The unusually thin lower legs, compared to his massive upper body, became the center of speculation. In a world where superstition often replaced science, this was interpreted as meaningful. It was believed that physical asymmetry could indicate reproductive patterns. Some claimed it suggested a tendency to father more sons.
And sons, in the slave economy, were currency.
This belief had no basis in biology. It was a myth sustained by profit-driven imagination. But in the nineteenth century, myths that increased economic advantage were often treated as truth long enough to justify transactions worth fortunes.
