The sad story of Edouard Beaupre, the giant with a calm heart

That Edouard Beaupre was a giant, no one could doubt it.His 2.52 cm testified that way.Now, despite his resounding or threatening image, he that almost no one knew was that he was a cultured man, and of a serene, kind character.His calm gaze captive a large part of the people who knew him.

And maybe because of that, we are surprised by the sad end that this Canadian giant and circus star of the time had, when death came precipitously to his life.

Today in Science Daily Online we invite you to know the history of one of the most famous giants in our history: Edouard Beaupre.

The giant of Canada

Edouard Beaupre was born in Willow Bunch , Canada, and was neither more nor less, than the oldest of 20 brothers. There are records that when he reached 9 years old he had a height of 1.85 cm, and at 11, he exceeded 2 meters.Incredible, no doubt.

There is no diagnosis as to what his disease was, but it is suspected that he should have some alteration in the growth gland.What is known is that this excessive growth caused a great suffering throughout his childhood and adolescence, to such an extent that he was forced to leave school.

However, Edouard continued studying at home, becoming an exquisitely cultured man.He spoke numerous languages ​​(including native Indian languages ) and was skilled in a multitude of disciplines.Now, the dream of our young Edouard was to be a horseman.He was good at riding horses and riding when he was still a child, but his first tragedy came the day when one of his horses farm, he was frightened and I disfigured his face.

His family, who was no stranger to the Expectation that Edouard caused among the neighbors, he thought that in view of his facial disfigurement and immense stature, it could certainly be a "human phenomenon" to exhibit in the circuses.They did.They found a promoter and started touring with Edouard.

You'll wonder what our protagonist said about it.Actually, we don't know how he should feel when he saw his family pushing him into that life of spectacles and human humiliation.He acquired a remarkable reputation and evidently managed to keep his 19 brothers and his parents in a good economic position.

With little more than 20 years, the circus shows became exhibitions in those who fight with other large-scale men to bet.Physical efforts, travel, pressures...All this just made him sick, so it is known that on March 25, 1901, Edouard had to get off a stage due to the tuberculosis.

However, that was not everything.He had a tumor in the pituitary gland , something that he revealed to his audience one night while he was asking for a glass of water.He would die a few days later and with little more than 23 years, regretting he couldn't being with his parents in the last moments.

But the story of the giant Edouard Beaupre did not end here.In the beginning, William Burke , director of the circus, thought it would be fine to embalm the corpse to keep it.And he did it, and then he decided to contact the family to take care of the body, the transfer to his hometown and the subsequent burial.And indeed, his parents and brothers agreed, but the corpse of Edouard I don't arrive.In fact, it would take almost 80 years to arrive.What the promoter did was keep the corpse for expo Nerd a few days in a street of Brodway, and thus, earn money.

Later, the authorities demanded that Edouard's body be removed from the windows to be buried as it should. Did your peculiar journey end here? Not at all.The corpse was sold to the Eden Museum, next to the National Monument St-Laurent Street, in Canada.Alli was for 3 years.

In 1907 some children found the giant's corpse in a shed , abandoned, gave the alarm and then, from the forgetfulness of the Eden Museum , Edouard's embalmed body then went to a medical school , resting behind a glass and everyone's sight.

We know that this data will surprise you, but it wasn't until 1989, when one of his nephews claimed Finally, his uncle's body went to the University.Then he agreed to burn the remains of that embalmed body that he had not yet been able to rest.Edouard Beaupre received the highest honors one day in July 1990, raising a figure in his honor and in his hometown: Willow Bunch .

Moment in which finally, the kind-hearted giant, could rest quietly...