Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin
Early modern eyebrow interpretation, or what it means to have a unibrow (folger.edu)
27 points by benbreen on March 16, 2015 | hide | past | favorite | 2 comments


Leading criminologists were inferring criminal tendencies from eyebrow type well into the late 19th century in Europe.

Specifically, Cesare Lombroso's[1] theory of Anthropological Criminology listed, amongst a number of other characteristics such as large ears and (if I remember my criminology class) supernumerary nipples:

  "bushy eyebrows, tending to meet across nose"[2]
as a physiognomic feature useful in identifying "criminal man."

  [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cesare_Lombroso
  [2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropological_criminology#The_theory


Even as someone with a good deal of experience reading Middle and Early Modern English, the spelling still sometimes gets me. “Desceuynges” = “deceivings”.




Consider applying for YC's Summer 2026 batch! Applications are open till May 4

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: