The Remote Island With A Statue That Nobody Can Explain

This is a bit of a continuation of our first video from this season, but the story was so uniquely its own that I decided to split it off into a unique episode. Ultimately, this is a season about myths, and today's episode is on the horseman of Corvo, the statue nobody can explain.

Also I know you're going to ask about the coins and I looked into the coins and they were very suspicious so I left them out. If you'd like to do your own research on the coins, I recommend looking at more than one source.

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Thanks for watching! You're clearly one of the good ones.

[arturrosa]

Even though there's no picture, there's a very clear description of the statue written at the time by a chronichler, Damião de Góis. The original text is this, my rough translation below: "uma estátua de pedra posta sobre uma laje, que era um homem em cima de um cavalo em osso, e o homem vestido de uma capa como bedém, sem barrete, com uma mão na crina do cavalo, e o braço direito estendido, e os dedos da mão encolhidos, salvo o dedo segundo, a que os latinos chamam índex, com que apontava contra o poente".
My rough translation: "a statue of stone laid upon a slab, that has a man bareback riding a horse, and the man was dressed with a cape for rain, without a hat, with a hand on the horse's mane, and his right arm stretched out, his fingers retracted except for the second finger, to which the latins call index, with which he was pointing west."

[TagusMan]

I'm Azorean. The first I heard of this story was in an old book at the Toronto Reference Library some 30 years ago. The secret's out now. There are also basalt pyramids on Pico that may predate the Portuguese. Great topic for another video.

[joshuaharper]

It is a true shame that the statue has been lost. I suppose there haven't been any proper archaeological expeditions to examine the site or look for ancient settlements? I mean, someone carved the statue!

[silverXnoise]

“Nobody had ever been there….”

Well, that would be a strange conclusion to arrive at given the available evidence.

[izzy]

Azorean here! (From Pico though) and I had never heard about this! It's a shame that stories like there are rarely told, but thankfully the Regional Government has taken to encouraging schools to teach Azorean History and Culture. Maybe someday it will even come to be appreciated in the mainland, but for now, I'm thankful that our Government has at least a sense of respect for our heritage and doesn't try to make us "act more Portuguese".

[RA-ujnm]

I'm always amazed to find out about small inhabited islands out in the middle of nowhere. Makes me yearn for a less complicated

[BrandonToy]

This guy has perfected the art of sounding like he’s saying something really profound. A valuable skill, for sure.

[innertubez]

If the statue really was taken back to Portugal, there’s at least a slim chance it (or parts of it) could be found somewhere in the recesses of some museum or old house

[roundishwhale]

This feels like something I'd expect in a fantasy book, and I love it. The island of the statue that points at a crucial thing in every age.

[dannyfrantsevich]

I don't know why, but every one of your videos gives me a feeling of nostalgia. This warm and bubbly feeling of a distant past. Love your unique style, keep it up.

[TrondBrgeKrokli]

I find it interesting and intriguing how mythical and embellished the stories we tell each other can become, as long as there is no evidence to corroborate or disprove them. Thank you for another glimpse into one of the stories of a people in a desolate place.

[TrickiVicBB]

Portugal needs to throw more funding to their archaeology department.

Your Azore series I have been really enjoying and there is so much history that is waiting to be discovered

[njybobj]

If you go back 10, 000 years when the sea was lower by say 100 meters, it would be interesting to see what is now covered.

[TheRotnflesh]

Beautiful, thank you. I'd like to posit something...

The Azores were not always a group of volcanic islands. 14, 000 years ago it was likely a gigantic island with high mountainous barriers to the sea; the Younger Dryas raised the sea level over 400 feet, and the Azores lie on the triple junction of the North American, Eurasian, and African plates. It is VERY likely that a massive underwater volcanic eruption sunk most of that island as the seas rose.

The concept of Atlantis is definitely alive; especially if you consider the vast array of polygonal megaliths across the world.

[wesleytownsend]

I loved this episode and maybe it’s just because I am old, or maybe it’s because everything is a lot more funny the closer you get to life’s end, ... but I absolutely love reading the comments and seeing goofy children fight over topics. It’s really fitting for the idea of this video. I wish you all the very best!

[thelessons]

My best guess on who built it? Probably the Norse. They had horses and were known to have settlements in Vinland (America) and made trips over the Atlantic.

The unintelligible words on it may have been a form of Futhark, which the Portuguese probably would not have known. As far as a man on a horse with a cloak...sounds like it could have been a monument to Odin on Sleipnr, which was a common depiction of him (usually carrying Gungnir, his magical spear).

Gungnir would return to Odin no matter where he threw it and would always hit its target. Maybe the statue wasn't pointing west, but Odin throwing Gungnir at Vinland?

Corvo has no ravens or crows. Why would they name an island after a bird that does not exist there? Coincidentally, Odin was famously known for his two pet ravens, Hugin and Munin. Maybe that is how the island got its name?

[Coocoocachoo]

I am at a loss for why you are not more frequently viewed on YouTube. Excellently done. Fantastic video.

You are the Carl Sagan of travel.

[Kiwigd]

Loving your content mate.. each story laid out with just the right amount of intrigue, but you so carefully avoid over-cooking the stories. Excellent narratives.. thank you

[SadboiShinobi]

forever the most criminally underrated channel on youtube. So glad you can travel again evan your work is so important and I love you

[MrChristianDT]

Has anyone, at the very least, gone out to check those rocks & see if there's an identifiable place for a statue to have once bee attached?