One of the most fascinating and perhaps lesser-known stories of Rome’s history is that of Pallantium (in ancient Greek Παλλάντιον), a legendary city that, according to various ancient sources, stood on the Palatine Hill, the same hill that centuries later would become the heart of Rome. The legend of Pallantium is mentioned in several works […]
Legends
Posted inCulture
Utsuro-bune, the Japanese legend about a strange ship and its mysterious passenger
In Japanese folklore, there is a curious legend that is repeated in various current provinces of the country such as Hitachi, Kaga, Echigo, in addition to other historical territories like Owari no Kuni, Atsuta, or Iyo: the one about a boat of strange shape that came from the sea without anyone knowing its origin and […]
Posted inMiddle Ages
How a Vase Became a Legend and Foundational Myth of France After the Fall of the Last Roman Stronghold in Gaul
Of all the things a tourist can see in the French town of Soissons (the Cathedral of Saint Gervasius and Saint Protasius, seven medieval abbeys, the 18th-century town hall, the arsenal housing the municipal museum…), the most curious is undoubtedly a monument to the fallen in Fernand-Marquigny Square, created by artist Guy Lartigue. One of […]
Posted inAntiquity
Scáthach, the Mythical Scottish Warrior Who Taught the Hero Cú Chulainn How to Fight
Years ago, while traveling through Scotland, a lack of time prevented me from thoroughly visiting the Isle of Skye. However, I found a couple of hours to at least set foot on it, as I didn’t want to miss it. Why? Because Celtic mythology places the Dún Scáith or Fortress of Shadows, the residence of […]
Posted inAncient Egypt
Lord Carnarvon, Howard Carter’s Patron whose Death Gave Rise to the Legend of the Curse of Tutankhamun
How many times have you heard about the curse of Tutankhamun, about the inscription that Howard Carter supposedly found on the door of his tomb, warning that Death will come on swift wings to those who disturb the pharaoh’s peace, or Death will strike with its fear anyone who disturbs the pharaoh’s rest? In reality, […]
Posted inPrehistory
Legends of the Hadza People are so Ancient that they May Refer to Extinct Hominid Ancestors
The Hadza people are an ethnic group living around Lake Eyasi in the Great Rift Valley and near the Serengeti plain in Tanzania, in an area called Hadzaland. In 2015, there were between 1,200 and 1,300 individuals, with only about 300 of them, a small group, still surviving, dedicated exclusively to hunting and gathering. This […]
Posted inMiddle Ages
The Lady of Arintero, the young woman who posed as a man to fight for Isabella I of Castile
We wrote on other occasions about women who had a more or less prominent role in warfare. We’ve seen Vikings, Welsh, Bretons, and, in short, individuals from various nationalities, including several Spanish women. Today, we’ll focus on the national women, recalling the story of the Lady of Arintero, the daughter of a Leonese noble who, […]
Posted inScience
The origin of beliefs and rituals associated with Devil’s Church Cave in Finland discovered
Located in Finland’s Koli National Park is a famous 34-meter long cave known as Pirunkirkko or the Devil’s Church Cave. In local folklore, this cave was believed to be a place where wise men of the area would gather to make contact with the spirit world. Even today, it is visited by practitioners of shamanism […]
Posted inModern Era
The enigmatic 512 Manuscript describing an ancient Mediterranean civilization in pre-Hispanic Brazil
Like a Lovecraft tale, the Rare Works section of the National Library of Brazil jealously guards a strange ten-page document baptized with the suggestive name of Manuscript 512. It narrates an eighteenth-century expedition during which the ruins of an ancient city were discovered that seemed to have developed a classical civilization in the Mediterranean style. […]
Posted inMiddle Ages
The sword embedded in the rock of the precipice of Rocamadour for 9 centuries
Durandal (or Durandarte) was the famous sword of Roland, the Frankish knight who died at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass on 15 August 788 by attack of the Basques. The accounts of that battle and the subsequent fate of the sword are plagued with mythical stories with little or no historical or archaeological basis. For […]
