The Pillars of Hercules/Heracles. The legend goes that they were created by Hercules while on his twelve labors, while on his way to get the golden apples. On his way he came across the straight and either smashed the mountain between them, or placed two columns there to hold up the sky to free Atlas of his task, depending on the version.
Geographically they're the two sides of the Strait of Gibraltar denoted by two massive cliffs that jut out into the sea. Between them is actually relatively shallow because of a rise in the sea floor that separates the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. That rise was actually originally high enough to stop the waters of the Atlantic from entering until plate tectonics caused the land between the pillars to subside, which in turn flooded the basin beyond and created the Mediterranean Sea. This quirk also makes the Mediterranean exceptionally salty due to the heavier salinated water not being able to escape as easily in the undercurrent, while the lighter, less salinated water can enter on the surface currents.
You can vaguely see them here, off in the distance on either side of the image.
The story goes that the pillars, depticed at actual pillars, were given an inscription saying "Non plus ultra" or "Nothing Further Beyond", to denote that there was nothing beyond the Strait of Gibraltar so you might as well not bother. This became a coat of arms for Ferdinand of Aragon who depicted them each wrapped in a banner with the inscription written on them.
When Columbus discovered America, Spain adopted the symbol as the symbol of both continents and of spanish holdings. As seen here they modified the words to instead read "Plus Ultra" or "Further Beyond". The inscription came to be a symbol of the New World.
It became such a symbol that it started being used on printed coins, such as the Spanish "Real" (ree-al) above, with the pillars on either side of the coat of arms of Philip the V of Spain. The pillars with their individual banners appeared on spanish coinage continuously into the 1800s. The Pesos created in Mexico were worth 8 reals, which were also known as "Pieces of 8" and apparently becoming a meme among seafaring parrots. When writing of the mexican Pesos, Spanish, US, and Canadian writers utilized the first known usage of the $ symbol. This is theorized to be referencing the symbol of the pillars of Hercules used in the spanish real.
The US Dollar was directly based on the spanish peso, with the first silver dollars having a nominal value of 8 spanish reals just as the peso. However the peso was made with higher quality silver. But, in doing so they created first usage of "$" to denote the US dollar in official documentation.
So, the pillars of Hercules may have given us the symbol for the US Dollar, and also
+26
Options
Indie Winterdie KräheRudi Hurzlmeier (German, b. 1952)Registered Userregular
edited August 2018
A group of Oxford dons were sunbathing nude by the River Cherwell when a female student floated by in a punt.
Most of them scrambled to cover their nakedness, but Sir Maurice Bowra instead put a flannel over his head.
When asked why, he said, “I don’t know about you, gentlemen, but in Oxford I, at least, am known by my face.”
Indie Winter on
+28
Options
Der Waffle MousBlame this on the misfortune of your birth.New Yark, New Yark.Registered Userregular
That very question must have dawned on King Louis IX of France (reigned 1226-1270), when he was seeking a gift for Henry III of England (reigned 1216-1272) in 1255. How to impress the English king, and in the process give him something that he did not already have? The exchange was recorded by Matthew Paris, the chronicler of St Albans: "About this time, an elephant was sent to England by the French king as a present to the king of the English. We believe that this was the only elephant ever seen in England, or even in the countries this side of the Alps; thus people flocked together to see the novel sight."
Somebody really hated this extremely tall aristocratic scion.
There's been some theorizing based on bog bodies and the writing of St Patrick that someone would show fealty or loyalty by sucking on the king's nipples in ancient Ireland. This would be why some of the aristocratic bog bodies have their nipples removed, to show that this person could never be king. It apparently doesn't have a ton of contemporary evidence to back it up however, just the mentions of it by Patrick and the bodies.
So when you say based on St. Patrick's writing was Pat like "verily thou must suckle this hairsome teat" or is it more of a reach than that
When he fled Ireland some ferrymen apparently implied something about him sucking their breasts
And on the same day that I arrived, the ship was setting out from the place, and I said that I had the wherewithal to sail with them; and the steersman was displeased and replied in anger, sharply: ‘By no means attempt to go with us.’ Hearing this I left them to go to the hut where I was staying, and on the way I began to pray, and before the prayer was finished I heard one of them shouting loudly after me: ‘Come quickly because the men are calling you.’ And immediately I went back to them and they started to say to me: ‘Come, because we are admitting you out of good faith; make friendship with us in any way you wish.’ (And so, on that day, I refused to suck the breasts of these men from fear of God, but nevertheless I had hopes that they would come to faith in Jesus Christ, because they were barbarians.) And for this I continued with them, and forthwith we put to sea.
Maybe they boat guys were just winding him up, like "Suck me and Feargus' nipples for a boat ride" and when they got done laughing they said alright come on for a boat ride
+5
Options
David_TA fashion yes-man is no good to me.Copenhagen, DenmarkRegistered Userregular
Or...
Ferrymen: "Ye can't come with."
St Patrick: "I'll suckle ye nips for a boat ride."
Ferrymen: "Ah Jesus, you're a perverted one. Just get on the damn boat and lets hear no more nipple talk."
St Patrick (writing): "And so, on that day, I refused to suck the breasts of these men..."
Ancient libraries, at least within a certain time period, had scrolls, right? And being libraries they were there for a subset of the public to use. And you know what people are like with public utilities.
So... look, I'm not a historian, but isn't there a decent chance those libraries had signs up reminding people to "Be Kind and Rewind"?
+17
Options
MayabirdPecking at the keyboardRegistered Userregular
Man, Ireland must be haunted as fuck. Just miles and miles of swamps filled with vengeful torture mummies.
The bog bodies get torn up because the bogs are chopped up for their peat by big giant cutting machines. Basically a giant chainsaw for the ground.
So fortunately, most of the mutilation seems to be happening in modern times so the bog bodies might not be inherently all haunted and vengeful. If if you hear about the undead rising and tearing all the farm equipment in Ireland apart (rest in pieces, tractors), you know what happened.
+2
Options
Brovid Hasselsmof[Growling historic on the fury road]Registered Userregular
Unfortunately peat bogs are an extremely endangered habitat which cannot be replaced once destroyed so I wish those bog corpses were a bit more effective at haunting.
Here's something I've been getting wrong my whole life: When someone delivers a withering remark as they make an exit, this isn't a "parting shot", it's a Parthian shot.
The Parthian shot is a light horse military tactic made famous in the West by the Parthians, an ancient Iranian people. While in real or feigned retreat their horse archers would turn their bodies back in full gallop to shoot at the pursuing enemy. The maneuver required superb equestrian skills, since the rider's hands were occupied by his composite bow. As the stirrup had not been invented at the time of the Parthians, the rider relied solely on pressure from his legs to guide his horse.
Hey twitter just a friendly reminder that Vent Haven is a real place that exists. A museum where ventriloquists have donated their dummy’s after they’ve DIED.
Look at this place. You’d not stop screaming from the moment you walked through the door
Posts
In celebration:
the Yaybahar
the Octobass
the Theremin
the glass harmonica
the nail violin
James Taylor's drum machine
the marble machine
Ondes Martenot's virtual insrument
the phonogene
cheese and fake cheese
the Caspian port of Baku
The Modulin
Viola Organista
Robotic Drummer and Singing Tesla Coil
Geographically they're the two sides of the Strait of Gibraltar denoted by two massive cliffs that jut out into the sea. Between them is actually relatively shallow because of a rise in the sea floor that separates the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. That rise was actually originally high enough to stop the waters of the Atlantic from entering until plate tectonics caused the land between the pillars to subside, which in turn flooded the basin beyond and created the Mediterranean Sea. This quirk also makes the Mediterranean exceptionally salty due to the heavier salinated water not being able to escape as easily in the undercurrent, while the lighter, less salinated water can enter on the surface currents.
You can vaguely see them here, off in the distance on either side of the image.
The story goes that the pillars, depticed at actual pillars, were given an inscription saying "Non plus ultra" or "Nothing Further Beyond", to denote that there was nothing beyond the Strait of Gibraltar so you might as well not bother. This became a coat of arms for Ferdinand of Aragon who depicted them each wrapped in a banner with the inscription written on them.
When Columbus discovered America, Spain adopted the symbol as the symbol of both continents and of spanish holdings. As seen here they modified the words to instead read "Plus Ultra" or "Further Beyond". The inscription came to be a symbol of the New World.
It became such a symbol that it started being used on printed coins, such as the Spanish "Real" (ree-al) above, with the pillars on either side of the coat of arms of Philip the V of Spain. The pillars with their individual banners appeared on spanish coinage continuously into the 1800s. The Pesos created in Mexico were worth 8 reals, which were also known as "Pieces of 8" and apparently becoming a meme among seafaring parrots. When writing of the mexican Pesos, Spanish, US, and Canadian writers utilized the first known usage of the $ symbol. This is theorized to be referencing the symbol of the pillars of Hercules used in the spanish real.
The US Dollar was directly based on the spanish peso, with the first silver dollars having a nominal value of 8 spanish reals just as the peso. However the peso was made with higher quality silver. But, in doing so they created first usage of "$" to denote the US dollar in official documentation.
So, the pillars of Hercules may have given us the symbol for the US Dollar, and also
a timeline of medieval elephant depictions.
(Right hand side of timeline, dated 1475-1500)
Also includes dope griffons
Somebody really hated this extremely tall aristocratic scion.
I’m a terrible nerd because my initial response was “Oh, ancient Geodude!”
There's been some theorizing based on bog bodies and the writing of St Patrick that someone would show fealty or loyalty by sucking on the king's nipples in ancient Ireland. This would be why some of the aristocratic bog bodies have their nipples removed, to show that this person could never be king. It apparently doesn't have a ton of contemporary evidence to back it up however, just the mentions of it by Patrick and the bodies.
When he fled Ireland some ferrymen apparently implied something about him sucking their breasts
St Patrick: "...."
God: "Why does your mind always go directly to sucking on a man's breasts?"
Ferrymen: "Ye can't come with."
St Patrick: "I'll suckle ye nips for a boat ride."
Ferrymen: "Ah Jesus, you're a perverted one. Just get on the damn boat and lets hear no more nipple talk."
St Patrick (writing): "And so, on that day, I refused to suck the breasts of these men..."
Basically yes
And cheese! Tons of bog butter and cheese.
I thought it looked like Belial from the Basket Case movies.
Read "Old Croghan" as "Old Krogan".
Ancient libraries, at least within a certain time period, had scrolls, right? And being libraries they were there for a subset of the public to use. And you know what people are like with public utilities.
So... look, I'm not a historian, but isn't there a decent chance those libraries had signs up reminding people to "Be Kind and Rewind"?
The bog bodies get torn up because the bogs are chopped up for their peat by big giant cutting machines. Basically a giant chainsaw for the ground.
So fortunately, most of the mutilation seems to be happening in modern times so the bog bodies might not be inherently all haunted and vengeful. If if you hear about the undead rising and tearing all the farm equipment in Ireland apart (rest in pieces, tractors), you know what happened.
I recall @Angelina being particularly proud of her thigh strength.
(not embedding for some reason so I'll quote)