Skiapode / Sciapode

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The term Skiapode (also spelled Sciapode, Skiapod or Sciapod) derives from the Greek compound skia-podes (σκιάποδες), literally meaning "shadow-foot". Throughout history Skiapodes have appeared and again disappeared in numerous cultures and folklore traditions. They are commonly described or depicted as figures with a single obnoxious large foot, who are in the habit, as Pliny the Elder remarks, "of lying on their backs, during the time of extreme heat, and who protect themselves from the sun by the shade of their feet". ^[1][2]

Over the last century, much attention has been given to the topic within psychoanalysis and cognitive sciences. The philosopher and cognitive scientist, Daniel Dennet, for example has argued that Skiapodes must be the subject of a dreamlike "failed myth". ^[3] In his acclaimed lecture Dangerous Memesopen_in_new, Dennett refers to Skiapodes in relation to the Cartesian theater and points out that "most Skiapodes hold their leg as a strange uncanny object, a thing that seems not entirely part of their body and therefore their mind." ^[4]

13th-century woodcut of a "male Skiapode". Munich, Bavarian State Library, Clm 1597, (Schr. 1b)

In one of his published cases, neuroscienist Oliver Sacks recounts the story of a patient who was so convinced one of his legs no longer belonged to him, he asked Sacks, full of disbelief and in panic: "How could this leg that is growing and getting taller by the minute possibly be mine?!" ^[5] In her correspondence with Hans Ulrich Obrist, Austrian artist Maria Lassnig (1919-2014) explains how this particular story gave rise to her famous series "Körperbewusstsein Bilder". Her 1998 painting Selbst mit einem Fremdbein shows a Skiapode-like figure who feels totally estranged from her own leg ("von seinem eigenen Bein entfremdet"). ^[6]

Skiapode Sciapode Maria Lassnig ‘Selbst mit einem Fremdbein’, from the series ‘Körperbewusstsein Bilder', 1998. Private collection. Courtesy Hauser & Wirth

Maria Lassnig "Selbst mit einem Fremdbein", from the series "Körperbewusstsein Bilder", 1998. ^{[note a]}
Private collection

Broadside illustration of a Skiapode with Italian translation of Pliny the Elder's description, dated around 1585

Skiapodes are attested in various ancient literary traditions, with the earliest references dating back to Indian Vedic literature. In Indian literature, they are commonly referred to by the Bahuvrihi compound eka-pāda (Skt. for "having a single foot" ^{[note b]}, the same denomination by which they also occur in the Mahābhārata epos and the Bhāgavata Purāṇa).^[7][8]

In Greek and Roman literature Skiapodes are first mentioned in Aristophanes' play The Birds (first performed in 414 BC). ^[9] The Greek historian Ctesias elaborates at length on the birthplace and habits of Skiapodes in the book Indika (India) in Pliny the Elder's Natural History ^[1]. Philostratus also mentions Skiapodes in his Life of Apollonius of Tyana, cited by Eusebius in his Treatise Against Hierocles. He established the idea that:

The race of Sciapodes are said to live in Ethiopia; they have only one leg, and are wonderfully speedy. The Greeks call them σκιαπόδες ("shade-footed ones") because when it is hot they lie on their backs on the ground and are shaded by the great size of their foot." ^[10]

Late Medieval uncolored woodcut showing the anatomy of a Skiapode. Collection Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg

Medieval Europe

European manuscripts and maps from late antiquity to the Middle Ages are laced with illustrations and mentions of Skiapodes. Well known is the illustration in the Bible of Manerius (MS. 10 f. 127v) from the late 12th century ^[11], as well as the illustrations on Hereford Mappa Mundi, drawn around 1300, and the world map drawn by Beatus of Liébana (c. 730 – c. 800) ^[12], where they appear in the margins of the "civilized core". ^[13]

Woodcarving of Skiapode or Einfœtingr dated around 1790, from the Old Aker Church (Gamle Aker kirke) in Oslo, Norway.

Scandinavia

The Icelandic explorer Thorfinn Karlsefni, who is said to have lived around the turn of the second millennium, is also famous for having allegedly encountered a group of Skiapodes, or "One-Legged men" (Old Norse: Einfœtingr), in North America in the early 11th century, according to Eiríks saga rauða (Saga of Erik the Red). ^[14]^[15] The presence of these unipedes maritimi in Greenland was also remarked on by Claudius Clavus who is generally considered the first Nordic cartographer to put Greenland and Iceland on the map around 1427.^[16]It was also noted by C. C. Rafn that the Icelandic tale of Rímbegla (end of 12th century, published 1780) mentions a population of Skiapodes (einfœtingjar) dwelling in Bláland in Aethiopia. ^[17]

Supernaturalismus image of a Skiapode in early communist Russia by the Ukrainian artist Kazimir Malevich

Russia

Partly inspired by the role for the Majordomo in the 3d Act of Puccini's opera Turandot, the Ukrainian artist Kazimir Malevich is said to have interpreted Anatoly Petrisky's costume design of a Skiapode. In her book Hidden Figures: Criticizing Early Communist Russia From Within, Alexandrowna Gmurzynska argues:

"Against the backdrop of Stalin's recent consolidation of power in 1924, Anatoly Petrisky adopted the idea of the Majordomo as a Skiapode using his one-legged foot to hinder the new doctrine from the Communist Reds, a metaphor that must have inspired close friend and critic Malevich to draw this ironic 'Supernaturalismus' image of a farmer in early communist Russia." ^[18]

The costume design by Anatoly Petritsky for "Turandot" by Giacomo Puccini, 1925, said to have inspired Malevich's drawing of a Skiapode.

In Japanese Zentai culture, Skiapodes have become hugely popular since the release of the 2017 manga trilogy Ipponashi, whose main protagonist, Daisuke, transforms into a Skiapode in the second book, Amaterasu-Ōmikami. ^[29] According to Michael Dylan Foster, Daisuke's popularity as a "Skiapode who uses his giant leg to protect him from the Sun goddess" must be understood as a reevaluation of the historic one-legged yōkai figure Kasa-Obake, "that old umbrellas are believed to turn into". ^[30]

The main character Daisuke in Amaterasu-Ōmikami, second part of Ipponashi, protecting himself from the sun

A middle-sized painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat of a Skiapode titled "Untitled" from 1986 was sold to Yusaku Maezawa in 2012 by Christie's for 26.4 million USD. ^[31]

Yusaku Maezawa posing in front of his newly purchased Basquiat at Christie's in 2012. Photo: Pascal Le Segretain, Getty Images

Although no other historical images or mentions exist of Skiapodes in Argentina, they do occur in the The Book of Sand by Jorge Luis Borges. ^[32] In 2018, the Argentinian organized crime group Los Bastardos Sola Pierna made headlines when some of its most notorious members were seen with different tattoos of Skiapodes, worn as an emblem of earned membership. ^[33]

A common gang member tattoo amongst the Argentinian organized crime group Los Bastardos Sola Pierna

In 1957 Samuel Beckett created ‘Act with One Single Word', six years after his earlier work Act without Words. In this short play, a female actor is given the task of telling the story of her life within a strict time limit of five minutes, using only the word "Skiapod" throughout her monologue. The play was performed only once, in April 1962 at the Royal Court Theatre in London, by Sarah Whitelaw, older sister of Billie Whitelaw, and was recorded by the BBC. Similar to Beckett's 1972 play Not I, the performance of Act with One Single Word takes place in a completely dark space with a single spotlight illuminating the actress's mouth, which is positioned about eight feet above the stage. The rest of the stage is blacked out, with only the shadowy figure of an Auditor, who makes four increasingly ineffective movements of “helpless compassion” during brief pauses in the monologue, suggesting an inner voice that is unheard by the audience. The play is notable for its brevity, lasting only five minutes. The Auditor, who is only dimly visible in the darkness, is a recurring figure in Beckett's plays, representing a kind of mute witness or observer. Despite its short duration and unconventional style, Act with One Single Word is considered a significant work in Beckett's oeuvre and has been the subject of numerous critical analyses and interpretations.’ ^[34]

Excerpt from ‘Act with One Single Word’,
‘Samuel Beckett’, ‘1973’

Skiapode / Sciapode

History and Origin

Psychoanalysis & Neurology

Cultural Cannibalism: Manifesto Antropófago

Arts & Popular Culture

Image gallery

Notes

References

External links