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The Argippaei—Herodotus’ Odd Community Of Bald Pacifists

By
thehistorianshut
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(Swami Haridas is to the right, playing the lute; Akbar is to the left; Tansen is in the middle. Jaipur-Kishangarh mixed style, ca. 1750, [Public Domain] via Creative Commons)

 

The writings of the 5th-century historian, Herodotus, are always a fascinating read. Not only for the often-misinterpreted or incorrect historical information recorded by the father of history, but also for the immense amount of folklore and mythology that fill the pages of The Histories of Herodotus. Whenever Herodotus chose to describe a country or people, it was not uncommon for him to include a creation myth or folk tale concerning the person, place or people he was addressing. Fortunately for us, many of Herodotus’ tales and stories, though mostly historically inaccurate, remain incredibly odd and endlessly entertaining.

One such peculiar gem found in The Histories (Book IV) is an interesting description of a people that Herodotus called the Argippaei. This community was supposedly related in some way to the Scythians, a nomadic people that dominated the lands above the Black Sea, with their heartland in modern Ukraine and southern Russia. According to Herodotus, the Argippaei lived somewhere in a mountain range located in the northeastern periphery of Scythian territory. The Argippaei were far enough away from mainstream Scythian society that they developed their own, unique language. Yet, they apparently still wore the same style of clothing as any other Scythian known to Herodotus.

Geography, language and clothing, however, were not the most striking characteristics of the Argippaei community. According to Herodotus, every single member of the Argippaei people was born bald, both man and woman. Unfortunately for the Argippaei, other common characteristics that Herodotus attributed to them were snub noses and abnormally long chins.

If the community of bald, snub-nosed, long-chinned Argippaei were not strange enough, Herodotus recorded extra information about where these people slept and what they ate and drank. For both shelter and sustenance, Herodotus claimed that the Argippaei relied on a fruit tree. Apparently, every member (or maybe family) of the Argippaei had what Herodotus described as a ponticum tree, under which they lived and slept.

The ponticum trees were the primary source of food for the Argippaei, though sheep products were also present in their diet whenever herds could be sustained. According to Herodotus, the ponticum could grow to be as tall as a fig tree and it produced a fruit resembling a cherry. The Argippaei did much more than just eat these fruits raw. Herodotus wrote that the cherry-like fruit was also collected and juiced. The juice could be simply ingested plain or mixed with other drinks. Pulp left over from the juicing was also turned into fine cuisine, such as cakes.

The bald, fruit-loving Argippaei had a distinct philosophy. According to Herodotus, the Argippaei were ardent pacifists. They never went to war, and, mysteriously, no other tribes or nations could bring themselves to attack the bald, pacifistic community. The Argippaei people’s fervor for peace was so well known, that other countries apparently called on the Argippaei to mediate their wars and conflicts.

Today, no one is certain who inspired Herodotus’ vision of the Argippaei people. Some theories have been proposed, such as the Argippaei possibly being modeled after Buddhist or Daoist monks from India or China. For now, however, the Argippaei remain a mystery—an odd and entertaining mystery, at that.

Written by C. Keith Hansley.

Sources:

  • The Histories by Herodotus, translated by Aubrey de Sélincourt and revised by John Marincola. New York: Penguin Classics, 2002.

The Other Buried Army Of Chinese Statues—The Tomb Of Emperor Jing

By
thehistorianshut
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(Mausoleum of Jingdi, Han Emperor, Xianyang, near Xi’an, photographed by Han Yang Ling, [Public Domain] via Creative Commons)

 

The great Terracotta Army of the first emperor of China, Shihuangdi (r. 221-210 BCE), was not the only horde of statues buried with an ancient Chinese Emperor. In fact, a far larger set of statuary has been found at the tomb of the Han Dynasty emperor, Jing (or Jingdi), located near modern-day Xi’an, China.

Emperor Jing is thought to have lived from around 188-141 BCE. He seemed to have been a fairly popular emperor, but had his fair share of imperfections. The greatest complaints against Emperor Jing’s character were his arrogance and his stubborn refusal to give credit to anyone but himself for the prosperity of his empire. He is also said to have beaten one of his cousins to death after becoming enraged during a tense game—possibly using a game board as a weapon.

Yet, for the most part, Emperor Jing ruled his people well. He was heavily influenced by Confucianism, but Daoism, especially its idea of a non-action interpretation of government, led to a style of government that allowed the people to rule themselves whenever it was pragmatic to do so. During the reign of Emperor Jing, taxes were reduced, military expeditions were lessened and brutal punishments, such as mutilation, fell into disuse.

Emperor Jing ensured that, upon death, his body would be placed in a tomb to rival the awe-inspiring display left by the first emperor, Shihuangdi. Since the first emperor was buried with a terracotta army around 6,000 strong, Emperor Jing sought to outdo his predecessor by bringing a miniature replica of his whole imperial lifestyle with him into the afterlife.

Emperor Jing brought a miniature city into the land of the dead. In his tomb complex, estimated at around ten square kilometers (or about four miles), Emperor Jing was buried with approximately 40,000-50,000 detailed miniature statues that would serve the emperor in the afterlife. Yet, his figurines did not just depict warriors. No, Emperor Jing brought his whole court and possessions into the afterlife. Among his tens of thousands of miniature statues were those of soldiers, courtiers, concubines, eunuchs, dancers, musicians, horses, livestock and pets. Along with the statues were miniature pots, metal seals, utensils and even tiny coins for the spirit statues to use in the afterlife. To complete the ensemble, many of the statues were also dressed in luxurious silk. Furthermore, Emperor Jing and his statues would not go thirsty into the afterlife, for the oldest tea leaves ever found in the history of archaeology were discovered stored in the elaborate tomb of Emperor Jing.

Sources:

Isaac Komnenos (Brother of Emperor Alexios Komnenos)

By
thehistorianshut
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Isaac Komnenos
Isaac Komnenos was the brother of Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, who ruled the Byzantine Empire from 1081-1118. Isaac was given the title of Sebastokrator and played a major role in his brother’s military and government.

“I am forced to force those whom I do not wish to force.”

  • This quote was recorded in The Alexiad (Book 5, section 2) written by Isaac Komnenos’ niece, Anna Komnena (daughter of Emperor Alexios). This version was translated by E. R. A. Sewter and revised by Peter Frankopan (Penguin Classics, 2009).

 

Saint Teresa of Avila

By
thehistorianshut
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Saint Teresa of Avila (c. 1515-1582)

“In this life, then, the soul has a very bad time, for, however much it accomplishes, it is strong enough inwardly to attempt much more and this causes such strife within it that nothing it can do seems to it of any importance.”

  • From Interior Castle (Seventh Mansions, chapter 4) by St. Teresa of Avila, translated by E. Allison Peers (Dover Publications, 2007).

 

There Were Days Of Spontaneous Dancing In Japan To Celebrate The Approaching Meiji Restoration Of 1868

By
thehistorianshut
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(Ōtsu-e Characters Dancing in the Bon Festival by Utagawa Hiroshige, c. 1847 – 1852, woodblock print, James Michener Collection, Honolulu Museum of Art, [Public Domain] via Creative Commons)

 

During the 1860s, the Tokugawa government of Japan was facing increasing pressure from all sides. As the decade progressed, more and more commoners, samurai, and even the emperor of Japan, all showed their displeasure with the leadership role of the Tokugawa clan as the shoguns of Japan.

In 1866, the Tokugawa government sent troops into the region of Chōshū, hoping to crush a hotbed of dissident samurai. Instead, numerous leading daimyo nobles turned their provinces (most notably Satsuma) against the Tokugawa and refused to aid with the invasion. In the end, what was meant to be a decisive strike against samurai rebels in Chōshū turned out to be an embarrassing defeat for the Tokugawa government.

With the power of the Tokugawa regime lower than it had ever been before, the dissident samurai began to mobilize their forces in order to topple the shogun government and restore the emperor to full power. As the authority of the Tokugawa government began to crumble irreparably, the average populace of Japan started to distinctly notice the political coup that was taking place in their country. There were well over a hundred domestic riots, both in cities and in the rural countryside during the year, 1866, before and following the failed attack on Chōshū.

Yet, there was an even more interesting phenomenon that occurred among the citizens of Japan, starting in 1867—partying. In central Japan (roughly from Osaka to modern Tokyo), there were many spontaneous festivals, seemingly thrown in honor of the shift in political power. One British observer, named George Wilson, witnessed one of these parties in Osaka, which he later recorded in his book, Patriots and Redeemers in Japan: Motives in the Meiji Restoration.

Wilson wrote that the party began after paper confetti, or luck charms, were tossed from the rooftops down into the streets. As if this was a signal, the city of Osaka erupted into a multiple-day festival. The people of the city dressed up in festive reds, blues and purples, and even carried red lanterns, or wore them on their heads. The houses, too, were decorated vibrantly with oranges, flowers, and colored decorations such as bags and rice-cakes. In the midst of all this color and decoration, the partiers sang, danced and drank aplenty. Parties such as the one held in Osaka remained in full swing throughout central Japan, despite demands from the eroding Tokugawa government that the celebrations be ceased. The partying continued into 1868, when the Tokugawa government was overthrown and the Emperor Meiji was restored.

Written by C. Keith Hansley.

Sources:

  • A Modern History of Japan: From Tokugawa Times to the Present (Third Edition),by  Andrew Gordon. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014.

Gottfried Leibniz

By
thehistorianshut
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Gottfried Leibniz (1646-1716)

“To suppose two things indiscernible is to suppose the same thing under two names.”

  • From Leibniz’s Letters To Clark (Fourth Paper, section 6), translated by G. H. R. Parkinson and Mary Morris (Everyman’s Library, 1934). Image of Liebniz photographed by Ad Meskens and licensed under Creative Commons 3.0 (CC 3.0).

 

The Gods Of Norse Mythology And Their Mead of Poetry And Knowledge

By
thehistorianshut
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(Odin entertaining guests in Valhalla, by Emil Doepler  (1855–1922), [Public Domain] via Creative Commons)

 

According to the stories of Norse mythology, the gods in Asgard possessed vats of mead that turned the drinker into a poet or a scholar. Yet, the mead itself is not the best part of this interesting tale. Before the mead reached its final resting place in Asgard, the special brew underwent a tremendous journey from its creation to its acquisition by the Norse gods. It is a story that starts and ends with the Norse divinities, but in between, dwarves, giants and murder all make a showing.

The story of the mead began at the end of the civil war between the Æsir and the Vanir, the two major clans of the Norse gods. When the gods finally made peace, they decided to seal their pact with an interesting method—they all spat into a vat.

Out of this divine vat of saliva, a life began to grow. A man named Kvasir emerged from the unpleasant substance. As can be expected—given that this man was born from the combined spittle of the gods—Kvasir was a very special person. He was, perhaps, the wisest being in existence at the time. He became renowned for his ability to answer correctly any and every question asked of him.

 

 

  (Dwarves lounging in front of a stone door, Published in 1895 in Gjellerup by Lorenz Frolich, [Public Domain] via Creative Commons)

 

Kvasir did not squander his gift of knowledge. No, he traveled the world, spreading his wisdom and insight wherever he went. During his travels, Kvasir had the misfortune of crossing paths with two mischievous dwarves. Their names were Fjalar and Galar and they were dangerous company. The dwarves invited Kvasir to have a private conversation, and he agreed, likely thinking they would ask more questions for him to answer. When the dwarves got Kvasir alone, however, they immediately killed the wise man.

At this point, you may be wondering, “where is the mead?” Well, this is how the magical beverage was created: First, the dwarves opened the veins of Kvasir, draining his blood into two vats and a kettle. Next, they mixed honey into the blood. Eventually, the concoction fermented into a mead like no other—anyone who drank this mead would absorb some of the qualities of the murdered Kvasir, becoming either a poet or a scholar.

The mischievous dwarves stowed away their mead and were able to spread false information about the death of Kvasir, so as not to face the wrath of the Norse gods. The dwarves, however, could not keep their antics in check, even after getting away with murder and creating magical mead.  The next chapter of this story occurred when the dwarves met with two giants. The dwarves rowed a giant named Gilling along a coastline, but in keeping with their ways, the dwarves intentionally steered their ship over rocks, causing the craft to capsize. As it happened, Gilling could not swim and the dwarves merely watched as the giant drowned. The other giant that the dwarves met was Gilling’s wife. They told her of the unfortunate death of her husband and shortly thereafter killed the giantess by dropping a stone on her head.

 

 

  (Print of the giant Suttung and dwarfs, likely created by Louis Huard (1813-1874), [Public Domain] via Creative Commons)

 

Even though Gilling and his wife were both killed fairly easily by the dwarves, the son of these two murdered giants was much more hardy. His name was Suttung, and when he heard of the murder of his parents, he immediately set off to hunt down the killers. Suttung quickly found the murderous dwarves and rowed them out to sea, where he planned to leave them to drown. Yet, the dwarves had a bargaining chip—they offered to give Suttung the magical mead in exchange for their lives. Despite the murder of his parents, Suttung accepted the offer.

Suttung brought the mead to a place called Hnitbjorg and placed his daughter, Gunnlod, in charge of defending the treasure. Yet, the mead would not stay with the giants for long. Eventually, a suave wanderer entered Hnitbjorg, searching for the mead of poetry and knowledge. The wanderer easily seduced the giantess and slept with her for three nights. After Gunnlod grew to trust the wanderer, she allowed the mysterious man to drink three times from the mead. Little did she know, that the wanderer was none other than Odin, the High One of the Norse gods. With his three drinks, he emptied the entire supply of mead.

 

 

(18th century Icelandic manuscript showing Odin being chased by Suttung after stealing mead, [Public Domain] via Creative Commons)

 

Before Suttung and the giants noticed that all of their mead was missing, Odin transformed into an eagle and began frantically flying back to Asgard. When Suttung finally realized that the mead was stolen, he also shape shifted into a bird and gave chase. He almost caught Odin, but was deflected when Odin sprayed him with a stream of the stolen mead from his backside. Despite Suttung’s efforts, the mead was lost. Odin landed in Asgard and regurgitated the magical mead into a new set of vats. With that, the mead’s long journey was over.

Written by C. Keith Hansley.

Source:

  • The Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson, translated by Jesse Byock. New York: Penguin Classics, 2005.

A Macabre Aztec Chapel Made Of Severed Skulls Has Been Unearthed In Mexico City

By
thehistorianshut
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(Temple of the Aztec God, Huitzilopochtli, by Tovar, Juan de, circa 1546-1626, [Public Domain] via Creative Commons)

 

In 2015, archaeologists in Mexico City began to uncover one of the darkest monuments from the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. It all began when, near the ruins of the Templo Mayor, archaeologists began unearthing layer after layer of severed human skulls. As the skulls accumulated into the hundreds, nearing thousands, they realized they had likely found the Huey Tzompantli, a tower of skulls that even mortified the Spanish conquistadores of Hernan Cortes in 1521.

According to the legend, the tower of human remains was supposed to be constructed from the decapitated skulls of enemy warriors who had been defeated by the Aztecs. Now, with hundreds of skulls to study, archaeologists have found that the legend was not entirely true. Among the tower of skulls, remains of women and children have been found.

If the site discovered by archaeologists is truly the Huey Tzompantli, as described by conquistadores such as Andrés de Tapia and Bernal Diaz del Castillo, then it is likely that many more skulls will be discovered. After all, the site is believed to have been a chapel devoted to the Aztec sun-god Huitzilopochtli, a deity of war and human sacrifice.

In both of the accounts given by the two Spanish conquistadores listed above, the Huey Tzompantli was estimated to have around 100,000 skulls lining its walls. As of now (written in 2017), the number of skulls that archaeologist have uncovered are nearing 700. Yet, the site is estimated to be 200 feet in diameter (around 60 meters), and they still have not reached the tower’s base. As a result, many more grisly discoveries likely lie in wait.

Written by C. Keith Hansley.

Sources:

Miyamoto Musashi

By
thehistorianshut
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Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645)

“Victory is certain when the enemy is caught up in a rhythm which confuses his spirit.”

  • From The Book of Five Rings written by Miyamoto Musashi around 1643-1645, translated by Lord Majesty Productions, 2005.

 

Cornutus

By
thehistorianshut
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Cornutus (1st Century)

“Just as we ourselves are controlled by a soul, so the world possesses a soul holding it together, and this soul is designated God, primordially and ever living and the source of all life.”

  • From Cornutus’ Theologiae Graecae Compendium (Compendium of Greek Theology), edition of C. Lang and Leip, 1891 (ch. ii.; cf. Cic. N.D.I. 14,37), cited in S. Angus’ The Mystery-Religions (Dover Publications, republished 1975).

 

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