The Fountain of Youth

When I was younger, one of my habits was going through my grandfather’s collection of encyclopedias and books by classical writers. One set of encyclopedias truly fascinated me. When I look back and reflect on the contents, I remember that they included theories that have since been disproved, as well as legends. One of the topics that I can recall was about a water source.

The Fountain of Youth was supposedly a water source that can restore youthfulness and cure disease in whoever bathed in it or drank it. It was said that the water smelled like violets, and that it made the skin sleek and glossy. In the fantasy story called The Travels of Sir John Mandeville, it said that this foundation was located at the foot of the mountain outside Polombe, now Kollam in India. However, according to another story it is located northwest of Bimini towards the Bahamas.

Nevertheless, the story of the Fountain of Youth has been told for thousands of years. It was first recorded by Herodotus in the 5th century BC. Many people are said to have gone on expeditions to look for this fountain. The myth became very well-known in the 16th century when Juan Ponce de Leon, the first governor of Puerto Rico, was supposedly searching for it. However, the Fountain of Youth was not mentioned in De Leon’s writing but in the accounts of Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo y Valdes, Francisco Lopez de Gomara, Hernando d’Escalante Fontaneda and Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas. No-one has as yet found the Fountain of Youth.

Herrera in his Historia general de los hechos de los Castellanos en las islas y tierra firme del Mar Oceano says that a frail old man who took some of the water and bathed in it was able to resume all manly exercises such as take a new wife and have more children.

Today when I look at a water source, my first thoughts are of its origin, its potential to spread disease, and the filtration, potability and recyclability of the water in it. Also, my convictions about longevity and youthfulness are cemented in the laws of health set by the Creator.

The myth of the Fountain of Youth reminds me of the story of the paralytic man looking for healing from the waters of the pool of Bethesda that the angel stirred for a moment. The legend of the time said that one must jump into the water at the moment when it is stirred. Being unable to move made the man feel doomed to despair, hopelessness, depression and death. The man was healed eventually but not from the magical waters. His healing came from Jesus, the Creator of man.

After all, isn’t it logical that, when an item malfunctions or one has the desire to use it for a long time, one has to go back to its manufacturer’s manual in order to fix it or one must read about its proper use and about how to clean it?

About the author:

Karla Mitchell

Karla Mitchell is a vibrant woman from South Africa who embraces life with her husband and children. A God-fearing woman who builds her life and family with the foundation of faith and love. Her energy and bubbly personality light up the room, and her intelligence and analytical mind make her an interesting person to talk to. Her love for books fuels her passion for writing, and she is always observing people and making her own analysis. Karla is a firm believer in staying true to her convictions and is a skilled conversationalist. Her strong-willed nature is balanced by her kind heart, and she genuinely cares for all that God has created. With her faith, love for family, and passion for writing, Karla continues to make a positive impact in her community and beyond