Top 10 Historical Myths That Turned Out to Be True
#10: The Golden Fleece
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In Greek mythology, the hero Jason and his crew sail for the kingdom of Colchis - modern day Georgia - in search of the legendary Golden Fleece. But, while Jason himself may be a legend, the object of his journey may not be. In present-day Georgia, gold deposits are known to wash downstream from mountains in the Svaneti region. Farmers in the area traditionally use sheepskins to strain and capture the gold nuggets washed through rivers and streams. According to historical accounts, this technique has been handed down for thousands of years. It’s likely that the original myth of the Golden Fleece originated from accounts of this method of gold discovery.
#9: The Kraken
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Tales of enormous sea creatures have been around since people first sailed the sea. One of the more common myths is of giant, tentacled creatures, with the most famous being the Kraken. Usually described as a giant squid, evidence of their existence has been around for centuries, albeit with somewhat spotty details. Sightings in the wild were the stuff of tall tales, although many have washed up onshore dead. However, live specimens have been so rare that it took until 2004 for one to be photographed or recorded. Part of this is due to its natural habitat usually being in the ocean depths. Guess they can only be “released” so often…
#8: Svalinn
Norse mythology often attributed mythological explanations to natural phenomena. For instance, rainbows being the bridge to Asgard, or thunder being the sound of Thor’s hammer. However, one myth may have predicted or described a surprisingly modern scientific concept – the ozone layer. In the poem Grimnismál, Odin describes Svalinn, a shield which stands between the sun and the world. Svalinn prevents the sun from burning the land below. Its name means “cooler.” It could be a coincidence, but the idea that an invisible barrier protects the Earth from the heat of the sun is surprisingly accurate.
#7: Orichalcum
The history of metals and their mining has always been shrouded in myth. Just look at ancient sources of tin – no one can agree where it came from. But there’s also a near-mythical metal as well – orichalcum. Described as having a gold-like appearance, and having a name that translates to “gold copper” or “mountain copper,” orichalcum remained a mystery for millennia. It was supposedly found in Atlantis. The potential truth behind the myth was also discovered beneath the waves. A sunken ship found off the coast of Sicily dated at 2,600 years old contained what is believed to be orichalcum. While not a mined metal itself, the ingots recovered are instead a form of brass, which has the sheen and properties associated with the legendary metal.
#6: Poukai
In Māori mythology, legend tells of the Poukai, a monstrous bird that could lift humans while flying and even preyed on them. But this wasn’t just a bit of folklore from the first human inhabitants of New Zealand. Prior to their arrival, the islands were home to numerous large birds, due to a lack of larger predators. One of these was the Haast’s eagle. With an eight-foot wingspan and an average weight of around thirty pounds, Haast’s eagles may not have been large enough to carry off an adult, but small children, certainly. Once its prey was hunted to extinction by the Māori upon their arrival, so too went these raptors.
#5: Atlantis
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No, no one has definitively proven the existence of Atlantis! We’re not wearing tin foil hats here! The legend of Atlantis, an island that sank into the sea through some unspecified disaster, is an enduring part of mythology and pop culture even today. Like some of the best stories though, it’s rooted in truth. Several Mediterranean islands were sunk or rapidly destroyed by geological disasters in ancient times. These include Helike, which was submerged by an earthquake and tsunami, as well as Santorini, which was once a single island volcano until it erupted. These or other disasters could very well have inspired Plato’s original tale of Atlantis.
#4: Star Over Korea
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In 1437, Korean astronomers were surprised to discover an unusually bright new star in the sky. Its sudden appearance lasted for two weeks before it disappeared again. Some considered it an event of religious significance, while others suspected it was a star being created. In 2017, modern astronomers discovered the true story. The explosive star was in the constellation of Scorpius. It wasn’t a star being born, but actually one’s death in the form of a nova. A nova occurs when a dense white dwarf draws in the mass of a nearby star, which superheats to create a massive fusion reaction. Certainly an awe-inspiring event, regardless of its origins.
#3: Milky Seas
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Strange tales from sailors aren’t limited to just creatures beneath the waves. Sea travelers have also described a phenomenon called the milky seas effect or sometimes “mareel.” According to accounts, huge stretches of ocean become illuminated, appearing like white or blue fluffy clouds or snow. The origin of this phenomenon was only confirmed in 1985, when a sample was taken of the water during one event. It turns out that billions of bioluminescent bacteria are responsible. While not totally understood, the milky seas certainly turned out to be more than just spilled milk.
#2: Weapons Strengthened by Spirits of the Dead
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The Vikings were intimidating warriors all on their own, but they also believed strongly that the gods and their fallen kin gave them strength in battle. Some held that the spirits of their ancestors imbued their weapons with strength. While this may seem like poetic license common among warrior cultures, it’s surprisingly true! There’s evidence that Iron Age Scandinavian smiths used the remains of the dead in crafting weapons. The carbon in the bones actually improved the quality of the iron, creating a rudimentary form of steel. They thought they were performing magic, but they were really doing science!
#1: Troy
The city of Troy is a staple of Greek mythology, featuring prominently in stories like Homer’s “Iliad.” For millennia, many believed that Troy was as mythical as the stories told about it. However, in the 19th century, archaeologists uncovered ruins in Hisarlik in modern Turkey. These ruins closely match the geographical hallmarks Homer uses to describe Troy’s location. Evidence suggests at least nine different cities may have been built over successive generations on the site. While the authenticity of the events of the Trojan War may never be confirmed, we at least know that Homer was writing about a real city. We’re still hoping to uncover a proverbial, or literal, Trojan Horse though.
