Roslyn Walker, one of very few UK sideshow entertainers, gives a close-up of the human blockhead using a 6 inch nail.

A human blockhead is a carnival or sideshow performer who hammers a nail or other implement (such as an awl or screwdriver) into his nasal cavity via the nostril. Carnival is a festival season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February and March In America a sideshow is an extra secondary production associated with a circus, carnival fair or other such attraction A hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object The most common uses are for driving nails fitting parts and breaking up objects In Engineering, Woodworking and Construction, a nail is a pin -shaped sharp object of hard Metal, typically Steel, The screwdriver is a device specifically designed to insert and tighten or to loosen and remove Screws The screwdriver comprises a head or tip which engages with The nasal cavity (or nasal fossa) is a large air-filled space above and behind the nose in the middle of the face The stunt is often shocking to audiences, who believe that the nail is being hammered into the skull itself. In reality, the stunt plays on the anatomical misconception that the nasal cavity goes upward, rather than straight back. Anatomy (from the Greek anatomia, from ana separate apart from and temnein, to cut up cut open is a branch of Biology that is the consideration The performer merely learns the terrain of the nasal cavity and lessens his sensitivity (and urge to sneeze) until the implement can be slid straight back through the nasal cavity until it hits the back of the throat. A sneeze (or sternutation) is a semi-autonomous Convulsive expulsion of Air from the Lungs, most commonly caused by foreign particles In Anatomy, the throat is the anterior part of the Neck, in front of the vertebral column. The use of a hammer merely adds to the shock value by creating the illusion that the nail is being pounded through bone. An illusion is a distortion of the senses revealing how the Brain normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation Bones are rigid organs that form part of the Endoskeleton of Vertebrates They function to move support and protect the various organs of the body produce Some performers have even gone so far as to use a power drill. A power tool is a Tool powered by an Electric motor, a compressed air motor or a gasoline engine

This stunt is said to have been developed by renowned magician and sideshow performer Melvin Burkhardt after his nose was broken in a boxing bout and he became fascinated by the way that the doctors inserted instruments into his nose. A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat or any act requiring a special skill performed for artistic purposes in TV, Theatre, or cinema Boxing (sometimes also known as English boxing or pugilism) is a Combat sport in which two participants generally of similar weight, Since then, it has become one of the staple acts of traditional-style sideshows.

Herbie Hatman, of the 999 eyes carnival sideshow, blockheads a butter knife.

See also

• Circus skills