History’s hunt for the Fountain of Youth
A new Apple TV+ film draws attention to the legendary Fountain of Youth. Here’s how several historical figures reportedly tried to find its revitalising elixir.
Image: The Fountain of Youth (1546) by Lucas Cranach the Elder | Public Domain
We’ve all come across fountains. However, imagine if you drank (or washed yourself in) a fountain’s water only to suddenly notice your skin looking a lot younger than before. Does such a ‘Fountain of Youth’ exist?
It’s a question that many generations have asked themselves. There are also stories of adventurers trying to find it. The legend has periodically re-emerged in popular culture, as typified by the recent Apple TV+ film Fountain of Youth.
In that film, Hollywood stars John Krasinski and Natalie Portman play explorers hunting for the alleged fountain. Another Hollywood veteran, Dennis Quaid, spotlights the legend in his Sky HISTORY documentary series Holy Marvels.
Stories abound of various famous figures who, over the centuries, have made their own attempts to find the fountain. We at Sky HISTORY have dipped into the archives and picked out just some of these intriguing tales for your delectation.
How the Fountain of Youth legend took shape
Many history buffs who watch the Apple TV+ film might be surprised by how little attention it pays to often-told stories about the fountain. One character does, however, mention the Greek historian Herodotus, who provided a written account of it.
In the 5th century BC, Herodotus wrote of the Ichthyophagid people journeying to the African land of the Macrobians. The visitors heard from the Macrobian king that most of his people lived to the ripe old age of 120.
When the Ichthyophagi expressed astonishment at this, the king led them to a spring. The Ichthyophagi washed themselves in it and 'found their flesh all glossy and sleek', according to Herotodotus. This spring is also said to have had the scent of violets.
Did Alexander the Great look for the Fountain of Youth?
Many reports suggest that he did. Alexander III ruled the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon from 336 to 323 BC. Unsurprisingly in light of his military victories which significantly expanded the Macedonian empire, Alexander is now often known to history as ‘Alexander the Great’.
The king’s life and exploits were chronicled in the Alexander Romance. Multiple versions of this narrative describe Alexander crossing the ‘Land of Darkness’ (so-called as it was supposedly in perpetual darkness) in search of restorative waters.
Who was Prester John?
One of the most enduring medieval mysteries is whether Prester John ever existed. He is said to have been a priest-king ruling an affluent Christian kingdom during the Crusades, but other details remain elusive or contradictory.
It is not even known for certain where the alleged kingdom was located — though the Middle East, Asia and modern-day Ethiopia have all been suggested. In 1165, Prester John reportedly sent a letter to the then-Byzantine emperor, Manuel I Barbarossa. According to this letter, now thought to have likely been forged, the kingdom was home to a magical fountain capable of reversing age.
The curious case of Juan Ponce de León
There are many uncertainties about who, if anyone, indeed searched for the Fountain of Youth. Hang on, though - isn’t it just historical fact that the Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León did so in the early 16th century?
That’s the impression many of our readers might have got from their schooldays. Today, though, many historians think the story is likely to be mere myth. The Spanish crown did task Ponce de León with looking for the Caribbean island of Bemini. However, contrary to the established story passed down between generations, there is no evidence that he hoped to find the fountain there as well.
How a historical myth became historical ‘fact’
According to legend, the fountain was actually in a different land called Boinca, said to have been located in the Gulf of Honduras. At some point, Boinca was apparently mistaken for Bimini. Later still, Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés wrote that Ponce de León had searched for Bimini in the hope of restoring his youthfulness.
Oviedo was the first to make this claim, but did not do so until 1535 — over a decade after Ponce de León’s death in 1521. The latter’s surviving writings do not mention a Fountain of Youth, and neither does any of his official correspondence with the Spanish crown.
What we do know is that Oviedo was sympathetic towards one of Ponce de León’s political rivals. On balance, Oviedo likely fabricated the story in a bid to paint Ponce de León as vain and gullible.
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