India. Also known as the Eye of Brahma Diamond, it was reportedly one of the eyes on a statue
depicting the Hindu god Brahma. The diamond was reportedly stolen by a Jesuit cleric. According
to the legend, the theft caused the diamond to be cursed. A diamond dealer supposedly took it
to New York City, in 1932, and soon afterwards committed suicide by jumping off a skyscraper.
Next, the diamond was owned by two Russian princesses, which is how it gained the ‘Orlov’
name. Both women allegedly committed suicide by jumping to their deaths in the 1940s. The dark
legend surrounding the diamond determined its next owner to have it cut into three pieces,
in an effort to break the curse. The resulting 67.5 carat Black Orlov diamond was displayed
at natural history museums in London and New York City. Its current owners are reportedly confident
that the curse has been broken. Number 6 Tizona
Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, better known by the name El Cid, was an 11th century Castilian
nobleman renowned for his prowess as a warrior and military leader. He conquered Valencia,
aided by Muslim forces, and became its prince. For a period of roughly five years, under El Cid,
Valencia was an independent and peaceful city, inhabited by both Muslims and Christians. Then
Valencia was attacked by Muslim forces towards the end of the 11th century. El Cid died in 1099,
most likely due to famine and deprivation during the siege. His reputation as a warrior was so
great that, according to one legend, his wife Jimena ordered his corpse to be placed on a horse,
in full armor, during the siege. His troops, emboldened by the sight of their commander
won a battle and pushed back the invaders. However, they would eventually lose the conflict
and the city fell under occupation. One of the swords wielded by El Cid was called Tizona.
A sword by the same name is currently held at the Burgos Museum, in the historic capital of
Castille. An inscription on the sword reads ‘I am the Tizona, who was made in the year 1040.’
Although its authenticity has been somewhat disputed, the sword was once sold at roughly $2
million. According to the legends surrounding the artifact it supposedly strikes fear in the hearts
of those who are unworthy to stand against it in combat. In literary tradition, when Tizona was
recognized in battle, some enemies instantly fell to their knees, admitting their defeat.
Number 5 Nanteos Cup According to the legends,
the Nanteos Cup is believed to have been created from a piece of the True Cross, upon which Jesus
Christ was crucified. The wooden cup has been regarded, among other European artifacts,
as a candidate for the Holy Grail. It’s said that it has the power to heal those who drink from it.
For many years the cup was held at the Nanteos Mansion, in Wales, and regularly loaned to sick,
lame or dying people. Then, in 2014, the cup was reported stolen from a house
in Weston under Penyard, while the occupant it had been loaned to was in the hospital. It isn’t
known if the thieves had taken it to benefit from its alleged healing powers. The Nanteos Cup was
ultimately recovered in 2016 and went on permanent public display at the National Library of Wales.
Number 4 Thomas Busby’s Stoop Chair At the start of the 18th century,
a man named Thomas Busby, from Yorkshire, England, was convicted for the murder of his father-in-law.
The two men had been running a coin counterfeiting operation as well as other criminal activities.
They allegedly had an argument about the business which ended in murder, with Busby as the culprit.
He was hanged in 1702 and gibbeted at a crossroads, next to an inn, which would
later change its name to Busby Stoop Inn. As one legend goes, on his way to his execution,
Busby sat in a chair at the inn and cursed it as he got up. Another legend is that, after he was
hanged, his ghost haunted the execution site and the inn. Years later, locals started reporting
strange occurrences regarding a particular chair at the inn. During World War II,
several airmen who sat in it never returned from bombing missions across Europe. During the 1970s,
several fatal accidents were linked to it. The chair was eventually donated to a local museum,
where it was hung from the ceiling to prevent people from ever sitting in it.
Number 3 Fairy Flag An heirloom for the chiefs of the Clan MacLeod,
the Fairy Flag, kept at Dunvegan Castle, is surrounded by myth and legend. According to
the clan’s tradition, the flag was entrusted to a family of hereditary standard bearers and only
the eldest male of said family was ever allowed to unfurl it. The origin of the 18-inch silk square,
which is covered in ‘elf dots’, is as mysterious as its alleged magical properties. Some say that
a MacLeod chief fell in love and married a fairy. After 20 years, she was forced to return to the
fairyland but, before she left, she gave her husband the flag. She promised that,
on three occasions, during times of danger and distress, help would come to those who waived
the flag. One story claims that it actually came from a Viking king who’d waived it during
the conquest of Britain. Another story says its origins were connected to a MacLeod that went on
a Crusade to the Holy Land and was rewarded with it after defeating an evil spirit. Many legends
claim that the flag can only be used three times before it disappears. Its powers include,
among others, multiplying the clan’s military forces and saving the lives of certain clan folk.
Number 2 Sword in the Stone When most people hear about a sword in
the stone, they tend to think of King Arthur and the legendary Excalibur. While this sword isn’t
as celebrated, it definitely has a fascinating history. The sword, halfway plunged into stone,
can be found at the Rotonda at Montesiepi, in the Italian province of Siena. It’s said that it
once belonged to Saint Galgano. Galgano Guidotti was a feared and ruthless soldier in his early
life. Then, he had two visions of the Archangel Michael. In the first, the Archangel told Galgano
that he would protect him. In the second, Galgano followed the Archangel to the hill of Montesiepi,
where he was met by the Creator and the twelve Apostles. According to one story,
Galgano was told in the vision that he needed to renounce material possessions. To this he replied
that it would be as hard as splitting rock. To illustrate this point, he plunged his sword
in a nearby stone and it went through it like butter. From that point on, Galgano lived a life
of pious hermitage in Montesiepi. Only three years after his death in 1181, a round church
was built over his tomb and the sword he’d plunged into stone. In 1985, Galgano was declared a saint
and his was the first canonization formally conducted by the Roman Church. Numerous pilgrims
visited the round church and miracles were reported upon contact with the sword. An analysis
of the sword was carried in 2001, which confirmed that both the upper and the invisible lower parts
belong to the same artifact. Moreover, the metal composition and style of the sword were deemed
compatible with the era of the legend. Number 1 Hand of Glory
England’s Whitby Museum holds the mummified remains of a human hand which was found
inside the wall of a cottage, in the early 20th century. Known as the Hand of Glory,
it’s believed to be the only artifact of its kind in existence. The dried and pickled hand
supposedly came from a criminal that met his fate in the gallows. Although a novelty today,
there are several mentions of such artifacts in poems and short stories from the 19th century and
they’ve been quoted as having various supernatural powers. To access these powers, the severed hand
had to have come from a hanged felon. According to old European beliefs, it had to be pickled in
salt and urine and exposed to the sun during the hottest days of the year, or smoked with herbs
and hay for a month. The text that accompanies the hand at Whitby, which is from an 1823 book, claims
that it also had to be hung from an oak tree, laid at a crossroads and hung on a church door while
the maker kept watch. Whoever intended to use the hand also had to make a candle from the fat of a
hanged felon. Then, after lighting the candle and using the hand as a candlestick, the maker
would be able to enter a house and everyone inside would remain motionless. Other sources claim that
the Hand of Glory could also unlock any doors and that it would only give light to its maker.
Thanks for watching! Which artifact from our list did you find most interesting?
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