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WILLIAM SHATNER:
A miraculous meteorite
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falling from the heavens.
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A priceless gemstone
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00:00:12,304 --> 00:00:14,806
âwith a deadly curse.
â(blades clanging)
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And a chunk of sandstone
considered so sacred
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âthat wars have been fought
â(horse neighs)
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âto protect it.
â(shouting)
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Throughout history,
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many have insisted
that simple stones
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can do everything
from choosing a king
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to causing death.
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00:00:36,019 --> 00:00:39,189
So, what is it
about rocks and stones
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that inspires some people
to worship them?
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Well,
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that is what we'll try
and find out.
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⪠âŞ
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Mecca.
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It is home to one of the world's
largest religious structures,
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the Grand Mosque.
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In the center courtyard
of this immense edifice
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stands a 43âfootâtall
granite cube known as the Kaaba,
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the House of God.
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Five times a day,
every day,
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almost two billion Muslims
across the world
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turn and pray towards
this striking black monument,
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the holiest and most sacred site
in all of Islam.
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Why?
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Because embedded in the eastern
corner of this shrine
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is perhaps the most sacred stone
in all the world,
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the Black Stone of Mecca.
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For the world's
1.8 billion Muslims,
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this stone is crucial.
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When Muslims face
in the direction of Mecca,
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they face in the direction
of that stone.
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ANDREW COLLINS:
This object,
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as simple as it might be,
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is of incredible significance
to the Muslim faith,
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because it is said
to have fallen from heaven
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at the commands of Allah
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at the time of Adam and Eve.
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And it was said to have marked
the position
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of the first temple,
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which obviously becomes
Mecca itself.
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(thunder rumbling)
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HUSSAIN:
Then the story is that stone
gets lost during the flood,
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because Muslims have
the same flood story
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that Jews do
from the Hebrew Bible.
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Then that stone for Muslims
is rediscovered by Abraham.
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So, Abraham,
with his son Ishmael,
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build in Mecca
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the first place of prayer.
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That's why Mecca
is important to Muslims,
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because this is the first place
of prayer to the one God.
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Over time, it gets worn away.
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The building gets rebuilt.
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In 605,
the prophet Muhammad himself
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is the one that places
that stone in its place.
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That's part
of what gives it power.
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SHATNER:
Each year,
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millions of Muslims
make a pilgrimage,
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or hajj, to the Kaaba.
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Once there,
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visitors take part in a series
of rituals called Tawaf,
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which includes circling
the Kaaba seven times,
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in the belief that it will bring
about true humility
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by linking them with God.
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The Black Stone
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is therefore one
of the focal points
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of the hajj ceremony
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that every Muslim
certainly tries to achieve
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during their lifetime.
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And they will then enter
the central court of Mecca
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and, if possible,
try to kiss the Black Stone
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in emulation of Muhammad,
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who was said to have set it up
in this position
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in the year 605 AD.
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This is
the most mystical encounter
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with any material object that a
loyal Muslim can possibly have.
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They're in such
a hypnotic state,
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such a transcendent state,
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and they use the corner
of the building to make sure
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it's seven times,
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to have the full effect
of the ritual activity.
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With Muslims in Mecca,
the Black Stone has
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the power to communicate
with people.
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And I mean literally talk
with people.
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There's two million people
nowadays
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that make that pilgrimage.
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You might get trampled,
and, unfortunately,
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there have been people
who have been trampled to death.
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But that's so important
that it connects you back
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to the historic past.
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TOK THOMPSON:
The Black Stone is
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a major material focus,
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the most sacred object
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in one of the world's
most major religions,
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and it also was sacred
to other people.
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HUSSAIN:
So people who are outside
the Islamic tradition
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may risk their lives
to travel to see this.
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And if they're found out,
they may well be killed.
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You have these accounts
of people
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like Captain
Richard Francis Burton,
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one of these famous explorers
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who disguises himself
as a Muslim.
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There's a power there
for him to see the ritual,
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to see the stone,
to handle this thing.
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Richard Francis Burton goes in,
sees this,
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is able to come back out
and writes about this.
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So you can see from him
the importance of this place
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because of the connection
to the biblical prophets.
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THOMPSON:
Certainly, the stories
that have been built around it
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really pull people in.
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And some people suggest
that maybe it's something
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in the stone itself,
uh, that pulls people in.
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SHATNER:
The stone itself
pulling people in?
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But how?
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For the millions,
if not billions, of Muslims
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who have made their pilgrimage
to the Kaaba,
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there's no doubt that the Black
Stone has an inexorable power
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that seems to draw them
into its orbit.
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And according to some experts,
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that's because the Black Stone
is not of this world.
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Muslims believe that this was
sent down by God to Earth.
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If we're scientific,
we may call that a meteorite.
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If we're not scientific,
we may call that miraculous.
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Here's this stone
that comes from the heavens.
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AARON CELESTIAN:
When a meteorite hits the Earth
and somebody witnessed it fall,
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andâand they were
to go to that location,
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there's a variety of things
that they might be able to find.
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If the stone falls
in a sandy area, for example,
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there might be a lot of heat
associated with the meteorite
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as it falls,
and that could cause a fusion
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of the sand to cause
some kind of glass to form.
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And so, when you walk up
onto it, you might find
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some interesting new features
that you probably wouldn't
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have seen in that particular
part of theâthe world before.
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Meteorites arrive
from outer space.
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Being exposed to cosmic rays,
they're slightly radioactive.
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00:07:09,594 --> 00:07:13,556
To people not exposed
to electromagnetic radiation,
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they wouldââ might have been
able to even feel that buzz
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from this rock,
from the radiation,
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the beta particles especially.
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You know, whether you believe
it was sent by God
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or whether you believe
it was a random act,
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it has literally
extraterrestrial origins.
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And so, that creates
a real power there.
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SHATNER:
Could the Black Stone of Mecca
really have the power
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to physically affect people
who come near it?
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Well, the truth is,
we may never know for sure,
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because no one has ever been
officially allowed
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to inspect or analyze it.
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So, there are a lot of exciting
and interesting questions
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about the Black Stone.
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I think the first initial one
is, is it actually a meteorite?
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A lot of people propose that,
and there's some evidence,
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particularly from a local impact
crater, that it came from there.
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And is there some sort of
radiation energy that it emits
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or is coming from it that
we just don't understand yet?
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So it would be really amazing
to have the opportunity
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to analyze the Black Stone.
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There are obviously challenges,
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both sort of social
as well as scientific.
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It's in the Muslim world,
it's in a very sacred place,
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it's a very sacred stone.
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So, bringing in scientists
and doing careful analyses
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have those social challenges
and would be difficult.
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HUSSAIN:
Even if you don't believe,
uh, as a Muslim,
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that this, you know,
comes from God,
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and has this religious
significance,
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you understand the power
of this object,
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that for at least 1,400 years,
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Muslims have been circling,
as they do their prayers.
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There's a tremendous power
there, we want to touch that.
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SHATNER:
Millions of people,
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drawn to a mysterious stone,
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imbued with strange physical
powers, from another world?
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A farâfetched notion, perhaps.
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But one that many people
have believed in for centuries.
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Not unlike the belief
in another sacred object,
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one that may have the ability
to bring people back
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from the brink of death.
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SHATNER:
While exploring the remains
of an ancient Maya ruin,
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English adventurer
Frederick Albert MitchellâHedges
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and his daughter Anna find
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a human skull
carved out of pure quartz.
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BILL HOMANN:
It was high noon and she was
at the top of the pyramid.
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And the way the sun came in, the
way the rocks had moved on that,
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there was just a small opening,
and the light from the sun
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went through and it hit
the top of the skull.
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And, uh, she ran down
and she's all excited.
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So they got a small hole
big enough, and Anna was chosen,
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00:10:00,431 --> 00:10:03,392
and they tied a rope to her
and put her down into the hole.
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00:10:03,518 --> 00:10:05,603
And she came up
with the top of the skull.
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When the natives saw it, it was
like their god had returned.
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They all started crying
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and kissing the earth
and everything.
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They were just so excited.
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MitchellâHedges seeing this, he
presented it to the high priest.
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00:10:18,491 --> 00:10:22,245
And they put it in an altar,
and for 24 hours a day,
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00:10:22,370 --> 00:10:25,581
they burned flames around
theâthe crystal skull.
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00:10:25,665 --> 00:10:29,544
SHATNER:
But even more extraordinary
than the skull itself
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00:10:29,627 --> 00:10:33,005
was the fact
that a legend came with it,
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one so amazing
that Frederick MitchellâHedges
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and his daughter Anna
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didn't know whether they should
rejoice in their discovery
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00:10:40,972 --> 00:10:43,432
or be intimidated
by the burden of it.
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00:10:43,516 --> 00:10:46,310
HOMANN:
The legend of
the crystal skulls.
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00:10:46,394 --> 00:10:48,854
This was given
to F. A. MitchellâHedges
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00:10:48,938 --> 00:10:52,149
by a medicine woman
back in Lubaantun.
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00:10:52,275 --> 00:10:55,987
Mayans say there are 13 skulls.
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00:10:56,112 --> 00:10:59,991
And 13 skulls have been placed
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in various parts of the world
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00:11:01,701 --> 00:11:05,079
but possibly on
the different energy centers.
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00:11:05,204 --> 00:11:07,081
And when they're all activated,
215
00:11:07,164 --> 00:11:10,835
all 13 of them,
then they say that it's a time
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00:11:10,918 --> 00:11:14,422
of peace and harmony
in the world.
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00:11:14,547 --> 00:11:17,008
What I think is,
all those crystal skulls
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00:11:17,091 --> 00:11:18,509
have a unique purpose.
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00:11:18,593 --> 00:11:23,973
So I'm not exactly sure
where all the 13 skulls are.
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00:11:24,056 --> 00:11:27,226
You have to see it
to really appreciate
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00:11:27,310 --> 00:11:28,686
the MitchellâHedges skull.
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00:11:28,769 --> 00:11:31,647
It's, it's a pretty amazing
piece of crystal just in itself,
223
00:11:31,731 --> 00:11:34,358
and then theâthe workmanship
that went into it.
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00:11:34,442 --> 00:11:37,403
How it was made
is really a mystery.
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00:11:37,486 --> 00:11:41,532
SHATNER:
Weighing approximately
12 pounds,
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00:11:41,616 --> 00:11:44,243
the crystal skull
is remarkably accurate
227
00:11:44,327 --> 00:11:46,746
in its anatomical detail.
228
00:11:46,871 --> 00:11:50,875
CLIFF DUNNING:
They've tried to analyze
how it was cut,
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00:11:50,958 --> 00:11:53,753
but they do not know,
to this day.
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The technology
is so sophisticated,
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00:11:55,880 --> 00:11:57,965
it's almost like
from another world.
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MARTIN ETTINGTON:
A lot of crystal skulls
are actually known as fakes,
233
00:12:01,344 --> 00:12:04,889
because they were produced
in the 19th century
234
00:12:04,972 --> 00:12:07,433
using modern machinery,
235
00:12:07,558 --> 00:12:11,228
and microscopes were able
to show tool marks.
236
00:12:11,354 --> 00:12:14,065
But the skull in question
that we're talking about
237
00:12:14,190 --> 00:12:18,736
is one that they can't find
tool marks on it.
238
00:12:18,861 --> 00:12:24,158
So, if any of the crystal skulls
are actual preâMayan artifacts,
239
00:12:24,241 --> 00:12:27,662
then the MitchellâHedges skull
probably is the one.
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00:12:27,787 --> 00:12:32,166
SHATNER:
If modern technology
is unable to replicate
241
00:12:32,249 --> 00:12:35,753
the MitchellâHedges skull,
then how was it created?
242
00:12:37,213 --> 00:12:39,799
To find out, teams of scientists
were brought in
243
00:12:39,924 --> 00:12:41,384
to conduct a number of tests.
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00:12:41,467 --> 00:12:46,472
DUNNING:
At one point in the 1960s,
a IBM engineer
245
00:12:46,597 --> 00:12:49,141
named Marcel Vogel
began testing this skull.
246
00:12:49,266 --> 00:12:52,978
What he believed
was that it is filled,
247
00:12:53,104 --> 00:12:54,689
uh, like a microchip,
248
00:12:54,772 --> 00:12:57,566
with the history of the world
at that time.
249
00:12:57,692 --> 00:13:02,238
So, it's a very old,
rough computer, basically.
250
00:13:02,321 --> 00:13:05,574
SHATNER:
A quartz crystal computer?
251
00:13:05,658 --> 00:13:08,202
Storing history
like a hard drive?
252
00:13:08,285 --> 00:13:09,704
It seems impossible.
253
00:13:09,787 --> 00:13:13,958
But in 2016, researchers
at the University of Southampton
254
00:13:14,083 --> 00:13:15,626
were able to use a piece
of quartz,
255
00:13:15,751 --> 00:13:17,878
similar to that found
in the skull,
256
00:13:17,962 --> 00:13:21,841
to perform just such a function.
257
00:13:21,924 --> 00:13:25,219
CELESTIAN:
What they did is,
they used lasers to form dots
258
00:13:25,302 --> 00:13:27,888
with, inside
of a quartz crystal,
259
00:13:28,013 --> 00:13:29,557
at different levels within it.
260
00:13:29,682 --> 00:13:32,268
And the pattern that they print
is the data,
261
00:13:32,393 --> 00:13:33,519
you know, like zeros and ones
262
00:13:33,602 --> 00:13:35,479
that we use for computers
right now.
263
00:13:35,604 --> 00:13:39,775
You could store about
360 terabytes of information.
264
00:13:39,859 --> 00:13:43,571
Even if humanity were to go
completely extinct,
265
00:13:43,654 --> 00:13:45,906
this data and this information
would last
266
00:13:46,031 --> 00:13:47,742
as long as the Earth would last.
267
00:13:47,825 --> 00:13:50,745
SHATNER:
If it's true that
the MitchellâHedges skull
268
00:13:50,870 --> 00:13:53,664
could be storing vast amounts
of information,
269
00:13:53,789 --> 00:13:57,626
what secrets might it divulge
if, or when,
270
00:13:57,710 --> 00:14:00,880
someone figures out
how to decrypt it?
271
00:14:00,963 --> 00:14:04,592
As the caretaker of the
MitchellâHedges crystal skull,
272
00:14:04,717 --> 00:14:07,511
it's my job
carrying on the tradition,
273
00:14:07,595 --> 00:14:11,682
to let it out for people to see
and be around and experience it.
274
00:14:11,766 --> 00:14:14,351
Some people, uh, claim
the crystal skull
275
00:14:14,435 --> 00:14:19,106
has given them premonitions
or visions of the future.
276
00:14:19,231 --> 00:14:20,691
But there are many people
who believe
277
00:14:20,775 --> 00:14:23,319
that the MitchellâHedges
crystal skull
278
00:14:23,444 --> 00:14:26,071
was actually made
in ancient times,
279
00:14:26,197 --> 00:14:28,908
originally as a healing device.
280
00:14:28,949 --> 00:14:30,993
SHATNER:
A healing device?
281
00:14:31,118 --> 00:14:33,245
Is it possible
that the Skull of Doom
282
00:14:33,329 --> 00:14:36,832
can actually have the power
to save lives?
283
00:14:36,916 --> 00:14:40,836
According to one woman,
the answer is yes.
284
00:14:46,467 --> 00:14:48,511
A local singer
and costume designer
285
00:14:48,594 --> 00:14:52,014
named Phoenix Rising
is going about her work day
286
00:14:52,097 --> 00:14:53,307
when, out of the blue,
287
00:14:53,390 --> 00:14:56,060
she's struck with
an intense migraine headache.
288
00:14:56,185 --> 00:14:59,104
And although she has a lifelong
history of migraines,
289
00:14:59,230 --> 00:15:03,859
for some reason
this one feels different.
290
00:15:03,943 --> 00:15:05,736
RISING:
I went to the emergency room,
291
00:15:05,861 --> 00:15:07,822
I said to the nurse,
"Something is going on."
292
00:15:07,947 --> 00:15:11,116
She put me in for a scan,
and when she came out,
293
00:15:11,242 --> 00:15:13,577
her face was white as a ghost.
294
00:15:13,661 --> 00:15:16,330
And literally it was
three, two, one, and...
295
00:15:16,413 --> 00:15:18,707
paramedics, everybody, boomââ
296
00:15:18,833 --> 00:15:20,000
IVs, the whole thingââ
297
00:15:20,084 --> 00:15:22,711
and I was having
a brain hemorrhage.
298
00:15:22,753 --> 00:15:26,173
So I spent the next two weeks
in ICU.
299
00:15:26,257 --> 00:15:29,635
They were trying to figure out
how in the world I was alive,
300
00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:32,471
breathing, being able to see,
being able to walk.
301
00:15:32,596 --> 00:15:35,307
SHATNER:
After hearing about
Phoenix's condition,
302
00:15:35,432 --> 00:15:36,809
a Native American Pueblo elder,
303
00:15:36,934 --> 00:15:39,186
who claimed to have
once been a keeper
304
00:15:39,270 --> 00:15:41,063
of the MitchellâHedges skull,
305
00:15:41,188 --> 00:15:43,315
offered to send her
a piece of quartz
306
00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:45,276
that had been kept
in close proximity
307
00:15:45,401 --> 00:15:48,529
to the crystal skull
for some time.
308
00:15:48,612 --> 00:15:50,906
RISING:
He got me on the phone.
His name is John Francis,
309
00:15:50,990 --> 00:15:54,910
and he said, "I'm gonna send you
a quartz crystal
310
00:15:54,994 --> 00:15:58,080
"that's been charged from
this MitchellâHedges skull.
311
00:15:58,163 --> 00:16:00,708
"I want you to put it in water
312
00:16:00,791 --> 00:16:02,751
"and in the morning
I want you to drink it,
313
00:16:02,877 --> 00:16:04,336
"and you're gonna drink it
every morning,
314
00:16:04,420 --> 00:16:06,589
and I want you to see
what's gonna happen."
315
00:16:06,714 --> 00:16:09,425
At this point
I'm trying to recover,
316
00:16:09,550 --> 00:16:12,469
so I'm willing absolutely
to do anything.
317
00:16:14,096 --> 00:16:17,474
SHATNER:
Although skeptical, Phoenix felt
she had nothing to lose
318
00:16:17,558 --> 00:16:19,685
by trying the bizarre remedy.
319
00:16:19,768 --> 00:16:23,063
For two days she followed
the medicine man's instructions,
320
00:16:23,147 --> 00:16:26,275
seemingly without results.
321
00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:29,320
And then, on the third day,
322
00:16:29,445 --> 00:16:32,531
something unexpected happened.
323
00:16:32,615 --> 00:16:34,366
RISING:
I drank the water
in the morning,
324
00:16:34,450 --> 00:16:39,455
and probably about five,
sixâish minutes later,
325
00:16:39,580 --> 00:16:40,581
I literally hear
326
00:16:40,706 --> 00:16:43,792
a sound inside that went...
327
00:16:43,918 --> 00:16:47,004
(makes vrooming sound)
328
00:16:47,087 --> 00:16:48,672
...like a vibration.
329
00:16:48,756 --> 00:16:52,426
This quartz was healing me
and repairing my body,
330
00:16:52,551 --> 00:16:54,386
my cells, my water, my DNA.
331
00:16:54,470 --> 00:16:56,680
And when I went back
to the hospital,
332
00:16:56,764 --> 00:16:59,850
the doctors were absolutely,
yes, 100% shocked
333
00:16:59,934 --> 00:17:03,938
that I was able
to drain the blood out
334
00:17:04,063 --> 00:17:05,397
and that I was healing.
335
00:17:05,522 --> 00:17:08,359
SHATNER:
Whether Phoenix's
shocking recovery
336
00:17:08,442 --> 00:17:10,110
made sense
to the doctors or not,
337
00:17:10,235 --> 00:17:11,987
it appeared undeniable
338
00:17:12,071 --> 00:17:15,282
that her condition had improved
due to the unique properties
339
00:17:15,366 --> 00:17:17,409
of the crystal skull.
340
00:17:17,451 --> 00:17:21,538
RISING:
For me, I definitely know
that it unlocked something
341
00:17:21,622 --> 00:17:23,540
in my brain that healed me
342
00:17:23,666 --> 00:17:27,252
from a lifeâthreatening
condition that then allowed me
343
00:17:27,378 --> 00:17:31,674
to move into success
in my life, to be here.
344
00:17:33,509 --> 00:17:37,388
Could the crystal which forms
the MitchellâHedges skull
345
00:17:37,513 --> 00:17:39,640
really possess
healing properties?
346
00:17:39,765 --> 00:17:42,142
Or are the skull's
mystic powers,
347
00:17:42,267 --> 00:17:45,187
uh, only in the mind?
348
00:17:45,270 --> 00:17:46,605
Perhaps the answer can be found
349
00:17:46,689 --> 00:17:49,566
by examining one of
the most valuable gemstones
350
00:17:49,650 --> 00:17:51,735
in the world,
and which many believe
351
00:17:51,819 --> 00:17:56,198
is cursed by a kind
of dark energy.
352
00:18:04,206 --> 00:18:07,751
SHATNER:
Over one million people turn out
for the funeral procession
353
00:18:07,835 --> 00:18:10,754
of Elizabeth BowesâLyon,
otherwise known
354
00:18:10,838 --> 00:18:12,965
as the Queen Mother
of Great Britain's
355
00:18:13,090 --> 00:18:15,259
Queen Elizabeth II.
356
00:18:15,384 --> 00:18:18,053
Atop her casket, in addition
357
00:18:18,095 --> 00:18:20,222
to ceremonial flowers
and her coat of arms,
358
00:18:20,347 --> 00:18:22,141
is the crown she wore
359
00:18:22,266 --> 00:18:27,771
at her husband King George VI's
coronation in 1937.
360
00:18:27,855 --> 00:18:31,817
Although it is adorned with
an estimated 2,800 diamonds,
361
00:18:31,900 --> 00:18:36,363
one in particular attracts
more awe and fascination
362
00:18:36,447 --> 00:18:39,491
from the crowd than the rest.
363
00:18:39,575 --> 00:18:44,246
The diamond known
as the KohâiâNoor.
364
00:18:44,371 --> 00:18:46,373
NEWSMAN:
That, an imperial crown,
365
00:18:46,457 --> 00:18:49,793
and at its center, in the front,
366
00:18:49,877 --> 00:18:51,754
the most famous diamond
in the world,
367
00:18:51,879 --> 00:18:53,547
the KohâiâNoor diamond.
368
00:18:53,589 --> 00:18:56,717
The name means
"mountain of light."
369
00:18:56,759 --> 00:19:00,971
Since 1895, it has only been
worn by a womanââ
370
00:19:01,096 --> 00:19:02,389
by Queen Mary,
371
00:19:02,473 --> 00:19:03,766
the Queen Mother's
motherâinâlaw,
372
00:19:03,849 --> 00:19:06,560
and then
by the Queen Mother herself.
373
00:19:06,643 --> 00:19:10,439
SHATNER:
Measuring a massive 105 karats
374
00:19:10,564 --> 00:19:14,068
and estimated to be worth
over $1 billion,
375
00:19:14,151 --> 00:19:17,237
the KohâiâNoor is one of
the largest cut diamonds
376
00:19:17,321 --> 00:19:18,280
in the world.
377
00:19:18,405 --> 00:19:20,949
And according to historians,
378
00:19:21,033 --> 00:19:24,078
it is also
one of the most feared.
379
00:19:25,621 --> 00:19:27,206
The KohâiâNoor diamond,
380
00:19:27,289 --> 00:19:30,084
uh, is one of the, uh,
more impressive diamonds
381
00:19:30,167 --> 00:19:34,379
that have ever been unearthed
in the history of humankind.
382
00:19:34,463 --> 00:19:36,965
It was unearthed
somewhere in India,
383
00:19:37,049 --> 00:19:39,718
which was the main spot
that diamonds were unearthed.
384
00:19:39,802 --> 00:19:41,762
But this particular diamond,
385
00:19:41,887 --> 00:19:43,472
it has a very, very long
386
00:19:43,555 --> 00:19:46,016
and sort of tragic
and bloody history.
387
00:19:46,100 --> 00:19:48,435
And there are legends
attached to this,
388
00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:50,729
where it is held to be accursed,
389
00:19:50,813 --> 00:19:54,566
and bring curses to especially
any man who touches this.
390
00:19:54,650 --> 00:19:56,485
Uh, which is why,
even in the British royalty,
391
00:19:56,610 --> 00:19:59,613
it remains a part
of the, um, crown jewels,
392
00:19:59,696 --> 00:20:00,948
uh, for women only.
393
00:20:01,073 --> 00:20:04,910
SHATNER:
A curse on any man
who touches it?
394
00:20:05,035 --> 00:20:07,412
But what could give
a beautiful stone
395
00:20:07,454 --> 00:20:09,373
such a dark power?
396
00:20:09,456 --> 00:20:11,542
Many believe the answer
can be found
397
00:20:11,625 --> 00:20:14,378
by examining the KohâiâNoor's
storied history,
398
00:20:14,419 --> 00:20:15,879
which, according to records,
399
00:20:15,963 --> 00:20:19,883
dates all the way back
to 14th century India.
400
00:20:19,925 --> 00:20:21,760
The KohâiâNoor really
catches your eye.
401
00:20:21,885 --> 00:20:24,012
It's, it's like
a hundredâkarat stone.
402
00:20:24,096 --> 00:20:27,558
But what really catches your eye
is the history.
403
00:20:27,641 --> 00:20:31,603
The diamond was really
first identified
404
00:20:31,687 --> 00:20:36,859
after Mogul Empire invaded
what's now northern India.
405
00:20:36,942 --> 00:20:41,572
They settled in Delhi
after their conquest
406
00:20:41,655 --> 00:20:45,075
and started
collecting gemstones.
407
00:20:45,117 --> 00:20:49,830
Shah Jahan became the ruler
in 1626.
408
00:20:49,955 --> 00:20:53,208
He designed this throne called
the Peacock Throne
409
00:20:53,250 --> 00:20:56,378
that was in the tradition
of biblical throne,
410
00:20:56,461 --> 00:20:57,713
like King Solomon.
411
00:20:57,796 --> 00:21:02,509
It took seven years and cost
three to four times more
412
00:21:02,593 --> 00:21:05,012
than it cost
to build the Taj Mahal.
413
00:21:05,095 --> 00:21:08,515
And you can understand
the immense expense
414
00:21:08,599 --> 00:21:10,058
that this took to create.
415
00:21:10,142 --> 00:21:12,394
And then,
at the centerpiece of this,
416
00:21:12,477 --> 00:21:15,647
was the KohâiâNoor
at the very top.
417
00:21:19,109 --> 00:21:21,195
SHATNER:
In 1739,
418
00:21:21,278 --> 00:21:23,488
after 100 years of peace,
419
00:21:23,614 --> 00:21:28,118
a merciless Persian ruler
named Nader Shah invaded India.
420
00:21:28,243 --> 00:21:33,999
Tens of thousands died in
his relentless quest for power.
421
00:21:36,084 --> 00:21:40,088
Following his savage victory,
Nader Shah seized the KohâiâNoor
422
00:21:40,214 --> 00:21:43,133
and had it placed
on his personal armband
423
00:21:43,258 --> 00:21:45,385
as a symbol of his might.
424
00:21:45,469 --> 00:21:47,221
SHOR:
Nader Shah wasn't going
425
00:21:47,346 --> 00:21:48,597
to keep it in the chair.
426
00:21:48,722 --> 00:21:50,724
It was going to be
with him at all times.
427
00:21:50,766 --> 00:21:56,730
Now, Nader Shah became
a very, very repressive ruler.
428
00:21:56,855 --> 00:21:59,775
And even his allies
began to hate him.
429
00:21:59,900 --> 00:22:02,736
And they poisoned him.
430
00:22:02,778 --> 00:22:05,906
After Nader Shah's death,
the diamond passed
431
00:22:06,031 --> 00:22:09,993
through various rulers whoâwho
died in very violent ways.
432
00:22:10,077 --> 00:22:13,997
SHATNER:
In the years after,
the KohâiâNoor would pass
433
00:22:14,122 --> 00:22:15,958
from one ruler to another,
434
00:22:16,083 --> 00:22:21,338
almost always drenched
in the blood of its prior owner,
435
00:22:21,421 --> 00:22:24,841
as if the diamond itself
demanded a mortal sacrifice
436
00:22:24,925 --> 00:22:27,094
in order to possess it.
437
00:22:29,054 --> 00:22:34,017
Because of battles, um, it fell
from one person to a next,
438
00:22:34,101 --> 00:22:38,480
and started to build up
this, uh, legend
439
00:22:38,605 --> 00:22:42,859
that it had some kind of a curse
associated with it.
440
00:22:42,943 --> 00:22:47,072
Because as soon as it was
in the hands of one ruler,
441
00:22:47,155 --> 00:22:50,158
they would be killed
or their kingdom would be lost
442
00:22:50,284 --> 00:22:52,661
and it would be passed on
to another.
443
00:22:52,786 --> 00:22:57,708
SHOR:
Now, these rulers were wearing
the KohâiâNoor as the armband
444
00:22:57,791 --> 00:22:59,209
to be a protector.
445
00:22:59,293 --> 00:23:02,045
And this is probably
where the curse legend came in,
446
00:23:02,129 --> 00:23:05,048
because the diamond certainly
wasn't protecting them.
447
00:23:05,173 --> 00:23:11,555
COLLINS:
And then, in the 19th century,
when the British were in India,
448
00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:15,058
it fell into the hands
of the British Army,
449
00:23:15,183 --> 00:23:19,187
and it was said
that from that point onwards,
450
00:23:19,271 --> 00:23:25,027
that no male should
ever wear this diamond.
451
00:23:25,110 --> 00:23:30,365
SHATNER:
But is it actually possible
for an inanimate object
452
00:23:30,449 --> 00:23:34,411
to be imbued
with soâcalled dark energy?
453
00:23:34,453 --> 00:23:38,206
Human beings are unique in that
we imbue objects with meaning,
454
00:23:38,290 --> 00:23:41,877
and so if we're bringing
a darkness from within ourselves
455
00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:43,628
and projecting it
onto that object,
456
00:23:43,754 --> 00:23:46,882
then that's what results in this
thing that we call a curse.
457
00:23:47,007 --> 00:23:50,594
SHATNER:
Is the KohâiâNoor's ability
to make men kill
458
00:23:50,719 --> 00:23:53,889
in order to possess it
all just a legend?
459
00:23:53,972 --> 00:23:56,892
Or is there
any scientific evidence
460
00:23:56,933 --> 00:24:01,563
to prove that its deadly
reputation is justified?
461
00:24:01,688 --> 00:24:05,609
So, diamonds are really good at
taking heat away from a source
462
00:24:05,734 --> 00:24:07,152
and transmitting it elsewhere.
463
00:24:07,277 --> 00:24:09,738
If you've never held
a large diamond in your life,
464
00:24:09,821 --> 00:24:11,281
and if you first encountered
the stone
465
00:24:11,365 --> 00:24:13,575
and you're putting it
on your chest or on a necklace,
466
00:24:13,700 --> 00:24:17,412
it would feel much colder
than anything that you'd have,
467
00:24:17,454 --> 00:24:20,040
because the heat is being
sucked out of your skin
468
00:24:20,123 --> 00:24:23,251
and transmitted
through this diamond.
469
00:24:23,377 --> 00:24:25,128
It could be one reason
why somebody might feel like
470
00:24:25,253 --> 00:24:27,005
the stone has got
some magical properties
471
00:24:27,089 --> 00:24:28,840
or why it might be cursed.
472
00:24:28,924 --> 00:24:34,054
COLLINS:
As long as we believe
that something bad will happen
473
00:24:34,096 --> 00:24:38,433
if a male heir actually uses
this or wears it,
474
00:24:38,517 --> 00:24:42,396
then I think that it needs
to be taken seriously.
475
00:24:42,479 --> 00:24:48,944
So, very clearly, no British
king will ever wear it.
476
00:24:49,069 --> 00:24:53,073
SHATNER:
It has been said
that a diamond is forever.
477
00:24:53,198 --> 00:24:55,283
If that's true, could the
KohâiâNoor's supposed curse
478
00:24:55,409 --> 00:24:57,452
also be eternal?
479
00:24:57,536 --> 00:24:59,287
Either way, it's doubtful
we're going to see a king
480
00:24:59,413 --> 00:25:01,873
wearing the KohâiâNoor
any time soon.
481
00:25:02,999 --> 00:25:04,876
Luckily, the British
have another method
482
00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:06,461
of coronating their monarchs.
483
00:25:06,586 --> 00:25:11,967
One that also involves
a mysterious, sacred stone.
484
00:25:12,092 --> 00:25:16,847
Only, this one doesn't
kill kings, it creates them.
485
00:25:27,107 --> 00:25:28,900
SHATNER:
Here on St. Andrew's Day,
486
00:25:29,025 --> 00:25:30,944
Scotland's official
national holiday,
487
00:25:31,069 --> 00:25:35,073
a longâawaited ceremony
is finally taking place.
488
00:25:35,157 --> 00:25:37,075
The occasion will
finally see the return,
489
00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:39,453
after more than 700 years,
490
00:25:39,578 --> 00:25:42,456
of one of Scotland's
most important artifacts:
491
00:25:42,581 --> 00:25:45,542
a roughly twoâbyâoneâfoot
sandstone block,
492
00:25:45,667 --> 00:25:51,381
weighing 335 pounds,
called the Stone of Scone.
493
00:25:51,506 --> 00:25:57,262
Or as it's known according
to legend, the Stone of Destiny.
494
00:25:57,387 --> 00:25:59,598
THOMPSON: The stone itself
is just a stone,
495
00:25:59,723 --> 00:26:01,975
uh, somewhat
unremarkableâlooking,
496
00:26:02,100 --> 00:26:05,103
and yet the stories of that
stone have been so powerful,
497
00:26:05,228 --> 00:26:07,022
uh, reflecting so many wars
498
00:26:07,105 --> 00:26:12,027
andâand contests between nations
for hundreds of years.
499
00:26:12,110 --> 00:26:14,905
And another fascinating aspect
of this is that we know
500
00:26:15,030 --> 00:26:17,616
that this stone
was religiously important.
501
00:26:17,741 --> 00:26:21,411
The Stone of Scone has really
interesting religious roots.
502
00:26:21,536 --> 00:26:24,456
And this goes back
to the biblical tradition.
503
00:26:24,581 --> 00:26:28,627
The patriarch Jacob in the Book
of Genesis has this dream
504
00:26:28,752 --> 00:26:33,089
at this place called Beit El,
literally the "House of God."
505
00:26:33,215 --> 00:26:37,719
He's sleeping, and he uses
stones to rest his head on.
506
00:26:37,802 --> 00:26:41,181
There's a tradition that says
Jeremiah, a later prophet,
507
00:26:41,264 --> 00:26:43,517
takes this stone to Ireland.
508
00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:48,188
The stone then finds
its way to Scotland.
509
00:26:48,271 --> 00:26:51,399
SHATNER:
In 840 AD, a nobleman
named Kenneth MacAlpin
510
00:26:51,525 --> 00:26:55,195
brought the sandstone slab
to the medieval town of Scone.
511
00:26:55,278 --> 00:26:58,406
According to Scottish legend,
it was the stone itself
512
00:26:58,490 --> 00:27:03,745
that proclaimed him Kenneth I,
the original king of Scotland.
513
00:27:03,828 --> 00:27:06,248
According to the stories, uh,
when the rightful ruler
514
00:27:06,331 --> 00:27:09,209
would place their foot on the
stone, the stone would speak out
515
00:27:09,334 --> 00:27:12,587
and proclaim them as
the rightful ruler of the land.
516
00:27:12,712 --> 00:27:19,302
HUSSAIN:
It's used in Scottish rituals
as a way of coronation.
517
00:27:19,386 --> 00:27:24,057
It's this stone that
is really key, and the idea here
518
00:27:24,099 --> 00:27:28,562
is that the monarch isn't
just selected by the people;
519
00:27:28,687 --> 00:27:31,231
God has chosen the monarch.
520
00:27:31,356 --> 00:27:35,610
SHATNER:
For centuries, the Stone
of Destiny was considered
521
00:27:35,735 --> 00:27:38,780
not only one of the greatest
treasures in all of Scotland
522
00:27:38,905 --> 00:27:40,949
but also a legitimate means
523
00:27:41,074 --> 00:27:43,159
by which someone
could rule the country.
524
00:27:43,285 --> 00:27:45,829
Which is why, in 1296,
525
00:27:45,954 --> 00:27:48,873
the English monarch Edward I
wanted it,
526
00:27:48,957 --> 00:27:52,711
and the Scottish throne,
for himself.
527
00:27:52,752 --> 00:27:55,589
In the 13th century
the English come in and conquer.
528
00:27:55,714 --> 00:27:59,801
We always talk about conquerors
taking out valuable objects,
529
00:27:59,926 --> 00:28:02,721
and we think of gold,
diamonds, jewels.
530
00:28:02,804 --> 00:28:04,264
We don't think about stones.
531
00:28:04,389 --> 00:28:06,266
But what's one of the first
things that they take?
532
00:28:06,391 --> 00:28:09,352
Well, they take this stone,
the Stone of Destiny.
533
00:28:09,436 --> 00:28:12,105
YOUNG:
The reason Edward I
took the stone
534
00:28:12,230 --> 00:28:14,232
was to demoralize the Scots.
535
00:28:14,357 --> 00:28:16,359
This was the treasure
of Scotland,
536
00:28:16,443 --> 00:28:18,403
this was the center
of their power system.
537
00:28:18,445 --> 00:28:22,490
And now he controlled it and had
himself crowned on this stone,
538
00:28:22,616 --> 00:28:25,577
and then could declare
that he was not only the king
539
00:28:25,660 --> 00:28:29,080
of the English but the king
of the Scots as well.
540
00:28:29,164 --> 00:28:32,542
COLLINS:
It was placed
in Westminster Abbey
541
00:28:32,626 --> 00:28:37,380
beneath a Coronation Chair
known as Edward's Seat.
542
00:28:37,505 --> 00:28:40,383
And thereafter,
543
00:28:40,467 --> 00:28:45,597
it was used in the coronations
of all English rulers.
544
00:28:47,265 --> 00:28:49,059
HUSSAIN:
Edward basically builds it
into a chair,
545
00:28:49,142 --> 00:28:50,393
covers it over withâwith wood,
546
00:28:50,518 --> 00:28:52,854
and it becomes a throne,
essentially,
547
00:28:52,937 --> 00:28:56,691
but the idea is that the power
comes from this stone,
548
00:28:56,775 --> 00:28:58,568
the Stone of Destiny.
549
00:28:58,693 --> 00:29:00,070
SHATNER:
Destiny,
550
00:29:00,195 --> 00:29:03,281
the idea that the course
of one's entire life
551
00:29:03,406 --> 00:29:08,036
has been predetermined by a
power beyond our understanding.
552
00:29:08,119 --> 00:29:10,163
Back in the Middle Ages,
it might make sense
553
00:29:10,288 --> 00:29:11,748
that people would think
that greatness
554
00:29:11,873 --> 00:29:15,710
could be bestowed upon someone
by a divine force.
555
00:29:15,835 --> 00:29:20,924
But what is it about this
unremarkable slab of rock
556
00:29:21,049 --> 00:29:25,261
that still holds
such importance today?
557
00:29:25,387 --> 00:29:27,389
We tend to think of these
rituals as somehow going back
558
00:29:27,514 --> 00:29:29,140
to older, superstitious people,
559
00:29:29,224 --> 00:29:32,268
but the fact that the British
in the 21st century
560
00:29:32,394 --> 00:29:37,399
still will proclaim the monarch
on the throne of this stone,
561
00:29:37,482 --> 00:29:39,109
that becomes really important.
562
00:29:39,234 --> 00:29:41,111
ThâThese are not ancient,
archaic people
563
00:29:41,236 --> 00:29:42,821
who don't know anything
about the world.
564
00:29:42,946 --> 00:29:47,409
These are modern 21st century
Brits who are still saying,
565
00:29:47,534 --> 00:29:49,786
you know, thatâthat we still
need to be able to show
566
00:29:49,911 --> 00:29:53,832
that our queen or our king
comes from this divineââ
567
00:29:53,957 --> 00:29:56,876
that God has chosen this person.
568
00:29:56,960 --> 00:30:00,630
SHATNER:
Nearly every British king
or queen since the 14th century
569
00:30:00,755 --> 00:30:03,717
has been coronated
on the Stone of Destiny.
570
00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:06,678
It was last used in 1953,
during the coronation ceremony
571
00:30:06,761 --> 00:30:10,682
of the current monarch
Queen Elizabeth II.
572
00:30:10,765 --> 00:30:13,017
But as a growing number
of Scottish people
573
00:30:13,101 --> 00:30:15,019
have begun to speculate,
574
00:30:15,103 --> 00:30:18,064
was Elizabeth's coronation
legitimate?
575
00:30:18,148 --> 00:30:20,775
Because, as many have
come to believe,
576
00:30:20,900 --> 00:30:25,780
the Stone of Destiny
may not be the real thing.
577
00:30:27,866 --> 00:30:30,660
NEWSMAN: A Christmas Day
sensation at Westminster Abbey.
578
00:30:30,785 --> 00:30:33,455
The Stone of Destiny, which had
been there for some 600 years,
579
00:30:33,580 --> 00:30:36,040
was stolen
from the Coronation Chair.
580
00:30:36,124 --> 00:30:38,209
COLLINS:
In 1950,
581
00:30:38,293 --> 00:30:43,214
a group of Scottish students
actually got into
582
00:30:43,298 --> 00:30:47,051
Westminster Abbey
and stole the Stone of Scone
583
00:30:47,135 --> 00:30:50,263
and took it back to the altar
584
00:30:50,388 --> 00:30:53,975
of Arbroath Abbey in Scotland,
585
00:30:54,100 --> 00:30:57,562
and thus giving it into the
hands of the Church of Scotland.
586
00:30:57,687 --> 00:31:02,567
The Church of Scotland then gave
the stone back to England.
587
00:31:02,650 --> 00:31:07,280
However, there is a strong rumor
that the original stone
588
00:31:07,363 --> 00:31:10,241
never reached Westminster,
589
00:31:10,325 --> 00:31:15,872
aâand that the one
that is there was a fake.
590
00:31:15,955 --> 00:31:20,835
However, whether this story is
true or not, we may never know.
591
00:31:20,919 --> 00:31:24,214
SHATNER:
A fake Stone of Destiny?
592
00:31:24,297 --> 00:31:25,715
It's an interesting claim,
593
00:31:25,799 --> 00:31:28,218
but one that is not
without its problems.
594
00:31:28,343 --> 00:31:30,678
Because when the English
returned the Stone of Destiny
595
00:31:30,762 --> 00:31:34,724
to the Scots,
they did so on one condition.
596
00:31:34,808 --> 00:31:38,436
HUSSAIN:
In 1996, when the stone
is returned back to Scotland,
597
00:31:38,561 --> 00:31:40,688
there's an agreement that,
"Okay, you have it,
598
00:31:40,772 --> 00:31:43,233
but we'll use it the next time
we coronate a monarch."
599
00:31:43,358 --> 00:31:47,570
COLLINS:
The point is that
we believe in its power.
600
00:31:47,654 --> 00:31:50,198
We believe in its potency.
601
00:31:50,281 --> 00:31:54,285
And I'm sure
that when Charles or Wills
602
00:31:54,410 --> 00:31:58,873
are themselves crowned
kings of Britain,
603
00:31:58,957 --> 00:32:03,211
that they will themselves use
that coronation stone,
604
00:32:03,336 --> 00:32:07,799
and they will believe wholly
in its potency.
605
00:32:09,634 --> 00:32:13,471
Could the Stone of Scone
really possess a mystic power?
606
00:32:13,555 --> 00:32:16,182
Or is its power merely
based on a legend?
607
00:32:16,266 --> 00:32:18,977
A fairy tale meant
to inspire awe
608
00:32:19,102 --> 00:32:20,353
in the weakâminded.
609
00:32:20,436 --> 00:32:22,438
Well, believe it or not,
some ancient legends
610
00:32:22,564 --> 00:32:24,899
are based on fact,
much like the stone
611
00:32:24,983 --> 00:32:28,570
located in an Italian chapel
that some believe
612
00:32:28,653 --> 00:32:32,907
contains a power from heaven.
613
00:32:40,665 --> 00:32:42,750
SHATNER:
Near the rustic town
of Chiusdino
614
00:32:42,876 --> 00:32:46,713
stands the haunting ruins
of San Galgano Abbey.
615
00:32:48,006 --> 00:32:50,717
Constructed around 1220 AD
to memorialize
616
00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:53,761
the Catholic saint
Galgano Guidotti,
617
00:32:53,887 --> 00:32:56,681
the abbey's once proud roof
has decayed,
618
00:32:56,764 --> 00:33:01,477
leaving its soaring cathedral
exposed to the ravages of time.
619
00:33:02,520 --> 00:33:06,274
But nearby,
inside a round mausoleum,
620
00:33:06,399 --> 00:33:09,569
originally built to entomb
St. Galgano,
621
00:33:09,652 --> 00:33:12,488
is a sacred artifact
so remarkable
622
00:33:12,614 --> 00:33:16,200
that it has been encased
beneath a protective shell:
623
00:33:16,284 --> 00:33:19,829
the sword in the stone.
624
00:33:19,954 --> 00:33:23,207
So, many people are aware
of the Arthurian legend,
625
00:33:23,291 --> 00:33:24,334
you know, the sword
in the stone.
626
00:33:24,417 --> 00:33:26,753
But this is a story
that comes much earlier.
627
00:33:26,878 --> 00:33:29,797
You can go to this chapel
in Italy
628
00:33:29,923 --> 00:33:33,760
and see this sword that's stuck
in the middle of this stone.
629
00:33:33,885 --> 00:33:36,721
And you're thinking
how did that sword get there?
630
00:33:36,846 --> 00:33:39,015
SHATNER:
For centuries,
visitors have struggled
631
00:33:39,098 --> 00:33:40,516
with the same question:
632
00:33:40,600 --> 00:33:42,185
how did a medieval sword,
633
00:33:42,268 --> 00:33:44,896
which were known to be brittle
and often break easily
634
00:33:44,979 --> 00:33:46,731
on the battlefield,
635
00:33:46,773 --> 00:33:48,816
come to be driven
nearly up to its hilt
636
00:33:48,942 --> 00:33:50,735
in solid rock?
637
00:33:50,818 --> 00:33:52,487
According to local legends,
638
00:33:52,612 --> 00:33:55,990
St. Galgano had
some divine help.
639
00:33:56,115 --> 00:34:00,745
COLLINS:
Galgano was said to have been
a ruthless character.
640
00:34:00,870 --> 00:34:05,416
He started receiving visions
of the archangel Michael,
641
00:34:05,541 --> 00:34:09,212
and these visions told him
to change his ways,
642
00:34:09,295 --> 00:34:11,631
become a more pious character,
643
00:34:11,756 --> 00:34:17,053
and he ignored them until he was
passing this local landmark
644
00:34:17,178 --> 00:34:19,138
known as Montesiepi.
645
00:34:19,222 --> 00:34:21,891
HUSSAIN:
In the story,
Galgano is on his horse,
646
00:34:22,016 --> 00:34:24,394
and the horse takes him
up to the top of this hill.
647
00:34:24,477 --> 00:34:26,562
And the horse refuses
to go any further.
648
00:34:26,646 --> 00:34:28,898
Michael appears to him
and tells him
649
00:34:29,023 --> 00:34:33,152
that he is to serve the church
and to renounce his wealth.
650
00:34:33,277 --> 00:34:35,613
Galgano basically says,
"It's just as easy for me
651
00:34:35,697 --> 00:34:37,615
"to renounce my wealth
as it is for my sword
652
00:34:37,740 --> 00:34:38,908
to go into this stone."
653
00:34:39,033 --> 00:34:41,494
COLLINS:
At this point,
he got out his sword...
654
00:34:41,619 --> 00:34:44,914
and stuck it down into the rock.
655
00:34:44,998 --> 00:34:48,418
And it penetrated through
the rock, it was said,
656
00:34:48,501 --> 00:34:51,671
like a knife going
through butter.
657
00:34:51,754 --> 00:34:56,384
And thereafter it remained
stuck within the rock,
658
00:34:56,467 --> 00:34:58,302
like King Arthur's Excalibur.
659
00:34:58,386 --> 00:35:01,889
SHATNER:
Legends of both King Arthur
and St. Galgano
660
00:35:01,973 --> 00:35:04,559
have long been considered myths
illustrating the power
661
00:35:04,684 --> 00:35:08,771
of the divine, rather than
actual historical accounts.
662
00:35:08,896 --> 00:35:13,026
But unlike Excalibur,
this sword in the stone
663
00:35:13,109 --> 00:35:14,569
is one that can be seen.
664
00:35:14,652 --> 00:35:17,238
In fact, it's been
scientifically proven
665
00:35:17,321 --> 00:35:20,700
to be an authentic
medieval blade.
666
00:35:20,783 --> 00:35:24,620
HUSSAIN:
What's interesting is that,
in the 21st century,
667
00:35:24,746 --> 00:35:26,914
they did some testing
on the sword
668
00:35:26,998 --> 00:35:29,417
and realized that, no,
this is actually a sword
669
00:35:29,542 --> 00:35:30,877
from the 12th century,
670
00:35:30,960 --> 00:35:32,670
that the material is
actually 12th century.
671
00:35:32,754 --> 00:35:34,714
So whether the thing
actually happened or not,
672
00:35:34,797 --> 00:35:37,925
it's certainlyââ
theâthe pieces are of the time.
673
00:35:38,051 --> 00:35:41,679
SHATNER:
Even though it appears
the San Galgano sword
674
00:35:41,763 --> 00:35:43,723
is indeed authentic,
675
00:35:43,806 --> 00:35:46,184
there's one question
that remains unanswered.
676
00:35:46,267 --> 00:35:49,604
Because, despite our advanced
technology and understanding,
677
00:35:49,729 --> 00:35:52,899
we still don't know how
this simple metal blade
678
00:35:53,024 --> 00:35:57,028
was able to be driven
so perfectly into stone.
679
00:35:57,111 --> 00:35:59,489
It's pretty hard to believe
that this piece of metal
680
00:35:59,614 --> 00:36:01,240
could be driven into a stone.
681
00:36:01,324 --> 00:36:05,286
When I'm out mineral collecting,
I commonly take my rock spike,
682
00:36:05,411 --> 00:36:09,290
I'll take a hammer, and I will
drive that spike into stone.
683
00:36:09,373 --> 00:36:11,709
When I'm hammering, I'm pounding
and pounding and pounding,
684
00:36:11,751 --> 00:36:13,419
and the metal is deforming
685
00:36:13,503 --> 00:36:15,254
every time I strike it
with the hammer.
686
00:36:15,379 --> 00:36:18,091
Now, to get a sword
into the stone,
687
00:36:18,216 --> 00:36:22,512
but on one motion
without any other deformation
688
00:36:22,595 --> 00:36:24,722
of the sword taking place,
without any deformation
689
00:36:24,806 --> 00:36:27,433
of the rock taking place...
690
00:36:27,558 --> 00:36:29,894
that would be
absolutely miraculous.
691
00:36:29,977 --> 00:36:33,397
HUSSAIN:
To become a saint,
you have to have
692
00:36:33,481 --> 00:36:34,607
miracles that are tested.
693
00:36:34,732 --> 00:36:35,733
In Galgano's case,
694
00:36:35,817 --> 00:36:37,735
this is the, the miracle.
695
00:36:37,860 --> 00:36:42,490
The rock opens,
it accepts this sword.
696
00:36:42,615 --> 00:36:45,910
And so you have the sword
in this stone.
697
00:36:46,035 --> 00:36:48,579
Galgano, just a few years
after his death,
698
00:36:48,663 --> 00:36:50,456
is made a saint.
699
00:36:50,581 --> 00:36:54,794
I think, for religious people,
miracles precisely are that.
700
00:36:54,919 --> 00:36:58,798
They're miraculous.
There is no explanation for this
701
00:36:58,923 --> 00:37:00,633
that's scientific,
that's rational.
702
00:37:00,758 --> 00:37:05,596
You can say that if you take
this sword and hit this rock
703
00:37:05,721 --> 00:37:07,640
a million times,
on one of those tries
704
00:37:07,765 --> 00:37:08,891
you might go through.
705
00:37:09,016 --> 00:37:10,518
From the point of view
of the religious,
706
00:37:10,601 --> 00:37:11,769
that's not the argument.
707
00:37:11,894 --> 00:37:13,479
The argument is that
this is miraculous.
708
00:37:13,604 --> 00:37:15,606
This is completely outside
our understanding
709
00:37:15,690 --> 00:37:18,609
of how the world normally is.
710
00:37:18,734 --> 00:37:21,070
This is an item of faith.
711
00:37:21,112 --> 00:37:23,573
And items of faith
are something
712
00:37:23,656 --> 00:37:25,783
that affects us deeply,
713
00:37:25,908 --> 00:37:29,412
affects us within
our human consciousness.
714
00:37:29,495 --> 00:37:32,582
It's something that we either
believe in or we don't.
715
00:37:32,665 --> 00:37:35,042
And if we do believe it,
it gives it power,
716
00:37:35,126 --> 00:37:39,380
it gives it energy, and that's
what's important here.
717
00:37:39,505 --> 00:37:42,633
And around this strange monument
718
00:37:42,758 --> 00:37:46,220
was built a round church
and a chapel.
719
00:37:46,304 --> 00:37:50,558
And even today, this is the site
of pilgrimages.
720
00:37:50,641 --> 00:37:54,729
People come from all over Italy,
you know, to pay their respects
721
00:37:54,770 --> 00:37:58,774
to this saint, and obviously
to God as well.
722
00:38:01,319 --> 00:38:03,404
SHATNER:
Whether or not the Sword
of San Galgano
723
00:38:03,529 --> 00:38:06,574
found its way into the stone
through divine intervention
724
00:38:06,657 --> 00:38:08,951
or something more mundane,
725
00:38:09,076 --> 00:38:12,788
to millions of faithful
it remains an enduring symbol
726
00:38:12,914 --> 00:38:14,957
of the power of miracles.
727
00:38:15,082 --> 00:38:17,376
But it's one thing to see
a symbol of miracles...
728
00:38:17,460 --> 00:38:18,961
(thunder cracks)
729
00:38:19,086 --> 00:38:20,922
...it's quite another
when you're actually able
730
00:38:21,047 --> 00:38:24,050
to witness one firsthand.
731
00:38:33,434 --> 00:38:37,230
SHATNER:
Crowds gather as workers
prepare to transport
732
00:38:37,313 --> 00:38:41,067
one of the largest monolithic
statues in the world.
733
00:38:41,192 --> 00:38:45,196
23 feet tall
and weighing 160 tons,
734
00:38:45,279 --> 00:38:48,491
the massive idol dates back
over a thousand years.
735
00:38:48,616 --> 00:38:50,326
And although workers are
extremely careful
736
00:38:50,451 --> 00:38:54,914
with their preparations
as they load it onto the trucks
737
00:38:55,039 --> 00:38:58,000
that will carry it, there's
palpable tension in the air.
738
00:38:58,084 --> 00:39:01,671
Because this is
no ordinary statue
739
00:39:01,754 --> 00:39:06,842
but one of the mighty
Aztec god Tlaloc.
740
00:39:06,926 --> 00:39:11,555
The Aztec religious system had
a vast number of gods.
741
00:39:11,639 --> 00:39:13,933
There were water gods
and goddesses.
742
00:39:14,058 --> 00:39:17,561
There were sky gods
and goddesses.
743
00:39:17,687 --> 00:39:21,190
Fire divinities
and earth divinities.
744
00:39:21,274 --> 00:39:25,903
One particularly important
sacred god was Tlaloc,
745
00:39:26,028 --> 00:39:29,365
a fertility divinity
associated with weather...
746
00:39:29,448 --> 00:39:30,825
(thunder cracks)
747
00:39:30,950 --> 00:39:32,910
...and thunder and lightning.
748
00:39:32,994 --> 00:39:35,913
So it is feared,
but it is also greatly revered
749
00:39:35,997 --> 00:39:37,415
because life comes from this.
750
00:39:37,540 --> 00:39:42,378
The lifeâgiving waters
of the rain come from Tlaloc.
751
00:39:42,461 --> 00:39:46,924
SHATNER:
More than 25,000 people
eagerly wait into the night
752
00:39:47,049 --> 00:39:49,844
to welcome Tlaloc to his
new home in Mexico City
753
00:39:49,927 --> 00:39:51,512
after his long journey.
754
00:39:51,595 --> 00:39:56,142
But as the trucks carrying the
hulking statue finally arrive,
755
00:39:56,267 --> 00:39:59,895
the crowd isn't expecting what
would arrive along with him.
756
00:39:59,979 --> 00:40:02,315
COLLINS:
As this statue was erected...
757
00:40:02,440 --> 00:40:06,027
(thunder cracks)
758
00:40:06,110 --> 00:40:08,904
...suddenly the heavens
opened up,
759
00:40:08,988 --> 00:40:13,409
and for several days
there was intense rain
760
00:40:13,492 --> 00:40:14,744
and thunderstorms.
761
00:40:14,827 --> 00:40:17,121
(thunder rumbling)
762
00:40:17,246 --> 00:40:20,249
Now, this was done
in the summer months when,
763
00:40:20,374 --> 00:40:24,211
in theory, there should be
very little rain at all.
764
00:40:24,253 --> 00:40:28,883
This was so uncharacteristic
for this time of year.
765
00:40:28,966 --> 00:40:31,927
SHATNER:
Rain during the dry season?
766
00:40:32,053 --> 00:40:34,764
Most people would see
such an occurrence
767
00:40:34,889 --> 00:40:37,266
as nothing more
than a coincidence.
768
00:40:39,018 --> 00:40:42,605
But some believe the rain was
actually a good omen
769
00:40:42,730 --> 00:40:48,736
sent by Tlaloc in response
to the warm welcome he received
770
00:40:48,861 --> 00:40:50,946
from the Mexican people.
771
00:40:53,199 --> 00:40:55,743
THOMPSON:
Certainly a lot of people
believe that these eventsââ
772
00:40:55,785 --> 00:40:57,036
for example, the downpour
773
00:40:57,119 --> 00:40:58,871
following the arrival
of Tlalocââ
774
00:40:58,954 --> 00:41:00,498
are connected.
775
00:41:00,623 --> 00:41:02,917
And perhaps they're connected
because of the divine force.
776
00:41:03,042 --> 00:41:06,253
Or perhaps it's actually
the believers' belief
777
00:41:06,379 --> 00:41:09,799
and their faith that is helping
to shape these events.
778
00:41:09,924 --> 00:41:12,385
(thunder cracks)
779
00:41:12,510 --> 00:41:15,096
So, certainly faith is powerful.
780
00:41:20,309 --> 00:41:22,853
The fact is that
it doesn't really matter,
781
00:41:22,937 --> 00:41:24,438
because it's about belief.
782
00:41:24,563 --> 00:41:27,733
If people believe
strongly enough in an object,
783
00:41:27,817 --> 00:41:30,986
that can create a reality.
784
00:41:34,198 --> 00:41:40,037
An ancient god of rain that
triggers a massive thunderstorm?
785
00:41:40,121 --> 00:41:42,039
Just a coincidence, right?
786
00:41:42,123 --> 00:41:45,209
Or was there something
more mysterious at work?
787
00:41:45,292 --> 00:41:47,420
Well, how about
the KohâiâNoor diamond?
788
00:41:47,545 --> 00:41:49,463
Would you wear it? Huh?
789
00:41:49,588 --> 00:41:53,634
Or are you among those who
believe that stones really can
790
00:41:53,759 --> 00:41:55,719
possess special powers?
791
00:41:55,845 --> 00:41:59,473
Powers that for now
keep them very much among
792
00:41:59,598 --> 00:42:01,684
the unexplained.
64927
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