Eunuch - Typically the man was castrated in order to perform a specific social function, as was common in many societies of the past. Certain eunuchs gained immense power that may have superseded that of the prime ministers - such that self-castration had to be made illegal. Eunuchs castrated before puberty were also valued and trained in several cultures for their exceptional voices, which retained a childlike and other-worldly flexibility and treble pitch.