Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Clivedurdle · 05-01-2008, 12:26 PM

http://laelaps.wordpress.com/2007/05/25/dinos-dragons/

Quote:

In 1676, the word “dinosaur” had yet to be added to the lexicon. This doesn’t mean, however, that all the remains of prehistoric creatures were tucked away in the strata, patiently awaiting the day in 1840 when Sir Richard Owen would formally describe the “Dinosauria.” In fact, quite the opposite was true; throughout history strange bones, tracks, and other fossils appeared all over the world, few knowing how to make heads or tails of the strange remnants. One such fossil was sent to Robert Plot in 1676, which he described the following year in his book Natural History of Oxfordshire, coming to the conclusion that it was a part of a huge creature’s femur, probably from some sort of giant, pictured below.

The infamous “Scrotum humanum” (ref: Wikipedia: Megalosaurus)
Plot’s analysis is often forgotten, however, as it was the reanalysis of this bone fragment that become one of the most celebrated accounts of a paleontological error in history. In 1763, Richard Brookes redescribed Plot’s fossil as being similar to a gigantic pair of human testicles, dubbing it (informally) Scrotum humanum. Today we know it as part of a femur from Megalosaurus(1), Plot’s description being surprisingly on the mark (how could he have known about dinosaurs in 1676?), but it is Brookes’ description that is more telling of the the mindset about fossils at the time, when paleontology was certainly having “growing pains.”

Quote:

I]n 1785, [Thomas] Jefferson wrote about a legend told to him by a delegation of warriors from the Delaware tribe: In ancient times, a herd of these tremendous animals came to the Big-bone licks, and began an universal destruction of the bear, deer, elks, buffaloes, and other animals, which had been created for the use of the Indians; that the Great Man above, looking down and seeing this, was so enraged that he seized his lightning, descended on the earth, seated himself on a neighboring mountain, on a rock, of which his seat and the print of this feet are still to be seen, and hurled his bolts among them till the whole were slaughtered, except the big bull, who presenting his length, it wounded him in the side; whereon, springing round, he bounded over the Ohio, over the Wabash, the Illinois, and finally over the great lakes, where he is living at this day.

Clivedurdle · 05-02-2008, 05:13 AM

I am being a real poseur! I am posting from the Apple Store Regent Street on a macbook air having just been to the British Museum and seen a wonderful book by the Cryptozoological Society of London and having just purchased Robert Bartlett The natural and supernatural in the middle ages (or via: amazon.co.uk).

Interestingly demons were put in the category of natural, and there are fascinating discussions about the evolution of the term supernatural - it seems it was born with the scholastics and the mendicants.

This whole area is worth a website and academic departments of its own, with a key creature being the Jesus, with its god dad and virgin mum.

Clivedurdle · 05-02-2008, 10:24 AM

A few more OK not in the Bible but clear part of xian history

Cynocephali - ie St Christopher
Strigae

and of course

the monopod!

Mark 16 v 15.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...nocephalus.gif

Clivedurdle · 05-02-2008, 10:27 AM

How would Jesi be classified in a Linnean type system?

Clivedurdle · 05-04-2008, 01:35 AM

http://www.mostly-medieval.com/explore/mytheg.htm

More beasties - and I think I read somewhere that the word fabulous has a link to the evil eye.

Is this medieval science fiction?

Quote:

Bishop FishThese fish emphasize a medieval tradition that everything in the air or on the earth had a double in the sea. The bishop fish had an angular head, a scaly body with two claw-like fins in the place of arms, and a fin-like cloak. Its legs appeared to be clothed in rubber waders. Its origin was possibly the cast-up body of a giant squid.

driver8 · 05-05-2008, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben C Smith

8. Lilith or lamia (לילית): Isaiah 34.14.

Ben.

duh, can't believe you don't know this one:

Quote:

Rael stands astonished doubting his sight,
Struck by beauty, gripped in fright;
Three vermilion snakes of female face
The smallest motion, filled with grace.
Muted melodies fill the echoing hall,
But there is no sign of warning in the siren's call:
"Rael welcome, we are the Lamia of the pool.
We have been waiting for our waters to bring you cool."

http://www.lyricsdepot.com/genesis/the-lamia.html

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05-02-2008, 05:13 AM	#32
Clivedurdle Contributor Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: London UK Posts: 16,024	I am being a real poseur! I am posting from the Apple Store Regent Street on a macbook air having just been to the British Museum and seen a wonderful book by the Cryptozoological Society of London and having just purchased Robert Bartlett The natural and supernatural in the middle ages (or via: amazon.co.uk). Interestingly demons were put in the category of natural, and there are fascinating discussions about the evolution of the term supernatural - it seems it was born with the scholastics and the mendicants. This whole area is worth a website and academic departments of its own, with a key creature being the Jesus, with its god dad and virgin mum.

05-02-2008, 10:24 AM	#33
Clivedurdle Contributor Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: London UK Posts: 16,024	A few more OK not in the Bible but clear part of xian history Cynocephali - ie St Christopher Strigae and of course the monopod! Mark 16 v 15. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...nocephalus.gif

05-02-2008, 10:27 AM	#34
Clivedurdle Contributor Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: London UK Posts: 16,024	How would Jesi be classified in a Linnean type system?

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