Blemmy
/ˈblɛmi/noun
A member of the legendary race of headless humans said to have faces on their chests.
Did you know?Blemmyes were depicted in medieval manuscripts, maps, and bestiaries as living at the edges of the known world, reflecting ancient anxieties about distant peoples.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
Βλέμμυες (Blémmyes)
“Name of a people described in classical geographical and ethnographic accounts”
Late Antiquity
Latin
Blemmyae
“A people associated in Roman writings with Nubia and the southern fringes of the known world”
Medieval Latin
Latin
Blemmes
“Legendary headless humans whose faces were said to be located on their chests”
Middle English
English
blemmy
“A fabulous or monstrous headless person”
Modern English
English
Blemmy
“A member of the legendary headless race”