40 Enchanting Myths and Legends from Cultures Worldwide

The popular concept that "Humans only use 10% of their brain" is a myth and there is nothing to suggest that we don't use 100% of our brains.

27. Multitasking is a myth. What we call multitasking is actually 'switch-tasking.' There is actually a stop/start process that occurs in the brain when we switch between tasks. This process causes "more mistakes, and over time it can be energy sapping."

28. The "50% divorce rate" for all marriages is a myth. The number is closer to 30% and it varies among different groups.

29. It is unknown how the "Friday the 13th" myth arose, however, there is no written evidence for the superstition before the 19th century.

30. According to legend, Corgis are a gift from woodland fairies and that their markings are caused by saddles and stirrups placed on their backs.

Hainuwele is a mythical Indonesian girl who legend says magically defecated valuable objects before she was buried alive.

32. Fan Death is a well-known myth in the South Korean culture. According to the myth, running an electric fan in a closed room with no open windows can lead to death. Despite no concrete evidence to support the concept, the myth of fan death persists due to its popularity.

33. During the temperance and Prohibition movements, it was a commonly believed myth that alcohol abuse could lead to spontaneous combustion.

34. It is a myth that you need to or should wait 24 hours to report a missing person in USA.

35. Rabbits shouldn't regularly eat carrots or lettuce. It is a myth perpetuated by cartoons that these foods are part of their natural diets.

People started flipping one cigarette upside down in their packs because of a myth that early 'Lucky Strikes' contained marijuana.

37. According to legend, everyone in USA used to think tomatoes were poisonous, due to them being a member of the nightshade family. In 1820, New Jersey resident Robert Gibbon Johnson ate tomatoes in front of a large crowd to prove that they were edible.

38. Elasmotherium, an extinct genus of rhinoceros is thought to be the origin of unicorn myths and legends.

39. The "Empty Land Myth" is a myth that states South Africa was mostly empty before European colonization. The myth began in the 1830s. Historical records and archaeological evidence contradict this idea.

40. The belief that a dog's mouth is 9 times cleaner than a human's is a myth.