The seas have always terrified and beguiled mankind. Their almost endless scale, their tumultuous nature and unfathomable depths have led to countless legends and tales which have been spread around the world by those who were actually brave enough to embark across the inky, black watery abyss.
Whether it's Homeric tales of Charybdis and Scylla picking off Odysseus' men in The Odyssey, the Leviathan of Biblical lore, or modern day supposed sighting of Nessy, we've always thought there might be more going on under the waves than might meet the eye.
Early map-makers such as Abraham Ortelius certainly thought this, as he created one of the most beautiful and intriguing maps of Iceland. Around the island, labeled as 'Islandia,' is a menacing menagerie of bizarre watery beasts of unprecedented scale and ferociousness.
These monsters certainly plagued the fears of 16th century fishermen and sailors, but could there actually be some truth to these creatures? Are they merely real-life sea creatures blown out of proportion? Take a look at the pictures and descriptions and see if you can figure out the real life inspiration for the monsters. What creature are they really?
1.The origin of the Christmas celebration is the Roman tradition of Saturnalia, where Romans would honour the god of agriculture – Saturn, during the winter solstice.
2.Gift giving traditionally took place at New Year, but as Christmas became increasingly important during the Victorian era gifts were exchanged on 25 December in the United Kingdom.
3.The term ‘x-mas’ has been in use since the 16th century and the ‘x’ actually stands for the Greek letter ‘Chi’ – the first letter of the Greek word for Christ.
4.Christmas cards were started in 1843 by British civil servant Henry Cole. Approximately 1,000 original Christmas cards were produced, and today these are worth thousands of pounds.
5.The history of Rudolph is far more recent than Saint Nick himself. He was created in 1939 in Chicago as a way to sell children’s Christmas colouring books. The names ‘Rollo’ and ‘Reginald’ were both also considered.
To know more about Christmas, how it is celebrated in Russia look here
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