...but were they tossed?
Posted on 12/28/2005 10:57:28 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Written by Chahira Kozma, M.D., of the department of pediatrics at Georgetown University Hospital, the paper examines biological remains and artistic evidence of dwarfism in ancient Egypt, including both elite dwarfs who achieved important status, and ordinary dwarfs. The earliest biological evidence of dwarfs in ancient Egypt dates to a Predynastic Period called the "Badarian Period" (4500 BCE) in addition to several skeletons from the Old Kingdom (2700 – 2190 BCE). Pictorial sources of dwarfism in tomb and vase paintings, statues and other art forms are numerous and indicate that dwarfs were employed as personal attendants, overseers of linen, animal tenders, jewelers, dancers and entertainers.
(Excerpt) Read more at eurekalert.org ...
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Very little is known about this topic.
Short people got no reason Short people got no reason Short people got no reason To live
They got little hands Little eyes They walk around Tellin’ great big lies They got little noses And tiny little teeth They wear platform shoes On their nasty little feet
Well, I don’t want no short people Don’t want no short people Don’t want no short people `round here
Short people are just the same As you and i (a fool such as I) All men are brothers Until the day they die (it’s a wonderful world)
Short people got nobody Short people got nobody Short people got nobody To love
They got little baby legs That stand so low You got to pick ’em up Just to say hello They got little cars That go beep, beep, beep They got little voices Goin’ peep, peep, peep They got grubby little fingers And dirty little minds They’re gonna get you every time Well, I don’t want no short people Don’t want no short people Don’t want no short people ’round here
Those photos made me want to hurl.
[rimshot!]
You realize of course, we're all goin' to be ashamed of ourselves for making these jokes.
Eventually.
Here ya go..........
Rim Shot
Click the Pic J
Actually, no - the Egyptians worshipped a dwarf god who was called "Bes" who was ultimately a protector of children and women in childbirth.
There is a book I have in my personal library called "Magic in Ancient Egypt" and
the author, Geraldine Pinch, discusses Bes quite a bit. The picture on the cover is of Bes, in a blue faience figurine. He was seen as both a comedic and protective figure.
I like your style.
...Bess fulfilled the same function as the hideous and sometimes obscene gargoyles found on many Christian churches. His nakedness, his ithyphallic form, his hideous face and stuck-out tongue were all meant to repel hostile forces...Bes's dancing and noisy music-making were also thought to drive away evil powers...
Bes's curious physique and the fact that his face is often shown from the front, in defiance of the normal rules of Egyptian art, have led to suggestions of foreign origin. Some scholars have compared him with the dancing pygmies known to have been imported into Egypt [possibly Ituri Forest people?]* for protective and funerary rituals in the third millennium BC. Others have suggested that Bes came from Mesopotamia (ancient Iraq). He does have much in common with the Mesopotamian lion-demon La-Tarak, who was invoked as a protector against witchcraft. - - Magic in Ancient Egypt, Geraldine Pinch.
* - my own question.
regarding origin, I found this:
http://www.crystalinks.com/egyptgods4.html
"He was not a god of Egyptian origin. Bes was described as 'Coming from the Divine Land' and 'Lord of Punt' (perhaps an area in present day Somalia - see Hatshepsut's Expedition to Punt). He was thus linked to the goddess Hathor who was known as the 'Lady of Punt' and also a goddess of music. During this period, he was given a wife, known as Beset - a female version of the dwarf god, presiding over protection, pleasure and childbirth. The two did not appear together before the Ptolemaic era."
regarding his popularity, I found this:
"Bes had no temples and no priesthood other than his oracle, but statues or depictions of the god was found in most homes throughout the land of Egypt. Although not originally one of the more famous of the gods, Bes came to be loved by the people of Egypt. It was the dwarf god-demon Bes that they came to call on for protection in their daily lives."
Sounds analogous to the modern-day "spiritual but not religious" choice made by many.
:')
LOL. I love the fact that whoever did this photoshop couldn't find a smiling democrap for the happy dwarf.
Thanks, I'd not even noticed that! ;')
I have long believed that when we get serious about space flight and industry in space that "little people" will be sought out for some jobs. In micro gravity they will have none of the handicaps of moving around in a world built for "bigguns" and will offer distinct advantages in mass/work ratio when calculating the cost of lifting stuff out of the gravity well.
I'm not joking.
Are you aware of Glyphdoctors? its an online site devoted to studying the Egyptian heiroglyphs/language. The creator of the site is planning to start online courses studying the language...am hoping she starts doing it soon...have become very fascinated with the "in situ" language of the ancient Egyptians (as opposed to the Greek translations).
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