For thousands of years, myths have nourished human souls and imaginations. Most of these stories are simply oral traditions that have been passed down over the ages. A select number, however, have their roots in historical geological occurrences, alerting us to potential risks and reflecting our respect for the planet's might.
According to geoscientist Patrick Nun of the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia, who has researched the connections between natural disasters and myths told in the Pacific, these stories encapsulate the observations of the individuals who were present.
It's impossible to determine whether the catastrophe or the narrative came first. However, legends might offer historical hints and even close information gaps concerning ancient geological processes.
Here are ten ancient stories from around the world and the geology that may have influenced them:
Noah's Ark
God chose to destroy the Earth with a massive flood but spared one man, Noah, and his family in the well-known tale told among Christians, Jews, and Muslims (as well as in theaters this week). As directed by God, Noah constructed an enormous boat called an ark and crammed it with two of each animal. God drowned everyone and everything that had ever walked the Earth by covering it with water. The animals on the ark, together with Noah's family and other survivors, helped repopulate the world.
The Oracle at Delphi
On the slopes of Mount Parnassus, in Delphi, Ancient Greece, there stood a temple dedicated to the deity Apollo. A priestess by the name of Pythia would inhale sweet-smelling vapors coming from a fracture in the rock while inside a sacred space. She would become delirious from these vapors, channeling Apollo and speaking incoherently. Then, a priest would interpret that nonsense into prophecies.
Science: Two geologic faults have been found to run beneath the temple, which is now in ruins. The temple was a real location. The gas was probably coming from those cracks when the oracle was working. However, scientists disagree on the components of the gaseous mixture that induces bliss. A few theories are ethylene, benzene, or a
Atlantis
The Greek philosopher Plato described a vast society named Atlantis that was established by a race of people who were both half-god and half-human. They inhabited a paradise with significant naval might. But a massive disaster destroyed their home, which was situated on islands with a series of concentric circles.
Science: Although Atlantis was undoubtedly a myth, the story may have been inspired by a real island civilization. Santorini, a Greek island, is one of the contenders. While Santorini is now an archipelago, Thera, a volcano, was the only island there when it first appeared thousands of years ago. The volcano erupted in one of the largest eruptions in recorded human history about 3,500 years ago, devastating the island, causing tsunamis, and spewing tons of sulfur dioxide into the air.
Pele, Goddess of Kilauea
Along with her sisters and other relatives, Pele traveled to Hawaii. She began on Kauai. She met a man named Lohi'Au there, but she left since the region was not hot enough for her taste. On the big island of Hawaii, she eventually made camp in the Kilauea crater and asked her sister Hi' aka to come back to Lohi'Au. Hi' aka then pleaded with Pele to spare her beloved forest. Hi, aka was given 40 days to complete the work but never showed up. Pele lit the woodland on fire because she believed Hi'iaka and Lohi'Au had started dating. Hi' aka realized what had transpired, and in front of Pele, she made love to Lohi'Au. Lohi'Au was murdered by Pele, who then hurled his body into her crater. Hi’ aka
Rama's Bridge
Sita, the goddess Rama's wife, is abducted and carried to the Demon Kingdom on the island of Lanka in the Hindu epic Ramayana. Rama and his brother Lakshman are assisted by bears and monkeys who construct a floating bridge connecting India and Lanka. Rama rescues his wife while commanding an army of monkey-like men.
Science: According to satellite pictures, a 29-kilometer stretch of limestone shoals between Sri Lanka and India would have been submerged when sea levels rose following the last ice age. It's possible that individuals could cross the bridge up until 4,500 years ago. But there are more mythological sites buried along India's coastline in addition to Rama's Bridge.
The tsunami in the Pacific Ocean, which occurred more recently,
The Exploding Lake
Shortly after arriving in Cameroon, the Kom people settled in the Bamessi region. The Kom Fon vowed vengeance after learning that the Bamessi Fon was planning to slaughter every young man in his realm. He predicted to his sister that he would hang himself and that the bodily fluids would condense into a lake. The Kom were instructed not to approach the lake; instead, they were to leave the fish for the Bamessi and get ready to depart the area on the day designated for fishing. The lake erupted (or collapsed or sank, depending on the storyteller), drowning everyone that day when the Bamessi went into the lake to fish.
Science: On the evening of August 21, 1986, a fatal cloud of carbon dioxide was released from Lake Nyos, a volcanic lake in Cameroon, killing 1,700 people who were asleep in nearby settlements. 37 people died in a smaller degassing incident at Lake Monoun two years prior. These types of volcanic lakes have bottom waters where carbon dioxide can accumulate but is kept dissolved by the pressure of the lake water above. But a rapid release of the gas, which travels down the ground and suffocates anyone trapped in the cloud, can be brought on by seismic activity. These occurrences could have been the cause of the Kom legend's erupting lake.
Mayor observes that warnings about poisonous lakes are not exclusive to Africa; Greeks and Romans also have such legends.
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