Goodafternoon to you all, I have a little challenge for you on this lovely sunny day...

This year we will be spending our summer holiday in the north of Spain. In preparation of that I was doing some reading about its WHS and read about a story of the Yuso monastery. Apparently when the monks had laid the remains of the holy man San Milan on a cart the oxes who were pulling the thing refused to do their work on a certain point and could not be made to continue. It was seen as a sign and so this point was chosen as the spot where the new monastery was to be built.

A nice story I thought and a bit similar to an event in Maulbronn where a few monks were accompanied by a mule. In their search for a new place to build their abbey the mule stopped and refused to walk any further because it wanted to drink of a spring it had found. The monks interpreted it as a sign of God and so their search was ended and the monastery built. They named it after this event and the place Maulbronn was born

I quess this legend is more common than these two but wasn´t really able to find a third. I was thinking that maybe the site of Butrint will fit the bill. No monks in search of a new place this time but exiles fleeing the fall of Troy. Legend tells us about an ox that was meant to be sacrificed but escaped, struggled wounded ashore and died on the beach. Of course this was taken as a good sign and so Butrint was founded. It connects nicely with the namecalling too because originally the place was known as Buthrotum meaning "wounded ox".

So we have 2 WHS so far which were named after an event with an animal, 2 WHS with animals refusing to walk further, 2 WHS which originate from the action of an ox and 3 WHS which arised after the people interpreted the events as somekind of a miracle and reason enough to built their home. I'm certain you guys can come up with more. I will be out in the sun for a while now and will curiously check this post later and see what you guys have found... Cheers!

There will probably be a number of WHS towns/cities citing an animal in their founding myth - is that what you meant?? E.g
a. Rome - founded after Romulus and Remus were looked after by a she wolf there
b. Tenochtitlan (on site of Mexico City) - founded where an eagle with a rattlesnake was seen
c. Berne - named after first animal seen by the local founding Duke whilst hunting i.e a bear

Thanks Solivagant! My thoughts about your proposals:

I'd thought about Rome but didn´t think it quite matched with the others. The wolf had a more indirect role while the oxes and mule all had a direct involvement. According to legend Yuso monastery, Maulbronn and Butrint were all founded after an animalperformance which was considered as a wonder-a good omen-a sign of God by its bystanders and therefore judged by them as a fine place to built their new home. A wolf raising kids is a wonder in itself of course but it wasn´t the reason Rome was founded it was "only" made possible because of her taking care of the infants. The founding part was solely on behalf of Romulus and Remus.

Bern is a possible match although I think it differs a bit of the others. The bear died because it was shot dead. That wasn´t an act it did by itself but because a duke thought of him as a nice trophy. It wasn´t seen as a wonder too. The city however was called after an event with an animal so we might have a 3rd connection there. (although it wasn't the choice of the bear (I quess) to be shot which is in contradixion with the other examples where the animal made its divine decision by itself)

And than there is Tenochtitlan. I think this is a connection! I don't no much about WHS outside of Europe so hadn't thought about this one but, after researching a bit about its history, from what I've understand a prophecy was fulfilled when the Azteks saw the eagle fighting the rattlesnake on a cactus. It's not very common to see a prophecy fulfilled and the witnesses thought of it as a good omen, a sign of God and built their city accordingly. It connects with the namecalling too because the name Tenochtitlan can be translated as "the place of the cactus". Sadly the site is inscribed as Historic centre of Mexico City and Xochimilco, no word of Tenochtitlan...

So to summarize the above one could say,

WHS founded after animals performed some kind of action considered as a miracle:

- Yuso monastery
- Maulbronn
- Butrint
- Tenochtitlan/Mexico-City

WHS with a name originating from a founding act

- Maulbronn
- Butrint
- Berne?

WHS with a name originating from a founding act:

It is slightly tenuous and apocryphal but the belfry in Antwerp could qualify. A folk tale etymology of Antwerpen is that it is derived from the story of Silvius Brabo who killed a giant that was extracting tolls on the river Scheldt, which ena the town to be founded. In celebration of the giant slaying Brano cut off the giants hand and threw i,t which in old Dutch is "Hand Werpen". For those that have been there it explains that big fountain on the main square in front of the Town Hall which I had a feeling was part of the inscribed zone, though that could be wrong.

I've added these to a new connection

I have a bit more trouble with this one, especially when there is a lot of overlap with the other Connection or the already existing connection Legends and Folk Myths.


This is a myth, the name is derived from something else (wharf) (and also Antwerp isn't a name of a WHS)

That is fair enough I thought it was something of a stretch. And assumed it wasn't really true, unless there are giants roaming the Low Countries :)