Table of Contents
Legends
Sir Galahad
Galahad, son of Lancelot, was the purest of the Knights of the Round Table. The role of the Grail conqueror is also sometimes played by Parsifal, or both mentioned along with Sir Bors. 1)
SS Baychimo
SS Baychimo was used to collect furs from the Inuit, to whom it provided food and other supplies in return. In 1931, it became trapped by ice near Alaska. The crew abandoned the ship and decided to wait until the weather cleared. However, during the night, the ship disappeared. The crew returned home, thinking the ship had sunk. Surprisingly, the ship did not sink and continued to drift for the next 38 years, during which it was often seen in Alaskan waters. 2)
Knocking on wood
The trees have long been attributed with divine significance. For example, maple was once believed to care for the living, but more importantly, it also cared for the dead. In the past, a dead person was laid out on a wooden board until the funeral. It was believed that the wood had magical power and warded off the devil. This board could not be painted. It was also believed that knocking on the board would enhance its magical effect. Old sayings such as “knock on wood” or “to the grave” have survived to this day. 3)
Tintagel
Tintagel (Corn. Dintagell) is a village in Britain on the west coast of Cornwall and home to a castle which, according to legend, belonged to King Gorlois and was where King Arthur was born. Young Arthur grew up with Sir Kay at Tintagel under the tutelage of the wizard Merlin. In this castle, Arthur learned the basic principles of chivalry. During his childhood, Arthur experienced a vision of a castle beautiful and powerful. This castle was Camelot, which was to be built on the model of the area around Tintagel. 4)
Tomyris of the Massageates
The legendary queen of the Massagetes of Tomyris, an association of pastoral Iranian tribes in Central Asia. A strategically gifted nomad leader, she crushed the Persian army led by Cyrus II the Great, the greatest conqueror in Persian history. Herodotus credits her with killing the famous King Cyrus, who had invaded her lands, with her own hands. 5)