> This could be more fun than pus:-)). I think one of the world's great historical fallacies is the idea that pus is any fun at all. Except for medical students, I suppose.
> Are there others? No. Those are the only two. Unless you count the others. Almost any superstition would do (particularly if they involve virgins, apparently - a man was born of a virgin; martyrs go straight to heaven and enjoy the company of 77 virgins; QE 1 was a virgin; Virgin trains run on time (actually that's not pre-urban, but you see how these things persist). They're not really the equivalent of urban legends though. The pre-urban version of urban legends are folk tales. They often fall into types, which persist into the urban age. I have a book of English folk tales which categorises them. For example, The Clever Maiden Alone at Home Kills the Robbers. Here's one I've summarised from the book, called Wanted, A Husband. Once upon a time, when I was young and handsome, I heard about a woman in a nearby village who was looking for a husband. It seems she was wealthy, and beautiful and intelligent. Quite the catch. The husband had to be dark, and handsome, not too tall, but not small either, and in his prime. "That's me", I thought. So I mentioned this to some of my friends. You be careful, they said. There are stories about that woman. Seems she's already had 3 husbands, and they all disappeared, every one. Noone knows what happened to them. Har! I said (for I'd been a-readin' of the PDML). She won't get me so easily. So along I went to the next village and presented myself to her maid. You here to get married? She asks. I am, says I. Better come in then. So I go in, the lady likes me and in due course we're married. On our wedding night I eventually fall asleep, but in the middle of the night for some reason I waken, and my new wife isn't in my bed. She's nowhere in the house. Funny, think I. But I roll over and go to sleep. I wake again a bit later, and she's back in bed with me. In the morning I ask How was your night? I slept very well, says she. And you? Oh, like a log, I reply. The next night, the very same thing happens again. So on the third night I determine not to be caught again, and I only pretend to sleep. Around midnight my bride starts to stir, and she gets out of bed. When she leaves the house I follow her. She wanders down a path to some graves. On one of them the soil is loose and disturbed. She scrapes more away, and gets right down into the grave. I get close and peer in. She's sitting there eating little bits of flesh and bone. Hello, my dear, I say. What's that you're eating? CORPSE, YOU BUGGER! CORPSE! The End That one is classified as The Vampire. Here's another one that I recall from somewhere. It's quite well known and is said to be the shortest horror story there is, called Death and the Gardener. One day a gardener was working in his master's beautiful garden when he looked up and saw among the flowers and trees the figure of Death. Death saw the gardener too, and cried out when he saw him. Terrified, the gardener ran into his master's house and pleaded with him "Master! Master! I have seen Death in the garden and he cried out to me. I am frightened - lend me your best horse, I beg you, so that I can flee to Isfahan". So the master lent the gardner his fastest horse, and the gardener left immediately at full speed for Isfahan. The master went out into the garden, and approached Death, and said to him "Why have you come to my garden and frightened my servant who has made a small paradise here for me?" Death replied "I did not mean to frighten him, but I cried out in surprise at seeing someone still working in the morning whom I expected to gather this evening in Isfahan". -- Bob > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: 19 May 2007 15:30 > To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List > Subject: OT: Help! Need Myths > > I'm stuck working on a Saturday. Have to finish an ad > campaign. And I need myths. The kind of stuff that predates > urban legends. For example, "frogs can cause warts" or "the > moon is made of green cheese." Are there others? Perhaps some > that arent't as silly. The best minds in the world are on the > PDML (Sucking Up:-), perhaps someone can help. > > I'm also looking for historical fallacies. For example. > "People used to think the earth is flat." Anything in this > area is good as well. This could be more fun than pus:-)). > Thanks to any and all, > Paul > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > > -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
