Blemmye
/ˈblɛm.i/noun
A legendary headless humanoid, often depicted with its face set in its chest or torso.
Did you know?The Blemmye was linked to the historical Blemmyes, a Nubian people, whose name was transformed in medieval imagination into a race of headless wonders.
Etymological Timeline
3rd–4th Century
Greek
Βλέμμυες (Blémmyes)
“The Blemmyes, a historical people of Nubia and the eastern Egyptian desert.”
Late Antiquity
Latin
Blemmyae
“A Latin name for the Blemmyes; later writers increasingly associated them with marvels at the world’s margins.”
7th Century
Latin
Blemmyae
“A legendary headless people in the encyclopedic writings traditionally associated with Isidore of Seville.”
Middle English
English
blemmyes
“A fabulous headless race described in medieval accounts of distant lands.”
16th Century
English
blemmye
“A singular form for one member of this legendary race.”
Modern English
English
blemmye
“A mythological headless human figure, especially in medieval bestiaries, maps, and travel literature.”