Pantagathus Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 First in a series of interesting anecdotes from the "Father of History" (& cultural anthropology!)... "They (the Scythians) have hemp growing in their country, very like flax, except that the hemp is much thicker and taller. This grows both of itself and also by their cultivation, and the Thracians even make garments of it which are very like linen; no one, unless he were an expert in hemp, could determine whether they were hempen or linen; whoever has never seen hemp before will think the garment linen. The Scythians then take the seed of this hemp and, crawling in under the mats, throw it on the red-hot stones, where it smoulders and sends forth such fumes that no Greek vapor-bath could surpass it. The Scythians howl in their joy at the vapor-bath! This serves them instead of bathing, for they never wash their bodies with water. But their women pound cypress and cedar and frankincense wood on a rough stone, adding water also, and with the thick stuff thus pounded they anoint their bodies and faces, as a result of which not only does a fragrant scent come from them, but when on the second day they take off the ointment, their skin becomes clear and shining." - Book 4, Chapters 74 & 75 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docoflove1974 Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 The Scythians then take the seed of this hemp and, crawling in under the mats, throw it on the red-hot stones, where it smoulders and sends forth such fumes that no Greek vapor-bath could surpass it. The Scythians howl in their joy at the vapor-bath! Dude, they're stoned!!! Pass the dutchie on the left-hand side... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pertinax Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 Stoned they may be but they surely have clean sinuses and pores! Thats a much more appealing mix than woad and urine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docoflove1974 Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 Stoned they may be but they surely have clean sinuses and pores! Thats a much more appealing mix than woad and urine. Very true...there could be much worse alternatives! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Dalby Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 The Scythians then take the seed of this hemp and, crawling in under the mats, throw it on the red-hot stones, where it smoulders and sends forth such fumes that no Greek vapor-bath could surpass it. The Scythians howl in their joy at the vapor-bath! Dude, they're stoned!!! Pass the dutchie on the left-hand side... This sounds a bit like the 'Libertine Sauna' which Mrs Dalby pointed out to me on the outskirts of Poitiers. Maybe they are all steamy Scythians inside there. We'll check it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pertinax Posted March 8, 2006 Report Share Posted March 8, 2006 Libertine Sauna-its a type of political salon then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pantagathus Posted March 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2006 Dude, they're stoned!!!Pass the dutchie on the left-hand side... Yes, I think they would get along well at the Bonnaroo music festival... :pimp: And modern hippies think they were the first to come up with hemp clothing! Maybe they are all steamy Scythians inside there. We'll check it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Favonius Cornelius Posted March 9, 2006 Report Share Posted March 9, 2006 First in a series of interesting anecdotes from the "Father of History" (& cultural anthropology!)... " The Scythians then take the seed of this hemp and, crawling in under the mats, throw it on the red-hot stones, where it smoulders and sends forth such fumes that no Greek vapor-bath could surpass it. The Scythians howl in their joy at the vapor-bath! This serves them instead of bathing, for they never wash their bodies with water. i] - Book 4, Chapters 74 & 75 Haha, and these kids these days act like they invented hotboxing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spurius Posted March 10, 2006 Report Share Posted March 10, 2006 But you gotta watch out for those handkerchiefs...or ending up one :angel: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pantagathus Posted March 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2006 But you gotta watch out for those handkerchiefs...or ending up one :angel: Not yet Spurius! That was going to be a later one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rameses the Great Posted April 2, 2006 Report Share Posted April 2, 2006 Yeah Scythians and hot baths, Russians gotta love em' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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