Throughout history, there are many legends and wild stories, often intertwined with the religious beliefs of the civilizations that told them. This led many historians and archaeologists to simply dismiss these stories as nothing more than myths that have nothing historical. However, as time passes and different discoveries come to life, many of these ancient myths turned out to be real.
Here’s a small list of some of the most fascinating myths and legends that were proven real.
The City of Troy
Almost everyone has heard of Homer’s epic poems, the “Illiad” and the “Odyssey”. They tell the story of the Trojan War, which is where the famous “Trojan Horse” was used by the Greeks to eventually take Troy and defeat the Trojans.
It was “well known” and commonly accepted that this story was simply a myth, that no such war ever took place and that the city, although rumored to be true, didn’t exist. However, in 1822, a businessman in Turkey was able to locate the city and begin archeological digs. The layout of the city and the physical damage on its walls suggest that not only were the stories of the city of Troy true but also that the famous Trojan War may have actually taken place.
Even more amazing was the fact that Homer’s poems were passed down orally for centuries before ever being recorded in writing. If the mythical city of Troy was real, could the mythical city of Atlantis, also turn out to be real?
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The Disappearance of Teonimanu
The tale of Roraimenu is told by Solomon Islanders. This story speaks of a man who, after his wife decides to elope another man on an island named Teonimanu, decides to place a curse on the island. He brings the curse to the island in a canoe that is adorned with 4 wave murals.
When on the island, he planted two taro plants while he kept one for himself, which he planted on a different island. As his plant began to sprout, it would cause a disaster on the island of Teonimanu. As he watched from the mountaintop on his island, his plant sprouted and waves came crashing into the island, causing it to sink beneath the sea.
This legend, once thought to be fiction, was indeed based on fact. The island of Teonimanu was sunk into the ocean, not from a series of waves that were sent in anger, but from an undersea tremor. This caused the underwater slope it was sitting on to collapse and sent the entire island to disappear beneath the waves.
The myth said that the waves caused the sinking of the island when in fact, they were the result of the massive water displacement caused by the sinking of Teonimenu. Lying underwater is the remains of what once was an island. The oral history of that event is given special meaning by the narrative that is attached to the recollection of the events.
Oftentimes, people will dismiss a myth because of the otherworldly elements of the story. Did this man sink the island with a curse born out of jealousy? No. Was there an island that sunk below the surface of the ocean? Yes! The historical and momentous event is passed down from generation to generation to ensure no one forgets, even if some of the details get muffled along the way.
Orichalcum - Metal of the Gods
Orichalcum is not a place but a mythical material that was rumored to have existed in the past. It had many amazing qualities that made it extremely valuable and sought after. It was said to be malleable, non-oxidizing and durable. It was also rumored to have a gold-like shine that was beautiful. So beautiful that the god Aphrodite had earrings fashioned from it.
According to the historical record, no such material has ever existed. This changed in 2015 when a shipwreck was discovered in the Mediterranean carrying ingots and jewelry made of mysterious materials. This material had all of the qualities of Orichalcum.
It turns out that this material did exist. Orichalcum’s physical properties determine it to be a high-quality brass. Malleable, non-oxidizing and durable, this material would be very popular and precious at the time it was reported to exist. Another myth based on imaginary tales turns out to be true.
The Kraken
The Kraken is an enormous sea monster found in legends since ancient times. In Nordic folklore, it was said to haunt the seas from Norway all the way through Iceland and Greenland. And during the Age of Exploration, there were many legends and stories of the Kraken devouring ships with its tentacles.
For many years, this story was dismissed by scientists, as they couldn’t believe a creature so large could roam the vast ocean and hunt for unexpecting vessels. However, in 1853, a giant cephalopod was discovered on a Danish beach. The legend of the Kraken was proven to be real.
Scientists called this creature Architeuthis dux, and the largest recorded reaches 18 meters or 59 feet. It had large tentacles, and the eyes of this giant squid were the largest in the entire animal kingdom. A creature like that could easily destroy an entire ship.
Whether or not these creatures attacked and destroyed ships is unknown, but the legend of the giant Kraken was now a reality.
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