6 Kangaroos were once considered as “cryptids,” like animals such as Yetis and Loch Ness Monsters. Before we got to know that they kept their babies in their pouches, they were known as the “creatures with two heads.” 

It is very surprising to know that the entire species of kangaroos was classified as mythical cryptids. Given the strange arrangement of keeping its babies in its pouch, that is not unexpected from the people who had the first encounters with the animal.

The first-ever attempt to describe kangaroos was done by Amerigo Vespucci in 1499. He met with the species when he was traveling along the southern coast of Australia.

The explanation given by Amerigo was quite scary. He described it as a monstrous beast that has the head of a fox, the hands of a man, the tail of a monkey, and also an attached bag used for carrying its young ones.

A kangaroo was captured for the first time by Francisco Pelsaert in 1629, but it died on the voyage back to Europe. 

Finally, kangaroos gained the dignity of being recognized as a species and not a myth in the 1770s. It was because of the event of its rediscovery by Sir Joseph Banks on Captain Cook’s voyage (source)

7 The “Black Volga” was an urban legend prevalent in the 1960s and 1970s in Poland, which says that vampires in black lavish limousines kidnapped people, especially children. Turned out that the rumors were true and people were abducted from night to dawn in these black limousines. The eyewitness who reported the cases were also found dead soon after.

The car used by the kidnapper had highly polished rims and curtains, like a new one brought directly from the showroom. It was a top-end, luxury automobile in those times. Also, when the car was seen, nobody could tell who was in the driver’s seat.

People soon associated the cases with some kind of evil spirit and vampire that was on its rampage to seek vengeance. 

The legend soon was passed onto other Eastern European countries like Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Hungry, and Mongolia. 

There are a number of theories behind the motives of these abductions. Besides vampire stories, locals said that kids and teenagers were kidnapped so the kidnappers could drain out all their blood to illegally sell it in the black market, whereas others say the kidnappers sold the victims’ organs.

In 1973, a horror movie, Black Volga, was also created based on these real incidents. (1, 2)

8 Japanese people were abducted by North Korean agents from 1977 and 1983. In the early phases, the news was treated as a rumor and myth, but later, North Korea publicly admitted that they actually did it.

The Japanese people captured by the North Korean agents mostly lived in the coastal regions of Japan. The news spread across the country in no time, but it was only believed to be a rumor. 

The rumor turned out to be a fact when Kim Jong-un himself admitted in 2002 that the North Korean regime had abducted 13 residents of Japan.

The number of people abducted officially recognized by the Japanese government is 17 whereas, it is now thought that hundreds of people were abducted. North Korea claimed that four out of 13 individuals were alive, eight died, and one’s entrance into the country was not confirmed. 

The Korean dictator, Kim, apologized for the abductions, but he didn’t reveal the reasons for the events.

Japan is not the only country that faced serial kidnapping. In fact, since 1953, more than 3,800 South Koreans have been abducted by North Korea. (1, 2)

9 The Golden Turtle God found in the Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi is believed to appear during rare, opportune moments in Vietnamese history. It is believed that in the 15th century, the turtle appeared and gave a sword to Le Loi, a rebel leader, which he used to lead the rebellion against the Chinese. The sword was taken back by the turtle after the rebellion was over. The scarce appearance of the turtle fits perfectly with the fact that the species is extremely rare and has only been witnessed by ten individuals.

The endangered turtle, also known as “Hoan Kiem Turtle,” is the largest freshwater turtle in the world and has a giant softshell on its back. 

The legends say that the turtle appears only at opportune moments. The very first appearance is believed during the reign of King An Duong Vuong. The 15th-century event in which the turtle assisted in establishing the Le Dynasty is more popular.

In that myth, in the end, the turtle quickly grabbed the sword by his teeth and submerged under the Hoan Kiem Lake. Since then the lake is also known as the “Lake of Returning Sword.”

It could not be made clear whether or not the turtle actually gave the magical sword. The legends have been told for hundreds of years, but in June 1967, the existence of the turtle was confirmed when a fisherman found it and beat it to death with a crowbar. (1, 2)

10 The 4,000-year-old Ancient Indian mythological tales of Mahabharata mention a city of Dwaraka that disappeared in the Arabian Sea, the western coast of Gujarat. The archaeological expeditions of 1963 discovered the underwater city, and it was exactly how it was described in the mythological stories. The intact city is thought to be more than 9,000 years old.

The city was found 36 meters deep in the waters of the Gulf of Cambay. The conclusion was made that the city was more than 9,000 years old based on the findings that included construction material, pottery, beads, sculptures, walls, and also parts of human skeletons.

The city of Dwarka had been mentioned in various, ancient Indian texts. It is considered as the first capital of Gujarat. The legends say that Krishna summoned magical powers to build the beautiful city but with his death, it sank in the sea and its glory was lost as a myth.

The story of the Dwaraka was alive for years as a legend and its possibility always existed in history which came true after excavations.

The texts say that the city once consisted of 900,000 royal palaces made up of crystal, silver, and emeralds.

The city was well planned with sections dividing the residential and commercial areas with incredible gardens, roads, and artificial lakes. The city disappeared 9,000 years ago because of a big flood. (source)