Abbé Faria – The Father of Hypnotism

A statue of Abbé Faria hypnotising a woman.

An interesting fact is that hypnotism, as we know it today, was started by a Goan named Custodio Faria (nicknamed Abbé).  He believed that by talking to humans in a special way you could get them to enter a sleep-like state.  Once in this state you could suggest things for them to do, and they would do them (cluck like a chicken, pretend you’re a dog, that sort of stuff).  Custodio didn’t stay in Goa long, his interest in magic and hypnotism saw him travel the world.  His dark and mysterious ways made him very popular with royalty around Europe, and everyone wanted him as a friend.

In Goa his fame and legend live on in the form of a copper statue that sits in a little square next to a government building.  The statue is quite spooky and captures Abbé’s intensity and power.  In it he is standing over a woman who he is about to hypnotise.  His arms are stretched out and his eyes are staring deeply at the woman who has fallen to the ground.  It is so realistic and conveys such emotion it looks like it is about to come to life.  If it did come to life, what do you think Abbé and the woman might say?

So the next time you watch a magic show where someone in the audience is hypnotised, you will be watching the lessons that Abbe Faria passed down from his experience as the world’s first hypnotist.

Temple of Karnak

Standing in front of Karnak Temple, the largest temple in the whole world.

The largest temple in all of Egypt, actually, it is the largest temple in the whole world,  Karnak is unlike anything I have ever seen.  The Temple of Karnak started being built in the Middle Kingdom (Ancient Egypt had three main periods:  the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom and the New Kingdom, all in that order) and it was still being added to 1300 years later.

A statue of Ramses II in the Great Hall.

Temples were not used as residences, all Egyptians, even the Pharaoh, lived in houses made out of mud brick.  They believed that since life was temporary, their homes should be temporary too.   Temples were made out of stone and marble because they were meant to last forever, just like they believed the afterlife would.  Temples in Egypt were dedicated to gods and used as a spiritual centre.  Karnak is dedicated to the god Amun and it was used daily in special celebrations by the Pharaoh and his priests.

The ram-headed sphinxes all in a row.

The temple is divided into several different areas.  Before entering the temple you must walk down a processional path lined with ram-headed sphinxes then pass through a gate in the first wall.  The wall towers over you and is 45m high.  Once inside the temple you will walk through a Great Court and then enter into the Great Hypostyle Hall.  This hall contains over 100 pillars, each one decorated beautifully with images of gods, pharaohs and hieroglyphics.  Originally the entire temple would have been brightly painted a rainbow of colours.  With the temple being this detailed no wonder it took over 1000 years to finish.

Look at the carvings on each of the pillars.  Each one is completely covered from top to bottom.

The Riddle of the Sphinx

The Great Sphinx of Giza

In front of the Great Pyramids of Giza sits the largest statue of a Sphinx, (part human, part beast) in the world.  It is 76.5m long and about 20m tall.  Not only is it big, but it is also really old.  The Sphinx is one of the oldest monuments on Earth being around 4500 years old.  Now because it is so old we don't know much about it.  There are still questions of who built it, what purpose it served, who it was modelled after and why parts of it are missing (like its nose and beard!)?  So over the years many theories, and even some legends, developed to help people answer questions about the Sphinx.


The Sphinx on guard, keeping evil away from the Pharaoh.

Some believe the Sphinx was built in front of the pyramids to act as a guard, protecting the Pharaoh in the afterlife.  Others believe that he was an image of the sun god and that Egyptians would come and pray to the statue for good luck.

There are some interesting tales about the missing nose too.  Some Egyptologists believe that the nose was cut off by an invading ruler who didn't like the way people were worshipping the statue.  Another story about the nose is that when the French were occupying Egypt it was shot off during target practice by Napoleon's soldiers.

Whatever the true story is one thing is certain, the Sphinx was built to inspire awe, and it can still do that today even after 4000 years.

A different Sphinx in the Ancient City of Memphis.  This one is much smaller than the great Sphinx, but it still has its beard and nose intact.