From vampires forced to count seeds and a camel mistaken for a demon to popular beliefs overturned by science, these 50 stories reveal the surprising truths, strange origins, and real events behind famous myths, legends, and folklore. Some tales preserve history, while others grew from misunderstandings, misleading reports, or deliberate deception. For more strange stories and debunked beliefs, read Part 1 here.
1 Simeulue Folklore Saved Island Residents
In 2004, the Indonesian island of Simeulue became one of the few coastal areas to evacuate before the Indian Ocean tsunami struck. Local folklore preserved memories of an earthquake and tsunami in 1907, so islanders recognized the initial shaking as a warning and fled to inland hills. These stories, passed down across generations, may have saved residents when another tsunami arrived 97 years later.
2 Raymond Robinson Inspired Green Man
The Pennsylvania legend of Charlie No-Face, or the Green Man, described a disfigured monster who stalked teenagers and thrill seekers along dark roads. In reality, he was a man named Raymond “Ray” Robinson who walked at night so his appearance would not frighten people. In 1919, when Robinson was 10, he grabbed a live power line while climbing a railroad trestle on a dare, leaving him blind, without his eyes and nose, and missing part of one arm. Robinson walked Koppel-New Galilee Road for 30 years, and many visitors brought him beer and cigarettes, but stories eventually transformed this well-liked local man into a supernatural menace.
3 Fish Feel Pain And Suffer
Despite a myth that circulated for decades, fish do feel pain and can suffer from it. Researchers found that fish possess nociceptors that detect harmful temperatures, pressure, and chemicals, while injuries activate brain regions involved in conscious sensory perception. Rainbow trout injected with acetic acid rubbed their lips against gravel, breathed faster, rocked, and delayed feeding, but morphine reduced these reactions. In 2013, the American Veterinary Medical Association concluded that the accumulated evidence justified giving finfish the same consideration for pain relief as land vertebrates.
4 Kim Jong-il Golf Score Myth
Despite decades of repetition, no North Korean media source has ever surfaced showing that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il claimed an improbable golf score. The Korea Times traced the story to Australian journalist Eric Ellis, who heard it from a professional at Pyongyang Golf Club in 1994, while later reports transformed it into a tale of five holes-in-one during Kim’s first round. Informal surveys found that people in Pyongyang did not know the story unless tourists told them. British journalist Richard Seers also questioned officials at Pyongyang Golf Club, who dismissed the supposed achievement as an urban myth.
5 Alcatraz Attracted Inmate Transfer Requests
Alcatraz’s tough-as-nails reputation was partly a Hollywood creation, and some federal inmates actually requested transfers there. Its one-man-per-cell policy reduced the risk of attacks by fellow prisoners. First warden James A. Johnston believed poor food caused prison riots, so he served good meals and allowed unlimited additional helpings. Well-behaved inmates also received monthly movies and access to a library containing 15,000 books and 75 magazine subscriptions.
6 Birds Safely Digest Uncooked Rice
Despite an urban legend repeated every wedding season, birds can safely eat uncooked rice without exploding or dying. The myth claims that dry rice rapidly absorbs water inside a bird, expands, and kills it. In reality, wild rice and other moisture-absorbing grains already form part of many birds’ diets, while their digestive systems break down rice long before it could expand enough to cause harm. Advice columnist Ann Landers famously spread the misconception in 1988 by publishing a warning against throwing rice at weddings.
7 Captivity Spawned Alpha Wolf Myth
The idea of the aggressive alpha wolf, often used to justify domineering human behavior, grew from a debunked model based on wolves living in captivity. In his 1970 book “The Wolf: Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species,” researcher David Mech described alpha males winning control of their packs through violent fights. After studying wolves in the wild, Mech rejected that interpretation in a 1999 paper, explaining that natural packs usually consist of parents and their offspring. He repeatedly asked his publisher to stop printing the original book, but it remained in circulation, and the alpha myth endured.
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8 Hartlepool Monkey Faced Spy Trial
According to a Hartlepool legend, a French ship sank off the northern English town during the Napoleonic Wars, leaving a monkey dressed in a miniature military-style uniform as its only survivor. Most townspeople had never seen a Frenchman, while contemporary cartoons sometimes depicted French people as monkey-like figures, so the locals allegedly mistook the animal for an enemy spy. They tried the monkey, found it guilty, and hanged it in the town square. Although no one knows whether the story is true, it has endured for more than 200 years and earned Hartlepool residents the nickname “monkey hangers.”
9 Ellis Island Never Changed Names
The familiar story of Ellis Island officials shortening or anglicizing immigrants’ names is a myth that did not become prominent in published literature until around 1970. Officials at Ellis Island did not record arriving immigrants’ names because authorities in Europe or other departure points had already entered them on ship manifests. Inspectors merely checked those manifests and questioned passengers, while immigrants who later changed their names generally did so themselves. The 1974 film “The Godfather Part II” helped popularize the myth by showing young Vito Andolini renamed Vito Corleone by an Ellis Island official.
10 Vampires Counted Seeds Until Sunrise
In old Eastern European folklore, vampires suffered from arithmomania, a compulsion to count everything placed before them. People scattered millet or poppy seeds around the grave of a suspected vampire, hoping the creature would spend the entire night counting every grain. This legendary weakness inspired Sesame Street’s Count von Count, a vampire who transforms the supernatural compulsion into an endless enthusiasm for numbers.
RE: Fact #9 (Ellis Island Never Changed Names) – Many people chose to change their names. Even well into the 20th century, famous people would often switch to stage names to fit in better. Plenty of Jewish performers did this, like Stanley Lieber becoming Stan Lee, or Chaim Witz changing to Gene Simmons.