Why would an upper class woman refuse to marry unless she could find a man who could outwrestle her? Well…
I’m a history nut (no smart-ass remarks here), I’ve studied it, taught it, travelled to find it. I do this because human beings are the weirdest animals on the planet and I’m fascinated by the things they do and why they do them.
In my working years I dealt with the BIG historic events: the Stone Age, the breakdown of the Roman Empire, the World Wars and dozens more. But now and then I come across some events not usually found in history books or courses. The kind of things that make you say What the hell? How could that happen? Here are a few.
Khutulun, who lived in about 1300 AD was a noblewoman, related to Kublai Khan. She loved wrestling, and decided she would never marry until she found a man who could outwrestle her. No one ever did and she never married--probably a good thing if you think about it.
In the 1400s the city of Prague (now a city in the Czec Republic) the citizens would get rid of unpopular politicians by throwing them out of windows. High windows we’re told, such that the fall killed many, and the citizens below often killed the survivors. (OK, I know what you’re thinking and you better stop right now.)
In the 1100s Pope Gregory decided that black cats were incarnations of Satan and called for the elimination of all cats. This was largely done. Eventually his plan was a major cause of the Black Plague, which killed millions all over the continent. Why? Because the disease is caused by fleas on rats, and when there were enough cats they kept the rats somewhat down in number. When, because of the pope’s policy there were few cats left, rat numbers grew far higher and so did the Black Plague.
Ernest Hemmingway, perhaps the most famous of American authors, was an unusual person. And so, apparently was his brother Leicester--even stranger. He built a a large raft, called it an island and declared it to be a country, named New Atlantis, in 1964. Six people--mostly family--lived on it for a time. They elected Leicester as president. He actually used his island to study marine biology. A few years later tropical storms destroyed New Atlantis.
You probably know individuals who are such clever talkers that they can persuade other people to do almost anything. Well let me tell you about the champion of that skill. Atilla the Hun was a savage leader of an army that conquered many territories and cities in central and southern Europe. In 454 AD he approached Rome, confident he could capture it. Pope Leo I met the Hun and after a long talk convinced him to give up his plan of conquest and leave. Amazingly Atilla gave up the most important city of all. If there’s ever an effort to decide World’s Top Persuader, Pope Leo should be top dog.
You’ve no doubt heard about the famous giant German warship the Bismarck, sunk by the British ship the HMS Cossac in 1941. A cat that had been living on the Bismarck was found floating on a board after the battle and was adopted by the Cossac sailors. They named him Oscar, but he also got the nickname “Unsinkable Sam.” Later however the Cossac was sunk and Sam was again rescued. Now he was a resident of the HMS Arc Royal. But that vessel was also sunk and again Unsinkable Sam survived and eventually got a dry home in Ireland. Oscar certainly proved that if it’s only a story that cats have nine lives, some have at least three.
During the early debates on the dangers of tobacco one point made by scientists was that smoking by pregnant mothers was harmful to babies, for one thing such babies tended to be smaller at birth. In a 1971 TV interview the president of Philip Morris denied any risks to babies from smoking, said smaller babies are as healthy as those of smoke-free mothers and that some women PREFER smaller babies. One small example of the dozens of fictitious claims made by the tobacco lobbyists. Many studies have debunked them. Researchers discovered the risk of lung cancer drops by 39% five years after smokers quit. Other studies have showed smokers are more vulnerable to other cancers and other illnesses. Now scientists can make mistakes, usually discovered by peer review. But in general we must learn to trust science in general as compared with the claims of those who can show no proof. Such claims, like most conspiracy theories, break down when properly tested.
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