Myths & Religion

Legends, relics and what people believe.

5 rabbit holes

• New
  Hidden treasuresThe Buddha hidden under plasterFor about two centuries, a plain plaster Buddha stood in a Bangkok temple. In 1955, while it was being moved, the plaster cracked. Underneath was solid gold: a statue about three metres tall and weighing some five and a half tonnes.2 stages · 10 min
• New
  MonstersWhat DNA found in Loch NessFor ninety years people have searched Loch Ness with cameras and sonar. In 2018 a geneticist tried something new: he sampled the water itself, which is full of tiny traces of DNA from everything living in it. If there was a monster, it would leave a trace.2 stages · 8 min
• New
  New religionsWaiting for John FrumOn the island of Tanna in Vanuatu, villagers march every 15 February with bamboo rifles and “USA” painted on their chests. They honour John Frum, a figure many believe will one day return with the wealth of the outside world. Nobody knows if he ever existed.2 stages · 21 min
• New
  RelicsThe Shroud of TurinA long linen cloth bears the faint image of a man who seems to have been crucified. For many believers it is the burial cloth of Jesus. In 1988 three laboratories dated it to the Middle Ages. The argument has not stopped since.3 stages · 32 min
• New
  Lost worldsAtlantis: the island Plato made upA rich island empire beyond the Pillars of Hercules attacks Athens and sinks into the sea in a single day and night. Every Atlantis story ever told goes back to two dialogues by Plato, written around 360 BC. Most scholars think he invented it to make a point.3 stages · 40 min