The Archaeologist

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The Real North Pole: 5 Mythical Ancient Islands That Might Actually Exist

The article discusses two mythological places that were later discovered to have some truth to them. The first is Vitr Manand, also known as Great Ireland or White Man's Land, which is mentioned in ancient Norse texts and is thought to be located six days sailing west of Ireland or near Vinland in eastern North America. The native people of Vitr Manand were described as always being dressed in white and having hair and skin as white as snow. The true location of Vitr Manand is a subject of scholarly debate, with several theories proposing locations along the Eastern Seaboard of North America.

The second place is the Isle of the Demons, which appears on maps from the 16th and 17th centuries. It was believed to be uninhabited due to vicious wild beasts and evil spirits that would attack passing ships and visitors. One French ship marooned a French noblewoman and her lover on the island in the mid-16th century, and they lived there for many years, hunted wild game, and were tormented at night by countless inhuman screams. The baby they had had likely died of malnutrition, and the woman and her maid servant were eventually rescued by fishermen after two years.