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.

The Living Dead: Chinese Hopping Vampires

31 October, 2021 - 01:00 dhwty

The Living Dead: Chinese Hopping Vampires

The Hopping Vampires (jiang shi) are a type of undead creature found in Chinese folklore. Although its Chinese name is often translated as ‘Chinese hopping vampire / zombie / ghost), its literal...

Jaques Le Gris, played by Adam Driver on the left, and Jean de Carrouges, played by Matt Damon, in The Last Duel. Source: 20th Century Studios

20 October, 2021 - 14:43 Aleksa Vučković

The True History Behind “The Last Duel” - A Tale of Trial by Combat

Medieval chivalric duels were undoubtedly the most thrilling events of the time. The last vestige of the ancient gladiatorial fights, knightly duels were a true display of the skill with arms and...

Glastonbury Tor. Source: vlorzor / Adobe. Inset: Representational image of a skeleton.

8 October, 2021 - 01:54 J.P. Robinson

The Glastonbury Giant: Who Did the Mystery Bones of A Nine Foot Skeleton Belong To?

When researching the reality of giants in the past, one story which has survived the ages is the apparent discovery of the ‘Glastonbury Giant’ which was allegedly unearthed in 1190, on orders of King...

‘The gyri of the thinker's brain as a maze of choices in biomedical ethics.’ (Deriv.) An ancient Greek memory technique suggests imagining a pathway through a location to remember important information.

30 September, 2021 - 02:04 dhwty

Enhance Your Memory with this Ancient Greek Memorization Technique

In Greek mythology, Mnemosyne was the personification of memory. In ancient Greece, prior to being written down, stories were recounted orally. Due to that, memory played an important part in the...

A namazu or catfish motif earthquake art (by an unknown artist), entitled Shin Yoshiwara ōnamazu yurai or "The cause of the great catfish at Shin Yoshiwara." The work shows women of the Edo pleasure quarters blaming the catfish for the earthquake, but the catfish is delighted to have these ladies press flesh with him and threatens to squirm again to cause an aftershock.

13 September, 2021 - 14:59 Caleb Strom

Namazu Catfish: Earthquakes, Cosmic Justice, and Helper Of the Poor

All cultures have traditional explanations for natural disasters that pre-date scientific explanations. In Japanese culture, at least since the 15th century, earthquakes have been associated with...

Is it possible the ancient Greeks knew of the New World thousands of years ago? Courtesy Christos A. Djonis

8 September, 2021 - 01:53 Christos Djonis

The Legendary Hyperborea and the Ancient Greeks: Who Really Discovered America?

In his story of Atlantis, written at around 360 BC, Plato mentioned a grand island or continent across the Atlantic, one larger than Libya and Asia combined. This continent was so enormous, he said...

Who Was Shahmaran? Lover, Trickster, Ancient Persian Snake Lady

7 September, 2021 - 14:59 dhwty

Who Was Shahmaran? Lover, Trickster, Ancient Persian Snake Lady

Shahmaran is the name given to a mythical creature found in the various cultures of the Middle East, in particular, those of the eastern Anatolian region of Turkey. According to the folklore of these...

Petroglyphs of Scotland, found in Lurgan by George Currie. Source: George Currie

5 September, 2021 - 14:37 Mark A. Carpenter

Comparing the Prehistoric Stone Symbols of Scotland and the Judaculla Rock

Within the rolling green hills of Scotland, slumber thousands of ancient stones bejeweled with mysterious glyphs. Across the proverbial pond, hidden in the great Appalachians of America’s North...

The great scientist Isaac Newton dabbled in alchemy during the Great Plague of London. He “thought” toad vomit pills might be the cure and his notes on this have survived. Source: Maria Sbytova / Adobe Stock

3 September, 2021 - 22:05 dhwty

Isaac Newton, Alchemy and His Toad Vomit Plague Cure

Sir Isaac Newton was one of the most influential scientists in world history. He is best-known for his three laws of motion, and his law of universal gravitation. Additionally, he made contributions...

Detail from one of the fragments showing the name Merlin. Source: University of Bristol

3 September, 2021 - 14:47 Nathan Falde

13th Century Magical Merlin Manuscript Shares Original Legend

After two years of hard work, scholars have now finished an Old-French-to-English translation of a centuries-old manuscript that tells of the adventures of Merlin the Magician , King Arthur, and...

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo's famous painting of The Banquet of Cleopatra (painted 1743–44) shows Cleopatra's pearl above the tall glass of vinegar as Mark Antony looks on. Source: Giovanni Battista Tiepolo / Public domain

1 September, 2021 - 22:48 dhwty

Roman Historian’s Cleopatra’s Pearl Story: Is It Fact or Fiction?

“Cleopatra’s Pearl” is a story told by the Roman author Pliny the Elder in his famous long-read book Natural History . According to this tale, the last Ptolemaic ruler of Egypt, Cleopatra VII, drank...

Saint Paul writing his epistles in a painting attributed to French painter Valentin de Boulogne (1591-1632 AD). The works supposedly add up to what is known as St. Paul’s Bible. Source: Valentin de Boulogne / Public domain

27 August, 2021 - 18:37 Refik

The Mystery of St. Paul’s Lost Bible: Is Someone Hiding Something!

The noise that woke the neighbors in the twilight was the sound of trucks carrying the earth from the excavations in that small house in the neighborhood. What were they looking for in that little...

Mug Ruith was one of the most powerful and enigmatic characters in Irish mythology. Source: Rainer Fuhrmann / Adobe Stock

21 August, 2021 - 22:37 Aleksa Vučković

The Legendary Mug Ruith: Irish Wizard, Sun God, Or Ancient Astronaut?

The Irish Celtic heritage is filled to the brim with unique and wondrous characters. From the tales of ancient and venerable High Kings, to their colorful pantheon and powerful wizards, Irish history...

Where's the evidence for Robin Hood?

18 August, 2021 - 01:09 Kerry Sullivan

Why is the Evidence for Robin Hood as Elusive as the Man Himself?

The historic existence of the legendary English hero who ‘stole from the rich and gave to the poor’ is a perennial source of debate. Every few years, new evidence emerges of authenticity and possible...

Bakeneko or Nekomata types of wicked Japanese yokai

11 August, 2021 - 01:54 Alicia McDermott

Beware of the Cat: Tales of the Wicked Japanese Bakeneko and Nekomata – Part 1

Who knew innocent little Fluffy could be so devious? Cats’ reputations have often swayed from good to evil over the years as they have been both revered and feared around the world. One of the most...

Magical landscape within the Arctic Circle. Source: Feel good studio / Adobe Stock

3 August, 2021 - 14:57 Mark A. Carpenter

Arctic Circle Anomalies: Archaeological Insight Under the Permafrost

The Arctic Circle is the farthest northern of the five major circles of latitude on the planet. It marks the northernmost point at which the center of the noon sun is just visible on the winter...

Cassandra of Troy is a tragic figure within Greek mythology. Source: Maksim Šmeljov / Adobe Stock

2 August, 2021 - 19:01 dhwty

The Ignored Prophet of Doom: The Curse of Cassandra of Troy

Best-known for her prophetic powers, within Greek mythology Cassandra is a princess of Troy who lived during the era of the Trojan War. Her gift of prophecy, however, was accompanied by a curse – no...

Navajo Yebichai (Yei Bi Chei) dancers. Edward S. Curtis. USA, 1900. The Welcome Collection, London

31 July, 2021 - 02:00 dhwty

Can a Ghost Make You Ill? The Ghost Sickness Belief of the Native American Indians

Ghost sickness is the belief that ghosts are able to cause a living person to fall ill. This particular term is used by the Native Americans, especially amongst the Navajo people. Nevertheless, this...

Venus: Eroticized Goddess of Love, Fertility, Agriculture… and Infidelity?

27 July, 2021 - 14:43 dhwty

Venus: Eroticized Goddess of Love, Fertility, Agriculture… and Infidelity?

According to Roman mythology, Venus was the goddess most famously associated with love, beauty, and fertility. Less commonly known, however, is that Venus was also worshipped as the goddess of...

The malevolent Mishipizheu monster-god of Lake Superior. Source: SJB1995 / CC-BY-SA

27 July, 2021 - 02:01 Daniel Gauss

Godlike Power and Monster Malevolence: Mishipizheu of Lake Superior

In Gordon Lightfoot’s 1976 song The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald , he figuratively blames the sinking of that ship on the “witch” of November. Folks more familiar with Ojibway mythology might,...

A woman capable of shapeshifting into various animals.

25 July, 2021 - 14:59 Riley Winters

Evolving Forms: An Intriguing Look at Shapeshifting

The notion of shapeshifting has been around for nearly as long as human beings. The possibility that a person can take the shape of another being—most often an animal—can be traced back thousands of...

Worshipped by Millions: The Sacred River Ganges

17 July, 2021 - 18:04 manharsharma

Worshipped by Millions: The Sacred River Ganges

Why is the Ganges so significant and sacred in Hinduism? Many rivers have nourished humans in our boundless history, and some of the greatest ancient civilizations have been born on the banks of...

The Norse God Odin: Viking God of War, Father of Thor, But There’s More

15 July, 2021 - 14:29 dhwty

The Norse God Odin: Viking God of War, Father of Thor, But There’s More

Odin is the chief deity of the Norse pantheon. Although Odin was worshipped more generally in Germanic paganism, the information we have today about this god is derived mostly from Norse mythology...

The decadence of Rome, as depicted in Thomas Couture's famous painting, is still celebrated today in film and literature. And no event was reported as more scandalous than the Banquet of Chestnuts in 1501, held the night before Halloween.

6 July, 2021 - 18:59 B. B. Wagner

The Banquet of Chestnuts: A Perverse Pastime at the House of Borgia?

On October 30, 1501, the most decadence of festivals occurred in the papal palace of Cardinal Cesare Borgia. A party that his own father, Pope Alexander VI, not only attended but participated in. The...

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