The main effect of the Dung Eater defilement is the inability of the individual to be reborn, for their souls to return to the Erdtree. This is because what the Dung Eater does is extracting the soul from the anus. The Souls games stories are full of references to Shinto and Buddhism, alongside with japanese folklore and creatures. Most of these allusions aren't as obvious because they are often camouflaged by the mostly western settings of the games. The main recurring theme is that of stagnation and flow. With stagnation being the source of all evil and our characters often repairing the world by setting it in motion once again. This is Shinto 101. Now coming back to the Dung Eater, people who have played Sekiro will get the reference right away. In japanese folklore the soul exists as a small hardened magical ball within the anus known as 'shirikodama' (尻子玉 - literally 'small anus ball'). Creatures, such as the Kappa, will extract this orb directly through the anus if you dare enter their lake. You can see this wonderful process here: [  *Now it makes sense why the corpses the Seedbed Curse is found on are bleeding from their inner thighs* The Dung Eater is thus, most likely, a Kappa reference. By extracting the soul from the body he impedes that soul from returning to the Erdtree leaving a Seedbed Curse in the process. #reddit