Are People of Olden Times worse than Today’s Humans?
I think people of ancient times were rude and mostly unapologetic for what they did. It seemed like they didn’t have the sense of morale that we have today. While there are many reasons why I feel so, here’s a story from the top of my head — the life of Eugenia Martínez Vallejo.
Eugenia was born in 1674 in the small village of Merindad de Montija, Burgos, Spain, in a poor family. Her parents were thrilled that she was born in a church after her mother went into labor during mass. They saw her as a blessing.
Then, she showed signs of having a good appetite, and her initial weight gain was viewed as a positive sign since slightly heavier frames were considered desirable for women during that time.
However, her parents realized something was wrong with her when, at just one year old, she weighed 25 kg (55 lbs). But back then, they didn’t know her condition, and by the age of six, she already weighed 70 kg (155 lbs) — the average weight of a man.
Soon the word of her unusual condition reached Madrid, and in 1680, she was summoned to the court of Spanish regent Charles II. The king was so intrigued by her appearance that he had his court painter, Juan Carreño de Miranda, create two portraits of her: one dressed in formal attire and the other nude.
Just think! A six-year-old was forced to remove her clothes so that she could be painted and the picture exhibited to the world. It is clearly visible in the picture that she was weeping because her eyes were teary. (I’m not attaching the picture here. Below is the painting of her in formal attire.)
After this, Eugenia was sent home but was summoned as a “jester” when the king wanted to be entertained. In her presence, the king’s court would make rude comments about her weight, laugh and humiliate her, and send her back home. This went on till she died at 25 due to her condition.
During this time, it was not uncommon for people with physical deformities to be held in court for entertainment purposes. However, there are no records of Eugenia being financially accommodated, suggesting that she was only brought in for specific events and died in poverty.
Would you have kept mum if this happened today?
