Myths & mysteries
Discover facts about myths & mysteries. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Myths & mysteries
Roman priestesses were buried alive if they broke vows
A Vestal Virgin who broke her vow of celibacy could be sealed in an underground vault with a single loaf of bread and left to die.
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Roman men whipped women with goat skins to ensure fertility
During Lupercalia, young men ran through Rome with strips of freshly sacrificed goat hide. The ritual was believed to promote fertility.
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Robespierre invented a totally new religion for the state
Rather than embrace atheism, Robespierre promoted a state-sponsored religion and staged an expensive festival, casting himself as its high priest.
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Syrian saint notoriously entered a city dragging a dead dog
To avoid the sin of pride, Saint Simeon Salus deliberately ruined his reputation, entering the city with a dead street dog tied to his waist.
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North African extremists sought death by clubbing people
They attacked travelers with large wooden clubs, hoping to provoke them into killing the attackers and making them martyrs.
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Russian sect members removed their genitals to avoid lust
Members of the Russian Skoptsy sect sought to keep their celibacy vows by removing their reproductive organs.
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Ancient humans built grand temples prior to inventing farms
Göbekli Tepe's monumental ritual site was built by hunter-gatherers before farming was established, challenging the idea that agriculture had to come first.
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Vanuatu islanders worshipped the Duke of Edinburgh
The community connected Prince Philip to a legend of a pale mountain spirit; he even sent signed portraits that encouraged the devotion.
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Appalachian preachers hold venomous snakes during prayer
Some Appalachian congregations take a biblical verse literally and handle venomous snakes during worship; bites can be fatal.
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Heaven Gate members thought spaceships hid behind comets
They believed an invisible spacecraft was trailing the Hale-Bopp comet and that they had to leave their physical bodies to board it.
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Ancient Essenes refused to use the bathroom on Saturdays
Accounts of their law describe a strict Sabbath rule against relieving themselves, not just doing ordinary work.
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Manichaeans believed divine light was trapped in melons
Manichaean teachings held that divine light was trapped in matter, and some texts singled out melons and cucumbers as especially rich in it.
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Marcion completely rejected the Old Testament as evil
Marcion thought the wrathful God described in ancient Hebrew scriptures could not be the true creator, so he rejected the Old Testament from his version of…
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Wandering monks lived entirely by mooching off others
Wandering ascetics could sustain their travels through religious hospitality, moving from monastery to monastery rather than earning a living through ordinary…
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Utopian religious community enforced mandatory swinging
In complex marriage, every adult was considered married to every other adult. The community punished exclusive romantic attachments with public humiliation.
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Thousands of peasant children marched to retake holy lands
Many of the young crusaders never reached the Holy Land; crowds of unarmed children were captured, and most were sold into slavery.
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Pacific islanders actively worshiped military cargo drops
During World War II, islanders saw American planes deliver supplies; after the war, some built bamboo aircraft and airstrips hoping the drops would return.
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Russian Doukhobors protested by parading completely bare
In the stereotype, Cancer’s attachment to the past turns even old scraps of paper into keepsakes that are hard to throw away.
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Buddhist monks are strictly forbidden from cooking food
They depend on local laypeople’s daily food offerings rather than storing provisions or cooking for themselves.
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Origen literally castrated himself to tutor women safely
To avoid suspicions while teaching women, early church scholar Origen had himself castrated.
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Subud movement involves intense spontaneous shaking sessions
In Subud, members gather in empty halls and let spontaneous movements—shaking, shouting, or flailing—unfold without choreography.
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Raelian religion claims humans were created by alien DNA
Raëlians believe the Elohim, an advanced extraterrestrial species, created life on Earth in a laboratory. They have also campaigned for a dedicated embassy…
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Priests of Cybele castrated themselves during wild events
At annual festivals of Cybele, initiates reportedly castrated themselves with sharp pottery as a public act of devotion.
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Voodoo queen Marie Laveau monetized magical rituals for elite politicians in New Orleans
She also sold gris-gris bags to wealthy white politicians and businessmen seeking help with elections and court cases.
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