#acephali

Alexander the Great encounters a headless tribe in this thirteenth century manuscript. Information at source.

drawn after a strange wiki walk that led to blemmyes/acephali

hm.

Mythology Series: Acephali

Acéfalo 32x23 - hoja canson - 240gr La idea de la existencia de razas sin cabeza y con la cara en el vientre o en el pecho está difundida en zonas muy extensas por todo el mundo. A menudo se trata de seres personales, espíritus o divinidades. Con frecuencia esta malformación se atribuye a especies enteras, situadas en lugares lejanos. Por ejemplo: Los esquimales del estrecho de Bering creen que en la Luna viven extraños seres, que alguna vez han sido encontrados también en la Tierra, sin la cabeza sobre el cuello y cuyo cuerpo de aspecto humano tiene una gran boca armada de dientes afilados en el tórax. Materiales: - Papel CansonTempera 240gr @cansonpaper - Tinta Black Indian Ink y Gold de @winsornewtonargentina - Tinta Red Pyrrole de @liquitexofficial #mitologias #acefalo #acephali #blemia #espiritu #illustracion #grecia #griegos #ink #liquitex #illustration #nillusart #tatoo #originalart #mythology #myths https://www.instagram.com/p/B6L6IJ7AKMS/?igshid=xg1cqvp5xory

#Acephali These creatures look exactly like humans except for one important detail: their faces are on their chests, because most of the Acephali do not have heads. The Acephali are said to have once been human, but they rebelled against the gods and to punish them the gods removed their heads. Those that managed to find their removed head carry it under their arm. They are said to live in Libya. Acephali is the plural form of Acephalos. They are also known as the Akephale.

A colored woodcut of a Blemmye from Ulisse Aldrovandi's 1642 treatise Monstrorum Historia cum Paralipomenis Historiae Omnium Animalium.  Illustrator unknown.

"Desert Walk with Me" by Nick Patterson a.k.a. Nick the Artistic Freak was inspired by the legendary Blemmyes or Acephali of Africa. This cannibal tribe was one of several demihuman races from European folklore about the Dark Continent, and is mentioned in Shakespeare’s Othello. The strange hands in this drawing appear to be the artist’s invention.