The Mysterious Sealed Temple Door No One Can Open

The Padmanabhaswamy Temple is one of India's most popular and most sacred temples. Located in Thiruvanathapuram in Kerala, India, it is one of the most visited temples in the country. However, inside its heavily-guarded gates is a locked room with supposedly hidden treasures and for sure a deadly legend. And in order to understand the mystery behind the Padmanabhaswamy Temple, one must learn about its history.  

History:

The Padmanabhaswamy Temple is one of 108 temples of Vaishnavism, or the worship of Vishnu. The Temple has been mentioned as early as the 6th Century in ancient Tamil literature, with renovations occurring in the 16th Century.

Sri Padmanabha, the central Vishnu icon, reclines on the serpent Anantha or Adi Sesha. This pose is highly unlike the portraits of Vishnu in other temples, where the deity is depicted standing. The Adi Sesha in The Padmanabhaswamy Temple has five hoods facing inwards, which symbolizes contemplation.

The Temple's name is taken from the word "Padmanabha," which means, "One emerging from the lotus." This is illustrated well on the Sri Padmanabha icon, which has the deity Brahma emerging from Vishnu's navel on a lotus.

The entire icon is carved out on a massive stone measuring 20 feet high and 2.5 feet thick. Onlookers cannot see the icon from only one of the open doors of the Temple. In fact, one has to look through three doors from the outside in order to see the icon in its fully glory.

The shrine is currently run by a trust headed by the royal family of Travancore. The trust itself was established as early as 1729. The temple and its assets ebelonged to Lord Padmanabhaswamy and the Travancore Royal Family.

However, recent events took the trust away from the family. This decision from the Indian Supreme Court not only uncovered the treasure inside the Temple, but revealed one of its most sacred mysteries.  

Hidden Treasure:

In 2011, Sunder Rajan has filed a case to the Supreme Court appealing that the Travancore Royal Family has mismanaged the assets in The Padmanabhaswamy Temple. As a result of the proceedings, the Supreme Court appointed a seven-member committee to explore the Temple and document its many belongings.

What they discovered were six enormous secret vaults that appear to house many of the Temple's treasures. The doors were made of iron, and lack locks, hatches, or any form of openings. This is what made the chambers very mysterious, even to the eyes of the public.

Upon opening, the Temple appears to have at least 22 billion dollars' worth of golden idols, elephants, necklaces, and coins. They also discovered an assortment of jewels, ceremonial cosutmes, and solid gold coconut shells studded with jewels.

The most impressive of the gems were large diamonds, some of which were even a hundred and ten carats. Some archaeologists and gemologists estimated that a small gold idol of Vishnu from the Temple could very well easily cost 30 million dollars.

Visitors today would see metal detectors, security cameras, and more than 200 guards protecting the Temple and its treasures. However, it seems they are tasked to guard something else - something that even the government may not want to be unveiled.  

Chamber B: The sixth door:

The Padmanabhaswamy Temple has six enormous secret vaults that contained its many treasures. These were named Chambers A through F. The seven-member committee was able to open five of these vaults, with exceptional difficulty.

They have been able to open and reopen chambers C through F through the years. It was said the committee was able to visit these chambers for at least eight times. Chamber A took a bit of time to open. The impressive architecture of the Temple was evident in the door’s construction. It took more than a day to open Chamber A with existing human technology.

Regardless of these efforts, all but one of the six vaults were accessed - the mysterious Chamber B.

In fact, Chamber B is not part of the documented Temple Treasury. No one knows what lies beyond its gates. It is said that the chamber is holy in nature, as it houses an idol of Sri Padmanabha and many valuables of mystic origins. It is said that the chamber may very well have walls of solid gold. It may even contain the largest undiscovered treasure in world history.

Unfortunately, the only thing people have seen is its gates, guarded by two enormous embossed cobras. In fact, aside from these, the steel door of Chamber B does not have and bolts, latches, or other means of entry.

Much to the fascination of the committee members, Chamber B has in fact three doors. The first one has metal grills on it. It is the one visible to the naked eye, and is accessible like the other chambers. However, they discovered a second wooden door behind it. Upon unlocking this door came yet another door, a menacing door made of iron that was slammed shut. There appears to be no way of getting through it.

It is said that any human attempts are made with technology to open the door will unleash an unspeakable calamity in the city. Some even say opening the door against its will can release unspeakable horrors throughout India, and perhaps the rest of the world.

Urban Legends:

The urban legend surrounding the Padmanabhaswamy Temple begins with the seven-member committee. It is said that some of the members have fallen ill while trying to open Chamber B. Another member has apparently lost his mother while investigating the Temple's hidden treasure.

Sunder Rajan, the one who filed the case to re-assess the Temple's treasures in the first place, also died a few years later.

There is very little evidence to suggest a relationship between these events to Chamber B. However, this is eerily similar to other events concerning ancient artifacts. The infamous Hope Diamond was said to cause great calamity to the person who currently owns the stunning piece of jewelry. Unfortunately, it seems an even bigger mystery surrounds Chamber B.

Legends say that Marthanda Varma of the Travancore Royal Family arranged for the creation of the six chambers. Of the six vaults, Chamber B was affixed with a special spell by hundreds of Sidda Purushas and tantriks, or religious officials, from different regions.

The legends add that only a high level Sadhus or priest familiar with chanting what is known as the Garuda Mantra can open the Chamber. If this is to believed, them some Yogic power is protecting whatever is inside of Chamber B.

Some say Chamber B is directly linked to the ocean floor. Anyone who attempts to open the door by force will be met by a torrent of ocean water. Its force is said to be capable of flooding the entire city of Kerala.

Others also say that Chamber B may have some hidden trick. It is quite possible that there is a hidden tunnel beneath the chamber. This will allow its architects to lock the chamber from the inside. At the same time, this method will not allow anyone to access the chamber from the outside. If this is true, then people who knew of the secret tunnel may have been plundering the chamber without anyone noticing.

Regardless, the High Court of India has issued a warning against opening the doors of the chamber. This is possibly due to the repercussions of trying to go against the will of the Naga Bandham guarding Chamber B.

However, just what is the Naga Bandham, and how is this related to the supposed treasure in the temple?

Naga Bandham:

The Naga Bandham is said to the power that is protecting Chamber B. Tourists or foreigners who have heard of this phrase will be looking at a more intricate aspect of Hinduism.

The Naga Bandham is also called a snake-binding spell. A successful spell will have various serpentine deities guard the treasure of a particular place. This is also the reason why there are various snake idols worshipped in temples around the country. In fact, the deity Vishnu is also often depicted riding a snake. There are also special parts of the temple dedicated for these snake deities.

However, the prevalence of snake deities and figures is not exclusive to Indian culture. Ancient cultures such as the Greeks and the Egyptians also feature serpentine and reptilian creatures. In Greek culture, a "dragon" is some form of superior snake. Even Egyptians have deities such as the protector goddess Wadjet who has the head of a snake, and the chaos god Apep who appears as a snake.

The Naga Bandham is Chamber B is said to be unlocked by special sound waves. Some say the lock inside the door can be accessed through sound. Given the right frequency, the sound waves will be amplified and "connect" through the links inside the door. Continuous exposure to the sound will have the links interact and eventually open Chamber B.

If another person tries to open the door with a different spell, or the same spell with the wrong intonation, the sound waves are directed somewhere else. Perhaps this can cause a trap to be opened or, in the case of Chamber B, the aforementioned calamity.

No one knows what lies inside The Padmanabhaswamy Temple and its secret Chamber B. No one has chanted the Garuda Mantra correctly up to this day, and the order of the Supreme Court against opening Chamber B still stands.

Are the legends surrounding Chamber B true? Will there be an unspeakable calamity once its doors are opened by force? Or will there be someone who can chant the spell correctly and give access to its rumored treasure?

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Sources:

http://www.sreepadmanabhaswamytemple.org/history.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padmanabhaswamy_Temple
https://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimdobson/2015/11/13/a-one-trillion-dollar-hidden-treasure-chamber-is-discovered-at-indias-sree-padmanabhaswam-temple/&refURL=&referrer=
http://www.theeventchronicle.com/study/mysterious-sealed-door-ancient-padmanabhaswamy-temple/
http://www.speakingtree.in/allslides/the-mysterious-last-door-at-padmanabhaswamy-temple
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-real-mystery-behind-Padmanabhaswamy-Temples-seventh-vault

5 Superweapons of The Ancient World

Throughout recorded history – and perhaps ever before that – warfare has always been a significant part of the human condition. War tactics, strategies and weaponry have gone a long way since the ancient times, but it cannot be denied how much the ingenuity of ancient civilizations have plenty to do with the way modern warfare has been molded into what it is now.

For our purpose of exploring this fascinating subset of human history, here are five (5) ancient superweapons of the ancient world.

1. Claw of Archimedes

Also known as the “Iron Hand,” the Claw of Archimedes was an ancient weapon which is believed to have been used prominently during the Second Punic War in 214 BC, when the Roman Republic attacked Syracuse with a fleet of 60 quinqueremes – which were heavy warships extensively used during the Hellenistic era – under Marcus Claudius Marcellus. Archimedes designed several units of this machine to defend the seaward portion of Syracuse’s city wall against amphibious assault.

Though its exact nature remains unclear, the accounts of ancient historians describe it as a sort of crane equipped with a grappling hook that was able to lift an attacking ship partly out of the water, which then either suddenly dropped the ship or caused it to capsize. These machines were deployed when the Roman fleet approached the city walls of Syracuse at night, and they managed to sink many ships and throw the attack into confusion. Historians like Livy attributed heavy Roman losses to these “claw” machines devised by Archimedes.

2. Helepolis

The helepolis, which translates in English as the “Taker of Cities” is the Greek name for a movable siege tower. It was essentially a large tapered tower – with each side measuring about 130 feet or 41.1 meters high, and 65 feet or 20.6 meters wide – and was manually pushed into battle. It rested on eight wheels, each of them measured 15 feet or 4.6 meters high and was equipped with casters which allowed direct and lateral movements. The machine weighed heavy at 160 tons and required 3,400 men working in relays to move it.

The most famous helepolis was invented by Polyidus of Thessaly and was improved by Demetrius I of Macedon and Epimachus of Athens for the Siege of Rhodes in 305 BC. The siege tower they created was supposedly the greatest and most remarkable engine of its kind that was ever erected. However, when the siege failed, the Helepolis along with other siege engines were abandoned, and the people of Rhodes melted them down to build a statue of their patron god, Helios. This statue came to be known as the “Colossus of Rhodes” and was among the ancient Seven Wonders of the World.

3. Hwacha

The Hwacha may be best described as a type of early multiple rocket launcher developed in Korea, and was primarily used as a defensive weapon by its army to protect its borders but was also utilized in the field of battle. This weapon consists of a two-wheeled cart, and a mounted board with several holes. Each of these holes was field with a singijeon which roughly translates to “magical machine arrows.” These arrows were propelled by a tube of gunpowder attached onto its shaft. Its earliest versions were capable of firing up to 100 arrows each time it was ignited, but the design was later improved to allow up to 200 arrows to be fired in each round.

During the last decade of the 16th century AD, the Korean peninsula was threatened by Toyotomi Hideyoshi of Japan, and the Japanese invaded Korea with the intention of conquering the entire peninsula. One of the greatest victories achieved by the Koreans during the Imjin War was the Battle of Haengju, which took place on Feb. 12, 1593. According to historical records, the battle involved 3,000 Koreans defending a hilltop fortress against an army of 30,000 Japanese soldiers. Despite the staggering numerical odds, the Koreans managed to emerge victorious, and became one of the first major Korean triumphs during this war. Their success is largely attributed to the use of around 40 units of the Hwacha.

4. Archimedes’ Death Ray

Ancient Greek and Roman historians recorded that during the siege of Syracuse in the Second Punic War, Archimedes also constructed a burning glass to set the Roman warships which were anchored within bow and arrow range on fire. This “Death Ray” allegedly worked by focusing the rays of the sun using mirrors, similar to the Nazi’s take on the death ray concept more than 2000 years later.

The weapon is believed to have consisted of several highly-polished mirrors held by troops along the city walls, which focused the sun’s rays on oncoming Roman ships. By focusing these rays, they were able to create a point of intense heat that set these ships on fire. An alternate version of this weapon was a single, large parabolic mirror, which is similar to the modern concept of a laser gun, incinerating whatever it was aimed at.   

The story of Archimedes’ Death Ray has been heavily debated and a number of attempts to recreate it have been made over the years. TV’s MythBusters attempted to replicate the feat and failed to do so, dismissing the ancient superweapon as nothing more than a myth. However, there were some attempts that have apparently been successful, such as the 1973 experiment by a Greek engineer that caused a mock-up ship 160 feet away to burst into flames within seconds, and MIT’s 2005 experiment which used mirrors in parabolic arrangement to set a replica of a Roman ship on fire.

5. Greek Fire

Also known as “Sea Fire,” Greek Fire, as mentioned in literature, was a weapon invented in the 7th century AD by the Byzantine Empire. According to the historian Theophanes, it was invented by the Greek architect Kallinikos, a former resident of Heliopolis who resided in Baalbeck. However, this claim is still very much debated, with some historians believing that Greek Fire was actually discovered in Constantinople by a group of chemists from an Alexandrian school.

This superweapon was some kind of special sticky liquid that was used in land battles during sieges and naval battles. Soldiers would use a firing tube to spray the liquid that would engulf their target in flames. Greek fire was also so potent that it could even burn on water. Once Greek fire set its target ablaze, it was very difficult to extinguish. This potent weapon gave the Byzantines an edge over their enemies in warfare, and was a closely guarded secret of the empire.  However, it was also a kind of double-edged weapon: if they used it correctly, the Byzantines managed to turn the tide of many battles with it; but if they weren’t careful, they could also end up burning their own troops with the flames.

The exact Byzantine formula of Greek Fire had been lost long ago along with the fall of the empire, though copies were created by others over the centuries but failed to completely replicate it. According to many historians and experts, the original Greek Fire probably contained ingredients such as crude oil, bitumen, naphtha, resin and sulfur. Its use required great caution and technical skill that only selected soldiers specially trained to handle the liquid were allowed to use them during battles.

In the olden times, there was no limit to the genius and ruthlessness the ancient people infused in their creation of diabolical and destructive weapons of war. These five ancient superweapons we have mentioned along with many others that were not enumerated in this list are still heralded as remarkable tools for warfare which serve as a reminder of their creators’ genius and whose legacies have reverberated even in the 21st century.

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Sources:

http://www.ancient-origins.net/history/ten-diabolical-weapons-and-strategies-war-ancient-world-004241?nopaging=1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claw_of_Archimedes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helepolis
http://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/brill-s-new-pauly/helepolis-e506240
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/secondary/SMIGRA*/Helepolis.html
http://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-ancient-technology/powerful-hwacha-early-korean-rocket-launcher-005759
http://web.mit.edu/2.009/www/experiments/deathray/10_ArchimedesResult.html
http://www.hexapolis.com/2015/07/07/4-remarkable-inventions-of-archimedes-that-still-baffle-us/
http://www.oddlyhistorical.com/2014/03/11/legend-archimedes-death-ray-fact-fiction/
http://neobyzantium.com/greek-fire-the-byzantine-secret-weapon/
http://all-that-is-interesting.com/greek-fire
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_fire

Top 7 Real Mermaid Sightings From Around The World

When we think of mermaids, we typically picture a beautiful girl with a seashell bikini top. But yeah, that's what we want them to look like. In actuality, IF mermaids do indeed exist, wouldn’t it make sense that they looked more like fish with nasty scales, slimy and slippery, hair all messed up from soaking in sea water since they were born, skin all wrinkly, gills on their neck, etc?

Of course, mankind has been fascinated with mermaids for centuries. Cultures from all over the world all seem to have mermaids in their folklore, oftentimes with very similar descriptions. But, do they really exist? So for those of you who really need Ariel to exist, here are 7 sightings of mermaids from around the world.

7. Christopher Columbus saw them

On 9 January 1493, Christopher Columbus observed mermaids on the coasts of Africa. He described his experience in his journal, in which he described the encounter with three mermaids that "were not as beautiful as they are painted...although to some extent they have a human appearance in the face….”

But, of course, skeptics think that he was actually looking at a few chubby manatees. 

6. Henry Hudson saw them too!

 Henry Hudson, explorer and discoverer of the Hudson River, recorded seeing a real mermaid near Russia. He wrote in his log: “Two crew members—Thomas Hilles and Robert Rayner—sighted a mermaid at 75° 7′ N, and shouted at the rest of the crew to come and look.” Hudson further recorded it as having a “tail of a porpoise and speckled like a mackerel.”

5.  1943 – Kei Islands, Indonesia

In 1943, at the time of World War II, several mermaids were spotted by Japanese soldiers on the shores of the Kei Islands in Indonesia. They reported seeing them swimming in the water and resting on the beach. A description of the one on the beach is as follows: "roughly 4-foot 9-inches (150 cm) tall, pinkish skin, human looking face and limbs, spikes along its head, and a mouth like a carp."

When Sgt. Taro Horiba heard news of a dead mermaid that was washed up on the shore, he went to examine it. After seeing it with his own eyes he was convinced. After his return to Japan, he urged scientists to go and study such mermaids, however his claims were turned down because no one believed him. As a result, no investigation was undertaken.

Locals refer to mermaids as Orang Ikan, or “fish people” in Malay. There have been several such sightings in the area, and apparently mermaids have reportedly been caught in fishing nets on odd occasions.

4. 1967 – British Columbia, Canada

This sighting occurred when tourists who were on a ferry saw a woman with the tail of a dolphin. She was described as having beautiful blonde hair and was seen eating salmon. The sighting was reported in the Times-Colonist newspaper and drew a lot of attention, but no one has spotted it since.

3. August 1991 – South Africa

About 30 percent of the remains of an unknown, human-like creature was found in the belly of a dead great white shark in Southern Africa. The body was then examined and determined to have hands and a humanoid skull. A barb was left jammed in the shark’s jaws, which was later claimed to be a mermaid’s weapon

2. 2012 – Zimbabwe, Africa

Mermaids have been sighted on a number of occasions in Zimbabwe. It’s claimed that efforts to complete the building of dams were delayed by mermaids. Apparently, mermaids had harassed the workers when they were installing water pumps. Minister Nkomo said to Zimbabwe’s state-approved Herald newspaper that.

“All the officers I have sent have vowed not to go back there,” “We even hired whites thinking that our boys did not want to work but they also returned saying they would not return to work there again,” Nkomo added.

1. May 2013 – Kiryat Yam, Israel

Kiryat Yam is the only place in the world where a $1 million reward is up for grabs for the first person who can provide conclusive footage capturing a real mermaid. The local government has offered this reward in response to the numerous mermaid sightings there.

One of the first people to see a mermaid there was Shlomo Cohen. He said:

 “I was with friends when suddenly we saw a woman laying on the sand in a weird way. At first I thought she was just another sunbather, but when we approached she jumped into the water and disappeared. We were all in shock because we saw she had a tail..."

So here's the deal, do I believe in mermaids? I think I do because to me there are so many unknowns in the world and every legend and myth has elements of truth to them - especially ones that are shared across cultures since ancient times, for example, the great flood. And keep this in mind, over 95 percent of the oceans on earth are unexplored... 95%! So who knows what may or may not exist there. Like I said before, I DO believe that mermaids exist, except they're most likely much more horrifying than the mermaids portrayed in movies and stories. 

Enochian: The Mysterious Lost Language of Angels

source: spencer alley

Some people believe in a higher power that controls all things and all beings existing in the universe, and in celestial and supernatural creatures – like angels and demons - possessing abilities beyond our capacities and understanding. And among them, there are those who have attempted or are continuing to attempt to make contact and interact with whatever or whoever lies on “the other side.” In fact, during the 16th century, it was believed that if one could speak with angels, one gains the ability to directly interact with them. Hence, it is not surprising that the concept of an Angelic language was quite common during this time.

One such language that was introduced during the 16th century was the mysterious Enochian language, which was allegedly discovered by occultists John Dee and Edward Kelley.

John Dee’s Background

source: wikimedia commons

John Dee – who lived from 1527 until 1609, was an occultist, mathematician, astronomer and astrologer who lived in Mort Lake, West London. Dee was an extremely well-educated and respected intellectual during his time. He graduated from the elite St. John’s College in Cambridge, and was renowned for his intelligence and wit. Eventually, he was accepted into influential circles of the ruling elite and served as scientific advisor and confidant to Queen Elizabeth I. He is also associated with coining the phrase “British Empire.”

During the early part of his life, Dee had little interest in the supernatural. However, he eventually got bored with science, and turned his attention to the occult and magic. Dee wanted to discover lost spiritual knowledge and recover the wisdom he believed was hidden in books of antiquity. Among these books was the then-fabled “Book of Enoch,” which he thought contained description of the magic system used by the Patriarch Enoch in the Bible.

In 1581, Dee began performing a long series of magical research. Earlier that year, at the age of 54, he had written in his journal that God had sent “good angels” to communicate directly with human beings. And so, he had set himself up to make contact with these angels. Dee’s only problem was that he was not a medium, and so he had no ability to “see” the other side. Therefore, he set out to find a gifted medium that would help him in his attempts to make contact with these supernatural beings.

Dee and Kelley’s Alleged Spiritual Contact With Angels

source: s. haines 2010

It was in 1582 that he met Edward Kelley, a little-known son of an apothecary who claimed to be a gifted medium and was very passionate about the occult. And so, the two created a partnership and began conducting sessions together to establish contact with the angels. Almost immediately, they claim to have established spiritual contact, and in their hundreds of sessions from 1582 until 1587, they allegedly communicated regularly with these angels.

During these spiritual sessions, Dee would act as the orator and supplicant. He would direct prayers to God and his Archangels and then, he would invoke them to manifest themselves in a scrying stone – which is a black obsidian mirror. Kelley, on the other hand, would act as the scryer. His job was to see the visions projected in the obsidian mirror and describe them to Dee so he could write them down.

For several years, the two managed to record several supernatural visions, incantations and even prophesies.

Discovery of Mysterious Ancient Language of Angels

source: encyclopedia satanica

In the year 1582 or 1583, John Dee and Edward Kelley claimed to have received communication from angels, who allegedly provided them with the foundations of a language which they can use to communicate with “the other side.” This mysterious “angelic” language had its own alphabet, grammar and syntax, which they recorded in their journals. The new language was called “Enochian,” which springs from John Dee’s assertion that the Biblical Patriarch Enoch was the last human to know the language. But Dee preferred to call it “Angelical,” the “Celestial Speech,” the “First Language of God-Christ,” and particularly “Adamical,” because he claimed it was the language spoken by Adam in the Garden of Eden in naming all of God’s creatures.

According to Dee and Kelley, these angelic beings they communicated with told them that being able to speak the language would unlock the doors to unlimited knowledge, wisdom and power. The language is believed to be helpful in executing the 19 Enochian Calls – a series of incantations which could supposedly summon powerful celestial beings.

The Enochian Language & Its Alphabet

source: wikiwand

Enochian is a language composed of a 21-letter alphabet. The Enochian script is written from right to left, and may also include diacritical marks. The alphabet is used in the practice of Enochian Magic on Angelical or Enochian Keys

There are two different versions of the Enochian Alphabet, with one script slightly different from the other. The first version is contained in Dee’s manuscript, the first five “Books of the Mysteries.” The second version – which is the more widely accepted version – is from “Liber Loagaeth” and is said to be based on Kelley’s original drawings.

The “Liber Loagaeth” contained the initial messages received by Kelley during his visions and contact with the angels. The book consists of 49 great letter tables or squares made of 49 by 49 letters, and is said to be the first corpus of texts in the purported Angelic language. However, Dee and Kelley said the angels never translated the texts in this book.

The other set of Enochian texts was received through Kelley around a year later. This time, the texts came with English translations, and has, therefore, provided the basis for the Enochian vocabulary. The texts contain 48 poetic verses, which Dee called in his manuscripts as “Claves Angelicae” or “Angelic Keys.” Each Key are assigned a specific function within the magical system. And Dee was apparently planning to use them to "open the 49 Gates of Wisdom or Understanding" represented by the 49 magic squares in ‘Liber Loagaeth.’”

Although these texts contained most of the vocabulary of the Enochian language, dozens of other words are found hidden in Dee’s journals, while thousands of undefined words are found in the “Liber Loagaeth.”

Skepticism Over the Enochian Language

Because of the loss of parts of John Dee’s original manuscripts, various interpretations have arisen regarding the meaning, validity and authenticity of the Enochian language. However, ever since its initial publication, the language has also been met with suspicions, skepticism and even hostility.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, Enochian was widely considered to be the language of demons. This belief arose from the anti-Christian doctrines that the angels have supposedly told Dee and Kelley. For example, the angels that spoke with the two occultists denied the Godship of Jesus by telling them that nobody should pray to or through Jesus. They also discredited the existence of the Holy Ghost. Such claims shook the foundations of Christianity, which caused some people to conclude that the “good angels” that Dee and Kelley contacted are actually demons. And therefore, Enochian was not the language of angels but was a demonic one.

People that followed the Christian faith were not the only ones who questioned the authenticity of Enochian. Linguists and scholars had a two-fold basis for their skepticism over the language. First was Edward Kelley’s questionable character. Since he had previously been jailed for forgery, it was not impossible that the supposed Angelic language they discovered was just another one of his fabrications. The second was the fact that the so-called prophecies proclaimed by the angels they supposedly spoke with did not materialize. For example, the angels prophesized that Dee would be tried for treason. But in real life, that never actually happened.

Linguistic Evaluations

source: sixwingedangel, deviantart

Enochian has also been extensively analyzed by modern linguists, both enthusiasts and skeptics alike. However, until now, the results from any linguistics analysis have yet to be 100% conclusive. The conclusions drawn from their evaluations typically depend on whether the analyst is a believer or a skeptic.

Some magicians have asserted that Enochian is the oldest language in the world that predates all other human languages. In some circles, the language is also considered among the most powerful strains of magic, and is also a method of contacting beings from other dimensions.

Detractors and skeptics, on the other hand, have pointed out that the syntax of Enochian bears a strong similarity to the English language – which is Dee and Kelley’s natural language. For example, the word “lucifitias,” an Enochian term that translates to “brightness,” bears a connection to Lucifer, whose name translates to “Light Bringer.” Another example is “londoh,” the Enochian word for “kingdom,” which may have just been a representation of Dee’s connection with his royal patron, the Queen of England.

Computer analysis have reportedly shown Enochian to share a grammatical relationship to English. Aside from this, the texts found in the “Liber Loagaeth,” are found to have demonstrated phonetic features that do not appear in natural language. In fact, the Enochian language’s phonetic features are more closely related with “glossolalia,” or speaking in tongues.

Although the authenticity of Enochian as the language of angels remains heavily disputed until now, its current impact in our religious and spiritual communities cannot be denied. Even in modern times where science and technology is accepted by many to be the real key that will unlock the secrets of the universe, there are still many believers of the Enochian language’s supernatural association and magical power. In fact, many modern occultists have created a functional system of magic using the Enochian language, and to some of them, they consider it an extremely powerful magical language that should only be used by experienced occultists.

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Sources:

http://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-ancient-writings/enochian-mysterious-lost-language-angels-003100?nopaging=1
http://www.crystalannecompton.com/registers/everything-psychic-membership/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enochian
http://ensemble.va.com.au/tableau/suzy/TT_ResearchProjects/Hexen2039/JohnDee/JohnDee.html
http://www.kondor.de/enoch/sprache_e.html
http://usminc.org/enochian.html

5 Ancient Legends Based on True Events

Humans, above all else, are excellent storytellers. Myths and legends have ignited the imagination and fed the souls of human beings for thousands of years. The vast majority of these legendary tales are usually just stories people have handed down through the ages. However, as it turns out, there are plenty of old myths and stories that have more than a kernel of truth to them. In fact, a few of them have roots in real geological and astronomical events of the past, providing warning of potential catastrophic dangers that threaten our existence, while also speaking volumes to the awe we hold for the wonders of our planet.

So, here are five ancient legends from around the world that are somehow based on true events.

1. The Guest Star

The Ancient Story of “The Guest Star.” In April of the year A.D. 1006, witnesses from Asia, the Middle East, Europe and possibly even in North America, spotted what they described as a “guest star” in the sky. Astronomers digging through ancient texts have found lost records mentioning and describing the cosmic phenomenon. Among them is from the multipart opus “Kitab al-Shifa” or “Book of Healing” by the Persian scientist Ibn Sina, who is also known in the west as Avicenna. In the “Book of Healing,” Avicenna took note of a transient celestial object that changed color and “threw out sparks” as it faded away. What he saw started out as a faint greenish yellow light, which twinkled wildly at its peak brightness. Then, it became a whitish color before ultimately vanishing.

For a long time, the “guest star” was suspected of being a comet, but now, it has since been determined that the celestial wonder was really a supernova – a cosmic explosion that took place 7,200 years ago but whose visible light only reached Earth at the turn of the first millennium. In 1006 A.D., the supernova was far brighter than Venus and was visible during the daytime for weeks. At present, though its visible wavelengths have since dissipated from view, the high-energy remnants of the supernova can still be seen through NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory.

2. The Crater Lake and the Battle of the Gods

The Legend Surrounding the Crater Lake. The most common of the legends centering around the Crater Lake in Oregon involve two powerful mythological beings: Skell, the lord of the Above-world; and Llao, the god of the Under-world. The theme of this legend is essentially “good-versus-evil.”

The Native American Klamath tribe believed that the Crater Lake in Oregon was once a tall mountain named Mazama, which back then was inhabited by Llao. The underworld deity engaged in an epic battle with Skell, the sky god, and fire and brimstone flew across the skies between Mazama and the nearby Mount Shasta. Llao was defeated in the fight, and they had to go back to the underworld. With the intention of imprisoning him forever, Skell collapsed the mountain on top of Llao, before topping off this prison with a beautiful blue lake.

The legend was not exactly far from the truth. However, the crater lake was not the product of a battle between angry gods but Mount Mazama, a volcano that erupted 7,700 years ago. So much molten rock was expelled that the summit area collapsed during the eruption to form a large volcanic depression called caldera. Subsequent smaller eruptions occurred as water started to fill the caldera which eventually formed the deepest lake in the United States.  

3. The Myth of Rama’s Bridge

The Myth of Rama’s Bridge. In the Hindu epic the “Ramayana,” the wife of the god Rama, gets kidnapped and taken to the Demon Kingdom on the island of Lanka. With the help of an army of ape-like men, Rama, along with his brother Lakshman, built a floating bridge between India and Lanka. He led the army in crossing over the bridge, and successfully vanquished Ravana, the demon king, and consequently rescued his wife.

While this elaborate tale is filled with fantastical details, the mythical Rama’s Bridge itself actually exists. Satellite images reveal a 48-kilometer line of submerged limestone shoals and sand that stretches between India and Sri Lanka. The bridge separates the Gulf of Mannar located in the southwest from the Palk Strait, which is in the northeast. Some of the sandbanks are dry and the sea in the area is quite shallow, being only 1 to 10 meters deep in some places. It was reportedly passable on foot up to the 15th century until storms deepened the channel. Temple records seem to tell that the Rama's Bridge was completely above sea level until a cyclone in 1480 brought a huge storm surge into the channel and sunk it beneath the waves.

4. Atlantis

As first described by Greek philosopher Plato in his writings, this myth tells a tale of a civilization at its peak that tragically sank beneath the waves and got lost for all eternity. This great civilization called Atlantis is supposedly founded by a race of people who were half god and half human, and lived in a utopia where they possessed great naval power. However, while at the pinnacle of their power and influence, their home - which were located on islands that were said to be shaped like a series of concentric circles – was destroyed in a great cataclysm.

Atlantis was probably not a real place that have existed in ancient times, but a real island civilization may have been the source of inspiration for the tale. It remains heavily debated, but several archaeologists are of the opinion that the myth of Atlantis could have been based on the collapse of the Minoan empire.

Santorini in Greece is now an archipelago, but thousands of years ago, it was a single island – a volcano named Thera. Around 3,650 years ago, a volcanic eruption, which is considered to be one of the biggest in human history, rocked the island and led to its destruction. The vast magma chamber of the volcanic island was emptied so catastrophically and so quickly that the core of the island collapsed, setting off tsunamis that flooded much of Thera with the inflowing Aegean Sea. The eruption blew tons of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere where it lasted for years and potentially caused many cold, wet summers. Such conditions would have ruined harvests in the region, which is believed to be a main contributor to the quick decline of the Minoan civilization and why they were never heard from again.

5. Noah’s Ark

In the famous story told among Christians, Jews and Muslims, God, a long time ago, chose to destroy the Earth with a great flood but spared a man named Noah and his family. On God’s command, Noah built an ark and filled it with a pair of every animal. When God covered the Earth with water, it drowned everyone and everything that once roamed the land. Noah, his family and the other animals managed to survive while on the ark, and they were the ones that repopulated the planet after the disaster.

While a boat full of animals of every kind is hardly believable to some, experts say that the epic biblical flood - as often is the case with apocryphal texts - could have been based on a much earlier tale. One such story that comes to mind is the Epic of Gilgamesh. This ancient epic unfolds similarly to its biblical equivalent. In this Mesopotamian saga that dates back to the 7th century BCE, many gods conspired to create a great flood that will destroy the world. One of the gods, Ea, told a man to make a boat to save himself and the rest of his family, along with a group of animals.

So, with similar flood tales told in many cultures, is there any evidence that the great floods referenced in these stories actually happened? Scholars and scientific experts generally agree that there never was a global deluge as there is not enough water in the Earth system to cover all the land. However, some geologists think that the legend of a great flood may have been influenced by a catastrophic flooding event in the Black Sea around 5,000 B.C.

Geological records show that the Mediterranean Sea overflowed into the Black Sea, which is located north of Turkey. It forced the sediment barrier between the two to open in a very dramatic manner, and anyone nearby who witnessed what happened at the time would have seen the creation of waterfall 200 times the volume of Niagara Falls. In a single day, enough water came through the channel to cover Manhattan, and the roar of the cascading water would have been loud enough to be heard at least 100 miles away. And so, anyone who were living in the fertile farmlands on the northern rim of the sea at the time would have had the harrowing experience of seeing the boundary of the ocean move inland at the rate of a mile a day.

Myths are beautiful, breathtaking narratives and literary treasures of our past. But more than that, these ancient tales we have listed - and many other which were not mentioned - were able to provide important clues to our distant past. And these clues were helpful and crucial in filling in the gaps in our scientific and historical knowledge about geological and astronomical phenomena that took place on Earth in bygone eras. So, with the help of science, we can safely say that some tales are not just made-up stories passed from one generation to another; they could be true as well.

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Sources:

http://www.iflscience.com/environment/six-ancient-legends-that-are-based-on-real-events/all/
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ten-ancient-stories-and-geological-events-may-have-inspired-them-180950347/
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/04/160427-lost-supernova-sighting-sn1006-arab-astronomy/
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/chandra/multimedia/tapestry.html
https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2002/fs092-02/
https://www.newscientist.com/blog/space/2007/09/bridge-built-by-monkeys.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam%27s_Bridge
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/evidence-for-a-flood-102813115/?no-ist