Historical myths

[Azi Tohak]

That aliens built the pyramids.

Wait...does that not count as historical?

How about Noah's surivors after the flood? The flood was probably real (too many similiar accounts of a huge flood), but we are all descended from a half dozen people? Talk about inbreeding...

Azi

[PanzerJaeger]

The US lost the Vietnam War.

[Meneldil]

Germany was more powerful than France in 1939-1940.

[barocca]

that america was discovered by columbus, which is STILL taught in schools

so how do they explain the viking settlements that predate columbus by several hundred years?


that australia was discovered by Captain Cook - which they ALSO still teach in schools...
what a joke..


B.

[Kaiser of Arabia]

That the Nazis and Japanese were the only ones to commit war crimes during WWII.
*cough*Katyn*cough*

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

That the Nazis and Japanese were the only ones to commit war crimes during WWII.

That always makes me laugh. *cough* Dresden carpet bombings */cough*

[swirly_the_toilet_fish]

Just so everyone knows, only losers commit war crimes. Our most recent example of this double standard is rather clear, isn't it?

[Kraxis]

that america was discovered by columbus, which is STILL taught in schools

so how do they explain the viking settlements that predate columbus by several hundred years?

Heh... True, but we are still a bit behind there... There are some who discovered it even earlier.
We should redefine it to spreading the knowledge ofte continent, then it would certainly be Columbus.

that australia was discovered by Captain Cook - which they ALSO still teach in schools...
what a joke..


B.

That one is bad... again I think a redefinement would be nice.

That the Nazis and Japanese were the only ones to commit war crimes during WWII.

Yes that is true... But even in the west we see crimes. Such as the blowing up of docks and other port facilities after the war to 'prove' how effective the bombing was. A disgrace and something that hurt the civilians!
The execusion of youths on their way to join the army (the stories and evidence abound in the Ruhr), the official destruction of the surrendering of a depleted SS division on the ground that it had captured a field hospital (and treated them nicely, though gorging on the supplies). The local commander basically told his troops to kill them all. Well that more or less happened.

But we don't want to hear about that as many of us know/knew people who fought in the war, and we don't want to look at them as potential warcriminals. Also, who won? The winner's right.

[Colovion]

Germany was more powerful than France in 1939-1940.

Please explain. After reading Paris 1919, something rather drastic must have occured to produce a strong France by the beginning of WW2. Population size and resources alone lead me to believe the alternative.

[Meneldil]

In 1939 and even in 1940, the French economy and military was much better than those of Germany. The war would probably have ended in early 1940 if the Franco-British had attacked Germany with a valid strategy.

I'm pretty sure some Germanophile folks will have something to say against that, but facts are that France lost because it had sucky generals, not because its economy/manpower/whatever was unefficient, or because "France sucks", as some people keep claiming.

This issue is not really related, so if anyone wants to discuss about that, create a new topic, or dig another one about WWII and 'how french sucked', because I'm sure there's a lot such threads

[hoom]

God(s)

That the 2001 NZ power crisis had anything to do with drought rather than power companies simply dumping far too much water from the hydro dams.

Cook 'discovered' NZ.

[The Wizard]

Oh; the myth of samurais being categorically superior to knights. Both one-on-one and in a battle. But especially in one-on-one.



~Wiz

[yesdachi]

In 1939 and even in 1940, the French economy and military was much better than those of Germany. The war would probably have ended in early 1940 if the Franco-British had attacked Germany with a valid strategy.

I'm pretty sure some Germanophile folks will have something to say against that, but facts are that France lost because it had sucky generals, not because its economy/manpower/whatever was unefficient, or because "France sucks", as some people keep claiming.

This issue is not really related, so if anyone wants to discuss about that, create a new topic, or dig another one about WWII and 'how french sucked', because I'm sure there's a lot such threads

The French got beat up because they built a static defensive deterrent, the Maginot Line which was built between 1930 -1940, instead of a mobile reactive army. To counter the Germans they planned to seal the boarder and just keep them out. The Germans went around and over the line. The French resistance behind the line was week and technologically inferior because all the money went into the line and not into beefing up the army. I would say that the French generals were not too bad but the French governments decision to invest in the line was the mistake that really cost them.

Oh yah, France Sucks.

[IliaDN]

That aliens built the pyramids.

Wait...does that not count as historical?

How about Noah's surivors after the flood? The flood was probably real (too many similiar accounts of a huge flood), but we are all descended from a half dozen people? Talk about inbreeding...

Azi

About floods:
You will find info about floods in religions of people who lived in areas which were flooded often ( South Americans for example ) - so are you sure there was ONE GREAT FLOOD?

[Colovion]

About floods:
You will find info about floods in religions of people who lived in areas which were flooded often ( South Americans for example ) - so are you sure there was ONE GREAT FLOOD?

even Assyrian mythology holds true that there was a great flood. There is evidence that it was from a time when the Black Sea flooded as well as the Tigris and Euphrates flooded which obviously had a huge effect on nearly the only city-dwellers in the world at the time. Since Abraham and the first Hebrews came from Ur, it's little surprise that you find similar stories in the Bible.

[lars573]

even Assyrian mythology holds true that there was a great flood. There is evidence that it was from a time when the Black Sea flooded as well as the Tigris and Euphrates flooded which obviously had a huge effect on nearly the only city-dwellers in the world at the time. Since Abraham and the first Hebrews came from Ur, it's little surprise that you find similar stories in the Bible.

I have seen it asserted that the Assyrians and Babylonians (and the Israelites) got the Noah myth from Sumeria. Where Noah was king of one of the Sumerian city states (I can't for the life of me remember the name though). And that the "global flood" was a catastrophic flash flood of the Euphrates. Where Noah and his family who were on his trade barge loaded with beer grain and live stock animals was washed out into the Persian gulf, and ended up on Dilmum (Bahrain).

[swirly_the_toilet_fish]

I have seen it asserted that the Assyrians and Babylonians (and the Israelites) got the Noah myth from Sumeria. Where Noah was king of one of the Sumerian city states (I can't for the life of me remember the name though). And that the "global flood" was a catastrophic flash flood of the Euphrates. Where Noah and his family who were on his trade barge loaded with beer grain and live stock animals was washed out into the Persian gulf, and ended up on Dilmum (Bahrain).

The myth of Noah probably stems from the melting of the ice age around 10,000 BC. If that is the case, then it is possible the story could stem from early humans who witnessed it and passed it along as a verbal account. If not then it was one horrid monsoon season for Sumeria.

[lars573]

It also means anyone who looks for an ark in the Caucases(SP) is never going to find one.

[Sigurd]

It also means anyone who looks for an ark in the Caucases(SP) is never going to find one.

What do you mean never finding it? It's found:

[Ianofsmeg16]

I like the Myth That King Arthur came from France, Anybody heard this one, so King Arthur valiantly fought the invading saxons from the heavy walls of Paris did he?
It comes from the fact that the middle ages author of the King Arthur novels based most of his facts on old Welsh legends and the other bits on fairytale and fantasy, the names Lancelot anmd Galahad are French.....there trying to steal the Celts' greatest hero lads. CHARGE!!!!!!
Also, why is Arthur reveired (sp??) in England when he did all that he could to rid britain of the english?

[Meneldil]

I like the Myth That King Arthur came from France, Anybody heard this one, so King Arthur valiantly fought the invading saxons from the heavy walls of Paris did he?
It comes from the fact that the middle ages author of the King Arthur novels based most of his facts on old Welsh legends and the other bits on fairytale and fantasy, the names Lancelot anmd Galahad are French.....there trying to steal the Celts' greatest hero lads. CHARGE!!!!!!
Also, why is Arthur reveired (sp??) in England when he did all that he could to rid britain of the english?

Well, the Arthur myth is linked to France because :
- I think the first guy who ever wrote this story was french
- French nobility was found of chivalric tales and things like that
- Many people encountered in the Arthur Tales came from Britanny or Northern France.

Masson Order - myth or reality?

If you're speaking about the Free Massons, they aren't a myth. I won't really explain you everything about them, because that would be really long, but some people seem to think the Free Massons are some kind of secret sect trying to rule the world that was supposedly created 6000 years ago...
Obviously, this is one of the silliest conspiration theory I've ever heard of.