Post #98135 by Satan's Sin on Thu, Jun 24, 2004 7:12 AM

The monkey -- and esp. the gorilla -- has long been a symbol of evil and mystery to Europeans. Much like the cat, at least up until the 19th century. The aura of mystery and demonic familiarity re: mr. monkey has persisted until the early part of the 20th.

Wasn't the killer in "Murders at the Rue Morgue" a monkey? (wasn't Rue the first "real" dettective story?) Doesn't anyone remember old B&W movies where one's hideous fate was tto be tossed to a gorilla? And come to think of it, wasn't the whole world scared &^%$less of someone called King Kong?

Anyhoo --- the purport of the fez is obvious to everyone in this forum. It bespeaks secret handshakes, mysterious oaths, potent drinks.

So, monkey + fez. A mystery plus an enigma? A mystery wrapped in an enigma?

My question is: WHEN did these fez-monkeys first appear? Anyone? If they didn't start appearing until after 1950, I say the fez-monkey is purely a symbol of mystery and fun. If someone has a picture or artifact that hails from the 19th century, then I shudder to think what it might truly represent.

SS