The Well-Man
Oct. 26th, 2024 12:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithA medieval saga told of a man thrown in a well. Scientists found him.
A team of researchers found the remains of the "Well-man" from an 800-year-old Norse saga and used ancient DNA analysis to reconstruct who he was.
[---8<---]
To be clear, the dead guy in the well was not a major figure in the annals of medieval Norwegian history. He gets a single line: "They cast a dead man into a well, and then filled it up with stones."
A historic form of germ warfare, in case you're curious, dropping a dead body (usually animal) into a water supply to contaminate it. Closely related to lobbing bodies of plague victims over the castle walls. In both cases, it makes the territory essentially unlivable.
A team of researchers found the remains of the "Well-man" from an 800-year-old Norse saga and used ancient DNA analysis to reconstruct who he was.
[---8<---]
To be clear, the dead guy in the well was not a major figure in the annals of medieval Norwegian history. He gets a single line: "They cast a dead man into a well, and then filled it up with stones."
A historic form of germ warfare, in case you're curious, dropping a dead body (usually animal) into a water supply to contaminate it. Closely related to lobbing bodies of plague victims over the castle walls. In both cases, it makes the territory essentially unlivable.
(no subject)
Date: 2024-10-26 09:04 am (UTC)It was the result of an anti semitic pogrom.
People were, it seems, stupid enough to destroy their own water supply in the name of hatred so we maybe shouldn't be so surprised at some of what goes on today!
Thoughts
Date: 2024-10-26 09:33 am (UTC)I expect they came to regret their poor life choices.
>> so we maybe shouldn't be so surprised at some of what goes on today! <<
I find it disturbing, but not surprising. That mess in Israel has been building throughout the 1900s.
(no subject)
Date: 2024-10-26 09:43 pm (UTC)Yes ...
Date: 2024-10-26 10:13 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2024-10-29 04:54 am (UTC)Yes ...
Date: 2024-10-29 06:03 am (UTC)* a simple mistake, not realizing which side a dead man was on
* a person who moved from the area of his genetics to the area under attack, perhaps as a small child
* a spy
And I'll add one I didn't see in the article, which absolutely does cause people to harm their own side: a deserter. "You're damn well going to be SOME use today, coward!"
Re: Yes ...
Date: 2024-10-29 05:01 pm (UTC)I do still wonder what the year 1200's version of 'that jerk who steals everybody's lunches' would be.