his forces and the Ainae when he spots Oriana on the Ainae battle line. Furious, Sorvahr kills Syrius with magic and appears in the sky, telling Oriana how Syrius was her brother. Oriana then destroys Sorvahr, and with the help of the Ainae army, defeats the Krakhon, rescues her mother, and restores peace to the realm of Aina.
Patterson Hood of the Drive-By Truckers
based their song "The Deeper In", from their Decoration Day
album, on the real-life consensual incestuous relationship between Allen and Patricia Muth
. The Muths are a brother and sister from Wisconsin, although Hood mistakenly implies Michigan in the song. In interviews he has claimed this is due to incorrectly recalling an article from Esquire
magazine, in which he read about the couple. Patricia was adopted at birth and did not meet Allen until she was eighteen and he thirty-three, however both were aware of their relationship to each other. They went on to produce four children, one of which was disabled; this led to their arrest and subsequent imprisonment in 1997. Allen was sentenced to eight years and Patricia five, to be served in maximum-security prisons, twenty-five miles apart.
The song "This Love is Fucking Right" by The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
is about a consensual brother-sister relationship that is both romantic and sexual in nature.
The so-called "Mamasan Trilogy" by Seattle rockers Pearl Jam
tells the story of a man's incestuous relationship with his mother and the subsequent unfolding events. The trilogy begins with Alive, which singer Eddie Vedder explains as being part autobiographical and part fiction. When Eddie was a teenager, his mother revealed to him that the man he thought was his father was actually his stepfather, and his biological father was dead. It is the first piece to a trilogy of songs: "Alive", "Once" and "Footsteps." "Alive" tells a story of incest, which leads to the murderous killing spree described in "Once", and eventually looking back from a prison cell in "Footsteps".
The song "My Promiscuous Daughter" by West Chester, Pennsylvania
band CKY
starts off with lyrics, "I caught my daughter giving head to my brother," suggesting sexual relations between a man's daughter and her uncle.
Eyehategod
have a song called "Sister Fucker."
"Suck My Left One" by Bikini Kill
was about father-daughter incest.
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
features the song "Uncle Fucka", in which accusations of incest are leveled by Terrance and Phillip.
"Chinese Dunkirk" by the Australian blues/hard rock band, Rose Tattoo
, on their 1981 album Assault & Battery
contains lyrics that suggest brother-sister incest.
The song "Ark" from the Japanese band Sound Horizon
deals with a brother-sister relationship where the sister falls in love and kills her older brother.
The Horrorcore
rapper King Gordy
talks about smoking crack with and repeatedly raping his sister on the song "This World" in 2009.
, from the album Ten
. Similarly, The Prize Fighter Inferno
released a song titled "Our Darling Daughter You Are, Little Cecillia Marie" on the album My Brother's Blood Machine
, detailing a case of habitual father/daughter incest/rape, resulting in her attempted murder of her father. In Bad Cliché by Cosy Sheridan
, from the album Grand Design, a girl is sexually abused by her uncle from the age of nine to twelve.
"Breaking Silence" by Janis Ian
, from the album of the same name, is about fathers sexually abusing their daughters. In "Cherokee Louise" by Joni Mitchell
, from the album Night Ride Home
, a young girl hides from her sexually abusive stepfather. In "Crack in the Mirror" by Betty Elders, from the album Peaceful Existence; also covered by Joan Baez
on Gone From Danger, a girl is sexually abused from the time she is a baby. In "Daddy's Girl" by Scorpions
, from the album Face the Heat
, a mother denies that her daughter is being molested by her father. In "Daddy's Song" by Toni Childs
, from the album House of Hope
, an incest survivor sings of sexual abuse by her father. In "Fiddle About" by the Who
from the rock opera
Tommy
, Tommy is molested in bed by his uncle.
In "Nightmare" by Gaye Adegbalola
, from Bitter Sweet Blues, a girl molested by her father forgives, but does not forget. Sleep by Stabbing Westward
, from Wither Blister Burn & Peel
tells of the despair felt by a child who is a victim of incest, and her withdrawal from reality. "Island" by Heather Nova
, from her album Oyster
, deals with a daughter being sexually abused by her father with nowhere to escape.
The song "Amy In The White Coat" by indie rock
artist Bright Eyes tells the story of a girl (and her sisters) being molested by her father.
The German
thrash metal
band Sodom
has a song titled "Incest" in his album Agent Orange
.
"Family Tree" by the thrash metal
band Megadeth
, from their album Youthanasia
, is about incest between a father and daughter.
"Embryo" by the Japanese band Dir En Grey
is about a mother dying and the father raping the daughter. At the end of the song, the girl kills the father and discovers she is pregnant with his child.
The song "Sugar Pain" by the Japanese band The GazettE
depicts the struggles of a man who can't tell the difference between platonic
and sexual love and ultimately goes insane and rapes his own mother.
The song "The Dark I Know Well" in the 2006 musical Spring Awakening tells of a girl whose father sexually and physically abuses her "You say all you want is just a kiss goodnight/then you hold me and you whisper/ "Child the Lord won't mind"/ It's just you and me,/ Child you are a beauty."
"Royally Fucked" by Mindless Self Indulgence
off their "Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy" album has the teller complaining complaining "Mom, Dad, why don't you finger me too?" and how he will "never be loved" because he was not sexually touched by his parents like his sibling was. This song could also be about inbreeding in royal families which had been happening from the 17th to late 18th century. Being royally fucked is being deformed and tainted. "All of them dead now, let me be the same," could be referencing the dead inbred kings/queens of the time.
The song Lemon Incest by Charlotte and Serge Gainsbourg is a song and music video about an incestuous relationship between a father and her daughter. The single cover is a picture of the half-clothed father with his daughter lying across his chest. Considering that father/daughter was the same family tie that the singers shared it caused suspicions that the song may be autobiographical. However, the Gainsbourgs denied these allegations and the song became very popular in France.
In "Janie's Got a Gun
" by the band Aerosmith
, Janie kills her father after he sexually abuses her.
The Bravery
's song "Tragedy Bound" involves a girl abused by her father. (Her daddy was a demon watching her dress./
He shriveled her down, wore her like a crown.)
G Tom Mac's song 'Cry Little Sister' recorded for the movie The Lost Boys
, may imply incest between siblings. The song was covered by bands such as Aiden
, and BluTengel
. Although the literal interpretation hints at incest, It is most commonly interpreted as a metaphor for vampirism.
game about the relationship that develops between an older brother and his ill younger sister. Depending on the choices made by the player the relationship can develop along traditional brother-sister roles or can become an incestuous relationship. (by the time the brother makes a choice to have sex with her, he discovers she is adopted)
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
is a game where Victor Vance's important ally, Phil Cassidy, confesses that he was beaten by his father under the belief that he had sexual attraction for his sister and cousin, which Phil denies. Later on in the game when Vic starts dating Phil's sister, Louise Cassidy-Williams, Phil is fine with that relationship.
In Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
, Dr.Hal "Otacon" Emmerich confessed to his dead step sister Emma that he had an affair with her mother and his step mother, Julie. The affair was what led Hal's father to kill himself by drowning in the family's swimming pool and nearly killed Emma in the process. As a result, Hal left the family, unable to face Emma for not being able to save her. Emma grew to resent Hal in the years that followed, but continued to feel a degree of romantic attraction towards him (even though he admitted that he could never see her as a woman).
In Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, the two "sisters" Therese and Jeanette Voerman are revealed to be the same person: Therese was the original personality, and Jeanette was the one created so that Therese did not have to consciously experience being repeatedly sexually abused by their father. One day, "their" father forced himself on her when Therese was still in control, and she murdered him with a shotgun and was sent to an asylum. There, a Malkavian
turned her into a vampire
. The resulting supernatural
psychosis
caused her personality split to worsen, each side becoming a wholly fleshed out consciousness, with "Therese" being cold and repressed, and "Jeanette" getting the hyper-sexuality and Borderline Personality Disorder
.
In Resident Evil: Code Veronica, it is implied that Alfred Ashford had a sexual relationship with his sister Alexia Ashford.
In Grand Theft Auto IV
, Michael Keane (a.k.a. Saint-Michael), a minor character, is often said by other characters to be born from a incestuous relationship between siblings. This is not confirmed nor denied by Michael himself. Also in Grand Theft Auto IV, It is revealed by Patrick 'Packie' McReary that both he and his older brother Gerald were molested by their father at a young age and he implies that Gerry murdered their father and made it look like suicide.
In Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
, the main villain, historical figure Cesare Borgia
has an incestuous relationship with his younger sister Lucrezia
, whom is also suggested she was sexually manipulating her father, on the instructions of her brother.
In the BlazBlue series, incest is a recurring theme; Jin lusts after his brother Ragna in multiple "omake" segments, and in the main story of Calamity Trigger Ragna is pursued by a cyborg clone of his sister Saya, who is madly in love with him. The main heroine of the series, Noel, is also a clone of Saya, and it's repeatedly hinted that she has a romantic interest in Ragna.
s, or between people in the same profession
or creative field. The term "incest group" is also common in high school
, and denotes a group of friends that only date others within their group. Institutions such as churches
, college
s, and sometimes whole nation
s can be described as incestuous when inappropriately close relationships, corrupt conflicts of interest
and secret collusions occur inside the institution and especially within the institution's top echelons such as in cases John Boyd
exposed in the Pentagon.
Incest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
is a somewhat popular topic in English erotic fiction; there are entire collections and websites devoted solely to this genre, with an entire genre of pornographic pulp fiction known as "incest novels". This is probably because, as with many other fetish
Sexual fetishism
Sexual fetishism, or erotic fetishism, is the sexual arousal a person receives from a physical object, or from a specific situation. The object or situation of interest is called the fetish, the person a fetishist who has a fetish for that object/situation. Sexual fetishism may be regarded, e.g...
es, the taboo
Taboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
nature of the act adds to the titillation. With the advent of the Internet, even more of this type of fiction is available.
Besides this, incest is sometimes mentioned or described in mainstream, non-erotic fiction. Connotations can be negative, positive, or neutral.
Incestuous families in fiction
In Gabriel García MárquezGabriel García Márquez
Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez is a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo throughout Latin America. He is considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th century. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in...
's One Hundred Years of Solitude
One Hundred Years of Solitude
One Hundred Years of Solitude , by Gabriel García Márquez, is a novel which tells the multi-generational story of the Buendía family, whose patriarch, José Arcadio Buendía, founds the town of Macondo, the metaphoric Colombia...
, there are several cases of sex between more or less close relatives, including that which occurs between a nephew and aunt. Other works of literature show consequences not so grave, such as Arundhati Roy
Arundhati Roy
Arundhati Roy is an Indian novelist. She won the Booker Prize in 1997 for her novel, The God of Small Things, and has also written two screenplays and several collections of essays...
's The God of Small Things
The God of Small Things
The God of Small Things is the debut novel of Indian author Arundhati Roy. It is a story about the childhood experiences of fraternal twins whose lives are destroyed by the "Love Laws" that lay down "who should be loved, and how. And how much." The book is a description of how the small things in...
, in which fraternal twins share a cathartic
Catharsis
Catharsis or katharsis is a Greek word meaning "cleansing" or "purging". It is derived from the verb καθαίρειν, kathairein, "to purify, purge," and it is related to the adjective καθαρός, katharos, "pure or clean."-Dramatic uses:...
sexual experience.
In Time Enough for Love
Time Enough for Love
Time Enough for Love is a science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein, first published in 1973. The work was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1973 and both the Hugo and Locus Awards in 1974.-Plot:...
, Lazarus Long
Lazarus Long
Lazarus Long is a fictional character featured in a number of science fiction novels by Robert A. Heinlein. Born in 1912 in the third generation of a selective breeding experiment run by the Ira Howard Foundation, Lazarus becomes unusually long-lived, living well over two thousand years with the...
uses genetic arguments to initially dissuade a brother and sister he has adopted from sexual experimentation with each other, but he later arranges for them to be married, having discovered that they (in an extremely rare but scientifically possible circumstance) are not brother and sister on a genetic level; he also consummates his strong sexual attraction to his own mother, whom he goes back in time to see again. Long is himself cloned into two female forms, Lorelei Lee and Lapis Lazuli, who while raised as his daughters, are later said to have seduced him.
In his last book published before Heinlein's death, To Sail Beyond the Sunset
To Sail Beyond the Sunset
To Sail Beyond the Sunset is a science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein published in 1987. It was the last novel published before he died in 1988....
, the mother, Maureen Johnson, encourages her husband (Brian Johnson) to sleep with their teen daughter, Nancy, and is with him when he actually does so. Maureen later discovers that her two youngest children are engaged in heterosexual incest, which bothers her primarily in that the sister will not let her brother see other women.
Incest is a frequent theme in the work of V. C. Andrews.The Dollanganger series, starting with the book "Flowers in the Attic", the main character, Cathy Dollanganger, develops an incestuous relationship with her older brother, Chris, after being locked up in the attic for over three years, even living with him as his wife. In the following sequels, they find out that their parents were half-uncle and niece (as well as half-siblings). Their grandfather was obsessed with his mother, stepmother, and daughter. The Cutler series, starting with the book Dawn, the main character, Dawn, who was abducted at birth, discovers that her new boyfriend is really her brother. Her brother obsesses over her and at one point rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
s her. Elsewhere in the series, it is revealed that Dawn's father is really her half-brother. Her grandfather is really her biological father and that the woman she had believed to be her grandmother was raped as a teenager by her own father, resulting in the birth of a child. She later marries her adopted brother. The Casteel series' main character, Heaven, falls in love with her uncle and has a daughter with him. The Landry series' main character, Ruby, finds out that her first boyfriend is really her half-brother and even marries him in one of the sequels. In the Logan series, the main character, Melody, discovers that her boyfriend (who is a distant cousin) was obsessed with his twin sister.
Vladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov was a multilingual Russian novelist and short story writer. Nabokov wrote his first nine novels in Russian, then rose to international prominence as a master English prose stylist...
's novel Ada or Ardor: A Family Chronicle
Ada or Ardor: A Family Chronicle
Ada or Ardor: A Family Chronicle is a novel by Vladimir Nabokov published in 1969.Ada began to materialize in 1959, when Nabokov was flirting with two projects: "The Texture of Time" and "Letters from Terra." In 1965, he began to see a link between the two ideas, finally composing a unified novel...
deals very heavily with the incestuous relationships in the intricate family tree of the main character Van Veen. There are explicit moments of sexual relations primarily between Van and his sister, Ada, as well as between Ada and her younger sister, Lucette. Nabokov does not necessarily deal with any complexities or consequences, social or otherwise, which may be inherent to incestuous relationships—outside of the strictly practical concerns of having to hide the taboo relationships from others. Incest in Ada seems mainly to be a sexual manifestation of the characters' intellectual incestuousness, and operates on a similar plane as do other instances of "sexual transgression" in Nabokov's novels of this period, such as pedophilia
Pedophilia
As a medical diagnosis, pedophilia is defined as a psychiatric disorder in adults or late adolescents typically characterized by a primary or exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children...
in Lolita
Lolita
Lolita is a novel by Vladimir Nabokov, first written in English and published in 1955 in Paris and 1958 in New York, and later translated by the author into Russian...
and homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
in Pale Fire
Pale Fire
Pale Fire is a novel by Vladimir Nabokov. The novel is presented as a 999-line poem titled "Pale Fire", written by the fictional John Shade, with a foreword and lengthy commentary by a neighbor and academic colleague of the poet. Together these elements form a narrative in which both authors are...
.
Incest plays an influential role in George R. R. Martin
George R. R. Martin
George Raymond Richard Martin , sometimes referred to as GRRM, is an American author and screenwriter of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He is best known for A Song of Ice and Fire, his bestselling series of epic fantasy novels that HBO adapted for their dramatic pay-cable series Game of...
's bestselling fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire
A Song of Ice and Fire
A Song of Ice and Fire is a series of epic fantasy novels by American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin. Martin began writing the series in 1991 and the first volume was published in 1996. Originally planned as a trilogy, the series now consists of five published volumes; a further two...
. In the series, incest is illegal and seen as abnormal; however, children born from incestuous parents (brother and sister, father and daughter) are healthy and no different from children born from non-incestuous parents, although one of them is extremely sadistic
Sadistic personality disorder
Sadistic personality disorder is a diagnosis which appeared only in an appendix of the revised third edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders . The current version of the DSM does not include it, so it is no longer considered a valid...
and psychologically unstable. Two of the main characters, the queen Cersei Lannister and her brother Jaime Lannister, practice incest in secret, which leads to a major war across the land when it is discovered that their illegitimate children (not the King's) have inherited the throne. Their public denials of the incest and their secret love for each other causes a great deal of tension and conflict in the series. The royal house of Targaryen was known to have practiced the custom of sibling incest and often polygamy
Polygamy
Polygamy is a marriage which includes more than two partners...
for hundreds of years. The first Targaryen king, Aegon, wed both of his sisters, Visenya and Rhaenys. Baelor I, a.k.a. Baelor the Blessed, imprisoned his three sisters (who were also his wives) in the Maidenvault so as not to be tempted by their beauty. There may be evidence of genetic problems due to inbreeding
Inbreeding
Inbreeding is the reproduction from the mating of two genetically related parents. Inbreeding results in increased homozygosity, which can increase the chances of offspring being affected by recessive or deleterious traits. This generally leads to a decreased fitness of a population, which is...
in the Targaryen family, as some of them, such as Aerion Brightflame and Aerys II, were insane. King Jahaerys II once famously stated that the gods flip a coin when a Targaryen is born to determine his or her fate: on one side lies greatness, the other madness. Theon Greyjoy also unwittingly makes sexual advances upon his sister, Asha, after meeting her for the first time in many years. Upon arriving at their father's castle, Asha's identity is revealed, and Asha, among others, proceed to mock Theon for his actions.
Incest is a central theme in Mario Puzo
Mario Puzo
Mario Gianluigi Puzo was an American author and screenwriter, known for his novels about the Mafia, including The Godfather , which he later co-adapted into a film by Francis Ford Coppola...
's The Family.
Anne Rice
Anne Rice
Anne Rice is a best-selling Southern American author of metaphysical gothic fiction, Christian literature and erotica from New Orleans, Louisiana. Her books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her one of the most widely read authors in modern history...
's Mayfair trilogy
The Mayfair Witches
The Lives of the Mayfair Witches is a series of novels written by the horror author Anne Rice. They feature the Mayfairs, a New Orleans family of witches and their connection to a spirit named Lasher, spanning several generations...
deals with a family of witches who are heavily inbred. One character fathers children with his sister, daughter, and granddaughter.
Incest is detailed in Linda Howard's novel, Shades of Twilight. It deals with the incestuous feelings the main character, Roanna, has for her second cousin, Webb, who is married to another cousin, Jessie. It is revealed that Jessie had a secret incestuous affair with her father and became pregnant by him, which led to her grandmother accidentally killing her and Webb leaving the family when he is blamed for her death. At the end of the book, when the secrets of Jessie's death are cleared, Webb professes his love for Roanna and marries her after she becomes pregnant with his child.
Fantasy fiction
In Guy Gavriel KayGuy Gavriel Kay
Guy Gavriel Kay is a Canadian author of fantasy fiction. Many of his novels are set in fictional realms that resemble real places during real historical periods, such as Constantinople during the reign of Justinian I or Spain during the time of El Cid...
's Tigana
Tigana
-Setting:The world where Tigana takes place is a planet orbited by two moons. Kay notes that some of his readers tried to connect Tigana with A Song for Arbonne speculating the stories take place on the same fictional world, orbited by two moons; Kay explained that he only repeated the same theme...
, a consensual, sexual relationship is strongly hinted between Dianora and her brother, Baerd.
In J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's The Children of Húrin
The Children of Húrin
The Children of Húrin is an epic fantasy novel which forms the completion of a tale by J. R. R. Tolkien. He wrote the original version of the story in the late 1910s, revised it several times later, but did not complete it before his death in 1973...
, the characters Túrin
Turín
Turín is a municipality in the Ahuachapán department of El Salvador....
and Nienor
Nienor
Niënor, also known as Níniel , is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, appearing in the Narn i Chîn Húrin told in full in The Children of Húrin and briefly in The Silmarillion...
, who are brother and sister, unwittingly enter into an incestuous marriage when they meet for the first time while Nienor is suffering from amnesia. This is a development of the story explored more briefly in Tolkien's The Silmarillion
The Silmarillion
The Silmarillion is a collection of J. R. R. Tolkien's mythopoeic works, edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in 1977, with assistance from Guy Gavriel Kay, who later became a noted fantasy writer. The Silmarillion, along with J. R. R...
, Unfinished Tales
Unfinished Tales
Unfinished Tales is a collection of stories and essays by J. R. R. Tolkien that were never completed during his lifetime, but were edited by his son Christopher Tolkien and published in 1980.Unlike The Silmarillion, for which the narrative fragments were modified to connect into a consistent and...
and Book of Lost Tales, all of which included versions of the tale.
In the Elenium
The Elenium
The Elenium is a series of fantasy novels by David Eddings. The series consists of three volumes:* The Diamond Throne* The Ruby Knight* The Sapphire RoseThe series is followed by The Tamuli....
trilogy by David Eddings
David Eddings
David Eddings was an American author who wrote several best-selling series of epic fantasy novels.-Biography:...
, Queen Ehlana's widowed father Aldreas carried on an incestuous affair with his sister, Princess Arissa. She had initially seduced him in their youth with the intent of getting him to marry her, as one of the advisors had found an obscure law which would permit it, but was thwarted by the hero's father. The affair resumed after the death of Ehlana's mother and continued until the King's death, at which time Arissa was confined to a convent.
P. C. Hodgell
P. C. Hodgell
Patricia "Pat" Christine Hodgell is an American fantasy writer, artist and professor.Dr. Hodgell holds a master's in English literature and a doctorate in 19th-century English literature, both of which were earned from the University of Minnesota...
's God Stalker Chronicles feature a group of races tied together by religion. The Highborn race was trying to bred the "Tyr-Ridan", three people representing the three faces of their god, to full fill a prophecy that the Tyr-Ridan would defeat Perimal Darkling, their god's enemy. The breeding project involved brother-sister and other incestuous matings.
In the novel Silverhand by Morgan Llywelyn and Michael Scott, the main antagonists Sarel and Lares, who are twins, facilitate their magic through an incestuous relationship.
In Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
's Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen is a cycle of four epic operas by the German composer Richard Wagner . The works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied...
, the hero Siegfried
Sigurd
Sigurd is a legendary hero of Norse mythology, as well as the central character in the Völsunga saga. The earliest extant representations for his legend come in pictorial form from seven runestones in Sweden and most notably the Ramsund carving Sigurd (Old Norse: Sigurðr) is a legendary hero of...
is the son of the incestuous relationship between Siegmund
Sigmund
This article is about the mythological hero Sigmund; for other meanings see: Sigmund .In Norse mythology, Sigmund is a hero whose story is told in the Völsunga saga. He and his sister, Signý, are the children of Völsung and his wife Hljod...
and Sieglinde
Signy
Signy or Signe is the name of two heroines in two connected legends from Scandinavian mythology which were very popular in medieval Scandinavia. Both appear in the Völsunga saga, which was adapted into other works such as Wagner's Ring, including its famous opera The Valkyrie.The first Signe was...
.
In George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire
A Song of Ice and Fire
A Song of Ice and Fire is a series of epic fantasy novels by American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin. Martin began writing the series in 1991 and the first volume was published in 1996. Originally planned as a trilogy, the series now consists of five published volumes; a further two...
, Queen Cersei and her twin brother, Jaime, have been in love with each other since they were young and have been having an affair since then. It is further revealed that Cersei's three children were fathered by Jaime as a result of their affair. This remains unknown to the King. Her justification lay with the fact they shared a womb, stating that they were one person split into two.
The historical fantasy
Historical fantasy
Historical fantasy is a sub-genre of fantasy and related to historical fiction, which makes use of specific elements of real world history. It is used as an umbrella term for the sword and sorcery genre and sometimes, if fantasy is involved, the sword-and-sandal genre too...
novel Teito Monogatari
Teito Monogatari
is a massive Japanese historical fantasy epic written by Hiroshi Aramata.-Overview:The story is a retelling of the history of Edo from an occultist perspective. The premise is based on the idea that the curse of Taira no Masakado greatly influenced the city's history from its inception to the...
(Hiroshi Aramata
Hiroshi Aramata
is a Japanese author, translator, and screenplay writer, as well as a specialist in natural history and cartography.His most popular novel was Teito Monogatari , which has sold over 3.5 million copies in Japan alone. He also wrote Alexander Senki, a novel which eventually evolved into the anime...
) features a subplot involving incest. The minister of finance copulates with his sister, producing a daughter; an act which foils the efforts of the protagonist Yasunori Kato
Yasunori Kato
is a fictional character, the antagonist of the Japanese historical fantasy series Teito Monogatari, created by Hiroshi Aramata.Since his first cinematic appearance in 1988, Yasunori Kato has gone on to become a well known and well respected archetype in Japanese popular culture having inspired a...
.
In The Mists of Avalon
The Mists of Avalon
The Mists of Avalon is a 1983 novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley, in which she relates the Arthurian legends from the perspective of the female characters.-Plot introduction:...
by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Marion Zimmer Bradley
Marion Eleanor Zimmer Bradley was an American author of fantasy novels such as The Mists of Avalon and the Darkover series. Many critics have noted a feminist perspective in her writing. Her first child, David R...
, half siblings Arthur
Arthur
Arthur is a common masculine given name. Its etymology is disputed, but its popularity derives from its being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur....
and Morgaine engage in sexual intercourse during a religious ritual and then again the morning afterwards, which leads to the conception of Mordred
Mordred
Mordred or Modred is a character in the Arthurian legend, known as a notorious traitor who fought King Arthur at the Battle of Camlann, where he was killed and Arthur fatally wounded. Tradition varies on his relationship to Arthur, but he is best known today as Arthur's illegitimate son by his...
. After Morgaine finds out that they are siblings, she is repulsed and immediately draws away from him. However, Arthur continues to have feelings for Morgaine. Arthur and Morgaine's mother Igraine
Igraine
Igraine , in Arthurian legend, is the mother of King Arthur. She is also known in Latin as Igerna, in Welsh as Eigyr, in French as Igerne, in Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur as Ygrayne— often modernized as Igraine—and in Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival as Arnive...
notices that during Arthur's wedding ceremony to Gwenhwyfar, that Gwenhwyfar is looking at Lancelet
Lancelet
The lancelets , also known as amphioxus, are the modern representatives of the subphylum Cephalochordata, formerly thought to be the sister group of the craniates. They are usually found buried in sand in shallow parts of temperate or tropical seas. In Asia, they are harvested commercially as food...
while Arthur is looking at Morgaine. Gwenhwyfar is also raped at one point by a man who claimed to have the same father as her. Morgaine has an unrequited love for Lancelet, her half-first cousin (their mothers are half-sisters) and the two share an intimate moment. Morgaine also has an affair with her stepson Accolon
Accolon
In Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur, when King Arthur entrusted Excalibur into Morgan le Fay's care, she had a duplicate made; the real scabbard was then passed from her to her lover Accalon ....
and is almost raped by Accolon's older brother. It is also strongly implied that Lancelet harbors homosexual feelings for Arthur, which he believes may be the reason for his attraction to Arthur's wife. The three of them even share an intimate moment.
Science-fiction
Incest also appears in the writings of two major authors of science fictionScience fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
, Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula Kroeber Le Guin is an American author. She has written novels, poetry, children's books, essays, and short stories, notably in fantasy and science fiction...
and Robert A. Heinlein
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of...
. Le Guin's short story "Nine Lives" features ten clones (five male, five female) of the same person, whose intimate relationship includes incest. Her novel The Left Hand of Darkness
The Left Hand of Darkness
The Left Hand of Darkness is a 1969 science fiction novel by Ursula K. Le Guin. It is part of the Hainish Cycle, a series of books by Le Guin all set in the fictional Hainish universe....
contains a story of two siblings who mate, despite a taboo against it.
A character in Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
's The Last Question
The Last Question
"The Last Question" is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov. It first appeared in the November 1956 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and was reprinted in the collections Nine Tomorrows , The Best of Isaac Asimov , Robot Dreams , the retrospective Opus 100 , and in Isaac Asimov: The...
states that he is the son of siblings.
Frank Herbert
Frank Herbert
Franklin Patrick Herbert, Jr. was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful American science fiction author. Although a short story author, he is best known for his novels, most notably Dune and its five sequels...
's Children of Dune
Children of Dune
Children of Dune is a 1976 science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, third in a series of six novels set in his Dune universe. Initially selling over 75,000 copies, it became the first hardcover best-seller ever in the science fiction field...
sees the marriage of fraternal twins Ghanima and Leto II in the closing chapter of the book. However, the marriage is non-sexual and merely a means to cement the imperial throne solely under the Atreides name. All children born under this marriage are secretly those of Ghanima and the House Corrino prince Farad'n.
In Piers Anthony
Piers Anthony
Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob is an English American writer in the science fiction and fantasy genres, publishing under the name Piers Anthony. He is most famous for his long-running novel series set in the fictional realm of Xanth.Many of his books have appeared on the New York Times Best...
's Bio of a Space Tyrant
Bio of a Space Tyrant
Bio of a Space Tyrant series is a six-book science-fiction series by Piers Anthony based within the solar system. The series revolves around the character Hope Hubris and his family, and charts Hope's ascent from poor Hispanic refugee to Tyrant of Jupiter, a single person heading the Executive,...
, The main character's sister has sex with him when he is 15 and she is 12.
Historic fiction
In two books of Philippa GregoryPhilippa Gregory
Philippa Gregory is an English novelist.-Early life and academic career:Philippa Gregory was born in Kenya. When she was two years old, her family moved to England. She was a "rebel" at school, but managed to attend the University of Sussex...
's Wideacre Trilogy, Wideacre
Wideacre
Wideacre is a novel written by Philippa Gregory. This novel is her debut and the first in the Wideacre Trilogy that includes, The Favored Child and Meridon.-Plot summary:...
and The Favored Child, the central female character of "Wideacre", Beatrice, committs incest with her brother, Harry, and her two children, Julia and Richard, were fathered by Harry. In The Favored Child, Richard rapes Julia and forces her to marry him when she discovers that she is pregnant with his child, Sarah (or Meridon). Philippa Gregory
Philippa Gregory
Philippa Gregory is an English novelist.-Early life and academic career:Philippa Gregory was born in Kenya. When she was two years old, her family moved to England. She was a "rebel" at school, but managed to attend the University of Sussex...
also insinuates incest between siblings in her novel The Other Boleyn Girl
The Other Boleyn Girl
The Other Boleyn Girl is a historical fiction novel written by British author Philippa Gregory, loosely based on the life of 16th-century aristocrat Mary Boleyn. Reviews were mixed; some said it was a brilliantly claustrophobic look at palace life in Tudor England, while others have consistently...
. It seems that George Boleyn has had some level of a sexual relationship with both of his sisters, Anne and Mary.
It also played a minor role in Stephanie Laurens
Stephanie Laurens
Stephanie Laurens is a best-selling Australian author of romance novels.-Biography:Stephanie Laurens was born in Sri Lanka, which was at the time the British colony of Ceylon. When she was 5, her family moved to Melbourne, Australia, where she was raised. After continuing through school and...
' 12th Cynster novel The Truth About Love, where the villainous Fritham siblings, Jordan and Eleanor, often tryst in Hellabore Hall's Garden of Night. They murder the heroine's mother Miribelle, purely because she heard and witnessed them in the Garden of Night (which was directly under the balcony of the Hall), and thus tried to prevent her daughter Jacqueline from ever consorting with them again. This creates a huge problem for Jordan, who had plotted to gain Hellabore Hall through a marriage with Jacqueline.
Thomas Mann
Thomas Mann
Thomas Mann was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and 1929 Nobel Prize laureate, known for his series of highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novellas, noted for their insight into the psychology of the artist and the intellectual...
's The Holy Sinner
The Holy Sinner
The Holy Sinner is a German novel written by Thomas Mann. Published in 1951 it is based on the medieval verse epic Gregorius written by the German Minnesinger Hartmann von Aue . The book explores a subject that fascinated Thomas Mann to the end of his life—the origins of evil and evil's...
explores the spiritual consequences of unintentional incest. His short story "The Blood of the Walsungs" also depicts brother-sister incest, drawing explicitly on Wagner's Siegmund and Sieglinde.
At the end of A. S. Byatt
A. S. Byatt
Dame Antonia Susan Duffy, DBE is an English novelist, poet and Booker Prize winner...
's novella Morpho Eugenia
Morpho Eugenia
Morpho Eugenia is a 1992 novella by A. S. Byatt first published in complete form with The Conjugal Angel as Angels & Insects. It details the key events of the life of a Victorian naturalist, William Adamson, at first seemingly struggling to move up in class and settle down with a beautiful,...
, a Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
naturalist—recently married into an aristocratic
Aristocracy
Aristocracy , is a form of government in which a few elite citizens rule. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". In origin in Ancient Greece, it was conceived of as rule by the best qualified citizens, and contrasted with monarchy...
family—discovers the ongoing affair between his languid, alluring wife and her brother.
Pauline Melville
Pauline Melville
Pauline Melville is a Guyanese-born writer and actress. Her mother was English, and her father Guyanese. Her first book, Shape-Shifter , a collection of short stories, won the 1991 Commonwealth Writers' Prize , and the Guardian Fiction Prize.The book consists of a number of short stories dealing...
's The Ventriloquist's Tale explores the impact of European colonization on the Amerindians of Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
through the affair of a pair of half-Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
, half-Guyanese siblings at the time of a solar eclipse
Solar eclipse
As seen from the Earth, a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, and the Moon fully or partially blocks the Sun as viewed from a location on Earth. This can happen only during a new moon, when the Sun and the Moon are in conjunction as seen from Earth. At least...
.
Contemporary fiction
In books written as early as 1956, Robert Heinlein dealt with incest and the sexual nature of children.Incest plays a minor role in Robert Cormier
Robert Cormier
Robert Edmund Cormier was an American author, columnist and reporter, known for his deeply pessimistic, downbeat literature. His most popular works include I Am the Cheese, After the First Death, We All Fall Down and The Chocolate War, all of which have won awards. The Chocolate War was challenged...
's novel Fade
Fade (novel)
Fade is a 1988 young adult novel written by Robert Cormier.-Plot:In the summer of 1938, the young Paul Moreaux who lives in a town outside of Boston called Monument, discovers he can "fade". "Fading" is the term used for being invisible and becoming invisible to the world. His family has had this...
. The main character, a teenage boy named Paul Moreaux, has the ability to disappear or 'fade' from sight. He uses the 'fade' to spy on two new friends, twins Emerson and his sister Page Winslow, and is shocked to witness an incestuous encounter between the two.
Doris Lessing
Doris Lessing
Doris May Lessing CH is a British writer. Her novels include The Grass is Singing, The Golden Notebook, and five novels collectively known as Canopus in Argos....
's short story, "Each Other", in the anthology A Man and Two Women (Granada 1965) features the incestuous relationship between Fred and Freda, adult brother and sister and each in another relationship.
In Penelope Lively
Penelope Lively
Penelope Lively CBE, FRSL is a prolific, popular and critically acclaimed author of fiction for both children and adults. She has been shortlisted three times for the Booker Prize, winning once for Moon Tiger in 1987.-Personal:...
's book Moon Tiger
Moon Tiger
Moon Tiger is a 1987 novel by Penelope Lively which spans the time before, during and after World War II. The novel won the 1987 Booker Prize . It is written from multiple points of view and moves backward and forward through time...
, the main character Claudia Hampton reveals to the reader that she had an incestuous relationship with her brother Gordon while both were in their late teens.
In Ian McEwan
Ian McEwan
Ian Russell McEwan CBE, FRSA, FRSL is a British novelist and screenwriter, and one of Britain's most highly regarded writers. In 2008, The Times named him among their list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945"....
's novel The Cement Garden
The Cement Garden
The Cement Garden is a 1978 novel by Ian McEwan. It was adapted into a 1993 film of the same name by Andrew Birkin, starring Charlotte Gainsbourg and Andrew Robertson...
, the tension between the protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
Jack and his older sister Julie culminates in incest. Also, Donna Tartt
Donna Tartt
Donna Tartt is an American writer and author of the novels The Secret History and The Little Friend . She won the WH Smith Literary Award for The Little Friend in 2003.-Early life:...
's The Secret History
The Secret History
The Secret History, the first novel by Mississippi-born writer Donna Tartt, was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1992. A 75,000 print order was made for the first edition , and the book became a bestseller.Set in New England, The Secret History tells the story of a closely knit group of six classics...
contains incest between the twins Charles and Camilla, which is not revealed until the final chapters of the book.
The intersex
Intersex
Intersex, in humans and other animals, is the presence of intermediate or atypical combinations of physical features that usually distinguish female from male...
narrator of Jeffrey Eugenides
Jeffrey Eugenides
Jeffrey Kent Eugenides is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and short story writer. Eugenides is most known for his first two novels, The Virgin Suicides and Middlesex . His novel The Marriage Plot was published in October, 2011.-Life and career:Eugenides was born in Detroit, Michigan,...
' Middlesex
Middlesex (novel)
Middlesex is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Jeffrey Eugenides published in 2002. The book is a bestseller, with more than three million copies sold as of May 2011. Its characters and events are loosely based on aspects of Eugenides' life and observations of his Greek heritage. It is...
traces his condition to a rare recessive gene which he inherited from his grandparents, a brother and sister who fled Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
for Detroit, Michigan when the Turkish army invaded in 1922. His parents had also been second cousins.
John Irving
John Irving
John Winslow Irving is an American novelist and Academy Award-winning screenwriter.Irving achieved critical and popular acclaim after the international success of The World According to Garp in 1978...
's book The Hotel New Hampshire
The Hotel New Hampshire
The Hotel New Hampshire is a 1981 coming of age novel by John Irving and his fifth published novel.-Plot summary:This novel is the story of the Berrys, a quirky New Hampshire family composed of a married couple, Win and Mary, and their five children...
chronicles the lives of the Berry family. Two of the Berry siblings, John and Franny, share a closeness that develops into an incestuous encounter when they are adults.
In James Ellroy
James Ellroy
Lee Earle "James" Ellroy is an American crime fiction writer and essayist. Ellroy has become known for a so-called "telegraphic" prose style in his most recent work, wherein he frequently omits connecting words and uses only short, staccato sentences, and in particular for the novels The Black...
's novel White Jazz
White Jazz
White Jazz is a 1992 crime fiction novel by James Ellroy. It is the fourth in his L.A. Quartet, preceded by The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere, and L.A. Confidential....
, the main character David Klein has an incestuous relationship with his sister Meg.
Helen Dunmore
Helen Dunmore
Helen Dunmore is a British poet, novelist and children's writer. Educated at the University of York, she now lives in Bristol....
's A Spell of Winter centers around the story of orphans Catherine and Rob Allen, who grow up in the bleak, desolate environment of their grandfather's country manor and whose relationship eventually evolves into a sexual one.
Teresa, the troubled protagonist of Alice Hoffman
Alice Hoffman
Alice Hoffman is an American novelist and young-adult and children's writer, best known for her 1996 novel Practical Magic, which was adapted for a 1998 film of the same name...
's White Horses, idolizes her brother Silver, and only after several incestuous episodes and a lifetime of disappointment does she discover that all along she has only been in love with the man she thought he was.
In A Little Demonstration of Affection by Elizabeth Winthrop
Elizabeth Winthrop
Elizabeth Winthrop is a female author whose work is largely children's fiction. She is the daughter of Stewart Alsop and currently resides in New York CityHer book The Castle in the Attic was awarded the 1987 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award...
, teenage siblings Jenny and Charley struggle with their growing attraction to each other.
Paul Theroux
Paul Theroux
Paul Edward Theroux is an American travel writer and novelist, whose best known work of travel writing is perhaps The Great Railway Bazaar . He has also published numerous works of fiction, some of which were made into feature films. He was awarded the 1981 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for his...
's 1978 novel Picture Palace revolves around the incestuous love that the protagonist, Maude Pratt, has for her brother Orlando, without realizing that he is having an affair with their sister Phoebe.
The Josephine Hart
Josephine Hart
Josephine Hart, Lady Saatchi was an Irish-born British writer, theatrical producer and television presenter...
novel Damage
Damage (novel)
Damage is a 1991 novel by Josephine Hart about a British politician who, in the prime of life, causes his own downfall through an inappropriate relationship...
(and 1992 Louis Malle
Louis Malle
Louis Malle was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer. He worked in both French cinema and Hollywood. His films include Ascenseur pour l'échafaud , Atlantic City , and Au revoir, les enfants .- Early years in France :Malle was born into a wealthy industrialist family in Thumeries,...
film) has an implicit depiction of incest. The character Anna (portrayed by Juliette Binoche
Juliette Binoche
Juliette Binoche is a French actress, artist and dancer. She has appeared in more than 40 feature films, been recipient of numerous international accolades, is a published author and has appeared on stage across the world. Coming from an artistic background, she began taking acting lessons during...
) alludes to having had an incestuous relationship with her brother, who commits suicide because of his desire for her.
Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Carlos Ruiz Zafón is a Spanish novelist who has lived in Los Angeles since 1993, where he spent a few years writing scripts whilst developing his career as a writer....
's best-selling novel The Shadow of the Wind
The Shadow of the Wind
The Shadow of the Wind is a 2001 novel by Spanish writer Carlos Ruiz Zafón, and a worldwide bestseller. The book was translated into English in 2004 by Lucia Graves and sold over a million copies in the UK after already achieving success on mainland Europe, topping the Spanish bestseller lists for...
features main characters Julián Carax and Penélope Aldaya who are siblings and also lovers.
Liza and Ludwig Pursewarden in Lawrence Durrell
Lawrence Durrell
Lawrence George Durrell was an expatriate British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer, though he resisted affiliation with Britain and preferred to be considered cosmopolitan...
's The Alexandria Quartet
The Alexandria Quartet
The Alexandria Quartet is a tetralogy of novels by British writer Lawrence Durrell, published between 1957 and 1960. A critical and commercial success, the books present four perspectives on a single set of events and characters in Alexandria, Egypt, before and during World War II.As Durrell...
(1957–60) are sister and brother. They have a long sexual relationship until she marries a man called David Mountolive.
Non-consensual incest
In Matthew Gregory Lewis
Matthew Gregory Lewis
Matthew Gregory Lewis was an English novelist and dramatist, often referred to as "Monk" Lewis, because of the success of his classic Gothic novel, The Monk.-Family:...
's Gothic novel, The Monk
The Monk
The Monk: A Romance is a Gothic novel by Matthew Gregory Lewis, published in 1796. It was written before the author turned 20, in the space of 10 weeks.-Characters:...
, the protagonist, Ambrosio, lusts after and eventually rapes the girl, Antonia, who he later discovers to be his sister.
Judith Krantz
Judith Krantz
Judith Krantz , is an American novelist who writes in the romance genre. Her works include Scruples, Princess Daisy, and Till We Meet Again.-Early years:...
's book Princess Daisy
Princess Daisy (novel)
Princess Daisy is a 1980 romance novel by American author Judith Krantz.-Plot summary:The novel tells the story of Princess Marguerite "Daisy" Valensky. She is the daughter of Prince Alexander "Stash" Valensky, a wealthy Russian-born polo player and former playboy, and his wife Francesca Vernon, a...
contains some rather graphic scenes of a woman being raped by her half-brother.
In the novel "Hide" by Lisa Gardner
Lisa Gardner
Lisa Gardner is an American author of fiction. She is the author of several thrillers including The Killing Hour and The Next Accident. She also wrote romance novels using the pseudonym Alicia Scott. Raised in Hillsboro, Oregon, she graduated from the city's Glencoe High School...
, it is revealed that a previous mental patient and serial killer, Christopher forced his younger sister Natalie into performing sexual acts on him when they were teenagers.
In E. Annie Proulx
E. Annie Proulx
Edna Annie Proulx is an American journalist and author. Her second novel, The Shipping News , won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for fiction in 1994, and was made into a film in 2001...
's 1993 novel The Shipping News
The Shipping News
The Shipping News is a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning novel by American writer E. Annie Proulx which was published in 1993. It was adapted into a film of the same name, released in 2001.-Plot summary:...
and the 2001 film adaptation of the same name
The Shipping News (film)
The Shipping News is a 2001 drama film directed by Lasse Hallström, based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by E. Annie Proulx.It stars Kevin Spacey as the protagonist Quoyle, Judi Dench as Agnis Hamm and Julianne Moore as Wavey Prowse...
, it is explained that Agnis Hamm was once raped by her teenage half-brother when she was 12, resulting in a pregnancy which was terminated.
Young-Adult fiction
In the novel City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, the main character, Clary, and her romantic interest, Jace, discover that they are siblings. Their romantic relationship (though now very tense) continues into the second book, City of AshesCity of Ashes
City of Ashes is the second installment in The Mortal Instruments series, a young adult urban fantasy series set in New York written by Cassandra Clare. The first four books of the series have been published, with two left...
. But in the third installment, City of Glass
City of Glass (Mortal Instruments)
City of Glass is the third book in The Mortal Instruments series, a young adult urban fantasy series set in New York written by Cassandra Clare. It was originally published in the USA in hardcover on March 24, 2009...
, it is later revealed they are not siblings, so it really isn't incest. However, Clary's real older brother, Jonathan Christopher Morgenstern (who Clary has never met), impersonates Sebastian Verlac (whom Clary or the other characters have also never met). Clary is unaware that Sebastian is really her brother spying for their father, Valentine, and it leads to them sharing a kiss. However, unlike when she kisses Jace (even when they still think they are related), she notices that kissing Sebastian feels wrong.
One young adult novel of note is Francesca Lia Block
Francesca Lia Block
Francesca Lia Block is the author of adult and young adult fiction, short stories, screenplays and poetry, most famously the Weetzie Bat series. Block wrote her first book, Weetzie Bat, while a student at UC Berkeley; it was published in 1989 by Harper Collins. She is known for her use of imagery,...
's Wasteland, which features the incestuous relationship of a teenage brother and sister.
In the Young-Adult series Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz
Melissa de la Cruz
Melissa de la Cruz is an American author, known for her work in young-adult fiction. Her works include the Au Pair series of novels and the Blue Bloods series.-Biography:...
, which features vampires reincarnated every lifetime and couples who are "bonded" and find each other every lifetime, two of the semi-main characters, who are a bonded couple, are twins.
In Sonya Hartnett
Sonya Hartnett
Sonya Hartnett is an Australian author.Hartnett writes fiction variously for children, young adults and adults and has won numerous prizes and awards, having been described as "the finest Australian writer of her generation". She wrote her first novel, Trouble All the Way, at the age of thirteen...
's Sleeping Dogs
Sleeping Dogs (novel)
Sleeping Dogs is a 1995 young adult novel by Australian author, Sonya Hartnett. The novel centers on the depressed Willow family, isolated, dysfunctional and violent. Bow Fox, an artist, arrives to stay at the family's caravan park, precipitating a dark downward spiral....
, a brother and sister's incest is only one symptom of the family's degradation.
Jana Frey's My Sister's Kiss features consensual incest relationship between teenage brother and sister.
Incest between same-sex siblings
Jean Genet's Absurdist play "The Maids" contains incestuous undertones between the two sisters, Solange and Claire.In his Unbreakable Bonds romance/erotica series (Brothers Without Borders and Sterling Gold), Leiland Dale deals with the incestuous love between two sets of brothers.
The erotica novel Tempestuous Relations by Amanda Young tells the relationship that develops between twins Dominic and Mason.
Parent-children incest in fiction
Incest also appears in John MiltonJohn Milton
John Milton was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell...
's Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost
Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton. It was originally published in 1667 in ten books, with a total of over ten thousand individual lines of verse...
in which Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
commits incest with his daughter, Sin. Their child, Death, after terrible childbirth
Childbirth
Childbirth is the culmination of a human pregnancy or gestation period with the birth of one or more newborn infants from a woman's uterus...
, proceeds to rape his mother.
The 1959 novel The Manchurian Candidate
The Manchurian Candidate
The Manchurian Candidate , by Richard Condon, is a political thriller novel about the son of a prominent US political family who is brainwashed into being an unwitting assassin for the Communist Party....
(and less explicitly in the two film adaptations based upon it) portrays incest between Eleanor Iselin and her son Raymond and refers to earlier incest between Eleanor and her own father.
Father/daughter incest
In a later novel of Irving, The Cider House RulesThe Cider House Rules
The Cider House Rules is a 1985 novel by John Irving. It is Irving's sixth published novel, and has been adapted into a film of the same name and a stage play by Peter Parnell.-Plot:...
, the chief picker of the apple crop, Mr Rose, has an incestuous relationship with his daughter, Rose Rose, and even makes her pregnant.
In Charlotte Vale Allen
Charlotte Vale Allen
Charlotte Vale-Allen is a writer of contemporary fiction. She lived in the United Kingdom from 1961 to 1964 working as a singer and actress. She emigrated to the United States in 1966 following a brief return to Canada. After marrying Walter Bateman Allen Jr...
's book Daddy's Girl, she narrates how the main character was viewed by her father as his lover not his daughter.
Ralph Ellison
Ralph Ellison
Ralph Waldo Ellison was an American novelist, literary critic, scholar and writer. He was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Ellison is best known for his novel Invisible Man, which won the National Book Award in 1953...
's Invisible Man
Invisible Man
Invisible Man is a novel written by Ralph Ellison, and the only one that he published during his lifetime . It won him the National Book Award in 1953...
also deals with incest. The main character, at one point in the novel, comes into contact with a family in which the daughter has been impregnated by the father.
In F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigm writings of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost...
's novel Tender Is the Night
Tender is the Night
Tender Is the Night is a novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. It was his fourth and final completed novel, and was first published in Scribner's Magazine between January-April, 1934 in four issues...
, the character Nicole Diver eventually has a nervous breakdown
Nervous breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
as a result of an incestuous relationship with her father.
In Poppy Z Brite's book Lost Souls there are two incidences of adult/child incest. Wallace Creech sleeps with his young adult daughter Jessy and vampire, Zillah, has a deeply sexual relationship with his son, Nothing.
In Zacharias Topelius
Zacharias Topelius
Zachris Topelius was a Swedish-speaking Finnish author, journalist, historian, and rector of the University of Helsinki who wrote novels related to Finnish history in Swedish.-Life and career:...
's Tales of the Barber-Surgeon, the forefather of Bertelskiöld noble family, Gustav Bertel, is son of his older sister. It is revealed only on the last pages of Book I that his sister, whom he had thought to be only his sister of his father's earlier marriage (he has assumed his mother died at childbirth) is also his mother and he got begotten in an incestuous relationship with his father and sister.
Theodore Sturgeon
Theodore Sturgeon
Theodore Sturgeon was an American science fiction author.His most famous novel is More Than Human .-Biography:...
's science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
short story "If All Men Were Brothers, Would You Let One Marry Your Sister?
If All Men Were Brothers, Would You Let One Marry Your Sister?
"If All Men Were Brothers, Would You Let One Marry Your Sister?" is a science fiction short story by Theodore Sturgeon. It first appeared in Harlan Ellison's anthology Dangerous Visions in 1967.-Plot synopsis:...
" depicts an utopian society based on the absence of an incest taboo.
Julia Stiles portrays a teenager in love with her father in the film Wicked
Wicked
Wicked is generally used as an adjective to mean evil or sinful.Wicked may also refer to:* Wicked Pictures, an American pornographic studio...
and murders her mother.
Sexual abuse
In My Bedroom, by Donna Hill describes a girl raped by her father.
Jessie is the central character in Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
's Gerald's Game
Gerald's Game
Gerald's Game is a psychological horror novel by Stephen King. The story is about a woman who accidentally kills her husband while she is handcuffed to the bed as part of a bondage game, and, following the subsequent realisation that she is trapped with little hope of rescue, begins to let the...
. She is sexually abused
Child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
by her father at the age of 10.
Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison is a Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, editor, and professor. Her novels are known for their epic themes, vivid dialogue, and richly detailed characters. Among her best known novels are The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon and Beloved...
's The Bluest Eye
The Bluest Eye
The Bluest Eye is a 1970 novel by American author Toni Morrison. It is Morrison's first novel, written while Morrison was teaching at Howard University and was raising her two sons on her own. The story is about a year in the life of a young black girl in Lorain, Ohio, named Pecola...
echoes Ellison's work in its portrayal of father-daughter incest, which, like in Invisible Man, is portrayed not as consensual incest but as child molestation.
In Denise Mina
Denise Mina
Denise Mina is a Scottish crime writer and playwright. She has written the Garnethill trilogy and another three novels featuring the character Patricia "Paddy" Meehan, a Glasgow journalist. Described as an author of Tartan Noir, she has also dabbled in comic book writing, having recently written...
's crime-fiction novel Garnethill
Garnethill
Garnethill is a predominantly residential area of the city of Glasgow, Scotland.-Geography:Located in the city centre, the area borders Cowcaddens to its north, Sauchiehall Street to its south, Cambridge Street to its east and the M8 motorway to its west....
, the main character Maureen O'Donnell is raped by her father.
In Harper Lee
Harper Lee
Nelle Harper Lee is an American author known for her 1960 Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird, which deals with the issues of racism that were observed by the author as a child in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama...
's only novel, To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel by Harper Lee published in 1960. It was instantly successful, winning the Pulitzer Prize, and has become a classic of modern American literature...
it is not stated but insinuated that Mayella Ewell is sexually abused by her father.
In Danielle Steel
Danielle Steel
Danielle Fernandes Dominique Schuelein-Steel , better known as Danielle Steel, is an American romantic novelist and author of mainstream dramas....
's novel Malice, the main character Grace shoots and kills her father when he tries to rape her after her mother's funeral. He had been sexually abusing her almost nightly for years after her mother became ill and could no longer satisfy him.
In Sapphire
Sapphire (author)
Sapphire is an American author and performance poet.- Early life :Ramona Lofton was born in Fort Ord, California, one of four children of an Army couple who relocated within the United States and abroad. After a disagreement concerning where the family would settle, her parents separated, with...
's debut novel Push
Push (novel)
Push is the 1996 debut novel of American author Sapphire. Thirteen years after its release, it was made into an acclaimed film that won two Academy Awards and was produced by Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry.- Plot summary :...
, the main character, Precious, has two children with her own father. She is also sexually abused by her mother.
The eponymous narrator of Kelly Braffet's Josie and Jack is homeschooled by her sometimes-abusive, mostly absent father, an academic. When Josie follows her brother Jack away from home and into the arms of a string of older women seduced by his charms, she begins to recognize the underlying personality traits – possessiveness, control freak – shared by the father she loathes and the brother she adores.
Father/son incest
Cameron Miller is aged 14 in Counterfeit SonCounterfeit Son
Counterfeit Son is a 2000 novel by Elaine Marie Alphin and was written for young adults. It received a 2001 Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Young Adult Mystery. It is a psychological thriller.-Plot:...
, written by Elaine Marie Alphin. He has been sexually abused
Child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
all his life by his father, a serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
of more than 20 young boys. In Jim Grimsley's Dream Boy
Dream Boy
Dream Boy is a 1995 novel by Jim Grimsley.-Plot summary:Nathan is an intelligent but shy, adolescent boy, who wants to escape from his abusive and violent father and fantasizes about a relationship with Roy, the boy who lives next door. Roy is a senior at the same high school as Nathan, and he...
, the adolescent Nathan is sexually abused by his drunken father and it is clear that his mother knows, but does nothing.
Mother/son incest
Incest is a major element of the SophoclesSophocles
Sophocles is one of three ancient Greek tragedians whose plays have survived. His first plays were written later than those of Aeschylus, and earlier than or contemporary with those of Euripides...
play Oedipus the King
Oedipus the King
Oedipus the King , also known by the Latin title Oedipus Rex, is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles that was first performed c. 429 BCE. It was the second of Sophocles's three Theban plays to be produced, but it comes first in the internal chronology, followed by Oedipus at Colonus and then Antigone...
, based on the story from Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
, in which the title character unknowingly kills his father and marries his mother. This act came to great prominence in the 20th century with Freud's
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
analysis of the Oedipus complex
Oedipus complex
In psychoanalytic theory, the term Oedipus complex denotes the emotions and ideas that the mind keeps in the unconscious, via dynamic repression, that concentrate upon a boy’s desire to sexually possess his mother, and kill his father...
as lying beneath the psychology of all men. Its female counterpart is called the Electra complex
Electra complex
In Neo-Freudian psychology, the Electra complex, as proposed by Carl Gustav Jung, is a girl’s psychosexual competition with mother for possession of father. In the course of her psychosexual development, the complex is the girl’s phallic stage formation of a discrete sexual identity; a boy’s...
. Incest also plays a major role in the sequel to Oedipus, Antigone
Antigone
In Greek mythology, Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, Oedipus' mother. The name may be taken to mean "unbending", coming from "anti-" and "-gon / -gony" , but has also been suggested to mean "opposed to motherhood", "in place of a mother", or "anti-generative", based from the root...
, which revolves around the lives of the four children produced by Oedipus and his mother. The main figure is their oldest daughter, Antigone, who believes she and her siblings are cursed because of their parents. Also, Antigone is engaged to her first cousin, once removed, Haemon (which was, however, not considered incestuous in the culture of the time nor is today in other parts of the world).
My Mother by George Bataille is a coming-of-age story leading to a mother/son relationship. Christophe Honore's Ma Mère movie is loosely based on the book.
In The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things
The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things (novel)
The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things is a 2001 novel by Laura Albert, using the pen name and fictional persona of JT LeRoy. It is a catalogue of drug abuse, child sexual abuse, physical abuse centred around Jeremiah, a young boy, and his prostitute mother Sarah...
by JT LeRoy
JT LeRoy
Jeremiah "Terminator" LeRoy was a pseudonym created by American writer Laura Albert. The name was used from 1996 on for publication in magazines such as Nerve and Shout NY. After his first novel Sarah was published, "LeRoy" started making public appearances...
, five-year-old Jeremiah is physically and sexually abused by his prostitute
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
mother.
In Incendies
Incendies
Incendies is a 2010 Quebec film written and directed by Denis Villeneuve. Adapted from Wajdi Mouawad's play, Scorched, Incendies follows the journey of twin brother and sister as they attempt to unravel the mystery of their mother's life. The film premiered at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals...
, a French-Canadian film about twin siblings travelling to Lebanon to find their brother and father in obedience to their late mother's will, the twins discover that they are the product of incest between their mother and a son she had in 1970, who raped her aged 18 when she was in prison for murder of a Christian far-right militant. They then give the two envelopes their mother has prepared (labelled "to the father" and "to the son" in French) to the same man after finding him in their own country under an assumed identity.
In Ken Park
Ken Park
Ken Park is a 2002 drama film. The screenplay was written by Harmony Korine, who based it on Larry Clark's journals and stories. The film was directed by Larry Clark and Ed Lachman....
, a 2002 drama based on Larry Clark
Larry Clark
Lawrence Donald "Larry" Clark is an American film director, photographer, writer and film producer who is best known for the movie Kids and his photography book Tulsa...
's journals and stories, an incestuous relationship develops between the protagonist and his girlfriend's mother. As a result of this and other socially sensitive material depicted in the film, an uncensored version of the movie has been made unavailable in many countries.
Other adult/child incest in fiction
One of the main plots of Chuck PalahniukChuck Palahniuk
Charles Michael "Chuck" Palahniuk is an American transgressional fiction novelist and freelance journalist. He is best known for the award-winning novel Fight Club, which was later made into a film directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter...
's novel Rant
Rant (novel)
Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey is a novel by Chuck Palahniuk released on May 1, 2007.Rant is told in the form of an oral biography. When the story begins, the reader discovers that the main character, Buster Landru "Rant" Casey, is already deceased...
features the possibility of time travel
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
combined with incest. By replacing one's own father, grandfather and great-grandfather by the means of time travel, one might purify one's own gene
Gene
A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
tic material to a great extent. The main character, who is assumably the product of such a process, has for example, a largely extended ability to smell, increased perception and has also an increased ability to deal with pain and poisoning.
In Selena kitt
Selena Kitt
Selena Kitt is an American author of erotica and erotic romance who writes in a variety of genres including Contemporary, Menage, BDSM and Paranormals....
's novel Under Mr. Nolan's Bed , the main character, Leah, finds herself torn between her best friend and her best friend's father.
Time for the Stars
Time for the Stars
Time for the Stars is a science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein published by Scribner's in 1956 as one of the Heinlein juveniles. The basic plot line is derived from a 1911 thought experiment in special relativity, commonly called the twin paradox, proposed by French physicist Paul Langevin...
in which Tom returns from his travels to marry his great grand niece, having known her telepathically since she was a baby. Glory Road
Glory Road
Glory Road is a fantasy novel by Robert A. Heinlein, originally serialized in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and published in hardcover later the same year...
in which a mother and her daughters (18 and 13 years old) offer their sexual favors to the protagonist—the more of them he accepts, by their cultural standards, the more he honors them—but, bound by his own Earthly inhibitions, he does them the dishonor of refusing their offer.
Other kinds of incest
Incest appears in many of William FaulknerWilliam Faulkner
William Cuthbert Faulkner was an American writer from Oxford, Mississippi. Faulkner worked in a variety of media; he wrote novels, short stories, a play, poetry, essays and screenplays during his career...
's works, either enacted or imagined. Examples include Go Down, Moses
Go Down, Moses
Go Down, Moses is a collection of seven related pieces of short fiction by American author William Faulkner, sometimes considered a novel...
, The Sound and the Fury
The Sound and the Fury
The Sound and the Fury is a novel written by the American author William Faulkner. It employs a number of narrative styles, including the technique known as stream of consciousness, pioneered by 20th century European novelists such as James Joyce and Virginia Woolf. Published in 1929, The Sound and...
and Sanctuary
Sanctuary (novel)
Sanctuary is a novel by the American author William Faulkner. It is considered one of his more controversial, given its theme of rape. First published in 1931, it was Faulkner's commercial and critical breakthrough, establishing his literary reputation...
.
The novel, First Love: A Gothic Tale
First Love: A Gothic Tale
First Love: A Gothic Tale is a novella by award-winning novelist and essayist Joyce Carol Oates. It tells the story of Joise S_____, a girl who goes to stay at her aunt's mansion in upstate New York. While there, she has an incestuous relationship with her cousin, Jared...
by Joyce Carol Oates
Joyce Carol Oates
Joyce Carol Oates is an American author. Oates published her first book in 1963 and has since published over fifty novels, as well as many volumes of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction...
, portrays the abusive/sexual relationship 11-year-old Josie has with her adult cousin, Jared. The psychological and physical abuse she receives from her mother and aunt makes her believe that Jared's sexual abuse is a form of him expressing his love to her.
The novel (and subsequent manga series), Silver, is about the main character's love for her cousin turn into hate when he betrays her by killing her father and pretending to be in love with her so he can gain her inheritance. She seeks out revenge against him by disguising herself as the "perfect woman" and begins an affair with him, with intents on ruining his life by taking away all the things he desires.
Adult/child incest in non-fiction
In High on Arrival, the autobiography of actress Mackenzie PhillipsMackenzie Phillips
Mackenzie Phillips is an American actress and singer best known for her roles in American Graffiti and as rebellious teenager Julie Cooper Horvath on the sitcom One Day at a Time...
, she purports to having a consensual incestuous relationship with her father, John Phillips, the frontman for the 1960s rock group, The Mamas and the Papas. She spoke of the decade long affair on The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
.
In Daddy: An Erotic Memoir, author Raul Schmidt (pseudonym) chronicles his consensual sexual relationships with both of his adult daughters.
In The Kiss, by Kathryn Harrison
Kathryn Harrison
Kathryn Harrison is an American author.-Background and education:Harrison's maternal grandparents raised her in Los Angeles, California...
, the author gives her account of the consensual sexual relationship she had with her father as a young adult.
Strong at the Heart: How it feels to heal from sexual abuse, by Carolyn Lehman, includes a number of true stories of incest.
Casanova would accidentally fall in love with his own daughter, Leonilda, only finding out the truth when she introduces him to her mother. Of which Casanova writes, "My hair stood on end, and I relapsed into a gloomy silence." Having been courting her for some time, the "rapid transition from carnal to paternal love" was almost overwhelming emotionally.
Where There Is Evil by Sandra Brown
Sandra Brown (campaigner)
Sandra Brown, OBE, is a Scottish campaigner and leading expert on child protection issues. She has also achieved wide recognition as a writer, broadcaster and actress.-Biography:...
tells the story of the disappearance of 12-year-old Moira Anderson in 1957 and the involvement of Alex Gartshore, the author's father and a convicted child molester
Child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
, as a member of a pedophile
Pedophilia
As a medical diagnosis, pedophilia is defined as a psychiatric disorder in adults or late adolescents typically characterized by a primary or exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children...
ring.
Incest as sexual abuse
Daddy, written and directed by Niki de Saint PhalleNiki de Saint Phalle
Niki de Saint Phalle, born Catherine-Marie-Agnès-Brandon Fal de Saint Phalle was a French sculptor, painter, and film maker.-The early years:...
, tells the story of Saint Phalle's history of sexual abuse at the hands of her father.
Don't Tell Mummy: A True Story of the Ultimate Betrayal tells the story of Toni Maguire who was abused by her father from the age of six to 14, when he gets her pregnant
Pregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
.
Please, Daddy, No: A Boy Betrayed by Stuart Howarth describes his abuse at the hands of his father and the despair that drove him to kill him years later.
In A Girl Called Karen: A True Story of Sex Abuse and Resilience by Karen McConnell, Eileen Brand is abused by both her father and stepfather.
In Mikey Walsh's Gypsy Boy, he reveals how he was sexually abused as a child by his uncle over a period of a few years.
Comic books
In the PlanetaryPlanetary (comics)
Planetary is an American comic book limited series created by writer Warren Ellis and artist John Cassaday published by the Wildstorm imprint of DC Comics...
comic book series by Warren Ellis
Warren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis is an English author of comics, novels, and television, who is well-known for sociocultural commentary, both through his online presence and through his writing, which covers transhumanist themes...
and John Cassaday
John Cassaday
John Cassaday is an American comic book artist and writer, born in Fort Worth, Texas and currently residing in New York City. He is known for having a high level of precision and realism in his work....
, Doc Brass was a the result of an eugenics
Eugenics
Eugenics is the "applied science or the bio-social movement which advocates the use of practices aimed at improving the genetic composition of a population", usually referring to human populations. The origins of the concept of eugenics began with certain interpretations of Mendelian inheritance,...
experiment that went all the way back to the French revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. In issue #5, 'The Good Doctor,' it is revealed that his parents were siblings.
In the Alan Moore
Alan Moore
Alan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
graphic novel Lost Girls
Lost Girls
Lost Girls is a graphic novel depicting the sexually explicit adventures of three important female fictional characters of the late 19th and early 20th century: Alice from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Dorothy Gale from The Wizard of Oz and Wendy Darling from Peter Pan...
, incest plays a prominent part in the retelling of the story of Wendy Darling
Wendy Darling
Wendy Moira Angela Darling is a fictional character, the female protagonist of Peter and Wendy by J. M. Barrie, and in most adaptations in other media. Her exact age is not specified in the original play or novel by Barrie, though she is implied to be 12 or 13 years old or younger, as she is "just...
and her brothers from Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
and Dorothy Gale
Dorothy Gale
Dorothy Gale is the protagonist of many of the Oz novels by American author L. Frank Baum, and the best friend of Oz's ruler Princess Ozma. Dorothy first appears in Baum's classic children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and reappears in most of its sequels...
and her "uncle" (actually her father) from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900, it has since been reprinted numerous times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of...
.
Japanese manga and anime
Incest has been a recurring subject in JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
such as Osamu Tezuka
Osamu Tezuka
was a Japanese cartoonist, manga artist, animator, producer, activist and medical doctor, although he never practiced medicine. Born in Osaka Prefecture, he is best known as the creator of Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion and Black Jack...
's Ayako (1972–1973). Incest has also been a subject in Japanese anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
, dating all the way back to one of the medium's earliest pornographic
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
titles, Cream Lemon
Cream Lemon
is an erotic anime series with some in-depth storylines and classic artwork. The first Cream Lemon OVA was released in 1984, though Cream Lemon was not the first hentai OVA...
. Sibling incest is the most common manifestation.
Sibling incest
Certain anime programs, such as Koi KazeKoi Kaze
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Motoi Yoshida. It premiered in the September 2001 issue of Evening and ran for 29 chapters until its conclusion in the October 2004 issue. The individual chapters were collected and published in five tankōbon volumes by Kodansha...
and Please Twins!
Please Twins!
, is an anime television series, scripted by Yousuke Kuroda and produced by Bandai Visual, which was later adapted into a light novel and one-volume manga series. It centers on a family of three teenagers in high school all living together who are unsure which two of them are related to each other...
, are serious, even sympathetic, studies of the characters as they struggle with their emotions and societal taboos. In Please Twins!
Please Twins!
, is an anime television series, scripted by Yousuke Kuroda and produced by Bandai Visual, which was later adapted into a light novel and one-volume manga series. It centers on a family of three teenagers in high school all living together who are unsure which two of them are related to each other...
this is because both girls fell in love with the protagonist, despite knowing that either of them could be his biological twin sister. Also the side character Matagu has shown an obvious sexual attraction to his younger sister, who is fully aware that he is a pervert. In Koi Kaze, a brother and sister fall in love without realizing their blood relationship, and when they do find out, they struggle with continuing the relationship and hurting their parents or moving onto a platonic relationship and lying to themselves. They even consider a suicide pact, but they ultimately decide to continue the relationship and live together.
The incestuous feelings may be a source of trouble or angst for the protagonists. In shojo manga Boku wa Imōto ni Koi o Suru
Boku wa Imoto ni Koi o Suru
is manga series by Kotomi Aoki. Originally serialized in Shōjo Comic, the individual chapters were published in ten tankōbon volumes by Shogakukan from May 2003 until August 2005...
, Yori and Iku are twin brother and sister who have been extremely close all their lives and who now begin to fall in love with each other and have to face the consequences of it. It is later revealed that they are half-twins due to them being the product of a heteropaternal superfecundation (they have different fathers). At the end, Yori attempts to separate from her for 10 years but when he and Iku reunite, he says that he still loves her and it is hinted that they have resumed their relationship. In the manga Tsumi Ni Nureta Futari, Kasumi begins an incestuous affair with her younger brother, Yoshiki, after being separated most of their lives. Their friends and mother try to separate them, even by kidnapping and violence. At the end, Yoshiki fakes his death so he and Kasumi can move to Rome and be together for good.
In the manga series Oniichan☆Control, Noa's big brother Hirose Goushi is in love with her, but tries to control himself, as he knows he should not. However, Noa is fully aware of this and is in love with her brother, so she does everything she can to get him to stop restraining himself all while pretending to be an innocent little sister.
Shojo manga author Kaori Yuki
Kaori Yuki
is a female Japanese manga artist best known for her gothic manga such as Earl Cain, its sequel Godchild, and Angel Sanctuary. Yuki debuted in 1987 with which ran in the manga anthology Bessatsu Hana to Yume published by Hakusensha. Her work is typically serialized in one of Hakusensha's two shōjo...
has used this theme twice. In Godchild
Earl Cain
, also known as Count Cain, is a gothic shōjo manga series written and illustrated by Kaori Yuki. Earl Cain consists of five parts or "Series": , , , , and the sequel series ....
, the protagonist, Cain Hargreaves, is the product of the incestuous union of his father and his father's older sister, inheriting gold-green eyes and the curse of being unable to love anyone who was not blood related to him. Cain also has a love interest in his half-sister/cousin who doesn't return his feelings. Later, in Angel Sanctuary
Angel Sanctuary
is a shōjo manga series written and illustrated by Kaori Yuki. Originally serialized in Hana to Yume from February 1995 to February 2001, the chapters were collected and published in twenty tankōbon volumes by Hakusensha; the first volume was released in 1997 and the final volume was published in...
, she uses incest as a necessary plot device
Plot device
A plot device is an object or character in a story whose sole purpose is to advance the plot of the story, or alternatively to overcome some difficulty in the plot....
. Setsuna Mudo is in love with his sister, Sara, who returns his feelings. As it turns out, Setsuna is the reincarnation of the angel Alexiel, who long ago was punished to be reincarnated as a human, while Sara is in fact Jibril, the Angel of Water. They are so determined to stay together that they willingly abandon their family and future without a second thought and Setsuna searches relentlessly in Hell for Sara's soul.
Sometimes the incest is ambiguous or suggested. In Revolutionary Girl Utena
Revolutionary Girl Utena
is a manga by Chiho Saito and anime directed by Kunihiko Ikuhara. The manga serial began in the June 1996 issue of Ciao and the anime was first broadcast in 1997. The anime and manga were created simultaneously, but, despite some similarities, they progressed in different directions. A movie, was...
, the character Nanami Kiryuu expresses sexual desire and jealousy towards her older brother Touga, who is the school playboy. Another character, Kozue Kaoru, uses her sexuality to elicit a frustrated protectiveness from her twin brother Miki. Incestuous themes between the central character Anthy Himemiya and her brother Akio Ohtori develop towards the end of the show.
Sometimes, these feelings end up happily. In Myself ; Yourself
Myself ; Yourself
is a Japanese visual novel developed by Yeti which was released on December 20, 2007 for the PlayStation 2. Myself ; Yourself is the second original game published by Regista, the first being I/O. Takumi Nakazawa, the main scenario writer for the infinity series , is the principal writer for Myself...
, twins Shuusuke and Shuri elope near the end of the series. In the epilogue, it is implied that they return to Sakuranomori and are a couple. In Yosuga no Sora
Yosuga no Sora
is a Japanese romance/drama adult visual novel developed by CUFFS . The game was originally released for Windows PC on December 5, 2008. It was adapted into a serialized manga and a TV anime series...
, Sora has feelings for her twin brother, Haru, ever since they were kids. After their parents passed away, they moved back to the old house and Sora has been keeping her feelings suppressed while she fantasizes being with him. In episode 11 and 12, they had opened themselves to their feelings and decide to abandon their friends and home to be together.
Other times, the love story ends dramatically. In the manga series Flowers of Evil, Se-Joon has loved his twin sister, Se-Wan, ever since childhood. They eventually make forbidden love one night, which Se-Joon regrets. They attempt to redeem themselves by running away, during which Se-Wan dies. At the end, despaired over the loss of his beloved sister, Se-Joon committs suicide with a photo of him and her in his arms.
In some series, sibling incest is shown to be common or allowed in a particular setting. In anime and manga Vampire Knight
Vampire Knight
is a shōjo manga and anime series written by Matsuri Hino. The series premiered in the January 2005 issue of LaLa magazine and is still on-going. Chapters are collected and published in collected volumes by Hakusensha, with eleven volumes currently released in Japan. The manga series is licensed in...
, pureblooded vampires often marry siblings to keep their bloodline pure – Yuki Cross's parents were siblings, and it was stated that she was "born" to be Kaname's (her older brother) wife. In Tenchi Muyo!
Tenchi Muyo!
, is a Japanese anime, light novel, and manga series created by Masaki Kajishima and Hiroki Hayashi.The generally accepted translation of the title is No Need for Tenchi or Useless Tenchi, though at the time of its appearance it was also translated variably as No Heaven and Earth and This Way Up...
, the character of Ayeka was once engaged to her half-brother, Yosho. On Ayeka's planet, such a thing is not considered bad. She is later shown to have feelings for Yosho's grandson Tenchi, who is technically her nephew
Nephew
Nephew is a son of one's sibling or sibling-in-law, and niece is a daughter of one's sibling or a sibling-in-law. Sons and daughters of siblings-in-law are also informally referred to as nephews and nieces respectively, even though there is no blood relation...
.
In other occurrences, the incest is the result of special circumstances. In Hitsuji no Uta
Lament of the Lamb
is a horror manga, OVA series and live action film about Kazuna, a boy with a mysterious illness which turns out to be vampirism. "Hitsuji no Uta" literally means "Song of the Sheep"...
, the two protagonists (who are twins) suffer from a strange disease that forces them to isolate themselves from society and develop an infatuation with each other as a consequence of that.
Sometimes, the incest is reserved to the antagonists. The anime and manga Black Lagoon
Black Lagoon
is a manga series written and illustrated by Rei Hiroe, and published in Shogakukan's Sunday GX since 2002. An animated television series based on the manga aired in Japan from April 8, 2006, to June 24, 2006, totaling twelve episodes. A second season, subtitled "The Second Barrage", ran for twelve...
alludes to an incestuous relationship between two antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
s, the Romanian young twins Hansel and Gretel. It is mainly used to enhance the repercussions of their highly traumatic
Psychological trauma
Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic event...
childhood and illustrate their unbalanced mental state. In Shakugan no Shana
Shakugan no Shana
, also known simply as Shana, is a Japanese light novel series written by Yashichiro Takahashi, with illustrations by Noizi Ito. The series includes 25 novels released between November 2002 and October 2011 published by ASCII Media Works under their Dengeki Bunko imprint...
, the Tomogara twin siblings Sorath and Tiriel publicly expressed incest through kissing each other. In the anime Twilight of the Dark Master
Twilight of the Dark Master
is a Japanese anime film based on a manga by Saki Okuse. It was produced by Masao Maruyama, directed by Akiyuki Shinbo, and the screenplay was written by Duane Dell'Amico. The film was distributed and licensed in 1997 by Urban Vision.-Plot:...
, an incestuous relationship is hinted at/revealed between two of Tsunami's enemies, the Long siblings.
The incestuous feelings are not always returned. In the anime/manga series Shugo Chara!
Shugo Chara!
, also known as My Guardian Characters, is a Japanese shōjo manga series created by the manga author duo, Peach-Pit. The story centers on elementary school girl Amu Hinamori, whose popular exterior, referred to as "cool and spicy" by her classmates, contrasts with her introverted personality...
, the character Utau is in love with her older brother, Ikuto. She forcefully kisses him in both the anime and manga. Ikuto, though, does not return her feelings. In the manga series 17-Sai no Real, Ruri finds out that her brother, Keito, has feelings for her. He is very jealous of her relationship with Jyunya and attempts to rape her once. At the end, they reconcile and remain close.
Others use incest mainly for shock value and titillation. For example, in Ouran High School Host Club
Ouran High School Host Club
is a manga series by Bisco Hatori, serialized in Hakusensha's LaLa magazine since August 5, 2003. The series follows Haruhi Fujioka, a scholarship student at Ouran High School, and the other members of the popular host club. The romantic comedy focuses on the relationships within and without the...
, two of the main characters, Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin, are identical twins who often engage in romantic displays to titillate the female patrons of the Host Club; the two have a close bond, but there is no clear evidence that their romantic behavior is anything but an act. However, they do sometimes act affectionate with each other while no one else is around, and they share a bed as well.
In the anime and manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
.hack//Legend of the Twilight
.hack//Legend of the Twilight
is a science fiction manga series written by Tatsuya Hamazaki and drawn by Rei Izumi. The twenty-two chapters of .hack//Legend of the Twilight appeared as a serial in the Japanese magazine Comptiq, and published in three tankōbon by Kadokawa Shoten from July 2002 to April 2004...
, the characters Rena and Shugo, siblings, carry out actions that allude to an incestuous attraction to each other's in-game avatars. This is usually done through as a running gag, or more serious instances. Shugo's dedication to saving Rena when she disappears may be an incarnation for an incestuous romantic caring for her, although this is questionable.
There may also be cases, used for dramatics, where one or both of the characters do not know of their relationship, such as seen in Berserk
Berserk (manga)
is a manga series written and illustrated by Kentaro Miura. Set in a medieval Europe-inspired world, the story centers around the characters of Guts, an orphaned mercenary, and Griffith, the leader of a mercenary band called the...
where the character Farnese appears to house incestuous feelings for her (although unknown to her) half-brother Serpico. He knows and refutes her advances. In the manga Andante, Natsu discovers that his girlfriend, Mel, is his half-sister by the same father and they break up. Previously, Natsu had dated Mei after his father married her mother but they broke up when they became attracted to other people.
Other times, incest is just a passing reference. In Tenjho Tenge
Tenjho Tenge
is a Japanese manga authored by Ito "Oh! great" Ōgure. The story primarily focuses on the members of the Juken Club and their opposition, the Executive Council, which is the ruling student body of a high school that educates its students in the art of combat...
, Mana Kuzunoha
Mana Kuzunoha
is a character in the manga and anime series Tenjho Tenge. She is Shin Natsume's girlfriend, and a member of the Medical Club.- Character outline :...
, the deceased girlfriend of the deceased brother of Maya Natsume
Maya Natsume
is a character in the manga and anime series Tenjho Tenge. She is the captain of the Juken club.- Character outline :Maya Natsume is a beautiful, busty and almost gratuitously well-endowed girl who has long silver hair . She is the older sister of Aya Natsume, and the younger sister of Shin Natsume...
, Shin Natsume
Shin Natsume
is a character in the manga and anime series Tenjho Tenge. He is the founder of the Team KATANA, and the Juken Club.- Character outline :When first introduced, Shin is portrayed as a carefree and charismatic youth. As the series progresses, the darker aspects of Shin's character come to light...
, once stated that Shin and Maya treated each other like lovers instead of siblings. In the anime/manga series Bleach
Bleach (manga)
is a Japanese shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Noriaki "Tite" Kubo. Bleach follows the adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki after he obtains the powers of a —a death personification similar to the Grim Reaper—from another Soul Reaper, Rukia Kuchiki...
, in Chapter 430 it is suggested by Karin that her sister Yuzu has incestuous feelings for their older brother Ichigo.
Sometimes, they may be the representation of a character's desire. In the manga After School Nightmare
After School Nightmare
is a shōjo fantasy manga by Setona Mizushiro. It was serialized from 2004 to 2007 in the manga magazine Princess and collected in ten tankōbon volumes. It is licensed in North America by Go! Comi, with all volumes adapted by Mallory Reaves and edited by Brynne Chandler...
, by Setona Mizushiro
Setona Mizushiro
is a Japanese comic artist. In 1985 she participated in the publication of a dōjinshi. She remained active in that world until her debut in 1993 with the short story Fuyu ga Owarou Toshiteita that ran in Shogakukan's magazine, Puchi Comic.While she is highly regarded in Japan and among the Chinese...
, one of the three main characters, the teenage student Sou Mizuhashi, is often persuaded by his elder sister Ai into having sexual intercourses with her (he even loses his virginity to her). Though, it is later revealed in the story that this does not occur in reality, but it only happens in a sort of oneiric/subcounscious state of the characters' mind.
Even in other cases, the incestuous relationship happens when the characters are not themselves, by reason of brainwashing, amnesia or other circumstances. In the series Big O in Episode 9, it is revealed that Mr. Wise's 40 year old son is a child of incest with his sister, though this due to the fact at the time when all memories were wiped out at the time they were unaware of who the other was. In the series Ayashi no Ceres, Aya is nearly raped by her twin brother, Aki, when he is brainwashed by Mikagi.
In Maze
Maze (anime)
is a fantasy anime series featuring both sex-based humor and mecha themes that is based on an original light novel. The anime version was first released as a OVA then a full length TV series and finally as a sequel movie. The OVA and TV anime versions were licensed in the U.S. by Central Park Media...
, Mei and her brother, Akira, had an incestuous encounter when they were young and this led him to being viewed as an outcast by their parents. However, they are still in love with each other and remain together, despite their love being a taboo.
The manga series Densen Complex, portrays several stories of sibling incest.
Brother/sister complex
Incest often takes the form of brother/sister complex. The series B Gata H KeiB Gata H Kei
is a four-panel manga series published by Shueisha which was adapted into an anime series. The story focuses on the salacious wishes of a high school girl, whose perceived drawback of being a virgin leads her to lusting and pursuing a rather average and unremarkable boy in her class.Outside of...
, the character Kyouka Kanejou is known to have a severe brother complex. To the point she has a room with nothing but his images everywhere, uses her influence to keep any other girls away from him, and even wishes for nothing more than for her brother to take her virginity.
In the series Kiddy Grade
Kiddy Grade
is a 24 episode science fiction anime series produced in 2002 and created by gímik and Gonzo Digimation and directed by Keiji Gotoh. The series is licensed and distributed in North America by FUNimation Entertainment. The series currently airs on the FUNimation Channel in both its "syndicated...
, the agent Tweedledum is known to have a strong sister complex towards his partner/sister Tweedledee.
In the anime/manga series My Little Sister Can't Be This Cute
Ore no Imoto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai
, also known as or for short, is a Japanese light novel series written by Tsukasa Fushimi, with illustrations provided by Hiro Kanzaki. Nine volumes have been published since August 2008. A manga adaptation drawn by Sakura Ikeda was serialized in ASCII Media Works' Dengeki G's Magazine. A...
, it is heavily hinted that the character Kirino has a brother complex as she loves adult games with a little sister love theme. She also hints a feeling of jealousy when her brother is with, or shows interest in, other girls.
In the manga series Girls Saurus
Girls Saurus
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kei Kusunoki and published by Shogakukan. The individual volumes were collected and published in three tankōbon volumes between March 2002 to December 2002. Kusunoki followed up Girls Saurus with a sequel, called...
, Subaru Chiryū, the main character Shingo Chiryū's little sister, has a strong incestuous love towards him, to the point that tries to drive away the other girls who are interested in him, as well as proclaiming she wishes to bear her brother's child.
In the anime/manga To Love-Ru
To Love-Ru
is a Japanese manga series written by Saki Hasemi, and illustrated by Kentaro Yabuki, creator of Black Cat. The manga was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump between April 24, 2006 and August 31, 2009; 18 tankōbon volumes have been published in Japan...
, it is often highly suggested that Mikan Yuuki has feelings beyond sisterly affection to her brother, Rito. This was more evident in the OVA, where she even asked if they were not blood related, so he would marry her. In the 5th OVA, when the main female cast is stricken by a pollen that confesses their true feelings, Mikan was infected and almost confessed to Rito that she loves him before being interrupted.
In the anime/manga Tona-Gura!, it is suggested that Marie Kagura has a secret brother complex to her older brother Yuji, with stronger hints later as she becomes jealous of Yuji's and Kazuki's growing relationship
In the manga Super-Dreadnought Girl 4946
Super-Dreadnought Girl 4946
Super-Dreadnought Girl 4946 known in Japan as is a Japanese manga by Azuma Takeshi and serialized in Shogakukan's manga magazine Shōnen Sunday Super....
, Kuumi, despite her usual dark and cold personality towards her brother Makoto, reveals she actually is in love with her brother. Revealed she adopted that personality both as a way to distance him from her, as well as feeling she was nothing more than a hindrance to him while they were children. However, she often shows strong hints of jealousy towards Mana and any other girl that shows interest in him.
In the series They Are My Noble Masters
Kimi ga Aruji de Shitsuji ga Ore de
, often abbreviated , and also known as They Are My Noble Masters, is a Japanese adult visual novel developed by Minato Soft and released on May 25, 2007 for the PC as a DVD. A PlayStation 2 version with adult-content removed was released under the title Kimi ga Aruji de Shitsuji ga Ore de: Otsukae...
, Both brother and sister Ren and Mihato comment they have brother/sister complex. Also it is often suggested that Shinra regularly "molests" her little sister Miyu due to the fact Shinra cannot resist anything she finds "cute".
In Re:Birth - The Lunatic Taker, Ayaka is known to have a deep love for her younger brother Renji. However, she hides a disturbing yandere personality, and would not hesitate (if anything she finds pleasure in do so) to kill whomever is believed to be a threat to his safety.
In the manga and anime series Magikano
Magikano
is a manga series by Takeaki Momose, which was later adapted into an anime series, directed by Seiji Kishi and written by Hideki Mitsui.The anime series was also broadcast by Animax, who adapted and dubbed the series into English for broadcast across its English language networks in Southeast Asia...
, the character Maika displays a brother complex towards her older brother and central protagonist Haruo. She becomes jealous when other girls try to get close to Haruo, and one episode focuses around several other characters trying to figure out why Maika developed a brother complex in the first place.
In the manga version of Kirarin Revolution
Kirarin Revolution
is a Japanese shōjo manga by An Nakahara. The series' title is the supposed name of Kirari's debut single. As of August 2007, it runs in the shōjo magazine Ciao published by Shogakukan...
, a minor character, Ren, appears to be in love with his twin sister, Rin, as he does whatever she tells him to do and almost kissed her.
In This Ugly Yet Beautiful World
This Ugly Yet Beautiful World
is an anime television series created by Shouji Saeki and Hiroyuki Yamaga. It was co-produced by the Gainax and Shaft animation studios.The series aired on the Tokyo Broadcasting System from April 1, 2004 to June 16, 2004, totaling 12 episodes...
, Kimi has a brother complex towards her older brother, Ryou. She is overprotective of him to the point that she tries to keep Ryou and Akari separated from each other. Elsewhere, Takeru is the object of unrequited love from Mari, his cousin, who is very jealous of Takeru and Hikari's relationship, to the point of verbal and physical violence.
In Sister Princess
Sister Princess
is a popular Japanese seinen series written by Sakurako Kimino and illustrated by Naoto Tenhiro. It began as a serialized light novel series in 1999. In 2001, a manga series and a bishōjo game for the Sony PlayStation were released. Sequels to the game were released for the PlayStation and Game Boy...
, all of Wataru's twelve younger sisters have a brother complex for him. While this may seem normal, one sister, Sakuya, has much deeper feelings for him that she gets very jealous of the other sisters and has breakdowns when she thinks Wataru is not getting close enough to her.
Siblings with no blood relation
A similar theme sometimes explored in both media is pseudo-incest, which is most often depicted as romantic/sexual relationships between step-siblings or adopted siblings. The plot in Marmalade BoyMarmalade Boy
is a shōjo manga by Wataru Yoshizumi. It was published by Shueisha in the magazine Ribon from May 1992 to October 1995 and collected in eight tankōbon volumes. The series was adapted by Toei Animation as a 76-episode anime television series which aired on TV Asahi and Fuji TV in 1994 to 1995. This...
revolves around this theme: step-siblings Miki and Yuu at one point believe they are half-siblings but this turns out to be false and they actually get married in the anime.
In the series Kiss×Sis
Kiss×sis
is a Japanese seinen manga written and illustrated by Bow Ditama. It began serialization in Bessatsu Young Magazine on December 11, 2005 and has since been published into eight volumes by Kodansha...
, the twin sisters Ako and Riko are in love with their step-brother Keita. However they have no blood relations to each other. In one chapter and an OVA
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
episode however, Ako and Riko do experiment with each other to practice for if ever they ended up having a threesome with Keita.
In the anime/manga series Blood Plus, Diva's rape of Riku is technically incest, since Riku is the adopted younger brother of Saya, who is Diva's twin sister. If so, then the Diva's twin daughters, that resulted from the rape, are the somewhat product of incest.
In the series Oniichan no Koto Nanka Zenzen Suki Janain Dakara ne!!
Oniichan no Koto Nanka Zenzen Suki Janain Dakara ne!!
is a Japanese seinen manga series written and illustrated by Kouichi Kusano which began serialization on Futabasha's Web Comic High! service from August 2008. It has been licensed in North America by Seven Seas Entertainment...
, Nao has a sexual attraction to her brother Shūsuke before it was revealed to her she is adopted. To the point she was completely shocked that she could no longer have the tragic romantic life of incest lovers.
In the manga series Kimi ga Uso o Tsuita, the main character Saki falls in love with her older brother Midori, whom she has recently met, as well as he is in love with her. It is later revealed they are not blood related, and in the end of the manga get married.
In the manga Sugar Family, Yuka is said to have some degree of romantic interest in her step-brother/teacher, Taichi, who has a severe case of sister complex towards her.
In the anime series Da Capo
Da capo
Da Capo is a musical term in Italian, meaning from the beginning . It is often abbreviated D.C. It is a composer or publisher's directive to repeat the previous part of music, often used to save space. In small pieces this might be the same thing as a repeat, but in larger works D.C...
, Jun'ichi is in love with his adopted sister, Nemu, and is pursued by his cousin, Sakura. Since they are not related by blood, they relationship is accepted by their friends. In Da Capo II, it is revealed that the two female main characters, Otome and Yume, are their granddaughters and both are in love with Yoshiyuki, the imaginary son Sakura wished she had with Jun'ichi.
In the manga series Cherry Juice
Cherry Juice
is a romantic comedy manga series created by Haruka Fukushima, centered around a growing romance between two step-siblings, Minami and Otome. Cherry Juice was originally serialized in Nakayoshi, and was published by Kodansha in 2004. The first volume of the series was released in America by...
, Otome develops feelings for her step-brother, Minami, who has always loved her. Even their own family and friends encourage them to get married. At the end, they begin dating after confessing.
In the anime and manga series Georgie!, Georgie has been extremely close with her adopted brothers, Abel and Arthur, all their lives. However, the brothers have feelings for her and Georgie eventually realizes that she loves Abel. They have a night together and she moves in with Arthur to give birth to her and Abel's son, whom she named after Abel, after Abel is executed.
In the manga series Flower of Eden
Flower of Eden
is a Japanese manga created by author Yuki Suetsugu.-Story:Midori Wakatsuki is a beautiful but introverted girl who simply cannot connect with her peers and wants to run away from home. The reason for her unsociability is that after her parents' death, she was placed in an abusive foster family...
, Midori has feelings for her brother, Tokio. However, he admits that they are actually step-siblings and he confesses his love to her. His family, who hates Midori and blames her for their parents' death, try to separate them. But at the end, they marry when his family understands what makes Tokio happy.
In the manga series Kiken Junai D.N.A, Ami develops feelings for her brother, Chihiro, even though she knows it's wrong. However, Chihiro admits that he is actually her adopted brother and they can have a relationship. At the end, they are married and have a daughter.
In a manga one-shot, Suki to Ienai, Shiina is in love with her adopted brother, Kiri. She keeps this and his adoption a secret, but he later admits that he knew of the adoption all along and confesses his love to her.
In the manga series Ano Koro ni Aitai, after Yuzuru found out that her older brother, Fuyuhisa, is adopted, she tries very hard to forget her feelings for him, but couldn't.
In the manga series, Desire Climax
Desire Climax
is a shōjo manga series by Ayane Ukyō. It was serialized in Shueisha's Margaret manga magazine from 2004 to 2006, and collected in seven bound volumes...
, Mio is heavily pursued by her younger brother, Hina, who even tries to rape her and tries seduce her boyfriend, Shoei. She later begins to suspect that Shoei is her half-brother when she thinks her mother had an affair with his father. However, it turns out that neither Shoei and Hina are her brothers, but are half-brothers themselves (they have the same father).
In the series, Happy World!
Happy World!
is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Kenjirou Takeshita. It was serialized in Shueisha's Ultra Jump. The manga was adapted into an original video animation by KSS with animation work done by Zexcs.-Plot:...
, Elle comes to live with Takeshi as his step-sister. However, as time goes by, they begin to fall in love with each other, despite her being an angel and he being human. At the end, they have a daughter named Prayer. However, Prayer is not Takeshi's child biologically because she was hatched from an angel's egg and was adopted by him.
In True Tears
True Tears
is a Japanese visual novel developed by La'cryma, a collaboration between Broccoli, Circus, GameCrab and Rei Izumi, and was originally released on March 31, 2006 for the PC as a DVD in Japan rated for everyone, followed by a Hong Kong and Taiwanese release on March 31, 2007...
, Shin'ichiro is in love with his adopted sister, Hitomi. However, because she was told by his mother that he is her borther, she keeps her feelings for him suppressed, even though she wants to be with him. However, she does eventually learn that it was a lie and they begin a relationship.
In Yoru Made Matenai, Haruka and her step-brother, Tsukasa, have been in love with each other since they began living under the same roof and began their intimate relationship at age 12.
In Oniichan Love, Sumire has feelings for her older step-brother, Kon, who returns her feelings, even though not until the very end due to their status as siblings by marriage.
In the series, Mamotte Lollipop, Ichi was in love with his step-sister, Sarasa, in his young teens. However, she never returned his feelings and ended up marrying Zero's older brother, and he does eventually get over her to make her happy.
In the manhwa series, Forbidden Kiss, Haeun falls in love with her step-brother Shin, who has loved her ever since he first met her. After repeated denials and initial rejection from their parents, they become a couple.
Cousin couples
In anime and manga, cousin coupling is very common, this because cousin marriageCousin marriage
Cousin marriage is marriage between two cousins. In various jurisdictions and cultures, such marriages range from being considered ideal and actively encouraged, to being uncommon but still legal, to being seen as incest and legally prohibited....
s are not only not incestuous, but actually have been desirable in Japan.
In the anime and manga series Elfen Lied
Elfen Lied
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Lynn Okamoto. A thirteen-episode anime television series adaptation was produced by the studio ARMS and broadcast on TV Tokyo from July to October 2004. The anime was later licensed in North America on DVD by ADV Films...
, Kohta and his first cousin, Yuka, had been extremely close as children and eventually develop a romantic relationship as teenagers. At the end, they marry and have a daughter, Nyu, who was named after Kohta's first love.
In the series Black Butler, Ciel is engaged to his first cousin, Elizabeth. While he is not completely open about his feelings for her, he cares deeply for her and feels it is his duty to protect her. She, on the other hand, is more open about her feelings for him and is always trying her hardest to make Ciel smile more.
Fruits Basket
Fruits Basket
, sometimes abbreviated , is a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by Natsuki Takaya. It was serialized in the semi-monthly Japanese magazine Hana to Yume, published by Hakusensha, from 1999 to 2006. The series was also adapted into a 26-episode anime series, directed by Akitaro...
involved incest between several of the members of the zodiac. It consists of mainly cousin relationships and one case of an affair between a nephew and aunt by marriage.
In Kokoro wo Hadaka ni Shite, Mina and her cousin, Yukiya, have romantic feelings for each other.
In Kodomo no Jikan
Kodomo no Jikan
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by manga author Kaworu Watashiya. The story revolves around a grade school teacher named Daisuke Aoki, whose main problem is that one of his students, Rin Kokonoe, has a crush on him. It was first serialized on May 22, 2005 in the Japanese seinen...
, Rin's mother, Aki, was in a romantic relationship with her first cousin, Reiji, who became a father figure to Rin. After Aki's death, Reiji took custody of Rin and seems to be projecting his feelings for Aki to Rin, as he gets jealous over Daisuke and is possessive of her.
In Canvas 2, Elis is in love with her first cousin, Hiroki, who doesn't return her feelings until the end.
Other examples
Sometimes, the fantasy elements makes it very difficult to track the exact relationship between the characters. In the manga version of Card Captor Sakura, it is revealed that Sakura and her love interest, Syaoran, are related in some way. Syaoran's ancestor, Clow Reed, had reincarnated himself into two people when he died: one into a boy named Eriol and another into Sakura's father. In Tsubasa Chronicle, Sakura and Syaoran's son, Tsubasa, develops feelings for his mother's counterpart, Princess Sakura, who returns his feelings. It is also specultated that Sakura's second cousin, Tomoyo, has feelings for her and Syaoran is heavily pursued by his first cousin, Meiling, who proclaims herself as his fiancée.Similarly, in the series Kamichama Karin
Kamichama Karin
is a Japanese manga originally written by Koge-Donbo about a seventh grade girl named Karin who finds out that she can transform into a goddess. The series began as a manga first serialized in January 2003. Kamichama Karin was serialized in the Japanese shōjo manga magazine Nakayoshi and published...
, Karin begins to suspect that her love interest, Kazune, is her half-brother after finding out that they have the same picture of their parents. However, this turns out to be false when Kazune reveals that he is his father's clone and she is his wife turned back into a child and that his cousin, Himeka, who had feelings for Kazune, is their daughter. In Kamichama Karin Chu, it is revealed that they will marry and Suzune is their son from the future.
In the manga Ai to Himemoto, Mao has had romantic feelings towards her uncle, Jin, ever since she went to live with him. However, she finds out they are not blood-related and begin a relationship. At the end, they are married and have two children.
In the manga version of Pita-Ten, Kotarou discovers that his first crush, Shia, is actually his great-grandmother who is a demon in a permanently young body.
In the manga version of Kodocha
Kodocha
is a manga series by Miho Obana, helped periodically by her sister, Kaori Obana. The series is commonly known under the name Kodocha. The manga won the 1998 Kodansha Manga Award for shōjo. In the year 2007, At the American Anime Awards the anime was nominated for best comedy anime...
, it is said that Sana's biological parents were uncle and niece.
In the series, Crimson Climax
Crimson Climax
is a three-episode erotic anime series produced by Green Bunny. It is based on an H game of the same title created by Tiger Man Project.-Plot:...
, Ryo develops feelings for her cousin, Hotaruko. She later has sexual relations with a man named Mizuno. Hotaruko was raped by Bungo, who is revealed to be her uncle. Near the end, it is revealed that Hotaruko is not Ryo's cousin but is her mother and Mizuno is Hotaruko's twin brother. It is also presumed that Ryo is the product of incest between Hotaruko and Mizuno because it was said that if the twins had not been born, Ryo would not have been born.
Adult/children incest
In the manga series SankareaSankarea
is a romantic comedy manga written and illustrated by Mitsuru Hattori about a deceased girl who becomes a zombie. It is published in Japan by Kodansha. The manga has been serialised in Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine since December 2009, with four complete volumes released...
, it is highly suggested that Danichirou Sanka has a disturbing incestuous love towards his daughter Rea, such as taking photos of her naked and wishing to kill Chihiro Furuya under the belief he "stole" his daughter from him. The maids even rumor that his wife sleeps with other men because of her husband's attraction to their daughter.
In the manga series, Bitter Virgin
Bitter Virgin
is a seinen manga presented by Kei Kusunoki and serialized in Young Gangan. Prior to producing this manga, Kusunoki had stopped writing for a period in order to cope with a miscarriage....
, Hinako was sexually abused by her stepfather, resulting in the birth of a child and a miscarriage.
In the series Kaze to Ki no Uta
Kaze to Ki no Uta
is a shōjo manga with yaoi themes by Keiko Takemiya. It was first published by Shougakukan from 1976 to 1984 in the magazine Shōjo Comic. In 1979, it was awarded the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award for shōnen/shōjo manga. The series is widely regarded as a shōnen-ai manga classic, being one of...
, Gilbert is physically, emotionally, and sexually abused by his father, Auguste, who poses as his uncle. Auguste, who is interested in making Gilbert as his own personal pet, can be kind to Gilbert at one time and then be cruel in another. His influence is so strong that Gilbert actually believes they are in love.
Hentai
Incest is also a common theme in hentaiHentai
is a Japanese word that, in the West, is used when referring to sexually explicit or pornographic comics and animation, particularly those of Japanese origin such as anime, manga, and computer games. The word hentai is a kanji compound of 変 and 態...
manga and anime; there, its treatment ranges from lighthearted to serious, and can go as far as mixing the theme with controversial sub-genres such as ero guro. In Juan Gotoh's Boys Empire, Makoto Tamura, who appears 12 years old, impregnates his same age girlfriend Hitomi, his older sister Mina, and his mother Umeko.
In the manga Aki Sora
Aki sora
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masahiro Itosugi. It was first published in September 2008 by Akita Shoten. It started serialisation in the ninth volume and was concluded in volume 25 of Akita Shoten's shōnen manga magazine Champion Red Ichigo. An OVA adaptation by Hoods...
, Aki is in love with her little brother, Sora, and is later able to persuade him into a sexual relationship, though he often considers breaking it off due to the fact he cannot see a future with this relationship. In the final chapter, they compromise and end their forbidden relationship. Later on in the manga he is repeatedly forced to have sex with his twin sister Nami. It is later discovered that their parents had been brother and sister.
Yaoi
Incest is also a theme used in yaoiYaoi
In careful Japanese enunciation, all three vowels are pronounced separately, for a three-mora word, . The English equivalent is . also known as Boys' Love, is a Japanese popular term for female-oriented fictional media that focus on homoerotic or homoromantic male relationships, usually created by...
and shonen ai manga. Apart from the previously mentioned Kaze to Ki no Uta, examples include Love Prism by Asami Tojo and Uso to Kiss by Masara Minase.
Papa to Kiss in the Dark
Papa to Kiss in the Dark
is a light novel series by Ken Nanbara with yaoi themes. It has been adapted into an anime OVA series with the same name...
centers around a 15 year old boy having an incestuous relationship with his father, who is later revealed to be his uncle.
Incestuous families
The American horror filmHorror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (original series 1974–1994 and remake series 2003–2006), and Wrong Turn
Wrong Turn
Wrong Turn is a 2003 American slasher horror film, directed by Rob Schmidt, and written by Alan B. McElroy. The film was shot in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and stars Desmond Harrington and Eliza Dushku...
(2003) feature villains who are the product of inbreeding
Inbreeding
Inbreeding is the reproduction from the mating of two genetically related parents. Inbreeding results in increased homozygosity, which can increase the chances of offspring being affected by recessive or deleterious traits. This generally leads to a decreased fitness of a population, which is...
.
In the musical The Rocky Horror Show
The Rocky Horror Show
The Rocky Horror Show is a long-running British horror comedy stage musical, which opened in London on 19 June 1973. It was written by Richard O'Brien, produced and directed by Jim Sharman. It came eighth in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the "Nation's Number One Essential Musicals"...
and the 1975 film The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the 1975 film adaptation of the British rock musical stageplay, The Rocky Horror Show, written by Richard O'Brien. The film is a parody of B-movie, science fiction and horror films of the late 1940s through early 1970s. Director Jim Sharman collaborated on the...
, Riff Raff (Richard O'Brien
Richard O'Brien
Richard Timothy Smith , better known under his stage name Richard O'Brien, is an English writer, actor, television presenter and theatre performer. He is perhaps best known for writing the cult musical The Rocky Horror Show and for his role in presenting the popular TV show The Crystal Maze...
) and Magenta (Patricia Quinn
Patricia Quinn
Patricia Quinn, Lady Stephens is a Northern Irish actress best known for her role as Magenta in the film The Rocky Horror Picture Show . Hers were the red lips that appeared in the film's opening song "Science Fiction/Double Feature"...
) are revealed to be brother and sister who have a sexual relationship. In the unproduced sequel Revenge of the Old Queen
Revenge of the Old Queen
Revenge of the Old Queen is the title of the intended third film in The Rocky Horror Picture Show comedy-horror musical trilogy. The script was written in the late 1980s by Richard O'Brien, who had also written Rocky Horror Picture Show and its follow-up, Shock Treatment. The script features...
, it is implied that Dr. Frank-N-Furter had been incestuously involved with his own mother, the "Old Queen" of the planet Transsexual (in the galaxy of Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
); she later dies in the throes of seducing her own grandson.
The sequel to Richard O'Brien
Richard O'Brien
Richard Timothy Smith , better known under his stage name Richard O'Brien, is an English writer, actor, television presenter and theatre performer. He is perhaps best known for writing the cult musical The Rocky Horror Show and for his role in presenting the popular TV show The Crystal Maze...
's The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the 1975 film adaptation of the British rock musical stageplay, The Rocky Horror Show, written by Richard O'Brien. The film is a parody of B-movie, science fiction and horror films of the late 1940s through early 1970s. Director Jim Sharman collaborated on the...
is a musical called Shock Treatment
Shock Treatment
Shock Treatment is a 1981 musical-black comedy film and a follow-up to the film The Rocky Horror Picture Show. While not an outright sequel, the movie does feature several characters from the movie portrayed by different actors and several Rocky Horror actors portraying new characters...
which meets Brad and Janet some time after their adventure with Frank 'n' Furter. In this film, brother and sister Cosmo and Nation McKinley are clearly displayed as having a sexual relationship. The film even includes a bedroom scene between the two during the song 'Lullaby'. These two siblings are, as in The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the 1975 film adaptation of the British rock musical stageplay, The Rocky Horror Show, written by Richard O'Brien. The film is a parody of B-movie, science fiction and horror films of the late 1940s through early 1970s. Director Jim Sharman collaborated on the...
, played by Richard O'Brien
Richard O'Brien
Richard Timothy Smith , better known under his stage name Richard O'Brien, is an English writer, actor, television presenter and theatre performer. He is perhaps best known for writing the cult musical The Rocky Horror Show and for his role in presenting the popular TV show The Crystal Maze...
and Patricia Quinn
Patricia Quinn
Patricia Quinn, Lady Stephens is a Northern Irish actress best known for her role as Magenta in the film The Rocky Horror Picture Show . Hers were the red lips that appeared in the film's opening song "Science Fiction/Double Feature"...
.
The pornographic Taboo film series
Taboo (film series)
Taboo is a pornographic movie series of the 1980s, which eroticizes father-daughter & mother-son incest. It stars Kay Parker, and was directed by Kirdy Stevens and others....
of the 1980s deal exclusively with incest, including mother/son, brother/sister and father/daughter.
In the 2001 film Kate & Leopold
Kate & Leopold
Kate & Leopold is a 2001 romantic-comedy fantasy that tells a story of a duke who travels through time from New York in 1876 to the present and falls in love with a career woman in the modern New York...
, Stuart Bessers' (Liev Schreiber
Liev Schreiber
Isaac Liev Schreiber , commonly known as Liev Schreiber, is an American actor, producer, director, and screenwriter. He became known during the late 1990s and early 2000s, having initially appeared in several independent films, and later mainstream Hollywood films, including the Scream trilogy of...
) ex-girlfriend Kate McKay (Meg Ryan
Meg Ryan
Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra , professionally known as Meg Ryan, is an American actress and producer. Raised in Bethel, Connecticut, Ryan began her acting career in 1981 in minor roles, before joining the cast of the CBS soap opera As the World Turns in 1982...
) is revealed to be his close ancestor, as she is destined to travel back in time to marry another of Stuart's ancestors, Leopold (Hugh Jackman
Hugh Jackman
Hugh Michael Jackman is an Australian actor and producer who is involved in film, musical theatre, and television.Jackman has won international recognition for his roles in major films, notably as action/superhero, period and romance characters...
).
In the 2004 film, Van Helsing
Van Helsing (film)
Van Helsing is a 2004 American action horror film directed by Stephen Sommers. It stars Hugh Jackman as vigilante monster hunter Gabriel Van Helsing, and Kate Beckinsale...
, Count Dracula
Count Dracula
Count Dracula is a fictional character, the titular antagonist of Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula and archetypal vampire. Some aspects of his character have been inspired by the 15th century Romanian general and Wallachian Prince Vlad III the Impaler...
(Richard Roxburgh
Richard Roxburgh
Richard Roxburgh is an Australian actor who has starred in many Australian films and has appeared in supporting roles in a number of Hollywood productions, usually as villains.-Early life:...
) intends to make a young, Gypsy princess, Anna Valerious (Kate Beckinsale
Kate Beckinsale
Kathryn Bailey "Kate" Beckinsale is an English actress. After some minor television roles, she made her film debut in Much Ado About Nothing while still a student at Oxford University...
), his newest bride, both of them knowing that Dracula is one of Anna's ancestors.
Park Chan-Wook
Park Chan-wook
Park Chan-wook is a South Korean film director, screenwriter, producer, and former film critic. One of the most acclaimed and popular filmmakers in his native country, Park is most known for his films Joint Security Area, Thirst and what has become known as The Vengeance Trilogy, consisting of...
's Oldboy
Oldboy
Oldboy is a 2003 South Korean film directed by Park Chan-wook. It is based on the Japanese manga of the same name written by Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya. Oldboy is the second installment of The Vengeance Trilogy, preceded by Sympathy for Mr...
(2003) features an instance of brother-sister incest as well as father-daughter incest, both resulting in possible pregnancies.
The 2006 film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, often referred to simply as Borat, is a 2006 mockumentary comedy film directed by Larry Charles and distributed by 20th Century Fox...
features Borat Sagdiyev
Borat
Borat Sagdiyev is a satirical fictional character invented and performed by English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen...
as an incestuous journalist, also featuring his whole village in Kazakhstan living under an incestuous way of life.
Historical films
Anne of the Thousand Days
Anne of the Thousand Days
Anne of the Thousand Days is a 1969 costume drama made by Hal Wallis Productions and distributed by Universal Pictures. It was directed by Charles Jarrott and produced by Hal B. Wallis. The film tells the story of Anne Boleyn...
(1969), when Anne Boleyn is on trial for treason by adultery, her own brother (among many others) is accused of being her lover. This theme is also used in The Other Boleyn Girl (2008), where Anne Boleyn (Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman
Natalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel...
), in pure desperation to be with child, asks her own brother George (Jim Sturgess
Jim Sturgess
James Anthony "Jim" Sturgess is an English actor and singer-songwriter. His breakthrough role was appearing as Jude in the musical romance drama film Across the Universe .-Early life:...
) to have sex with her. At first, George agrees for the sake of Anne's safety, but as they prepare, they both realize they cannot go through with it. They are both later charged with incest, and although innocent, they are both sentenced to death.
Incest is also a main plot device in the movie Caligula
Caligula (film)
Caligula is a 1979 American-produced Italian biographical film directed by Tinto Brass, with additional scenes filmed by Giancarlo Lui and Penthouse founder Bob Guccione. The film concerns the rise and fall of Roman Emperor Gaius Caesar Germanicus, better known as Caligula...
(1979), in which the title character
Caligula
Caligula , also known as Gaius, was Roman Emperor from 37 AD to 41 AD. Caligula was a member of the house of rulers conventionally known as the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Caligula's father Germanicus, the nephew and adopted son of Emperor Tiberius, was a very successful general and one of Rome's most...
(Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell is an English actor with a career spanning over forty years.McDowell is principally known for his roles in the controversial films If...., O Lucky Man!, A Clockwork Orange and Caligula...
) has sexual relations with his sisters.
In Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott
Sir Ridley Scott is an English film director and producer. His most famous films include The Duellists , Alien , Blade Runner , Legend , Thelma & Louise , G. I...
's film, Gladiator
Gladiator (2000 film)
Gladiator is a 2000 historical epic film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed, Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, John Shrapnel and Richard Harris. Crowe portrays the loyal Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is betrayed...
(2000), the new Emperor Commodus
Commodus
Commodus , was Roman Emperor from 180 to 192. He also ruled as co-emperor with his father Marcus Aurelius from 177 until his father's death in 180. His name changed throughout his reign; see changes of name for earlier and later forms. His accession as emperor was the first time a son had succeeded...
is in love with his sister Lucilla
Lucilla
Annia Aurelia Galeria Lucilla or Lucilla was the second daughter and third child of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius and Roman Empress Faustina the Younger and an elder sister to future Roman Emperor Commodus....
, though she does not return his affections in that way.
Fantasy and horror films
In Excalibur
Excalibur (film)
Excalibur is a 1981 dramatic fantasy film directed, produced and co-written by John Boorman that retells the legend of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. Adapted from the 15th century Arthurian romance, Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory, Excalibur features the music of Richard Wagner...
(1981) Mordred is Arthur's illegitimate son born by his half-sister Morgause.
In Cat People
Cat People (1982 film)
Cat People is a 1982 American erotic horror film directed by Paul Schrader and starring Nastassja Kinski, Malcolm McDowell and John Heard. The film co-stars Annette O'Toole, Ruby Dee, Ed Begley, Jr. and John Larroquette. Jerry Bruckheimer served as executive producer...
(1982), Paul Gallier (Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell is an English actor with a career spanning over forty years.McDowell is principally known for his roles in the controversial films If...., O Lucky Man!, A Clockwork Orange and Caligula...
) wants to sleep with his sister Irena (Nastassja Kinski
Nastassja Kinski
Nastassja Kinski is a German-born American-based actress who has appeared in more than 60 films. Her starring roles include her Golden Globe Award-winning portrayal of the title character in Tess and her roles in two erotic films , as well as parts in Wim Wenders' films The Wrong Move; Paris,...
) in order not to transform into a panther in order to live up to his family's werecat
Werecat
A werecat is a therianthropic creature of folklore, horror, and occultism, described as being a shape-shifter similar to a Werewolf....
heritage.
In the 2006 film The Hamiltons
The Hamiltons
The Hamiltons is an independent horror film directed by the Butcher Brothers and the winner of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and the Malibu International Film Festival...
, Wendell and his twin sister, Darlene, have an incestuous relationship and share it openly.
Other films
Sweet Smell of Success
Sweet Smell of Success
Sweet Smell of Success is a 1957 American film noir made by Hill-Hecht-Lancaster Productions and released by United Artists. It was directed by Alexander Mackendrick and stars Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Susan Harrison and Martin Milner. The screenplay was written by Clifford Odets, Ernest Lehman...
(1957), The treacherous newspaper columnist J. J. Hunsecker (played by Burt Lancaster
Burt Lancaster
Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster was an American film actor noted for his athletic physique and distinctive smile...
), has repressed incestuous feelings for his younger sister, Susan. Although not stated during the film, J. J.'s feelings are implied by several things. Such as him consistently touching Susan in borderline-inappropriate ways, keeping an 8×11 photograph of her (and only one of her) on his desk and (of course) his refusal to let Susan marry or even date other men.
Bunny Lake is Missing
Bunny Lake Is Missing
Bunny Lake Is Missing is a 1965 British psychological thriller film directed and produced by Otto Preminger, who filmed it in black and white widescreen format in London. It was based on the novel of the same name by Merriam Modell. The score is by Paul Glass and the opening theme is often heard as...
(1965) An incestuous relationship is implied between the two siblings, Steven ('Stevie') and Ann Lake. But the possessive Steven, furious at Ann's daughter, Bunny, for stealing his sister's loving attention, kidnaps the child with intentions to kill her.
Scarface
Scarface (1983 film)
Scarface is a 1983 American epic crime drama movie directed by Brian De Palma, written by Oliver Stone, produced by Martin Bregman and starring Al Pacino as Tony Montana...
(1983), Gina Montana, claims that her older brother, Tony, has incestuous feelings for her after he kills her husband, Manny. However, whether Tony actually had these desires is left up to the viewer.
In the film adaptation of The Hotel New Hampshire
The Hotel New Hampshire (film)
The Hotel New Hampshire is a 1984 comedy-drama film based on John Irving's 1981 novel of the same name. The film was written and directed by Tony Richardson and stars Jodie Foster, Beau Bridges, Rob Lowe, and Nastassja Kinski. The film also features Wilford Brimley, Amanda Plummer, Matthew Modine,...
(1984), John (Rob Lowe
Rob Lowe
Robert Hepler "Rob" Lowe is an American actor. Lowe came to prominence after appearing in films such as The Outsiders, Oxford Blues, About Last Night..., St. Elmo's Fire, and Wayne's World. On television, Lowe is known for his role as Sam Seaborn on The West Wing and his role as Senator Robert...
) feels intense sexual desire for his sister, Franny (Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster
Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster is an American actress, film director, producer as well as a former child actress....
). Franny succumbs and, after spending an entire day having sex, they move on a strictly platonic
Platonic love
Platonic love is a chaste and strong type of love that is non-sexual.-Amor Platonicus:The term amor platonicus was coined as early as the 15th century by the Florentine scholar Marsilio Ficino. Platonic love in this original sense of the term is examined in Plato's dialogue the Symposium, which has...
relationship.
In the film adaptation of Flowers in the Attic
Flowers in the Attic (film)
Flowers in the Attic is a 1987 horror film starring Louise Fletcher, Victoria Tennant, Kristy Swanson, and Jeb Stuart Adams. It is based on the 1979 novel of the same name by V. C. Andrews...
(1987), Cathy shares a close bond with her older brother, Chris, that is hinted to be incestuous, but not shown, while they are imprisoned in the attic with their siblings.
In the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
film Close My Eyes
Close My Eyes (film)
Close My Eyes is a 1991 film written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff and starring Alan Rickman, Clive Owen and Saskia Reeves as well as Lesley Sharp and Karl Johnson...
(1991), a brother and sister (Clive Owen
Clive Owen
Clive Owen is an English actor, who has worked on television, stage and film. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for portraying the lead in the ITV series Chancer from 1990 to 1991...
and Saskia Reeves
Saskia Reeves
Saskia Reeves is a British actress perhaps best known for her roles in the films Close My Eyes and ID , and the 2000 miniseries Frank Herbert's Dune....
) embark on a passionate but incestuous love affair. In this film there are a few sexual scenes between the siblings.
The Cement Garden
The Cement Garden
The Cement Garden is a 1978 novel by Ian McEwan. It was adapted into a 1993 film of the same name by Andrew Birkin, starring Charlotte Gainsbourg and Andrew Robertson...
(1993), after the death of their mother, the siblings Jack and Julie begin an incestuous relationship.
In Angels & Insects
Angels & Insects
Angels & Insects is a 1995 romance drama film directed by Philip Haas. It was written by Philip and Belinda Haas with A. S. Byatt after her novella Morpho Eugenia.-Plot:...
(1996), the hero discovers that his wife has been participating in an incestuous affair with her brother which began when they were young, and that all of his children are in fact not his own, but rather the product of the incestuous union.
The film Kickboxing Academy (1997) features real life brothers and sisters Christopher Khayman Lee
Christopher Khayman Lee
Christopher Khayman Lee is an American actor and martial artist.He was born in Miami, Florida, USA and raised in Virginia Beach, VA. His younger sister is actress Chyler Leigh , who co-starred with him in "Kickboxing Academy" and "Safe Harbor"...
and Chyler Leigh
Chyler Leigh
Chyler Leigh is an American actress, best known for her portrayal of Dr. Lexie Grey on ABC's Grey's Anatomy. She also portrayed Janey Briggs in Not Another Teen Movie.-Early life:...
who kissed each other on the set with a french kiss
French kiss
A French kiss is a kiss in which one participant's tongue touches the partner's lips or tongue and usually enters his or her mouth. A French kiss is a slow passionate kiss which is usually considered intimate, romantic, erotic or sexual...
. Christopher Lee was 18 years old at the time while his sister was 14 years old at the time.
Julien Donkey-Boy
Julien Donkey-Boy
Julien Donkey-Boy is a 1999 independent drama film written and directed by Harmony Korine. The screenplay concentrates on the schizophrenic Julien, played by Scottish actor Ewen Bremner, and his dysfunctional family. The film also stars Chloe Sevigny as Julien's sister, Pearl, and Werner Herzog as...
(1999) stars Julien (Ewen Bremner
Ewen Bremner
-Early life:Bremner was born in Edinburgh, the son of two art teachers. He attended Davidson's Mains Primary School and Portobello High School. He originally wanted to be a circus clown, but was offered a chance in show business by television director Richard D. Brooks. One of his first notable...
) and his disturbing life and family. Toward the end of the film it is revealed that his sister Pearl (Chloë Sevigny
Chloë Sevigny
Chloë Stevens Sevigny is an American film actress, fashion designer and former model. Sevigny gained reputation for her eclectic fashion sense and developed a broad career in the fashion industry in the mid 1990s, both for modeling and for her work at New York's Sassy magazine, which labeled her...
) is pregnant as a result of an incestuous act between the two of them.
In L.I.E (2001) a boy's friend has an incestuous relationship with his sister during a time when they are all discovering their sexuality.
The 2004 motion picture Eurotrip
EuroTrip
EuroTrip is a 2004 teen comedy film directed by Jeff Schaffer and written by Alec Berg, David Mandel and Schaffer. The main plot follows Scotty "Scott" Thomas from Hudson, Ohio who travels across Europe to search for his German pen pal Mieke , whom he initially mistakes for a man named Mike...
includes a scene in which inebriated siblings Jamie and Jenny French kiss
French kiss
A French kiss is a kiss in which one participant's tongue touches the partner's lips or tongue and usually enters his or her mouth. A French kiss is a slow passionate kiss which is usually considered intimate, romantic, erotic or sexual...
. This is then used as a plot device to reveal the (now sober) siblings' revulsion at their behavior.
La Coupure (2006) (French-Canadian) is a film about a brother and his sister in love since their adolescent years and their struggle to end their incestuous relationship.
The comedy Blades of Glory
Blades of Glory
Blades of Glory is a 2007 American comedy film directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck, and starring Will Ferrell and Jon Heder. The movie was released on March 29, 2007 by DreamWorks and MTV Films...
(2007) features a pair of brother-sister figure skaters who are revealed to be lovers. They were played by Will Arnett
Will Arnett
William Emerson "Will" Arnett is a Canadian actor and comedian best known for his role as George Oscar "G.O.B." Bluth II on the Fox comedy Arrested Development. He is also known for his role as Devon Banks on the NBC comedy 30 Rock. Since his success on Arrested Development, Arnett has landed major...
and Amy Poehler
Amy Poehler
Amy Meredith Poehler is an American comedian, actress and voice actress. She was a cast member on the NBC television entertainment show Saturday Night Live from 2001 to 2008. In 2004, she starred in the film Mean Girls with Tina Fey, with whom she worked again in Baby Mama in 2008. She is...
, who are married in real life.
Incest between twins
The film The House of YesThe House of Yes
The House of Yes is a 1997 film starring Parker Posey, Josh Hamilton, Geneviève Bujold, Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Tori Spelling. The movie is based on the play of the same name, which was written by Wendy MacLeod. It was produced by Robert Berger and was released by Miramax Films on October 10,...
(1997), based on the play by Wendy McLeod, is about the ongoing consensual incestuous relationship of a pair of fraternal twins (played by Josh Hamilton
Josh Hamilton (actor)
Josh C. Hamilton is an American actor.Hamilton was born in New York City, New York. His father is actor Dan Hamilton, and his stepmother is actress Stephanie Braxton...
and Parker Posey
Parker Posey
Parker Christian Posey is an American actress. She became known during the 1990s after a series of roles in several well-received independent films. As a result, she has often been referred to as the "Queen of the Indies"....
).
In the 2003 film The Dreamers, fraternal twins Théo (Louis Garrel
Louis Garrel
Louis Garrel is a French actor. He is best known for his starring role in The Dreamers, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci...
) and Isabelle (Eva Green
Eva Green
Eva Gaëlle Green is a French actress and model.Green performed in theatre before making her film debut in The Dreamers , which generated controversy over her numerous nude scenes. She achieved greater fame for her parts in Kingdom of Heaven , and in the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale, for...
) have an incestuous relationship.
In Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008), Prince Nuada (Luke Goss
Luke Goss
Luke Damon Goss is an English singer and actor. Since 1994, he has been married to backing singer Shirley Lewis, , and has one stepdaughter, Carli. In January 2007, he and wife Shirley moved permanently to Los Angeles, but still maintain a residence in London...
) harbors romantic feelings for his twin sister, princess Nuala (Anna Walton
Anna Walton
Anna Walton is an English actress. Known for her roles in Vampire Diary and Mutant Chronicles, her biggest role so far is the compassionate Princess Nuala in Hellboy II: The Golden Army, also starring her fellow Mutant co-star Ron Perlman as Hellboy...
). It is unclear whether she returns the sentiment, or ever returned those feelings in the past. As commented by Goss in an interview, "There is an incestuous relationship that's not maybe overly obvious to everybody, but some people hopefully will pick up on the fact, certainly from my direction towards her."
Incest between half-siblings
In The CrowThe Crow (film)
The Crow is a 1994 American action film based on the 1989 comic book of the same name by James O'Barr. The film was written by David J. Schow and John Shirley, and directed by Alex Proyas...
(1994), Top Dollar, the main antagonist, and his half sister, Myca, are also lovers which is revealed in the scene when Top Dollar holds a meeting with his associates where they discuss new plans for their Devil's Night criminal activities.
The Devil's Advocate
The Devil's Advocate (film)
The Devil's Advocate is a 1997 American horror film directed by Taylor Hackford starring Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino and Charlize Theron, and based on a novel by Andrew Neiderman....
(1997) features two scenes where Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves
Keanu Charles Reeves is a Canadian actor. Reeves is perhaps best known for his roles in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Speed, Point Break and the science fiction-action trilogy The Matrix...
) fantasizes about having sex with Christabella (Connie Nielsen), who is revealed to be his half-sister towards the climax.
Incest between same-sex siblings
A case of consensual incest between adult sisters Christine and Lea (Joely RichardsonJoely Richardson
Joely Kim Richardson is an English actress, most known recently for her role as Queen Catherine Parr in the Showtime television show The Tudors and Julia McNamara in the television drama Nip/Tuck...
and Jodhi May
Jodhi May
Jodhi May is an English actress.-Early life:Born in Camden Town, London, May first acted at the age of 12 in 1988's A World Apart. The role earned her a Best Actress award at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival, shared with her co-stars Barbara Hershey and Linda Mvusi...
) is portrayed in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
film Sister My Sister
Sister My Sister
Sister My Sister is a 1995 film starring British actresses Joely Richardson, Jodhi May and Julie Walters. The film is directed by Nancy Meckler and written by Wendy Kesselman, based on her own play, My Sister in This House. Both the play and the subsequent film deal with societal repression and its...
(1994), which is based on a true story.
In the 1998 film Velvet Goldmine
Velvet Goldmine
Velvet Goldmine is a 1998 British/American drama film directed and co-written by Todd Haynes. The film tells the story of a pop star based mainly on David Bowie's 'Ziggy Stardust' character and is set in Britain during the days of glam rock in the early 1970s.Sandy Powell received another Academy...
, the singer, Curt Wilde, allegedly had an incestuous relationship with his older brother when he was 13. His parents had Wilde start shock treatments
Electroconvulsive therapy
Electroconvulsive therapy , formerly known as electroshock, is a psychiatric treatment in which seizures are electrically induced in anesthetized patients for therapeutic effect. Its mode of action is unknown...
to "fry the fairy clean out of him".
Harry + Max
Harry + Max
Harry + Max , is a 2004 American drama film directed by Christopher Münch. It stars Bryce Johnson and Cole Williams.-Plot:...
(2004) features an incestuous relationship between two teen idol
Teen idol
A teen idol is a celebrity who is widely idolized by teenagers; he or she is often young but not necessarily teenaged. Often teen idols are actors or pop singers, but some sports figures have an appeal to teenagers. Some teen idols began their careers as child actors...
brothers.
In Starcrossed
Starcrossed (film)
Starcrossed is an 2005 independent short film written and directed by James Burkhammer and produced by POWER UP. It tells the story of Darren and Connor, two teenage brothers who find that their affection for each other is growing beyond the filial....
(2005), Darren (J. B. Ghuman, Jr.) and Connor (Marshall Allman
Marshall Allman
Marshall Scot Allman is an American actor. He is known to television audiences for his role as L. J. Burrows on Fox's successful television series, Prison Break...
) are two brothers who, as teenagers, realize that the feelings they have for each other are not just those of brothers.
Relationship unknown to the characters
Sometimes, two characters do not know about their blood relationship when their enter a sexual or romantic relationship, or one of them does but the other not.At the end of the 1996 film Lone Star
Lone Star (1996 film)
Lone Star is an American mystery film written and directed by John Sayles and set in a small town in Texas. It features Chris Cooper, Elizabeth Peña, Kris Kristofferson and Matthew McConaughey and deals with a sheriff's investigation into who murdered one of his predecessors.-Plot:In this ensemble...
, Sheriff Sam Deeds (Chris Cooper
Chris Cooper (actor)
Christopher W. "Chris" Cooper is an American film actor. He became well known in the late 1990s. He has appeared in supporting performances in several major Hollywood films, including The Bourne Identity, American Beauty, Capote, The Town, The Kingdom, Syriana, October Sky, Seabiscuit, and...
) and his high school sweetheart and current lover Pilar Cruz (Elizabeth Pena
Elizabeth Peña
Elizabeth Peña is an American actress and the daughter of a theater-company co-founder, who has also compiled experience as a television director in her own right.-Early life:...
) both learn they have the same father, Pilar's mother having been Sam's father's mistress.
In the 2005 film The King, the main character has a sexual relationship with his pastor's daughter and gets her pregnant. He knows, though she does not, that the pastor is also his father and uncle, who had an affair with his mother.
In Curse of the Golden Flower
Curse of the Golden Flower
Curse of the Golden Flower is a 2006 Chinese epic drama film directed by Zhang Yimou.With a budget of US$45 million, it was at the time of its release the most expensive Chinese film to date, surpassing Chen Kaige's The Promise...
(2006), a prince and his half-sister unknowingly enter into an incestuous relationship. There is also an instance between a woman and her stepson.
Non-consensual incest
In the 2001 film The Shipping NewsThe Shipping News (film)
The Shipping News is a 2001 drama film directed by Lasse Hallström, based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by E. Annie Proulx.It stars Kevin Spacey as the protagonist Quoyle, Judi Dench as Agnis Hamm and Julianne Moore as Wavey Prowse...
, based on E. Annie Proulx
E. Annie Proulx
Edna Annie Proulx is an American journalist and author. Her second novel, The Shipping News , won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for fiction in 1994, and was made into a film in 2001...
's 1993 novel of the same name
The Shipping News
The Shipping News is a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning novel by American writer E. Annie Proulx which was published in 1993. It was adapted into a film of the same name, released in 2001.-Plot summary:...
, it is revealed that Agnis Hamm was raped by her 15-year-old half-brother Guy Quoyle when she was 12 and terminated the resulting pregnancy.
In Murali K. Thalluri
Murali K. Thalluri
Murali Krishna Thalluri is an Australian film director, writer, and producer. Born in Canberra to Indian-born parents, he moved to Adelaide where he attended Rostrevor College before completing his education at University Senior College. Thalluri's first feature film 2:37 was completed when he was...
's film 2:37
2:37
2:37 is a 2006 Australian drama film, written, produced, and directed by filmmaker Murali K. Thalluri and starring an ensemble cast including Teresa Palmer, Joel Mackenzie, Frank Sweet, Charles Baird, Sam Harris, Marni Spillane and Clementine Mellor. 2:37 was filmed in Adelaide, Australia on...
(2006), High school student, Melody, is raped and impregnated
Pregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
by her brother, Marcus.
In Triloquist (2008), Angelina is raped by her psychotic brother Nobert, resulting in the birth of a child.
In Daniel & Ana (2009) Daniel and Ana Torres are kidnapped and forced to have sex while being videotaped. After being released they must return to their lives and family home as if nothing happened. Daniel unable to cope or speak to anyone about his feelings, and Ana going ahead with the marriage to her fiance, culminates in Daniel raping Ana.
Siblings with no blood relation
The UnforgivenThe Unforgiven (1960 film)
The Unforgiven is a 1960 American western film filmed in Durango, Mexico released in 1960. The film was directed by John Huston and starred Burt Lancaster, Audrey Hepburn, Audie Murphy, Charles Bickford and Lillian Gish...
(1960), Ben Zachary (Burt Lancaster
Burt Lancaster
Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster was an American film actor noted for his athletic physique and distinctive smile...
) represses his romantic feelings for his adopted sister, Rachel (Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn was a British actress and humanitarian. Although modest about her acting ability, Hepburn remains one of the world's most famous actresses of all time, remembered as a film and fashion icon of the twentieth century...
), although Rachel sees no problem with their relationship since they are not blood relatives.
The film Clueless (1995) concludes with former step siblings Cher (Alicia Silverstone
Alicia Silverstone
Alicia Silverstone is an American actress, author, and former fashion model. She first came to widespread attention in music videos for Aerosmith, and is perhaps best known for her roles in Hollywood films such as Clueless and her portrayal of Batgirl in Batman & Robin .-Early life:Silverstone...
) and Josh (Paul Rudd
Paul Rudd
Paul Stephen Rudd is an American actor and screenwriter. He has primarily appeared in comedies, and is known for his roles in the films Clueless, Wet Hot American Summer, Anchorman, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Dinner for Schmucks, The Object of My...
), getting together at her teacher's wedding. Cher points out early on in the movie that her father was quote "hardly even married to the woman(Josh's Mom), and that was five years ago!"
The film Cruel Intentions
Cruel Intentions
Cruel Intentions is a 1999 American drama film starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, and Selma Blair. The film is an adaptation of the 18th-century French epistolary novel Les Liaisons dangereuses by Laclos and is set among wealthy teenagers living in modern New York...
(1999) and to a lesser extent, the film it is based on, Dangerous Liaisons
Dangerous Liaisons
Dangerous Liaisons is a 1988 drama film based upon Christopher Hampton's play, Les liaisons dangereuses, which in turn was a theatrical adaptation of the 18th-century French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos....
(1988), features a quasi-incestuous step-sibling relationship. Cruel Intentions 2
Cruel Intentions 2
Cruel Intentions 2 is the 2000 American comedy-drama prequel to Cruel Intentions and was released direct-to-video. It was written and directed by Roger Kumble, who was also responsible for the first film. The film stars Robin Dunne, Sarah Thompson, Amy Adams, and Keri Lynn Pratt...
(2000) also includes a short part that features identical twin sisters Gretchen and Sarah (real-life twins Alicia and Annie Sorell
Alicia and Annie Sorell
Alicia and Annie Sorell are identical twin actresses who write and star in Movie Twins; a series of shorts about currently showing films. The shorts are produced by Sí TV, which also posts them on YouTube. Over 60 episodes had been produced by the end of 2008...
) making out.
In the film The Royal Tenenbaums
The Royal Tenenbaums
The Royal Tenenbaums is a 2001 American comedy-drama film directed by Wes Anderson and co-written with Owen Wilson. The film stars Gene Hackman and Anjelica Huston, with Danny Glover, Bill Murray, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, and Owen Wilson....
, (2001), Richie Tenenbaum (Luke Wilson
Luke Wilson
Luke Cunningham Wilson is an American film actor known for his roles in Old School, Bottle Rocket, The Royal Tenenbaums, Legally Blonde, Idiocracy and Death at a Funeral.-Early life:...
) has a lifelong secret love for his adopted sister, Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Kate Paltrow is an American actress and singer. She made her acting debut on stage in 1990 and started appearing in films in 1991. After appearing in several films throughout the decade, Paltrow gained early notice for her work in films such as Se7en and Emma...
), who eventually returns his affections.
The Ballad of Jack and Rose
The Ballad of Jack and Rose
The Ballad of Jack and Rose is a 2005 drama film written and directed by Rebecca Miller, and starring her husband Daniel Day-Lewis; it also stars Camilla Belle, Catherine Keener, Paul Dano, Ryan McDonald, Jason Lee, Jena Malone, Susanna Thompson and Beau Bridges...
features a scene in which step-siblings Rose and Thaddius ( played by Camilla Belle
Camilla Belle
Camilla Belle is an American actress. Her works include The Lost World: Jurassic Park, When a Stranger Calls, 10,000 BC, The Quiet, Push and Speedy Singhs.- Early life :...
and Paul Dano
Paul Dano
Paul Franklin Dano is an American actor and producer. He has appeared in films such as L.I.E. , The Girl Next Door , Little Miss Sunshine , There Will Be Blood , and Where the Wild Things Are .-Early life:Dano was born in New York City, the son of Gladys and Paul Dano...
respectively) engage in sexual intercourse, a fact which Rose parades in front of her father later on in the film.
Make-believe incest
In the 2001 film Say It Isn't So, while searching for his birth mother, a man (Chris KleinChris Klein (actor)
Frederick Christopher "Chris" Klein is an American movie actor. He is perhaps best known for playing Chris "Oz" Ostreicher in the 1999 film American Pie and its sequel American Pie 2.-Early life:...
) is deceived into believing his girlfriend (Heather Graham) is his sister.
In the 2001 film Joe Dirt
Joe Dirt
Joe Dirt is a 2001 American comedy film starring David Spade, Dennis Miller, Christopher Walken, Brian Thompson, Brittany Daniel, Jaime Pressly, Erik Per Sullivan, Adam Beach and Kid Rock. The film was written by Spade and Fred Wolf.-Plot:...
, a hillbilly girl Joe made love to seems, for a while, to be his sister. Having shared almost the same background it is, however, revealed later that she is not in fact related. But a scene is shown in humor for the audience where Joe Dirt is making love to the girl again, but enjoying it only because he wants her to be his sister. Shouting over and over again in passion: "You're my sister". However, Joe immediately commented that never happened and only stated so as a joke to the audience.
In Molly
Molly (film)
Molly is a 1999 romantic comedy-drama film about a 28 year old woman with autism who came into the custody of her neurotic executive brother...
an autistic woman tells her brother she is attracted to him and asks him to marry her, not understanding this would be incest. He then explains to her that siblings can't get married and the dangers of inbreeding.
Father/daughter incest
A notable example of censorship in this area surfaces in Kings RowKings Row
Kings Row is a 1942 film starring Ann Sheridan, Robert Cummings, and Ronald Reagan that tells a story of young people growing up in a small American town at the turn of the twentieth century, beset by social pressure, dark secrets, and the challenges and tragedies one must face as a result of these...
(1942). While the relationship is explicit in Henry Bellamann
Henry Bellamann
Heinrich Hauer Bellamann was an American novelist and poet, best known as the author of the novel Kings Row.- Biography :...
's best-selling 1940 novel of the same name, Joseph Breen
Joseph Breen
Joseph Breen is an American soap opera actor.He played contract parts on both Guiding Light and Loving before being offered his most front-burner role to date: that of Lisa’s long-lost son, Scott Eldridge, on As the World Turns...
, director of the Production Code Authority and his superior, Will H. Hays
Will H. Hays
William Harrison Hays, Sr. , was the namesake of the Hays Code for censorship of American films, chairman of the Republican National Committee and U.S. Postmaster General from 1921 to 1922....
, first president of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America forbade clearly showing that Dr. Tower (Claude Rains
Claude Rains
Claude Rains was an English stage and film actor whose career spanned 66 years. He was known for many roles in Hollywood films, among them the title role in The Invisible Man , a corrupt senator in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington , Mr...
) commits incest with his daughter Cassandra (Betty Field
Betty Field
Betty Field was an American film and stage actress. Through her father, she was a direct descendant of the Pilgrims John Alden and Priscilla Mullins....
) in the film.
In 1976, The Man Who Fell to Earth
The Man Who Fell to Earth
The Man Who Fell to Earth is a 1963 science fiction novel by American author Walter Tevis, about an extraterrestrial who lands on Earth seeking a way to ferry his people to Earth from his home planet, which is suffering from a severe drought...
was released, which features a sex scene where an actress plays with the penis of Rip Torn
Rip Torn
Elmore Rual "Rip" Torn, Jr. , is an American actor of stage, screen and television.Torn received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1983 film Cross Creek. His work includes the role of Artie, the producer, on The Larry Sanders Show, for which he was nominated...
's character, Nathan Bryce, and speaks into it like a microphone while stating, "you're not a thing like my father."
Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski is a French-Polish film director, producer, writer and actor. Having made films in Poland, Britain, France and the USA, he is considered one of the few "truly international filmmakers."...
's Chinatown (1974) features father-daughter incest, resulting in the daughter giving birth to her own half-sister.
In Stay As You Are
Stay as you are
Stay As You Are is a 1978 erotic-drama film, directed by Alberto Lattuada, starring Nastassja Kinski, Marcello Mastroianni, Barbara De Rossi and Ania Pieroni. It is also known as Stay The Way You Are in some countries....
(1978), a girl (Nastassja Kinski
Nastassja Kinski
Nastassja Kinski is a German-born American-based actress who has appeared in more than 60 films. Her starring roles include her Golden Globe Award-winning portrayal of the title character in Tess and her roles in two erotic films , as well as parts in Wim Wenders' films The Wrong Move; Paris,...
) falls in love with a man (Marcello Mastroianni
Marcello Mastroianni
Marcello Vincenzo Domenico Mastroianni, Knight Grand Cross was an Italian film actor. His honours included British Film Academy Awards, Best Actor awards at the Cannes Film Festival and two Golden Globe Awards.- Personal life :...
) who may be her father.
In the Mexican film Angel de Fuego, after his mother left her circus-born Alma starts an affair with her father, has sex with him and becomes impregnated by him.
In Butterfly
Butterfly (1982 film)
Butterfly is a 1982 film directed by Matt Cimber, based on the 1947 novel The Butterfly by James M. Cain. The starring cast includes Stacy Keach, Pia Zadora, Ed McMahon, and Orson Welles. The original music score was composed by Ennio Morricone...
(Matt Cimber, 1982), a miner living in the Nevada desert, who has not seen his daughter for years, is confronted then seduced by his now sexy and troubling teenage child, while struggling against his own reluctance as well as the 1937 rural society.
In the 1997 film U Turn, Grace (Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
) and Jake (Nick Nolte
Nick Nolte
Nicholas King "Nick" Nolte is an American actor whose career has spanned over five decades, peaking in the 1990s when his commercial success made him one of the most popular celebrities of that decade.-Early life:...
) are initially thought to be husband and wife. Towards the climax of the film however it is revealed that after the death of her mother, Grace married her father Jake and had been having sex with him.
Wicked (1998), starring Julia Stiles
Julia Stiles
Julia O'Hara Stiles is an American actress.After beginning her career in small parts in a New York City theatre troupe, she has moved on to leading roles in plays by writers as diverse as William Shakespeare and David Mamet...
and William R. Moses
William R. Moses
William Remington Moses is an American actor.-Early life:Moses was born in Los Angeles, California. He is the son of the late actress Marian McCargo and advertising executive Richard Cantrell Moses, Sr. who divorced in 1963. Marian remarried in 1970 to the late former Republican Congressman...
, features an incestuous father-daughter relationship.
The 1999 film The Cider House Rules
The Cider House Rules (film)
The Cider House Rules is a 1999 American drama film directed by Lasse Hallström, based on John Irving's novel of the same name. The film won two Academy Awards, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, along with four other nominations at the 72nd Academy Awards...
depicts a father-daughter incestuous relationship that results in the daughter's pregnancy.
Tim Roth
Tim Roth
Simon Timothy "Tim" Roth is an English film actor and director best known for his roles in the American films,Legend of 1900, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Four Rooms, Skellig, Planet of the Apes, The Incredible Hulk and Rob Roy, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for...
's 1999 film The War Zone
The War Zone
The War Zone is a 1999 drama film written by Alexander Stuart, based on his novel, and directed by Tim Roth. The film takes a blunt look at incest and sexual violence in an English family.Upon its release, the movie won nine awards and 10 nominations....
explores the effect of father-daughter incest on a family.
In Girl, Interrupted
Girl, Interrupted (film)
Girl, Interrupted is a 1999 drama film about a teenager's 18-month stay at a mental institution, starring Winona Ryder, Brittany Murphy, Angelina Jolie, Whoopi Goldberg and Vanessa Redgrave, with Jolie winning an Academy Award for her performance....
(2000), a recently released patient of the mental institution, Daisy Randone (Brittany Murphy
Brittany Murphy
Brittany Anne Murphy-Monjack , known professionally as Brittany Murphy, was an American actress and singer. She starred in films such as Clueless, Just Married, Girl Interrupted, Spun, 8 Mile, Uptown Girls, Sin City, Happy Feet, and Riding in Cars with Boys...
), is well known to have had an incestuous relationship with her father, which eventually leads her to commit suicide.
The Ballad of Jack and Rose
The Ballad of Jack and Rose
The Ballad of Jack and Rose is a 2005 drama film written and directed by Rebecca Miller, and starring her husband Daniel Day-Lewis; it also stars Camilla Belle, Catherine Keener, Paul Dano, Ryan McDonald, Jason Lee, Jena Malone, Susanna Thompson and Beau Bridges...
(2005), Rose (Camilla Belle
Camilla Belle
Camilla Belle is an American actress. Her works include The Lost World: Jurassic Park, When a Stranger Calls, 10,000 BC, The Quiet, Push and Speedy Singhs.- Early life :...
) is in love with her father, Jack (Daniel Day-Lewis
Daniel Day-Lewis
Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis is an English actor with both British and Irish citizenship. His portrayals of Christy Brown in My Left Foot and Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood won Academy and BAFTA Awards for Best Actor, and Screen Actors Guild as well as Golden Globe Awards for the latter...
), although he is unable to accept his romantic feelings for her.
In The Quiet
The Quiet
The Quiet is a 2005 American drama and thriller film directed by Jamie Babbit, and starring Camilla Belle and Elisha Cuthbert. It focuses on a mute teenage girl, Dot who goes to live with her godparents after her father dies, where she slowly learns the disturbing secrets of the family, primarily...
(2005), A young woman (Camilla Belle
Camilla Belle
Camilla Belle is an American actress. Her works include The Lost World: Jurassic Park, When a Stranger Calls, 10,000 BC, The Quiet, Push and Speedy Singhs.- Early life :...
) discovers an incestuous relationship between her God-father (Martin Donovan
Martin Donovan
Martin Donovan is an American stage and film actor. He has had a long collaboration with the director Hal Hartley, appearing in many of his films, including Trust , Surviving Desire , Simple Men , Flirt , Amateur , and The Book of Life...
) and his daughter (Elisha Cuthbert
Elisha Cuthbert
Elisha Ann Cuthbert is a Canadian film and television actress. Cuthbert is known as the former co-host of the Canadian children's television series Popular Mechanics for Kids. In 1998, she had her first film role in Airspeed. She followed this in 2003 with a role in Old School...
).
In Madeinusa
Madeinusa
Madeinusa is a 2005 film set in the fictional indigenous village of Manayaycuna in the Peruvian Andes. The story covers three days in the lives of the villagers and a stranger from Lima...
(2006), The Mayor of an indigenous community lusts after his 14 year old daughter and has off screen sex with her in the days between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, the days when his village believes God is dead and cannot see what is happening in the world.
In Burning Palms
Burning Palms (film)
Burning Palms is a 2010 satirical film based on Los Angeles stereotypes told through five intertwining storylines.-Premise:The film explores satires of Angeleno stereotypes, which are told through five interlacing stories. The five intertwining segments are based on popular stereotypes of West...
(2010), One of the short stories features a woman who meets her fiance's 15 year old daughter. The father and daughter seem to have an incestuous relationship from the way they touch and talk to each other. It is not known whether or not they actually have committed incest.
Sexual abuse
Based on a true story, the 1993 TV film Shattered Trust: The Shari Karney Story
Shattered Trust: The Shari Karney Story
Shattered Trust: The Shari Karney Story is a 1993 television film directed by Bill Corcoran. The film, which is based upon a true story, garnered generally positive reviews...
stars Melissa Gilbert
Melissa Gilbert
Melissa Ellen Gilbert is an American actress, writer, and producer, primarily in movies and television. Gilbert is best known as a child actress who co-starred as Charles Ingalls's second daughter, Laura Ingalls Wilder, on the dramatic television series Little House on the Prairie...
as Shari Karney, an incest victim who was sexually abused by her father.
In Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump is a 1994 American epic comedy-drama romance film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise...
(1994), it is heavily implied, though never outright stated, that the character Jenny Curran and her sisters (who are never seen) are sexually abused by their widowed father. Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump (character)
Forrest Gump is a fictional character who first appears in the 1986 eponymous novel by Winston Groom. Forrest Gump also appeared on screen in the 1994 film of the same name directed by Robert Zemeckis. Gump was portrayed as a child by Michael Humphreys and portrayed as an adult by Tom Hanks, who...
, who narrates throughout the film, observes that "he was a very lovin' man, always touchin' and huggin' Jenny and her sisters". Eventually, custody of Jenny is given to her grandmother.
In 2005 film An American Haunting
An American Haunting
An American Haunting is a 2005 horror film written and directed by Courtney Solomon. It stars Donald Sutherland, Sissy Spacek, Rachel Hurd-Wood, and James D'Arcy. The film was previewed at the AFI Film Festival on November 5, 2005 and was released in U.S. theaters on May 5, 2006. The film had an...
, the curse turns out to be caused by the father sexually abusing his daughter.
In the 2009 Oscar-winning
82nd Academy Awards
The 82nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2009 and took place March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. The ceremony was scheduled well after...
movie Precious
Precious (film)
Precious , is a 2009 American drama film directed by Lee Daniels. Precious is an adaptation by Geoffrey S. Fletcher of the 1996 novel Push by Sapphire. The film stars Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, and Paula Patton...
, the titular character (played by Gabourey Sidibe
Gabourey Sidibe
Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe is an American actress who made her acting debut in the 2009 film Precious, a role that brought her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress.-Early life:...
) had been sexually-abused by her father, who has gotten her pregnant twice, and mother.
Father/son incest
A subplot of 2000 film The Gift involves a mentally unstable man being abused by his father.Mother/son incest
In the political thriller, The Manchurian CandidateThe Manchurian Candidate (1962 film)
The Manchurian Candidate is a 1962 American Cold War political thriller film starring Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh and Angela Lansbury, and featuring Henry Silva, James Gregory, Leslie Parrish and John McGiver...
(1962), the character Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey
Laurence Harvey
Laurence Harvey was a Lithuanian-born actor who achieved fame in British and American films.- Early life :Harvey maintained throughout his life that his birth name was Laruschka Mischa Skikne. However, his legal name was Zvi Mosheh Skikne. He was the youngest of three boys born to Ber "Boris" and...
) has an incestuous relationship with his mother (who had an incestuous affair with her father) while in his hypnotized state. One of the film's most notable scenes is one which involves the two of them sharing a passionate kiss. Their relationship is shown more explicitly in the 2004 remake
The Manchurian Candidate (2004 film)
The Manchurian Candidate is a 2004 American thriller film based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Richard Condon, and a reimagining of the previous 1962 film....
.
In the movie The Damned (1969), by Luchino Visconti
Luchino Visconti
Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo was an Italian theatre, opera and cinema director, as well as a screenwriter. He is best known for his films The Leopard and Death in Venice .-Life:...
, the deviant young character of Martin (played by Helmut Berger
Helmut Berger
Helmut Berger is an Austrian-born German film and television actor. He is most famous for his work with Luchino Visconti, particularly in his performance as King Ludwig II of Bavaria in Ludwig, for which he received a special David di Donatello award.He appears primarily in European cinema, but...
) besides having paedophilian tendencies, forces his mother Sophie (played by Ingrid Thulin
Ingrid Thulin
Ingrid Lilian Thulin was a Swedish film actress.-Biography:Thulin was born in Sollefteå, Ångermanland, northern Sweden, the daughter of Nanna and Adam Thulin, a fisherman...
) into having a sexual intercourse with him.
My Lover My Son
My Lover My Son
My Lover My Son is a 1970 US-American-British coproduction directed by John Newland. It tells the story of a mother played by Romy Schneider clinging to her maturing son. The film is based on Edward Grierson's novel Reputation for a Song.- Plot :...
(1970), by John Newland
John Newland
John Newland was an American director, actor, television producer, and screenwriter.-Early life and career:...
, in which the main character (played by Romy Schneider
Romy Schneider
Romy Schneider was an Austrian-born German film actress who also held French citizenship.-Early life:Schneider was born Rosemarie Magdalena Albach in Nazi-era Vienna, six months after the Anschluss, into a family of actors that included her paternal grandmother Rosa Albach-Retty, her Austrian...
) falls in love with her son (played by Dennis Waterman
Dennis Waterman
Dennis Waterman is a British actor and singer, best known for his tough-guy roles in television series including The Sweeney, Minder and New Tricks.-Early life:...
, who was only 10 years younger).
Murmur of the Heart
Murmur of the Heart
Murmur of the Heart is a 1971 French film by French director Louis Malle that tells a coming of age story about a 14-year-old boy growing up in bourgeois surroundings in post-World War II Dijon, France. The film proved to be a box office success across Europe, gaining 2,652,870 admissions in...
(French: Le souffle au cœur) (1971) by Louis Malle
Louis Malle
Louis Malle was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer. He worked in both French cinema and Hollywood. His films include Ascenseur pour l'échafaud , Atlantic City , and Au revoir, les enfants .- Early years in France :Malle was born into a wealthy industrialist family in Thumeries,...
that tells a coming-of-age story about a 15-year-old boy who is growing up in bourgeois surroundings in Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The various adventures of the boy lead to an incestuous relationship with his mother.
In Bernardo Bertolucci
Bernardo Bertolucci
Bernardo Bertolucci is an Italian film director and screenwriter, whose films include The Conformist, Last Tango in Paris, 1900, The Last Emperor and The Dreamers...
's film La Luna
La Luna (film)
La Luna, also known as Luna, is a 1979 Italian film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci and starring Jill Clayburgh. The film concerns the troubled life of a teenage boy and his relationship with his parents, including an incestuous relationship with his mother.-Plot:Joe is the son of famous opera...
(aka Luna) (1979), Jill Clayburgh
Jill Clayburgh
Jill Clayburgh was an American actress. She received Academy Award nominations for her roles in An Unmarried Woman and Starting Over.-Personal life:...
plays an opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
singer on tour in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
whose desperate attempts to wean her son off of drugs result in an incestuous relationship with the boy.
The 1992 horror film Sleepwalkers
Sleepwalkers (film)
Sleepwalkers is a 1992 American horror film based on an original screenplay by Stephen King and directed by Mick Garris.-Plot summary:...
, the energy vampires, Charles and his mother, Mary maintain an incestuous relationship. Although the reason remains unexplained, it may be the simple fact that they have lived so long with each other.
The Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n film Bad Boy Bubby
Bad Boy Bubby
Bad Boy Bubby is an Australian black comedy/drama film written and directed by Rolf de Heer. It stars Nicholas Hope and Carmel Johnson. It was released in 1993....
(1993) depicts an incestuous relationship between a mother and her adult son, who has never been outside his mother's house in his life.
The film Spanking the Monkey
Spanking the Monkey
Spanking the Monkey is a 1994 US independent black comedy written and directed by David O. Russell. The title of the movie is a slang phrase for masturbation and is used in the film by one of the teenage characters...
(1994) depicts a situation in which mother-son incest takes place, leading the latter to attempt suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
.
The French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
film La Petite Lili
La Petite Lili
Little Lili is a 2003 French film by French director Claude Miller. The film stars Ludivine Sagnier, Bernard Giraudeau, Nicole Garcia, Julie Depardieu and Jean-Pierre Marielle.-Plot:...
(2005) portrays a fictional case of incipient consensual mother-son incest between independent adults.
In the 2006 remake of Black Christmas
Black Christmas (2006 film)
Black Christmas is 2006 American Slasher film and a remake of the 1974 horror slasher film of the same name. It was written and directed by Glen Morgan and stars Katie Cassidy, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Lacey Chabert, Crystal Lowe, Michelle Trachtenberg , Oliver Hudson, Kristen Cloke, and Andrea...
, Billy's mother, desperate to have a child, goes up into Billy's attic and has sex with him, resulting in her giving birth to her daughter and Billy's daughter/half-sister, Agnes.
Savage Grace
Savage Grace
Savage Grace is a 2007 film directed by Tom Kalin and written by Howard Rodman, based on the book Savage Grace by Natalie Robins and Steven M.L. Aronson. The story is based on the dysfunctional, allegedly incestuous relationship between heiress and socialite Barbara Daly Baekeland and her son, Antony...
(2007), based on the true story of the dysfunctional, incestuous relationship between heiress Barbara Daly Baekeland
Barbara Daly Baekeland
Barbara Daly Baekeland was a wealthy socialite who was murdered by her son, Antony Baekeland. She was the wife of Brooks Baekeland, who was the grandson of Leo Baekeland, inventor of Bakelite plastic....
and her son Antony.
Stepparents/stepchildren incest
In 1962's LolitaLolita (1962 film)
Lolita is a 1962 comedy-drama film by Stanley Kubrick based on the classic novel of the same title by Vladimir Nabokov. The film stars James Mason as Humbert Humbert, Sue Lyon as Dolores Haze and Shelley Winters as Charlotte Haze with Peter Sellers as Clare Quilty.Due to the MPAA's restrictions at...
(and its 1997 remake
Lolita (1997 film)
Lolita is a 1997 French-American drama film directed by Adrian Lyne. It is the second screen adaptation of Vladimir Nabokov's novel of the same name and stars Jeremy Irons as Humbert Humbert and Dominique Swain as Dolores "Lolita" Haze, with supporting roles by Melanie Griffith as Charlotte Haze,...
), a man and his stepdaughter have a sexual relationship.
In the French film Beau-père
Beau-père
Beau-père is a 1981 French film directed by Bertrand Blier. It was entered into the 1981 Cannes Film Festival. The film had a total of 1,197,816 admissions in France...
(1981) after the sudden death of his wife, Remy (Patrick Dewaere
Patrick Dewaere
Patrick Dewaere was a French film actor. He was born in Saint-Brieuc, Côtes-d'Armor, son of French actress Mado Maurin. His five siblings, Jean-Pierre Maurin , Yves-Marie Maurin , Dominique Maurin , Jean-Francois Maurin and Marie-Veronique Maurin Patrick Dewaere (26 January 1947 – 16 July 1982)...
), is forced to take care of his 14-year-old stepdaughter (Ariel Besse) who, unbeknownst to him, has fallen in love with him. He finally sucumbs to the girls insinuations, move out of town and start living as a couple.
The 2006 film Mini's First Time
Mini's First Time
Mini's First Time is a 2006 comedy/drama film written and directed by Nick Guthe. It was screened at the Tribeca Film Festival on May 1, 2006 and had a limited release on July 14, 2006. It was released on DVD on October 24, 2006 by HBO Films.-Plot:...
features a sexual relationship between the main character, Mini, and her stepfather, Martin.
In the Italian film My Father's Wife, (also in English) a woman frustrated with her husband's infidelity and her failing sexual life starts having sex with her stepson. Eventually, the woman is killed by her husband.
Mixed
Guy MaddinGuy Maddin
Guy Maddin, OM is a Canadian screenwriter, director, cinematographer and film editor of both features and short films from Winnipeg, Manitoba...
's film Careful (1992) features one character, Johann, lusting after his mother and another character, Klara, who is attracted to her father (who lusts after his other daughter)
In Pedro Almodóvar
Pedro Almodóvar
Pedro Almodóvar Caballero is a Spanish film director, screenwriter and producer.Almodóvar is arguably the most successful and internationally known Spanish filmmaker of his generation. His films, marked by complex narratives, employ the codes of melodrama and use elements of pop culture, popular...
's 2006 film Volver
Volver
Volver is a 2006 Spanish dramatic comedy film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar. Headed by actress Penélope Cruz, the film features an ensemble cast starring Carmen Maura, Lola Dueñas, Blanca Portillo, Yohana Cobo, and Chus Lampreave...
, a man lusts after his stepdaughter, who is in fact the product of incest between her mother and her mother's father.
Make-believe incest
Little Boy BlueLittle Boy Blue (film)
Little Boy Blue is a 1997 film directed by Antonio Tibaldi. The screenplay was by Michael Boston.-Plot:Living in rural Texas is the dysfunctional West family: an abusive, war veteran father, Ray , a compliant wife, Kate , and a 19-year-old son, Jimmy living outside their home...
(1997) features what at first appears to be a non-consensual incestuous relationship between a mother, Kate (Nastassja Kinski
Nastassja Kinski
Nastassja Kinski is a German-born American-based actress who has appeared in more than 60 films. Her starring roles include her Golden Globe Award-winning portrayal of the title character in Tess and her roles in two erotic films , as well as parts in Wim Wenders' films The Wrong Move; Paris,...
), and her son, Jimmy (Ryan Phillipe). Kate's psychotic husband Ray (John Savage) repeatedly forces Kate and teenaged Jimmy to have sex, often at gunpoint, while he watches. Ray, whom Jimmy believes to be his father, had been rendered impotent years earlier by a castrating war wound and violently commands Kate and Jimmy to provide these vicarious thrills. Jimmy's situation is further complicated by two children he has fathered with the woman he believes to be his mother. However, it is later revealed that Jimmy is not really related to Kate or Ray when Jimmy discovers that Ray kidnapped him when he was only an infant.
Cousin incest
The practice of cousin incest remains legal in many USA states today as well as many countries, where cousin marriageCousin marriage
Cousin marriage is marriage between two cousins. In various jurisdictions and cultures, such marriages range from being considered ideal and actively encouraged, to being uncommon but still legal, to being seen as incest and legally prohibited....
is allowed.
In Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind (film)
Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American historical epic film adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-winning 1936 novel of the same name. It was produced by David O. Selznick and directed by Victor Fleming from a screenplay by Sidney Howard...
(1939), two first cousins marry; however this practice was common and widely accepted in the Southern United States in the 19th century.
In The Godfather
The Godfather
The Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
(1972), two first cousins marry.
The Portrait of a Lady
The Portrait of a Lady (film)
The Portrait of a Lady is a 1996 film adaptation of Henry James's novel The Portrait of a Lady directed by Jane Campion.The film stars Nicole Kidman, Barbara Hershey, John Malkovich, Mary-Louise Parker, Martin Donovan, Shelley Duvall, Richard E...
(1996), Isabel Archer (Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm...
) and her cousin, Ralph (Martin Donovan
Martin Donovan
Martin Donovan is an American stage and film actor. He has had a long collaboration with the director Hal Hartley, appearing in many of his films, including Trust , Surviving Desire , Simple Men , Flirt , Amateur , and The Book of Life...
) share a close friendship until, upon Ralph's deathbed, they each admit to being in love with the other (although this may not have been considered incest at the time the film is set). One the films most memorable scenes is an interpolated dream sequence in which Isabel has an erotic fantasy involving her cousin.
In Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion (1997), it is implied that the character Michelle lost her virginity
Virginity
Virginity refers to the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. There are cultural and religious traditions which place special value and significance on this state, especially in the case of unmarried females, associated with notions of personal purity, honor and worth...
to a cousin.
Mean Girls
Mean Girls
Mean Girls is a 2004 American teen comedy-drama film directed by Mark Waters. The screenplay was written by Tina Fey and is based in part on the non-fiction book Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman, which describes how female high school social cliques operate and the effect they can have...
(2004), Karen Smith (Amanda Seyfried
Amanda Seyfried
Amanda Michelle Seyfried is an American actress, singer-songwriter and former child model. She began her career as a child model when she was 11, and at 15 began her career as an actress, starting off with uncredited roles and moving on to recurring roles on As the World Turns and All My...
), the ditsy one of the plastics, revealed that she made out with her first cousin, not understanding that first cousins are directly related.
In the South Korean film Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday (film)
Maundy Thursday is a 2006 South Korean film directed by Song Hae-seong, and based on a best-selling novel by Gong Ji-young. Starring Kang Dong-won and Lee Na-young, the film is about a convicted murderer awaiting execution, and the bond he forms with a suicidal young woman who starts visiting him...
(2006), Yu-jeong (Lee Na-young
Lee Na-young
Lee Na-young is one of Korean film, TV and CF industry's most popular actresses. She first made a name for herself as the star in the dramatic mini-series Ruler of Your Own World....
) reveals that she was raped at the age of 15 by her older cousin.
Kissing Cousins
Kissing Cousins (film)
Kissing Cousins is an film starring Samrat Chakrabarti and Rebecca Hazelwood. It is a romantic comedy about a relationship terminator who falls for his cousin, released in 2008....
(2008), starring Samrat Chakrabarti
Samrat Chakrabarti
Samrat Chakrabarti is a British-American actor and musician of Indian descent.-Early life:Born in London, England to immigrant parents from Kolkata, India, he performed in Indian community functions in Boston, Massachusetts, where he was exposed to music, poetry and the plays of Rabindranath...
and Rebecca Hazlewood
Rebecca Hazlewood
Rebecca Hazlewood is an English actress of mixed English and Indian descent. Hazlewood was born in Wales and grew up in Kingswinford, England and studied English Literature at Bretton Hall...
, A "relatively" romantic comedy about a professional heartbreaker (and cynical bachelor) who teams up with his attractive cousin from the UK in order to fool his friends into believing he is capable of a relationship.
In The Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon (1980 film)
The Blue Lagoon is a 1980 American romance and adventure film directed by Randal Kleiser. The screenplay by Douglas Day Stewart was based on the novel The Blue Lagoon by Henry De Vere Stacpoole. The film stars Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins...
(1980), two cousins grow up as lovers and have a child after being marooned on an island for many years.
Other
In the 2003 Chilean film Sexo con AmorSexo con Amor
Sexo con Amor is a 2003 Chilean comedy film about sex and relationships. The film was directed by Boris Quercia, who also wrote the screenplay and even played a role in the film.- Plot :...
, a man has sex with his niece atop a washing machine.
In the film Hannibal Rising (2007), a young Hannibal Lecter
Hannibal Lecter
Hannibal Lecter M.D. is a fictional character in a series of horror novels by Thomas Harris and in the films adapted from them.Lecter was introduced in the 1981 thriller novel Red Dragon as a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer...
(Gaspard Ulliel
Gaspard Ulliel
Gaspard Ulliel is a French film actor and model. He began appearing in made-for-television films during the late 1990s and early 2000s, and then began to be known as a film actor in France, as well as starring in the title role in the thriller Hannibal Rising.-Life and career:Ulliel was born in...
) falls in love with his aunt, Lady Murasaki (Gong Li
Gong Li
Gong Li is a Chinese film actress. Gong first came into international prominence through close collaboration with Chinese director Zhang Yimou and is credited with helping to bring Chinese cinema to Europe and the United States....
) and enters into a mild incestuous relationship with her (although, as they are not biologically related, this may not truly be incest).
The well known Marathi film Gharkul features an incestuous relationship.
In the Korean film Old Boy
Old boy
Old boy may refer to:* Any male former pupil of schools in Britain, some schools in Australia, New Zealand and the Caribbean .* A cadet who has attended St...
, a man has sex with woman who turns out to be his daughter, whom he has not seen in years. Elsewhere, another character had an incestuous relationship with his sister, who committed suicide when she suspected she was pregnant and the relationship was accidentally publicized.
Several kinds of incest
The 1980s American soap opera DynastyDynasty (TV series)
Dynasty is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. It was created by Richard & Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, and revolved around the Carringtons, a wealthy oil family living in Denver, Colorado...
featured a storyline whereby Fallon Colby and Adam Carrington become attracted to one another, eventually sharing a kiss, not realising that they were in fact sister and brother. Fallon would also go on to marry and divorce two of her cousins, Myles and Jeff Colby.
The FOX television drama House
House (TV series)
House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
featured two young patients, a husband and wife, who share the same symptoms. Later it is revealed that they are agnate half-siblings and they suffer from hereditary angioedema inherited from their father. (Episode 3x05, Fools for Love). In the episode 2x13, Skin Deep
Skin Deep (House)
"Skin Deep" is the thirteenth episode of the second season of House, which premiered on the Fox network on February 20, 2006. The episode aired in a special Monday night time slot.-Plot:...
; a teenage supermodel confesses to having an incestuous relationship with her father simply to get what she wants.
In The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, Springfield
Springfield (The Simpsons)
Springfield is the fictional town in which the American animated sitcom The Simpsons is set. A mid-sized town in an undetermined state of the United States, Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. The geography of the town and its...
's rival town Shelbyville was founded specifically to allow men to marry their cousins because, according to Shelbyville Manhattan, the founder of the city, "they're so attractive". There was also the relationship between Cletus Spuckler
Cletus Spuckler
Cletus Delroy Spuckler is a recurring character in the Fox animated series, The Simpsons, and is voiced by Hank Azaria. Cletus is Springfield's resident hillbilly stereotype. He is very messy and is usually portrayed wearing a white sleeveless shirt and pair of blue jeans.- Biography :Cletus was...
and his wife Brandine, who may be siblings, mother and son, or even father and daughter.
The CW television series Supernatural
Supernatural (TV series)
Supernatural is an American supernatural and horror television series created by Eric Kripke, which debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the brothers as they...
stars two brothers who are mistaken for lovers on occasion. In the season 4 episode "The Monster at the End of This Book", fans of a fictional Supernatural book series are revealed to have a subgroup who believe the brothers to also be lovers (which is also true of fans of the TV show itself; this phenomenon is called "Wincest" by real-life fans). In other episode, Family Remains,they find a wild girl and a wild boy living in secret room under a house, and they come from a relationship of one father and his daughter.
Incest is sometimes added to the plot of episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
. In the episode "Blood Drops" (1.07), a young girl is sexually abused by her father, who is also her grandfather. Her mother is also her half-sister. The episode "Committed" (5.21), portrays mother-son incest. In "Table Stakes" (1.15), a brother and sister fake being a couple to avoid the authorities; they even allow themselves to be caught making love by the CSIs. In "Burden of Proof", the Father raped his daughter as she reminded him of her mother back when she was younger, and the father killed the soon to be step father after she told him while trying to frame him for molesting her.
The Fox sitcom Arrested Development constantly plays with the idea of incest. The most ongoing is George Michael Bluth's (Michael Cera
Michael Cera
Michael Austin Cera is a Canadian actor best known for his roles in Arrested Development, Youth in Revolt, Superbad, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and Juno. Cera received the 2008 Canadian Comedy Award for best male performance for his work in Superbad.-Early...
) crush on his cousin Maeby Fünke (Alia Shawkat
Alia Shawkat
Alia Martine Shawkat is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Maeby Fünke in the Fox series Arrested Development.- Personal life :...
), who in turn has a crush on Steve Holt (Justin Grant Wade), another cousin. In another scene, Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman
Jason Bateman
Jason Kent Bateman is an American television and film actor. After appearing in several 1980s and 1990s sitcoms including It's Your Move, and The Hogan Family, Bateman came to prominence in the early 2000s for playing Michael Bluth on Arrested Development, for which he won a TV Land, a Golden...
) sings the song "Afternoon Delight
Afternoon Delight (song)
"Afternoon Delight" is the title of a song recorded by American group, Starland Vocal Band, featuring close harmony and sexually suggestive wordplay. It was written by Bill Danoff, one of the members of the band. It became a number-one U.S. Billboard Hot 100 single on July 10, 1976...
" with his niece Maeby at the company Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
party, not realizing the sexual innuendo of the song, Lindsay Bluth (Portia de Rossi
Portia de Rossi
Portia Lee James DeGeneres , known professionally as Portia de Rossi , is an Australian-American actress, best known for her roles as lawyer Nelle Porter on the television series Ally McBeal and Lindsay Bluth Fünke on the sitcom Arrested Development...
) and her nephew George Michael also sing the song in the same episode, also not realizing the sexual content. Lindsay reveals to her brother Michael, that she has always had a small attraction towards him once it is stipulated that she was adopted. Lindsay also attempts to steal her daughter Maeby's love interest, Steve Holt (her nephew), by pretending to be Maeby's sister, although she is unsuccessful. Lucille Bluth (Jessica Walter
Jessica Walter
Jessica Walter is an American actress, known for the films Play Misty for Me, Grand Prix, and for her role as Lucille Bluth on the sitcom Arrested Development...
) and her son, Buster (Tony Hale
Tony Hale
Tony Hale is an American actor, best known for his role in the Fox comedy series Arrested Development as the neurotic Byron "Buster" Bluth.-Early life:...
), live together, even though Buster is in his mid-30s and they have a comedic codependent relationship, although it is not sexual.
In HBO's Rome
Rome (TV series)
Rome is a British-American–Italian historical drama television series created by Bruno Heller, John Milius and William J. MacDonald. The show's two seasons premiered in 2005 and 2007, and were later released on DVD. Rome is set in the 1st century BC, during Ancient Rome's transition from Republic...
, Octavia seduces her brother Octavian in the hopes of learning some of his secrets during pillow-talk, and Octavian is once accused of having an affair with his great uncle, Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
.
Incestuous families
The FOX television drama The X-FilesThe X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
featured an episode, "Home
Home (The X-Files)
"Home" is the 75th episode and the second episode of the fourth season of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States and Canada on October 11, 1996 on the FOX Network, and subsequently aired in the United Kingdom...
", in which a family in the real Pennsylvania town of Home
Home, Pennsylvania
Home is an unincorporated village located in Rayne Township, Indiana County, Pennsylvania. Although it is not tracked by the US Census Bureau, Home has been assigned the ZIP code 15747 and is a part of the telephone area code 724....
had pursued incestuous relationships for several generations and, as a result, developed genetic deformities. The episode received a TV-MA rating and was banned from replaying for years.
Sibling incest
Incest features heavily into the plot of a second-season episode of the NBC medical drama ERER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, titled "The Secret Sharer" (air date: 16 November 1995). A seventeen-year-old girl named Julia (Miriam Reichmeister) is brought in after a suicide attempt. She at first resists all attempts at treatment and will not talk about the reason for trying to take her own life. As the episode progresses, however, the reason for her bizarre behaviour is revealed: following the death of their mother, the girl's attempts to comfort her younger teenage brother Kyle (Austin O'Brien
Austin O'Brien
Austin O'Brien is an American actor. He may be best known for playing the co-lead Danny Madigan in the Arnold Schwarzenegger-movie Last Action Hero, followed by his turn into romance as Nick Zsigmond in My Girl 2, and a part in both The Lawnmower Man and its sequel.Austin O'Brien got married on...
), who was hit particularly hard by the loss, eventually resulted in a sexual encounter between the two and she is now pregnant with his child.
The British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Brookside
Brookside
Brookside is a defunct British soap opera set in Liverpool, England. The series began on the launch night of Channel 4 on 2 November 1982, and ran for 21 years until 4 November 2003...
ran a controversial storyline featuring consensual incestuous sex between the two sibling characters, Nat and Georgia Simpson, in the 1990s.
In "The Killings at Badger's Drift
The Killings at Badger's Drift
The Killings at Badger's Drift is a mystery novel by English writer Caroline Graham, the first in her Chief Inspector Barnaby series. In 1997, it was adapted as the pilot of Midsomer Murders, a popular ITV television series based on Graham's books...
", an episode of the British television series Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders is a British television detective drama that has aired on ITV since 1997. The show is based on the books by Caroline Graham, as originally adapted by Anthony Horowitz. The lead character is DCI Tom Barnaby who works for Causton CID. When Nettles left the show in 2011 he was...
, an old woman discovers a brother and sister in an incestuous relationship.
The television series Prison Break
Prison Break
Prison Break is an American television serial drama created by Paul Scheuring, that was broadcast on the Fox Broadcasting Company for four seasons, from 2005 until 2009. The series revolves around two brothers; one has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other devises an...
(2005) portrays the character Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell (Robert Knepper
Robert Knepper
Robert Lyle Knepper is an American actor. He is best known for starring as Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell in the Fox network's drama series Prison Break, for which he was nominated a Satellite Award...
) as the product of incestuous rape, specifically that of his Down's Syndrome-afflicted aunt by his father; he was also molested by his father. Siblings President Caroline Reynolds and Terrence Steadman were also incestuous lovers.
In the finale episode of the third season of FX Network's television drama Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck is an American drama series created by Ryan Murphy, which aired on FX in the United States. The series focuses on McNamara/Troy, a plastic surgery practice, and follows its founders, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy...
, Quentin Costa
Quentin Costa
Dr. Quentin Costa is a fictional character in the American television series Nip/Tuck, portrayed by Bruno Campos.-Character's background:Quentin Costa is introduced in the episode "Sean McNamara" as a plastic surgeon from Atlanta, Georgia...
(Bruno Campos
Bruno Campos
Bruno Campos is a Brazilian-born United States-based actor, best known for his role as Dr. Quentin Costa on the Golden Globe Award-winning television show Nip/Tuck.-Early life:...
) and Kit McGraw (Rhona Mitra
Rhona Mitra
Rhona Natasha Mitra , sometimes credited as Rona Mitra, is an English actress, model and singer.-Early life:Mitra was born in Paddington, London, England, the daughter of Anthony Mitra, a cosmetic surgeon, and Nora Downey...
) are exposed as incestuous lovers, of likewise incestuous parents. This discovery comes soon after Quentin is unmasked as the serial killer The Carver
Carver (Nip/Tuck)
The Carver is a fictional character on the television show Nip/Tuck. Introduced during the second season, he became the primary antagonist of the third season.- Background :...
, the main antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
of the third season, along with his accomplice, Kit.
In the FX Network's comedy series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is an American television sitcom that premiered on FX on August 4, 2005. New episodes continue to air on FX, with reruns playing on Comedy Central, general broadcast syndication, and WGN America—the first-ever cable-to-cable syndication deal for a sitcom...
, the McPoyle brothers are heavily "implied" to have an incestuous relationship with each other and are explicitly seen publicly tongue kissing their deaf-mute
Deaf-mute
For "deafness", see hearing impairment. For "Deaf" as a cultural term, see Deaf culture. For "inability to speak", see muteness.Deaf-mute is a term which was used historically to identify a person who was both deaf and could not speak...
sister.
The British soap Family Affairs
Family Affairs
Family Affairs was a British soap opera broadcast on Five, from 1997 to 2005. It was the second programme to be broadcast on the channel on 30 March 1997, the channel's launch night...
featured a storyline involving Gavin and Polly Arnold, a brother and sister in a consensual incestuous relationship.
I, Claudius
I, Claudius (TV series)
I, Claudius is a 1976 BBC Television adaptation of Robert Graves' I, Claudius and Claudius the God. Written by Jack Pulman, it proved one of the corporation's most successful drama serials of all time...
was a 1976 BBC Television adaptation of Robert Graves
Robert Graves
Robert von Ranke Graves 24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985 was an English poet, translator and novelist. During his long life he produced more than 140 works...
's I, Claudius
I, Claudius
I, Claudius is a novel by English writer Robert Graves, written in the form of an autobiography of the Roman Emperor Claudius. As such, it includes history of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty and Roman Empire, from Julius Caesar's assassination in 44 BC to Caligula's assassination in AD 41...
and Claudius the God. In it, the sordid lives of the Caesars are detailed, including the historical incestuous relationship between Caligula
Caligula
Caligula , also known as Gaius, was Roman Emperor from 37 AD to 41 AD. Caligula was a member of the house of rulers conventionally known as the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Caligula's father Germanicus, the nephew and adopted son of Emperor Tiberius, was a very successful general and one of Rome's most...
and his sister Drusilla.
In Degrassi Takes Manhattan
Degrassi Takes Manhattan
The Rest of My Life: Degrassi Takes Manhattan is a 2010 Canadian film adaptation of the popular, long-running teenage drama Degrassi, which was known as Degrassi: The Next Generation prior to this film. The movie premiered in Canada on MuchMusic on 16 July 2010, and in the United States on TeenNick...
, a drunk Fiona gets jealous when she sees her twin brother Declan making out with his girlfriend Holly J. at a party. She grabs Declan and pulls him into the middle of the room and kisses him.
In the Coming Up series for the UK's Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, a woman who is obsessed with breaking social taboos seduces her brother during the 7/7 bombings in London. They eventually part ways as they realize they cannot be a normal couple.
In the Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
episode "Hannah Banana
Hannah Banana
"Hannah Banana" is the fifth episode of the eighth season of the animated series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on November 8, 2009. The episode follows baby Stewie after he sneaks backstage at a Miley Cyrus concert in Quahog, eventually discovering that she is actually...
", Meg Griffin
Meg Griffin
Meg Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. She is the eldest child of Lois and Peter and elder sister of Chris and Stewie. Meg is considered as the black sheep of the series due to the lack of attention she receives....
reveals that she and her brother, Chris Griffin
Chris Griffin
Chris Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is the son and middle child of Peter and Lois Griffin, brother of Stewie and Meg Griffin. Chris is voiced by Seth Green.-Personality:...
, practice kissing on each other. Another instance is in the episode "Halloween on Spooner Street
Halloween on Spooner Street
"Halloween on Spooner Street" is the fourth episode of the ninth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on November 7, 2010. The episode follows baby Stewie and anthropomorphic dog Brian as they go trick-or-treating on Halloween...
", when siblings Meg and Chris Griffin unknowingly play Seven minutes in heaven
Seven minutes in heaven
Seven minutes in heaven is a teenager's party game first recorded as being played in Cincinnati in the early 1950s. Two people are selected to go into a closet or other dark enclosed space and do whatever they like for seven minutes. Sexual activities are allowed; however kissing and making out are...
at a Halloween party. Upon finding out each other's identities, they are shocked and disgusted, but in a later scene they are proud of themselves for finally "hooking up" with someone.
In American Dad, an explicit example is seen in the episode "Stannie Get your Gun". After Steve stole Roger's cookie, in revenge, Roger convinces Steve that he was adopted (and later, that he was kidnapped by his "fake" parents). Then, Steve tells Hayley, his big sister, that he is going to do "something they both wanted to do for years", and then, he French kisses Hayley passionately. So: Steve is in love with Hayley, but he respects the line between brothers and sisters. In a later episode Steve masturbates to a nude portrait of Hayley done by Roger (though he only painted from the chin down), becoming obsessed with it. However he became horrified upon discovering it was of his sister.
Wizards of Waverly Place
Wizards of Waverly Place
Wizards of Waverly Place is a Disney Channel Original Series that premiered on October 12, 2007. It won "Outstanding Children's Program" at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards in 2009...
is known for the strong incestuous subtext between Justin and Alex Russo (the pairing named 'Jalex' by fan fiction writers). In the first two seasons, their bodies end up flirting with each other the two times they have other people's brains in them, their mother tells to Alex she should date Justin when she temporarily forgets who he is, they almost never like the other one boyfriend/girlfriend, they hug tenderly every few episodes (something they rarely do with other people), and they spend most of their time together. In the third season, they even pretend once to be a couple to "help" their little brother Max with his girlfriend.
Half-siblings incest
A recent HollyoaksHollyoaks
Hollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill...
plot has dealt with incest between two members of the Ashworth family, Rhys Ashworth
Rhys Ashworth
Rhys Lesley Ashworth is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Andrew Moss. He made his first on-screen appearance on 4 October 2005.-Character creation and casting:...
and his half-sister Beth Clement
Beth Clement
Beth Clement is a fictional character from long-running Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Sinéad Moynihan. Beth first appeared as a student at Hollyoaks Community College, studying for a nursing degree and was later involved in an incest storyline with half-brother, Rhys Ashworth...
. They did not know they were half brother and sister when they began seeing each other; upon finding out they were related when their dad died, they tried to halt the relationship, but in the end could not stay away despite Rhys moving into a relationship with Mercedes McQueen
Mercedes McQueen
Mercedes Fisher is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Jennifer Metcalfe. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 19 June 2006 as the first character to be introduced to the serial by series producer, Bryan Kirkwood...
and Beth moving into a relationship with Rhys' best friend, Gilly Roach
Gilly Roach
Gilbert "Gilly" Roach is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Anthony Quinlan. The character debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 4 October 2005. Gilly was created in 2005 by executive producer David Hanson. Gilly has often been portrayed as a...
. When Beth is planning to be married to Gilly, they decide they must leave Hollyoaks, as they cannot end their relationship and see no other way to be together.
In the German television soap opera Alles was zählt, one of the main characters, Jennifer Steinkamp, had a secret affair with her half-brother Maximilian.
In British soap opera Emmerdale
Emmerdale
Emmerdale, is a long-running British soap opera set in Emmerdale , a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale was first broadcast on 16 October 1972...
, characters Ryan and Maisie were in a romantic and sexual relationship until it was revealed that they shared the same father.
In the CBS horror series Harper's Island, it is revealed in the last episode that main characters Abby Mills and Henry Dunn are half siblings, sharing the same mother even though the mother gave Henry up for adoption. Henry learned of this from his biological father and is still in love with Abby. However, when Abby finds out, she calls him sick and wants to leave him.
Relationship unknown to the characters
In the CSI: MiamiCSI: Miami
CSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....
episode "Divorce Party", two teens who are in love and having a child discover they are actually half-brother and sister when they figure out they have the same father.
In the Law & Order: SVU episode "Families" in season 5, a young girl is found dead in an ally. It is revealed that she is pregnant with her brother's child. They initially question her brother, until they realize that the victim's father and the father of her boyfriend Aidan Connor are the same person, and the victim's mother was Aidan Connor's father's mistress.
Siblings with no blood relation
The ABCAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television drama Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
features two step-siblings, Boone
Boone Carlyle
Boone Carlyle is a fictional character played by Ian Somerhalder on the ABC drama television series Lost, which chronicles the lives of the survivors of a plane crash in the south Pacific. Boone is introduced in the pilot episode as the stepbrother of fellow crash survivor Shannon Rutherford...
and Shannon
Shannon Rutherford
Shannon Rutherford is a fictional character played by Maggie Grace on the ABC drama television series Lost, which chronicles the lives of the survivors of a plane crash in the South Pacific. Shannon is introduced in the pilot episode as the stepsister of fellow crash survivor Boone Carlyle . She is...
, who engaged in an incestuous encounter.
In the 2009 remake of Melrose Place
Melrose Place (2009 TV series)
Melrose Place is an American television series broadcast on The CW Television Network from September 8, 2009 to April 13, 2010. The fifth series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise, it is an updated version of the 1990s Fox prime time drama of the same name, featuring a group of young adults...
, there was a storyline of Violet (Ashlee Simpson
Ashlee Simpson
Ashlee Nicole Simpson is an American singer and actress. In 2004, she rose to prominence with the success of her number-one debut album Autobiography and the reality series, The Ashlee Simpson Show. In October 2005, following a North American concert tour and a film appearance, Simpson released...
) having a relationship with her stepbrother, Levi. Both adopted into the same family, they had a romance during high school and had plans to run away together. However, Violet left their family, stealing money as well, and ended their relationship.
Make-believe incest
In ABC's Ugly BettyUgly Betty
Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
, Amanda Sommers and Daniel Meade, sexual lovers, briefly panic when they believe Amanda's father is Bradford Meade (also Daniel's father). However, this proves not to be the case, much to the relief of both Daniel and Amanda.
In the Law and Order: SVU episode "Repression", Megan Ramsey, after having a session with her therapist, reveals that she was raped by her father when she was fifteen. However, it is later revealed this was all just a delusion brought up by a suggestive state in a sodium pentothal session with her therapist, and in fact she was still a virgin.
In Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars is an American television series created by Rob Thomas. The series premiered on September 22, 2004, during television network UPN's final two years, and ended on May 22, 2007, after a season on UPN's successor, The CW Television Network. Veronica Mars was produced by Warner Bros...
, we can piece together from flashbacks that Dunccan Kane's father Jake Kane told him that his high school girlfriend Veronica may be his half-sister and his father Jake and Veronica's mother were high school sweethearts and had continued to have an affair over the years despite their marriage to others. This prompted Duncan to break up with Veronica (before Lily Kane's death). Shortly afterwards, the two consensual sex while both were under the influence of GHB. When Veronica finds out and asks Duncan about it, he says it was wrong of him to do it because he knew that they were brother and sister. A DNA test later reveals that Veronica was Jake Kane's and therefore Duncan was not her brother.
Father/daughter incest
In the PBSPublic Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
Mystery!
Mystery!
Mystery! is an episodic television series that debuted in 1980 in the USA. It airs on PBS and is produced by WGBH...
production of Heat of the Sun (1999), former Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became...
detective Albert Tyburn investigates a murder that involves what seems to be father-daughter incest in colonial Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
.
In the 2006 episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
named "Taboo", a young woman seduces and is impregnated by her father. The franchise touched again the issue in the 2009 episode of Law & Order: CI named "Family Values
Family Values (Law & Order: Criminal Intent)
"Family Values" is an eighth-season episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent and the 163rd episode overall...
". Paul Devildis develops an incestuous attraction towards his daughter Kathy, which due to his deep religious beliefs makes him believe everyone else as well is attracted to her in a lustful way and therefore sinners. In turn he goes on a killing spree under the belief he is doing god's work.
In Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks is an American television serial drama created by David Lynch and Mark Frost. The series follows the investigation headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper , of the murder of a popular teenager and homecoming queen, Laura Palmer...
, David Lynch's 1990–91 cult hit, seventeen year-old Laura Palmer, whose brutal murder causes the events depicted in the series to unfold, has been sexually abused on a regular basis by a demonic entity referred to as Bob, who has taken possession of her father Leland.
A storyline arc at the end of Melrose Places second season (which concluded early in the third) dealt with Alison Parker (Courtney Thorne-Smith
Courtney Thorne-Smith
Courtney Thorne-Smith is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Alison Parker on Melrose Place, Georgia Thomas on Ally McBeal, and Cheryl Mabel in According to Jim, as well as her recurring role in Two and a Half Men as Lyndsey McElroy.-Early life:She was born in San Francisco,...
) and her sister Meredith being molested by their father when they were children.
The Storyteller
The Storyteller
The StoryTeller is a live-action/puppet television series. It was an American/British co-production which originally aired in 1988 and was created and produced by Jim Henson....
episode Sapsorrow features a situation where a daughter is forced to engagement with her father.
In the Breakout Kings
Breakout Kings
Breakout Kings is an American drama television series created by Nick Santora and Matt Olmstead, which airs on the A&E network. The series premiered on March 6, 2011. The series was picked up for a second season on July 6, 2011, which is expected to begin in 2012.-Premise:In order to catch escaped...
episode Out of the Mouths of Babes, a young girl named Tess is revealed to have been sexually abused by her father, but blamed the school councilor out of fear.
Mother/son incest
The British comedy Green WingGreen Wing
Green Wing is a British sitcom set in the fictional East Hampton Hospital. It was created by the same team behind the sketch show Smack the Pony, led by Victoria Pile, and stars Tamsin Greig, Stephen Mangan and Julian Rhind-Tutt....
features a mother and son, Joanna and Guy, sleeping together, albeit unknowingly as Guy was abandoned by Joanna as a baby.
In the seventh season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, its revealed that after Spike bit his own mother, she was so overwhelmed with the power that she tried to rid herself of him. Spike tried to reason with her, but his mother grew so angry that she insinuated that Spike had always had a sexual fascination with her. She even tried to seduce Spike before he killed her.
In the NCIS
NCIS (TV series)
NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
episode "Meat Puzzle", a killer named Vincent Hanlan (Morgan Weisser
Morgan Weisser
Morgan Weisser is an American actor and the son of German born actor Norbert Weisser.-Movie career:He is probably best known for his role as Lt...
) is convicted of the rape and murder of a female Navy Lieutenant but Ducky notes Vincent was unable to rape the woman as he was impotent and he beat her to death in a rage. Later Vincent's brother implies Vincent and their mother have a consensual sexual relationship ("They have lots of secrets, terrible secrets with each other") This is also implied when his mother, Mary (Lee Garlington
Lee Garlington
Ann Leslie "Lee" Garlington is an American actress.Garlington was born in Teaneck, New Jersey. She has guest starred in a number of notable television series, including The West Wing, 7th Heaven, 8 Simple Rules, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Judging Amy, L.A...
) caresses Vincent's face and winks at him in a seductive way
In season 4 of Smallville
Smallville
Smallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross...
, it is implied that Jason Teague (Jensen Ackles
Jensen Ackles
Jensen Ross Ackles is an American actor. He is known for his roles in television as Eric Brady in Days of our Lives, which earned him several Daytime Emmy Award nominations, as well as Alec/X5-494 in Dark Angel and Jason Teague in Smallville...
) is in a relationship with his mother, Genevieve (Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour (actress)
Jane Seymour, OBE is an English actress best known for her performances in the James Bond film Live and Let Die , East of Eden , Onassis: The Richest Man in the World , and the American television series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman...
); this is hinted at by Lionel Luthor
Lionel Luthor
Lionel Luthor is a fictional character in the television series Smallville, portrayed continuously by John Glover. Initially a recurring guest in season one, the character became a series regular in season two and continued with that status until he was written out of the show in the seventh season...
(John Glover
John Glover (actor)
John Soursby Glover Jr. is an American actor, perhaps best known for a range of villainous roles in films and television, including Lionel Luthor on the Superman-inspired television series Smallville.-Personal life:...
) many times.
Cousin incest
In an episode of the FOX sitcom That '70s ShowThat '70s Show
That '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979...
entitled "Eric's Hot Cousin", Eric Forman
Eric Forman
Eric Albert Forman is a fictional character and the male lead on the Fox Network's That '70s Show between seasons one through seven. Portrayed by Topher Grace, Eric is based on the adolescence of show creator Mark Brazill. Most of the show takes place at the Formans' home, particularly in the...
(Topher Grace
Topher Grace
Christopher John "Topher" Grace is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Eric Forman on the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, Eddie Brock/Venom in the Sam Raimi film Spider-Man 3, and Edwin in the 2010 film Predators....
) is tricked into thinking that he is not related to his cousin, whom he desires but only learns the truth as he is embarrassed in front of his parents.
In an episode of Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
named "The Junk Mail
The Junk Mail
"The Junk Mail" is the 161st episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. It was the 5th episode of the 9th and final season. The episode aired on October 30, 1997.-Plot:...
", George Costanza
George Costanza
George Louis Costanza is a character in the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Jason Alexander. He has variously been described as a "short, stocky, slow-witted, bald man" , "Lord of the Idiots" , and as "the greatest sitcom character of all time"...
convinces his cousin to start a romantic relationship with him. However, he was not actually interested in her; he simply wanted to anger his father (although she was into it, even referring to herself as his girlfriend). They never have sex, however.
In the 8th season of the popular sitcom Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
Ross was shown sexually attracted to his cousin Denise Richards.
In The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory is an American sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom serve as executive producers on the show, along with Steven Molaro. All three also serve as head writers...
episode "The Adhesive Duck Deficiency", Howard Wolowitz
Howard Wolowitz
Howard Joel Wolowitz, M.Eng is a fictional character on the CBS television series The Big Bang Theory, portrayed by actor Simon Helberg.Among the main male characters in the show, Howard is distinguished for lacking a doctoral degree, for still living with his mother, and for believing himself to...
reveals he lost his virginity to his second cousin at his uncle's funeral. He also has a strong attachment to his mother, which borders on an Oedipus complex
Oedipus complex
In psychoanalytic theory, the term Oedipus complex denotes the emotions and ideas that the mind keeps in the unconscious, via dynamic repression, that concentrate upon a boy’s desire to sexually possess his mother, and kill his father...
.
Other kinds of incest
EastEnders also featured a storyline between Zoe SlaterZoe Slater
Zoe Slater is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Michelle Ryan. She made her first appearance on the 18 September 2000...
, Kat Slater and Harry Slater. Zoe discovered Kat who she thought was her sister is actually her mother who had been sexually abused by her uncle Harry resulting in her becoming pregnant with Zoe.
In the Futurama
Futurama
Futurama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
episode "Roswell that Ends Well", the crew is sent back in time to the 1940s while watching a supernova
Supernova
A supernova is a stellar explosion that is more energetic than a nova. It is pronounced with the plural supernovae or supernovas. Supernovae are extremely luminous and cause a burst of radiation that often briefly outshines an entire galaxy, before fading from view over several weeks or months...
occur. With the loss of all guidance systems, their ship crash lands at Roswell
Roswell, New Mexico
Roswell is a city in and the county seat of Chaves County in the southeastern quarter of the state of New Mexico, United States. The population was 48,366 at the 2010 census. It is a center for irrigation farming, dairying, ranching, manufacturing, distribution, and petroleum production. It is also...
, where Philip J. Fry
Philip J. Fry
Philip J. Fry, known simply as Fry, is a fictional character, the main protagonist of the animated science fiction sitcom Futurama. He is voiced by Billy West using a version of his own voice as he sounded when he was 25.-Character overview:...
meets his grandfather, Enos. Professor Farnsworth
Hubert J. Farnsworth
Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, or simply The Professor, is a fictional character in the American animated television series Futurama. He is voiced by Billy West using a combination of impressions of Burgess Meredith and Frank Morgan. Farnsworth is the proprietor of the Planet Express delivery...
then warns Fry not to interfere with anything lest he disrupt his own timeline. In an attempt to prevent his grandfather's death, however, Fry locks him in a cabin out in the middle of nowhere – which unknown to him is a nuclear test zone (resulting in his grandfather's death). Soon afterward, he quickly becomes entangled in his young grandmother's emotional despair and ends up sleeping with her. The Professor, after discovering the two, then informs Fry that he is his own grandfather. This is a reference to the famous Grandfather Paradox
Grandfather paradox
The grandfather paradox is a proposed paradox of time travel first described by the science fiction writer René Barjavel in his 1943 book Le Voyageur Imprudent . The paradox is this: suppose a man traveled back in time and killed his biological grandfather before the latter met the traveler's...
of time travel
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
.
In the TV series Malcolm in the Middle
Malcolm in the Middle
Malcolm in the Middle is an American television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes...
episode College Recruiters, Reese's Russian bride claimed that the man she was having sex with was her brother, though this was an obvious lie to cover up her affair.
Popular music
One of the first incest lines was a song called "The EndThe End (The Doors song)
"The End" is a song by The Doors. Originally written by Jim Morrison as a song about breaking up with girlfriend Mary Werbelow, it evolved through months of performances at Los Angeles' Whisky a Go Go into a nearly 12-minute opus on their self-titled album. The band would perform the song to close...
" by psychedelic rock band The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
, in which Jim Morrison sings, "Father/ Yes son?/ I want to kill you/ Mother, I want to... (fuck you),"
In his classic song for the Flamin' Groovies' 1970 album "Flamingo
Flamingo
Flamingos or flamingoes are gregarious wading birds in the genus Phoenicopterus , the only genus in the family Phoenicopteridae...
", Roy Loney's song "Second Cousin" describes a man's desire to marry his second cousin ("with the kind of body on her make a bald man tear his hair!") despite the opposition of their families.
Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
's groundbreakingly explicit album Dirty Mind
Dirty Mind
Dirty Mind is the third studio album by American musician Prince, released October 8, 1980 on Warner Bros. Records. Produced, arranged and composed primarily by Prince, it contains prominently sexual lyrics and incorporates musical elements of funk, dance and rock music. The album debuted at number...
contains the song "Sister", an ode to incest.
British musician Kate Bush
Kate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
's song "The Kick Inside
The Kick Inside
-Personnel:*Kate Bush: Piano, Composer, Keyboards, Vocals, Background Vocals*Ian Bairnson: Guitar, Vocals, Background Vocals, Bottle*Paddy Bush: Harmonica, Mandolin, Vocals*Barry DeSouza: drums*Stuart Elliott: Drums...
" from her 1978 album of the same name depicts an incestuous relationship, pregnancy and suicide involving a brother and sister.
The song "Fa La Fa Lee" by rock band Sparks
Sparks (band)
Sparks is an American rock and pop band formed in Los Angeles in 1968 by brothers Ron and Russell Mael , initially under the name Halfnelson...
contains the line:
"Fa la fa lee /she ain't heavy, she's a brother to me/
What I need, she can't be /
Nature, nurture, who's to say?/
But still fa la, fa lee /
Anything between us is a felony
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
"
Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
n Pop Punk
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
band Blink 182 are notorious for being lighthearted about it in songs like, "The Grandpa Song", and "The Country Song", as well they joke about it frequently at live shows.
The song "Weakest Moments" by American rock musician John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp, previously known by the stage names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor known for his catchy, populist brand of heartland rock that eschews synthesizers and other artificial sounds...
contains the line "Well, I hear you downstairs/ you're fooling around/ with your father's brother/ and your mother's gown".
The song "Don't Wake The Baby" by Jack Off Jill
Jack Off Jill
Jack Off Jill was an American alternative rock band from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, founded in 1992 by Jessica Fodera, Tenni Arslanyan, Robin Moulder, and Michelle Oliver. Though these four young women were the initial founders, twelve members rotated through the group in its lifespan, including...
is also apparently about father-daughter incest.
American rock band Giant Drag
Giant Drag
Giant Drag is an American alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formerly a duo, the band was founded in 2003 by Annie Hardy who continues to be the band's sole singer and songwriter....
have a song called "YFLMD" – which stands for "You Fuck Like My Dad".
Alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Pixies
Pixies (band)
The Pixies are an American alternative rock band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1986. The group consists of Black Francis , Joey Santiago , Kim Deal , and David Lovering . While the Pixies found only modest success in their home country, they were significantly more successful in the United...
utilize themes of incest in several songs, including "The Holiday Song", "Nimrod's Son", "Break My Body", and "Broken Face".
The German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Rammstein
Rammstein
Rammstein is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band from Berlin, formed in 1994. The band consists of members Till Lindemann , Richard Z. Kruspe , Paul H. Landers , Oliver "Ollie" Riedel , Christoph "Doom" Schneider and Christian "Flake" Lorenz...
touches on incest in “Spiel mit mir”, ("Play with me"), featuring an incestuous relationship between brothers. In “Spiel mit mir”, the older brother apparently forces himself on his younger brother for sex so he will be able to sleep. Rammstein has written other songs dealing with incest including “Laichzeit” (“Spawn time”) and “Tier” (“Animal”).
Alternative rock band 3 Doors Down
3 Doors Down
3 Doors Down is an American rock band from Escatawpa formed in 1996. The band consists of Brad Arnold , Matt Roberts , Todd Harrell , Chris Henderson , and Greg Upchurch ....
also deals with father-daughter incest in the song "Sarah Yellin'", and the subsequent murder of the father by his daughter.
The song "Little Sister" by Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. The band's line-up has always included founding member Josh Homme , with the current line-up including longtime members Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo , alongside Michael Shuman and...
deals with what can be seen as a brother-sister relationship.
Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
released an album entitled Incesticide
Incesticide
-Personnel:All sessions:*Kurt Cobain – vocals, guitar*Krist Novoselic – bass guitarSeattle, WA: Reciprocal Recording Studios Nirvana's first studio demo tape...
on December 15, 1992.
Steely Dan
Steely Dan
Steely Dan is an American rock band; its core members are Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop...
's "Cousin Dupree" from their 2000 album Two Against Nature
Two Against Nature
Two Against Nature is the eighth album by Steely Dan, released in 2000. The album won the group four Grammy Awards including Album of the Year, and marked the first Steely Dan studio album in 20 years, following 1980's Gaucho. It has been certified 2x platinum in the US.Two Against Nature marked...
is about a travelling singer who lusts after his cousin. For example, "When I see my little cousin Janine walk in / All I could say was ow-ow-ouch / ... How about a kiss for your cousin Dupree."
American singer Sophie B. Hawkins
Sophie B. Hawkins
Sophie Ballantine Hawkins is an American singer, songwriter, musician and painter. Her biggest hits are "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover", "Right Beside You", and "As I Lay Me Down".- Career :...
sings about brother-sister incest in her song "Don't Stop Swaying" from the 1992 album Tongues and Tails
Tongues and Tails
Tongues and Tails is the first album by American singer/songwriter Sophie B. Hawkins, released in 1992 . The title is presumably derived from Act II, Scene i, Line 214 of The Taming of the Shrew, in which Petruchio asks Kate, "What, with my tongue in your tail?"-Track listing:all songs written by...
. The spoken phrase at the end of the song is explicit: "Hansel and Gretel are holding hands deep in the forest. They are lost. This is their own story. The two have fallen in love, and so, after a long quietness amidst the creatures of the night, they begin to kiss."
There are many examples where incestuous themes are interpreted into lyrics that are undoubtedly dealing with "normal sex". For instance, the term "mama" and "my old lady" are sometimes misinterpreted as representing "mother".
Arena rock band Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
was criticized for their song "Tie Your Mother Down
Tie Your Mother Down
"Tie Your Mother Down" is a song by the English rock group Queen, written by guitarist Brian May. It is the opening track and the second single from their 1976 album A Day at the Races...
", for the theory that the song was about incestuous rape, although cursory inspection of the lyrics reveals that the song actually refers to the singer's girlfriend's mother, who wants to prevent her daughter from seeing the singer.
On his 2003 album Poodle Hat
Poodle Hat
Poodle Hat is the Grammy Award-winning 11th studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic. It was released on May 20, 2003 on Volcano Records. The album debuted at number 17 on the Billboard 200. The album was released on an Enhanced CD...
, "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
included a parody of Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...
's song, "Complicated (Avril Lavigne song)" titled "A Complicated Song". The song was sung in the first-person, and one of the verses sung was about going to dinner to propose to his girlfriend, only to learn that she was his cousin. The verse was sung as, "How was I supposed to know we were both related?/Believe me, if I knew she was my cousin, we never would have dated."
In their 2003 "metal opera" Days of Rising Doom, the band Aina
Aina (band)
Aina is a progressive metal supergroup, containing members from all over the world and from all strands of metal and hard rock. Together they created the metal opera Days of Rising Doom, which was released in 2003 by Transmission/The End Records....
tells through music a story that features an unknowing incestuous relationship between the Ainae princess Oriana and her half-brother Syrius. The evil warlord Sorvahr abducts the queen Oria from his brother Talon, the king of the land of Aina, and rapes her until she bears a son named Syrius. Oriana, whom Oria had conceived with Talon before Sorvahr kidnapped her, encounters Syrius many years later, who was being groomed to be the leader of Sorvahr's Krakhon army, falls in love with him, and has sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
with him. In a later battle between the Ainae and Krakhon, Syrius calls a truce between his forces and the Ainae when he spots Oriana on the Ainae battle line. Furious, Sorvahr kills Syrius with magic and appears in the sky, telling Oriana how Syrius was her brother. Oriana then destroys Sorvahr, and with the help of the Ainae army, defeats the Krakhon, rescues her mother, and restores peace to the realm of Aina.
Patterson Hood of the Drive-By Truckers
Drive-By Truckers
Drive-By Truckers are an alternative country/Southern rock band based in Athens, Georgia, though three out of six members are originally from The Shoals region of Northern Alabama, and the band strongly identifies with Alabama. Their music uses three guitars as well as bass, drums, and now...
based their song "The Deeper In", from their Decoration Day
Decoration Day (album)
Decoration Day is a rock album released by Drive-By Truckers in 2003. The album was recorded mostly live over two weeks at Chase Park Transduction Studios in Athens, Georgia, and was produced by noted producer and former Sugar bassist David Barbe...
album, on the real-life consensual incestuous relationship between Allen and Patricia Muth
Muth v. Frank
Muth v. Frank, 412 F.3d 808 , was a case in which the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit held that the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 , striking down anti-homosexual sodomy laws as unconstitutional did not extend to the conclusion that laws...
. The Muths are a brother and sister from Wisconsin, although Hood mistakenly implies Michigan in the song. In interviews he has claimed this is due to incorrectly recalling an article from Esquire
Esquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
magazine, in which he read about the couple. Patricia was adopted at birth and did not meet Allen until she was eighteen and he thirty-three, however both were aware of their relationship to each other. They went on to produce four children, one of which was disabled; this led to their arrest and subsequent imprisonment in 1997. Allen was sentenced to eight years and Patricia five, to be served in maximum-security prisons, twenty-five miles apart.
The song "This Love is Fucking Right" by The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are an indie pop band from New York City. Their first album was a self-released EP which came out in 2007 through the Painbow label. Their debut self-titled full length album was released on February 3, 2009 via Slumberland Records. The band name comes from an...
is about a consensual brother-sister relationship that is both romantic and sexual in nature.
The so-called "Mamasan Trilogy" by Seattle rockers Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
tells the story of a man's incestuous relationship with his mother and the subsequent unfolding events. The trilogy begins with Alive, which singer Eddie Vedder explains as being part autobiographical and part fiction. When Eddie was a teenager, his mother revealed to him that the man he thought was his father was actually his stepfather, and his biological father was dead. It is the first piece to a trilogy of songs: "Alive", "Once" and "Footsteps." "Alive" tells a story of incest, which leads to the murderous killing spree described in "Once", and eventually looking back from a prison cell in "Footsteps".
The song "My Promiscuous Daughter" by West Chester, Pennsylvania
West Chester, Pennsylvania
The Borough of West Chester is the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,461 at the 2010 census.Valley Forge, the Brandywine Battlefield, Longwood Gardens, Marsh Creek State Park, and other historical attractions are near West Chester...
band CKY
CKY (band)
CKY is an American alternative metal band that formed in West Chester, Pennsylvania in 1998. Centred around core members Deron Miller , Chad I Ginsburg and Jess Margera , the band shares its name with a skateboarding and stunt video series produced by Bam Margera, brother of drummer Jess...
starts off with lyrics, "I caught my daughter giving head to my brother," suggesting sexual relations between a man's daughter and her uncle.
Eyehategod
Eyehategod
Eyehategod is an American sludge metal band from New Orleans who formed in 1988. They have become one of the most well known bands to emerge from the NOLA metal scene...
have a song called "Sister Fucker."
"Suck My Left One" by Bikini Kill
Bikini Kill
Bikini Kill was an American punk rock band formed in Olympia, Washington in October 1990. The group consisted of vocalist and songwriter Kathleen Hanna, guitarist Billy Karren, bassist Kathi Wilcox, and drummer Tobi Vail. The band is widely considered to be the pioneer of the riot grrrl movement,...
was about father-daughter incest.
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut is a 1999 animated musical comedy film based on the animated television series South Park, created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker. The film was directed by Parker, who also stars along with the rest of the regular voice cast from the series, including Stone, Mary...
features the song "Uncle Fucka", in which accusations of incest are leveled by Terrance and Phillip.
"Chinese Dunkirk" by the Australian blues/hard rock band, Rose Tattoo
Rose Tattoo
Rose Tattoo is an Australian rock and roll band, now led by Angry Anderson, that was formed in Sydney in 1976. Their sound is hard rock mixed with blues rock influences, with songs including "Bad Boy for Love", "Rock 'n' Roll Outlaw", "Nice Boys", "We Can't Be Beaten" and "Scarred for Life"...
, on their 1981 album Assault & Battery
Assault & Battery (Rose Tattoo album)
Assault & Battery is the second album by Australian hard rock band Rose Tattoo. It was the first sort of full-length release in three years after three years non stop on the road.-Track listing:# "Out of This Place"...
contains lyrics that suggest brother-sister incest.
The song "Ark" from the Japanese band Sound Horizon
Sound Horizon
Sound Horizon, abbreviated by fans as Sanhora , is a Japanese musical group with composer Revo as the leader. They call themselves the "fantasy band" and have released their works that closely resemble suites.-History:...
deals with a brother-sister relationship where the sister falls in love and kills her older brother.
The Horrorcore
Horrorcore
Horrorcore is a subgenre of hip hop music based in horror-themed lyrical content and imagery. While the style is rarely popular, some performers have sold well in the mainstream scene.-Origins:...
rapper King Gordy
King Gordy
Waverly W. Alford III , better known by his stage name King Gordy, is an American rapper.- Biography :King Gordy is a horrorcore rapper from Detroit, Michigan. He appeared on Bizarre's solo album. Gordy and Bizarre have been good friends since childhood...
talks about smoking crack with and repeatedly raping his sister on the song "This World" in 2009.
Adult/child incest in songs
A thirteen year-old boy is molested by his mother because he looks like his deceased father in the song "Alive" by Pearl JamPearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
, from the album Ten
Ten (Pearl Jam album)
Ten is the debut studio album by the American grunge band Pearl Jam, released on August 27, 1991 through Epic Records. Following the disbanding of bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Stone Gossard's previous group Mother Love Bone, the two recruited vocalist Eddie Vedder, guitarist Mike McCready, and...
. Similarly, The Prize Fighter Inferno
The Prize Fighter Inferno
The Prize Fighter Inferno is an acoustic/electronica solo project of Claudio Sanchez, the lead singer and lead/rhythm guitarist for the band Coheed and Cambria. The first album, called My Brother's Blood Machine was released on October 31, 2006 through indie label Equal Vision Records...
released a song titled "Our Darling Daughter You Are, Little Cecillia Marie" on the album My Brother's Blood Machine
My Brother's Blood Machine
My Brother's Blood Machine is the first solo album by the lead singer of Coheed and Cambria, Claudio Sanchez and was released on October 31, 2006...
, detailing a case of habitual father/daughter incest/rape, resulting in her attempted murder of her father. In Bad Cliché by Cosy Sheridan
Cosy Sheridan
Cosy Sheridan is an American folk singer/songwriter. Sheridan graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy. Her songs cover political topics such as AIDS, prostitution, women's body image, and environmentalism, as well as tending toward the humorous: her song Turboyeast, about vaginal yeast infections,...
, from the album Grand Design, a girl is sexually abused by her uncle from the age of nine to twelve.
"Breaking Silence" by Janis Ian
Janis Ian
Janis Ian is an American songwriter, singer, musician, columnist, and science fiction author. Ian first entered the folk music scene while still a teenager in the mid-sixties; most active musically in that decade and the 1970s, she has continued recording into the 21st century...
, from the album of the same name, is about fathers sexually abusing their daughters. In "Cherokee Louise" by Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
, from the album Night Ride Home
Night Ride Home
Night Ride Home is the fourteenth album by Joni Mitchell, released in 1991. It was the last of four albums she recorded for Geffen Records....
, a young girl hides from her sexually abusive stepfather. In "Crack in the Mirror" by Betty Elders, from the album Peaceful Existence; also covered by Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
on Gone From Danger, a girl is sexually abused from the time she is a baby. In "Daddy's Girl" by Scorpions
Scorpions (band)
Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
, from the album Face the Heat
Face the Heat
Face the Heat is the twelfth studio album released by the German heavy metal band Scorpions in 1993....
, a mother denies that her daughter is being molested by her father. In "Daddy's Song" by Toni Childs
Toni Childs
Toni Childs is an American singer-songwriter from Orange, California. She has released four studio albums and is best known for her songs "Don't Walk Away" , "I've Got To Go Now", a Top 5 hit in Australia in 1991, and the Emmy-winning "Because You're Beautiful" Toni Childs (born October 29, 1957)...
, from the album House of Hope
House of Hope
House of Hope is the second album by the American singer/songwriter Toni Childs, released in June 1991. It was Childs' second and final album for the A&M label....
, an incest survivor sings of sexual abuse by her father. In "Fiddle About" by the Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
from the rock opera
Rock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
Tommy
Tommy (rock opera)
Tommy is the fourth album by English rock band The Who, released by Track Records and Polydor Records in the United Kingdom and Decca Records/MCA in the United States. A double album telling a loose story about a "deaf, dumb and blind boy" who becomes the leader of a messianic movement, Tommy was...
, Tommy is molested in bed by his uncle.
In "Nightmare" by Gaye Adegbalola
Gaye Adegbalola
Gaye Adegbalola is an American blues singer and guitarist, teacher, lecturer, activist, and photographer.-Biography:...
, from Bitter Sweet Blues, a girl molested by her father forgives, but does not forget. Sleep by Stabbing Westward
Stabbing Westward
Stabbing Westward was an American industrial rock and alternative rock band. They formed in 1985 in Chicago, Illinois and began recording in the 1990s. The band announced a dissolution in 2002.- Early years :...
, from Wither Blister Burn & Peel
Wither Blister Burn & Peel
Wither Blister Burn & Peel is the second album released on Columbia Records by the American industrial rock band Stabbing Westward. The album was recorded in New York State in late 1995, and was released on January 4, 1996 in New York City and Los Angeles...
tells of the despair felt by a child who is a victim of incest, and her withdrawal from reality. "Island" by Heather Nova
Heather Nova
Heather Nova, is a Bermudian singer-songwriter and poet. She has released eight full-length albums and has found lasting success in Germany where two of her albums South and Storm have made their way into the Top-5 of German official album chart.-Biography:Heather Nova was born in Bermuda...
, from her album Oyster
Oyster (album)
Oyster is the second studio album by Heather Nova, released in 1994 .-Track listing:All songs written by Heather Nova.#"Walk This World" – 3:49#"Heal" – 3:55#"Island" – 6:20#"Throwing Fire at the Sun" – 5:57...
, deals with a daughter being sexually abused by her father with nowhere to escape.
The song "Amy In The White Coat" by indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
artist Bright Eyes tells the story of a girl (and her sisters) being molested by her father.
The German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
band Sodom
Sodom (band)
Sodom is a German Thrash metal trio from Gelsenkirchen, formed in 1981.Along with the bands Kreator and Destruction, Sodom is considered one of the "big three" of Teutonic thrash metal...
has a song titled "Incest" in his album Agent Orange
Agent Orange
Agent Orange is the code name for one of the herbicides and defoliants used by the U.S. military as part of its herbicidal warfare program, Operation Ranch Hand, during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1971. Vietnam estimates 400,000 people were killed or maimed, and 500,000 children born with birth...
.
"Family Tree" by the thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
band Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
, from their album Youthanasia
Youthanasia
Youthanasia is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Megadeth, released on November 1, 1994 through Capitol Records. A remixed and remastered version, featuring several bonus tracks, was released in 2004....
, is about incest between a father and daughter.
"Embryo" by the Japanese band Dir En Grey
Dir en grey
Dir En Grey is a Japanese metal band formed in 1997 and currently signed to Firewall Div., a sub-division of Free-Will. As of 2011, they have recorded eight full-length records...
is about a mother dying and the father raping the daughter. At the end of the song, the girl kills the father and discovers she is pregnant with his child.
The song "Sugar Pain" by the Japanese band The GazettE
The Gazette
The Gazette is a title of several newspapers and magazines, including:-English-language newspapers:*London Gazette, the official publication of the government of the United Kingdom...
depicts the struggles of a man who can't tell the difference between platonic
Platonic love
Platonic love is a chaste and strong type of love that is non-sexual.-Amor Platonicus:The term amor platonicus was coined as early as the 15th century by the Florentine scholar Marsilio Ficino. Platonic love in this original sense of the term is examined in Plato's dialogue the Symposium, which has...
and sexual love and ultimately goes insane and rapes his own mother.
The song "The Dark I Know Well" in the 2006 musical Spring Awakening tells of a girl whose father sexually and physically abuses her "You say all you want is just a kiss goodnight/then you hold me and you whisper/ "Child the Lord won't mind"/ It's just you and me,/ Child you are a beauty."
"Royally Fucked" by Mindless Self Indulgence
Mindless Self Indulgence
Mindless Self Indulgence is an American musical group formed in New York in 1997. Their music has a mixed style including rap, punk rock, alternative rock, electronica, techno and industrial...
off their "Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy" album has the teller complaining complaining "Mom, Dad, why don't you finger me too?" and how he will "never be loved" because he was not sexually touched by his parents like his sibling was. This song could also be about inbreeding in royal families which had been happening from the 17th to late 18th century. Being royally fucked is being deformed and tainted. "All of them dead now, let me be the same," could be referencing the dead inbred kings/queens of the time.
The song Lemon Incest by Charlotte and Serge Gainsbourg is a song and music video about an incestuous relationship between a father and her daughter. The single cover is a picture of the half-clothed father with his daughter lying across his chest. Considering that father/daughter was the same family tie that the singers shared it caused suspicions that the song may be autobiographical. However, the Gainsbourgs denied these allegations and the song became very popular in France.
In "Janie's Got a Gun
Janie's Got a Gun
"Janie's Got a Gun" is a song performed by American hard rock band Aerosmith and written by Steven Tyler and Tom Hamilton. It was originally titled "Danny's Got a Gun" after a close friend of Steven Tyler, but was later changed. It was released as the second single from Pump in 1989...
" by the band Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
, Janie kills her father after he sexually abuses her.
The Bravery
The Bravery
The Bravery is an American rock band from New York City that consists of Sam Endicott , Michael Zakarin , John Conway , Mike Hindert , and Anthony Burulcich...
's song "Tragedy Bound" involves a girl abused by her father. (Her daddy was a demon watching her dress./
He shriveled her down, wore her like a crown.)
G Tom Mac's song 'Cry Little Sister' recorded for the movie The Lost Boys
The Lost Boys
The Lost Boys is a 1987 American teen comedy horror film directed by Joel Schumacher and starring Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Kiefer Sutherland, Jami Gertz, Corey Feldman, Dianne Wiest, Edward Herrmann, Alex Winter, Jamison Newlander, and Barnard Hughes....
, may imply incest between siblings. The song was covered by bands such as Aiden
Aiden
Aiden is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington that formed in the spring of 2003. The members are WiL Francis , Nick Wiggins , and Angel Ibarra . wiL originally played bass but took over lead vocals when the original singer left...
, and BluTengel
Blutengel
Blutengel is a German Darkwave musical group. It was formed by singer Chris Pohl after he had to leave Seelenkrank due to contractual and legal problems...
. Although the literal interpretation hints at incest, It is most commonly interpreted as a metaphor for vampirism.
Video games
Kana: Little Sister is a visual novelVisual novel
A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
game about the relationship that develops between an older brother and his ill younger sister. Depending on the choices made by the player the relationship can develop along traditional brother-sister roles or can become an incestuous relationship. (by the time the brother makes a choice to have sex with her, he discovers she is adopted)
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is a 2006 sandbox-style action video game developed by Rockstar Leeds in association with Rockstar North. It was published by Rockstar Games for the PlayStation Portable in late 2006 and later for the PlayStation 2 in March 2007. The game is the eighth...
is a game where Victor Vance's important ally, Phil Cassidy, confesses that he was beaten by his father under the belief that he had sexual attraction for his sister and cousin, which Phil denies. Later on in the game when Vic starts dating Phil's sister, Louise Cassidy-Williams, Phil is fine with that relationship.
In Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
is a stealth action video game directed by Hideo Kojima, developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2 in 2001....
, Dr.Hal "Otacon" Emmerich confessed to his dead step sister Emma that he had an affair with her mother and his step mother, Julie. The affair was what led Hal's father to kill himself by drowning in the family's swimming pool and nearly killed Emma in the process. As a result, Hal left the family, unable to face Emma for not being able to save her. Emma grew to resent Hal in the years that followed, but continued to feel a degree of romantic attraction towards him (even though he admitted that he could never see her as a woman).
In Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, the two "sisters" Therese and Jeanette Voerman are revealed to be the same person: Therese was the original personality, and Jeanette was the one created so that Therese did not have to consciously experience being repeatedly sexually abused by their father. One day, "their" father forced himself on her when Therese was still in control, and she murdered him with a shotgun and was sent to an asylum. There, a Malkavian
Malkavian
The Malkavians are a clan of vampires from White Wolf Game Studio's books, role-playing games Vampire: The Masquerade and, Vampire: The Dark Ages. In modern times, they are associated with the Camarilla. Their symbol is a broken mirror...
turned her into a vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
. The resulting supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
psychosis
Psychosis
Psychosis means abnormal condition of the mind, and is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality"...
caused her personality split to worsen, each side becoming a wholly fleshed out consciousness, with "Therese" being cold and repressed, and "Jeanette" getting the hyper-sexuality and Borderline Personality Disorder
Borderline personality disorder
Borderline personality disorder is a personality disorder described as a prolonged disturbance of personality function in a person , characterized by depth and variability of moods.The disorder typically involves unusual levels of instability in mood; black and white thinking, or splitting; the...
.
In Resident Evil: Code Veronica, it is implied that Alfred Ashford had a sexual relationship with his sister Alexia Ashford.
In Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
, Michael Keane (a.k.a. Saint-Michael), a minor character, is often said by other characters to be born from a incestuous relationship between siblings. This is not confirmed nor denied by Michael himself. Also in Grand Theft Auto IV, It is revealed by Patrick 'Packie' McReary that both he and his older brother Gerald were molested by their father at a young age and he implies that Gerry murdered their father and made it look like suicide.
In Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is a historical third person, stealth action-adventure video game developed by Ubisoft for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in November 2010, Microsoft Windows in March 2011 and Mac OS X in May 2011...
, the main villain, historical figure Cesare Borgia
Cesare Borgia
Cesare Borgia , Duke of Valentinois, was an Italian condottiero, nobleman, politician, and cardinal. He was the son of Pope Alexander VI and his long-term mistress Vannozza dei Cattanei. He was the brother of Lucrezia Borgia; Giovanni Borgia , Duke of Gandia; and Gioffre Borgia , Prince of Squillace...
has an incestuous relationship with his younger sister Lucrezia
Lucrezia Borgia
Lucrezia Borgia [luˈkrɛtsia ˈbɔrʤa] was the illegitimate daughter of Rodrigo Borgia, the powerful Renaissance Valencian who later became Pope Alexander VI, and Vannozza dei Cattanei. Her brothers included Cesare Borgia, Giovanni Borgia, and Gioffre Borgia...
, whom is also suggested she was sexually manipulating her father, on the instructions of her brother.
In the BlazBlue series, incest is a recurring theme; Jin lusts after his brother Ragna in multiple "omake" segments, and in the main story of Calamity Trigger Ragna is pursued by a cyborg clone of his sister Saya, who is madly in love with him. The main heroine of the series, Noel, is also a clone of Saya, and it's repeatedly hinted that she has a romantic interest in Ragna.
Incest as a metaphor
Sometimes the word "incestuous" is also used metaphorically to describe other inappropriately close relationships, for example between an authority figure and a subordinate, between co-workerEmployment
Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
s, or between people in the same profession
Profession
A profession is a vocation founded upon specialized educational training, the purpose of which is to supply disinterested counsel and service to others, for a direct and definite compensation, wholly apart from expectation of other business gain....
or creative field. The term "incest group" is also common in high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, and denotes a group of friends that only date others within their group. Institutions such as churches
Church Body
A local church is a Christian religious organization that meets in a particular location. Many are formally organized, with constitutions and by-laws, maintain offices, are served by pastors or lay leaders, and, in nations where this is permissible, often seek seek non-profit corporate status...
, college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
s, and sometimes whole nation
Nation
A nation may refer to a community of people who share a common language, culture, ethnicity, descent, and/or history. In this definition, a nation has no physical borders. However, it can also refer to people who share a common territory and government irrespective of their ethnic make-up...
s can be described as incestuous when inappropriately close relationships, corrupt conflicts of interest
Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....
and secret collusions occur inside the institution and especially within the institution's top echelons such as in cases John Boyd
John Boyd (military strategist)
Colonel John Boyd was a United States Air Force fighter pilot and Pentagon consultant of the late 20th century, whose theories have been highly influential in the military, sports, and business.-Biography:...
exposed in the Pentagon.
See also
- Incest in the Bible
- Incest in folkloreIncest in folkloreIncest in folklore is found in many countries and cultures in the world.-Greek:In Greek mythology, Zeus and Hera were brother and sister as well as husband and wife. They were the children of Cronus and Rhea . Cronus and Rhea, in turn, were children of Uranus and Gaia...
- Incest between twins in popular culture
External links
- http://www.thelizlibrary.org/fathers/farrell5.htm – article from old Penthouse number
- Male Voter Incest Poll
- Female Voter Incest Poll
- Male Voter Same Poll in Hindi Language
- Female Voter Same Poll in Hindi Language