“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy. Your philosophy,” a character in the play Hamlet said. Centuries have elapsed but the phrase still holds true.
There are many instances and personalities in the world that don’t fit into accepted beliefs and phenomena. Let us try and find our way through the labyrinths of this mysterious world:
Who was Monalisa?
Apart from the Monalisa’s enigmatic smile, surreal beauty, and other worldly surroundings, the painting is also popular because of the contented identity of the portrait.
- The artist’s earliest biography identifies the portrait as LisaGherardini, the wife of an affluent silk merchant of the Florentine family, Francesco del Giocondo.
- The painting was made in order to celebrate either of the 2 occasions: the birth of their son, Andrea, in 1502, or buying a new house in 1503.
- Pascal Cotte, a scientist claimed that Monalisa was over painted on another portrait.
- Using reflective light technology he was able to reconstruct the image revealing a different portrait. It lacks the enigmatic smile and mysterious gaze.
Tower of Pisa
Contrary to the common belief, the tower of Pisa is not the only, or even the most, leaning tower of the world. Here are several leaning towers in the world:
- The 6 centuries old Bell Tower of the protestant church in Suuhusen, Germany holds the distinction of the most tilted tower in the world, confirmed by the Guinness Book of Records. Built with granite stone, this 25-meter tower stands at the foot of the picturesque Kyfhauser mountains.
- Initially straight, the Qutub Minar of India started leaning when 2 more stories were constructed after an earthquake,and,today,it leans 25 inches south-west.
- The Capital Gate of Abu Dhabi is 160m building with 35 stories tilts 18″towards the west.
James Joyce’ Eyes
The classical works of James Joyce are apple to every reader’s eyes, but ironically the author himself was not favored by his own eyes.
- He was born with myopia that worsened with age.
- James Joyce braved through formidable conditions like iritis, cataracts and glaucoma and 25 eye operations causing him complete blindness for brief periods.
- In fact, he used large,bright crayons to write so that he could actually be able to see what he had jotted down.
Mysterious dance of 1518
In July of 1518, in Strasbourg, France, a woman came to the streets and started dancing with slow movements without any apparent reason. That was a bit surprising but what followed was outright bizarre:
- Other people toos tarted joining her and within a week she had around 35 other people dancing continuously alongside with her.
- With time, the slow dance gained momentum and ultimately acquired a formidable form when people danced hysterically and exhausted themselves till they fell down.
- This dangerous dance drained out life out of around 400 people.
- The physicians attributed it to a natural condition called Hot Blood.
- Even the authorities supported the frenzy by erecting stages and inviting musicians.
- The frenzy dance continued until September and ended with dancers being taken away to a shrine on a mountain to pray for absolution.