Some people believe in myths and legends even though they don't seem too real. Of course, it's nice to think that unicorns, for example, do exist, but we just can't find them yet. But it turns out that even this myth has a rather simple and not very scary explanation.
1. Great Flood
Scientists believe that the basis for the myth of the Great Flood was the memory of a severe flood in Mesopotamia. At the beginning of the last century, during excavations, archaeologists discovered a layer of clay separating the two cultures. Only a catastrophic flood, when the Tigris and Euphrates rivers overflowed, could lead to such a phenomenon.
According to other sources, about 10-15 thousand years ago, an incredibly strong flood occurred on the Black Sea coast. This version is confirmed by the finds of sea shells on the territory of Western Siberia. The closest sea to this territory is the Black Sea. This flood, most likely, was so strong that a huge waterfall appeared on the site of the modern Bosphorus, the volume of water of which reached 40 cubic kilometers per day (this is 200 times more than the volume of water passing through Niagara Falls).
This version seems a little strange, but if something like this really happened, you cannot blame the ancient people for embellishing the facts in their story!
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2. Giants
In Ireland, there are still stories of giants who can create an island by simply pouring a handful of sand into the water. Endocrinology professor Martha Korbonits believed that these ancient legends may have a historical explanation.
It turns out that many Irish people have mutations in the AIP gene, which are the cause of acromegaly and gigantism. In Great Britain, for example, such mutations are very rare (in one in 2 thousand people), and in Central Ulster, quite often (in one in 150).
One of the most famous Irish giants was Charles Byrne (1761-1783), whose height exceeded 230 centimeters.
Legends say that the giants were extremely powerful, but this is not true. People with gigantism and acromegaly often suffer from cardiovascular disease, vision problems, and joint pain. Without proper treatment, most giants die before age 30.
3. Werewolves
There are several possible origins of the werewolf legends.
First, the life of ancient people has always been associated with the forest. Archaeologists often find cave paintings depicting half-human-half-animal. Ancient people wanted to be stronger and believed that they could absorb the power of predatory animals. These beliefs were reinforced by narcotic drugs. The warriors drank them before battles and convinced themselves that with their help they became invincible.
Secondly, the belief in the existence of werewolves was confirmed by a rare genetic pathology - hypertrichosis, that is, an abnormal amount of hair on the body and face. Hypertrichosis is also called werewolf syndrome.
4. Vampires
Porphyria is a rare genetic disorder that affects only one in 200,000 people.
This disease leads to the fact that under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, hemoglobin in the human body begins to disintegrate. For this reason, people with porphyria cannot tolerate sunlight and can only leave the house at night.
In severe cases of the disease, the tendons of people begin to deform, which leads to curvature of the fingers. The skin around the lips and gums becomes dry and the incisors turn red. In other words, the person becomes very much like a vampire.
5. Dragons
The connection between dinosaur bones and dragon legends originated in Mongolia. There, the word "dragon" is found in various geographical names.
This is due to the fact that dinosaur bones can be found very often in some areas of the Gobi Desert, as they are close to the surface of the earth. In Africa, for example, there are no such myths, since the remains of dinosaurs are located deep underground.
6. Centaurs
Already in the II millennium BC, there were legends about centaurs. It is believed that they appeared in Greece as a result of the fact that ancient people, although they were educated, did not know anything about horse riding.
Seeing the horsemen of the northern nomadic tribes, the Greeks probably imagined something like centaurs. Nomads were excellent archers and could travel long distances
The exaggerated fear of riders who literally lived on their horses became the story of the centaurs.
7. Labyrinth of the Minotaur
According to ancient Greek legend, under the palace of King Minos there was a huge labyrinth in which a terrible monster, the Minotaur, lived. This monster was so terrible and bloodthirsty that the earth shook from its roar.
In fact, the island of Crete, where the monster supposedly lived, is famous for its seismic activity. It is located on two plates, one of them moving under the other. This geological phenomenon is called subduction.
In such areas, the risk of earthquakes is very high. It is not surprising that the ancient people blamed the monster for every earthquake, because they all led to terrible destruction.
8. Cyclops
In ancient Greek mythology, the cyclops are represented either as divine beings (children of Geya and Uranus) or as humans. The most famous of these was Polyphemus, son of Poseidon.
But is there a scientific basis for these myths? In 1914, the Australian paleobiologist Otenio Abel suggested that the myths about the cyclops were caused by curious finds of ancient people: the skulls of dwarf elephants.
There is a large hole in the center of these skulls (actually from the nose) that people could mistake for the eye socket. It is curious that such elephants lived only in Cyprus, Malta and Crete.
9. Sodom and Gomorrah
For a long time, Sodom and Gomorrah were perceived only as a biblical myth, but it turned out that their existence is a historical fact.
A decade ago, archaeologists began excavating at Tell el Hammam in Jordan, looking for evidence of ancient cities. Their approximate location was always known, because the Bible says that Sodom was located near the Jordan River. However, the exact location has always been a mystery.
In 2006, scientists discovered a huge ancient settlement surrounded by a large wall. According to researchers, people may have lived here from 3500 to 1540 BC. They suggested that this is Sodom, because if the city had a different name, it would have been preserved in written sources.
10. Kraken
The Kraken is a legendary mythical sea creature of enormous size that pursued sailors. The first detailed description of the Kraken was made by Eric Pontopridan: he claimed that the creature resembles an island in size.
According to him, the Kraken can capture a huge ship and drag it to the bottom of the sea. But much more dangerous was the whirlpool that the monster could summon when it quickly sank to the seabed. The death of the ship was inevitable in any case: the monster either destroyed it with its tentacles during the attack, or drowned it!
To explain this myth is quite simple: even now there are huge squids that can reach 52 meters in length. They look really impressive, but they can hardly be as dangerous as the sailors said. No wonder they say that fear has big eyes. To medieval people, a giant squid could seem like a real monster.
11. Unicorns
When it comes to unicorns, we start to imagine an elegant rainbow creature with a horn on its forehead. It is curious that myths about unicorns have appeared in the cultures of different countries.
The main "candidate" for the role of unicorns is Elasmotherium - a rhinoceros that lived in Eurasia during the Ice Age. Outwardly, he looked a little like a horse with a very long horn on its forehead.
Elasmotherium died out along with other animals of the Ice Age, but some researchers are sure that they could have existed for a long time, and that is why we have preserved legends about these creatures.
Anna Pismenna