10 Widespread Historical Myths and the Texts That Started Them

In the age of social media, it is easy to see how things become accepted as fact simply by being repeated enough. But this is not a new phenomenon. Some so-called “facts” about history and even science have circulated for centuries, shaping popular understandings of people and events. As with social media today, it is not always easy to trace where these myths originate. However, a surprising number can be linked directly to books, letters, poems, and other written sources that were later taken far more literally than intended.

Here are 10 widespread historical myths—and the texts that helped start them.

Related: 10 Common Misconceptions About the Origins of Beloved Things

10 The Black Death Spread Quickly via the Silk Road

In the late 1340s, the Black Death devastated populations across Europe and North Africa. Seeking to understand its origins, later historians and scientists developed what became known as the “Quick Transit Theory,” which proposed that the plague traveled rapidly along the Silk Road from Central Asia to Europe in roughly a decade.

Recent research, however, suggests this explanation rests on shakier foundations than once believed. Rather than originating in scientific observation, the idea appears to have been influenced by a 14th-century poem written by Ibn al-Wardi. His work, Risāla, personifies the plague as a wandering trickster roaming from Asia to Africa and beyond.

Over time, poetic imagery was misread as literal historical evidence. Modern scholarship now favors a slower, more complex spread involving multiple outbreaks and regional transmission routes rather than a single, swift march along trade roads.^[1]

9 The Samurai Followed a Strict Moral Code

Honorable, loyal, and disciplined are words commonly associated with Japan’s samurai. Popular culture often presents them as unwavering followers of a rigid moral philosophy known as bushidō. In reality, samurai behavior varied widely, and many warriors were pragmatic, opportunistic, and politically flexible when power or survival was at stake.

The modern image of a unified samurai code largely stems from a 1900 book, Bushido: The Soul of Japan, written by diplomat Inazō Nitobe. Aimed at Western audiences, the book framed Japanese values in terms familiar to Christian Europe, emphasizing loyalty, honor, and self-sacrifice.

Nitobe’s work became enormously influential, despite being more philosophical than historical. Later nationalism and international interest reinforced its claims, turning a selective interpretation into a perceived ancient tradition that still shapes global perceptions of samurai culture today.^[2]

8 The Spartans Were Ascetic Warriors

Spartans are often imagined as spear-wielding warriors who rejected comfort, luxury, and culture in favor of relentless military discipline. The word “spartan” itself has come to describe anything stripped down or austere. Modern historians, however, paint a far more complex picture of Spartan society.

This enduring image is known as the “Spartan Mirage.” It was shaped largely by ancient writers such as Thucydides and Plutarch, who emphasized Sparta’s toughness and discipline while downplaying its religious life, artistic expression, and diplomatic activity. Both authors had ideological reasons for presenting Sparta as a model of order and strength.

Archaeological evidence and modern scholarship suggest that Spartans valued ritual, participated in the arts, and engaged in strategic politics. The myth of total asceticism reflects the biases of later writers rather than the lived reality of Sparta itself.^[3]

7 Cleopatra Was a Masterful Seductress

Cleopatra VII is often remembered as a seductive enchantress who ensnared Roman leaders, particularly Mark Antony. This image, popularized by Shakespeare and countless later retellings, overshadows her role as a capable ruler and political strategist.

Much of the seductive myth traces back to Plutarch, who wrote about Cleopatra more than 200 years after her death. With most contemporary Egyptian records lost—especially after the destruction of the Library of Alexandria—Roman accounts dominated the narrative.

At the time, Rome was under the control of Octavian, Antony’s rival, who encouraged propaganda portraying Cleopatra as a dangerous foreign temptress corrupting Roman virtue. The result was a lasting caricature that obscured her intelligence, multilingual abilities, and political acumen.^[4]

6 Richard III Was a Hunchbacked Tyrant

England’s Richard III owes much of his villainous reputation to Shakespeare, who portrayed him as a physically deformed monster capable of murdering his own family. While Richard’s reign remains controversial, modern evidence contradicts many of these claims.

In 2013, Richard’s remains were discovered beneath a parking lot, revealing he had scoliosis—not the grotesque hunchback of legend. Historical records also show that some crimes attributed to him, including the execution of his brother, followed legal proceedings rather than personal malice.

Richard introduced legal reforms, expanded access to justice for the poor, and improved regional governance. While the fate of the “Princes in the Tower” remains unresolved, his monstrous image owes more to Tudor propaganda and Shakespearean drama than confirmed history.^[5]

5 Anne Boleyn Had Six Fingers on One Hand

Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, is often said to have had six fingers on one hand—a supposed deformity that marked her as unnatural or even dangerous. Despite its persistence, the claim has no contemporary evidence to support it.

The rumor emerged decades after her death, during the reign of her daughter Elizabeth I. It appeared in a book by Nicholas Sander, an exiled Catholic hostile to England’s Protestant monarchy. Sander aimed to discredit Elizabeth by portraying her mother as morally and physically corrupt.

Alongside the extra finger, Sander accused Anne of witchcraft, bodily deformities, and incest—claims unsupported by eyewitness accounts. Contemporary descriptions of Anne make no mention of physical abnormalities, suggesting the six-finger myth was a political smear rather than a historical fact.^[6]

4 White Christmases Are Common in London

Despite their prominence in holiday stories and films, white Christmases are rare in London and southern England. December is typically cold and damp, but snowfall is uncommon.

The expectation of snowy holidays can be traced largely to Charles Dickens. Born during the Little Ice Age, Dickens experienced unusually harsh winters in childhood, including periods when the River Thames froze solid. Those early experiences shaped his depiction of Christmas in works like A Christmas Carol.

As Dickens’s stories became cultural touchstones, his snowy imagery was mistaken for the historical norm. Today, snowfall on Christmas Day in London is the exception rather than the rule, but the myth endures through literature and tradition.^[7]

3 Pirates Buried Treasure and Kept Pet Parrots

Modern pirate stereotypes owe much to Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. Writing in the late 19th century, Stevenson popularized images of buried treasure, treasure maps, and parrots perched on sailors’ shoulders.

In reality, only one pirate—William Kidd—is known to have buried treasure, and he did so only once. The loot was quickly recovered and used as evidence at his trial. Most pirates spent their earnings immediately on supplies, alcohol, and entertainment.

Parrots, too, were more valuable as trade goods than companions. Stevenson’s novel, reinforced by early films, transformed literary inventions into assumed historical truths.^[8]

2 Benjamin Franklin Proved Electricity Exists by Flying a Kite

Benjamin Franklin’s famous kite experiment is often credited with proving the existence of electricity. In fact, electricity was already known. Franklin’s goal was to demonstrate that lightning was a form of electrical energy.

Franklin himself mentioned the experiment only briefly in a letter. The most detailed account comes from Joseph Priestley, who described Franklin feeling a charge from a key attached to a kite during a storm. Importantly, the kite was not struck directly by lightning, which would likely have been fatal.

The simplified version persists because it offers a dramatic, easily remembered story. In reality, Franklin’s contribution was more nuanced—but no less significant.^[9]

1 Humans Only Use 10% of Their Brain

The claim that humans use only 10% of their brains has inspired everything from self-help movements to blockbuster films. It is often attributed to psychologist William James, who speculated in 1907 that people fail to reach their full mental potential.

James’s statement was metaphorical, not neurological. Modern brain imaging shows that virtually all regions of the brain are active throughout the day, even during simple tasks or rest.

While there is no hidden reservoir of unused brain waiting to be unlocked, cognitive ability can still improve through learning, rest, and nutrition. The myth endures because it promises untapped potential—but science shows the brain is already working hard.^[10]