Somali soldiers in Nazi concentration camps? Somalis served in both world wars: in World War I the Somali Battalion was integral to victory at Verdun, & in World War II Somali soldiers contributed to the defeat of Nazi Germany and the preservation of European Jewry.
Possibly the earliest glimpse of the Somali ethnonym appears in Tang-era geography by Jia Dan (d. 805), later preserved in Northern Song dynasty texts, ancient China may have recorded Somalia as “Sanlan” along maritime routes.
In 1587, a Japanese Christian envoy’s ship was stranded off Somalia. The Muslim king of Mogadishu received them warmly, sending gifts, provisions, and even ship ballast, helping the Tenshō Embassy continue their voyage to India.
#日本#戦国時代#Japan#Portugal#Pope#Catholic
The memes of biblical references to Somalia aren’t baseless. Somalia is mentioned in the book of Genesis. The Somali land of Havilah is linked to the region surrounding the Garden of Eden.
Somali soldiers in Nazi concentration camps? Somalis served in both world wars: in World War I the Somali Battalion was integral to victory at Verdun, & in World War II Somali soldiers contributed to the defeat of Nazi Germany and the preservation of European Jewry.
New study challenges Timothy Garrard's theory of Arab influence on the Akan weighing system, proving the Akan developed their own indigenous African numbering system and mathematics in Ghana (Gold Coast). This rediscovery sheds light on the forgotten brilliance of Akan knowledge.
Forthcoming post: Somali soldiers in Nazi concentration camps, at Verdun in World War I alongside French forces, & in World War II they took part in the Allied victory over Nazi Germany. Eugène Burnand’s portraits honor Somali WWI fighters, and photographs document their service.
In a 6th-century account, Somali Christian crusaders crossed the sea to invade the Jewish Himyarite kingdom in retaliation for the massacre of Christians; part of the same Aksumite¹ campaign that culminated in bloodshed and the forced Christianization of Yemen.
¹ Axumite (Axum)
Forthcoming post: Somali crusaders set sail for the Jewish Himyarite kingdom to avenge Christians martyred by Dhu Nuwas and to convert Yemen to Christianity.
Salvēte, if you’re a French speaker, the late Latinist and Hellenist Philippe Remacle’s site offers Latin and Greek classics with parallel French readings, an excellent resource for learners to asses their comprehension:
https://t.co/Ei4iVE64hA
Japanese presence in Somalia during the Sengoku era:
Envoys of the Tenshō Embassy anchored off Mogadishu to resupply. The account further notes Somali-Ottoman naval clashes with the Portuguese armada & European Catholics rejoicing in their victory over the “Saracens” (c. 1500s).