The Monstrous Race - Blemmyae by @aleilam (Aleister Lam)

Before Christopher Columbus ventured out to the brave New World to discover the untamed lands, there was already an influx of sensationalised stories about fabulous beasts and monstrous race that play a role on the European consciousness of the unknown. Therefore, Columbus was already prepared for expectations and images of the unknown that he might probably encounter in these New World.

Armed with references from previous travellers like Isidore of Seville and Pierre d Ailly's Imago Mundi, which is a sort of fabulous list of the monstrous race, Columbus set out to affirmed the existence of these grotesque images that so fascinates him. His travel document recounts a strange monstrosity whose eyes, nose and mouth are located below the shoulders. These monstrous creatures were collectively known as Blemmyae. The Blemmye was presumed to be frightening because his facial feature is found on his chest and is a scary sight when a Blemmye is encountered at night; for it is easily mistaken for a headless figure or ghost.

Long before Washington Irving introduced his story of a headless Hessian Trooper that was unable to rest in his grave in the 'Legend of Sleepy Hollow', records and even depiction of a headless race has already existed. Even during the reign of the Pharaohs, it is said that their god Seth is also identified with a sort of headless demon whose eyes are placed in the shoulders, the Akephalos. They are a more cultured race as compared to the Sciapodae or Cynocephali as they have been known to cultivate crops and plant fruit trees. Though they will take up arms and go to war if there were any aggressors imposing on them; but generally they are good farmers and hunters. Medieval maps like the Hereford Mappamundi also depict and even identify the location of these Monstrous race that dwells along the extreme edges of the world.

Strangely, the Blemmyae seems to have survived through to modern times but its just that it had probably evolved or mutated into a more alien-like headless entity with a hairy body and a pair of winged appendages that was widely publicised in the media when it was seen in West of Virginia. This headless winged humanoid came to be known as the Mothman. It is also spell as Blemye(singular) or Blemyae. In this picture, rather than giving the Blemye a normal set of human feet, I've decided to use a more personal approach by giving it a hooved feet.

Artwork © Copyright 2002 Aleister Lam