BOC#022 Box of Chocolates

The Habsburg Jaw, John Cabot, Egypt, and Simony.

Jun 02, 2025

4 MINUTE MUNCH

THE SOUTH OF EGYPT…

…is referred to as Upper Egypt while the north is referred to as Lower Egypt. This naming convention finds its origins in the geography of the river Nile which flows from south to north before spilling out into the Mediterranean. The Blue and White Nile tributaries merge into the river Nile proper at Khartoum in Sudan having left their respective sources in the East African highlands of Ethiopia and Uganda. When on the Nile, then, travelling ‘upstream’ means you’re going south, while travelling ‘downstream’ means you’re going north. (It might come in handy one day!)

In ancient Egyptian History, both Upper and Lower Egypt have functioned as distinct kingdoms with each kingdom represented by the sedge and the bee (the emblems representing Upper and Lower Egypt respectively). Pharaohs also held the title ‘He of the sedge and the bee,’ styling themselves as the ‘uniters of both kingdoms.’ These pharaohs wore the famous red and white double crown, known as a pschent, which combined the white crown of Upper Egypt with the red crown of Lower Egypt, reflecting the unification of the two kingdoms under one ruler. The Upper Egyptian king Menes is famed for being the first to unify the two kingdoms following his conquering of Lower Egypt and the establishment of the city of Memphis.

WHO WAS JOHN CABOT?

While Christopher Columbus is often associated with the discovery of the Americas, he never actually set foot on the North American mainland. Rather, he ‘discovered’ and explored the Caribbean islands of Hispaniola (later to become Haiti and the Dominican Republic), the Bahamas (which he called San Salvador), and Cuba. John Cabot, however, sponsored by English king Henry VII, arrived at Newfoundland (present day Canada) in 1497, making him the first contemporary of Columbus to actually set foot on the mainland, but as we know from BOC#004, the real first European to discover Newfoundland was in fact a lesser celebrated Viking some 500 years earlier. (Read here).

PASSAGE FROM THE FUTURE OF GEOGRAPHY BY TIM MARSHALL*

“Neil deGrasse Tyson says about our current ability to see what’s out there: ‘Claiming there is no other life in the universe is like scooping up some water, looking at the cup, and claiming there are no whales in the ocean.’”

Do you think there’s life out there?

ON THIS DAY: 2ND JUNE…

1953:

Queen Elizabeth II was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon) at Westminster Abbey.

1875:

On this day, Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Watson performed the first sound transmission using a wired device that went on to become the first telephone which Bell would patent in 1876. While the 1875 achievement saw the simple transmission of a musical note, on march 10th 1876, just three days after the patent was approved, the first successful call was made in which Bell is recorded to have said; “Mr Watson, come here, I want to see you.”

Today is also National Rotisserie Chicken Day. Treat yourself!

SIMONY IS A CRIME IN CANON LAW…

…and is committed when ecclesiastical favours such as forgiveness and/or church positions are bought and/or sold. The word finds its origins in the New Testament (Acts 8:9-24) in which Simon Magus observes the apostles Peter and John blessing people with the Holy Spirit by placing their hands on them. Simon is quoted as saying, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” to which Peter replies; “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!” Thus the transactional exchange of blessings and spiritual favours for money became the ecclesiastical crime of Simony in the Catholic church.

WHAT IS A HABSBURG JAW?

A Habsburg jaw is an elongated, prominent jaw which was characteristic of members of the Habsburg family whose dynastic empire spanned much of Europe for over 600 years. The jaw deformity, known as prognathism, is thought be have been caused by the family’s continued inbreeding practices. The practice of inbreeding not only deformed the jaw of Charles II of Spain, but caused him a mental disability, a large tongue that impaired his speech, infertility, delayed walking, and death at the young age of 38.

The Habsburg Dynasty, at one time or another, encompassed Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bosnia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, as well as parts of Italy, Poland, Romania, Moldova, Serbia, and Ukraine. Learn more about the Habsburgs*.