The Hairy Tale of The Lion Faced Boy

Unusual As Usual

Stephan Bibrowski was born in 1890 in Bielsk near Warsaw, Poland. He was born with a rare medical condition called congenital terminal hypertrichosis which caused his entire body to be covered in long, thick hair.

As the story goes, his mother, while heavily pregnant, witnessed his father being attacked and killed by an escaped circus lion - this frightful event his mother experienced caused him to be born with feline features, playing into the wrongful belief at the time that the emotional experiences of a pregnant woman could have a lasting physical effect on their unborn child.

Lionel the lion faced boy, as he was professionally known, spoke five languages and learned tumbling skills from the acrobats, practicing his handstands and using his quick and nimble physique to perfect his backflips. Lionel passed away in 1932 in Berlin from a heart attack, aged 41.

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Fact Analysis: Although careful research is implemented to assure accurate and correct information, sometimes it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction (or ‘humbug', as P.T. Barnum would say). If you find any information in this podcast inaccurate, please do let me know via social media.