Fossil Myths: Cyclopes, Griffins, & Magic Fairy Bread

Before modern science, what evidence did people use to help explain the inexplicable? For some things -- the fossil record! Today we’re looking for griffins, cyclopes, magical bread and enchanted stone snakes in our museum collection.
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Producer, Writer, Creator, Host:
Emily Graslie
Producer, Director, Editor, Graphics:
Brandon Brungard
Producer:
Sheheryar Ahsan
Production Assistant:
Laurel Tilton
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This episode is supported by and filmed on location at:
The Field Museum in Chicago, IL
(www.fieldmuseum.org)
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[@armoredwings4182]

"Some people hung the thunder stones in the stable to keep their horses from having nightmares" That is so cute!

[@thebrainscoop]

I'm amused by how many things were explained by just saying "it's witchcraft"

[@paulsmyers203]

A spooked horse is a deadly horse - it can destroy other animals, the shelter it is in, or itself.

[@armoredwings4182]

Paul Smyers Oh don't I know that, I've owned one for eight years. Most certainly not the easiest animal to have if you don't know what you're doing

[@barvdw]

If it's a stallion, he might disagree ;)

[@immortaliserwow]

Just gave a handful of "thundestones", brahiopods and some other goodies to a friend today. I've really been enjoying collecting and learning about fossils lately. Going to search for trilobites this weekend, pray to the Gods of chance for me :D PS: Here in Bulgaria we have a mastodon/mammoth/sort of an old elephant skeleton arranged as a bypedal creature, showcasing that old concept. Apperently we have THAT many mammal fossils, yeah :D

[@fridabackjanis]

More paleontology please! Its so intersteing! :)

[@BeCurieUs]

Always avoid riding a horse in the dark, you know, to avoid having night mares #SoSorry

[@2HelpfulGuys]

Christopher Willis WOOOW you're my hero.

[@anneboyd7811]

Thomas Jefferson was so convinced there were still mammoths out there in North America! One of his many projects was recording vocabulary words from Native American languages. He had pre-printed sheets that he sent out to various explorers who might encounter different tribes, with a list of words to ask for - words for man, horse, sun, moon, etc. "Mammoth" was on the list too. :-)

[@anneboyd7811]

It's a little hard to see but if you click on the image on lower right, you can see one of the filled-out vocabulary sheets Jefferson collected. "The mammoth" is part way down the second column, just above "buffalo," "elk" and "deer". www.amphilsoc.org/exhibits/treasures/images/jefvoc1.jpg

[@KingsleyIII]

It would have been funny if at some point Emily said "And no, they won't evolve your Pikachu into a Raichu" when talking about the thunder stones.

[@gabriel300010]

Love your videos Emily! Specially this one in particular, linking science and myth is always fun!

[@ElizabethLopez-hx6xv]

I love this! Exploring how past myths are somehow always linked to some sort of mystery of the world. Wouldn't mind seeing another video like this, I'm sure there are plenty more myths to look at. So glad that Brain Scoop is back to more frequent uploads!

[@MattSiegel]

great episode! i love the combination of science and historical stories :)

[@adriennemayor4612]

Excellent video! Note that it is more accurate to say that fossils "influenced" mythic creatures instead of "inspired," since we can never know which came first, the story or fossil observations. Also, although ancient artists imagined bird-head/mammal creatures (and many other composite animals) in artworks before Aristeas wrote about Griffins, there is no known "folklore about Griffins" before his writings in the seventh century BC. That is why the Griffin-Protoceratops hypothesis can only take into account related and coeval writings and art.

[@ylrim]

Such an interesting video! Amazing! Thanks Brainscoop, keep it up!

[@spaminbox]

those botanical illustrations like on your shirt are somehow magical to me. why don't art and science collide to create such beauty these days?

[@anneboyd7811]

Try following #sciart on Twitter or Instagram sometime! There is lots of great contemporary science art being created these days. (And also lots of great historical science art being posted after being scanned from archives, since we still like that too!)

[@spaminbox]

well that explains it, i don't do 'social media'. but hey, thanks for the reply, and good lookin' out.

[@iloveeveryone8611]

I want to be buried without my arms or legs, but instead with the legs of a horse. That way when people dig me up they'll think I was a mythical creature.

[@historias.y.programacion]

ami con aunque sea patas de jaguar

[@DTyrannosaurus]

I LOVE the idea that (proto) elephant skulls are behind the cyclops myths.

[@fasfan]

Another really interesting video. I never thought about where some myths come from.

[@hkwhsu]

Very interesting topic, thank you for sharing!

[@PoseidonXIII]

Wow, awesome stuff Emily! Thanks so much for sharing the cultural role fossils have played in our history, I never knew any of this kind of stuff!

[@brothercelery]

Some more on "thunder stones" and the Vikings: Urchin fossils and other stones with star-like markings were believed to be stones hit by lightning and were kept in the home so that Thor, god of thunder, would see them and say to himself, "already got this place!" and not strike their house with lightning.

[@Tringolew]

fabulous well done Emily, great video

[@thany3]

Compliments on the ending. I love how the end tune blends from the conclusion into the outro.

[@CybranM]

One of the most interesting videos you've made but the noise in the background is distracting. Hope you make more videos on this theme :D

[@CrankyPantss]

Great video, as always.

[@RyuzakiRue524]

Love the new video, keep it up! :)

[@bethanybaker7791]

You packed a lot into that one! My 3 yr old exclaimed throughout the video, "Oh! Wow! Look at THAT! She's also perplexed by your shirt, lol, Why isn't it covering her shoulders? haha

[@thebrainscoop]

because FASHION also it was on sale and I can't resist shirts with animals on them.

[@bethanybaker7791]

I understand. She doesn't get out much, lol, love your style :)

[@co1293]

A wonderful and interesting theme choice! I dig it :)

[@FerusLywin]

Great video as always, loved the take-home message at the end. Well done Emily and team! One question though, where did the opening titles go? I loooooved that intro and how it evolved over time. Seems to have disappeared from this new series...

[@BartRuijter]

@thebrainscoop I loved this video! Something about the bewonderment of others and the mythical lores that follow is just so interesting. Paired with your always enthousiastic way of storytelling it was simply great. I don't know why I haven't commented before since I've seen almost everything on the brainscoop (loved your collaboration with Destin) but your enthousiasm makes this channel great and all videos fun! I will be watching till the end!

[@loiscarlisle6035]

I absolutely loved this!

[@ScottTeresi]

Great vid!

[@catladyrai]

This was a fantastic episode. I love hearing what people used to believe as myth, legend, and superstition. It really is telling of the times they lived in and what we now know to be false. It also is a reminder of what myth, legend, and superstition we hold today but don't realize until we have further knowledge.

[@billfucile1315]

Heard you on NDQ and am a fan now. :) I am also a very good friend of Matt (we were roommates in college) Love the field museum! keep up the good work!

[@keeganm5399]

that was very informative, I didn't know there were so many types of sand dollar things. I like the new ending song thing and it still has brains on it.:)

[@SquirrelGrrl]

Hey this was great! The only one I knew about was the cyclops one, I love learing new cool stuff! Especially paleontology and history combined... drool.

[@UpcycleElectronics]

Nice production

[@YasminMouse]

So happy for a new episode!! Are we going to have more episodes on a more frequent basis?

[@thebrainscoop]

Yes! We're back to posting every other week. Tell y0 friends! and sign up for our newsletter to get email updates: bit.ly/2oYTY6p

[@YasminMouse]

Awesome!!! Love this channel so much and love you Emily!! Xoxoxo

[@MidtownSkyport]

Great episode, Emily :)

[@portugueseeagle8851]

Nice video

[@elliottgleason5956]

That was cool. I'm over here because you toppled dominoes for Hevash5. You have a new viewer.

[@AlannaSkye1]

yay!! good job! :)

[@2HelpfulGuys]

I thought the title said "magic fair BEARD" and I got way to hyped. I mean, maybe since the fairy beard wasn't in this video, that means that it's NOT a myth and it's REAL. There is still hope.

[@person2.022]

Great video! I'm kinda surprised you didn't talk about dragons, though

[@LordTrilobite]

Many dragon stories are possibly not based on prehistoric animals though. For example the dragon Saint George was supposed to have killed was very likely just a monitor lizard. the first artists impressions show it very lizard-like with a forked tongue. only later interpretations converted that tongue into a fiery breath and gave it wings. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_George_and_the_Dragon

[@Valdagast]

Linnaeus was thinking about the appearance of new species, but he was discouraged by the reaction of one of his clergy friends.

[@VeganMomVie]

Trippy snake earrings, lady! :D

[@pheart2381]

im watching this...from whitby,north yorkshire!

[@nodean6847]

you are amazing !! :-)

[@censusgary]

For a sequel to this episode, it would be cool to talk about the times when fossils of large animals were interpreted as evidence that giant humans existed Before the Flood, as in Genesis 6:4, which the King James Version translates as "There were giants in the earth in those days ..." (Other Bible translations do not use the term "giants.")

[@nathanong]

So weird, I just started The First Fossil Hunters today!

[@Robert-rt9ho]

I bought an aminite form a museum and it’s beautiful no matrix on it and you can see in it, it’s insides have tuned to a beautiful orange cristinine structure

[@Hypatia4242]

I thought the griffin folklore, like the Sphinx folklore was inspired by the natural mummification processes that happen in the desert? Ancient peoples discovering preserved lions or birds with strange looking limbs because they were mummified.

[@gurohyena5422]

I have always thought that fossils explained why dragon myths spanned so many unconnected lands and legends.

[@thecassman]

That's not an elephant skull! It's clearly a giant headcrab! And for the record, Whitby is a fantastic place, I visit regularly.

[@ladyyuna2000]

The Griffin are one of my favorite legendary creature

[@okashi10]

Hi Emily! I'm curious about what you think of the "Bone Wars" (the competition between Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh)? I just heard about it recently and think it's so wild and fascinating... and also sad because of the destruction of bones.

[@2HelpfulGuys]

okashi10 I didn't know anything about "the bone wars" and now I'm pretty sure I'm about to go into a rabbit hole.

[@okashi10]

It's super interesting... two former friends who had a falling out, went on a wild fossil-hunting rivalry, ended up falsifying fossils and destroying the other's excavation sites, throwing bones at each other...

[@2HelpfulGuys]

okashi10 Sounds like our relationship LOL

[@gautampassi3863]

Here's another fun one : Ammonite fossils have intrigued mankind for centuries. There are myths and legends about them from cultures all around the world. *Greece* :In ancient Greece it was said that if you put an ammonite under your pillow it will cure insomnia and bring good dreams. When in *Rome*…The Romans believed that if you put a golden ammonite (pryritized) under your pillow you would have prophetic dreams. *North America* : Good Hunting The Blackfeet Indians called ammonites buffalo stones for their resemblance to a sleeping buffalo. They were considered good fortune and used in ceremonies before a buffalo hunt. It was also good fortune to find an ammonite just before taking a journey. PS While I'm in my career choosing dilemma, are we back on regular videos? and what's up with newsletter? I haven't got one in a long time?

[@WireMosasaur]

How on earth does an ammonite look like a sleeping buffalo? o_O Are you sure you aren't confusing them with trilobites?

[@stevenbaumann8692]

Great video! I think most mythical creatures are just due to human imagination. Although fossils likely played some part in the creation of myths. Although I think the myths came first and the subsequent discovered fossils were wedged into the mythology.

[@anelguerrero801]

Another video😱 what have I done to deserve this??!

[@ViolettaSachra]

I own several thunderstones, and I'm really proud for finding them all on my own (altho i'm aware they're common, haha)

[@pheart2381]

Do a video on toadstones?

[@autumn7809]

I never thought about ancient peoples discovering fossils...

[@XSpImmaLion]

Was there rain or white noise in the background? Anyways, always interesting to know the weird explanations people came up with in the past for... physical impressions of the past. :P

[@Styreta]

What is the white noise present throughout the video?

[@shenzishenzi]

Awesome! (Audio needs denoising!)

[@franzanth]

THE PROTOCERATOPS SKULL 😍

[@devdave4049]

I was sent here by coursera.. ITS GR8!

[@censusgary]

It would be interesting to know what things we believe now to be “facts” will seem strange and even humorous to future generations.

[@jackwardell2174]

I am from Whitby and yes that is mostly true but there are also many more rare fossils there such as a depidium witch I have personally found

[@theJellyjoker]

Was it raining when you recorded this?

[@LordTrilobite]

No mention of en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrias_scheuchzeri ? Once believed to be a human that died in the biblical flood. It turned out to be a giant salamander. Great video though.

[@BeCurieUs]

Greek myths and science, fun!

[@bananabananaman123]

Im shocked she didnt make a pokemon joke with the thunderstone part

[@jyotilalg8210]

I don't know when I heard the term "Paleontology" my mind get started thinking like Ross

[@ShubhamBhushanCC]

I am simple nerd. I see brainscoop I hit like

[@tessat338]

I wonder if it is possible that protoceratops DID have feathers. A lot of other sorts of dinosaurs did.

[@megalyssa]

"Serpents turned into stone." I mean... That's really not too far off. Of course it happened entirely differently than they thought but the basic premiss still stands

[@TheExalaber]

What about (Chinese) dragons being inspired by mammoth fossils, and their continuing use in folk medicine.

[@maxximumb]

Emily... It's not York Shire it's pronounced Yorkshur (most counties ending in shire are pronounced shur with the short u) I've always wondered if the dragon myths were based around dinosaur fossils. Great video though.

[@thebrainscoop]

I'm sorry :(

[@Seven30onFriday]

On the plus side, I'm shure you'll be welcome there Emily, if you ever decide to visit.

[@josephallison4302]

Suit thissen.

[@SerCheddar]

I feel like York-sher is a better way to describe it

[@CasMullac]

I live in Yorkshire and love it when people pronounce it that way. It makes it sound like I'm living in Middle earth.

[@deadasfak]

ooooh man, I always thought that the cyclops were made up because of the big hole in the elephant skull

[@paulrevererider7392]

Are you familiar with mud fossil university on YT?

[@MultiDooder]

Just realizing that Canadian inflection has an adorable southern relative, or vice versa youtube haters

[@scrochum]

in desperate need of a high pass filter, that air-con is loud

[@GuanoLad]

Was horses having nightmares a particular recurring problem? I'm sure dinosaur fossils were part of the (universal) dragon myth.

[@janetross1900]

GuanoLad My immediate thought is how would someone know if a horse was having nightmares

[@Hadoken.]

Um, it's not pronounced HEss-ee-o-eed, he was a human not a shape, it's Hess-ee-od. The Greek name Isiodos is pronounced Ees-EE-o-dos ('Ησίοδος). The Romans noted down the slight exhalation when pronouncing some names. This may sound like a very slight 'H' like in the Greek names 'Hellas', 'Herakles' (Hercules), Homiros (Homer) and 'Hera'. Similarly the name of Isiodos has the slight exhalation at the beginning and the Romans shortened male names, thus Hesiodos became Hesiod, but not Hesioid.

[@kriscu16]

BUT BUT BUT where's the padoo do do doo do intro

[@michaelmagnus3590]

so people use to think that thunders were bullets?

[@oo-xk3ih]

What about the horrible plaster cast nest on the right?

[@zacharymayfield8038]

Wish I could see videos quicker I just hate waiting :(

[@zacharymayfield8038]

Maybe a 2nd host???

[@Mrwheresmyhouse]

1:09 I'm sorry, is that guy milking a horse?

[@carlosapiang8256]

lave it

[@eclipse5393]

Unicorns were real not mythical. They are Elasmotherium.

[@censusgary]

You mean "based on," not "based off of." A base supports what's on it, not what's off it.

[@KingRin]

The lav mic audio needs some cleaning up.

[@ClearFiend]

North York-Sssshiiiirre :)

[@jeffreyking9843]

Othenio Abel was Austrian, not Australian. Classic mixup.

[@tonyevans9999]

hehehehe, too bloody right, mate.

[@chris92S]

Ha "horse" night "mare" lol

[@edwardClitterhands]

I guess a lot of things protected people from witches back then lol

[@Schmunzel57]

Great video but I don’t like the music starting so early towards the end.

[@HAFIZzainalHZ]

myth creature could be from someone's drunken night or high. he/she maybe has a personal painter/artist so one night, they got very drunk, doodle something on the handkerchief and call the painter to paint it back and gave it a great name. just like the "artist turn kids doodle" trend. just google it. LOL

[@punos909]

All this just makes me think how little people knew back then and how far we've come. It's the age of knowledge now, not fantasy.

[@lindsaypatterson7472]

You're awesome, Emily! +1 positive comment.

[@ThunderGun2]

I like Emily cause she's intelligent and pretty.

[@TheAAMoy]

I like Emily case she's pretty intelligent.

[@23Scadu]

I like Emily because I'm intelligent. Pretty, not so much.

[@doic342ido9]

they see me thinkin.....they hatin´... ;)