Read up on some of the most famous and fascinating mythical water locations throughout the world.
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea, according to legend, was
named after king Aegeus of Greece. An oracle predicted that some day
Aegeus’s son would be the death of him. Nevertheless, the king entered a
secret marriage, and Theseus was born. The boy however was not raised
in Athens, and was allowed to go there only after he was able to lift a
rock under which a sword and sandals were hidden. Theseus became a great
adventurer during his travels, and even managed to defeat the half-man,
half-bull Minotaur in the labyrinth of king Minos. As he finally sailed
back to Athens, he forgot to replace his black sails with white ones,
and consequently his father was under the impression Theseus was dead.
In an act of desperation Aegeus proved the oracle right as he threw
himself off a cliff into the sea. This sea was named the Aegean Sea,
after king Aegeus.
Atlantis
The Greek philosopher
Plato first mentioned Atlantis as an island that once existed. He stated
this island was a naval power that had conquered parts of Western
Europe and Africa. Some 9,000 years before Plato’s time a natural
disaster caused Atlantis to sink into the sea. It is thought to have
been located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean between Africa and
America. Throughout the centuries the theory of Atlantis was mostly
rejected, and often parodied. During the Middle Ages the theory was
forgotten, but it was rediscovered in modern times. Some philosophers
think that Atlantis existed, and its peoples were highly culturally
developed. They were even named predecessors of the modern Aryan race by
some. It was thought they possessed aircraft and ships powered by some
form of energy crystal. Modern theory sometimes states that some modern
Islands are parts of Atlantis that rose from the ocean.
Avalon
Avalon was a magical island that is said to have existed off the coast
of Britain, and supposedly vanquished after some time. It was famous for
its beautiful apples. Avalon is part of many stories and legends. It is
said to be the island where Jesus and Joseph of Arimathea visited
Britain, and consequently it is placed near Glastonbury and the church
present there. Arthurian legend states the
Lady of the Lake lived in
Avalon.
It is said that this is the island where they buried King Arthur after
the fight with his son Mordred cost him his life. Another supposedly
sunken island near the coast of Britain, called Lyonesse, is often
associated with Avalon. It is said to be the birthplace of the legendary
Tristan, from the legend of
Tristan and Isolde.
Bermuda
In the Atlantic Ocean a triangle-shaped area between Bermuda, Puerto
Rico and Fort Lauderdale, Florida is known as the Bermuda Triangle. The
area is nearly a million square miles wide, and extends from the Gulf of
Mexico to the Caribbean Sea. A series of mysterious disappearances of
ships and planes has surrounded this location with insinuation and myth.
People claim that in this area the laws of physics are violated, and it
was even suggested there is extraterrestrial activity there.
Sceptics state that the disappearances where not that many, and most
happened earlier before the proper equipment to track every lost ship or
plane down was even invented, including the radar and satellite. They
also claim the number of disappearances is relatively insignificant
compared to the number of ships and planes that do pass through the area
safely. The current within the Triangle is associated with heavy
weather, which would be a logical cause for any of the disappearances.
Some state that the triangle has opposite magnetism, which interferes
with GPS equipment and causes ships and planes to crash in reefs.
Another possible explanation includes methane hydrate bubbles as a cause
of rapid sinking of ships in the Triangle by water density alterations.
An
example of a flight that supposedly disappeared in this area was Flight
19 of a naval air force squadron. It was reported that the weather was
calm that day, and circumstances surrounding the disappearance where
suspicious. However, it was later reported that the plane actually met
heavy weather, and that the naval leader of the aircraft sounded
disoriented on the radio. This last claim led to suggestions that the
flight may not actually have been anywhere near the
Bermuda Triangle.
This might be the actual reason the plane was never recovered. However,
for the disappearance of some other flights, notably the Star Tiger and
the Star Ariel, no such explanation was possible and it still remains
unclear why the wrecks of these planes were never recovered. It was
however certain the planes flew near Bermuda at the time of their last
radio transmission.
Today, most agree that approximately 170
ships and planes have gone missing without a trace in the Bermuda
Triangle area. Other areas that are surrounded by myth because of the
many shipwrecks and disappearances include the Marysburgh Vortex in lake
Ontario, and the
Formosa Triangle near Taiwan.
Formosa
A five million square kilometre region in the Pacific Ocean where ships
frequently disappear under mysterious conditions, the Formosa Triangle
is believed to have many similarities to the Bermuda Triangle. It is
located between Taiwan, Wake Island and the Gilbert Islands on the west
coast of the United States.
Fortunate Isles
The
Fortunate Isles, or the Isles of the Blessed, were thought to be
locations where heroes of Greek mythology entered a divine paradise. The
islands were supposedly located in the Atlantic Ocean, near the Canary
Islands. It is stated that Macaronesia may be what is left of these
islands today.
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