CLASSIC: The Earliest Recorded Mooning Killed Thousands

Summary

Ridiculous History - CLASSIC: The Earliest Recorded Mooning Killed Thousands

In this classic episode of Ridiculous History, hosts Ben Bolin and Noel Brown embark on an entertaining yet insightful exploration of one of history's most irreverent gestures: mooning. Titled "The Earliest Recorded Mooning Killed Thousands," the episode delves into the origins of mooning, its cultural implications, and the dramatic consequences it wrought in ancient times.

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Introduction to Mooning

The episode kicks off with the hosts exchanging witty remarks about mooning, setting a lighthearted tone. Ben quips, "Oh, fellow ridiculous historians, keep your pants on. We have a great classic episode for you," [00:00] immediately engaging listeners with humor.

Understanding Mooning

Noel introduces the concept of "pheasant under glass," humorously explaining it as the act of pressing bare buttocks against a window [00:06]. This playful banter serves as a segue into a more serious discussion about the historical practice of mooning as an insult.

Personal Anecdote: Mooning in High School

Ben shares a personal story from his high school years, recounting an incident where he and his friends mooned a bully named Cestius Gallus [04:25]. "I did moon someone once as an insult in high school... It was my junior year," Ben narrates, highlighting how such an act, though seemingly trivial, can escalate tensions and lead to unexpected consequences like a minor car chase.

Historical Context: Jews Under Roman Rule

Transitioning to ancient history, Noel and Ben set the stage by discussing the socio-political climate of Jewish communities under Roman occupation during the Pax Romana. "Imagine, if you can, living in a city wherein you and your entire community are under the thumb of foreign forces," Ben explains [09:22]. This backdrop is crucial for understanding the gravity of the mooning incident they are about to explore.

The Incident Recorded by Josephus

At the heart of the episode is the account from the first-century historian Josephus. According to Josephus in his book The Jewish War, a Roman soldier engaged in an act of mooning during Passover in Jerusalem—a time already rife with religious fervor and tension [08:36]. "One of the soldiers raising his robe and stooping in an indecent attitude... turned his backside to the Jews," Ben recounts.

Consequences of the Mooning Event

This provocative gesture did not go unnoticed. The act of mooning, perceived as a significant insult, ignited a massive riot. Josephus alleges that the ensuing violence resulted in the deaths of approximately 30,000 people [24:12]. Noel emphasizes the severity by stating, "We don't have to go to the rest of the story too, but that's for another episode."

Other Historical Instances of Mooning

Beyond Josephus's account, the hosts explore other historical instances where mooning played a role. They reference the Fourth Crusade in 1203, where Byzantine forces mooned retreating Western Europeans as an act of derision [28:26]. "As they were sailing away, the Byzantine forces... showed their bare buttocks in derision to the fleeing foe," Noel narrates, illustrating the enduring nature of this gesture as a form of insult.

Literary References to Mooning

The discussion extends into the realm of literature, with a nod to Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. Specifically, the Miller's Tale features a humorous and bawdy narrative involving an unintended mooning incident [30:04]. Ben and Noel perform a playful rendition of the Old English passage, showcasing the gesture's presence in classic literature.

Modern Terminology: The Evolution of Mooning

Ben and Noel delve into the linguistic evolution of the term "mooning." While the act itself is ancient, the term "mooning" as a verb gained prominence in the 1960s, particularly within American student slang [27:50]. "It's nice to know that that linguistic tradition precedes us," Ben observes, noting the term's relatively recent formalization despite the gesture's long history.

Cultural and Social Implications

Throughout the episode, the hosts underscore the cultural and social implications of mooning. They discuss how such a simple act can serve as a powerful tool for rebellion, protest, or personal affront. "So whether you have mooned someone or been mooned before, we hope that this episode helps you be aware that you are either the victim of or the practitioner of an ancient form of derision," Ben concludes [26:26].

Conclusion

Ridiculous History masterfully combines humor with historical analysis to shed light on the seemingly trivial act of mooning and its profound impact in ancient times. By tracing its origins, exploring its cultural significance, and examining its representation in literature, Ben Bolin and Noel Brown provide listeners with a comprehensive understanding of why mooning is more than just a youthful prank—it's a gesture steeped in history and human emotion.

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Notable Quotes:

• Ben Bolin [04:25]: "I did moon someone once as an insult in high school... It was my junior year."

• Ben Bolin [09:22]: "Imagine, if you can, living in a city wherein you and your entire community are under the thumb of foreign forces."

• Noel Brown [08:36]: "One of the soldiers raising his robe and stooping in an indecent attitude... turned his backside to the Jews."

• Ben Bolin [24:12]: "According to Josephus, the riot occurs and all told when the dust settles, 30,000 people... lost their lives."

• Noel Brown [28:26]: "As they were sailing away, the Byzantine forces... showed their bare buttocks in derision to the fleeing foe."

• Ben Bolin [27:50]: "It's nice to know that that linguistic tradition precedes us."

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This episode serves as a testament to the podcast's ability to uncover and narrate the quirky, often overlooked aspects of history, making Ridiculous History a must-listen for those fascinated by the bizarre and the humorous in our past.

Transcript

[Ben Bolin]

Oh, fellow ridiculous historians, keep your pants on. We have a great classic episode for you.

[Noel Brown]

We do. Ben, are you familiar with the practice known as pheasant under glass?

[Ben Bolin]

I'm familiar with the dish. I didn't know it was a move.

[Noel Brown]

Well, it's when you take your bare butt cheeks and press them against a window.

[Ben Bolin]

Oh. Like any window or window or.

[Noel Brown]

I think it needs to. As long as it's glass, I think it's okay. It could be like a sliding door or whatever. But.

[Ben Bolin]

So like if I carry a pane of glass with me, definitely before I.

[Noel Brown]

Moon people, I would argue that would be even more akin to. To the actual pheasant underglass because it's a portable thing that you can just pull right off, revealing the bare butt. The mooning practice of mooning is a historical, I guess dis. Referring to the act of bearing one's behind to someone as an insult. Sort of a biting of the thumb, if you will.

[Ben Bolin]

Have you ever mooned anyone, Noel?

[Noel Brown]

I don't think maybe cheekily, you know, someone I'm in a relationship with, you know, a little cheeky sneak peek at the old bum maroonie. But no, never in anger. Honestly, I just don't understand the act of doing it in anger. It's so goofy and silly. Although maybe has not aged super well. The idea of exposing oneself to somebody, not great. They have laws against that stuff. So maybe definitely don't do that. There's gotta be a better way.

[Ben Bolin]

As Liam Gallagher once famously said, don't moon back in anger.

[Noel Brown]

He did say that. It's true.

[Ben Bolin]

Thousands of people could die. This is our classic episode.

[Noel Brown]

You know what Liam Gallagher also said?

[Ben Bolin]

What did he also say?

[Noel Brown]

You fancy some lasagna?

[Ben Bolin]

And with that, here is our champagne supernova of a classic EP. Ridiculous History is a production of iHeartRadio Foreign. Well, well, well. Thanks for tuning in, Ridiculous Historians. Today we have a rather cheeky episode.

[Noel Brown]

For you, Ben, you cheeky bastard.

[Ben Bolin]

Well, I want to be. I want to be bare faced about what we're getting into here today.

[Noel Brown]

Noel Herman, punster over here.

[Ben Bolin]

Right. We do want to say that we hope you enjoy the occasional dad joke and pun that happens here on Ridiculous History. But we do want to warn you, these puns have not been approved by our super producer, Casey Pegram.

[Noel Brown]

Yeah. In fact, sometimes he'll make a face. Yes, but sometimes it's a good face.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, yeah. You know, we spend a lot of time during recording saying stuff to make each other laugh and then hopefully you can see it one day. Friends and neighbors, Noel and I will make a joke trying to crack the other one up. And then we'll both turn.

[Noel Brown]

Well, you probably hear the sounds of our necks whipping around, like over to Casey.

[Ben Bolin]

Approve of us, Casey.

[Noel Brown]

For a nod, just any kind of errant glance.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, we. We hinge on it. And we do so in the spirit of decorum, conversations between gentlemen. This episode is about something that is very undecorous. And I wanted to open with a question. Don't have to answer. Don't feel obligated.

[Noel Brown]

I was hoping it was going to be a song.

[Ben Bolin]

A question in the form of a song. Give it to me. Have you ever mooned someone?

[Noel Brown]

No.

[Ben Bolin]

You haven't?

[Noel Brown]

Not that I recall.

[Ben Bolin]

I like that.

[Noel Brown]

Okay, yeah, that's incriminating. I mean, no, I don't have a distinct memory of. I mean. Yeah, okay, yeah. I mean, you know, a girlfriend. Now I'm getting too personal. That sounds weird. You know, a little cheeky flash. You know, a little flash of the cheek. But not as an insult, right? Not as. Not to degrade someone. No, sir.

[Ben Bolin]

I will tell you a true story that stays just between you, Casey, me and everyone listening to this show.

[Noel Brown]

Hey, man, we're all friends here.

[Ben Bolin]

I did moon someone once as an insult in high school. Yeah, it was my junior year. There was a villain, a bully in my high school. He was the year above me. And the kid was a sack of bricks from the neck up. Not the brightest crayon in the box.

[Noel Brown]

Oh, I thought you meant like. He was built like a brick ship house.

[Ben Bolin]

He was also a dude. And he made life miserable for my friends and I. And there was a gas station that people would go to every day after school to hang. To hang, to pick up sodas, to try to mack on each other and whatnot. And this guy was advertising one day near the end of the school year, he was advertising a house party at his place. And he drove a Jeep, he thought.

[Noel Brown]

Of course he did.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, an open air Jeep. And he thought it would be a great idea for him to strip down to his skivvies, put on a sandwich board sign advertising his house party and walk up and down the street between the school and the gas station.

[Noel Brown]

That sounds like a punishment.

[Ben Bolin]

We really didn't like this guy, me and my posse. And so while we were at the gas station, spur of the moment, terrible impulse. Don't try this at home, kids. We took his clothes out of his Jeep and then we drove by in my car and stopped and then mooned him and drove away waving his Clothes. He ran in his underwear to his jeep, reared off chasing after us. And it was also the first day I mooned someone as an insult. Was also the first day I got involved in a car chase.

[Noel Brown]

Okay. The bully didn't, you know, murder anybody. He chased you. A little high speed car chase, a little bit of fist shaking, but you know, no lives were lost in this particular mooning incident. Right.

[Ben Bolin]

Well, we don't have to go to the rest of the story too, but that's for another. But yeah, it's just, just the mooning part is. Is pertinent for today's episode because you are right. Mooning for some reason is universally acknowledged as an insult to someone. Right. It's not. It's not like a. Another form of a wave. Right. And in today's episode, you and I discovered a story about just how far back the practice known as mooning goes. And maybe this is over explaining it, but what do you think? Do you think we should tell people just in case they're hearing this? Tell people what mooning actually is?

[Noel Brown]

Yeah. I mean, if they haven't figured it out by now or didn't already know, I'm worried about them. But why don't we do it? Mooning, the act of mooning, bearing your moon, your hindquarters, your. Your backside, dropping trow, dropping trout or.

[Ben Bolin]

Lifting a kilt or a skirt, etc.

[Noel Brown]

Yeah. And lifting the kilt of the skirt like in Braveheart. Remember that?

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah.

[Noel Brown]

Apparently some historical truth to that, but it was actually flipped around the other way. It was the English mooning the Scots.

[Ben Bolin]

That's what I read because I believe in the film the. The Scottish forces show their backsides but then also show their front sides.

[Noel Brown]

That's right. Don't they do an about face or they was the double. The, the. Yeah, the moon and the sun.

[Ben Bolin]

It was very choreographed as well. Yeah. So that's interesting. I didn't know that that was the English. Huh?

[Noel Brown]

That's what. Yeah, apparently in real, real life skis. But we're going back to what some have dubbed the original moon.

[Ben Bolin]

Yes. The earliest recorded mooning. According to many sources, it goes all the way back to the first century ad.

[Noel Brown]

The very first one.

[Ben Bolin]

The very first one. And to tell the story, we're relying on an author named Josephus. Our boy Josephus man, young Phisus himself.

[Noel Brown]

I know he's got an interesting story all his own. But let's start with the initial story that Josephus has to tell us about this historical display of ars.

[Ben Bolin]

Yes. Yes. Okay. So Josephus wrote a book called the Jewish War. And in this book he tells a story of a very strange event that occurred between the Jewish people and the occupying Roman soldiers.

[Noel Brown]

So Roman forces during what's dubbed the Pax Romana, which is kind of interesting, considering that means peace of Rome. But it wasn't so peaceful. There was. There were outright rebels and there were revolts brewing in this land against these occupying forces. And there were a lot of factors at play because there were religious zealots who wanted to purify the Jewish faith.

[Ben Bolin]

Right.

[Noel Brown]

And then there were ones that were a little more amenable to their invaders, you know, and wanted to. Were kind of okay with continuing with this way of life as long as they were able to maintain some of the tenets of their Jewish faith. So what we're seeing here in Josephus story is a clash involving some of those more zealous forces.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, yeah. Because whenever there is an occupying force, there is inevitably going to be some sort of tension. And this situation was no different. Imagine, if you can, living in a city wherein you and your entire community are under the thumb, whether benevolent or whether brutal. You're under the thumb of foreign forces, an alien culture that doesn't hold the values you hold, that doesn't believe in the traditions that you have practiced since time immemorial. Obviously, there's going to be some tension. Noel, I think you did a fantastic job laying out the differences between these groups.

[Noel Brown]

And we're not going to go all the way into every nuance of this, but there is a lot of back and forth in this conflict between Rome and the people of Israel, ultimately resulting in the Romans being expelled and largely massacred. But that's almost a whole episode unto itself that is pretty heavy and full of bloodshed. We're talking about Moonings today.

[Ben Bolin]

That's right. That's right. So the situation becomes incredibly tense during the passover season because crowds and crowds of people are flocking to Jerusalem. And this is a powder keg. Any small excuse could become the feather that breaks the camel's back in terms of war. And there's an excellent recount of this in a book called the Jewish revolts against Rome, AD 66 to 135. A military analysis by James J. Bloom. So here's the situation. The Roman prefect who is in charge of these occupying forces would routinely post soldiers atop battlements so that they could have an unparalleled or superior view of the proceedings of the pilgrimages, the visitors.

[Noel Brown]

The Passover, and make sure no One was stirring any. Stirring. Any mess?

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, no. Domestic unrest. Right.

[Noel Brown]

And who was in charge at this point?

[Ben Bolin]

Do you remember Cestius Gallus?

[Noel Brown]

Yes, sir, that's the one.

[Ben Bolin]

Yes. So he. He had these soldiers looking for any sign of agitation because, at least from the prefect's perspective, no one wanted, to quote Michael Jackson, no one wanted to be starting something. But unfortunately, those plans went awry because of a single Roman soldier.

[Noel Brown]

Yeah, this unnamed soldier thought it'd be real cute if he did the thing in question here. Pulled down his. What did he have, like a skirt?

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, he.

[Noel Brown]

Like one of those battle skirts.

[Ben Bolin]

He had something covering his tukas.

[Noel Brown]

So he removed it and I'm guessing no, he was commando. Cause, you know. Yeah, he was kind of a soldier, I guess. Where's that term coming from, Ben? Going commando. Do you really think commandos didn't wear underpants? That seems to be a bad idea. Seems like you'd get swamp ass.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, it seems like especially if you're on a commando mission, you would want all the protection you can have. So I think going commando dates back to the Vietnam War. At least that's when it got popular, because people would say that these folks, these commandos, went without underwear to increase ventilation and reduce moisture.

[Noel Brown]

Oh, so they dried out the other way around.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, but it still doesn't make sense.

[Noel Brown]

No, it's fine. Anyway, we digress. This particular fellow sure seems like he had easy access to his bits. Right, because he didn't, you know. You don't see it written that he, you know, gingerly removed his breeches? No, it's. He, like, pulled up something and let it fly. And to quote the account. You want to do this, Ben? I think this. I think if you care to. This is a fun. Are you sure?

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah.

[Noel Brown]

All right, I'll do it. I'll do it. Josephus. You know, I realize why I think that's funny. I think of Bocephus, which is the nickname for, I believe, Hank Williams. Bocephus. So that's. I can never separate those two, but yeah. Josephus describes the historical mooning as such. One of the soldiers raising his robe, stooped in an indecent attitude so as to turn his backside to the Jews and made a noise in keeping with his posture. Does that mean he let fly a toot?

[Ben Bolin]

That means he either. Either he actually flatulated or. The version that I think is, for some reason much funnier is he leaned over and made the noise with his mouth. Yeah.

[Noel Brown]

Yeah. Oh, yours is better. There's different?

[Ben Bolin]

No, but I put my hands on My face. He couldn't have done that.

[Noel Brown]

He definitely couldn't because he was holding his skirts.

[Ben Bolin]

Robe.

[Noel Brown]

His robe. Skirt, whatever. Yeah. And this, this did not go over well, my friend, because these were pilgrims on a. During an. A very high holy time. Right?

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, it's a holy day. It's. It's a very serious, somber, thankful time.

[Noel Brown]

And they're already beefed up with these Roman jerks, you know, who are just hanging around with their skirts.

[Ben Bolin]

Boston people around Spears. Well, yeah, yeah. Honestly, it's tremendously offensive to deride somebody's religion at any point, but especially when they're in the middle of one of the most important celebrations they have.

[Noel Brown]

I'm trying to picture this too. Can you picture this scene? Like, how was this guy able to make himself such a display?

[Ben Bolin]

You know, because he was on that battleman, so he was on raised ground. But the other thing that's weird about this is that we know very little about his motivation other than that he was, as Josephus says, contemptuous, you know, so was it something where he had had some strong wine and had one of those hold my beer moments?

[Noel Brown]

Yes, he had drained his wineskin.

[Ben Bolin]

Yes, yes.

[Noel Brown]

You know, up on the battlements in the hot.

[Ben Bolin]

Or was he really just a sober, bad tempered person?

[Noel Brown]

Yeah. Because Ben, I mean, it's pretty clear from the history here that neither side cared much for the other.

[Ben Bolin]

Right. Well, why would you, if you were. If you were a Jerusalem native.

[Noel Brown]

Yeah.

[Ben Bolin]

Why would you be buddy buddy with these people?

[Noel Brown]

There was some weird side switching though, and our boy Josephus was one of these defectors. He initially was actually put in command of a force of rebels on the Jewish side and then hopped sides over to the Roman side. And he ended up becoming the historian that told these accounts. And he is considered by many historians to be particularly manipulative and untrustworthy. So he's kind of an unreliable narrator here. But it's all we've got. And it's, you know, a primary source because he was there. But he also may well have been a bit of a self aggrandizing liar.

[Ben Bolin]

Right? Yeah, that's the thing. So in his lifetime, he was born in 37 CE or 37 AD CE for common era AD for after the death of Jesus Christ.

[Noel Brown]

Anno Domini, Anno Dominique.

[Ben Bolin]

Yes, nail on the head, Noel. And he died around 100 CE. And so when we go to this record of this earliest recorded mooning, it's him writing about this event far after the fact. But he was definitely involved in the political and Military conflicts of the time. He was, you know, as you said, the head of Jewish forces in Galilee until He surrendered in 67 to Roman forces.

[Noel Brown]

Right.

[Ben Bolin]

And then he decided to stay on. He had been a slave, he had been an interpreter.

[Noel Brown]

Very fascinating life.

[Ben Bolin]

Yes.

[Noel Brown]

Man led.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. We have to take it with a grain of salt when we hear the stories as told primarily by Josephus. Is he writing to sort of polish his own image? Is he factually reporting and if so, to what degree he is held up.

[Noel Brown]

In the Jewish community? It seems as being at least an important chronicler of some of these battles because he was there. But even in this article I found from a beautifully named website called the Jewniverse, they describe him as a famously self aggrandizing ancient historian, but he wrote such works as the Jewish War, which is where this account is from Jewish antiquities and Against Apion.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, that's a two volume defense of Judaism as classical religion and philosophy is very well written. Prolific man.

[Noel Brown]

Yes. And speaking of that man, I actually found a translation of the incident. We'll call it that I much prefer. This is just. The wording is glorious.

[Ben Bolin]

Which one is this?

[Noel Brown]

It's just, it's in this article in the Juniverse and it's just. It's the same. It's obviously the same text as what we read a minute ago, but I just think this particular translation is way more fun. This one describes the soldier as that he pulled back his garment and cowering down after an indecent manner, turned his breech to the Jews and spake such words as you might expect upon such a posture. I love the idea that he spake.

[Ben Bolin]

Yes. Now this makes us think whether there is a difference in translation. Was he making a farting noise with his mouth? Was he saying something offensive like, you know, snarf my butt people? I don't know, Ben.

[Noel Brown]

Never did. I think those words would let fly from those luxurious lips of yours.

[Ben Bolin]

Thank you. Thank you. It's called a cupid's bow, the top one. So we don't think they said snarf. We're speculating there. But despite the fact that many people nowadays love a good bit of crass but oriented humor, there's a time and a place for it. And that was true in this instance because the crowd did not react well to this. No one was like, look at that guy's butt.

[Noel Brown]

Yeah, yeah, no, I guess I started going down that path earlier. I think we got distracted with more butt related lore. But yeah, no, this did not go well. This did not go well. And also that. That commander we were talking about, Gallus. Yeah, he was kind of considered a bit of a dunderhead or like a bit of. Kind of an overreacting dolt when it came to being a military superior. And there have been a lot of incidents leading up to this that were already causing a lot of divisive feelings between the Jews and their occupiers. I believe there was some destruction of some sacred scrolls and just in general bad behavior on the part of these occupying forces toward the religion of the natives.

[Ben Bolin]

Yes. So you can read an excellent article about this from HistoryNet, the Great Siege of Jerusalem by Ralph Peters, which details some of the context leading up to this. And we have to establish that because it's easy to look at this single incident in a vacuum and say, sure, mooning someone may be impolite, but it's not a cause for citywide pandemonium. So this was something that was happening in addition to many profoundly offensive and disrespectful things. Burning sacred scrolls, that's a huge one. But also there were recent crises that had occurred in Afghanistan at the time, and they also strong armed the temple priest into making a massive payment to Rome. So they were stealing from the people as well.

[Noel Brown]

That's right. Was that the Pharisees, There were all these different classes, and I believe that Josephus was initially part of the Pharisees, and they were a sect of priests that get sort of a bad rap because of their place in the Bible and their interactions with Jesus and the idea of the Pharisees and the money changers and all that, of being the sign of greed and hypocrisy. But they were largely responsible for preserving some of the important religious texts of this faith. So there's a lot of interesting stuff in the. In the history of the Jewish people. Really, really fascinating stuff. I mean, they were a kingdom, you know, the Kingdom of Judea and like the Maccabees and, you know, they were always able to fight off their occupiers and they were constantly being jacked with.

[Ben Bolin]

Right, yeah. Rome was one in a series.

[Noel Brown]

Yeah. I mean, initially there was the Persian conquest, then there was the Hellenistic period with Alexander the Great. And there was even this sense of a lot of the. A lot of Jews, parts of sects of the society, wanted to become Hellenized. They wanted to become more Greek and kind of abandon the old ways. There's always this struggle between religious zealots, people that want to, like, keep the faith pure and, you know, more Fair weather Jews that I think want to be more assimilated into their invading culture. Right.

[Ben Bolin]

Assimilation is, is the word. And the threat of assimilation looms large. Right. And not just in this situation, but in situations throughout history. And so it is within this rich and dangerous cultural soil that this seed of discord, this act of mooning by an unidentified Roman soldier.

[Noel Brown]

Act of mooning? Yeah.

[Ben Bolin]

Sprouts and spreads. Because not only do the people not like it, not only does no one go, ha ha ha, butt stuff. No, the people riot.

[Noel Brown]

Oh yeah. No, they, they, they ass out. Yeah, that.

[Ben Bolin]

Okay, I think that's fine. I think.

[Noel Brown]

Well, it's, it's appropriate.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah.

[Noel Brown]

But no, I mean they're, you know, this assembled crowd of thousands, I mean upwards of over 30,000. Because that is the number reported that.

[Ben Bolin]

Were killed by Josephus. Yeah, yeah. He says that the, the riot occurs and all told when the dust settles, 30,000 people, Jewish and Roman, lost their lives. And part of this, this is a little bit maybe outside of the documented facts here, but part of this we can assume would be due to gallas incredibly belligerent and bellicose nature and just utter skittishness.

[Noel Brown]

Right. Because he called in the troops big time, overcorrected, and then gave the order to, you know, fire at em boys or stick them with your spears.

[Ben Bolin]

Right, right. An over response. He sent in Roman soldiers not just to quell the riot or calm the people, but to punish and injure them. And that is what sprouted the seed. Now we don't have any information of what that unknown Roman soldier was doing as he was on the battlement watching this riot occur. Did he go down to attack some of these innocent men, women and children? Did he just stay up there thinking that he had discovered one of the world's most amazing and dangerous insults, the atom bomb of rude physical gestures.

[Noel Brown]

Atom bomb.

[Ben Bolin]

The atom bomb. There we go. So we don't know what happened to him, but we do know that this is the earliest recorded mooning. So if you have ever been mooned.

[Noel Brown]

Or if you like your bully probably broke his mind, it probably drove him.

[Ben Bolin]

Mad, then, you know. Okay, okay. Last thing I'll say about that dole, it was a car of us.

[Noel Brown]

Were you doing pheasant under glass?

[Ben Bolin]

What's that?

[Noel Brown]

Were you pressing your bare butts against the window?

[Ben Bolin]

I mean, one guy definitely was. One of the guys in the back.

[Noel Brown]

Yeah, that's pheasant under glass.

[Ben Bolin]

I had no idea. That is such a classy name for such a craft. So I guess so I Guess so. Pheasant under glass.

[Noel Brown]

Well, that's an advanced moon. That's like some next level mooning.

[Ben Bolin]

So whether you have mooned someone or been mooned before, we hope that this episode helps you be aware that you are either the victim of or the practitioner of an ancient form of derision.

[Noel Brown]

But, Ben, I want to talk about more historical mooning.

[Ben Bolin]

So glad you do. No, off air. We were looking into some really unusual and fascinating ones. What do you got? What do you got?

[Noel Brown]

Ben, I really appreciate you letting me go first. You know how much, how much I love this topic.

[Ben Bolin]

Absolutely.

[Noel Brown]

We both found and have been really enjoying a Fantastic article on Slate.com the very classy name a history by Forrest Wickman. Mentioned briefly earlier. The whole Braveheart sun and moon gesture thing was actually flipped the other way around. It was the English taunting the Scottish with their butts. I think this article. A good way to start here is just. Let's talk about. Let's get back to the. The coinage of the term mooning. Because you see, Ben, while this act was ancient, it didn't really get a proper name until the 1960s when the Oxford English Dictionary got an entry for the word that attributed it to student slang of the 60s. Because it became a really popular thing.

[Ben Bolin]

To do in university in America, specifically.

[Noel Brown]

Exactly.

[Ben Bolin]

And that's important because I believe that the description, the use of the word moon as a euphemism for butt or buttocks dates back to the 1700s or the 18th century. But the reason I think it's interesting that it's traced to American or US student slang is because American English is notorious for the practice of turning every single word into a verb. You and I have done it on multiple shows.

[Noel Brown]

Yeah, like Squatching.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, exactly.

[Noel Brown]

From the Sasquatch episode.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, exactly. So it's nice to know that that linguistic tradition precedes us. But I am so fascinated by the fact that this act has been described multiple times in literature, in fiction and nonfiction, and they didn't come up with a convenient term for it for centuries. For heck, for millennia. We know that. We know that during the Fourth Crusade in 1203, Western Europeans were attempting to take Constantinople. But they failed and they sailed away in defeat. And as they were sailing away, the Byzantine forces hooted at them, hollered at them, and quote, showed their bare buttocks in derision to the fleeing foe.

[Noel Brown]

Derision, you say? Yeah, because this act, you're essentially like sexually harassing someone from afar. That's what that is.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah. And then I guess. I guess it is somewhat counterintuitive because in the animal world, often when other mammals show their posterior to a creature, it's an act of submission, right?

[Noel Brown]

Yeah. It's like, hey, come, come get you some of this.

[Ben Bolin]

Right?

[Noel Brown]

This butt.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah. So now it's. It's clearly an insult. Of course. Where would we be if we did not mention one of the most well known retellings or depictions of mooning in the English language? And that is, of course, the Miller's Tale from Chaucer's the Canterbury Tales.

[Noel Brown]

Old saucy Chaussie and those bawdy. Bawdy Canterbury Tales.

[Ben Bolin]

Mm. Chas. The sauce. That's him.

[Noel Brown]

There you go.

[Ben Bolin]

So in the frame story of the Canterbury Tales, a group of people who are traveling, decide to travel together. And to pass the time in their travels, they tell each other's stories. These people are described often by, like, their occupations. So there's a pardoner, for instance, who carries relics and charges people to get close to these religious artifacts. And then there is the miller, who. Who is, in a wild plot twist, the miller. But we have a very saucy tale from the miller himself. We're not going to read the whole thing, but there are some parts that we think you will find choice.

[Noel Brown]

Ooh, Ben, can we do the back and forth where one of us is the old Englishman and the other is the translator?

[Ben Bolin]

For sure. Which one do you want to do?

[Noel Brown]

Can I be the translator? I feel like you have a little more expertise when it comes to this work. I believe you studied it in school.

[Ben Bolin]

I. Dude. But my pronunciation is going to be.

[Noel Brown]

Terrible, so I wish Jonathan Strickland, the Quizzter, was here in his Renaissance Faire regalia. He would lean into this hard.

[Ben Bolin]

Let me tell you what, he might be here. We never know.

[Noel Brown]

Why don't you channel it?

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, let's. Let's go for this.

[Noel Brown]

So just so we don't have to read the whole thing, can you give us a little quick and dirty of how we get to the part that we're about to start?

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So the Miller's Tale is the story about a carpenter and his wife and these two students or clerks that are trying to get her into bed. The carpenter is a guy named John, and he lives in Oxford. His wife is a lot younger than him, and she is known as a. The local hottie. Right.

[Noel Brown]

Isn't this like a cuckolding story? Kind of. Isn't there a. Yeah, yeah.

[Ben Bolin]

And what we'll do without going into the. Without going into the entire setup to the story, we'll read you the juicy bit wherein a character named Absalom attempts to pursue this wife romantically.

[Noel Brown]

And there's some climbing up a ladder into a window kind of action going on here. So let us begin.

[Ben Bolin]

Lemon, thy grace and sweet bird.

[Noel Brown]

Then o'er sweetheart, your favor and sweet bird, your kindness.

[Ben Bolin]

The window she undoeth and that in.

[Noel Brown]

Haste she unlatched the window quickly.

[Ben Bolin]

Have do quod she come off and speed thee fast.

[Noel Brown]

Go ahead, she said, come on and.

[Ben Bolin]

Do it quickly, lest that our neighbors thee espy.

[Noel Brown]

In case our neighbours see us.

[Ben Bolin]

This Absalom gan wipe his mouth full dry.

[Noel Brown]

This Absalom began to wipe his mouth dry.

[Ben Bolin]

Dirk, was the night as pitch or as the coal?

[Noel Brown]

The night was dark. Yeah, like pitch or coal.

[Ben Bolin]

And at the window, out she put her hole.

[Noel Brown]

And out the window she put her hole.

[Ben Bolin]

We're a family show. Okay, okay, okay. And Absalom him fill no bet ne wares.

[Noel Brown]

This part confuses me. And as for Absalom, it happened no better nor worse.

[Ben Bolin]

But with his mouth he kissed her naked, hers.

[Noel Brown]

So body. They teach this in school. Man, this is a. This is. We're still a family show. Translation, if you couldn't use your imagination there. But with his mouth. But with his mouth, he kissed her naked arse full savourly. Ere he was war of this most enjoyable. Before he realized what he was kissing.

[Ben Bolin]

Aback he stared and thought it was.

[Noel Brown]

A miss Back he started and thought something was wrong.

[Ben Bolin]

Here we go. For well he wist a woman hath no bird.

[Noel Brown]

For he well knew women have no beards.

[Ben Bolin]

I feel like we have to slow clap.

[Noel Brown]

I'm applauding for Chaucer.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah.

[Noel Brown]

And also for Ben Bolan and your fantastic Old English brug. What do you call that?

[Ben Bolin]

Oh, my gosh. That wasn't even Old English. It was fun. Let's hear Noel Brown, ladies and gentlemen.

[Noel Brown]

You're too kind. And let's hear for super producer Casey Peggar.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah.

[Noel Brown]

Yeah.

[Ben Bolin]

We're making this alive.

[Noel Brown]

Can we also hear it for regular contributor Lore L. Dove?

[Ben Bolin]

This is what it sounds like.

[Noel Brown]

She didn't really contribute anything to this episode, but I just want to hear.

[Ben Bolin]

It just like that sound. Thank you.

[Noel Brown]

Oh, it's a delight.

[Ben Bolin]

And while we're thanking everyone, let's give it up, friends and neighbors, for Alex Williams, who composed our track, and for our research associate, Christopher Haciotes, who, spoiler alert may end up on this show.

[Noel Brown]

And who, spoiler alert, needs a sound effect. Yeah.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah. Casey.

[Noel Brown]

We defer to you give me later. We'll just, you know, put it on the back burner.

[Ben Bolin]

We'll work it. You know what? Write to us and let us know what you think is. What do you think when you hear Haciotis?

[Noel Brown]

I think about the infamous club, the Hacienda, owned by the guy that, you know, discovered Joy Division and New Order and all that stuff. Remember? Have you seen that movie, 24 Hour Party People? Oh, yeah, that's great.

[Ben Bolin]

Wow, great movie. When did that come out?

[Noel Brown]

It was like the early 2000s.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, and most importantly, give it up for yourself.

[Noel Brown]

You can, if you want, pat yourself on the back.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah.

[Noel Brown]

Give yourself a handshake.

[Ben Bolin]

Don't be weirded out if people are looking at you. You are self affirming.

[Noel Brown]

Play rock, paper, scissors with yourself. See what happens.

[Ben Bolin]

Tell us who wins, please. In the meantime, we hope that you enjoyed our exploration of the history of mooning at least a fraction as much as we have clearly enjoyed diving into it.

[Noel Brown]

I'm just tipsy with delight.

[Ben Bolin]

And so our journey ends for today. That's the end of our episode, but not our show. Tune in again very soon for more ridiculous history. And last but certainly not least, and we promise not bare butt related, we're going on tour. If you happen to be in Philadelphia and would like a little bit of historical. What would you call it? No, Historical entertainment shenanigans.

[Noel Brown]

Sure. Yeah. We bring the pain. The historical pain. That sounds not. Not fun. You know what I mean? Yeah, we bring the fun. The fun pain. And we're going to bring our butts.

[Ben Bolin]

Yes. Which.

[Noel Brown]

Which will remain squarely covered with our pantaloons.

[Ben Bolin]

Yeah, that is the ridiculous history guarantee of quality. We will have our pants on the whole time. But yes, the rumors are true. You can find US on tour July 1st in Philadelphia along with our longtime pals and founders of Mental Floss, Mango and Will.

[Noel Brown]

It's true.

[Ben Bolin]

They are the host of Part Time Genius. Won't you join us if. If you happen to be in town?

[Noel Brown]

You can find ticket [e-mail] they are on sale right now and it's at 4 o'clock on Sunday, July 1st at the Trocadero Theater. So come get ridiculous with us in a live setting. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.