Myths & Legends

[justdoug]

I decided that I wanted one of my posts to reach the 200 reply marker. So here it is. Post the myths and/or legends you've heard, made up, or wondered about. If they can make a show that went on for a real long time about myths...I ougtha get 200 replies. Or perhaps "200 replies" is a myth in itself.

Hunting myths: deer,bear, fox, coyote, bobcat, birds, ans so on.

Fishing myths: this fish won't take this, this fish blah, blah, blah and so on.

Witchcraft

Planes, trains, and automobiles and so on, and so on, and so on.

[dcd_enterprises]

One of the more notable ones I can remember from bible study when I was a kid.

How The Donkey Got It's Cross

(I know there are many versions of how the donkey got it's cross...the following is only one.)


A poor farmer near Jerusalem had a small donkey which seemed to be too small to do any work. The man could not make the beast to carry very much on its back. He felt that he could not continue to feed a little animal like this, one that could do him no good whatsoever. So at the supper table he told his family that he was going to kill the donkey.

His children, who loved the little creature, begged him to sell it rather than harm it. But the farmer said, "How can I sell an animal that can't do a good day's work?"

His son suggested, "Father, tie the donkey to a tree on the road to town, and let it be known that whoever wants it may have it for nothing." The next morning, that's what the farmer did.

Soon, two men approached and asked to take the animal. "It can carry almost nothing," the farmer warned them.

"The Lord has need of it," replied one of the men. The farmer could not imagine what the Lord would want with such a useless donkey, but handed it over. The men took the animal to Jesus. Now, in Jesus's mind, he had seen that the donkey was in danger, and so he had put the idea of giving the animal away into the mouth of the farmer's son.

Jesus stroked the sweet animal's face, and then mounted it with no trouble.

So it was that on the day we now call Palm Sunday, riding on the back of this tiny donkey, the Son of God led his followers into the city of Jerusalem.

If you look at the back of a donkey, you will notice that there is a dark patch of hair that goes the length of its back, and another that crosses its shoulders. Legend has it that the donkey has worn this cross since the day it carried Jesus.

[justdoug]

Originally Posted by dcd_enterprises

One of the more notable ones I can remember from bible study when I was a kid.

How The Donkey Got It's Cross

(I know there are many versions of how the donkey got it's cross...the following is only one.)


A poor farmer near Jerusalem had a small donkey which seemed to be too small to do any work. The man could not make the beast to carry very much on its back. He felt that he could not continue to feed a little animal like this, one that could do him no good whatsoever. So at the supper table he told his family that he was going to kill the donkey.

His children, who loved the little creature, begged him to sell it rather than harm it. But the farmer said, "How can I sell an animal that can't do a good day's work?"

His son suggested, "Father, tie the donkey to a tree on the road to town, and let it be known that whoever wants it may have it for nothing." The next morning, that's what the farmer did.

Soon, two men approached and asked to take the animal. "It can carry almost nothing," the farmer warned them.

"The Lord has need of it," replied one of the men. The farmer could not imagine what the Lord would want with such a useless donkey, but handed it over. The men took the animal to Jesus. Now, in Jesus's mind, he had seen that the donkey was in danger, and so he had put the idea of giving the animal away into the mouth of the farmer's son.

Jesus stroked the sweet animal's face, and then mounted it with no trouble.

So it was that on the day we now call Palm Sunday, riding on the back of this tiny donkey, the Son of God led his followers into the city of Jerusalem.

If you look at the back of a donkey, you will notice that there is a dark patch of hair that goes the length of its back, and another that crosses its shoulders. Legend has it that the donkey has worn this cross since the day it carried Jesus.

Yes sir, good one. I' m just a little ashamed here now though. I added in "witchcraft" and had the audacity to leave out Christianity. Not that the two are related in any way...meant as a comparison. Sorry to be so defensive but religion has proved tough for me in the past. Then again, religion can be a touchy subject. Thanks for being the #1 out of ____reply. There's an accomplishment...no pun or sarcasm intended.

[Bruce FLinch]

"Doing" this will make you blind. ( I wear glasses )

[17thfabn]

How about another Sunday school story. A child after Sunday school tells her parents that she learned about "gladly the cross eyed bear" from the Bible in class today. They ask the Sunday school teacher about this story, not being familiar with that Bible verse. It wasn't "gladly the cross eyed bear", it was "gladly this cross I bear".

[Dakota Red 1]

The first time I heard it, I believed the story about the dam inspecting scuba divers who were frightened from the water by the bigger than man-sized catfish. Since then, I have heard that story told about a number of lakes and reservoirs. When I see the Corps of Engineers lowering divers down the face of a dam in shark cages, I will believe it again.
Good idea justdoug! Hope you reach 200. I'll try to think of some more.

[delta13soultaker]

Originally Posted by justdoug

I added in "witchcraft" and had the audacity to leave out Christianity.

No offense but I found that a bit funny. What about the other 21 major religions you had the audacity to leave out? lol Out of the Big 5, total Christianity is less than 50%...and of all accounted represents 33% in the world. Like I said, no offense, just struck me as an ironic thing to say

Okay here's a wivestale/myth I always hear: "Popping your knuckles will make your knuckles get big."

[AL MOUNT]

This is probably just a myth started by the Navy.....but....

I heard you have to be at least 6' tall to join the Coast Guard.....




That way if yer ship goes down you can wade to shore......... ....................

[Pistolenschutze]

Originally Posted by AL MOUNT

That way if yer ship goes down you can wade to shore......... ....................

True, Al, true. I also heard that performing a burial at sea in the Coast Guard requires 5 men: One to slide the body over the side of the rowboat, and four others to stomp it into the mud.

Just kidding, Coasties, just kidding!!!!!

[Pistolenschutze]

The greatest myth of all:

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
--The Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States

[358 winchester]

It is a myth that I am a legend among potted meat eaters of the world.

[Dakota Red 1]

358 has done flung a cravin on me and I'm headed to the pantry for that last can.

[LurpyGeek]

I've heard that Pistolenschutze's avatar is an actual photograph of him.

[justdoug]

Originally Posted by Dakota Red 1

The first time I heard it, I believed the story about the dam inspecting scuba divers who were frightened from the water by the bigger than man-sized catfish. Since then, I have heard that story told about a number of lakes and reservoirs. When I see the Corps of Engineers lowering divers down the face of a dam in shark cages, I will believe it again.
Good idea justdoug! Hope you reach 200. I'll try to think of some more.

We've got a dam here too. Divers - inspections - same thing. Big, big, big catfish. Don't know why I thought it was limited to this particular dam. Wish I had 560 feet of of 1000ld test and a way to to keep whole chicken on the hook.

[justdoug]

Originally Posted by delta13soultaker

No offense but I found that a bit funny. What about the other 21 major religions you had the audacity to leave out? lol Out of the Big 5, total Christianity is less than 50%...and of all accounted represents 33% in the world. Like I said, no offense, just struck me as an ironic thing to say

Okay here's a wivestale/myth I always hear: "Popping your knuckles will make your knuckles get big."

Whoopsie!!! lol

[Pistolenschutze]

Originally Posted by LurpyGeek

I've heard that Pistolenschutze's avatar is an actual photograph of him.

Handsome devil, wouldn't you say, Lurpy?

[JohnK3]

A common myth that I've heard is "reasonable gun control" when they weren't talking about keeping them in the 10 ring.

[delta13soultaker]

Originally Posted by justdoug

We've got a dam here too. Divers - inspections - same thing. Big, big, big catfish. Don't know why I thought it was limited to this particular dam. Wish I had 560 feet of of 1000ld test and a way to to keep whole chicken on the hook.

One of my grandfathers retired from the Army Corps of Engineers when I was a kid...he used to tell a version of the catfish story. The details I remember was a diver took pictures of some deep structure damaged/worn, like part of a lock and dam, in some of the photos there were a pair of eyes several yards from the diver. As grandpa told it, the eyes were large and based on their guess by proximation to underwater features, the creature had a head as wide as a man's reach from finger-tip to finger-tip, and the thing itself cast a long shadow in the mirk. He said the Game and Fish biologists who "borrowed" the photos lost them and claimed it was a school of fish. But he was pretty clear that it was not season for fish to be schooling and that he knew what fish looked like...

Now on the G&F biologists...the same department denied mountain lions/panthers existed in that whole region for the longest time. Plenty people had eye witness reports and evidence to show but the department never budged. Then in the mid-90's the department had their foot in their mouth when a wild lion was cornered and tranquilized on private property by police and animal control. If they were wrong once...

[justdoug]

I watched a Bill Dance episode back in the early 90's. He was fishing in a private "pond" that was large enough to launch a bass boat but not so large as you couldn't see the shore line from a 360 view. He pulled a 96 pound blue cat from right around the middle. This fish was every bit of 12-14" across the middle, as long as Bills' leg (3-3+1/2'), and the eyes were at least 6" apart.
Well, the point is, if a blue cat is that size in a max 40' deep pond...how big are they @ 400'? After all, they are bottom feeders. What do ya reckon lies on the bottom @ 400'? Why couldn't they find the unfortunate drown victims...? I hate to say that but there have been two cases of drownings here and the bodies were never recovered ... even after extensive diving, dragging, & dredging. Not syaing one could devour a human whole but 2 or 3.......................????????????????????????????????

[Bruce FLinch]

Swallowing your gum gives you constipation!

These guys are making it tough to count to 200!

[Bruce FLinch]

Loch Ness Monster

Bigfoot

UFO's?

Men don't make passes @ Women who wear glasses.

Cross you eyes too long & they'll get stuck that way.

Am I helping, yet?

[glocknut]

Originally Posted by Bruce FLinch

"Doing" this will make you blind. ( I wear glasses )

..or that it'll make your palms hairy...which is absolute BS!!!!!!

mike
gn

[glocknut]

Originally Posted by Pistolenschutze

The greatest myth of all:

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
--The Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States

sad but true.

mike
gn

[delta13soultaker]

Velveeta is cheese.

[Dakota Red 1]

There are lots of stories about big cats from all over. Different ones are regularly spotted in the UK. There was a good story on Camp Slayer about a jaguar or something from Saddam's zoo, living in the date groves between Sniper Alley and the Perfume Palace...couple of wild dogs gutted and dragged up into a tree. I didn't see anything bigger than a caracal (bobcat sized) nor any tracks but with all the reeds and ground cover, there could have been a pride of lions in there.
Game departments in the eastern states seem to be resistant to the idea of resident mountain lion populations. The biologists, being of the scientific persuasion, have to have one thrown in their lap before they will admit to it. And even then they usually say it is a released pet or a widely ranging young male who has travelled hundreds of miles from an established population. I have talked to two eye-witnesses in south central Kansas, but more thrilling were the stories I heard as a boy about mountain lions living on the bluff of the Mississippi River in Illinois. The son of one of my jr high teachers got a picture of one. There weren't many believers back then but about 30 years later a bow hunter scragged one in that same county. My cousin caused a story back there in the late 70s. Our hs biology teacher knew a veterinarian down-state who had a deceased female african lion in his freezer to get rid of. My cousin did taxidermy so they hooked up and he brought it home, along with a dog carcass to which it was inextricably frozen. When it was thawed out John (my cousin) found that it had decayed enough that the hair was slipping too bad for preservation. He tailgated them off on some lane in the woods. The next week our game officer told me about a guy I knew who came to him just shivering with exitement, talking about the mountain lion and the doberman that had killed each other.