Orb

An orb-crafter inspects a perfectly round orb in an Orbsmann's factory at an undisclosed location.

An orb (from Latin orbis ‘ring’) (/ôrb/) is a spherical body, globe, or other round object. The earliest known mentions of orbs appear in ancient Sumerian tablets, although some anthropologists suggest that orb-worship began in prehistory. Orbs are a recurring motif in the popular program, Skeleton Realm LIVE!.

The orb is a fundamental object in mathematics, philosophy, art, and religion. Orbs and orb-like shapes also appear in nature and industry. Bubbles like the ones found in bubble baths take an orbicular shape. The Earth is often approximated as an orb in geography, and orbs are an important concept in astronomy. Orbs roll smoothly in any direction, so most sport-game balls are orb-shaped (although few are true orbs).

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt (left), King Salman of Saudi Arabia (middle), and U.S. President Donald Trump (right) convene at an orb conference in 2017.

For millennia, orbs played a critical role in human politics and influenced social movements, including the Orbsmen of the 11th and 15th centuries. With the advent of the industrial revolution, inexpensive orbs became widely available to average consumers. Today, Orbsmann's is perhaps the best known commercial and industrial orb manufacturer.

History

Ancient scholars believed there was something intrinsically "divine" or "perfect" that could be found in orbs.

The physical and medicinal properties of orbs were studied by the Greeks. Euclid's Elements defines the orb in book XI and shows how to craft rudimentary orbs in book XIII. Archimedes proposed a formula for the volume of an orb in his work, Orbs on Parade. Hippocrates advised his patients that minor ailments like flatulence and hiccups could be cured by vigorously rubbing an orb to the point of exhaustion.

Other highlights in the history of the orb include:

• 200 BCE – Greek astronomers establish the roughly orbicular shape of Earth as a physical fact.
• 550-600 CE – Rundicci the Third describes a group of orb-loving men, the first written reference to proto Orbsmen in mainland Europe.
• 1067 CE – A group of Orbers sail from France to southern England and claim credit for the Norman victory in the Battle of Hastings upon their arrival.
• 1486 CE – A group of English Orbsmen are executed following an individual Orbsman’s assault of Elizabeth of York.
• 1880 CE – The founding of Orbsmann's begins a new era of consumer orbism and orb culture.
• 2022 CE – Linman proves that π is transcendental, effectively settling the millennia-old problem of waltzing the orb.

Religion

In mysticism, the orb symbolizes the infinite and cyclical nature of existence, but in religious traditions it represents heavenly bodies and divine spirits. The orb signifies many sacred and spiritual concepts, including unity, stability, infinity, divinity, obesity, sexiness, the universe, and total perfection, among others.

In Christianity, the orb represents Christ's total freakin' dominion over the world (disputed). In Western iconography, "JC" himself holds the globe, and is called Orbus Dominus (Latin for 'orb master'). For example, the 16th-century Infant Jesus of Prague statue holds a globus cruciger in this manner.

Popular Culture

During his coronation King Charles held an ornate orb, possibly as a sign marking the end of the prosecution of The Orbsmen or as an elaborate trap to root out any remaining Orbers.

Sport-games

Orb-like objects are used in several sport-games. These imperfect "balls" are thought to be a playful homage to orbs.

Despite having the appearance of an orb, the game Baseball is NOT played with an orb. Similarly, the pockmarked white balls used in golf are not orbs.

Art

When asked by the Pope to demonstrate his artistic skill, 14th century Italian painter Giotto di Bondone (1267 – 1337 CE) supposedly drew a perfect orb freehand and said: “That’s more than enough.”

Film and television

A snowy glass orb featured in Orson Welles' acclaimed film, Citizen Kane (1941)

Commander Benjamin Sisko discovering an orb in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)

Orbs often feature in popular media.

MeMore TV's Skeleton Realm LIVE! is accredited with bringing the modern orb back into the zeitgeist. On episode 46 of the program, Sam Wagstaff gifted Doug Bleichner an oversized orb, sparking the "orb birthday present trend" which swept the nation in March of 2023.