The most interesting legends and myths associated with the famous landmarks of the world. The most interesting myths of ancient Greece The most beautiful legends in the world

Every nation has beautiful and amazing legends. They are diverse in subject matter: legends about the heroic deeds, stories about the origin of the names of geographical objects, horror stories about supernatural beings and novelistic tales of lovers.

Definition of the term

A legend is an unreliable account of an event. It is very similar to the myth and can be considered its approximate analogue. But legend and myth still cannot be called completely identical concepts. If we are talking about a myth, then there are fictional heroes that have nothing to do with reality. The legend, on the other hand, admits, at its core, real events, later supplemented or embellished. Since many fictional facts are added to them, scientists do not accept legends as reliable.

If we take the classical meaning of the word as a basis, then a legend is a tradition set forth in artistic form. Almost all peoples have such legends.

The best legends in the world - they will be discussed in the article.

Types of legends

1. Oral legends are the oldest species. They spread through itinerant storytellers.

2. Written traditions - written oral stories.

3. Religious legends - stories about events and persons from church history.

4. Social legends - all other legends that have nothing to do with religion.

5. Toponymic - explaining the origin of the names of geographical objects (rivers, lakes, cities).

6. Urban legends - the newest type that has become widespread today.

In addition, there are many more varieties of legends, depending on the plot underlying them - zootropomorphic, cosmogonic, etiological, eschatonic and heroic. There are very short legends and long narratives. The latter are usually associated with a story about the heroic deeds of a person. For example, the legend about or the hero Ilya Muromets.

How did the legends come about?

From the Latin language, legenda is translated as "what should be read." The history of legends goes deep into the past and has the same roots as the myth. having no idea about the causes of many natural phenomena occurring around him, he composed myths. Through them he tried to explain his vision of the world. Later, on the basis of mythology, amazing and interesting legends about heroes, gods and supernatural phenomena began to arise. Many of them have survived in the legends of the peoples of the world.

Atlantis - the legend of a lost paradise

The best legends that arose in antiquity have survived to this day. Many of them still captivate adventurers with their beauty and realism. The story of Atlantis suggests that in ancient times there was an island whose inhabitants reached incredible heights in many sciences. But then it was destroyed by a strong earthquake and sank along with the Atlanteans - its inhabitants.

It is necessary to express gratitude to the great ancient Greek philosopher Plato and the equally revered historian Herodotus for the story of Atlantis. An interesting legend excited the minds even during the lifetime of these outstanding scientists of ancient Greece. It has not lost its relevance in our days. The wonderful island, which sank thousands of years ago, is still being searched for today.

If the legend of Atlantis turns out to be true, this event will be one of the greatest discoveries of the century. After all, there was an equally interesting legend about the mythical Troy, in the existence of which Heinrich Schliemann sincerely believed. In the end, he managed to find this city and prove that there is some truth in the ancient legends.

Founding of Rome

This interesting legend is one of the most famous in the world. The city of Rome originated in antiquity on the banks of the Tiber. The proximity of the sea made it possible to engage in trade, and at the same time, the city was well protected from a sudden attack by sea robbers. According to legend, Rome was founded by the brothers Romulus and Remus, fed by a she-wolf. By order of the ruler, they were supposed to be killed, but a careless servant threw a basket with children into the Tiber, hoping that it would drown. She was picked up by a shepherd and became an adoptive father to the twins. Having matured and learned about their origin, they rebelled against a relative and took power from him. The brothers decided to found their city, but during the construction they quarreled, and Romulus killed Remus.

He named the built city by his own name. The legend about the origin of Rome belongs to toponymic legends.

The Legend of the Golden Dragon - the path to the Heavenly Temple

Among the legends, stories about dragons are very popular. Many peoples have them, but traditionally it is one of the favorite themes of Chinese folklore.

The legend of the golden dragon says that there is a bridge between heaven and earth that leads to the Heavenly Temple. It belongs to the Master of the World. Only pure souls can get into it. Two golden dragons are guarding the shrine. They sense an unworthy soul and can tear it apart when trying to enter the temple. Once one of the dragons angered the Lord, and he drove him out. A dragon descended to earth, met other creatures, and dragons of various stripes were born from him. The Vladyka was angry when he saw them, and destroyed everyone except those who had not yet been born. Having been born, they hid for a long time. But the Lord of the World did not destroy the new dragons, but left them on earth as his governors.

Treasures and treasures

Legends about gold are not the last in the list of popular legends. One of the most famous and beautiful myths of ancient Greece tells about the search for the golden fleece by the Argonauts. For a long time, the legend of the treasure was considered just a legend until Heinrich Schliemann found a treasure of pure gold at the excavation site of Mycenae, the capital of the legendary king.

Kolchak's gold is another famous legend. During the Civil War, most of Russia's gold reserves - about seven hundred tons of gold - ended up in their hands. They transported him in several echelons. Historians know what happened to one echelon. It was captured by the insurgent Czechoslovak corps and given over to the authorities (Bolsheviks). But the fate of the remaining two is unknown to this day. The precious cargo could be dumped into a mine, hidden or buried in the ground in the vast territory between Irkutsk and Krasnoyarsk. All the excavations that have been carried out so far (starting with the Chekists) have yielded no result.

Well to Hell and the Library of Ivan the Terrible

Russia also has its own interesting legends. One of them, which has appeared relatively recently, is one of the so-called urban legends. This is a story about a well to hell. This name was given to one of the deepest man-made wells in the world - Kola. Drilling began in 1970. The length is 12,262 meters. The well was created exclusively for scientific purposes. Now it is mothballed because there are no funds to maintain it in working order. The legend appeared in 1989, when a story was heard on American television that the sensors, lowered to the very depth of the well, recorded sounds similar to the moans and screams of people.

Another interesting legend, which may well turn out to be true, speaks of a library of books, scrolls and manuscripts. The last owner of the precious collection was Ivan IV. It is believed that she was part of the dowry of the niece of the Byzantine emperor Constantine.

Fearing that the precious books in wooden Moscow could burn out in a fire, she ordered to place the library in the basements under the Kremlin. According to the seekers of famous Liberia, it can contain 800 volumes of priceless works by ancient and medieval authors. Now there are about 60 versions of where the mysterious library can be stored.

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We're sure many of you still believe in unicorns. It seems wonderful to imagine that they do exist somewhere, and we just haven't found them yet. However, even the myth of such a magical creature has a very prosaic and even somewhat frightening explanation.

If it seems to you that site is very skeptical and no longer believes in magic, then at the end of the article a real miracle awaits you!

Great flood

Scientists believe that the legend of the Great Flood was based on the memory of major flood, the epicenter of which was Mesopotamia. At the beginning of the last century, during the excavations of the tombs of Ur, a layer of clay was found, which separated two cultural layers. Only a catastrophic flood of the Tigris and Euphrates could lead to the appearance of such a phenomenon.

According to other estimates, for 10-15 thousand years BC. NS. an incredible flood happened in the Caspian Sea, which spilled over an area of ​​about 1 million square meters. km. The version was confirmed after the discovery by scientists on the territory of Western Siberia of sea shells, the nearest distribution area of ​​which is in the Caspian Sea zone. This flood was so powerful that the place of the Bosphorus there was a huge waterfall, through which about 40 cubic meters were poured per day. km of water (200 times the volume of water passing through Niagara Falls). The flow of such power was at least 300 days.

This version seems insane, but in this case it is impossible to accuse the ancient people of exaggerating events!

Giants

In modern Ireland, legends are still being told about people of gigantic stature who can create an island by simply throwing a handful of land into the sea. Endocrinologist Martha Korbonitz came up with the idea that ancient traditions may have a scientific basis. Incredibly, the researchers found what they were looking for. A huge number of Irish residents have mutations in the AIP gene... It was these mutations that caused the development of acromegaly and gigantism. If in Great Britain the carrier of the mutation is 1 in 2,000 people, then in the province of Mid-Ulster - every 150th.

One of the famous Irish giants was Charles Byrne (1761-1783), his height was over 230 cm.

Legends, of course, endow the giants with tremendous power, but in fact, not everything is so rosy. People with acromegaly and gigantism often suffer from cardiovascular disease, vision problems and frequent joint pain. Without treatment, many giants may not live to see their 30s.

Werewolves

The legend of the werewolves has several origins at once. At first, the life of people has always been associated with the forest. From the deepest antiquity, rock carvings of hybrids of people and animals have come down to us. People wanted to be stronger, they chose a totem animal and wore its skin... On the basis of these beliefs, drugs also worked, which the warriors took before the battle and imagined themselves to be invincible wolves.

Secondly, belief in the existence of werewolves was also supported by the presence in humans of such a genetic disease as hypertrichosis- profuse growth of hair on the body and face, which is called "werewolf syndrome." Only in 1963 did the doctor Lee Illis give the disease a medical justification. In addition to the genetic disease, there was also a mental one, known as lycanthropy, during the attacks of which people lose their minds and lose their human qualities, considering themselves wolves. In addition, there is an exacerbation of the disease in certain lunar phases.

By the way, the wolf from the world famous "Little Red Riding Hood", according to, was none other than a werewolf. And he did not eat his grandmother, but fed it to his granddaughter.

Vampires

As for the scientific substantiation of these myths, then in 1914 the paleontologist Otenio Abel suggested that the finds in antiquity of the skulls of dwarf elephants caused the birth of the myth of the cyclops, since the central nasal opening can easily be mistaken for a giant eye socket... It is curious that these elephants were found precisely on the Mediterranean islands of Cyprus, Malta, Crete.

Sodom and Gomorrah

We don't know about you, but we have always thought that Sodom and Gomorrah are a very large-scale myth and rather a kind of personification of vicious cities. However, this is a completely historical fact.

For a decade, an ancient city has been excavated at Tell el-Hammam in Jordan. Archaeologists believe they have found the biblical Sodom... The approximate location of the city was always known - the Bible described the "Sodom Pentapolis" in the Jordan Valley. However, its exact location has always raised questions.

In 2006, excavations began, and scientists found a large ancient settlement surrounded by a powerful rampart. According to researchers, people lived here between 3500 and 1540 BC. NS. There is no other version of the name of the city, otherwise the mention of such a large settlement would have remained in written sources.

Kraken

The Kraken is a legendary mythical sea monster of gigantic proportions, a cephalopod mollusk, known from the descriptions of sailors. The first extensive description was made by Eric Pontoppidan - he wrote that the kraken is an animal "the size of a floating island." According to him, the monster is able to grab a large ship with its tentacles and drag it to the bottom, but the whirlpool that occurs when the kraken quickly sinks to the bottom is much more dangerous. It turns out that a sad end is inevitable - both in the case when the monster attacks, and when he escapes from you. Really creepy!

The rationale for the "creepy monster" myth is simple: giant squids exist to this day and reach 16 meters in length. They really are an impressive sight - in addition to suckers, some species also have claws-teeth on the tentacles, but they can only threaten someone by pressing it down from above. Even if a modern man, having met such a creature, is very frightened, what can we say about medieval fishermen - for them the giant squid was definitely a mythical monster.

Unicorn

When it comes to unicorns, we immediately think of a graceful creature with a rainbow horn in its forehead. Interestingly, they are found in the legends and myths of many cultures. The earliest images are found in India and are over 4,000 years old. Later, the myth spread throughout the continent and reached Ancient Rome, where they were considered absolutely real animals.

Jindo in South Korea. Here the waters between the islands part for an hour, opening a wide and long road! Scientists attribute this miracle to the time difference between ebb and flow.

Of course, many tourists come there - in addition to simple walks, they have the opportunity to see the sea inhabitants who remained on the land that opened up. The amazing thing about the Moses Trail is that it leads from the mainland to the island.

According to the statistics of the British Royal Society of Ghosts, on average, at least 3 ghosts live on each square meter of the inhabited surface of the Earth. We managed to photograph some of them, and even to talk with some. We present the most famous myths and legends.

10th place: Argonauts. The myth of the Argonauts and the Golden Fleece is very old. The very first recorded version of this myth is already its processing, very far from the original history. Argonauts (literally "sailing on the Argo") - participants in the voyage on the ship "Argo" for the golden fleece to the country of Colchis. The most detailed about the journey of the Argonauts is told in the poem of Apollonius of Rhodes "Argonautics".

9th place: Beowulf. The only existing manuscript of "Beowulf" dates from about 1000 AD. But the epic itself refers, according to most experts, to the end of the 7th or the first third of the 8th century. Beowulf, a young knight from the Gout people, having learned about the attack of the monster Grendel on the Danish king Higelak, goes to the aid of the king.

8th place: The legend of the fern flower. According to an ancient folk legend, the one who finds a fern flower on the night of Ivan Kupala will find happiness. By the way, this myth exists not only in Russia. The legend of the fern flower was also believed in Lithuania and Estonia.

7th place: The Legend of King Arthur. Italian explorer Mario Moiragi claims that the legendary sword of King Arthur actually exists and is located in a rock in the Abbey of San Galgano in Italy. By the way, in his book, Moiragi states that the legend of King Arthur is Italian, although it was traditionally assumed that King Arthur and the Holy Grail were invented in northern Europe or in France.

6th place: Poltergeist. Some argue that the poltergeist ("noisy spirit" in German) terrorized our ancestors for thousands of years. In case of poltergeist, objects can appear and disappear from nowhere, for example, directly “from the air” a fire can pour out or arise, pipes burst, corks burn out, dishes break, etc. Events of this kind usually last for about 2-3 months, and only sometimes for several years.

5th place: Loch Ness monster. The first mentions of Nessie date back to 565. A monster is described that looks like a giant toad, "only it was not a toad." The seventh century Latin chronicles of Nessie noted the appearance of the dragon "cum agenti fremitu", which means "strongly hesitant"

4th place: So far, no one has really seen the Bigfoot either, but the Nepalese hill tribes still believe in the existence of the terrible Mi-Go or "Disgusting Bigfoot", lurking among the ice and mountain spiers.

3rd place: Flying Dutchmen. Legend has it that the Dutch captain Van der Decken once lived. He was a drunkard and a blasphemer. And then one day, near the Cape of Good Hope, his ship fell into a violent storm. The navigator advised him to take refuge in one of the bays, but instead of heeding the advice, Van der Decken shot the navigator. This act angered God, and since then Van der Decken's ship has been wandering the seas. With a rotten body, it nevertheless holds up perfectly on the waves. The damned captain recruits his command from the drowned, and the more disgusting and disgusting their deeds in life were, the better.

2nd place: Bermuda Triangle. In the literature on the Bermuda Triangle, 50 cases of disappearances of ships and aircraft are described in detail. In almost all cases, ships and aircraft disappeared without a trace, along with their crews. By the way, about 140 thousand people were still rescued in a shipwreck in the Bermuda Triangle by the US security service.

1st place: Aliens. At the moment, about 1-0 thousand evidences of UFO sightings and communication with aliens have been recorded in various organizations. The myth about aliens is especially widespread throughout the world: aliens from space who have visited the earth long ago. Some consider the ancient Egyptians and Maya Indians to be aliens. By the way, the image of a green man with big eyes and in silvery clothes was recognized as the most widespread concept of aliens on Earth. The drawing of the "green man" was sealed into one of the "time capsules", which should be opened in three thousand years.

Instructions

In the north of Moscow, in Khovrino, there has been an unfinished building resembling a ghost ship for more than a decade. It still instills fear in the residents of this Moscow district, since it has long had a bad reputation. This building is unfinished. Its construction began back in 1980, but never finished. Popularly, this unfinished building was called the Khovrinskaya abandoned hospital and is one of the ten most terrible places in the world! As soon as they do not call the Khovrinskaya unfinished building: the house of horror, and the cradle of nightmares, and even the citadel of darkness.

According to the urban legend, the construction of this hospital began on the bones, i.e. in the place where the old abandoned one was once. Many people are sure that this explains all the failures that accompanied the construction process. Old-timers generally say that there used to be a large slough on the site of the abandoned Khovrinskaya hospital. This is evidenced by the fact that at present the foundation of the unfinished building is sinking lower and lower into the groundwater. The construction of this architectural structure was suspended in 1985. Since the time the last builder left the territory of this building, the Khovrinskaya hospital has been living a life of its own, full of secrets and tragedies.

Another Russian legend is associated with a ghost train and, like the first, is urban. According to legend, every month a strange ghost train rushes along the rails at a breakneck speed in the Moscow metro. According to eyewitnesses, sometimes he makes stops and opens the doors of his cars. People who claimed to have seen the -sign are sure that the silhouette of a machinist dressed in a pre-war construction uniform is clearly visible in its cabin, and all the other carriages of this strange train are filled with the souls of builders.

To understand the meaning of this legend, it is necessary to remember exactly how the Moscow metro was built. Its construction began in the 40s of the last century. Old-timers say that it was grueling and hard work for all those involved in the construction of the Metro Circle Line. The fact is that most of the builders were real prisoners, convicted of various crimes of a political or criminal nature.

Moreover, the construction of this metro was marked by bloody events: at this time, many workers allegedly died on the site. The fact is that from time to time unstable structures collapsed on them, and some people were generally driven into ventilation shafts and walled up without investigation or trial. After a while, at the cost of many human sacrifices, the "bloody" subway was nevertheless completed. In this regard, the legend of the Russian ghost appeared. Until now, people complain that sometimes the phantom of a rusty electric train supposedly scares them. Eyewitnesses say that this train appears always after midnight and only on the Circle Line.

Do you know why a Chow Chow dog has a blue tongue? If such a question were asked to a resident of Ancient China, he would not have hesitated to answer. There is an interesting Chinese legend that says: “In very ancient times, when God had already created the Earth and populated it with animals, birds, insects, fish, he was engaged in the distribution of stars in the sky. During this work, quite by accident, a piece of the sky fell off and fell to the Earth. All the animals and birds, in horror, scattered to the sides and hid in secluded places. And only the most courageous dog Chow-Chow was not afraid to approach a fragment of the sky, sniff it and lick it lightly with its tongue. Since then, the Chow-Chow dog, and all its descendants, had a blue tongue. " Thanks to this beautiful legend, the Chow-Chow is still called "the dog that licked the sky" today.

The Austrian city of Salzburg is known not only for its picturesque surroundings, famous resorts, but also for its many historical sights. And, perhaps, the main one is the Mirabell Palace with a complex of fabulous gardens. The pink stone from which the palace is built gives it lightness and airiness. Of course, this is a wonderful creation of architecture, but it is not considered the main highlight, namely, the Mirabell Gardens. Fountains, a garden of dwarfs, stone lions, trees and flower beds - of very bizarre shapes, graceful balustrades, a theater with a hedge - nothing to describe. This is a must see. The real pride of Austria.

Venice is a city shrouded in a light haze, it seems almost ephemeral and exists only in our imagination. But still, you can see it not only in pictures and in the movies, it actually exists with all its squares, canals, bridges, cathedrals. I think that everyone who has not been there dreams of making a romantic trip to Venice in order to capture the mysterious and enigmatic essence of this unusual and magnificent city. The gondola is rightfully considered one of the main symbols of the city. Perhaps someone noticed that they are all the same color and, like black swans, cut through the waters of the canals of Venice. There is a legend that answers the question: Why are all Venetian gondolas in the "city of love" black?

Salzburg is one of the most beautiful and unusual cities in Austria. Located at the very foot of the Alps, literally 5 kilometers from the border with Germany. The very name of the city is associated with the nearby salt deposit. It has been mined since time immemorial. According to legend, the fortress was built here to control the export of salt. This is how the name Salzburg appeared, which means the Salt Fortress.

If someone has visited Krakow at least once, they will never forget the enchanting atmosphere of this city. A complex history, unique culture, unique architecture make Krakow a real paradise for poets, musicians, artists and just for anyone. The city steeped in legends, gladly reveals its secrets to everyone who visits it. If you are not lucky enough to be there, then I strongly advise you to read the book by N.G. Frolova "Old Krakow". One of the parts of this book is called “Characters of the City Play”. Whoever does not participate in this eternal Krakow performance: musicians, poets, warriors, kings, artists, adventurers ...

For the first time this monument appeared in St. Petersburg in 1999 on Malaya Sadovaya Street 3. The work of the sculptor V.А. Sivakov. The exact name is "Monument to the stray dog ​​Gavryusha". But as soon as he was not called the monument to the good dog, and Gavryusha, and even just Nyusha. After sitting there for 8 years, the dog gave rise to either a rumor, or already a legend. The teenagers really fell in love with the dog. And so they came up with the idea that if you write a wish for a dog, then it will certainly come true. Since then, the courtyard on Malaya Sadovaya, where the dog stood, has become a place of pilgrimage for tourists and residents of the city.

St. John of Nepomuk is one of the most revered Czech saints by the inhabitants of Prague. It is considered the patron saint of Prague and the whole Czech Republic. He lived in the XIV century, during the reign of King Wenceslas IV, and was a priest. It is not known exactly what Jan of Nepomuk was guilty of before the king, but one of the most plausible assumptions is the following. As the confessor of the queen, he refused to reveal the secret of his wife's confession to Wenceslas IV. For what, after much torture and torment. the king ordered his execution. The priest was put in a sack and thrown from the Charles Bridge into the Vltava.

Charles Bridge is one of the main attractions of Prague. It was built by order of King Charles IV in 1357. For five centuries it was the only bridge across the Vltava. Later in the 17th century, they began to decorate it with sculptures, the number of which reached 30. So the bridge turned into a real open-air art gallery. Nowadays, the bridge is a pedestrian one and was chosen by artists, souvenir sellers, street musicians and of course tourists. Many legends of Old Prague are associated with the Charles Bridge. Here is one of them.