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Caves of Hercules
List

16 Real-World Places Steeped in Mythology

From a legendary river of the dead to a long-burning fire, reality and myths merge in these places.
Jonathan Carey September 22, 2023
Michael Cleary claimed the human Bridget had been abducted when walking through a nearby "fairy fort," like this one in County Roscommon.
murder

Podcast: The "Changeling" Murder of Bridget Cleary

In March 1895, a husband murdered his wife after accusing her of being replaced by an evil fairy.
The Podcast Team September 12, 2023
New Delhi, India

Feroz Shah Kotla

The ruins of a medieval citadel believed to be haunted by a ministry of wish-granting djinns.
Two stones just out of the ground.
Jökulsárgljúfur, Iceland

Karl og Kerling

Legend has it these two stones are petrified trolls.
Vaitogi, American Samoa

Turtle and Shark

Rocky cove with large smashing waves tied to an important Samoan cultural story.
Stewart Island / Rakiura, New Zealand

Te Puka (The Anchor Stone)

A giant chain sculpture that plays on the Māori myth that Rakiura (Stewart Island) is an anchor stone chained to the South Island.
Prague, Czechia

Kabourek

A grumpy old water goblin guarding an old mill on the Devil’s Stream in Prague.
Singapore

Kubur Kassim Cemetery

Old Muslim cemetery and resting place of folkloric creatures
Aliki, Greece

Museum of Cycladic Folklore

This old museum contains dozens of detailed miniature ships and buildings.
A Hindu priest holds a lit coconut oil lamp in front of statues of Prince Vijaya (left) and Kuweni (right) at the Sri Subramaniam temple in the southern Sri Lankan town of Matara.
music

How This Demon Dance Banishes Illnesses in Sri Lanka's Remote Jungles

The kankariya dance all started with a legendary demon queen named Kuweni.
Zinara Rathnayake May 4, 2023
Some residents of western Kenya consider night runners to be supernatural menaces. Others consider them an annoyance.
witchcraft

The Mysterious, Naked Night Runners of Western Kenya

"When the wind blows you run away because you think it’s a night runner.”
Joel Balsam May 4, 2023
The fossegrim might just be the most diabolical violin teacher you’ll ever meet.
forests

This Norwegian Water Spirit Just Wants to Teach You How to Fiddle

But make sure you bring the fossegrim the proper offering—or else.
Diana Hubbell May 3, 2023
A long-necked, plesiosaur-like creature, known as Nahuelito, has been spotted from the banks of Nahuel Huapi Lake in Patagonia for millennia.
cryptozoology

Argentina’s Loch Ness Monster Lurks Beneath a Patagonia Lake

Nahuelito’s plesiosaur visage can be found all over the small town of Bariloche.
Juan Relmucao May 2, 2023
Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Hämmelsmarsch Fountain

Some believe that the artist behind this whimsical statue inserted his own likeness as a way to discreetly flip the bird.
The pink mermaid sitting by the Alzette.
Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Melusina Statue

This magenta statue commemorates the legendary marriage between a mermaid and the city's founder.
Tokyo, Japan

Kimi-Chan

This sculpture bears a tragic backstory that may have inspired a hauntingly beautiful children's song.
León, Nicaragua

Museum of Traditions and Legends

Housed in a 20th-century prison, this small museum recounts local Nicaraguan myths.
Built sometime around the sixth or seventh century, this ring fort is tucked between hills and farms in a remote corner of northwestern Ireland.
fairytales

What Is a Fairy Fort?

In Ireland, fears about disturbing the fair folk have saved thousands of these mysterious ancient structures.
Sarah Durn February 2, 2023