A very loud helicopter that, we presume, was looking for weapons of mass destruction on the streets of Parks Slope spent the wee hours of last night circling above our apartment. Thus we are bleary-eyed and unbushy-tailed, and we offer with no further attempt at explanation or apology this week's question.
He walked the streets in white robes and sometimes affected a golden crown. He promised serenity to his followers. His strict program for living included both equality for men and women and communal ownership. It also meant no bean-eating, disguising meanings when one spoke, or killing white roosters. After a while he attracted followers, who said that he could predict the future, heal miraculously, and travel in spirit to distant locations.
Eventually, the local authorities kicked him out of town.
He became world-famous for something else entirely.
Who was he?
The first correct answer posted to comments wins a selection of post-it notes emblazoned with the expensively-comissioned logo and brand-name of a now-defunct dot-com business entity. No Googling or getting your extensive Friendster network to help you out. One guess per comment, but comment as often as you like.
Too easy -- Pythagoras. Early vegetarians were known as Pythagoreans. Everyone thought they were squares, though.
Later, he invented pythons.
If you want to read a really great book about a robed religious figure getting run out of town, I'd recommend The War of the End of the World by Mario Vargas Llosa, though this guy's robes are black and his feelings about beans are unclear. A really really great book, though.
Your vegetarian and dead squirrel scholar,
Scott
Posted by: Scott on August 22, 2003 10:38 AMThat's it. You're banned for life.
Posted by: BT on August 22, 2003 10:45 AMINTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT!
DEPLOYING COUNTERMEASURES...RELEASING PICTURE AND E-MAIL ADDRESS TO DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY...ACTIVATING AQUEOUS RAGGA-DAGGA SPAM CASCADE
Posted by: SECURITY ROBOT COMMAND on August 22, 2003 10:58 AMWell, not Nostradamus, 'cause he's only famous for predicting the future.
Not David Kouresh, 'cause he wasn't very egalitarian.
Howsabout, before he got to Pasadena, Bob Hope?
Emperor Norton, who later became famous for inventing the anthology.
Posted by: Soren deSelby on August 22, 2003 11:42 AMOK, I'm sorry about that. Just having a little trouble calibrating these quiz questions of late.
Of course, Scott's right -- golden-thighed Pythagoras, inventor of the python, the Pyrex baking dish, and bassist for Pylon -- was the name we were seeking. I should be congratulating his always-laudable erudition, rather than indulging in my taste for robot-and-Patriot-Act-powered revenge. Scott, I'm really sorry about those men who are probably rapelling down through your office windows about now. And about your credit rating.
Here's the question I rejected in favor of the too-easy-for-genius-vegetarians one: what subject did Parisian police, in the interest of keeping civil order, forbid minstrels to sing about in 1395?
Posted by: BT on August 22, 2003 11:57 AMFigured he'd nailed it. Just figured. Figured it was as clear as that isoceles in Figure A.
Those minstrels were forbidden from singing the contemporary rewrite of the ballad of Pyramus and Thisbe, entitled "Pasta and the Plague." Either that or it was about wine.
That's like three or four guesses, so I guess I should turn off the lights now and run toward the river.
Beans?
Posted by: Soren deSelby on August 22, 2003 12:18 PMNo singing songs of sixpence?
(Glad you got rid of that Scott, he was a bad bean.)
Posted by: Guy U. Duntneau on August 22, 2003 12:24 PMA clue before I go off to meet up with visiting in-laws -- it involved an event which had happened some years before, and which it was rather natural to take sides about.
Posted by: BT on August 22, 2003 02:10 PMHow's about the Battle of Aigincourt?
Posted by: bootsy on August 22, 2003 02:24 PMThe great schism?
Posted by: El Mal Frijol on August 22, 2003 02:31 PMThey were not allowed to sing about the pernicious influence of 'Franglais,' as embodied in phrases such as 'le bubonic plague' and 'la hairy-handed peasant.'
Posted by: Gavin in London en route to Bahrain on August 23, 2003 03:38 PMScott "Beany Baby" Williams is two for two. After the death of Pope Gregory XI, an Italian pontiff, Urban VI was elected, but then a bunch of the cardinals went to Fondi and elected a rival Pope, Clement VII. Just to make matters more confusing, efforts to resolve the disputes wound up in the election of a third Popeful Hopeful, Alexander V.
One would have thought the difficulty of finding scurrilous rhymes to go with "Urban," "Clement," and "Alexander" would have been enough to discourage your average street singer. But I guess the gendarmerie figured better safe than sorry.