THE MOST ABSURD MYTHS ABOUT DEAFNESS IN WORLD HISTORY

The present study gathered mentions and historical data on the vision of society about deaf people dating back the first mankind reports on the topic. The analysis of the facts accessed several sources, comprising a broad variety of texts, from books and scientific websites to entertainment brochures. The study had as objective and goal the compilation of a material with examples of some of the most absurd myths and mentions ever documented about human deafness, showing the power of creative ignorance and how this can hinder even more the life of people inflicted by hearing impairment. The findings pointed out to some considerations; the most obvious is the power of religious ignorance and ill-conceived interpretations and translations, as well as the people's fear when coming across something they do not understand and, for this reason, they end up not knowing how to react. However, it is necessary to make clear that the authors never had the intention of disrespecting, offending or humiliating the authors of the examples used and their religious beliefs. Ultimately, the present study has the purpose of introducing myths and considerations about deaf people and trying to unveil these myths to elucidate and provide explanations for their correction. It also aims at divulging obtained and analyzed technical data to record them permanently, providing a study and data source to encourage other researchers in the area to develop further studies.