Religious Figures with Longevity Myths
– Buddhism: Vipassī lived for 80,000 or 100,000 years, Taṇhaṅkara lived for 100,000 years.
– Hinduism: Rama ruled Ayodhya for 11,000 years, Dasharatha lived for over 60,000 years, Bhagiratha lived over 360,000 years, Krishna lived for 125 years and 8 months, Ashwatthama is over 6,000 years old.
– Christianity: Methuselah lived 969 years, Biblical scholars offer various explanations for extreme ages, modern Christian examples like Scolastica Oliveri.
– Islam: Ibrahim lived 168-169 years, Quran mentions Noah living 950 years, Hujjat-Allah al-Mahdi is believed to be alive at 1154 years.
– Jainism: Neminatha lived over 10,000 years, Naminatha lived over 20,000 years, Munisuvrata lived over 30,000 years, Māllīnātha lived over 56,000 years, Aranatha lived over 84,000 years.
Historical Figures with Longevity Myths
– Falun Gong: Mitsu Taira lived to 242 years old, Monk Hui Zhao lived to 290 years old, Chen Jun lived 443 years.
– Sikhism: Baba Sri Chand lived 134 years, Baba Biram Das lived 321 years.
– Taoism: Xian refers to deified persons achieving immortality, The Old Man of the South Pole symbolizes longevity.
– Theosophy/New Age: Mahavatar Babaji is centuries old, Paramhansa Yogananda claimed to have met Babaji.
– Ancient extreme longevity claims: Various long lifespans in different ancient civilizations.
Longevity Myths in Different Cultures
– China: Fu Xi lived 197 years, Seres were believed to live over 300 years, Zuo Ci lived 300 years, Peng Zu lived over 800 years, Yellow Emperor lived 113 years.
– Egypt: Manetho claimed Hephaestus ruled for 9,000 years.
– Greece: Macrobii lists long lifespans, Tiresias over 600 years, Nestor over 300 years, Epimenides lived nearly 300 years.
– Japan: Emperor Jimmu lived 126 years, Emperor Kōan lived 137 years.
– Korea: Dangun lived 1,908 years, Taejo of Goguryeo reigned for 93 years.
Longevity Myths in Historical Accounts
– Persian Empire: Shahs in Shahnameh with long reigns.
– Ancient Rome: Pliny recorded long lifespans in 74 AD.
– Sumer: Sumerian King List with long reigns.
– Vietnam: Kinh Dương Vương lived about 127 years, Lạc Long Quân reigned about 269 years.
Records of Extreme Longevity Claims
– Modern extreme longevity claims: Claims of 130+ years since the 14th century.
– Isolated cases: Cases like Billafunda (Siddha) Sayadaw U.Kowida, documented cases of extreme longevity.
Longevity myths are traditions about long-lived people (generally supercentenarians), either as individuals or groups of people, and practices that have been believed to confer longevity, but which current scientific evidence does not support, nor the reasons for the claims. While literal interpretations of such myths may appear to indicate extraordinarily long lifespans, experts believe such figures may be the result of incorrect translations of number systems through various languages, coupled along with the cultural and symbolic significance of certain numbers.
The phrase "longevity tradition" may include "purifications, rituals, longevity practices, meditations, and alchemy" that have been believed to confer greater human longevity, especially in Chinese Culture.
Modern science indicates various ways in which genetics, diet, and lifestyle affect human longevity. It also allows us to determine the age of human remains with a fair degree of precision.
Outside of mythology, the record for the maximum verified lifespan in the modern world is 122+1⁄2 years for women (Jeanne Calment) and 116 years for men (Jiroemon Kimura). Some scientists estimate that in case of the most ideal conditions people can live up to 127 years. This does not exclude the theoretical possibility that in the case of a fortunate combination of mutations there could be a person who lives longer. Though the lifespan of humans is one of the longest in nature, there are animals that live longer. For example, some individuals of the Galapagos tortoise live more than 175 years, and some individuals of the bowhead whale more than 200 years. Some scientists cautiously suggest that the human body can have sufficient resources to live up to 150 years.