Myths,Legends and the Unexplained

[lenguy]

So, in this thread I'm going to be covering a variety of myths,legends and simply things that can't be explained. I could have easily divided these topics into individual threads but...that to me, seemed like to much work. So I'm going to cram it all into one thread..so this might be a bit lengthy..I'll try to keep it as short as I can.

Bermuda Triangle Every body knows this infamous body of water located in the western northern part of the Atlantic ocean just off the cost of Florida. Famous for the sudden disappearances of Ships and aircraft's without much explanation. People have offered their own opinions on the subject say there is some kind of supernatural element to the triangle, others would suggest that there are extraterritorial beings at work here. Once entered the waters(on ship or in the air), equipment is said to go haywire or even malfunction and become useless. Some people describe supernatural forces in their experiences such as mysterious vortexes that seem to connect and able the traveler to move through time.

There are more down to earth answers to explain some of these disappearances. Rouge waves have thought to have long been believed to be the culprit in toppling and sinking ships, other people suggest things like hurricanes or simple human errors. But even if these do give us some answers to some of these disappearances, some are surrounded in complete mystery such as the famous flight 19. But, moving on

the Loch Ness Monster: I'm sure everybody has heard of this myth right here. The Loch Ness Monster is some kind of mythical creature believed to inhabit the lake of Lock Ness in the Scottish Highlands. The story goes like this. A man named George Spicer believed that he and his wife saw some sort of prehistoric animal while motoring around the lake. It is widely believed that this monster is assumed to be part of what is supposedly extinct dinosaur species called Plesiosaur. Many modern scientists are wary on this one and believe the monster to be just a myth. Multiple sonar readings taken in the lake have proven that if such a creature was living in the lake, it would have been detected. I mean how does a creature of that side manage to allude us for so long?

Sasqutach(Bigfoot): This one is my personal favorite. I've personally followed this one since the 3rd grade. Bigfoot is supposedly a giant ape/man like creature that inhabits the forests. What strikes me is that many cultures all over the world have their own various spin off on this creature all known by different names but are all similarly described as the same large hair like bipedal humanoid like creature.

[YOUTUBE]3FhPbSbGo8I[/YOUTUBE]

This video attempts to dive down into detail and examine the famous Roger Patterson video and more. Now, I've must of seen that video more times than I can remember and I have to say that out of all these myths. Bigfoot seems to be a very logical possibility. The way the creature moves,the way it carries itself. People say that that is simply just a man in a suit. Well clearly you would need to pay an incredible amount of detail to making a suit like that and the video does make some valid points. I also recall watching a Bigfoot special on T.V a while back and they mentioned that they have found and tested hair they believed to belong to the creature and when DNA tested for a possible match they noted that the hair did not fall under any know category of animal. I personally believe that Bigfoot exists (I know..silly me) but the majority of the scientific community label Bigfoot as nothing more than a folktale.

The Paranormal..I.E Ghosts and Spirits: Do you believe in the paranormal? Ghosts? Beings that can haunt you from beyond the grave? One of my older friends claimed to have one of those paranormal experiences. He claimed that he and his sister were alone in a room watching television when he heard a noise coming from the other room.So he went to investigate and at first he saw nothing and began to think he was just going mental when he noticed a chair move and suddenly zipped across the room in grand cliche fashion. I remained skeptical since this was the only time he reported something like this happening. To me, it was could pass off as a very lame attempt at a ghost tale or one of those scary camp fire stories, but I remained unconvinced. Well, um anyway. A ghost is apparently the soul or spirit of a deceased person(or animal) which somehow gets left behind in our world. I'm not really sure, I'm not the biggest expert on this one. Mainly I just don't believe in Ghosts,poltergeist or any other paranormal entities. So I apologize if I fail to go into a bit of detail on this one but I just have trouble believing this one.

So what does everybody make of this? Got anything to add? What are some of your own opinions on these myths? Also what are some of your favorite myths and urban legends? Please do share.

 

[lionyates]

Somethings that are considered myths and legends I believe have a possibility of existing or having existed. But then there are others that when I at least think about it, I just think that it couldn't be real.

The Lock Ness (or however you spell it) Monster is a prime example of that, considering the size estimates that the so called witnesses and whatever give it, there's no way it would be able to survive in that area on the available food when people there are taking from the marine life as well.

Heck bigfoot could have just been a husky tall guy with that condition that makes you have an abnormal amount of hair running around the woods.

 

[Calderownz]

I love in the Pacific Northwest. So, sometimes, I'll run into someone who has some story that involves Big Foot. However, it's not something I really follow or believe. Most sightings happen when no one has any real conclusive footage or any footage at all. The existing footage is usually proven away.

Same can be said for most of these situations. The only thing I come close to believing in, potentially; aliens. Not in the Marvin the Martian sense, however. Just, statistically, with so many undiscovered and unidentifiable planets out there, it's unlikely that we occupy the only planet that has life on it.

I honestly don't know enough about the Bermuda Triangle.

The lock ness monster has always made me laugh. It's not very believable with the fact that unlike Big Foot, for example, it really has little room to hide. It's usually in a lake or in some remote areas. Should be easy to find under the circumstances. Fun story, though.

To me, the biggest myth/legend is the story of Jesus Christ. I'm not saying this for shock-value or because I think it's some EXCITING to say. I just happen to think that it's an interesting myth.

Whether or not you consider Jesus himself to be a myth is all well and good. However, the story is clearly plagiarized from an Egyptian god (likely a myth, as well) Horus which was long before the Jesus story is documented.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_jcpa5b.htm

That's my reference. It's a religious site, not some commie, atheist site.

The parallels are astonishing. Virgin birth (typically sighted), same gap in their lives that isn't explained, same thing happened to the man that baptized them. Much more. It's insane.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

Interesting thread. I am very interested in this stuff.


In terms of the Loch Ness Monster, if it is a dinosaur like some claim, there would have to be a HUGE breeding population for this creature to have survived for millions of years. If there was a large enough breeding population to survive millions of years, someone would have caught one, or have more conclusive proof. Sure the ocean is huge but the entrance to the loch is not that big. People would see these animals entering and leaving on a regular basis. So, I'm going to say MYTH about Nessie. In all likelihood, most of the sightings are probably large Eels as there is a significant eel population in the loch.


As for Bigfoot, there's a much higher likelihood that it exists than Nessie. Again, though, there's the problem of conclusive proof. There would have to be a breeding population. Although the forests and mountains are vast, if there was a population of these creatures, there would be more encounters and there'd be some sort of proof. There would be conclusive videos, or photos. A body of a dead one, actual interaction with humans, babies, etc.

I find it hard to believe that there could be a population of these creatures without more actual encounters other than hoaxes and vague "evidence."

I do think Bigfoot is definitely possible though.



An interesting one is the Megalodon Shark. The Oceans are huge and the trenches are miles deep. I think it's plausible that there COULD be a population of these creatures in the deepest depths of the ocean even in areas where we'd never see them because we can't go that deep. The difference between these and Loch Ness monster is that there are still sharks now. So even if it's not the Megalodon, it could be a direct ancestor, even closer than the Great White. With Nessie, there are no more dinosaurs.

Anyways, great thread.

 

[#hamler]

Big Foot

I used to be fascinated by Big Foot and other mythical sasquatch like creatures for a while, but that has since died down for me. The video of Big Foot, although it sends chills up my spine, doesn't seem legit. Like someone already stated, wouldn't we have found some type of body by now? The lack of evidence to support Big Foot is just too much for me to take interest anymore. I seriously doubt it's real. How easy is it to mistake a bear for Big Foot? Or even a man? Doesn't seem real to me.

The Lost City of Atlantis

The most intriguing legend, in my opinion, would have to be the legend of the lost city of Atlantis. I've watched numerous shows covering this topic, and they always seem to leave me with the same unanswered questions- questions that may never be answered. Nearly all of the information we have regarding Atlantis comes from the well-known Greek Philosopher, Plato. Plato tells us of an island of a powerful empire located to the west of the Pillars of Hercules (what we now call the Straight of Gibraltar) on an island in the Atlantic Ocean.

A nation where men were brave. After war was fought, the men there became to focused on power and less focused on the gods. About 9000 years before the time of Plato, after the people of Atlantis became corrupt and greedy, the gods decided to destroy them. A violent earthquake shook the land, giant waves rolled over the shores, and the island sank into the sea never to be seen again. That's where Plato leaves us. Many people believe Plato was simply paying tribute to his fellow Athenian's values and whatnot, while others believe he used metaphores to describe a real place where dreamed of being.

Many archeologist believe the lost island could be anywhere around the Mediterranean sea and some have even gone so far as to point out the island of Crete (now apart of modern day Greece) as being the lost paradise. As for me, it's quite easy to throw every theory you hear out the window. From what I can gather, it seems logical that a place like this can exist but there's no doubt that Plato may have saw Atlantis something better than it was. Without any proof, it's hard to believe in Atlantis but I for one find this legend too intriguing to simply forget.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

I think Atlantis is/was real. Obviously, the question is what exactly was Atlantis? Was it a city and/or civilization or was it merely and island with a few inhabitants, that sank?

I agree with Hamler (above), that it's possible that Plato saw Atlantis as more than it was.

So, a Greek island similar to Atlantis probably existed but the myth is, what exactly was this island?

________________________________________________________________________

HOAXING

I think a major problem with cryptozoology and myths like these is hoaxing. The respected scientific world is never going to take this stuff seriously because so many people create hoaxes to "prove" the existence of bigfoot or sea monsters.

Hoaxing only makes things worse, it doesn't help the cause of proving these creatures are real.

If there weren't so many hoaxes I think legitimate expeditions would go out and legitimate scientists might actually look for proof. With all the hoaxes though, the general public has become careless about all of this, as has the scientific community.

Here's what happens. You get one person that says they saw Bigfoot at a specific location. Then you get a hoaxer that goes out and makes fake footprints. Then a "scientific expedition" finds the footprints and tries to justify them as real. It's a vicious cycle.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Myths and unexplained legends are cool. They generate all sorts of conversation, and have lived on for generations unproven.

In the case of the Bermuda Triangle, I'm not sure what goes on down there. I have my suspisions, since vehicles lost there have never been found, but we might never know. I don't go as far as to believe that a time or dimensional vortex gate exists there. The ships probably just crashed, but something definitely happened there.

The Loch Ness Monster is an interesting myth, but they would have discovered it by now if it existed. We have the technology, if it exists we can find it at this point. Just send a couple of expeditions out there, or shall we let this myth live on? I say let it live, it's a fun myth.

Big Foot is real.... Just not the ape-man "missing link" people describe it as, but there really is a Big Foot. I have a photograph to prove what Big Foot looks like:

Spoiler

I do believe in spirits. After someone dies their spirit leaves their body. For unknown reasons, their spirit might remain in this world and visible to certain people, before going to the afterlife after fullfilling final moments of closure from this life. That's different from the stereotypical "boo! I'm gonna scare you!" type of ghost. I don't believe in those.

Somebody mentioned Atlantis.... that's one that I'd like to believe is true. I don't know though. The underwater world is so much more vast than the continents, we might never find everything that's down there. If Atlantis is real, we might find it. There's no proof that it's not real, but we have not found it yet either, so I don't know what to think on that one. I'm not leaving it as a for sure "fake".

Like I said in the first paragraph, myths are good because they generate conversation and can be passed down from generation to generation. I think that myths should keep getting passed on until they can be completely proven wrong. Although, over time the stories are going to get more and more exaggerated. It's like those fishing and hunting stories where the animal just gets larger every time the story is told. Going by that logic, Loch Ness monster could have started out as a little lizard swimming in the lake. Big Foot could have started out as a normal ape. Then the myths just kept betting more exaggerated, much like hunting/fishing stories. Myths are funny that way.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

Myths and unexplained legends are cool. They generate all sorts of conversation, and have lived on for generations unproven.

In the case of the Bermuda Triangle, I'm not sure what goes on down there. I have my suspisions, since vehicles lost there have never been found, but we might never know. I don't go as far as to believe that a time or dimensional vortex gate exists there. The ships probably just crashed, but something definitely happened there.

The Loch Ness Monster is an interesting myth, but they would have discovered it by now if it existed. We have the technology, if it exists we can find it at this point. Just send a couple of expeditions out there, or shall we let this myth live on? I say let it live, it's a fun myth.

Big Foot is real.... Just not the ape-man "missing link" people describe it as, but there really is a Big Foot. I have a photograph to prove what Big Foot looks like:

Spoiler

I do believe in spirits. After someone dies their spirit leaves their body. For unknown reasons, their spirit might remain in this world and visible to certain people, before going to the afterlife after fullfilling final moments of closure from this life. That's different from the stereotypical "boo! I'm gonna scare you!" type of ghost. I don't believe in those.

Somebody mentioned Atlantis.... that's one that I'd like to believe is true. I don't know though. The underwater world is so much more vast than the continents, we might never find everything that's down there. If Atlantis is real, we might find it. There's no proof that it's not real, but we have not found it yet either, so I don't know what to think on that one. I'm not leaving it as a for sure "fake".

Like I said in the first paragraph, myths are good because they generate conversation and can be passed down from generation to generation. I think that myths should keep getting passed on until they can be completely proven wrong. Although, over time the stories are going to get more and more exaggerated. It's like those fishing and hunting stories where the animal just gets larger every time the story is told. Going by that logic, Loch Ness monster could have started out as a little lizard swimming in the lake. Big Foot could have started out as a normal ape. Then the myths just kept betting more exaggerated, much like hunting/fishing stories. Myths are funny that way.

I agree.

To build on what you were saying at the end. Many of these myths probably started out as something real but then got exaggerated each time they were passed down.

It's kind of like this: The Native Americans saw Grizzly Bears and described them in stories. A huge, ferocious beast, standing on two feet, brown fur, etc. Those stories passed through Native Americans, on to the settlers who then added their own details and then passed those stories on to the next generation, who would add their own details. (I know Bigfoot pre-dates the Native Americans, I'm just giving an example).

I wish there was someone interested enough in Bigfoot, sea monsters, etc. with a lot of money that would send out an unbiased expedition (ie. governmental scientists, as well as well respected scientists in a specific field, not outcasts, etc.) to settle these myths once and for all.


With the technology we have available we should be able to capture Bigfoot if it exists.

 

[RockFan89]

I know that this is not completely on topic, but I couldn't let this go:

To me, the biggest myth/legend is the story of Jesus Christ. I'm not saying this for shock-value or because I think it's some EXCITING to say. I just happen to think that it's an interesting myth.

Whether or not you consider Jesus himself to be a myth is all well and good. However, the story is clearly plagiarized from an Egyptian god (likely a myth, as well) Horus which was long before the Jesus story is documented.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_jcpa5b.htm

That's my reference. It's a religious site, not some commie, atheist site.

The parallels are astonishing. Virgin birth (typically sighted), same gap in their lives that isn't explained, same thing happened to the man that baptized them. Much more. It's insane.

The historicity of Jesus is well accepted amongst historians. Very few scholars question it. There is as much (if not more) evidence for the existence of Jesus as there is for any other historical figure in history.

Here are some websites I just quickly found that deal with your specific issue:

http://www.magisreasonfaith.org/ask...actually-lifted-from-the-egyptian-horus-myth/

http://www.kingdavid8.com/Copycat/JesusHorus.html

http://www.confidentchristianity.com/articles/Fraudulent_Claims_of_the_Jesus_Myth_Theory.html

http://www.garyhabermas.com/articles/crj_summarycritique/crj_summarycritique.htm

http://www.rzim.org/justthinkingfv/tabid/602/articleid/49/cbmoduleid/1694/default.aspx

But if you are genuinely interested in the truth about this issue, I'd recommend reading up on N.T. Wright, the guy has done a lot of research on this issue.

To deny Jesus' divinity is one thing, to deny his existence puts you against contemporary scholarship.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

I know that this is not completely on topic, but I couldn't let this go:



The historicity of Jesus is well accepted amongst historians. Very few scholars question it. There is as much (if not more) evidence for the existence of Jesus as there is for any other historical figure in history.

Here are some websites I just quickly found that deal with your specific issue:

http://www.magisreasonfaith.org/ask...actually-lifted-from-the-egyptian-horus-myth/

http://www.kingdavid8.com/Copycat/JesusHorus.html

http://www.confidentchristianity.com/articles/Fraudulent_Claims_of_the_Jesus_Myth_Theory.html

http://www.garyhabermas.com/articles/crj_summarycritique/crj_summarycritique.htm

http://www.rzim.org/justthinkingfv/tabid/602/articleid/49/cbmoduleid/1694/default.aspx

But if you are genuinely interested in the truth about this issue, I'd recommend reading up on N.T. Wright, the guy has done a lot of research on this issue.

To deny Jesus' divinity is one thing, to deny his existence puts you against contemporary scholarship.

I agree with you completely. However, I think that the poster who mentioned Jesus was referring to some of the Biblical stories about Jesus and as you mentioned, his divinity.

I think a majority of people all over the world agree that Jesus, the person, existed. The "myth" aspect of it has to do with the stories in the Bible.

That's what I think Calderownz meant.

 

[lenguy]

I don't exactly want to engage and spark a huge religious debate on this, but I'm going to throw in my two cents on this. On the topic of whether or not Jesus Christ is a myth. Well, I don't particularly feel he was. More or less I feel that the portrayal of Jesus in today's society raises a sort of exaggerated myth of who he really was.The story of Jesus and his teachings have been told and retold for countless generations,some stories have been greatly exaggerated over the last two millenniums. I mean if you read the Bible, it has a great mythological feel to it and at times feels to lack some credibility.

I don't necessarily feel that Jesus was a myth, I just think that he was more ordinary that what the Bible and other accounts make him out to be. He was probably in all accounts no more ordinary than you or I and just had a belief of his own that after his death, exploded into something vast and over the centuries that simple story and belief was further embellished and exaggerated. I mean over the centuries I'm sure people added their own spin to an already tainted and impure story to further progress the divinity of Jesus and God.

I don't think he was in anyway a myth,though at times it does seem like it. I however just think he was more of a simple man than the Bible and churches depict him.

 

[Calderownz]

I know that this is not completely on topic, but I couldn't let this go:



The historicity of Jesus is well accepted amongst historians. Very few scholars question it. There is as much (if not more) evidence for the existence of Jesus as there is for any other historical figure in history.

Here are some websites I just quickly found that deal with your specific issue:

http://www.magisreasonfaith.org/ask...actually-lifted-from-the-egyptian-horus-myth/

http://www.kingdavid8.com/Copycat/JesusHorus.html

http://www.confidentchristianity.com/articles/Fraudulent_Claims_of_the_Jesus_Myth_Theory.html

http://www.garyhabermas.com/articles/crj_summarycritique/crj_summarycritique.htm

http://www.rzim.org/justthinkingfv/tabid/602/articleid/49/cbmoduleid/1694/default.aspx

But if you are genuinely interested in the truth about this issue, I'd recommend reading up on N.T. Wright, the guy has done a lot of research on this issue.

To deny Jesus' divinity is one thing, to deny his existence puts you against contemporary scholarship.

I didn't doubt his existence. I doubted his story. Whether or not he exists is irrelevant to his story. I made sure to specify that in my original post.

Regardless, contemporary scholars claim that he likely existed simply due to the fact that he's well documented. However, as we all too well know, religious stories carry. Hence the original story of Horus is still around, as well. When it's hundreds and hundreds of years older than the story of Jesus.

I wouldn't care either way, however. I'm talking about the myth of his story. Not the man himself. Him existing doesn't prove the story/myth is accurate.

Anyway, I won't post about this anymore out of respect for the thread starter and his original post.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

Here's a good subtopic for this thread: ALIENS/UFOs.....

I have to say that I definitely believe there is other forms of life and likely intelligent life (maybe more advanced than us) elsewhere in the universe. The universe is simply too large for us to be alone. We live on a small planet in a small solar system, in one galaxy. There are likely millions of galaxies out there. There are probably millions of suns out there to and planets just the right distance away from those suns to harbor life (as we know it).

That leads me into the UFO discussion. I believe most UFO "sightings" are hoaxes. However, I think something did crash at Roswell, New Mexico in the 1940s. There are just too many eyewitness reports, that are very similar (yet the people interviewed didn't know what the others said, so how would their stories be similar unless what they saw was real). What happened to the object afterwards, and whether or not it was a UFO, I'm just not sure.

To me, the sightings are hoaxes because it's always in redneck or rural areas. How come aliens never fly over or crash their ships in Times Square or areas that they can see when they enter the atmosphere that are extremely populated?

Seems too coincidental that these hicks or people in really small towns are the ones seeing the UFOs.

If UFO sightings started popping up on a regular basis in major, populated cities, or areas, then I think I would start to believe these sightings.


An interesting question is, if aliens eventually try to make first contact with us, would governments all over the world try to cover it up or just let it happen?

One of the things to consider is, that if aliens were to arrive on Earth to make contact, that, IMO, would disprove most modern religions, as the Bible talks about God creating the Earth but makes no mention of God creating life anywhere else. So, that to me, is the #1 reason why governments would cover up (as best they could) any contact with actual aliens.