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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.

Hopi Prophecy and the End of the Fourth World

Hopi Prophecy and the End of the Fourth World - Part 1

More than any other tribe in North America, the Hopi Indians have developed according to the dictates and demands of what may be called a legacy of prophecy. The predictions of the life to come do...
King Menelaus, seen here finding Helen at Troy, is best known as her husband.

Why We Should Remember Menelaus, the King Lost in his Wife’s Shadow

Menelaus, the mythological king of Mycenaean Sparta, is perhaps best remembered as the husband of Helen of Troy. While lost in his wife’s shadow, his story is inexorably entwined with that of the...
The Nine Unknown Men

The Nine Unknown Men: An Ancient Indian Secret Society

There is a pervasive legend in India of a secret organization that allegedly has a vast amount of advanced knowledge in their possession. Believed to have been formed over 2000 years ago, the Nine...
Aine: A Radiant Celtic Goddess of Love, Summer, and Sovereignty

Aine: Radiant Celtic Goddess of Love, Summer, and Sovereignty

Aine is often remembered as a Celtic goddess of love. But she was also a deity of wealth, sovereignty, and the summer. Her sensitive and joyful personality brought her many followers in the Celtic...
Crater Lake National Park: Puzzling Myths and Missing Persons

Crater Lake National Park: Puzzling Myths and Missing Persons

Deep in the old-growth forests of Northwestern America lives a glorious gem of natural beauty. Crater Lake is renowned for its extreme depth, vibrant color, and crystal clarity. The towering cinders...
Boudicca, the Celtic Queen, (www.emilyhare.co.uk)

Boudicca: The Celtic Queen Who Unleashed Fury on the Romans

We British are used to women commanders in war; I am descended from mighty men! But I am not fighting for my kingdom and wealth now. I am fighting as an ordinary person for my lost freedom, my...
Anubis and Xolotl: The Remarkable Resemblance of the Death Dog Gods

Anubis and Xolotl: The Remarkable Resemblance of the Death Dog Gods

Few ancient cultures have captured the modern imagination like the Egyptian and Maya civilizations, with their elaborate belief structures. The author traces a remarkable resemblance between two dog-...
Legend of The Flying Dutchman, A Ghost Ship

Legend of The Flying Dutchman, Ghostly Apparition of The Ship of Captain Hendrick

Among nautical myths and legends, few are as famous as the Flying Dutchman. Many have claimed to see the ghostly vessel of Captain Hendrick van der Decken (the Dutchman) since it sank in 1641. It is...
Chivalry and The Order of the Golden Fleece

Chivalry and The Order of the Golden Fleece

The Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry that was founded by Philip III, the Duke of Burgundy, on the occasion of his marriage to Isabella of Portugal in the 15 th century. Through the...
Detail of Painting ‘Astarte Syriaca.’

Goddess Ninkharsag—Ancient Powerful Mother who Faded into The Holy Ghost

The tale of our creation we know from the Bible is only half the story—one which has been heavily edited. But have you ever wondered how god created male and female in his image? There are other...
Painting of a Menehune or the first Hawaiian people from 1933 by D. Howard Hitchcock.

The Menehune: Historical Accounts of the Mythical ‘Little People’ of Hawaii

The Menehune: Historical Accounts of the Mythical ‘Little People’ of Hawaii The mention of the name conjures up images of little people, tiny artisans fervently working through the night to complete...
Dwayyo vs Snallygaster.

The Snallygaster: Century-Old Fake News Terrorized Citizens of Maryland… But the Creature May be Real

The Snallygaster is a mysterious unknown cryptid that is said to look like a dragon. The legend of the beast originated with German immigrants that settled in Frederick County in Central Maryland...
Ishi-no-Hoden: Japan’s Colossal Floating “Anti-epidemic” Megalith

Ishi-no-Hoden: Japan’s Colossal Floating “Anti-epidemic” Megalith

Ishi-no-Hoden is one of Japan's most mysterious and bewildering monuments, a gigantic stone structure in the shape of an old tube TV almost 6 meters (20 ft) high and 500 tons (560 US tons) in weight...
The Protector of Kea Island: The Lion of Kea

The Protector of Kea Island: The Lion of Kea

The Greek island of Kea has been a popular location since ancient times, given that it is the closest Cycladic Island to Athens . One of the most famous monuments of the island is the Lion of Kea, an...
Achilles’ Shield: What’s the Meaning of the Iliad’s Most Symbolic Object?

Achilles’ Shield: What’s the Meaning of the Iliad’s Most Symbolic Object?

The Iliad is one of the most famous epic poems created by the Greek poet Homer and the piece recounts the last weeks of the Trojan War. In book 18 of the series, Homer writes about Achilles’ shield...
Unravelling the Roots of Hera, the Wrathful Goddess of Marriage

Unravelling the Roots of Hera, the Wrathful Goddess of Marriage

Hera, also known by her Latin title as Juno, is best known in Western culture as the wife of Zeus, king of the gods. While technically subordinate to him, Hera is never a submissive figure, in fact...
East Meets West: Little Red Riding Hood Versus Japan’s Okuri-Inu

East Meets West: Little Red Riding Hood Versus Japan’s Okuri-Inu

Throughout history the dark of the night has always brought fear. The quiet forests, roads or paths were a place where imagination would run wild as to what goes bump in the night. In the West,...
The five female Olympians of the Ancient Greek Pantheon. Source: local_doctor / Adobe Stock

Five Female Olympians of Ancient Greece: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Greek Mythology consists of numerous gods and goddesses, although the Greek pantheon itself is comprised of just twelve main gods ruling Mount Olympus. Among the twelve, there are five female rulers...
Are Mermaid Myths Inspired by a Rare Medical Condition?

Are Mermaid Myths Inspired by a Rare Medical Condition?

Mermaids have occupied our imagination for thousands of years. The mesmerizing aquatic creatures, hybrid half-human and half-fish beings, have been spotted in seas around the world and appear in...
The Sjellebro Mask Stone with lines drawn in red chalk.

Does a Viking Age Mask Stone Picture the Real Hamlet?

Does a Viking Age Mask Stone picture the real Hamlet? Surely not, the immediate reply might be. It is well-known that Shakespeare modeled his Hamlet story over older versions of the story about...
Minotaur

Myth of the Minotaur: The Making of a Monster

One of the most intriguing myths of ancient Greece is that of the Minotaur on the island of Crete, the bull-headed human-animal hybrid of Greek mythology. The story of the bestial Minotaur trapped in...
Australian Aboriginal Dreamtime Stories and Creation Myths

Aboriginal Dreamtime Stories and the Creation Myths of Australia

The Aborigines of Australia are considered one of the oldest continuously surviving cultures in the world, encompassing hundreds of diverse cultural groups, each with their own creation stories...
Matariki: Mythology, Astronomy and Warring Gods of the Maori New Year

Matariki: Mythology, Astronomy and Warring Gods of the Maori New Year

The Māori, or the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand , use a special word Matariki , which identifies the cluster of stars known to astronomers as the Pleiades, and to mythologists and...
Nabu: Ancient Mesopotamian God of Scribes and Wisdom

Nabu: Ancient Mesopotamian God of Scribes and Wisdom

Nestled in the fertile region around the River Tigris and Euphrates, the historical region of ancient Mesopotamia has long been regarded as one of the earliest cradles of civilization. Home to...

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