Myths & mysteries
Discover facts about myths & mysteries. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Myths & mysteries
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created Sherlock Holmes, the ultimate fictional champion of logic and deductive reasoning, but in real life he was a massive gullible mark for spiritualist mediums and mystical hoaxes.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created Sherlock Holmes, the ultimate fictional champion of logic and deductive reasoning, but in real life he was a massive gullible…
Discover more
Pythagoras is famous for his mathematical theorem, but he also ran a secretive mystical cult that believed in the transmigration of souls and had an absolutely unhinged phobia of fava beans.
Pythagoras is famous for his mathematical theorem, but he also ran a secretive mystical cult that believed in the transmigration of souls and had an…
Discover more
Ouija boards were not invented by ancient shamans communicating with the spirit realm, but by a 19th-century businessman named Elijah Bond who just wanted to make a quick buck off the spiritualism craze.
Ouija boards were not invented by ancient shamans communicating with the spirit realm, but by a 19th-century businessman named Elijah Bond who just wanted to…
Discover more
European alchemists accidentally invented porcelain while desperately trying to manufacture fake gold
Alchemy gave us a lot of nonsense, but occasionally they screwed up and made something useful. In the early 18th century, alchemist Johann Friedrich Böttger…
Discover more
Medieval grimoires required you to craft wands at highly specific astrological times to avoid demons
Medieval magic was essentially an obsessive-compulsive nightmare. Grimoires like the Key of Solomon didn't just give you a spell; they demanded you harvest a…
Discover more
Palmistry was officially taught in German universities until people realized hands are just hands
You know an academic institution has lost the plot when they're offering degrees in reading hand wrinkles. In the 17th century, palmistry was heavily debated…
Discover more
STACKY FOR IPHONEA bigger world.
One discovery
at a time.
Keep discovering with Stacky. Interesting facts in an app that is always within reach.
Crystal ball reading exploded to dodge witchcraft laws
Sometimes mysticism is just a solid legal loophole. In the 16th century, the Catholic Church was aggressively burning anyone dabbling in astrology or dark…
Discover more
Numerologists think double digits possess supernatural power
In the world of numerology, math isn't just numbers; it's destiny. But if you calculate your life path number and it reduces to 11, 22, or 33, you aren't…
Discover more
Rasputin took freezing ice baths to cure his epic hangovers
When you are a 'holy man' deeply addicted to heavy drinking and wild parties, you need a solid recovery plan. Grigori Rasputin would allegedly plunge himself…
Discover more
Medieval sea wizards sold tied knots to control ocean winds
Sailing was scary, so sailors bought wind from witches. In Northern Europe, particularly Finland and Scotland, cunning folk and mystics sold sailors ropes…
Discover more
Rasputin's severed member sits in a Russian jar
If you thought the mad monk's life was wild, wait until you hear about his post-mortem anatomy. A wildly oversized, preserved appendage sitting in a jar at a…
Discover more
The Tarot Death card usually symbolizes change, not literal death
In cinematic history, flipping over the Death card in a Tarot reading guarantees you are about to get murdered by a ghost or serial killer. In actual…
Discover more
Warlock originally meant oathbreaker instead of male witch
If you call a male witch a warlock, you are technically insulting him. In Old English, the word 'wærloga' literally translated to 'oathbreaker' or 'deceiver.'…
Discover more
Salem witch trials relied heavily on spectral evidence where victims simply claimed they saw a ghost
The justice system of colonial Salem literally relied on the legal strategy of 'source: trust me, bro.' Spectral evidence meant an accuser could legally…
Discover more
Aleister Crowley ate human excrement during magic rituals just to prove he had conquered his ego
Nothing says 'I am an all-powerful wizard' quite like literally eating your own feces. The notorious occultist wanted to prove he had completely transcended…
Discover more
Ancient Sumerians started the crystal healing trend by stuffing magic stones into their bodily orifices
The modern wellness industry might sell you overpriced quartz to balance your chakras, but the ancients took a much more invasive approach. The Sumerians…
Discover more
Medieval writer Chrétien de Troyes originally described the Holy Grail as a serving dish rather than a sacred cup
Before it became the sparkling golden chalice of infinite Jesus power, the Holy Grail was just fancy dinnerware. When the twelfth-century French poet Chrétien…
Discover more
Edward Kelley convinced a Holy Roman Emperor he could turn base metals into gold by using secret magical powders
If you want to impress a Holy Roman Emperor, all you need is a pinch of confidence and a pocket full of red dust. The infamous English occultist Edward Kelley…
Discover more
Manifesting is just prosperity gospel for millennials
The trendy TikTok practice of 'manifesting' your dream job or soulmate by writing it down and vibrating at a higher frequency is not a new esoteric…
Discover more
Free love was championed by 19th-century mediums
Long before the 1960s, 19th-century Spiritualist mediums were pioneering the 'Free Love' movement. Because they supposedly answered only to the 'higher laws'…
Discover more
Uri Geller sued Nintendo over a spoon-bending Pokémon
The infamous psychic who made a career out of bending spoons with his mind launched a massive lawsuit against Nintendo in 2000. He claimed the Pokémon…
Discover more
Amazing Kreskin lost his own hidden performance fee
The famed mentalist Kreskin used to finish his shows by having the audience hide his paycheck, claiming he would use psychic powers to find it or forfeit his…
Discover more
Baba Vanga claimed aliens secretly live underwater
The blind Bulgarian mystic who supposedly predicted 9/11 had a lot of opinions about fish. Baba Vanga claimed that an alien race known as the 'Vamfim'…
Discover more
Official exorcists receive regular modern training
Demonic expulsion isn't just an archaic medieval hobby. The Vatican maintains a highly organized force of specialized priests trained in expelling dark…
Discover more