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
Keeping the sacred fire of Rome burning was a prestigious job with a terrible severance package. If a Vestal Virgin broke her vow of celibacy, she was simply…
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Roman men whipped women with goat skins to ensure fertility
The absolute peak of Roman romantic tradition was the festival of Lupercalia. Wealthy young men would run through the city streets entirely bare,…
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Robespierre invented a totally new religion for the state
Maximilien Robespierre grew incredibly tired of traditional Catholicism during the French Revolution. Instead of logically adopting atheism, he completely…
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Syrian saint notoriously entered a city dragging a dead dog
Saint Simeon Salus perfectly understood how to entirely destroy his own personal reputation to avoid the sin of massive pride. He specifically announced his…
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North African extremists sought death by clubbing people
These zealots desperately wanted to be martyrs but were unfortunately living in peaceful times. Their brilliant solution was to violently attack random…
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Russian sect members removed their genitals to avoid lust
Base desires are a common problem, but Russian Skoptsy members found a highly permanent solution. They voluntarily removed their own reproductive organs to…
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Ancient humans built grand temples prior to inventing farms
History books insist agriculture allowed humans to settle and build grand monuments. Yet Gobekli Tepe entirely ruins this timeline, proving that ancient…
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Vanuatu islanders worshipped the Duke of Edinburgh
Based on a wildly misinterpreted ancient legend about a pale mountain spirit, a specific tribe in Vanuatu decided that Queen Elizabeth's husband was their…
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Appalachian preachers hold venomous snakes during prayer
Taking a single obscure biblical verse extremely literally, specific rural American congregations actively incorporate highly deadly rattlesnakes into their…
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Heaven Gate members thought spaceships hid behind comets
This notorious fringe group was entirely convinced that an invisible alien spacecraft was stealthily trailing behind the Hale Bopp comet. They believed the…
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Ancient Essenes refused to use the bathroom on Saturdays
Ancient Essene law dictated absolute rest on the seventh day. This was taken so completely literally that members were entirely forbidden from relieving their…
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Manichaeans believed divine light was trapped in melons
According to Manichaean texts, the universe was a cosmic battleground where supreme light got trapped inside dense matter. For some entirely baffling reason,…
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Marcion completely rejected the Old Testament as evil
Early church leader Marcion decided the deity described in ancient Hebrew texts was entirely too wrathful to be the actual creator. He simply took a pair of…
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Wandering monks lived entirely by mooching off others
These wandering ascetics realized that working for a living was unnecessary when you could just intensely exploit religious hospitality. They spent their…
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Utopian religious community enforced mandatory swinging
The nineteenth century Oneida Community believed traditional marriage was fundamentally selfish. Instead, they mandated complex marriage, meaning every adult…
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Thousands of peasant children marched to retake holy lands
In a display of absolute strategic incompetence, massive crowds of unarmed European youths decided their sheer innocence would effortlessly conquer hostile…
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Pacific islanders actively worshiped military cargo drops
During world war two, isolated islanders saw American planes dropping endless supplies from the sky. Once the war ended, they built elaborate bamboo mockups…
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Russian Doukhobors protested by parading completely bare
When these strict pacifist dissidents relocated to Canada, they clashed heavily with government land registration laws. To properly express their extreme…
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Buddhist monks are strictly forbidden from cooking food
Theravada monks follow extremely specific rules regarding their daily sustenance. To prevent attachment to worldly pleasures, they are absolutely prohibited…
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Origen literally castrated himself to tutor women safely
Early church father Origen was a brilliant scholar who needed to teach female students without starting scandalous rumors. His incredibly drastic solution was…
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Subud movement involves intense spontaneous shaking sessions
This obscure Indonesian spiritual exercise entirely rejects rigid physical discipline. Instead, devoted members gather in completely empty halls to undergo a…
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Raelian religion claims humans were created by alien DNA
Forget divine clay. The Raelians believe all terrestrial life was precisely engineered in a laboratory by an advanced extraterrestrial species called the…
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Priests of Cybele castrated themselves during wild events
Joining the priesthood of Cybele required an immense personal sacrifice. During wildly chaotic annual festivals, eager initiates would publicly remove their…
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Voodoo queen Marie Laveau monetized magical rituals for elite politicians in New Orleans
Marie Laveau didn't just practice magic; she understood the power of a vertical monopoly. As the reigning Voodoo Queen of New Orleans in the 19th century, she…
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