Part 1

I am he who is constantly appearing, whose real nature is unknown,
I am yesterday, “He who has seen a million years” is one name of mine,
I pass along the ways of those sky-beings who determine destinies,
I am the master of eternity, ordering how I am fated, like the Great Beetle.

—The Book of the Dead, Chapter XLII, Papyrus of Nu

Human-faced Insects at MOWW

Takeshi Yamada’s Museum of World Wonders (formerly Coney Island Anthropological Society, which was destroyed by the Dreamland Fire of 1911) has been collecting unique, rare, wild, odd, freak, curious, mysterious, monstrous and wondrous natural specimens, artifacts and artworks from all over the world for public display (currently in Coney Island area of Brooklyn, New York, USA).

The MOWW is also internationally known for its large collection (specimens, gaffs and artworks) of rare and extinct arthropods such as the 3-feet prehistoric giant horseshoe crabs, 4-feet giant sea centipede, nuclear radiation beetle of Bikini Atoll, St. Helena’s giant earwig, and fossilized giant cockroaches, etc. Among the MOWW arthropods exhibits, without doubt, human-faced insects are the most popular collections. (Needless to say, MOWW also has a large collection of human-faced fish, Fiji mermaids, mermen, human-faced amphibians, human-faced plants, human-faced clams, etc. for public display.)

Some of these mind-bending, truly remarkable freaks of nature have been shown (as one of the community outreach educational programs of MOWW) at museums, colleges/universities, nature centers, commercial fine art galleries, public libraries, and traveling sideshows in numerous cities in the United States and Japan. Examples of them are American Museum of Natural History, Washsatch Museum of Oddities, Museum of World Oddities, Salt Marsh Nature Center, Long Island University, St. Joseph’s College, Maryland Institute College of Art, Arsenal Gallery (New York City Park & Recreation Department), Orchard Beach Nature Center, Williamsburg Art & Historical Center, Coney Island Library, Diesal Gallery, Van der Plas Gallery, Yamada Art Center, etc.

The human-faced insect collections at Takeshi Yamada’s Museum of World Wonders are divided into four groups. The first group is live human-faced insects in terrarium tanks for public display. Some of these animals on display are also available for purchase in the gift shop section of the museum.

The second group consists of 100% traditional Victorian style taxidermies. Some insects’ human faces occur naturally to their species, other insects have human faces due to birth defects and/or injuries or illness. These are generally considered “monsters” and “freaks”, although they are also considered “sacred creatures” in some communities as a consequence of their legends, mythologies, and cultural back grounds. Extremely rare fossils and ambers of human-faced insects are also displayed in this section.

The third group is man-enhanced or manmade specimens. They are the insect versions of Jenny Hanivers or Fiji mermaids. They are called “gaffs” in the business of American circus sideshows. (Jenny Hanivers is a preserved hoax creature made from a real sea creature such as fish.  Varieties of sea monsters were also created by mutilating common stingrays. In Indonesia, the Fiji mermaid resembling the ones collected by P.T. Barnum was traditionally created by sawing a monkey head, baby orangutan torso, and tail of a fish together for religious rituals). A group of fossilized fairies and fairy-like creatures are also displayed here.

“Fossilized Fairy” featured in the exhibition poster of the Coney Island Library in

Brooklyn, New York. Two photographs of Takeshi Yamada’s fossilized fairies won the

first prize of the annual photo contest sponsored by paranormal.about.com in 2006.

The last group consists of 100% manmade products utilizing human-faced insects. Examples of them are official postal stamps issued by various governments, movie posters, postcards, and fine art (drawing, oil paintings, sculptures, jewelry) featuring the images of human-faced insects.

In all these forms, these specimens of wonder and mystery have been collected and treasured by collectors for their cabinets of curiosities across the world for many centuries.

Remarkable facts about Insects

Insects are the most diverse group of organisms, meaning that there are more species of insects than any other group -- well over 1 million. Some experts estimate that there might be as many as 10 million living species of insects in the world. This represents approximately 80 percent of the world's species of creatures; this planet is practically owned and ruled by insects. Without insects, human beings as a species (as well as most animal and plant species on our planet) would face certain extinction within a very short period of time.

Fossil records show that insects existed on this planet before humans. Insects do not need humans but humans need insects. Most authorities agree that there are more insect species that have not been named (in Latin) than there are insect species that have been previously named. Insects are divided up into about 32 orders, of which, depending on whose taxonomic system you use, the largest is the beetle, or Coleoptera, with 125 different families and around 500,000 species. Recent figures indicate that there are more than 200 million insects for each human on the planet.

Among entomologists, it is commonly agreed that the main reason people find so many varieties of insects with human faces in contrast to other creatures is the sheer numbers of insects. They are literally everywhere.

Following are selected examples of major insects with human-faces. Photographs were supplied from the library of Takeshi Yamada’s Museum of World Wonders and Yamada Art Center in Brooklyn, New York. 

Human-faced Ants

It is widely accepted in the anthropological community that humans have a basic belief that they were created in the image of God. This archetype can be found in both Western and Eastern civilizations. This belief is also one of the central building blocks of the world’s major religions -- Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Shintoism, Taoism, etc. Therefore, for people who hold these beliefs it is especially shocking to find primitive creatures with human-faces. 

Each country has unique explanations for the existence of human-faced insects. There are many mythologies across the globe about transformation of humans into insects and insects into humans.

According to the Greek mythology, when a plague wiped out all of the inhabitants of the island of Aegina, the king asked Zeus for help. Zeus transformed the island's ants into a race of soldiers knows as Myrmidons, who later helped the king's grandson, Achilles, win the Trojan War. The name Myrmidons or Μυρμιδόνες, literally means "ant-people". They were  as fierce and hardy as ants, and intensely loyal to their leader. The story of their origin was first mentioned by the poet Ovid.

Human-faced ant in Greece

One of the most famous episodes in Indian mythology is the story of Indra and the Ants. In the episode, the Lord of the god realm, Indra, was told a story by a mysterious boy.  The boy pointed to the ants, saying, "These are each and everyone an Indra.  Over many lifetimes they have risen from the lowest state of existence to the highest one.  Whenever they let loose a thunderbolt to smash an adversary, they are consumed with satisfaction and pride, and then back down they go again." It was the lesson of law of Karma. 

Human-faced ants in India

Human-faced ant in New Jersey in America

Human-faced Flies

In Japan, human-faced insects are called Jinmen-chu or Jinmen-mushi (人面虫). In the country of the rising sun, unlike the western world, people developed closer relationships with insects for many centuries, and there are even special sections dedicated to pet insect species at department stores today. For Japanese people some species of insects (such as Suzumushi (Japanese Bell Cricket), or Kuwagatamushi (stag beetle), are as essential as cats/dogs are to Americans. There is even an old saying “Mushi no shirase ga aru” (a message was delivered by an insect/bug”), which represents insects as vital messengers of Kami (Gods, Goddesses, Manifestations of Divinity) of Shinto (Japan’s national religion). Both Shinto and Buddhism (the second most popular religion) teach the doctrine of reincarnation of life. Insects with human-faces are considered as the proof of their religious doctrine. The appearance of human-faced insects such as Jimmen-bae (human-faced fly) and Jimmen-ari (human-faced ant) are considered messengers from God/Goddess and are often regarded as omens of approaching famine and war. By the same token, the record of Kabashira 蚊柱蚊柱(蚊柱a column of swarming mosquitoes) as an omen can be also found in documents as far back as 14th Century (Muromachio Period).

Nimen Jinmen-bae (Double Human-faced Fly) in Osaka, Japan

From “Encyclopedia of Curious Creatures”

Human-faced Blue Fly in America

Human-faced fly, New York City in America

Napoleon Fly with King’s Crown (Human-faced House Fly) in Paris, France

Louis XIV Fly with King’s Crown (Human-faced Stable Fly) in Paris, France

King Kamehameha Fly with Head Piece (Human-faced Horn Fly) in Hawaii

Note: The common house fly (Musca domestica) lives in close proximity to humans. It has a short but prolific life-cycle of about 18 days, during which each female will lay up to 2000 eggs. It feeds indiscriminately on organic material, including decomposing matter, and carries numerous diseases to humans through food contamination. More than 100 pathogens associated with the house fly may cause disease in humans and animals.

(Continue to Part 2)

Disclaimer: This literature was written in the style and format of 16th century scholastic zoological books. One such distinguished book is On Monsters and Marvels by Ambrose Paré. Paré was chief surgeon to both Charles IX and Henri III, and is considered the best physician and true Renaissance man in the 16th century. This literature was also produced in the time honored traditional, inspirational and entertaining manner of the American circus sideshow and Dime Museum. For these reasons, despite the best efforts of the author, some of the visual and textual information contained in this article many be fictional, and in such cases, any resemblance to real life subject matter is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved by Takeshi Yamada, September 2006. Revised May 2007.

Museum of World Wonders in Coney Island.  E-mail: yamada108@aol.com

Special thanks to Eriko N. Bond, Lauren D. Travis, Maremi Kakushina, Abraham Morris, and Deborah Zingale.

Takeshi Yamada © 2007 Copyright all rights reserved

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