4) Beard = Power

In ancient Egypt the pharaoh held a special place of power. As part god and ultimate ruler, maintaining power and managing image was of prime importance. The Egyptian ruler, Hatshepsut, became queen, then regent, and then later acted as pharaoh. This 15th century B.C. royal figure had to defend her power grabs and one way to do that was to memorialize herself as more masculine than she was.

Via/ Flickr
Hatshepsut has a womanly form but still wears the pharaoh’s beard in this depiction. Via/ Flickr

Hatshepsut wore a false beard since it was thought to enforce the authority and godliness of her position. Art from the period shows her with the false beard that male pharaohs before and after her had worn. However, there are some works that show her as a woman, suggesting that the false beard was more ceremonial than personal.

3) Fair Trials

It would be insanity to bring anyone to trial who could not defend themselves, right? But, in the Middle Ages, animals were sometimes brought to trial and given sentences for their crimes. It sounds crazy, but actual cases have been documented. What motivated the lawmen of that time to essentially waste the court’s time?

Via/ Wiki Commons
Via/ Wiki Commons

It was thought that if the animal “stood trial” that it had received a fair shot, despite the fact that this farce achieved nothing. Charges of murder and ruination were brought against bucking horses and swarms of insects. You have to imagine that it made the townspeople feel better after a tragedy had happened, though, which may have been the biggest motivator of all. In an age when witch trials and executions were a regular part of the justice system, it’a not exactly surprising that animals would have been held to trial.

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