Bear Skin Helmets and More

The Beefeater’s helmets are made of bear skin!

Beefeater’s are the guards that guard the Tower of London. The practice of Beefeaters started in 1485. The Beefeaters wear such tall helmets because it makes them look more intimidating and taller as they were the ones fighting hand to hand in battle. Everyone in Napoleon's imperial guard wore bearskin helmets too. These troops were his elite guard.  The Beefeaters are best known for their large black helmets and red uniform. The Beefeater’s helmets are black because it is actually made of black bear fur! The Beefeaters still wear the bearskin helmets! The bearskin for the helmets is got from the annual Black Bear Cull in Canada. I think that this is cruel to bears and that the British should use fake bearskin.

Ashoka may have had a Greek grandmother!

Ashoka or Ashok (the more appropriate Indian name) was the 3^rd Mauryan emperor and under him the Mauryan Empire rose to its peak. Ashoka was the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya. Chandragupta Maurya had defeated the Nanda dynasty that was ruling in Pataliputra. After he had defeated the Nandas he wanted to expand his empire even more. So, he started conquering towards the Hindu Kush mountains that are today in modern day Pakistan. But there was a problem, the region near the Hindu Kush mountains was ruled by a king called Seleucus Nicator. Seleucus was a successor of Alexander the Great. When Alexander had died his empire had been divided between his generals and cousins and Seleucus had got the region near India. So, when Chandragupta started conquering the area Seleucus ruled, Seleucus attacked Chandragupta. But as Chandragupta had a stronger army Seleucus soon started losing battles. So, Seleucus sued for peace Chandragupta accepted the proposal. They both signed a treaty in which one of things given to Chandragupta was Seleucus’ daughters hand in marriage. Even though we have this information historians aren’t sure that this is actually true.

   

It is believed that Cleopatra bathed in ass’ milk!

Cleopatra, the pharaoh of Egypt was said bathe daily in ass’ milk. It is believed that bathing in ass’s milk helps maintain the youthfulness and beauty in the skin. It also said that about 700 ass’ were needed to produce enough milk for her bath!