Ancient Hobbits, Mexican Gnomes, and Oddly Beautiful Paintings
Ancient Hobbits, Mexican Gnomes, and Oddly Beautiful Paintings
5 oddities to ponder and share with friends, family, and small humanoid creatures
Welcome, my Odd Friend!
I want you to know that no small humanoid creatures were harmed in the making of this post. Nope, I saved that for afterwards when I made them weed my lawn.
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A Real-Life Hobbit
Homo floresiensis (nicknamed “The Hobbit”) is some sort of humanoid that existed as far back as 100,000 years ago. The remains were found on the island of Flores, Indonesia. It’s considered to be a species of human (debate amongst yourselves) that was only three and a half feet tall. Very Hobbit-like indeed!
Did this being dwell in a shire and smoke a long pipe? I doubt it, but you never know. One thing is for sure: the feet are too small to be an actual hobbit. And I don’t see any hair on the feet of the skeleton so that’s the nail in the coffin.
Oddly Attractive Portraits
While people are using AI to generate fantastical profile pics, a Montreal artist named Isabella Di Sclafani is painting portraits that touch a place in your heart and mind like no computer could. Her style is deceptively simple - meaning it has a complexity and charm that cannot be reproduced nor mimicked. Here’s her self-portrait:
I stumbled across an Instagram post of hers and was knocked out by the gorgeously askew style. Follow her on Instagram and, if you have the cash, buy a painting. I’m wondering how much it would cost to have her paint me. I’m putting that on my wish list.
Giant Coffin or Ancient Battery?
There exist 24 GIANT coffin-like granite boxes in the tunnels of a place in Egypt called the Serapeum of Saqqara. These things are MASSIVE! How did they get there? How can giant granite stones weighing tons be transported and specifically placed without ample space or modern hydraulic lifts? What’s more, is that these things are carved with a precision that is difficult for modern-day tools.
Here’s where it gets even weirder: some folks believe these were not coffins but giant batteries. That may sound crazy at first blush, but remember, these things were carved out of granite and moved into a small space in total darkness. Who’s to say a civilization like this didn’t have electricity?
The Terror of Mexican Gnomes
In proper order, we turn our attention back to to small, humanoids. Let me start by quoting Wikipedia:
“In the Hispanic folklore of Mexico and the American Southwest, duendes are known as gnome-like creatures who live inside the walls of homes, especially in the bedroom walls of young children. They attempt to clip the toenails of unkempt children, often leading to the mistaken removal of entire toes.”
Laugh if you want, but the kids in YouTube videos about these creatures are screaming. Have you ever encountered such a beastly creature?
A Meme Come To Life?
I saw the meme below a couple of weeks ago and got a good chuckle out of it. Little did I know it may have come to life!
Yesterday, while driving in San Antonio (where I live), I saw what may possibly be the manifestation of the meme: a restaurant called “Side Chicks.”
That said, there’s no indication of such on their website and the restaurant may have existed long before the meme - no connection. Still, the fact that I saw the meme and then the restaurant strikes me as odd.
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Until next time, stay oddly beautiful!
Jason
