Three Legs and money (and cats): Factoid of the day

The BBC notes the latest scandal in Turkey: the suspicion that family members of the politicians hid their money in the Isle of Man.

On Monday, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of Turkey's main opposition party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), reportedly claimed relatives of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent millions of dollars to an offshore company based on the Isle of Man.

related BBC links about the place, and how it evolved into a financial center.

The island that swapped donkey rides for offshore cash

Paradise Papers: Isle of Man says tax laws 'transparent'

Paradise Papers: Isle of Man law 'sanctioned' tax dodge

more about the Isle of Man here at Wikipedia. How come it can get away with the banking shennanigans?

because it is a "self governing" Crown dependency, not part of the UK proper.

The crazy part of the Isle of Man is their flag. WTF?

photo credit;BBC

the symbol goes way back: Some attribute it to their 13th century links to Sicily...or maybe Austria.

The symbol is a variation of the Triskelion:

A triskelion or triskele is a motif consisting of a triple spiral exhibiting rotational symmetry. The spiral design can be based on interlocking Archimedean spirals, or represent three bent human legs.
Both terms are from Greek "τρισκέλιον" (triskelion) or "τρισκελής" (triskeles), "three-legged",^[1] from prefix "τρι-" (tri-), "three times"^[2] + "σκέλος" (skelos), "leg".^[3]A triskelion is a traditional symbol of Sicily, where it is called trinacria,^[4] and of the Isle of Man.^[5]

Flag of Sicily: Photo source Myriam Thyes / Klone123

but again, the origin is obscure: Probably based on neolithic and Bronze age designs:

Gaulish helmet: Cétautomatix (artéfact), Ec.Domnowall (SVG) - Musée d'archéologie nationale Image:Casque d'Amfreville Eure.jpg

but the leg symbol in Sicily goes back to the Minoan period:

Triskelion of Sicily of the Minoan period (archaeological museum of Agrigento)

and one more thing: The Isle of Man is not named for man, as in human beings:

according to Wikipedia

 The island is named after the Irish god Manannán mac Lir, thus Ellan Vannin (Irish Oileán Mhannanáin) 'Mannanán's Island'.

Ironically, before it became famous (or infamous) as a tax shelter place, it was mainly famous for it's tailless cats.

Probably a mutation from interbreeding (like Hemingway's cats with their six toes).

 A lot of the feral cats here have shortened tails, stopping about half the normal length in a 90 degree turn and one more inch. This is seen in about ten percent of the feral cats, and is seen in cats of all different colours...

but the Manx cats have even shorter tails:

JUMPINJIM, WIKIPEDIA//CC BY-SA 3.0

MentalFloss has an article on the cats.