History of Monsters 533

# THE MULTIPLICATION OF FEET in Human Fetuses

Since the multiplication of feet in a human fetus can effectively make a person "four-footed," we must first realize that this term can be understood in several ways. It is in our interest to clarify this ambiguity at the outset so that the following text becomes clearer. First, a "four-footed man" refers to a toddler who, because his weak legs cannot yet support him, crawls on his hands and feet in the manner of a quadruped. Secondly, artists—to represent the mutual and harmonious love of marriage—have depicted a husband and wife as having a single body with four feet. This prompted a certain poet to sing:

Furthermore, we gather from the *Fasciculus Temporum* that in the time of Emperor Maurice, a "four-footed boy" was born. This was not because he actually possessed four feet and two hands, but he was called four-footed because his hands resembled feet and he walked in the manner of a beast. Similarly, according to Conrad Gessner, in the year 1531, a monster was found in the Hainsberg forest in Meissen. It had an entirely human body but with eagle-like claws; it was bearded and reddish-blonde, with hair resembling a crest, and it moved prone in the manner of a quadruped. Regarding this case, one might argue that this was an abandoned infant who, having no one to teach him, became four-footed and never learned to speak; consequently, he grew up in those wooded places, nourished by wild fruits and the mercy of wild beasts.

Likewise, in the time of Albertus Magnus, it is reported that two humans—a male and a female—were found in the forests of Germany walking on all fours. This should hardly seem surprising, as only last year a very poor beggar came to Bologna seeking alms by walking like a quadruped. The cause of his gait was a severe deformity of the hips, which made it impossible for him to stand upright.

Having expressed these three interpretations of four-footed human births, it must be noted that our current discussion concerns none of them. When we speak of the multiplication of feet in a human fetus, we mean a fetus formed in the womb with the usual arms and legs, but where these have been doubled or otherwise multiplied. For instance, Julius Obsequens relates that during the consulship of Publius Africanus and Laelius, a boy was born at Amiternum with three feet and only one arm; the reader will find an illustration of this in the fourth chapter of this History.

Furthermore, according to the same Julius Obsequens, an infant was born at Amiternum during the consulship of Appius Claudius and Publius Metellus with three feet, while the rest of the body was correctly formed, as can be seen here in Figure I.

Likewise, according to the report of Jakob Rueff, in the year 1552 in England, not far from Oxford, a two-headed girl was born with four arms and hands, one belly, and one joined set of buttocks; however, on one side there were two feet, and on the other only one extended foot was visible, such that she possessed only three feet in total.

Moreover, we could bring forward many examples of children born with four feet. Lycosthenes presents an illustration of an infant born in 162 BC at Teano Sidicino who had four feet and as many arms. The same Lycosthenes mentions a child born at Caere with four feet in 160 BC. And from the year 133 BC, he records that a girl endowed with four feet was seen.