# Medieval dwarves **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 5, 2003, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-dwarves/153037 "2003-02-05T20:17:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TGWATY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@TGWATY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TGWATY)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2003, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-dwarves/153037/1 "2003-02-05T20:17:55Z")
In Michael Crichton’s _Eaters of the Dead_ (a retelling of the Beowulf legend) the author describes dwarves as a society of midgets living apart from the “normal” Northmen. Whenever a “dwarf” baby is born, it would be taken to the dwarf community to be raised by the other dwarves. The dwarves were respected by the Vikings as craftsmen and regarded as having mystical powers. Is there any basis for this picture? Or is this just Crichton’s attempt at a plausible explanation for beliefs in dwarves for sake of the fictional retelling of a legend? ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-dwarves/153037/2 "2003-02-06T00:39:05Z")
Off the top of my head, I’m thinking Crichton made it up. Norse folklore includes several groups of dwarves. The Dverge, in addition to their stature, had the feet of crows. Other groups possessed various mystical powers, including the ability to pass through solid rock. Finally, my WAG is that medical dwarfism would not be obvious in in infants. Dwarfism is a lack of growth in the long bones of the arms and legs. All infants have arms and legs that are short in relation to their torso. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-dwarves/153037/3 "2003-02-06T15:37:00Z")
It is true that dwarves could be bought and sold as legal property in some medeival countries. Henry IV was given a dwarf as a “gift” named Sir Hercules who became, by some accounts, his closest friend. A former owner had “carved” his mouth into a permanent smile. ---
**Author:** ![TGWATY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@TGWATY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TGWATY)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-dwarves/153037/4 "2003-02-06T16:10:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DocCathode \* > \*\* > Finally, my WAG is that medical dwarfism would not be obvious in in infants. Dwarfism is a lack of growth in the long bones of the arms and legs. All infants have arms and legs that are short in relation to their torso. \*\* First, let me clarify that I am not using the term dwarf in a medical sense. I don’t know anything about classifications of those-who-are-very-short. (I did a search for midget and dwarf and it came back mostly porn. :rolleyes: ) I think that the explanation given in the book is that “dwarf” infants are spotted by their more developed sex organs. Can anyone here verify that this is true or false? What is a “WAG”? > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Sampiro \* > \*\* > A former owner had “carved” his mouth into a permanent smile._\* Mutilation and midget porn. Isn’t the human species wonderful? ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-dwarves/153037/5 "2003-02-06T16:54:05Z")
> [@](#): > > What is a “WAG”? “Wild-Assed Guess” ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-dwarves/153037/6 "2003-02-06T19:00:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sampiro \* > \*\*It is true that dwarves could be bought and sold as legal property in some medeival countries. Henry IV was given a dwarf as a “gift” named Sir Hercules who became, by some accounts, his closest friend. A former owner had “carved” his mouth into a permanent smile. \*\* I’ve been wondering if Camprachicos(professional mutilators who made and sold/exhibited freaks) were real or UL. I’m sure many Dopers are familair with _The Man Who Laughs_. Can you give a cite? ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-dwarves/153037/7 "2003-02-06T21:06:21Z")
I can’t find it on the net, but it’s from a biography of Henry V I read. I’ll find out what the name of the book is. (IIRC, Henry IV’s face became covered with boils in middle age, which some later claimed a punishment for his sins [killiing Richard II, usurping the throne] but none mentioned to his face in his lifetime; the first time he met Hercules [who became his jester] Henry made some witless crack about dwarves and Hercules responded with a pointed barb about the boils- everybody was stunned, but Henry IV thought it was hysterical- though I’m pretty sure nobody else joked about it.) ---
**Author:** ![BioHazard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3bc359/32.png) [@BioHazard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BioHazard)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-dwarves/153037/8 "2003-02-06T21:32:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by toadspittle \* > \*\*“Wild-Assed Guess” \*\* I always thought it was Wager A Guess? Am I wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-dwarves/153037/9 "2003-02-06T21:51:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BioHazard \* > \*\*I always thought it was Wager A Guess? > > Am I wrong? \*\* Yes, you’re wrong, but yours sounds much classier. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2003, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-dwarves/153037/10 "2003-02-06T22:09:39Z")
If you know what you’re looking for, some types of dwarfism are fairly obvious in babies. As far as this community, I’ve heard that there have been such stories for hundreds of years. I don’t buy it. Reliable info on dwarfism can be found at [http://www.lpaonline.org](http://www.lpaonline.org) ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medieval-dwarves/153037/11 "2003-02-07T00:26:00Z")
One of King Henry VIII’s wives (IIRC, it was Katherine of Aragon) had a dwarf “fool” named Jane, whose job it was to entertain the king. One of the King Louis of France, (Again, I can’t remember which, but it might have been XV) was continually amused by having his cooks prepare a pie, in which dwarves were hidden. They would pop out once the pie was presented, which would make the king crack up every time.