Astomi

The Astomi (or Astomoi, from Ancient Greek α - στόμα " mouth -less" ) are one of the so-called miracles peoples of antiquity and the Middle Ages. The Astomi are, as their name suggests, people with no mouth. You are probably passes through the Indian mythology in the literature of the Western world.

Description

Pliny the Elder describes 77 AD in his work Naturalis historia ( " Natural History" ) the Astomi. He mentions it in Book VII, which deals with anthropology.

The settlement area of Astomi lies at the source of the River Ganges in India. Their bodies are covered with hair. You cover it with the leaves of the trees.

The Astomi do not need food. Also do not drink. The Astomi feed exclusively by the smell of flowers, roots and fruits, they breathe through their noses.

If they go on long trips, they take according to Pliny with wild apples, with their smell they are content.

Pliny mentions Megasthenes, who wrote in his Indika, that they can easily kill with a strong odor. In Megasthenes (quoted by Strabo ) are the Astomi tame ( ἡμεροι ). They live with the smell of smoked meat and the fragrance of fruits and flowers.

The Astomi are also mentioned in Solinus Aulus Gellius and.

When Jehan de Mandeville the Astomi live on the small island Pitan. They are small of stature " but not less than the pygmies ". If you travel far, they live with the smell of apples. You carry with you, because they die otherwise.

Pliny site

Megasthenes gentem inter Nomadas Indos narium loco foramina tantum habentem, anguium modo loripedem, vocari Sciratas. ad extremos fines Indiae from oriente about Fontem Gangis Astomorum gentem sine ore, corpore toto hirtam vestiri frondium lanugine, halitu tantum viventem et odore, quem naribus Trahant. nullum illis cibum nullumque potuM, radicum tantum florumque varios odores et silvestrium malorum, quae secum portant longiore itinere, ne Desit olfactus; graviore paulo odore difficulter exanimari skin.