10 historical myths that are very popular on the Internet

Myth 1. Group razors were popular in the 19th century

There is such a picture circulating on the Internet, in which one master shaves several clients at the same time using such a strange unit.

Typically, the photograph is accompanied by a comment similar to the following: “The group razor was invented for the simultaneous shaving of a dozen men. The only pity is that she simply repeated the movements of the barber and did not adapt to the shape of the faces of other men.

What technology has already reached then, huh? No queues and pre-registration.

This is actually the picture... frame from the obscure 1960 Brain Waves series starring British comedian Eric Sykes. And the car is just a prop, and in fact, she could not shave people.

So maybe in 50 years people will send each other footage from The Avengers and say: “And at the beginning of the 21st century we had flying suits…” Joke.

Myth 2. This is Confucius

A photo of this old man sitting on the floor and giving a thumbs up usually accompanies various wise quotes that are very much loved on social networks. And the authorship of these thoughts is attributed to Confucius. Well, or any other Chinese sage.

This picture even became a real meme. But, of course, Confucius cannot be imprinted on it: he safely died in 479 BC e., and then humanity was very far from black and white photography.

Strictly speaking, we can only guess what the sage looked like. A Human in a black and white photo from the meme - Morihei Ueshiba (1883 - 1969). The old man is rather colorful, but it is hardly worth illustrating Chinese aphorisms with his portrait: firstly, he is not a philosopher, but the creator of aikido, and secondly, he comes from Japan.

Myth 3. Parrot physicist Paul Ehrenfest criticized quantum mechanics

Sometimes in collections of "funny historical facts" the following curiosity is published. Once upon a time there was an Austrian physicist Paul Ehrenfest, a friend of Einstein, Fermi's teacher and one of the founders of quantum mechanics.

This theory was then criticized by the conservative part of the scientific community. And Ehrenfest allegedly taught his Ceylonese parrot phrase "But, gentlemen, this is not physics," and proposed that the bird be chaired at the discussions on quantum mechanics in Göttingen. The scientist hinted that the level of his opponents is about the same as that of a feathered one, and therefore, he will do just as well.

The story is cool and witty, only these birds do not know how imitate speech, but only whistle and chirp.

Besides, in biographies Ehrenfest did not say anything about the parrot, and for some reason the link to the source of this story is not published on social networks. So it's clearly a hoax.

Myth 4. Pharaoh Menes was the first allergic person mentioned in history.

In a story often found on the Web, the following is reported: according to ancient papyri, Pharaoh Menes died in 2540 BC from a wasp sting that caused a severe attack allergies. So, he is the first allergic person mentioned in world history.

But this is a myth, and we even know where it came from. At the end of the 19th century, professor of chemistry and part-time amateur archaeologist Lawrence Waddell translated texts of the ancient Egyptian historian Manetho. And he found a record there: “The great king died in the 63rd year of his reign from a wasp.”

Later, scientists realized that Lawrence mixed up the symbols for wasp and hippo. Hunting these animals was a popular entertainment among the Egyptian pharaohs, but such fun did not always end well.

In general, if Menes had an allergy, it was not to bees, but to hippos.

Moreover, there are serious doubtsthat the mentioned text speaks of Menes at all. This person is rather legendary than historical: this name is called either the son of the first pharaoh of Egypt Narmer, then Narmer himself, then some other pharaoh - Hor Aha, and possibly his heir.

In general, a figure too muddy to confidently give her the title of the first allergy sufferer in history.

Myth 5. Buddha was fat

Look at the picture above. Who is this, according to you? Most people would probably answer, "Buddha." And they will be wrong.

Shakyamuni Buddha, founder of Buddhism lived in the 6th or 5th century BC, in the religious tradition in China, Korea, Japan and Tibet, he is depicted as a slender ascetic with a serene face.

A smiling joyful fat man - character from Japanese mythology, the god of communication, fun and prosperity. His name is Hotei (Japanese for "canvas bag"), or Budai, the Chinese name.

Perhaps the similarity of the last name with the term "Buddha" - the title for one who has achieved enlightenment - and caused confusion.

Myth 6. The first settlers in Australia staged an orgy

Another interesting "historical fact" from the Internet, this time with a piquant touch romance. January 26, 1788 to Australia arrived British Captain and Governor Arthur Phillip's fleet to establish a new colony.

With him, the latter was carrying about 1373 imprisoned criminals, who were to become the first settlers. The captain kept men and women separately to avoid various troubles along the way.

And as soon as the settlers set foot on the shore, the men immediately attacked the women and committed a terrible debauchery on the beach in Sydney Bay, which went down in history.

But actually this is not true. This myth was popularized by the Australian writer and art historian Robert Hughes in his book 1986 "Fatal Coast". The modern historians figured outthat this tale is not found in sources before 1963, so this is just another historical anecdote.

Myth 7. Italians from the cities of Bologna and Modena staged a war over a bucket

Long ago, in 1325 quarreled two Italian city-states - Villaribo and Villabaggio... Oops, sorry! Bologna and Modena. Several soldiers from the second city broke into the first and stole a simple wooden bucket from the well in the square next to the San Felice gate. And then they hung it as a trophy in their city.

The Bolognese went berserk and demanded the bucket back. It was of no value, but the very fact of stealing such a wonderful item was humiliating for the proud inhabitants. The Modenese refused, and one of the greatest battles in the history of the Middle Ages: about 35,000 infantrymen and 4,000 knights took part in it, more than two thousand people were killed on both sides.

The Modenese eventually won, and the battle became known as the Oak Bucket War.

A gripping story worthy of a film adaptation by Ridley Scott. But fans of popular history have got it all mixed up again. The war between Bologna and Modena was not over a bucket.

In fact, it was just one of the battles of a long three hundred years confrontation between the Guelphs, who support the Pope, and their opponents, the Ghibellines. The next Pope, as usual, anointed the wrong person to the kingdom, a struggle for power broke out, different cities joined the opposing rulers, and away we go.

The bucket of Modena was taken from the Bolognese after the victory over their army and the sack of Bologna, so it was not the cause of the conflict.

Myth 8. Fashion for ties was introduced by pirates

Where do you think ties come from? There is a pseudo-historical theory that this tradition was borrowed from pirates- privateers who wore a dangling gallows noose around their necks. The British crown accepted sea robbers into service, giving them indulgences for past sins, and they put on such “ties” as a sign of devotion to the new owners.

The theory is funny, but there is one small inconsistency.

Modern shape tie appeared in the 1860s, when the golden age of piracy had ended for about 130 years.

In addition, there is no mention of the custom of marque to wear a rope around the neck either. This, for that matter, is tritely dangerous for a person working on a ship - you will catch on to something and inadvertently strangle yourself.

However, the pirates could well wear neckerchiefs. Thanks to the latter, the shirt rubbed the sweaty neck less. But this piece of clothing was quite wide and did not really look like modern ties.

Myth 9. Elk cavalry existed in 17th-century Sweden

There is a story on the Internet about how, in the 17th century, the Swedish king Charles XI decided because of the lack of horses put their riders on elk - elk Swedes have successfully harnessed to sleds since at least the 1600s years. And his Majesty allegedly decided: why should good disappear? They can pull the sledges, which means they will walk under the saddle. And he ordered the creation of a special corps of elk cavalrymen for special purposes.

Did you believe? So, this is a fantasy. Swedish historian Dick Harrison declaredthat he found no evidence of the existence of such a cavalry. In addition, the elk is a beast shy and does not know how to go into a dashing attack from a swoop under the roar of guns.

And then there is the myth that the elk cavalry was also used by Joseph Stalin in the Soviet regiments in the north in the 1930s.

It came from an April Fool's joke published in TechInsider magazine in 2010. The editors had fun, and readers believed and began to retell stories about Russian ingenuity and machine guns, which were installed directly on the horns of moose.

Myth 10. Officials thrown out of window in Prague survive thanks to dunghill

Finally, another funny story. In 1618, the so-called Second Prague Defenestration took place in Prague. This event, which served as the beginning of the uprising of the Czech estates against the power of the Habsburgs, which led to the Thirty Years' War.

In fact, defenestration literally translates from Latin as "out of the window."

The Czech aristocracy opposed the intention of Ferdinand, Duke of Styria, to become king of the Czech Republic. On May 23, 1618, the nobles broke into the Prague Castle fortress, took and thrown out from the window of the tower of the imperial governors Vilém Slavat and Yaroslav from Martinice and their scribe Philip Fabricius. But those scoundrels survived the fall - because they fell into the dunghill, which softened the blow.

The story of how brave Czechs coped with officials imposed by external control has become an extremely popular anecdote. But in reality, it's not that funny. The Prague defenestrations are a real historical event, but contemporaries have nothing about the dunghill didn't mention. It was invented later.

In fact, the victims fell into the castle moat, were badly injured, but survived. And Philip Fabricius, who received the least injuries, was even later erected Ferdinand to the rank of nobility, having received a prefix to the surname "von Hohenfall", literally meaning "high fall".