In Search of Myths and Heroes (2005, BBC, Michael Wood)

Michael Wood explores four of the world's most famous myths: Shangri-La, the Golden Fleece, the Queen of Sheba and King Arthur.

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The Queen of Sheba
The story of the Queen of Sheba appears in religious texts sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Described in the Bible as simply a Queen of the East, modern scholars believe she came from the Kingdom of Axum in Ethiopia, the Kingdom of Saba in Yemen, or both. Their main clue is that she brought bales of incense with her as a gift; frankincense only grows in these two areas. Both countries claim her as theirs. Given that they are separated by only 25 kilometers of water, both could be right.

The Search for Shangri-La
The darker the age, the more desperate we are for illumination. This is certainly true of the tale of Shangri-La, which differs from other myths in that it's a largely modern story. In 1933, British novelist James Hilton published Lost Horizon, which became an instant hit with the public. It follows the fortunes of a group of Western travellers whose aeroplane crashes in the remote, unexplored part of the Himalayas that we now know as Tibet. The group find themselves in an earthly paradise, where materialism, modern cynicism - and the threat of war - are unknown. ...

Arthur: The Once and Future King
King Arthur, a 5th-century Celtic monarch who battled invading Anglo-Saxons, first appears in a history of Britain written in 830. The story was expanded in the 12th-century by Geoffrey of Monmouth, who most modern historians regard as primarily a writer of fiction. The Tudors popularized Arthur further, as did the Victorians.

Jason and the Golden Fleece
The truth behind Jason's quest for the Golden Fleece.

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English subtitles, 4 x 59 minutes, 1064-1365kbps, 25fps, 704x384