her father (aged 40), her brother (20), and her sister (8), all as
hairy one as the other. They were brought over by Marius Casalius, and
first shown at Bologna, so that this is no doubt a faithful likeness, as
Aldrovandus lived and died in that city. He gives other examples, but
not so well authenticated as this.
There were two wonderful hairy people at Ava, in Burmah, who are
described by two most trustworthy eye-witnesses, John Crawford, in his
“Journal of an Embassy from the Governor-General of India to the Court
of Ava”--and in 1855, by Captain Henry Youle, in his “Narrative of the
Mission sent by the Governor-General of India to the Court of Ava.” They
were father and daughter, respectively named Shu-Maon, and Maphoon. The
father may strictly be said to have had neither eyelashes, eyebrows, nor
beard, because the whole of his face, including the interior and
exterior of his ears, were covered with long silky silvery grey hair.
His whole body, except his hands and feet, was covered with hair of the
same texture and colour as that now described, but generally less
abundant; it was most plentiful over the spine and shoulders, where it
was five inches long; over the breast, about four inches, and was most
scanty on the arms, legs, thighs, and abdomen.
Of the daughter, Captain Youle writes: “The whole of Maphoon’s face was
more or less covered with hair. On a part of the cheek, and between the
nose and mouth, this was confined to a short down, but over all the rest
of the face was a thick silky hair of a brown colour, paleing about the
nose and chin, four or five inches long. At the alæ of the nose, under
the eye, and on the cheek bone this was very fully developed; but it was
in, and on, the ear, that it was most extraordinary. Except the upper
tip, no part of the ear was visible. All the rest was filled and veiled
with a large mass of silky hair, growing apparently out of every part of
the external organ, and hanging a pendant lock to a length of eight or
ten inches. The hair over her forehead was brushed so as to blend with
the hair of the head, the latter being dressed (as usual with her
countrywomen) _à la Chinoise_; it was not so thick as to conceal her
forehead.
“The nose, densely covered with hair, as no animal’s is, that I know of,
and with long locks curving out, and pendant like the wisps of a fine
Skye-terrier’s coat, had a most strange appearance. The beard was pale
in colour, and about four inches in length, seemingly very soft and
silky.”
Maphoon, when Captain Youle saw her, had two children, one, the eldest,
perfectly normal, the other, who was very young, was evidently taking
after its mother.
The Aïnos, an aboriginal tribe in the north of Japan, who are looked
down upon by the Japanese as dogs, have always been reputed as being
covered with hair. Mr. W. Martin Wood read a paper before the
Ethnological Society of London[26] respecting them, and he said, “Esau
himself could not have been a more hairy man than are these Aïnos. The
hair forms an enormous bush, and it is thick and matted. Their beards
are very thick and long, and the greater part of their face is covered
with hair which is generally dark in colour; they have prominent
foreheads, and mild, dark eyes, which somewhat relieve the savage aspect
of their visage. Their hands and arms, and, indeed, the greater part of
their bodies, are covered with an abnormal profusion of hair.”
This, however, has been questioned, notably by Mr. Barnard Davis, whose
paper may be read in the 3rd vol. of the “Memoirs of the Anthropological
Society of London”--and he quotes from several travellers, to prove that
the hairyness of the Aïnos had been exaggerated. However, Miss Bird in
her “Unbeaten Tracks in Japan” may fairly be said to have put the
subject at rest, for she visited, and travelled in the Aïno country.
She, certainly, disproves the theory that, as a race, they were hairy,
although she confesses that some were--as, for instance (p. 232), “They
wore no clothing, but only one was hairy,” and, writing from Biratori,
Yezo (p. 255), she says, “The men are about the middle height,
broad-chested, broad-shouldered, thick set, very strongly built, the
arms and legs short, thick, and muscular, the hands and feet large. The
bodies, and especially the limbs of many, are covered with short,
bristly hair. I have seen two boys whose backs are covered with fur as
fine, and soft, as that of a cat.” Again (p. 283), “The profusion of
black hair, and a curious intensity about their eyes, coupled with the
hairy limbs and singularly vigorous _physique_, give them a formidably
savage appearance; but the smile, full of ‘sweetness and light,’ in
which both eyes and mouth bear part, and the low, musical voice, softer
and sweeter than anything I have previously heard, make me, at times,
forget that they are savages at all.”
THE OURAN OUTAN.
Transition from hirsute humanity to the apes, is easy, and natural--and
we need only deal with the Simiinæ, which includes the Orang, the
Chimpanzee, and the Gorilla. These are the largest apes, and nearest
approach to man--but, although they may be tailless, yet there is that
short great toe which prevents any acceptation of their humanity. The
orang is exclusively an inhabitant of Borneo and Sumatra, and in those
two islands it may be found in the swampy forests near the coast. It
grows to a large size, for an ape, about four feet four inches high, but
is neither so large, nor so strong, as the Gorilla. Compared with man,
its arms seem to be as extravagantly long, as its legs are ridiculously
short. When wild, it feeds entirely on vegetable diet, and makes a kind
of house, or nest, in trees, interweaving the branches, so as to obtain
shelter. They do not stand confinement well, being languid and
miserable--but, in their native wildness, they can, if necessity arises,
fight well in their own defence. A. R. Wallace, in his “Malay
Archipelago; the Land of the Orang Utan and the Bird of Paradise,” tells
the following story of its combativeness.
“A few miles down the river there is a Dyak house, and the inhabitants
saw a large orang feeding on the young shoots of a palm by the river
side. On being alarmed, he retreated towards the jungle, which was close
by, and a number of the men, armed with spears and choppers, ran out to
intercept him. The man who was in front, tried to run his spear through
the animal’s body, but the orang seized it in his hands, and in an
instant got hold of the man’s arm, which he seized in his mouth, making
his teeth meet in the flesh above the elbow, which he tore and lacerated
in a dreadful manner. Had not the others been close behind, the man
would have been seriously injured, if not killed, as he was quite
powerless; but they soon destroyed the creature with their spears and
choppers. The man remained ill for a long time, and never fully
recovered the use of his arm.”
It is called the Simia Satyrus; probably on its presumed lustfulness,
certainly not on account of its resemblance to the satyr of antiquity.
Gesner gives us his idea of the orang, presenting us with the
accompanying figure of the Cercopithecus, and quotes Cardanus as saying
that the Cercopithecus or Wild-man, is singularly made, having the
height and form of a man, with legs like man’s--and is covered all over
with hair. No animal can withstand it, with the exception of man, to
whom, when in its own regions, it is not inferior. It loves boys and
women.
[Illustration]
Pliny speaks of the Satyr Ape thus: “Among the mountainous districts of
the eastern parts of India, in what is called the country of the
Catharcludi, we find the Satyr, an animal of extraordinary swiftness.
They go sometimes on four feet, and sometimes walk erect; they have,
also, the features of a human being. On account of their swiftness,
these creatures are never to be caught, except when they are aged, or
sickly,” and, in another place, he says, “The Sphyngium and the Satyr
stow away food in the pouches of their cheeks, after which they will
take out piece by piece in their hands, and eat it.”
Topsell has mixed up the Simia Satyrus with the classical satyr, having
legs and horns like goats; but he evidently alludes to the former in
this passage. “The _Satyres_ are in the Islands _Satiridæ_, which are
three in number, right over against India on the farther side of the
_Ganges_; of which _Euphemus Car_ rehearseth this history: that when he
sailed unto _Italy_, by the rage of winde and evill weather, they were
driven to a coast unnavigable, where were many desart Islandes,
inhabited of wild men, and the marriners refused to land upon some
Islands, having heretofore had triall of the inhumaine and uncivill
behaviour of the inhabitants, so that they brought us to the _Satyrian
Islands_, where we saw the inhabitants red, and had tayles joyned to
their backs, not much lesse than horsses. These, being perceived by the
marriners to run to the shippes, and lay hold on the women that were in
them, the shipmen, for feare, took one of the Barbarian women, and set
her on the land among them, whom in most odious and filthy manner, they
abused, whereby they found them to be very bruit beasts.”
[Illustration]
He gives us his idea of the Simia Satyrus, which must have been an
accomplished animal, for not only could it, apparently, play upon the
pipe, but it had a handy pouch for the reception of the fruit (in lieu
of coppers) which it doubtless would receive as guerdon for its
performance.
SATYRS.
He also mentions and delineates a curious Ape which closely resembles
the classical Satyr: “Under the _Equinoctiall_, toward the East and
South, there is a kind of Ape called _Ægopithecus_, an Ape like a Goate.
For there are Apes like Beares, called _Arctopitheci_, and some like
Lyons, called _Leontopitheci_, and some like Dogs, called _Cynocephali_,
as is before expressed; and many other which have a mixt resemblance of
other creatures in their members.
[Illustration]
“Amongst the rest there is a beast called PAN; who in his head, face,
horns, legs, and from the loynes downward resembleth a Goat, but in his
belly, breast, and armes, an Ape: such a one was sent by the King of
_Indians_ to Constantine, which, being shut up in a cave or close place,
by reason of the wildnesse thereof, lived there but a season, and when
it was dead and bowelled, they pouldred it with spices, and carried it
to be seene at Constantinople: the which beast having beene seene of the
ancient Græcians, were so amazed at the strangenesse thereof, that they
received it for a God, as they did a Satyre, and other strange beasts.”
I have said that Topsell has mixed the Ape and the Satyr,
inextricably--but as his version has the charm of description and
anecdote, I give it with little curtailment.
“As the _Cynocephali_, or _Baboun_ Apes have given occasion to some to
imagine (though falsly) there were such men, so the _Satyre_, a most
rare and seldom seene beast, hath occasioned other to thinke it was a
Devil; and the Poets with their Apes, the Painters, Limners, and
Carvers, to encrease that superstition, have therefore described him
with hornes on his head, and feet like Goates, whereas Satires have
neither of both. And it may be that Devils have at some time appeared to
men in this likenes, as they have done in the likeness of the
_Onocentaure_ and wild Asse, and other shapes; it being also probable
that Devils take not any dænomination or shape from Satyres, but rather
the Apes themselves, from Devils whom they resemble, for there are many
things common to the Satyre Apes, and devilish Satyres, as their human
shape, their abode in solitary places, their rough hayre, and lust to
women, wherewith all other Apes are naturally infected; but especially
Satyres....
“Peradventure the name of Satyre is more fitly derived from the Hebrew,
_Sair, Esa._ 34, whereof the plural is _Seirim, Esa._ 13, which is
interpreted monsters of the Desart, or rough hairy Fawnes; and when
Iisim is put to _Seir_, it signifieth Goats.
“The _Chaldæans_, for _Seirim_, render _Schedin_; that is, evill
devills; and the _Arabians_, _lesejathin_, that is _Satanas_: the
_Persyans_, _Devan_, the _Illyrians_, _Devadai_, and _Dewas_: the
_Germans_, _Teufel_. They which passed through the world, and exercised
dauncing and other sports for _Dionisius_, were called Satyres, and
sometimes _Tytiri_, because of their wanton songes; sometimes _Sileni_
(although the difference is, that the smaller and younger beasts are
called _Satiri_, the elder, and greater, _Sileni_;) Also _Bacchæ_ and
_Nymphæ_, wherefore _Bacchus_ is pictured riding in a chariot of vine
branches, _Silenus_ ridinge beside him on an Asse, and the _Bacchæ_ or
_Satyres_ shaking togetheer their staulkie Javelines and Paulmers.[27]
By reason of their leaping they are called _Scirti_, and the anticke or
satyrical dauncing, _Sicinnis_, and they also sometimes _Sicinnistæ_;
sometimes _Ægipanæ_; wherefore _Pliny_ reporteth, that among the
westerne _Ethiopians_, there are certain little hilles full of the
_Satirique Ægipanæ_, and that, in the night-time they use great fires,
piping and dansing, with a wonderful noise of Tymbrels and Cymbals; and
so also in _Atlas_ amongest the Moores, whereof there was no footing,
remnant, or appearance, to be found in the daytime.
“... There are also _Satires_ in the Eastern mountaines of _India_, in
the country of the _Cartaduli_, and in the province of the _Comari_ and
_Corudæ_, but the _Cebi_ spoken of before, bred in _Ethiopia_, are not
_Satyres_ (though faced like them:) nor the _Prasyan_ Apes, which
resemble _Satyres_ in short beards. There are many kindes of these
_Satyres_ better distinguished by names than any properties naturall
known unto us. Such are the _Ægipanæ_, before declared, _Nymphes_ of the
Poets, _Fawnes_, _Pan_ and _Sileni_, which, in time of the Gentiles were
worshipped for Gods; and it was one part of their religion to set up the
picture of a Satyre at their dores and gates, for a remedy against the
bewitching of envious persons.
“... Satyres have no humaine conditions in them, nor any other
resemblance of men besides their outward shape; though _Solinus_ speakes
of them like as of men. They carry their meate under their chin as in a
store house, and from thence being hungry, they take it forth to eat,
making it ordinary with them every day, which is but annuall in the
_Formicæ_ lions; being of very unquiet motions above other Apes. They
are hardly taken, except sicke, great with yong, old or asleepe; for
_Sylla_ had a _Satyre_ brought him, which was taken asleepe neare
_Apollonia_, in the holy place _Nymphæum_, of whom he (by divers
interpreters) demanded many questions, but received no answer, save only
a voice very much like the neighing of a horse, wherof he being afraid,
sent him away alive.
“_Philostratus_ telleth another history, how that _Apollonius_ and his
colleagues, supping in a village of _Ethiopia_, beyond the fall of
_Nilus_, they heard a sudden outcry of women calling to one another;
some saying, _Take him_, others, _Follow him_; likewise provoking their
husbands to helpe them: the men presently tooke clubs, stones, or what
came first to hand, complaining of an injury done unto their wives. Now
some ten moneths before, there had appeared a fearfull shew of a Satyre,
raging upon their women, and had slain two of them, with whom he was in
love: the companions of _Apollonius_ quaked at the hearing hereof, and
_Nilus_, one of them, swore (by _Jove_) that they being naked and
unarmed, could not be able to resist him in his outragious lust, but
that he would accomplish his wantonnes as before: yet, said
_Apollonius_, there is a remedy to quaile these wanton-leaping beasts,
which men say _Midas_ used (for _Midas_ was of kindred to _Satyres_, as
appeared by his eares). This _Midas_ heard his mother say, that
_Satyres_ loved to be drunke with wine, and then sleep soundly, and
after that, be so moderate, mild and gentle, that a man might thinke
they had lost their first nature.
“Whereupon he put wine into a fountain neere the highway, whereof, when
the _Satyre_ had tasted, he waxed meeke suddenly, and was overcome. Now
that we thinke not this a fable (saith _Apollonius_) let us go to the
Governor of the Towne, and inquire of him whether there be any wine to
be had that we may offer it to the _Satyre_, wherunto all consented, and
they filled foure great _Egyptian_ earthen vessels with wine, and put it
in the fountain where their cattel were watred: this done, _Apollonius_
called the _Satyre_, secretly thretning him, and the _Satire_, inraged
with the savour of the wine came; after he had drunke thereof, Now, said
_Apollonius_, let us sacrifice to the _Satyre_, for he sleepeth, and so
led the inhabitants to the dens of the _Nymphs_, distant a furlong from
the towne, and shewed them the _Satyre_ saying; Neither beat, cursse, or
provoke him henceforth, and he shall never harme you.
“It is certaine, that the devills do many waies delude men in the
likeness of _Satyres_; for, when the drunken feasts of _Bacchus_ were
yearely celebrated in _Parnassus_, there were many sightes of _Satyres_,
and voyces, and sounding of cymbals heard: yet it is likely that there
are men also like Satyres, inhabiting in some desart places; for _S.
Ierom_, in the life of _Paul the Eremite_, reporteth that there appeared
to _S. Anthony_, an _Hippocentaure_ such as the Poets describe, and
presently he saw, in a rocky valley adjoining, a little man having
croked nostrils, hornes growing out of his forhed, and the neather part
of his body had Goat’s feet; the holy man, not dismayed, taking the
shield of faith, and the breastplate of righteousnesse, like a good
souldior of Christ, pressed toward him, which brought him some fruites
of palmes as pledges of his peace, upon which he fed in the journey;
which Saint _Anthony_ perceiving, he asked him who he was, and received
this answere; I am a mortall creature, one of the inhabitants of this
Desart, whom the Gentiles (deceived with error) doe worship, and call
_Fauni_, _Satyres_, and _Incubi_: I am come in ambassage from our
flocke, intreating that thou would’st pray for us unto the common GOD,
who came to save the world; the which words were no sooner ended, but he
ran away as fast as any foule could fly. And least this should seeme
false, under _Constantine_ at _Alexandria_ there was such a man to be
seene alive, and was a publick spectacle to all the World; the carcasse
thereof, after his death, was kept from corruption by heat, through
salt, and was carried to _Antiocha_ that the Emperor himself might see
it.
[Illustration]
“_Satyres_ are very sildom seene, and taken with great difficulty, as is
before saide: for there were two of these founde in the woods of
_Saxony_ towards _Dacia_, in a desart, the female was killed by the
darts of the hunters, and the biting of Dogs, but the male was taken
alive, being in the upper parts like a man, and in the neather partes
like a Goat, but all hairy throughout: he was brought to be tame, and
learned to go upright, and also to speake some wordes, but with a voice
like a Goat, and without all reason.
[Illustration]
“The famous learned man _George Fabricius_, shewed me this shape of a
monstrous beast that is fit to be joyned to the story of _Satyres_.
There was, (saide he,) in the territory of the Bishop of _Salceburgh_,
in a forrest called _Fannesbergh_, a certaine foure-footed beast, of a
yellowish carnation colour, but so wilde that he would never be drawne
to looke upon any man, hiding himselfe in the darkest places, and beeing
watched diligently, would not be provoked to come forth so much as to
eate his meate--so that in a very short time it was famished. The hinder
legs were much unlike the former, and also much longer. It was taken
about the year of the Lord, one thousand five hundred, thirty, whose
image being here so lively described, may save us further labour in
discoursing of his maine and different parts and proportion.”
THE SPHYNX.
“The SPHYNGA or _Sphinx_, is of the kind of Apes, but his breast up
to his necke, pilde and smooth without hayre: the face is very round,
yet sharp and piked, having the breasts of women, and their favor, or
visage, much like them: In that part of the body which is bare with out
haire, there is a certaine red thing rising in a round circle, like
millet seed, which giveth great grace & comeliness to their coulour,
which in the middle part is humaine: Their voice is very like a man’s,
but not articulate, sounding as if one did speake hastily, with
indignation or sorrow. Their haire browne, or swarthy coulour. They
are bred in _India_, and _Ethiopia_. In the promontory of the farthest
_Arabia_ neere _Dira_, are _Sphinges_, and certaine _Lyons_, called
_Formicæ_, so, likewise, they are to be found amongest the _Trogloditæ_.
[Illustration]
“As the _Babouns_ and _Cynocephali_ are more wilde than other Apes, so
the _Satyres_ and _Sphynges_ are more meeke and gentle, for they are not
so wilde that they will not bee tamed, nor yet so tame, but they will
revenge their own harmes; as appeared by that which was slayne in a
publike spectacle among the _Thebanes_. They carrye their meat in the
store houses of their own chaps or cheeks, taking it forth when they are
hungry, and so eat it.
[Illustration]
“The name of this _Sphynx_ is taken from ‘binding,’ as appeareth by the
Greek notation, or else of delicacie and dainty nice loosnesse,
(wherefore there were certain common strumpets called _Sphinctæ_, and
the _Megarian Sphingas_ was a very popular phrase for notorious
harlots), hath given occasion to the poets to faigne a certaine monster
called _Sphynx_, which they say was thus derived. _Hydra_ brought
foorth the _Chimæra_, _Chimæra_ by _Orthus_, the _Sphynx_, and the
_Nemæan_ Lyon: now, this _Orthus_ was one of _Geryon’s_ dogges. This
_Sphynx_ they make a treble formed monster, a Mayden’s face, a Lyon’s
legs, and the wings of a fowle; or, as _Ansonius_ and _Varinus_ say, the
face and head of a mayde, the body of a dogge, the winges of a byrd, the
voice of a man, the clawes of a Lyon, and the tayle of a dragon: and
that she kept continually in the _Sphincian_ mountaine; propounding to
all travailers that came that way an _Ænigma_, or Riddle, which was
this: _What was the creature that first of all goeth on foure legges;
afterwards on two, and, lastly, on three_: and all of them that could
not dissolve that Riddle, she presently slew, by taking them, and
throwing them downe headlong, from the top of a Rocke. At last _Œdipus_
came that way, and declared the secret, that it _was a man, who in his
infancy creepeth on all foure_, afterward, _in youth, goeth upon two
legs_, and last of all, _in olde age taketh unto him a staffe which
maketh him to goe, as it were, on three legs_; which the monster
hearing, she presently threwe down herselfe from the former rocke, and
so she ended. Whereupon Œdipus is taken for a subtill and wise opener of
mysteries.
“But the truth is, that when _Cadmus_ had married an _Amazonian_ woman,
called _Sphynx_, and, with her, came to _Thebes_, and there slew _Draco_
their king, and possessed his kingdom, afterwards there was a sister
unto _Draco_ called _Harmona_, whom _Cadmus_ married, _Sphynx_ being yet
alive. She, in revenge, (being assisted by many followers,) departed
with great store of wealth into the mountaine _Sphincius_, taking with
her a great Dogge, which _Cadmus_ held in great account, and there made
daily incursions or spoiles upon his people. Now, _ænigma_, in the
_Theban_ language, signifieth an inrode, or warlike incursion, wherfore
the people complained in this sort. _This GRECIAN SPHINX robbeth us, in
setting up with an ÆNIGMA, but no man knoweth after what manner she
maketh this ÆNIGMA._