myths

A child witnessing the will-o’-the-wisps.

Although there are a few distinctive beasts that are place-specific, many ghosts, fairies, and goblins pop up in similar forms across the various Celtic mythologies.

There comes a point in every child’s life when they ask where babies come from, and some parents—not wanting to explain the details of reproduction just yet—turn to the story of storks. We explore the origins of a myth that has been around for centuries.

A detail of a copy of Michelangelo’s ‘David’

The male sexual organ is more complicated than it might seem.

Don’t believe everything your parents taught you about navigating the kitchen.

The Oregon Trail had 4 to 10 percent death rate, which is lower than you might assume if you’ve played the computer game.

Cut through the half-truths and urban legends to find out more about Friday the 13th, allegedly the unluckiest day on the calendar.

Jack Frost pops up in a number of wintery tales.

Most iterations of Jack Frost see him clad in icy blue and white, and as well as being responsible for nose-nipping, he’s also credited with creating frost. But where exactly did this mythical cold-weather figure originate?

St. Nicholas may have inspired Santa Claus, but the two figures were remarkably different.

St. Nick brings the gifts. Krampus brings the pain. Here are some things you might not have known about Santa’s demonic companion.

These two tiny titans of folklore might appear similar, but they couldn't be more different.

Crom Dubh na Nollaig looks incredibly similar to Krampus, pictured here.

Scotland‘s Crom Dubh na Nollaig is a Christmas monster who scares children into behaving well.

Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy ...

The Christmas legend that animals gain the power of speech on Christmas Eve has roots all the way back in the manger.

Stenciled human hands in a cave near Rio Pinturas, Argentina, dating from the last ice age.

We break down some common myths about our early human ancestors—and what makes our species, ‘Homo sapiens,’ so different from them.

Every birthday counts when you just have one life.

Though cats only live once, the idea that the animals have nine lives has been around for a long time.

Those famous white statues weren’t originally white—and that’s just one myth about Ancient Greece we’re covering in the latest episode of Misconceptions.

You might want to visit these places—or not.

Kick off the spooky season with these haunted highways from New Jersey to South Africa.

Not only is there a chronic shortage of organ donations in the U.S.—there multiple myths about the process.

A portrait of the scientists who found and examined the Piltdown Man skull (accompanied by a picture of Charles Darwin on the wall).

From forged artworks to fake mummies and even fraudulent orangutan bones, archaeological hoaxes fool scientists and stir the public’s imagination—until the culprits are forced to come clean.