Forums » Smalltalk » Not-So-Arbitrary Myths

Looking back over myths, it can be difficult to understand why something was presented in a particular way, and very easy to assume our ancestors were just a bunch of nutters throwing things together. In some cases, that may very well be true - but certainly not all. There was usually a reason for things.

For example, there are actually two reasons why vampires are supposed to not have a reflection in a mirror. Arguably the version you're more likely to hear is that mirrors actually reflect the soul, and since a vampire has no soul (being an undead creature), there is therefore nothing to reflect. The other, though, is specifically a reference to how the favored way to make a mirror was once polished silver: silver is often held to be a weakness of monsters because it is considered a pure and perhaps holy material, and the idea is that something so corrupted as a vampire cannot appear upon that pure, polished silver surface. There has also been an argument that if vampires do show a reflection, it is that of their rotting corpse body.

Incidentally, the same two arguments can be used with photography as well, since some believe cameras capture the soul, and silver used to be used in the development of the image!

So... what odd myths do you know the explanation of? No modern or personal explanations, please. Let's hear what the old myths were!

Speaking of vampires, they also used to be purple and grotesque. Due to how people would dig up graves to see whether or not the vampire has risen or not, only to find the body swelling and decomposing with blood around their mouths due to rotting. Of course, people didn't know that's what was happening at the time, so that added to the paranoia.

Vampires weren't always these dracula or seductress looking things. Back in their heyday, they looked far more like actual blood sucking monsters than sparkly faeries. Also, vampires didn't actually canonically burn in sunlight until the whole thing with dracula. The author just thought it was a poetic way to end the book.

Additionally, some of the werewolf myths back in the day were said to have originated from some nut bringing back and trying to domesticate a hyena. It got loose and started eating people. Well, that's at least how my father tells it. It's a dad story, so take it with a grain of salt.

A vampire myth turned history fact:

Ever seen pictures of heavy iron cages over tombstones? Those are called mortsafes. Somehow or another, a rumour got started that mortsafes were meant to keep bodies confined in their graves for fear that they might rise from the dead as vampires.

But! In the 1830s, when these contraptions were popular, Britain faced a graverobbing epidemic. "Resurrectionists" ran amok digging up bodies and selling them to medical universities and private anatomical collectors. Mortsafes were just one of the countermeasures people came up with to keep the dearly departed safe and sound in the dirt. It's a little tricky to dig with a giant iron cage in your way, after all.

So: mortsafes weren't invented to keep people in. They were invented to keep people out.

Pretty cool! Although, not as cool as vampires.

Edit: back on desktop, here's a picture of some.

Moar pls.

But I'm too tired/needing to hurry to bed to add more myself right now...

The reason silver is a holy metal is because of the thirty pieces paid to Judas to betray Jesus. It's why werewolves are killed by silver.

There are also myths that say that if someone who loves a werewolf faces them without fear and says their name they will turn back. I believe this is how the caveat about silver for a silver bullet is an heirloom came about because it was about a familiar connection.

Also, the loup-garou of French Canadien Catholic lore is not just a wolf but varies depending on the sin committed to cause the loup-garou to become. I'm not sure which sins are which animal, but the most common sin associated with wolves is wrath and apparently comes from drinking in excess in the area.