Talk:Myth

Add more theories of myth-creations. Do it.

Hell, do whatever you want with it. Make it funny, for crying out loud.

wow...

It's a myth (ironically) that sand is the irritant that causes mollusks (like pearl oysters) to create pearls. It is most commonly induced by parasite or some other type of organic irritant. Think about it. Natural pearls are rare, and very valuable. Oysters, clams, etc live in the ocean. In the ocean, there is sand EVERYWHERE! Inevitably, every sea-dwelling, shelled mollusk is going to get sand in its shell at some point (likely on a daily basis). So, if the "sand theory" were true, why doesn't every oyster produce pearls, and why are pearls valuable? :) Some jewelers and scientists will cut pearls in half to examine what caused the pearl to form. I've never heard of someone finding sand at the core. Oysters are very good at filtering and sifting water; water with sand in it. They pump out sand and grit, almost like a bilge (whilst eating algae and plankton). So what actually causes it? It can be a range of things, but usually an organic substance (often parasites). I've heard of one finding that an oyster formed a pearl in response to a broken piece of its own shell. Cultured pearls are usually made by implanting a bit of mantle from another oyster, and a piece of mussel shell to serve as a nucleus (North American mussel shells are considered the best).

Check out this post on some pearl forums: http://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/cultured-pearls/18-grain-sand-no-way.html

People with knowledge of pearls/oysters either laugh or cringe at the mention of "sand theory". ;) But here is my question: Was this intended irony? Mocking people who create myths and comparing the way a myth is created to the "mythological way" a pearl is formed? That part was unclear, but I doubt this was some "embedded joke" (most likely an absolute mistake on the part of the author's bad info). If it was a joke within a joke, I must applaud the author's cunning, but I doubt 99.9% of people will ever get it! :)