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Hello to eveyone, i read this recently in a magazine article. i absolutely loved it, i found it so funny i could not stop laughing. fiction, fact who knows. anyway,apparently, according to this periodical, to this day Alexander is used as a substitute for someone like the 'bogey man' by mothers to frighten their troublesome children in some parts of India.and i quote:towns, cities and people are named after him and even now, some mothers frighten their troublesome children by telling them that this Greek dude is on his way to see them. This makes the little darlings sit like stones, petrified at the very thought of this Greek fellow's pending visit.would this correlate to alexander having horns on his head? kind regards,Stavros

That is TOO funny, but possibly true! Ruthaki

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Well aparently, according to Michael Wood, this is the exact same threat that mothers use towards their naughty kids in modern-day Iran as well!

And exactly what people in Romania used to say to their children [when they were too frisky], but for them that would have been that nobleman belonging to the Dracul family. Funny how people all around go the same!

When I was not eating my food as a kid (that means everyday:-) my mother use to say that "the bogeyman will come to get you" (baboulas in Greek). Or she'd say that she'll call the policemen to put me in prison.
I still don't like the police to this day!

A Macedonian journalist friend of mine told me that when he was a child (living very near the site of the Lion of Amphipolis) that children (him included) were told by their mothers if they misbehaved the Lion would come and get them. I guess every culture has it's childhood 'threats'.
But I still think the Alexander one is hilarious! ruthaki

it would be intresting to know what name they use in India scare their children. whether mothers use "the Greek" or "Alexander" or maybe an Indian term of some sort. cheersstavros

It's an old habit.We're told that Roman Matrons for decades, indeed centuries, after the Punic wars, used to scarify troublesome kiddies with the words 'Hannibal ad Portas.' Hannibal is at the gates. Apparently it would work too!