The Tragic Diary of Europe's Last Court Dwarf
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- čas přidán 28. 10. 2023
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Extracts taken from:
Boruwłaski, Joseph: Memoirs Of Count Boruwłaski: Containing A Sketch Of His Travels, With An Account Of His Reception At The Different Courts Of Europe, Andrews, Durham, 1820
Edited and Image Curation by Manuel Rubio - check out his amazing channel: @ArtandContext
Narrated and Script Edited by David Kelly
Music from Epidemic Sound and Artlist
Thumbnail Art by Ettore Mazza
"They bestow upon me the most tender caresses; they use me as a child. How can I hazard, in such circumstances, a declaration at which they will only laugh?"
This broke my heart. How lonely he must've been.
Which made it weird hearing him describe the inuits as "diminutive savages" whose "strength could be easily managed".....though that was certainly the level of general discourse when it came to other races in the 18th century, you'd think somebody in his unique position and facing regular adversity would be more sensitive.
@@yellowblanka6058uhh, no you wouldnt. thoe ones at a "lower tier" (for lack of a better term) always shit on those beneath themselves.
@@Aarroneous69 Eh, speak for yourself, that's down to individual personalities. I've knwon plenty of "lower tier" people who didn't denigrate those beneath them...because they're not dicks and have empathy for their fellow human beings. If anything, I've seen more "higher tier" people publicly saying very offensive things about people of lower economic classes/different races etc.
@@Aarroneous69Only those who fall victim to the duality of "us and them", having been conditioned to take on this type of worldview by the divide and conquer tactics applied so ubiquitously by the ruling class the world over, choose to "shit on those beneath themselves". This is the cause of the abundance of syncophants that unwittingly serve only to help those at the top stay there, believing the false notion that this type of behavior is the way to climb the social ladder.
@@yellowblanka6058 It isn't really about his being sensitive or not. He was simply being honest about the way he saw them. Nowadays, in a time where we've seen every kind of person and been taught to think of all people as basically the same, it's easy to look back on people from the past as "insensitive" but imagine what it would be like if you discovered a group of people who were completely different than anything you've ever seen. You would certainly think them strange, and say so if society allowed.
As a little person myself, his emotional struggles struck heartbreakingly close to home. Even in our modern era, we’re often seen as little more than tiny amusements, jokes and curiosities (or far worse in some cultures/parts of the world)-who exist without having the same scope of emotions, thoughts, hopes, feelings and desires as everyone else.
But I can honestly say, that being small is always significantly harder on men psychologically, even today…so I can’t begin to imagine how difficult it was for him back then.
Because of this, I was bracing myself for his story to have a much darker ending and I was pleasantly surprised to hear that it didn’t!
It genuinely does my soul good to know that he lived a longer, more fulfilling and far happier/healthier life than most people were lucky enough to enjoy back then (or even today).
❤
Apparently he lived to *97* which is impressive for anybody, and incredible for a little person.
Not really
@@GuessMyName234???
@@GuessMyName234yes really
@@Mustacheman17 a couple of umpa lumpas from Willy Wonker lived to a good age
For Lilliputians yes for dwarfs no. Lilliputians often have health issues, dwarfs just stop growing, just like giants can't stop growing. And little people well they're just small under 1.50 or 5 foot in my country.
Another amazing insight to the past and humanity. A grown intelligent man trapped in a body that frustrates him but still makes a interesting life and records it for future wisdom.
I can't carry a school boy pocket knife in my pocket because of the 'cultural phenomenon' going on in London.
My axe...
THEY TOOK MY AXE!!!
I'm reminded of something I experienced recently. I had a conversation with a woman who was born debilitated and in a wheelchair. She can barely move and her talk is somewhat difficult to understand. She said "everyone thinks I'm stupid but I'm not, I was born into this body." This fucked me up. It happened 3 weeks ago and it's still on my mind.
“trapped”
@@charlest5604Exercise your compassion that is good also for yourself.
@@MichaTheLight
No, I treat her like I do everyone else which is something she appreciates. When our conversations are done I walk away, when she says something I disagree with I politely say something, and I don't talk down to her. Actually, she just thanked me 2 days ago for being one of the few people in her life that doesn't pity her.
The image of a king breaking apart two dwarves in a death struggle is so absurd and outlandish I cannot even imagine it..
I can, and it’s honestly hilarious
Saving one from fatal faith in fireplace.
XD
I had the same thought at that point in the video!
@@dariuszkwietnioczub A little piece of history so near going up in flames.. Good thing the king was a man of action!
Interestingly, that same (ex-) king of Poland, Stanisław I. Leszczyński, would die seven years later (1766) from burns sustained when his dressing-gown caught fire. His only surviving daughter Maria was the wife of Louis XV, and hence the paternal grand-mother of Louis XVI. On the other hand, Louis XVI's maternal uncle, Prince Charles of Saxony, married a niece by marriage of Madame Humiecka whose court dwarf Józef Boruwłaski had been, and with whom he visited the old king at Lunéville in 1759. Aristocratic Europe was a small world.
For anyone wondering about the nickname "Joujou" mentioned at the beginning:
"Joujou" in French means "toy." It could (and probably does) also, more specifically, mean a cute looking, curio-ish miniature that has a mechanical element (like a wind-up automata or something with a music box mechanism) and exists as a luxury amusement item.
thanks so much for the extra depth!
It makes it more depressing bruh
Omg... that's heart breaking
The other dwarfs name did it mean baby?
A "juju" is another kind of doll, and is used in voodoo.
I was actually expecting this to be a lot darker. Kind of a feel good story tbh.
Well except for the hanged cat...
@hobokyle7504 back in those days animal's were actually tried and sentenced (to hanging for example( for crimes as if they were humans. Notice he said the cat "murdered " the canaries.
Th...they tried to throw him in a fire 😮
@@clayhackney3514 Yeah, and I thought it was going to get way worse.
@@hobokyle7504Back then, nobles still openly hunted and murdered the peasantry, as evidenced by the well documented events of Bathory, the Irish branch of the Hellfire Club, et cetra.
How this hasnt been made into a movie is really baffling, it has drama, music, a love story and at least for me, moves you to think about someone elses strange relatable world. (Comon Peter D. make a movie)
Some woke Hollywood company would not hire a white little person they’d insist the part be played by a 6’ tall transgendered person of color. Besides, even Peter would think it beneath him.
Yes, a movie would be Awesone. Peter, of course, would be great casting. 👌
OR a new role opportunity for an actor!
Oh, I'd be so into that film! Most of these accounts would make great films, I feel!
He wrote so beautifully. *"... ofttimes a very small man can cast a very large shadow."* -Maester Aemon
That was Lord Varys who said that.
Imagine being a commoner and seeing this dude
Ah yes such is Napoleon
Man. You guys think history is movies. That phrase isnt original. Its been used before.
@@TruthorfibNapolean was average height. He demanded a large horse to see battlefield and issue commands.
This was such an emotional rollercoaster. I kneel for this short king.
He was tall enough to ride the rollercoaster of life 👍🏽
I love how this person should've had a tragic destiny because of his height but used it to live an extraordinarily interesting life.
He was gifted with an excellent mind.
This man actually had a very nice life, by 18th century standards.
He lived to 97. That's long even by modern standards.
been a short man my self , I find this story really interesting and surprisingly cheerful.
there's a moment in your life of when you reach acceptance, starting to love yourself for what you are and been proud who you end up been,
the only regret I have is that I ddint see that in my younger years.
and btw, when I die I want this guy to narrate my life too XD
Short or dwarf ?
He was a really gifted writer!
Manlet
be careful around fire places..
My late husband was 5’ 4”. I adored him. He was a very confident man and he was never bothered by his height. I was 3 inches taller than him.
The king calling Bebé a "little machine" is... wow. Wicked. Even if he wasn't a great person, that's a two-worded dagger to the heart.
People back then where brutal, but also more honest and real. I think I would rather have that than what we have now. Brutal, but dishonest.
You will never understand the mind of a king
Thankfully, snowflakes melt on contact.
@@wowjack8944idk man. Being drawn and quartered for talking back doesn’t sound nice.
@@TheArtofFugue Agreed.
It's interesting to get his perspective. At times he doesn't seem to consider average sized humans (for lack of a better term) the same people as him, mostly because at times he isn't treated as human by them.
The sequence describing his rivalry with a fellow court dwarf, consumed with jealousy and malintent, was hilarious.
Yes! I watched that part twice it was so interesting. I even loved the bases of the parties -bebe and joujou😢
Fr chucky vibes
No it was very sad actually
I never would have thought that the life of a dwarf 200 years ago would be so relatable. It shames me how easily I forget how similar we all are.
Honestly, not to be rude but if I found out we were having a dwarf…I would move forward with abortion. It’s not because
I hate dwarfs, but I would not want them to come into this world and have to put up with all the injustices and disadvantages of being a dwarf.
@@theboiis86to deny another being life, based upon your unfounded assumptions is abhorrent, especially when veiled in benevolence.
@@taylormorris_it's not abhorrent, it's realistic and more caring than you know.
@@talex1625 this comment is heinous, especially when veiled with "caring"
@@theboiis86way to fucking kill the mood
I randomly found this but I'm quite blown away by how well-written this is. It's a writing style with such high level of sophistication, so engaging, the way he narrates itself is so interesting. I don't even remember reading many other books where the writing style (especially first POV) would be so good.
Hello!
Oh boy! You're in for a real treat!
They are all very well written.
🙂
It’s too bad they passed that law in 2001 that no-one is allowed to absorb or retain anything they learned in English class in school anymore, and now everyone is required to write like a baby who was raised by a tablet haha
I am equally impressed with the writing style and wonder how this gentleman was afforded the education to write so well.
I’m actually studying this style of speech for my works, as well as Shakespearean prose and the breed of actors it inspired (also a dying breed). Always nice to see more of such material.
Funny enough the inspiration for this wasn’t anything of quality but the character Alberich from the game “Ring”, who… is not nearly as dignified or well spoken as this guy.
@@equinox7656bro he lived his entire life among literal emperors and kings. obtaining education was probably the easiest part of his life
He knew not how far women might be lead by curiosity? Now that’s a man who visited Poland and France.
I can't decide if that was clever or not.
Is this some passport bro comment?
That was a really interesting video. It was a bit sad to hear how people saw him more as a novelty than an actual person, but it was nice to hear how many people he swayed with his charm and wit.
Thanks for channels like yours, that give us access to accounts and stories from people that we would likely have never heard otherwise.
While he may have been de-humanized, he lived far better than something like 90-95% of the human population at that time. I’m certain most would have certainly borne indignity heaped upon indignity to live as well as this fellow.
Anyone whos markedly different is going to be seen or treated as novel to some extent. Being able to make a living out of it can be both miserable (your self-worth, employability, and reason to go on is linked to something that holds you back) and a saving grace (any academic, social, athletic, military, or industrial pipeline would be grueling for almost anyone of any size, being a court jester of sorts may be humiliating or non-rewarding but so many other occupations at the time and now are similar.)
He was a little hypocritical, pun intended. He calls Natives savages, essentially passing judgment on them. The same judgment he despised when pointing at him.
@@charlest5604 the natives he speaks of were more likely mongols from around siberia than inuits or eskimos if they truly paid tribute to the russian emperor. "Savage" was a matter of diction- in that their towns were centered more on hunting and wars with other towns/villages than russian cities. If he could not speak their language well enough to know their endonym- even if he wished to visit their town and entertain them, and visit their mountainsides without fear, then it was likely more accepted to refer to them as "savages" than natives.
@@antonioreconquistador
I understand that. I just think it's a little hypocritical to pass judgment on someone when you're whole life is composed of hating people who judge you.
The narration is a performance in itself, truly a demonstration of an actor's craft. The enjoyment i derived from this beautifully illustrated memoir is up there with the best audio books and radio plays I've listened to over my life. Phenomenal 👏👏👏
Yes. It's a form of performance art !
I would have loved being a court dwarf, better that then being a farm dwarf
@@halomaster9640or a tossed salad
Yeah especially the dairy farm variety, rough life
@@scottcantdance804 utterly difficult life pulling those teets
They're called gnomes
@@deathsheadknight2137dwarves do not like to be tossed
He speaks with such humility and eloquence. He could scarcely have any idea what admiration his adventures would inspire. He traveled Europe, spoke many languages, and conferred with the elite
Great narration! The weirdest part to me is just the "matter-of-fact" way he describes the cat being tried and sentenced to hanging. Mad Hatter energy.
Hanging a Cat???? WTF???
@@teamshaboobalu2887in those days animals who did a "crime" were tried and sentenced in the same way humans were. This cat "murdered" a bunch of canaries.
A very educated and well-spoken man who happened to have a genetic illness. This was pretty inspiring to hear.
He was 98 when he died. That's incredible
Man being short aint an illness. You tall freak of nature😂🍻
@@niteshades_promiseexcept he’s not simply short sir, he has dwarfism which comes with it’s own set of health problems that can lower one’s life expectancy.
@@Hlord-be4xx he was 98. That was very good for the 18th century. Almost no one lived that long studies have also shown the shorter bodies of lower rates of cancer and age-related illnesses. So on average shorter people live way longer
@@Ivan_1411 first off, him living to 98 does not necessarily mean that people with dwarfism as a whole lived about that long.
Based on what information I could find, most people with dwarfism have a similar lifespan no different from other people, however this is because those medical problems they do have are not so severe to reduce lifespan so long as they receive proper medical treatment.
Also what are these studies, because these to me sound like a case of correlation but not causation.
It sounds like being a dwarf was a blessing in that it set him in unbelievably high places that the average man never could have attained at that time.
On the other hand it was also a debilitating curse because he was denied the dignity and respect of being a man that even the most impoverished man could attain.
Such a paradox- he could attain the prestige that no regular man could dream of yet he couldn’t attain the basic dignity of being a man that even the most lowly of men receive without even trying.
Being an oddity is no different to being “beautiful”, some things come easier, but alot of things are actually harder.
Thank you for always shining light on experiences of people not often acknowledged!
Hanging a cat for murder is a real-life Monty Python sketch.
Yeah I laught imagine it.
I'm glad he found love and wasnt torn away from it.
Wow, I loved this. I love his personal insights. I was impressed by his self control which I think served him well.
What an absolutely fascinating little man with a huge heart
this was fantastic. hearing his perspective nearly brought me to tears. these stories you guys find are awesome in their totality. keep on sharing them please :)
One of the best youtube channels, ever. Thank you for all the amazing work, best regards from Argentina!
Fascinating story. His honest writing and experience are sad and yet not overly emotional. Beautiful. Thank you.
I always enjoy a new video from Voices of the Past, and they didn't disappoint this time also .
I can't believe (and frankly, I'm a bit ashamed) that:
1. I neglected to watch this video right when it came out.
2. I haven't heard about this man before!
What an amazing account! And, if I'm not mistaken, it's the first source written by a Polish author to appear on this channel. Thank you for making this video. Though, I am a bit sad and angry about the cat.
PS. Regarding some problems with the pronunciation of Polish names; there's a great video "How to read in Czech and Polish?" on the channel Authentic Linguistics. It might be helpful for you in the furure.
What a wonderful production and reading about this man’s journey
Been enjoying your channel. You find unique view points that often get written out of history. History is written by the winners. So you often do not hear the other side of the story that often gets removed, forgotten or ignored.
What a heartbreaking story. The poor cat thought it cleared out their bird infestation and was hanged for its efforts.
Yeah, but good luck getting your hands on a cat that doesn't want to be executed. Claws, teeth, an alarmingly flexible spine, and high speeds mean they're escape artists.
I too found this part of the story quite sad, the cat was punished for acting like a cat, while no one thought about keeping the birds away from it.
It probably trusted him so much it didn't think about it while he simply put the noose around it and pulled
At this point, I thought screw this little twisted up guy. Cat Lives Matter
All he had to do was give it to a farmer. But hanging. And what happened to his kid?
This was such an amazing experiance to watch this video... I can't put it in words but there was such an amazing feeling of reminiscence in this story... Beautiful.
this is my favorite video from this channel so far and i love this channel
Why hasn't this been made into a movie yet?
Dude went around all of Europe showing that he was just like them, just short. Got to love a stereotype buster.
This was another captivating video. Thank you so much for this channel. I feel as though it has expanded my horizons in a significant way these past few years.
God be with you out there everybody. ✝️ :)
There’s a great little book (no pun intended) written about this fellow. It’s out of print but I found a few copies on Amazon and eBay. It’s called “In search of the little count” by Simon Webb. It’s about 55 pages
I really enjoyed this video.
Well done!
thank you, this is great. difficult in some parts but great.
Fantastic. His writing was excellent.
What a great mind and a great man! He portrayed his life so beautifully, a very talented and profound writer
This was one of the most moving, heartbreaking, and fascinating insights you’ve uploaded to date. What a life. What a man. What a mind. He wrote so beautifully and yet with such succinctness as to bring tears of both sorrow and joy to my eyes as I listened, which is really remarkable considering how private he is about many details-conscious that his diaries are intended to be read by others after his remarkable life ended, and so choosing not to focus too much on the specificities of the actions or words of others, but instead on his internal world and the depth of emotion he experienced, so as to give insight to potential readers that dwarves or little people have the same capacity for intellect and the range of passions to be expected of any normal sized person faced with comparable challenges, betrayals, humiliations, successes, and joys.
Incredibly well written, fascinating.
This man must have had some influence on the creation of the tyrion lannister character
Your voice should be the voice of every audio book ever produced. 😁
Incredibly fascinating and moving. What a story
That was an excellent video. Thank you so much.
This channel is such a blessing, man.
Amazing, thank you
Not sure it's the right niche but if anyone's interested in similar topics I strongly recommend Schwerpunkt's history series
Oh my heart breaks for the cruelty he experienced. I’m not Little, but I am autistic. And I understand a good bit of what he talks about.
Me Too... Blessings And Truth For All.
What a wonderful, witty fellow! I think he would be fantastic to talk to. So sorry he was treated that way.
Just mind blowing history, perfect movie material.
I like that he ended up married with kids, and it seems like generally he had a pretty good life all things considered.
What a thoughtful and insightful, intelligent, sensitive man.
This channel never ceases to amaze me
thanks for bringing this story to us!
An excellent story ...thank you❤❤
What for a colorful and beautifull language he uses a truly gifted orator and great men.
I'am almost double his size and can just give respect and admiration.
I used to walk by his house in Durham everyday. A beautiful little building on a beautiful little spot by the river
Although the folly was known as The Count's House, he never actually lived there. It was built much later. In a shocking mess now and obstructed for access after being vandalised.
I would like to hear more of this account. Nice upload.
Best thing I've seen on the CZcams for sometime
I'd think it'd go great if you can add some final text (like any aftermath, related stories etc) after the ending of the voiceover, and over the background music. Great video as always!
Go to sponsr.is/cs_voicesofthepast and use code VOICESOFTHEPAST to save 25% off today. Thanks to Curiosity Stream for sponsoring today’s video.
Poor kitty, executed for being a cat! 😢
Sentenced, at least. Good luck getting hold of a cat when it doesn't want to be there.
@@Skorpychan sadly, the poor kitty trusted his "master", so it's likely that the sentence was executed. 😿
@@WildWestRosie Cats don't work that way. They're not like dogs.
@@Skorpychan I used the term "master" because that's what was quoted. I used familiarity to capture kitties for the vet snip, which is why I believe this cat thought his slave meant him no harm when approached for execution. Now, I WAS owned by a cat who overheard me mention the "V" word (vet), and she proceeded to hide for days, so cats do understand more than we think they do. So I will hope that the kitty escaped execution.
Great video, thank you
Incredible.
This is my new favorite channel
Hanged his cat for being a cat? Guess he wasn’t too bright after all.
21:20, to me, that was the most heartwarming part of his tale.
Make this man a movie.
12:58 I was straight up expecting that to segue into a second Curiosity plug.
What an extraordinary document.
I am glad that this dwarf found love and was wise enough to choose Ivelina over the decadent court life. The world is really cruel to puny people. The modern world is especially cruel, because the paths to finding love are overwhelmingly dominated by online services, with shallow formulas where women simply enter arbitrary height requirement criteria into their match-making filters.
Cruel to short men 😅
"You must be 7'8 for me to reply."
You can be small but you must be mighty either in wit or brawn stay stoic kings
lookin for love there is just a wiest of time , go outside and meet real ppl
if you are fishing in the beach sand you'll only catch crabs (or worms)
comment giving off ‘r/niceguys’ vibes…
This channel is unique. I enjoy it as do my children. Thanks
Thankyou eloquently spoken 😊
Wonderful story!
The bit about his interaction with fellow dwarf Bebe wS super interesting !
Hopefully wee-man lives that long I love that guy so funny and cool. I always appreciate people that can make fun of themselves and take being made fun of, as long as it comes from a good place anyway.
You are a very good CZcamsr.
This was amazing. I put it on and my fella(who is NOT into stuff like this) was fascinated😂👏
This book needs to be made into a film series. Someone needs to get Peter Dinklage involved. He is strongly involved in the film production industry, nd could get this made and he would be able to proficiently supervise it is don’t correctly without exaggeration.
I could listen to this story forever. What happened to his wife and kids
I've been trying to find that out. I think they moved to Durham, England with him but not read anything concrete yet.
@@gwynevans6440 According to his Polish wikipedia article, his wife Izalina Barbontan accompanied him during the first 10 years of his second round of travelling (1780 to about 1790), but then grew tired of that and moved back to Poland together with their young daughters, whereas he spent the rest of his life in England.
@@chevalierdupapillon Oh I see. Thanks for the info.
Amazing and equally sad story.
Poor Bebe. "you are but a machine". Harsh words, my lord.
and it would be extra hard because when you are that small and your privileged life (and I mean, not living on the streets) means depending on people appreciating what they can out of you as a little person, such personal attacks would be heart breaking. I mean, he really was only around because of his size.....if they want that part of you, you can only hope that they will like the rest. Just confirmation to him that he was just a small (and disappointing) toy.
I'm just commenting to help the spreader spread. Excellent reading selections and articulation.
Banger
What an inspiration
I didn't want this to end, ngl.
The Wikipedia for court dwarf is very fascinating, so I knew I had to watch this vid
Superb
i can see some inspirations that GRR Martin migh have used.