A photo from open sources
There are mystical legends about this German city. Hameln became known for the fact that more than a hundred of its small inhabitants in one day disappeared in a supernatural way. What are they talking about medieval legends?
… In the 13th century, Hameln survived the monstrous invasion of rats hordes. Rats destroyed all the wheat and other crops in the fields depriving the townspeople of the crop. They brought the inhabitants of Hameln hunger and illnesses. Insolent rodents began to attack even dogs and cats biting in infant cradles. No tricks could rid the townspeople of this curse. Desperate Local Authorities They promised a reward to anyone who would save Hamelin from rats.
A photo from open sources
Further legends tell about the appearance of a flutist in a motley clothes that took to solve a difficult task. Magistrate, with his hand, he promised the daredevil as much gold as he can to carry away.
Then the musician took his flute from his pocket and played on it. To the sounds of the melody, all city rats ran to the flutist and, as if enchanted, followed him. Thousands of animals followed an amazing Pied Piper away from Hamelin and from a cliff rushed into the waters of the Wesere River (according to some other sources, to the abyss) …
By the way, in our time, scientists have already established that low sound frequencies can control rodents. Rats are capable follow this sound a considerable distance, as if under hypnosis. So the medieval legend is not without realism, and such, as they say in this case, it could well be.
But back to our story. While the brave flutist performed his feat, Magistrate Hamelna managed to regret his generous promise and flatly refused to award the returning musician. Disappointed in the local people, he decided to punish them.
A photo from open sources
Hameln kidnapper
Two days after the expulsion of the rats, the flute player reappeared in the city. However, this time his clothes were a suit of a hunter and red hat. The musician again took out his instrument and began play, but now little children began to come running to him. They are jumped out of the house and ran after playing the same path as rats, and then also flew into the abyss (according to another version, children just went for a magical musician and never came back and no one knew where they went). Adults could not interfere with what is happening, since the music in its own way bewitched them. And when they came to their senses – the flutist along with the children and the trace has caught a cold …
Modern scientists have found that children under the age of twelve ages are able to unconsciously follow the sound of a certain tonality. This method is used in the production of cartoons and children’s films. The main musical accompaniment is complemented special sounds that attract and hold children attention to the end of the film. Perhaps in the Middle Ages this method is also was famous? At least to the mysterious flatist …
The tragedy that happened in Hameln in the distant past is still shocking the imagination of people and excites the minds of scientists, and therefore There are many hypotheses and assumptions in this regard. We offer your attention to the documentary project “Pied Piper of Hamelin”, in which all kinds of hypotheses of this amazing case.
Rats
