Modern people are unlikely to believe in myths and legends. However, despite the many reliable facts available, the legends still do not lose their popularity. Each guide uses the most vivid stories to attract the attention of listeners. After all, legends evoke a sense of surprise and admiration, especially when the topic concerns unique and unlike places.
1. The Road of Giants, Northern Ireland
Despite the fact that scientists claim that the Road of Giants was formed as a result of an ancient volcanic eruption, there is a legend about the Celtic hero Finn McCool, who decided to fight the one-eyed giant Goll. To do this, he drove many columns into the bottom of the Irish Sea, which turned out to be a kind of bridge.
Having worked hard, the hero lay down to rest, and in the meantime, Goll himself crossed the bridge to Ireland. Finn’s wife, sensing danger, ran out to meet the giant and assured the monster that the sleeping Finn was a baby. Then she treated the uninvited guest with tortillas, in which the pans were hidden, and her husband with ordinary ones. The first one broke his teeth, and the second one, without even wincing, ate his portion. The frightened Goll, seeing the power of such a child, imagined his father and fled the country, breaking the bridge behind him. (Photo: Jonathan Tweed)
2. The Forbidden City Palace Complex in Beijing
This palace complex is considered the most extensive of its kind — 720 thousand m2. Going back in time, you wouldn’t be able to get inside without losing your head for it. Today, everyone has the opportunity to visit here and learn the legends surrounding this place. One of the most popular says that Emperor Zhu Di dreamed of four watchtowers that had never been seen before. When he woke up, he ordered the structures he had seen in his dream to be erected in three months at the corners of the walls of the Forbidden City. In case of non-fulfillment of the order, the builders faced the death penalty.
After a month, the chief architect could not come up with a construction plan. Out of desperation, he went for a walk around the city, during which he came across a seller of cages with grasshoppers. For fun, he bought one of the cages and was amazed. It was her design that was the ideal model of the towers. The emperor was more pleased than ever with the result; the elder who sold grasshoppers turned out to be the carpenter god Lu Ban. (Photo: Sam Gao)
3. Baobab Alley, Madagascar
The island is famous not only for lemurs, but also for giant trees. The alley of baobabs is located in its western part. According to one legend, one day god was in a bad mood and a baobab came to his hand. Venting his anger, he uprooted the tree and put it back into the ground with the crown down. (Photo: Gavinevans)
4. Niagara Falls
The facility is located on the border between the United States and Canada. The most beloved legend of the guides is about the Maiden of the Mist. According to one version, the daughter of the leader of the Seneca tribe named Lelawala was chosen as a sacrifice to the god who lived in the depths of the waterfall. Thus, the inhabitants of the tribe wanted to appease the angry god who poisoned the water. The selfless girl voluntarily went into a canoe to meet death, but was saved by God Khan, who told about a terrible snake that settled in the river and was the cause of all the troubles. Lelavala returned to the village and told her father about the monster. Having gathered the warriors, the leader entered into a battle with the snake and defeated it. (Photo: Kiril Strax)
5. The Great Sphinx, Egypt
The sculpture, towering over the Giza plateau, is considered one of the oldest preserved to this day. It represents a figure lying on the sand with the body of a lion and the head of a man. The history of the Great Sphinx is shrouded in many legends and speculations. One of the most common is the legend of Crown Prince Thutmose, the son of Pharaoh Amenhotep III and Queen Tiya.
One day, while hunting in the desert, Thutmose recalled his guards in order to pray alone at the pyramids. Tired of the midday sun, he lay down to rest in the shade of the Sphinx, which was covered with sand up to his shoulders at that time. However, the statue came to life and spoke to the man. She told Thutmose about the future reign and ordered him to clean his paws of sand. Then she looked at the prince with huge bright eyes, and he fainted. Upon waking up, the heir swore an oath to fulfill the request. When he became Pharaoh Thutmose IV, he ordered the statue to be dug up and a granite stele installed. (Photo: Clark & Kim Kays)
6. The Great Wall of China
One of the most romantic and heartbreaking legends about the construction of the Great Wall of China is the legend of Meng Jiang Nu. There were two married couples named Meng and Jiang who lived next door and had no children. One day, Consort Jiang planted a lagenaria, which let its vine over the wall to the neighbors. Over time, the plant yielded a harvest in the form of a huge pumpkin. Friendly neighbors decided to divide it in half. After cutting the fetus, they found a baby inside. The girl was named Meng Jiang Nyui and began to be raised together. She grew up to be a real beauty, whom the world had never seen, and married Fan Silyan, who was hiding from the government, which forced all young people to build the Great Wall of China.
The happiness of the young people did not last long; Fan Silyan was found and forcibly sent to a construction site. The girl waited for her lover for a whole year without receiving any news. Then she went in search of him, but they were in vain. No one knew where her husband was, and later it was discovered that he died of exhaustion and was buried in the wall. Meng Jiang Nu, unable to calm her pain, cried for three days and three nights. The part of the wall she was standing against collapsed. The emperor intended to punish the widow for the damage, but when he saw her beautiful face, he offered to marry. Meng Jiang Nu agreed, but on condition that her ex-husband be buried properly. The emperor complied with the demand, but after that Meng Jiang Nyu committed suicide by drowning herself in the sea. (Photo: Michael McDonough)
7. Mount Etna, Sicily
The volcano is one of the highest and most active in Europe. It has erupted more than 200 times in its entire history. In 1669, the eruption of Mount Etna lasted four months, destroying 12 villages. According to legend, this eruption was caused by none other than the hundred-headed monster Typhon (son of Gaia), who was imprisoned by Zeus inside Etna. Every time Typhon got angry, there was an earthquake and an eruption. (Photo: Alessandro Baffa)
8. Fujiyama Volcano on Honshu Island, Japan
The mountain is considered one of the most recognizable natural attractions in the country. It is a popular theme in Japanese art; it can be found in songs, movies and, of course, legends and myths. One of the legends tells about a married couple who lived near Mount Fujiyama. The husband was a bamboo collector. One day, while slicing raw materials, he found a thumb-sized girl in bamboo. Overjoyed, the couple took the child into their care, since they did not have their own children. Then, continuing his work, the man found a gold ingot in the bamboo. The suddenly rich family lived happily ever after.
The girl, who was named Kaguya-hime, grew up to be a beautiful girl. Many people tried to get her hand in marriage, even the emperor himself, but the beauty refused everyone, wanting to return to where she came from — to the Moon. One day, on a full moon, the subjects of the Moon finally came to Kaguya-hime to take her home. The girl left the emperor a gift in the form of the elixir of life and a letter. He, in turn, ordered the gifts to be taken to the mountain and burned, as he did not want to live forever without love. So the flame of the elixir and the letters made Mount Fujiyama a volcano. (Photo: Reginald Pentinio)
English 
Russian 
German 
Polish