MYTHOPEDIA

Exploring the borderlands between myth, history, and science.

Folklorist and historian Mayor, author of the National Book Award finalist The Poison King, draws on the new field of geomythology to explain the historical background and science behind 53 legends and myths of the earth and “how humans have made sense of their observations of nature over time.” The oral legend of the Budj Bim volcano in Australia may go back more than 36,000 years and can help scientists understand seismic, volcanic, and other geological events. The many tales of fountains of flames and perpetually burning fires can help scientists trace the earth’s hydrocarbon degassing into the atmosphere. The ancient tales of West Africa’s terrible, gigantic Jobar creature, which perished in an ancient flash flood, were confirmed in 1997 by the discovery of a new species of sauropod dinosaurs. The giant lake catfish of Japanese legend, the Namazu, were known for predicting earthquakes and tsunamis; its image now graces Japanese escape route signs. Legends about numerous Paleoburrows in Brazil, formed long ago, were created by giant sloths and massive armadillos, say paleontologists. Contemporary urban myths have sprung up around the Rat Hole of Chicago, an impression of a rat in a concrete sidewalk. It probably escaped from wet concrete. Then there are the legends of Bahrain’s 32-foot Shajarat-al-Hayat, or Tree of Life, being part of the Garden of Eden. Scientists now believe it was planted around 1582. Mayor concludes her catalog of worldly wonders with the study of zooseismology—yes, it seems animals do have the ability to sense seismic activity before humans. Other entries cover dry quicksand, raining frogs and fish, killing stones, and windblown strands of spun glass.

A fascinating catalog of ancient cultures and unique geological events.