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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Myths & Legends

All over the world there are extraordinary stories—stories that once upon a time were believed to be true but are today limited to the sphere of ancient myths and legends. The question remains, are those myths and legends something that existed in the minds of our ancestors, or were they based on true events? It is true that most of those ancient myths and legends appear to the scientific world to be fictitious products of vivid imaginations whose goals were purely to explain phenomena beyond their comprehension. Yet is it not arrogant to accuse our ancestors of being uncivilised and ignorant in one breath, then offer them praise and admiration over their monuments, buildings, art, sculptures, and societies in the next? This only proves that our modern society has two contradictory attitudes toward our past.

In this section we will explore some of the most amazing myths and legends from around the world—legends that may hold truths that can unlock the secrets of our ancient origins.

A saber-toothed cat stands atop a boulder on a grassy plain. Credit: Daniel / Adobe Stock

Of Bunyips and Other Beasts: Evidence of Extinct Megafauna Displayed in Art and Stories

On many continents during the last ice age , typically from about 50,000 to 12,000 years ago, species of megafauna that had lived there for hundreds of thousands of years became extinct...
Vintage magic book. Abracadabra used to be written and used as a talisman.

Say the Magic Word: The Origins of Abracadabra

Magic words are often used by magicians whilst performing magic tricks on stage. One of the most common of these incantations is ‘Abracadabra’. Although this word is known to many, it is likely that...
There are numerous hidden Romanian treasures. Source: samiramay / Adobe.

Hidden Romanian Treasures– A Cursed History

People have spoken of hidden Romanian treasures for generations. Some of these stories are terrible, but each tale involves mystery, curses , and legends. Some even speak of how entire subterranean...
Orpheus Charming the Animals by Jacob Hoefnagel (1613)

Legendary Ancient Musicians Charmed Beasts, Sirens and Even Hades Himself

Music has had the magical power to charm wild animals, seduce shrewd sirens and even sway Hades himself. Music provides the notes for mythology, where mortals melt the frozen hearts of ancient gods...
The Ayia Napa Sea Monster has never been photographed but is said to live in the waters around Cape Greco.

The Elusive Ayia Napa Sea Monster - Is It Really Out There?

The Ayia Napa sea monster is a creature alleged to live in the waters around Cape Greco, in the southeastern part of Cyprus . There is little evidence to support the existence of this sea monster,...
The Solid Muldoon was supposedly a prehistoric ‘petrified human body’ unearthed in 1877.

Solid Muldoon: Petrified Prehistoric Man was an Elaborate and Daring Hoax

The Solid Muldoon is the name given to a supposedly petrified prehistoric man that was ‘discovered’ in 1877. This ‘ petrified body’ was unearthed by William Conant at Muldoon Hill, a small hill not...
St George dragon slayer

Saint George, The Dragon Slayer: The Legend Behind the Hero

St. George is perhaps one of Christianity’s most famous saints, and is best-known as the patron saint of England. Apart from this well-known fact, St. George is also the patron saint of a number of...
Hermes, messenger of the gods (Atelier Sommerland / Adobe Stock)

Hermes: Messenger of the Gods and Patron of Traders, Travelers, and Thieves

Hermes was an important god in the Greek pantheon and one of the Twelve Olympians . He is best known for being the herald or messenger of the gods and is portrayed in many myths as such. In addition...
When collecting dolls for the Island of Dolls, Santana Barrera did not make any effort to clean them or to fix them up; once obtained he would hang them on the island’s trees.

Is the Island of Dolls Haunted? An Eerie Tribute to a Little Mexican Girl

The Island of Dolls (known also as La Isla de las Muñecas in Spanish) is a chinampa in Mexico City, Mexico . As its name suggests, dolls are found throughout the island, placed there by its former...
Tartarus

The Hell of Tartarus, Ancient Greek Prison of the Damned

Tartarus is the infernal abyss of Greek mythology, which is used as a pit of suffering for the wicked and as a dungeon for the Titans. It is also the name of a deity, a primordial being that existed...
Ragnar Lothbrok

Ragnar Lothbrok: A Real Viking Hero Whose Life Became Lost to Legend

Ragnar Lothbrok was a fearless Viking hero who ransacked England and France and fathered the Great Heathen Army. However the historicity of the man with “hairy breeches” is subject to debate. Where...
A dark wizard (venerala / Adobe Stock)

Involuntary Initiation: Tales of Demonic Powers of Sorcery Transmitted to the Unsuspecting

It is said that in certain cases and under certain circumstances an individual can obtain special powers at the mere contact with a sorcerer without any kind of previous initiation. Such ancient...
Icelandic books of magic, occult books.

Icelandic Sorcerers and the Books of Black Magic They Coveted

The once highly rich tradition of Icelandic books of magic of the 16th and the 17th centuries has survived only in a fragmentary state. Despite this fact, Icelandic folktales speak about the...
Beowulf fighting Grendel’s Mother beside Grendel’s body.

Of Monsters and Men: What Is the Grim Being Known as Grendel from the Epic Beowulf?

Nowadays, monsters hide under your bed. They come out of the closet or dangle from your ceiling. Children usually picture such monsters with fangs or scales, glowing eyes, and claws. With the right...
Magical Mythology of Winter

The Mythology of Winter: 7 Supernatural Beliefs and Magical Rituals From Around the World

According to ancient folklore, some supernatural beings can only manifest when it is cold. Others use the cold to their advantage in order to achieve a certain result. When spirits appear, they...
Juno in the Underworld by Jan Brueghel the Elder  (1568–1625)

Hungry Ghosts and Spirits of the Underworld

Ghosts, specters and the souls of the dead have always held a fascination for mankind who believe they return to haunt the living to satisfy their hunger in the Underworld. In the first century AD,...
Aztec god of the underworld Mictlantecuhtli

Mictlantecuhtli, Lord of the Land of the Dead, Tried to Stop the Recreation of Man

Mictlantecuhtli was a god in the Aztec pantheon. Translated literally, his name means ‘ Lord of Mictlan’ , Mictlan being the Aztec underworld or land of the dead. The Aztecs believed that there were...
A Tale of Two Brigids: a Celtic Goddess and a Christian Saint

A Tale of Two Brigids: A Celtic Goddess and a Christian Saint

St Brigid is one of the patron saints of Ireland. But the virgin nun has roots that go back to the days when the land’s pagan deities received prayers instead. It seems the Celtic goddess Brigid...
If you ignore the Shtorka’s warning, it would chew your flesh straight to the bone.

The Story of the Scary Shtorka and the Revival of Croatian Mythology

Although Croatia is a small European country, its history is rich with mythology. Some, like the story of the first vampire Jure Grando , are more known, but there are others that are in threat of...
Gothic queen in red dress doing magic

Ancient Women Shamans of Ireland: Healers, Priestesses and Diviners

All around the world many of the oldest ceremonial megalithic sites are associated with women shamans and oracular tradition and prophecy. A good example of this is Napta Playa which was linked to...
Asclepius – a fragment of mosaic bathroom in Kyustendil, Bulgaria.

The Rod of Asclepius and Zeus’s Fear of Immortality

The Rod of Asclepius remains a symbol of health and medicine around the world to this day. Asclepius was a demi-god son of Apollo who developed such incredible powers of healing under the tuition of...
Mesopotamian god

Utu - Shamash: Mesopotamian God of the Sun, Justice and the Underworld

Utu was a solar deity and god of justice in the ancient Mesopotamian pantheon, and also served as a judge in the Underworld. Whilst Utu was the god’s name in Sumerian, he was known in Akkadian as...
Ivar the Boneless

Ivar the Boneless: Viking Warrior, Ruler and Raider

One would expect "boneless" to describe a man without a lick of bravery. Or perhaps a man without a shred of compassion in a heart of ice. Yet in the case of the infamous Ivar the Boneless, son of...
Midir and Etain flying up out of Eochaid's hall

The Wooing of Etain: An Irish Tale of Love, Loss, and Jealousy

Étaín is a character from Irish mythology with an extraordinary life story. Her immense physical and spiritual beauty enthralled a member of the fairy folk and made her the heroine of the tale ‘The...

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