Five Popular Myths You Should Not Believe

I know they may be one or two more of these you guys might know, but to keep mine short, here's five!

I'm guilty of one or two of these, some may have to go back and change their signature.

We all have our cherished theories about everything from famous quips to favorite cures, not to mention history. But the facts tell a different story. How many of these five myths did you buy?

I know I've repeated this one a few times.

1. Showman P. T. Barnum said, “There’s a sucker born every minute.”No, he didn’t. Here’s how we fell for this misconception, according to the Barnum Museum: In 1868, a man named George Hull, of Binghamton, New York, arranged for a slab of gypsum to be carved in the shape of a huge human being, then had it treated to resemble an ossified corpse and buried it on a farm near Cardiff, New York. About a year later, the artifact was “discovered” when the owner of the farm engaged some friends to help dig a well. Newspapers everywhere picked up the story of the “Cardiff Giant,” and soon thousands of the curious were paying 50 cents apiece to view it. Hull sold part ownership to a group of investors led by a man named Hannum, who moved the giant to Syracuse and doubled the admission fee.

*Edit to add*

P. T. Barnum is most often associated with the circus sideshow and the display of freaks. While this is true, he is also the founding force behind one of America's most famous circuses: Barnum & Bailey Circus. Barnum is also affiliated with the famous quote "There's a sucker born every minute." History, unfortunately, has misdirected this quotation. Barnum never did say it. Actually, it was said by his competitor.

History Buff

The Cardiff Giant was the most talked about exhibit in the nation. Barnum wanted the giant to display himself while the attraction was still a hot topic of the day. Rather than upping his offer, Barnum hired a crew of workers to carve a giant of his own. Within a short time, Barnum unveiled HIS giant and proclaimed that Hannum had sold Barnum the original giant and that Hannum was now displaying a fake! Thousands of people flocked to see Barnum's giant. Many newspapers carried the version that Barnum had given them; that is, Hannum's giant was a fake and Barnum's was authentic. It is at this point that Hannum -- NOT BARNUM -- was quoted as saying "There's a sucker born every minute." Hannum, still under the impression that HIS giant was authentic, was referring to the thousands of "fools" that paid money to see Barnum's fake and not his authentic one.

2. During the infamous Salem witch trials, several people were burned at the stake. Didn’t happen. It is true that in the hysteria of 1692, more than 100 people in the Salem, Massachusetts, area were accused of practicing witchcraft. Surviving documents reveal that 13 women and seven men were executed—19 by hanging, and one, Giles Corey, pressed to death by having increasingly heavy stones piled on his chest. Several others died in prison while awaiting execution. But not one was put to the torch. Europe was a different story. The witch hunt had started there in the 14th century and intensified during the brutal Inquisition by which the Catholic Church hoped to eliminate heretics—that is, people who didn’t conform to church teachings. It was most active between the late 1400s and the mid-1600s, with witchcraft, an accusation almost impossible to refute, high on the list of heresies. By the time the Inquisition came to an end, some 50,000 people had been executed throughout Europe, often by fire. But in the colonies, horrific as the trials were, no accused witches were burned.

3. Baseball was invented by Abner Doubleday in 1839 in Cooperstown, New York. Strike that one. Doubleday had nothing to do with the game. American baseball has its nearest ancestry in an English game called rounders, a version of which, called town ball, was played in America in the 1800s. A main difference between rounders and American baseball is that in the English game, a fielder could put out a runner by hitting him with a thrown ball that was originally a fielded grounder. Printed rules for rounders have existed since 1828. How, then, was Doubleday credited? In 1907, a special baseball commission (which many felt had been convened purely to find an American “inventor”) concluded that Doubleday was its man, based solely on a letter it had received from one Abner Graves, who claimed they had been schoolmates. Graves wrote that he had been present at Coopers-town in 1839 when Doubleday devised baseball. But it is now known that no member of the commission ever met with Graves or had any follow-up communication. It should be noted that Graves was five years old in 1839, 15 years younger than Doubleday, who was enrolled at West Point at the time. Further, Doubleday, who later enjoyed a distinguished military career, left an extensive collection of letters and diaries, none of which mentioned baseball—nor did his obituary in the New York Times. In fact, the Baseball Hall of Fame calls Alexander J. Cartwright, who was a founder of the New York Knickerbockers, the Father of Modern Base Ball. If he and his teammates did not invent the game, at least they helped give it a structure recognizable today. But some myths die hard, and there is little doubt the Doubleday story will remain a hit with future fans.

Wha..? Next they're probably going to tell me the Easter Bunny is not real

4. Saint Patrick was Irish. Blarney. Saint Patrick was born in 385 or 387 in what is now western Britain to a well-to-do Christian family of Roman heritage. When he was about 16, he was captured by a band of Irish marauders and sold to an Irish chieftain, whom he served as a shepherd. During this period, he spent considerable time learning the local language and customs. He escaped after six years and returned to Great Britain. Several years later, he started his studies for the priesthood, and around 433, he went back to Ireland, built churches, and converted thousands. Although the exact dates are clouded in mythology, it appears that his mission lasted about 30 years; by the time of his death, in 461 or 493, Christianity had a firm hold in Ireland. In about the eighth century, Patrick became Ireland’s patron saint. As for stories of driving out the snakes and using a three-leaf clover to explain the Trinity, most scholars consider them fanciful folklore.

5. George Washington’s dour expression in portraits is due to ill-fitting wooden teeth. No trees were chopped down in the service of our first president’s mouth—although it is true that he suffered for years from dental pain. From the age of 24, Washington lost, on average, one tooth a year, and by the time he was elected president, he had only one of his own teeth left. Dr. John Greenwood of New York City, who became known as the father of modern dentistry, produced several sets of dentures for Washington, none of which involved wood. Washington’s favorites were fashioned from hand-carved hippopotamus ivory and gold; the upper and lower plates were hinged with springs that held them in position when they were opened. Washington had to bite down in order to keep his mouth closed. If he relaxed his jaw, his mouth would pop open. After Washington’s death, one set of his dentures was donated to the University of Maryland Dental School. Another is on display at Mount Vernon (it’s currently on tour). After the dental school loaned its set to the Smithsonian for its bicentennial display in 1976, it was stolen. In 1982, half was returned. The other half has not been seen since.

Good ole Reader's Digest

reply to post by Lonewulph


Very interesting trivia there, Lonewulph!

It put a big smile on my face when I read it was from the Readers Digest. Growing up that and the Newsweek magazines were a staple in my home. My father would buy all those special book deals they offered like the condensed Readers Digest novels.

Fond memories ...........

Originally posted by itsallmaya
reply to post by Lonewulph

 

Very interesting trivia there, Lonewulph!

It put a big smile on my face when I read it was from the Readers Digest. Growing up that and the Newsweek magazines were a staple in my home. My father would buy all those special book deals they offered like the condensed Readers Digest novels.

Fond memories ...........

Ah yes, Reader's Digest ruled then, I fondly remember those same days.

reply to post by Lonewulph


Very interesting. But the one about P.T. Barnum doesn't really debunk the legend of the quote. It just tells an interesting story about a fraud without referencing the quote at all.

Originally posted by jahn369
reply to post by Lonewulph

 

Very interesting. But the one about P.T. Barnum doesn't really debunk the legend of the quote. It just tells an interesting story about a fraud without referencing the quote at all.

Thanks, added this to section 1:

History Buff

reply to post by Lonewulph


I knew 2 and 4 weren't true.

I did a paper on #2 in college. Interesting guy that, Giles Corey. He was a bit of a scoundrel and rounder and accused his wife of witchcraft because she read books. However, after he saw they were going to kill her rather than must make her quit reading he tried to recant his accusation. That didn't go over well and he was accused himself. He basically refused to stand trail because he thought the court was a sham. For which he was pressed to death - his last words were "more weight" as they were placing rocks on him.

On #4 tails are the Irishman leading the kidnapping was in the Frogs family tree way back in the day..

reply to post by Frogs

Very interesting!
Thanks for that tidbit

Another myth people shouldn't fall for is the myth that the Catholic inquisition is responsible for all of those witch burnings in Europe during the 14th century. Most of the burnings during that time occured under secular courts, not the dreaded "Spanish Inquisition".

Witches and The Inquisition

For years, the responsibility for the Great Hunt has been dumped on the Catholic Church's door-step. 19th century historians ascribed the persecution to religious hysteria. And when Margaret Murray proposed that witches were members of a Pagan sect, popular writers trumpeted that the Great Hunt was not a mere panic, but rather a deliberate attempt to exterminate Christianity's rival religion. Today, we know that there is absolutely no evidence to support this theory.

When the Church was at the height of its power (11th-14th centuries) very few witches died. Persecutions did not reach epidemic levels until after the Reformation, when the Catholic Church had lost its position as Europe's indisputable moral authority. Moreover most of the killing was done by secular courts. Church courts tried many witches but they usually imposed non-lethal penalties. A witch might be excommunicated, given penance, or imprisoned, but she was rarely killed. The Inquisition almost invariably pardoned any witch who confessed and repented.

... in York, England, as described by Keith Thomas (Religion and the Decline of Magic). At the height of the Great Hunt (1567-1640) one half of all witchcraft cases brought before church courts were dismissed for lack of evidence. No torture was used, and the accused could clear himself by providing four to eight "compurgators", people who were willing to swear that he wasn't a witch. Only 21% of the cases ended with convictions, and the Church did not impose any kind of corporal or capital punishment.

... Ironically, the worst courts were local courts. ..."Community-based" courts were often virtual slaughterhouses, killing 90% of all accused witches... national courts tended to have professional, trained staff -- men who were less likely to discard important legal safeguards in their haste to see "justice" done.

Catholicbridge

That article was written by a Wiccan advocate by the way for anyone who thinks that because its a Catholic source, it has to be biased in favor of Catholics.

reply to post by FortAnthem

Ironically, the worst courts were local courts. ..."Community-based" courts were often virtual slaughterhouses, killing 90% of all accused witches... national courts tended to have professional, trained staff -- men who were less likely to discard important legal safeguards in their haste to see "justice" done.

90% whoa!
Interesting