Pygmy Pygmaeus

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~ PYGMAEUS  or pl
~ PYGMEI    hx> A NATION OF DWARFS
                either living in INDIA or
     in AETHIOPIA or ETIOPIA
     hx> ARISTOTLE [#] and PHILOSTRATUS [#]
         mention that PYGMAEUS SON OF DORUS
         WHO GAVE RISE TO PYGMY PEOPLE
           note later version see> LILLIPUT
~ PYGMIES  or
~ PYGMY    gr PUGNA = FIST from
           hx> med> PUGNA IS AN ANCIENT MEASURE OF
  LENGTH MEASURED FROM THE ELBOW TO THE WRIST or
  rather to the KNUCKLE of the 2nd DIGIT
  ply> | SOME PYGMIES DUE TO HARASSMENT
         BECOME PUGNACIOUS |
  myth> PYGMIES ACCORDING TO LEGEND
        SPRUNG FROM WASTE
  AFTER HIS FIGHT WITH ANTAEOS
  HERAKLES or HERCULES LAY DOWN TO REST AND
  SOON FOUND HIMSELF COVERED WITH
  A HOST OF PYGMIES or        sug> PETITE
  LITTLE CREATURES            see> MIDGET
  THEY SHOT ARROWS AT HIM
  HERCULES ADMIRED THEIR COURAGE AND
  WRAPPED THEM IN HIS LIONS'S SKIN
  per HEREDOTUS [#] HERCULES TOOK THE PYGMIES
  to AFRICA AND SET THEM FREE IN EURYSTHEUS
  hx> perhaps related to the AFRICAN PYGMIES
  lit+ THE ABOVE MAY HAVE PROMPTED SWIFT [#]
       TO CREATE HIS TALE ABOUT GULLIVER
  med> AFRICAN PYGMIES IN ZAIRE and
       CENTRAL AREAS OF AFRICA HAVE NORMAL
  PREPUBERAL GROWTH BUT DO NOT EXPERIENCE
  THE GROWTH SPURT AT PUBERTY
  THEIR LEVELS OF GROWTH HORMONES IS NORMAL
  THE DISORDER IS QUITE COMPLEX
  note other "SMALL PEOPLE"
  myth> SOME STORIES SAY THAT PYGMIES
        BUILT THEIR HOUSES FROM EGG SHELLS
  hx> ARISTOTLE SAYS PYGMIES LIVED IN HOLES
      IN THE EARTH AND THAT
  THEY WERE RULED BY PRINCESS HERANA
  JUNO TRANSFORMED HER INTO A CRANE FOR
  BOASTING THAT HER BEAUTY EXCEEDED
  THAT OF THE GODDESS
  CRANES CAME YEARLY FROM SCYTHIA
  TO PLUNDER THE PYGMIES
  see> SUDRI    see> WESTRI   see> NORDI
  see> AUSTRI   see> DWARF    see> LILLIPUT
  see> MIDGET   see> NANISM   see> HOMUNCULUS
  see> CABEIRI  see> BROWNIE  see> GNOME