Stories and legends tell the tale of people achieving immortality whether they liked it or not.
Here are 7 instances on how they became immortal and maybe just maybe, you could do it too.
Number Seven
Have you ever heard of the moon rabbit?
Well, there are a lot of legends about the moon and rabbits from different parts of the world.
From the Aztecs, Native Americans and across Asia.
But the most notable one is the legend from East Asia with the rabbits pounding away on
a mortar and pestle as you can see from the hazy, shadowy silhouette on the moon.
The one legend that specifically talks about immortality is the one from the Chinese legend.
The legend tells the story of the immortal moon goddess called Chang'e and her rabbit
that accompanies her on the moon.
The rabbit's main job is to pound away on the mortar with the pestle
to make the elixir of immortality.
Though in the Japanese and Korean legends, what the rabbit is making, isn't the elixir
of immortality but rice cakes or mochi instead.
So if you're feeling adventurous and have the chance to go to the moon, look out for
any rabbits or a beautiful woman.
Who knows, maybe you'll get a chance to have a bit of the elixir of immortality or at least
some mochi or rice cake.
Number Six
The fountain of youth have been told in all sorts of literature across the globe and it
goes way back to the 5th century BC by the writings of Herodotus who was a Greek Historian
to the 3rd century during the Era of Alexander the Great to the 11th and 12th century during
the crusades and to the 16th century from the legends by a Spanish explorer called
Juan Ponce de Leon.
Herodotus talked about a fountain in the land of the Macrobians
which was a legendary tribe of Aethiopia.
They were said to have a long life of a few hundred years old.
The fountain was described as weak where nothing seems to be able to float in it, there's the
scent of violets coming from it and the consistency of the fluid is like oil leaving a glossy
and sleek feel on the skin.
The legend from Alexander the Great involved him travelling across worlds to the Land of
Darkness where only his servant could see where they were going.
Apparently only the servant drank from the spring and achieved immortality.
Anyways, there's a lot of other places on earth that people associate with the fountain
of youth but none of them have been proven 100% to be the fountain of youth.
This gives some people the belief that the fountain of youth is magical and would only
show itself to those that it deems worthy or only show itself for a short period of
time in obscured places.
So, to be immortal or at least always young, you'll need to find the fountain of youth
and stockpile an infinite amount of liquid that came from it.
Number Five
In Norse mythology there's an apple tree that gives golden apples and that is the source
of their god's immortality, power and perpetual youth.
The keeper of the golden apples is the goddess of eternal youth, Iðunn,
who was the wife of Bragi, the god of poetry.
As stated earlier, without the apples the gods powers would decline.
There's a story where Iðunn was kidnapped by a giant to the mountains of Jotenheim.
Without Iðunn's apples the gods and goddesses start to show signs of aging and their powers
also start to decline.
So one thing led to the other, the gods ordered Loki to get her back because it was his fault
that she was kidnapped in the first place and sure enough he managed to get her back
thus their youth and power was then restored.
Technically, the golden apple is like a miracle drug that gives you immortality and power.
At least if you want to stop being immortal, you just need to stop eating the golden apples.
Also, you need to find Asgard and find Iðunn, to find the golden apples.
Number Four
Peaches.
Not regular peaches but Peaches of Immortality.
In Chinese mythology, the Queen Mother of the West or Xi Wang Mu lives far up high in
the mountains in a hidden garden where she grows peaches that can give eternal life.
The peach tree is said to only bloom once every few thousand years and it takes another
three thousand years for the fruit to ripen.
The exact location of the hidden garden is unknown.
But it is said that by eating this rare fruit, you could achieve immortality.
Number Three
I've talked about this particular man in my video about claimed immortals.
This man is Count of St Germain.
From my previous research it was said that within the 40 years he was known to be in
Europe, he always had the appearance of a 40+ year old.
Either he looked old since he was young or he was indeed immortal.
But either way, people believed the power to his immortality is in his use of precious
metals and stones plus his obvious interest in alchemy.
Even in today's age, gold is still considered one of the ingredients in some beauty products.
Now what do the words alchemy, stones and gold reminds you of?
Of course, the philosopher's stone.
The philosopher's stone is an unknown substance that could transform base metals into gold
and can make an elixir for immortality.
But in some legends, even with just having the Stone in one's possession it can grant
unending life as well.
The stone apparently originated from the 8th century by the theories of an Islamic alchemist
called Geber A.K.A Abu Musa Jabir Ibn Hayyan who was known as "the father of Arab chemistry"
by the Europeans of the time.
He theorised a substance needed for the transmutation of these metals which is imagined to be some
dry powder from a specific mythical stone which is the philosopher's stone and the powdery
substance from the stone is often called as carmot.
Anyways, he is believed to be the inventor of aqua regia which is a chemical mixture
that is still used even today for gold recovery and purification.
So is the philosopher's stone obtainable?
Who knows.
Number Two
In The Epic of Gilgamesh which is a legend of the King of Uruk who was two-thirds god
and one third man, there was a bit where his best friend Enkidu dies because the two of
them angered the gods.
This lead Gilgamesh to mourn his friend's demise and to fear for his own inevitable
death.
So he set on a journey to find Utnapishtim who survived a big flood by the gods who intended
to destroy humankind.
A bit like Noah but the god of wisdom Ea was the one who warned him and told him to make
the giant boat and get the seed of every living creature with him.
Anyways he survived, the gods said sorry and gave him eternal life.
Gilgamesh then insisted to be allowed to live forever as well but Utnapishtim told him to
leave after giving Gilgamesh a test because technically he's not god and its not within
his power to give immortality.
But right when he was departing, Utnapishtim's wife told Gilgamesh of a miraculous plant
that can restore youth.
She tells Gilgamesh that he could find the special plant at the bottom of the sea and
her only description of the plant is that it is thorny like a rose.
Surprisingly Gilgamesh did find the miraculous plant and planned to share it with the elders
of Uruk but while he was camping on the way back, a snake took the plant, ate it and shedding
its skin, became young again.
Gilgamesh then returned to Uruk empty handed.
From the story we could deduce that the plant did work but it must be really rare that Gilgamesh
didn't go back to find it again.
Number One
There's a creature in Japanese folklore called the Ningyo.
They are mermaid like creatures and their description varies a lot.
From having a fish head and human body to the upper body of a human and the bottom of
a fish or even the head of a monkey and a golden carp's tail.
Lets just say a nightmarish sea creature.
Now what does this creature have to do with immortality?
Well, it is said that if you eat the Ningyo, you will be granted with immortality.
But of course not without consequences.
Superstitious fishermen believes that just by catching a Ningyo, it could bring sudden
heavy storm and it would bring misfortune your way.
Imagine a long immortal life ridden with calamity.
So other than the blessing of immortality, you are also cursed with eternal misfortune.
One of the stories involving the Ningyo is called the Yao Bikuni.
The story starts with a fisherman in Wakasa Province who caught a very weird fish.
He then called his friends over to taste it with him.
But one of his friends saw the hideous fish while its being prepared.
He warned his other friends not to eat the fish and so when they were presented the cooked
fish, they secretly hid it on their person wrapped in paper.
One of the men got home drunk and forgot to throw the fish away.
When he got back, his daughter asked for a present and being drunk, he gave the wrapped
paper to the daughter to shut her up.
Once the man sobered up, he remembered what he did and well, the daughter ate everything.
Luckily nothing happened at least it just seemed like nothing happened.
But years later, the daughter now grown up actually stopped aging in her prime.
Years went by, her husband died, she got a new husband that husband died and after a
few more husbands, loneliness was inevitable, she finally became a monk.
Her life was then ended when she reached 800 plus years old.
As that's the end of her stories.
How she died was technically unknown.
So from this story, we could assume that by eating the Ningyo, you'll be healthy through
and through without any fear of deathly illnesses but you're probably not immune to injuries
and you're destined to not feel happy throughout your long life.
There's also another version of the story that by eating the mermaid's flesh, due to
the mermaid's curse, you'll sprout scales on your body.
So its a choice of having eternal misfortune, turn into a human fish or stay as a normal
human being by not tempting fate it at all.