The Rib of Remus

 There are very different versions and tales of the legend of Romulus and Remus. In one of those stories Remulus had his brother killed after he mockingly jumped over the outline where defensive walls were to be built to protect the city of Rome, an act that was perceived as a crime of lèse-majesté, a rebellious display of contempt against the sovereignty of the place. That particular tale is the responsible for the most popular nickname of this artifact.

The item known as the Rib of Remus supposedly is an ancient piece of human bone engraved with the words “Amare patriae non est nostra lex”, Latin for “Loving our homeland is not our law”. This slab is roughly five centimetres long, one and a half cm wide and only a few millimetres thick, and seems to be apparently useless and innocuous despite the morbid material of which it is allegedly made. However, several scholars link this artifact with several historic socio-political upheavals.

According to these researchers, it is possible to pinpoint the exact location of the rib during events like the Samaritan Revolt, the War of Scottish Independence or the French Revolution. According to historical records and personal documents, this ubiquitous piece of bone was, during each of those periods, in the hands of somebody directly involved with the rebellious movement but never owned by the central figures of each insurrection. For instance, the wife of one of the members of La Montagne wrote about finding the artifact before the Robespierre brothers were beheaded and, in another instance, a scavenger found it on the body of a rebel after the Battle of Stirling Bridge and sold it to a private collector.

This relic seems to attract, or be attracted to, uprising movements. Some occultists believe that the rebellious spirit of the original owner of the bone slowly influences those around the artifact. Meanwhile, other scholars theorise that there are several “ribs” and that they are just the calling card of a millenary anarchist conspiracy.  Independently of which theory is correct, if any, what seems to be an irrefutable truth is that this particular icon is irrevocably associated with periods of social unrest.

The current location of this item---or items---is unknown, but recent upheavals in Middle East are believed to be a possible omen of its reapparition, and several government agencies and third parties seem pretty interested in acquiring or destroying this controversial relic. But, is this tool a flame that kindles the fires of rebellion or is it only a magnet that is attracted to these events? Was it created to provoke chaos or does it inspire a need for freedom? These are the true enigmas surrounding this ancient artifact.