What Is Shiola?

We here at Shiola have no idea what it means so we decided to find out and where better than the internet. We found a few references to Shiola...

• 'Shiola' by Murder By Death - Got an email from some guy called Percy saying that a band called 'Murder By Death' had released a new album 'Al Bocca al Lupo' and one of the songs was called 'Shiola'. So I had to check it out. Thought they were some local crappy band, but it turns out they are listed in iTunes US - so I bought the track.

It's pretty good too, I like it. Kinda folksy, rock track. Just go to iTunes and search the music store for 'shiola' and you'll find it.

Here's the chorus:

shiola, will all be forgiven?
shiola, am i strong enough to start again alone?

• Elfwood - This is a drawing of an elf like character named 'Shiola' by Madison Stewart who's drawn loads of these types of drawings. Why name her character Shiola? We contacted her to find out more and she said she just made the name up. Great minds think alike! We asked her if she could draw a special Shiola drawing for Shiola.com and on October 26th 2002 all our wildest fantasies came true. Below is the fantastic drawing that Madison did for us. Make sure you visit Madison's site and see her other creations.

• Ancestry.com - there's a whole bunch of 'Shiola's' here on Ancestry.com. The best name has to go to 'Shiola Stoops' born in 1858 in Armstrong, PA. Must be some kind of outlaw.

• Shiola Creek Pt.II - I've just found another map site that has listed 'Shiola Creek'. Click on the link to open it up in a new window. The new info gleaned from this map shows that Shiola Creek runs down from the 'Government Hills' into the 'Yockanookany River', which is meant to be good for Largemouth Bass, Bluegill and Catfish!! The stuff you can find on the internet eh?! By the looks of things, the nearest town is Saint Ann.

• Shiola Creek - There is a creek in Leake County, Mississippi, USA called 'Shiola Creek'. The above link takes you to some minimal information or you can click here and view a map of where this magnificent creek is. Unfortunately I can't find any photos or get much info about this so if anyone lives near Shiola Creek then give us the low down and be an honoury member of Shiola.com.

• Shiola Kebiyotina - Shiola Kebiyotina is a real athlete, yes, Shiola is a first name in Kenya. Plus, she won Gold in her race. No pictures of this fine athelete though. I bet she's hot though.

• Hoodlum - "Boy, you sniffin' that Shiola?" apparently the following line is a quote from a mafia movie called 'Hoodlum'. Never heard of it but apparently you can sniff Shiola, they weren't referring to Miss Kebiyotina I hope.

• Shiola Gudushauri (original link now dead - http://www.osgf.ge/suntni/ArAchkhoti-KorshaEng.htm) - Sno Fortress belonged to Shiola Gudushauri, according to legend. Yes, according to 'Legend'! Shiola Gudushauri is a legend. We've been trying to find out more about this legend who is from Georgia (Europe, ex Soviet Union - on The Black Sea) but having no joy. We've emailed a few people we've found on the internet who are either from Georgia or who have something to do with Georgian history but none of them have heard of him. There's no contact details on this web site either, so if you can help then please let us know. The legend of Shiola should not be left to be undiscovered.

• We got an email, via a newsgroup posting we made, from someone called Germane. They have to be considered the world expert on Shiola Ghudushauri, as we haven't met anyone else who knows anything!! Read what Germane posted below...

"Hi there...
the correct spelling for name of this fine gentleman would be Shiola Ghudushauri, and any half-wit in Georgia would know of his "infamous" lifestyle...

The cynics who lived thru Soviet times would describe Shiola as a mere pimp, man who built the first "brothel" in Georgia (believed to be year 1527, under reign of King Luarsab I), drunkard who wasted his life and inheritance chasing women and life's earthly pleasures. But these would be the same old communists party members who "opted" for classless society - and "class" is what they refuse to acknowledge in Shiola's way.

In today's terms, the gentleman in question, Shiola Ghudushauri, was the first true entertainer in Georgia's long history, man of passion for the finest wines, seducer of King Luarsab's sister, and lover to Shah Sephian 's daughter. Shiola's lavish dinner-parties were topics of discussion in Georgian high society and an invitation to Ghudushauri Castle was considered a great honour, as there, one would most certainly meet the King...

It all started when Prince Luarsab and young Shiola deciding to build a castle as an architectural challenge. A castle like The Castle Of Qajs (*) which they read about in Rustaveli's The Tigerskin (aka The Knight In Panther's Skin). After they finished building, they started thinking about what to do with this masterful creation... and after consuming few bottles of Georgian red, they decided to turn it into a party house. Which later come to be known as Ghudushauri Castle - The Party House.

Set in the scenic valley Sno, with huge dining room and bedrooms with beautiful views, Ghudushauri Castle become an entertainment venue for princes and nobleman of Georgia and neighbour countries. It's rumoured that King of Osmalia was a frequent visitor... After engaging themselves with succulent Georgian food and drinking themselves under the table with fine Georgian wine, guest would retire to their bedrooms with attractive house-maids, sometimes two. The parties lasted for weeks, and longer during Rtveli (wine-picking). Ghudushauri Castle was the place where most of royal fantasies came true... It was also reported that rich businessmen and traders were getting the same service, no doubt for princely sums...

But the trouble was brewing. In 1555, Iran and Turkey signed a pact according to which Georgia would be divided in halves, East and West. Western part would be ruled by Turkey and Eastern half by Iran. Simple. And where would be a better place to inform Georgian King Svimon I of this decision, than Ghudushauri Castle. So a special envoy from Turkey and Shah Sephian visited king Svimon I at Ghudushauri Castle in September 1555 (conveniently, just before Rtveli festivities), and informed the king of their brilliant idea. The news enraged Svimon I, but he didn't show his anger and instead ordered Shiola to celebrate this new "friendship". Shiola obviously did his best to take Shah's mind off politics, while Svimon I got his time to prepare the army for invasion...

This is when things get a bit hazy and historians start to disagree - some historians, mostly likely single with zero social skills, argue Shiola betrayed King Svimon and informed Shah Sephian of danger in exchange for Shah's daughter's hand... but others, who understand Shiola's weakness for wine and women, say Shiola pillow-talked to Shah's daughter whom he fell in love with.

Either way, there was a war, Svimon killed Shah Sephian and Turkish envoy and defeated Shah's army. Then Shah Habas come with another army and defeated Svimon's army and so on... and Georgia got back into its default war-torn state. Shah Habas didn't allow Shiola and Shah Sephian's daughter to marry, and that's the last we know of Shiola.

Sometime soon I will write about Shiola and Luarsab's sister Mariam.

King Luarsab I (1527 - 1557)
King Svimon I (1557 - 1599)
* Qajs - 12th century Georgian equivalent of amazons."

We're still searching for that elusive portrait of Shiola Ghudushauri.

It's not everyday that you discover that your website shares it's name with a true legend.

Germane - we here at Shiola.com are eager to hear more. We need you to send through more about that second part with Shiola and Luarsab's sister Mariam!! Is there a son or daughter from this liaison? Is it possible to trace a living relative of Shiola Ghudushauri?

Maybe I'm a relative, that's why I unconsciously thought of the name 'Shiola', fuck!!!

Close Shaves

Here are some nearly rans in the search for Shiola. They do not quite match up but in the large lexicon tapestry they are close cousins.

• Shiloh Jolie-Pitt - one of the heavyweight celebrity babies and the latest addition of the Jolie-Pitt family's quest to provide the casting for Benetton's next print ad.

• Shinola - an old brand of shoe polish that is also part of the phrase 'Doesn't know shit from Shinola' which is perfectly explained in the film 'The Jerk' and you can watch that scene here.

• Shola Ameobi - Newcastle United striker who's just missed out by missing an 'i'. Unlucky my son, close but no cigar for you.

Have you found some evidence of Shiola on the net? Let us know by filling in the contact form and improve your karma for the day, or your aura, and other things like that.