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Friday, 4 October 2019

Silent But Deadly

As discussed in an earlier posting, Homa Bay county regional assembly in Kenyan, which is a local forum for issues such as the location of stalls at the market, or traffic issues etc, had a heated discussion about farting.

No Farts In Homa Assembly
No Farts In Homa Assembly

..... this was only resolved by taking a break in proceedings, during which the smell had subsided, allowing members to re-enter the debating chamber.

Now this got me thinking a little about the views on passing wind .....

As a species we fart, that's a fact, but our reactions to it vary from culture to culture, and time to time and in fact according to Seutonius, the Roman Emperor Claudius once made an edict declaring it acceptable to fart at the dinner table. 

Excuse Me ... But Someone Has Soiled The Air ....
Someone Has Soiled The Air ....

Other historical treatment of farting have had bigger consequences:

According to the Greek historian Herodotus, it was a fart that set off a chain of events that led to a revolt against King Apries of Egypt. Herodotus tells us in The Histories, that a very public fart led to the overthrow of a dynasty. When Apries, an Egyptian pharaoh (589-570 BC) discovered that Amasis, one of his generals, was threatening to revolt, he sent an ambassador to bring him to heel.

"The King sent Patarbemis, one of the most faithful of those who yet adhered to him, with directions to bring Amasis alive to his presence. Arriving where he was, he called to Amasis. Amasis was on horseback, and lifting up his leg, he broke wind, and bade him carry that to his master."

This so enraged the Pharaoh that he had his own ambassador’s nose and ears hacked off, an act of barbarity that persuaded the remaining population to throw in their lot with general Amasis. Apries was deposed and Amasis ruled as Ahmose II until his death in 526BC. 

In Jerusalem in the first-century the historian Josephus reported that an irreverent Roman soldier lowered his pants, bent over, and “spoke such words as you might expect upon such a posture.” The incident took place shortly before the Passover, and caused a riot that led to the deaths of 10,000 people.

But on a lighter note, researchers say the world's oldest joke is a one-liner about flatulence. Its a Sumerian proverb from what is now southern Iraq.

"Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not fart in her husband's lap." 

... farting has always made an amusing tale.

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