Sciapod

by Miss Roberts

Mythological person with one leg and one large foot.

A sciapod shading himself from the sun, pen and watercolour on handmade paper, JV Roberts.

Sciapods are mythological dwarf-like people with one leg and one  very large foot. The name comes from “shadow feet” in Greek. They are able to leap with surprising agility (Pliny Natural History) and are in the habit of lying on their backs in hot whether using their feet as shade against the sun. In this position they can be mistaken for large mushrooms.