Whenever you hear the phrase 'legend has it', what normally follows is a tale of ludicrously far-fetched proportions.
Tour guides are especially notorious for reeling off folk stories to groups and despite their dubious origins, few can deny they usually make entertaining yarns. Here are a few of our favourites.
Giant's Causeway — Bushmills, Northern Ireland
Tourists flock to the weather-beaten north-east coast of Northern Ireland to see what many believe is the greatest natural wonder in the UK.
An estimated 40,000 interlocking columns of various shapes and sizes lead from a cliff edge and form a kind of bridge that you can tip-toe on before plunging into the chilly grey-blue sea.
Geologists are fairly sure this is the result of an ancient volcanic eruption, with the columns formed from solidified lava.
Some, however, reckon that a mythical Irish giant named Finn McCool built it so he could walk to Scotland to fight his Tartan counterpart Benandonner.
The story has various versions, but in all cases Benandonner ultimately avoided a duel with Finn and tore up the bridge.
Manneken Pis — Brussels, Belgium
In the middle of Brussels there's a small fountain with a sculpture of a naked little boy urinating into a basin. This is Manneken Pis, which, in Flemish, translates to Little Man Pee.
There are several legends behind this statue, but the most famous one says that the boy was Godfrey III of Leuven, a 12th century Duke whose troops were battling against a rival army.
To stir them on, the troops decided to put the child prodigy in a basket, which they hung in a tree. From here, he urinated on the enemy, dampening their morale so much that they slumped to an overwhelming defeat.
Another equally preposterous version says that when Brussels was under siege in the 14th century, a little boy peed on a burning fuse attached to explosives that were planted on the edge of the city walls, thus saving Brussels and earning himself a place in the locals' hearts forever.
Antigoon — Antwerp, Belgium
The Belgians just love their silly myths and some believe their second city got its name through one. According to legend, before it became the world's diamond capital, Antwerp was ruled by a mythical giant named Antigoon.
The beast stalked the Scheldt River and exacted a toll from anyone who dared to cross it. For those who refused, he severed one of their hands and lobbed it into the water.
Eventually the giant got his comeuppance when a valiant young hero named Brabo chopped off one of the bully's own hands before dumping it into the Scheldt.
Before it was shortened to its present name, Antwerp was named Handwerpen. In Flemish, werpen means to throw. And, well, 'hand' means hand. Simple really.
Worthersee-Mandl — Klagenfurt, Austria
On the outskirts of the southern Austrian city of Klagenfurt is a beautiful lake widely regarded to have been formed in the last Ice Age. However, some believe it all came about because of an ugly dwarf named Worthersee-Mandl.
The story goes that there was once a village in a valley renowned for the decadent and frivolous behaviour of its residents. One day, the dwarf appeared and told them to clean up their act and start going to church … or else.
They continually ignored him until Worthersee-Mandl appeared with a small barrel. He released water from it until it completely flooded the village, forming Lake Worthersee.
In Klagenfurt today there's a bronze statue of the dwarf holding a barrel. It's said that if you grasp his thumb for 20 seconds and make a wish it'll come true.
Frangokastello — Crete, Greece
Ancient Greek history is famously drenched in myth. But it seems the modern Greeks are also prone to the odd silly story.
On the south coast of Crete — a few hours' drive from the cave where the Greek god Zeus was reputedly born — lies a sprawling Venetian fortress named Frangokastello.
It looms eerily over a white-sand beach that is said to come to life on May 17 each year. On that date in 1828, a tumultuous battle between Cretan soldiers and Turkish forces ended in the deaths of hordes of locals.
On each anniversary, ghostly apparitions of the dead men — nicknamed "Drosoulites" — supposedly go for a pleasant stroll along the beach. Funnily enough, the lack of photographic evidence suggests this tale may not be entirely true.
St Peter's Church — Riga, Latvia
Peering above the labyrinth of cobbled streets that weave through Riga's Old Town is a series of piercing green copper spires. The tallest belongs to St Peter's Church, which is thought to date back to 1209, although it has been partially destroyed and rebuilt many times since.
Some claim that in 1667, after one reconstruction, builders hurled a glass from the top, believing the number of pieces it broke into would signify the number of years it would stand.
The glass landed on a straw and didn't break, and a year later the church burned down. While some claim this was down to hocus-pocus, others believe some idiot just forgot to put out the church fire properly.
What utterly stupid or unbelievable myths have you heard (or told!), on the road or at home? Tell us about them.
