Page 17 - Encyclopedia of the Unusual and Unexplained Vol. 3

Introduction xvii

Egypt. Like many such ancient places, those
Objects and Places of
sites have been examined and speculated
Mystery and Power
upon for centuries, yet they still continue to
Objects of mystery and power that become conceal secrets and occasionally yield surpris-
influential in a person’s life can be an every- ing information that forces new historical
day item that an individual has come to interpretations of past societies.
believe will bring good fortune, such as an There are other places that have become
article of clothing that was worn when some mysterious sites because of unusual occur-
great personal success was achieved or an rences. The claimed miraculous healing at
amulet that has been passed on from genera- Lourdes, France, the accounts of spiritual illu-
tion to generation. In addition to such items mination at Jerusalem and Mecca, and the
of personal significance, some individuals sacred visions at Taos, New Mexico, provide
have prized objects that reportedly brought testimonies of faith and wonder that must be
victory or good fortune to heroes of long ago. assessed by each individual.
Still others have searched for mysterious relics There are also the “lost” civilizations and
filled with supernatural attributes that were mysterious places that may never have existed
credited with accomplishing miracles in the beyond the human imagination. More than
past. No physical evidence is available to 2,500 years ago, legends first began about
determine that such an object as the Ark of Atlantis, an ideal society that enjoyed an
the Covenant ever existed, but its present abundance of natural resources, great military
location continues to be sought. The Holy power, splendid building and engineering
Grail, the cup from which Jesus drank at the feats, and intellectual achievements far
Last Supper, is never mentioned in the Bible, advanced over those of other lands. This
but by medieval times it had been popularized ancient society was described as existing on a
as the holiest relic in Christendom. continent-sized area with rich soil, plentiful
In addition to bestowing mystery and pure water, abundant vegetation, and such
power upon certain objects, humans have mineral wealth that gold was inlaid in build-
always found or created places that are sacred ings. In the ensuing centuries, no conclusive
to them—sites where they might gather to evidence of Atlantis has been found, but its
participate in religious rituals or where they attributes have expanded to include engineer-
might retreat for solitude and reflection. In ing and technological feats that enhance its
such places, many people claim to experience legendary status.
a sense of the sublime. Others, while in a Sometimes legends come to life. The Lost
solemn place of worship or in a natural set- City of Willkapanpa the Old, a city rumored
ting, attest to feeling a special energy that rais- to consist primarily of Incan rulers and sol-
es their consciousness and perhaps even heals diers, was not discovered until 1912 when a
their physical body. historian from Yale University found the site
now known as Machu Picchu hidden at 8,000
Mysterious megaliths (large stones) were
feet in altitude between two mountains,
those placed at a special location by ancient
Huayana Picchu (“young mountain”) and
people. Such sites include the standing stones
Machu Picchu (“ancient mountain”) in Peru.
of Brittany, the Bighorn Medicine Wheel in
Wyoming, and the monuments of Easter
Island. All of these places were ostensibly sig-
nificant to an ancient society or religion, but
Mystery Schools
many were long abandoned by the time they
and Cults
became known to today’s world and their sig-
nificance remains unexplained.
Once a religion has become firmly estab-
The most well-known megalithic struc- lished in a society, dissatisfied members often
tures are Stonehenge in Great Britain and the will break away from the larger group to create
complex of pyramids and the Great Sphinx in what they believe to be a more valid form of

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