Hanno

August 13

According to Wikipedia, Hanno was the name of the white elephant gift to Pope Leo X in 1514. His arrival was heralded with poetry and songs—he quickly became the pope’s favorite animal and obsession. 

Two years later, Hanno got sick, was give a mixture of (among other things) precious metals to help clear his bowels out, and died literally shitting gold. 

Raphael painted a fresco in his memory. Like Hanno, the fresco didn’t survive.

All of this is as true as any other story we know. 

Does it mean anything? Maybe. But it wasn’t necessarily told to mean anything. It wasn’t even necessarily told to be true. 

But aren’t you glad you know?

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