Mirin Dajo
Encyclopedia
Mirin Dajo was the pseudonym
of Dutch fakir
Arnold Gerrit Henskes (August 6, 1912 – May 26, 1948).
He became famous for radically piercing his body with all kinds of objects and apparently without injury, even astounding the medical community
at the time.
. He started out trying a career in the Beaux Arts
. He headed a design firm in his twenties. During his earlier years he had had all sorts of dreams and "paranormal
" experiences. It was not until he turned 33 he claimed to realize that his body was "invulnerable." As a result he left his job and went to Amsterdam
. Hanging around pubs, he made money by letting people pierce his body with "dagger-like objects." He also swallowed glass and razor blades.
Notorious for his radical “body piercings” Dajo was now able to explain, or preach, his views of reality. As he saw it people should abandon the materialistic
world view and accept there was a higher force, the Source. God was using him, through his invulnerability, to show us there was something better out there. His conviction was that materialism only results in misery and war.
At that time he adopted his stage name
Mirin Dajo, Esperanto
for "wonder" (the right form should be: "mirindaĵo" - wonder, abstract substantive derived from adjective "mirinda" - wonderful). He saw the use of Esperanto -one language to be used around the world- as a way of uniting mankind, his primary goal. Because he needed a license to perform in public he was taken to Professor Carp, Dr. Bertholt and Dr. Stokvis of the University of Leiden. They allowed his act but not his concomitant lecture, thereby hindering the "mission" to inform the world of his message of "love and peace".
Although not as widely documented as his sword piercing feats, there were claims by his name that said his invulnerability had been proven by numerous means.
In the interview by Time, he also declared his invulnerability having been tested with burning irons, boiling water and having been shot through the head from half a yard distance in two opportunities. He supported this by exhibiting two scars allegedly from the shots, one in the center of the forehead and the other above his right eye.
In 1947, he moved to Switzerland and initially was only granted a license to perform without the ability to speak to the public. In his performances Dajo used several assistants but after meeting Jan Dirk de Groot he became his only one. According to De Groot, Dajo had several guardian angel
s, was telepathic and could heal people. Time magazine
reported on an appearance at the Corso Theatre in Zürich
. The article alleged: "that Dajo had 'proved' to Zurich doctors that his act was not based on fakery."
He was allegedly instructed by voices to eat a steel needle which he did on May 11, 1948. It was surgically removed on May 13, 1948. Ten days later he laid down on a bed and apparently was in a trance-like state for the next three days. After that he was pronounced dead. The medical examiner performed an autopsy which revealed Dajo had died of an aortic rupture
. This was contested by De Groot and the aforementioned surgeon.
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
of Dutch fakir
Fakir
The fakir or faqir ; ) Derived from faqr is a Muslim Sufi ascetic in Middle East and South Asia. The Faqirs were wandering Dervishes teaching Islam and living on alms....
Arnold Gerrit Henskes (August 6, 1912 – May 26, 1948).
He became famous for radically piercing his body with all kinds of objects and apparently without injury, even astounding the medical community
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
at the time.
Early life
He was born in RotterdamRotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
. He started out trying a career in the Beaux Arts
Fine art
Fine art or the fine arts encompass art forms developed primarily for aesthetics and/or concept rather than practical application. Art is often a synonym for fine art, as employed in the term "art gallery"....
. He headed a design firm in his twenties. During his earlier years he had had all sorts of dreams and "paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
" experiences. It was not until he turned 33 he claimed to realize that his body was "invulnerable." As a result he left his job and went to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. Hanging around pubs, he made money by letting people pierce his body with "dagger-like objects." He also swallowed glass and razor blades.
Mission
Materialism
In philosophy, the theory of materialism holds that the only thing that exists is matter; that all things are composed of material and all phenomena are the result of material interactions. In other words, matter is the only substance...
world view and accept there was a higher force, the Source. God was using him, through his invulnerability, to show us there was something better out there. His conviction was that materialism only results in misery and war.
At that time he adopted his stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Mirin Dajo, Esperanto
Esperanto
is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto , the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887...
for "wonder" (the right form should be: "mirindaĵo" - wonder, abstract substantive derived from adjective "mirinda" - wonderful). He saw the use of Esperanto -one language to be used around the world- as a way of uniting mankind, his primary goal. Because he needed a license to perform in public he was taken to Professor Carp, Dr. Bertholt and Dr. Stokvis of the University of Leiden. They allowed his act but not his concomitant lecture, thereby hindering the "mission" to inform the world of his message of "love and peace".
Although not as widely documented as his sword piercing feats, there were claims by his name that said his invulnerability had been proven by numerous means.
In the interview by Time, he also declared his invulnerability having been tested with burning irons, boiling water and having been shot through the head from half a yard distance in two opportunities. He supported this by exhibiting two scars allegedly from the shots, one in the center of the forehead and the other above his right eye.
Switzerland
Guardian angel
A guardian angel is an angel assigned to protect and guide a particular person or group. Belief in guardian angels can be traced throughout all antiquity...
s, was telepathic and could heal people. Time magazine
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
reported on an appearance at the Corso Theatre in Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
. The article alleged: "that Dajo had 'proved' to Zurich doctors that his act was not based on fakery."
He was allegedly instructed by voices to eat a steel needle which he did on May 11, 1948. It was surgically removed on May 13, 1948. Ten days later he laid down on a bed and apparently was in a trance-like state for the next three days. After that he was pronounced dead. The medical examiner performed an autopsy which revealed Dajo had died of an aortic rupture
Aortic dissection
Aortic dissection occurs when a tear in the inner wall of the aorta causes blood to flow between the layers of the wall of the aorta and force the layers apart. The dissection typically extends anterograde, but can extend retrograde from the site of the intimal tear. Aortic dissection is a medical...
. This was contested by De Groot and the aforementioned surgeon.
External links
- „Lost original film“
- De Onkwetsbare Profeet: Het Nederlandse Fenomeen Mirin Dajohttp://www.boekbalie.nl/boekdetail.jsp?boekId=439835 (Dutch) by Jan Dirk de Groot
- Mirin Dajo, de wonderman by Luc Bürgin
- L'homme brochette video with French commentary. on YoutubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- Unverletzbar! Mirin Dajo und seine Wunder by Luc Bürgin
- Fistula of fun Lightweight BBC ThreeBBC ThreeBBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
show tries to debunk, posted at Cabinet of Wonders. - Mirin Dajo by Klapetek J., Cas Lek Cesk. 1968 Mar;107(13):400-2. PMID 4874675
- Miracles of the human body; the case of Mirin Dajo by DA SILVA MELLO A., Rev Bras Med. 1950 Jul;7(7):450-6. PMID 14781476