Damo

Damo can refer to:

Damo (philosopher)

Damo (Greek: Δαμώ; c. 500 BC) was a Pythagorean philosopher said by many to have been the daughter of Pythagoras and Theano.

Though references to Damo can be found in the works of Diogenes Laërtius, Athenaeus and Iamblichus, little is known about her life. Tradition relates that she was born in Croton, and was the daughter of Pythagoras and Theano. Some accounts refer to her as an only daughter, while others indicate that she had two sisters, Arignote and Myia (married to Milo of Croton). With their brother Telauges, they became members of the Pythagorean sect founded by their father. As the sect credited Pythagoras with authorship for members' work, it is likely that Damo contributed to the doctrines ascribed to the philosopher. According to one story, Pythagoras bequeathed his writings to Damo, and she kept them safe, refusing to sell them, believing that poverty and her father's solemn injunctions were more precious than gold. Damo, in turn, passed the writings on to her daughter Bitale. The writings, as well as those by Damo herself, are not known to have survived. According to Iamblichus, she was a sister of Telauges.

Damo (Korea)

Damo specifically refers to class of servants during the Joseon Dynasty who were considered lower than slaves in their overall ranking within Korean society. Their main responsibility was to serve tea to the gentries. (Damo is literally translated as "Tea Lady".) Damos were also employed in the palace to work as attendants in various government departments.

Some historical records have indicated that in certain times, Damos were used as police officers to investigate crime, mostly for adultery and other crimes involving women, where male investigators could not ask questions about the case without causing embarrassment. They were required to be " taller than 150 centimeters, weigh around 40-45 kilograms, be very agile, flexible, and even withstand large quantities of alcohol without getting drunk."

This unique institution was the main inspiration for the 2003 Korean miniseries Damo, which in turn was based on Bang Hak-gi's manhwa Damo Nam-soon.

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