Xanadu

Introduction

For the second time in the last few weeks I have learned something from Richard Osman's "House Of Games", Xanadu is real.

This may just be a sign of my ignorance but it came as a surprise to me and Richard Osman and the contestants on the show. The previous one was my 1957 piece about what happened in the year of my birth.

I first encountered the name in the poem "Kubla Khan" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The words of this were appropriated by Rush for their song "Xanadu" which I opened this story with and appeared on their album "A Farewell To Kings", clocking in at eleven minutes.

It really came as a shock to me to know that a place that was almost magical, really existed. It's like finding out the Camelot or Tir Na Nog were real places.

I have always been a fan of magic, fantasy and mythology, and this was something that I always was sure was an invention by Coleridge but was actually built by Kubla Khan. It really was a veritable shock to my system, although a shock that I am totally happy with.

There was a film called "Xanadu" with music by The Electric Light Orchestra and Olivia Newton John but I felt it was just very twee. I know others may love it but it was not my cup of tea.

This, of course, got me wondering what other places were actually real that I thought were mythological. Some of these places I always knew were real but others may have just thought they were creations in films and books. So this is a list of the other Xanadus (is that the right form of plural?)

These are taken for the Treehugger site but there are many other lists that you can find using your preferred search engine.

Mount Olympus

I always loved Greek mythological tales and the Gods live on Mount Olympus so this was ingrained into my mind for the stories I read starting in primary school and I still love dipping into them and watching films that reference the Gods. The Romans had equivalent deities Jupiter for Zeus and Juno for Hera but saw their Olympos and an unspecified place in the heavens.

At nearly 10,000 feet above sea level, Mount Olympus is one of the most prominent peaks in Europe. According to ancient Greek mythology, the 12 Olympian gods and goddesses, including Aphrodite, Poseidon, and Zeus, lived atop Mount Olympus. The stunning mountain sits on the border of Greece and Macedonia and, although quite remote compared to other popular destinations in Greece, it is quite accessible to tourists. The foothills of Mount Olympus are popular among casual hikers, while more experienced climbers take to the cloud-covered Mytikas Peak.

Troy

The Trojan Wars were another big part of my reading when I was growing up. I never considered whether it was a real place or not, because to me it was most definitely real, and the Gods were there, and the story of Achilles' Heel came from those stories.

I did enjoy the film "Troy" with Brad Pitt as Achilles.

A major setting in the epic poem “The Iliad” by the Greek writer Homer, Troy was long believed to be a place of pure fiction. Although there is debate about the locations and events that inspired many of Homer's tales, most agree that the 4,000-year-old ruins of Troy are in Anatolia in modern-day Turkey. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, archaeologists first began excavating the ruins, known locally as Hisarlik, in the 19th century. The site, only about 650 feet in diameter, consists mainly of a scattering of stone walls and foundations of buildings.

Conclusion

I just shared two more real mythological sites but check out the Treehugger site for a few more, and have a search online for some more. I am lucky enough to live close to Hadrian's Wall and if that interests you there are a couple more articles here for you to enjoy.