When you hear the name Colestein Veglin, what do you think first? Well, that name is legendary. It relates to a legend dating back to the late 1800s in Newark, New Jersey. According to the myth, the man, Colestein Veglin, lived for 617 years.
Is that even possible? Well, his lifespan was one of the longest recorded in history. Of course, people question whether he was in fact as old. There are witnesses, like one woman claiming to be his lover. And here is the fun part. She claims in a video that Colestein was in fact 461 years old.
Both numbers are astonishing. What do you believe in? The reality is that Colestein probably was a crazy old man who tried to convince people he was way older than his real age.
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Longevity Myths
Colestein is not the only person who tried to come up with a story about his age. Longevity myths are common, even traditions about long-lived people. These myths can be divided into two groups. Myths about groups of people and practices that confer longevity, or individuals who tried to trick people.
The phrase longevity tradition may include purifications, longevity practices, rituals, meditations, alchemy, and all other sorts of things. These myths are quite common in Chinese culture.
Modern science, on the other hand, has proven that genetics, diet, and lifestyle can affect human longevity. But it is fairly impossible for someone to live that long.
The record holders in modern life are Jeanne Calment for females, who lived 122, give or take a year or two, and Jiroemon Kimura for males, who lived 116 years.
Here is an interesting fact. The lifespan of humans is one of the longest in nature. Yet, there are animals that live longer. For example, the Galapagos tortoise can live more than 175 years. The bowhead whale can live more than 200 years.
According to some scientists, the human body can have sufficient resources to live up to 150 years.
The Myth of Colestein Veglin
Now let’s talk about the famous myth. According to the myth, Colestein Veglin was born in the year 1261 and lived up until the year 1878. That means he is 617 years old. There is no record or anything else about his early life.
Even if you search about his career or occupation, you will find absolutely nothing. This is your first red flag that this man was probably insane or crazy. It is strange that nobody actually bothered enough to confirm the claims made by him. Or even follow up on the story that was initially published in the New York Times.
Marital Life of Colestein Veglin
When he was arrested in the 1800s, he made claims of having six wives who were all alive. He also made a claim that he was 617(some sources say 615 years old).
But there is no confirmation of his birth year. And there is no information about any of his six wives or even his parents. There is not a single word mentioned in any article about his children, wives, siblings, parents, or anything else.
The New York Times Piece
The content that began the myth and legend was one published in a New York Times article. The article, published on July 20, 1876, had a headline reading “The Oldest Man Yet”.
It reported that local officials arrested an insane man in Newark, New Jersey on Thursday. Right after the confrontation, he told the policemen that his name was Colestein Veglin and that he was 615 years old.
The NY Times also claimed that he had six wives and his home was at 21 William Street and he had considerable property.
Nobody believed the story and was promptly sent to the asylum. And since then, there has been no follow-up to the news.
Every now and then, a story about Colestein pops up. But people have no clue about his prior identity. There are some unofficial sayings claiming he passed away at the age of 617, two years after his arrest.
Is there any truth to it?
Of course, there is not. Most humans find it difficult to survive for a hundred years. There are not many people who have somehow managed to survive more than 100 years.
But the Colestein legend is fascinating for most Americans. Even today, you will find people searching for Colestein Veglin age or similar details trying to get an accurate answer.
But there is no point in looking at that on Google. It is practically redundant. It is hard to find any real information about the elusive Colestein Veglin.
What we do know is that he does appear on Wikipedia’s list of people known for longevity myths. His name is right up there with Kirk Campbell, who claimed to live 260 years.
Simply put, to this date, there is absolutely nobody who knows the truth behind the myth. It is interesting to note that at the time of his arrest, he had a pretty valuable property. And following the arrest, he was sent for treatment in an Insane Asylum.
Can humans live for that long?
In 1997, one of the oldest people in the world, Jeanne Calment, passed away at the age of 122. Her age was considered a record. There are other people who have managed to crack the 100 number. But there are also some other longevity myths.
We mentioned Kirk Campbell, taking second place. Then we have Thomas Can, with 207 years, in third place. Both of these were from the United Kingdom according to the legend.
Scientists have never supported or even refuted the longevity claims made by Colestein Veglin. Now, there are some who believe humans can live for a thousand years.
But the world is still waiting for a human to live past 150 years, let alone 200 or 600.
If you believe in religion, in the Hebrew Bible, there are mentions of people who lived for about 900 years.
When did Colestein Veglin die?
For the sake of argument, there is no proof of when he died or that he died. His actual death has never been confirmed from records. Who knows, maybe he lives to this day?
Some people believe he lived long enough to avoid imprisonment and his trial. But his myth and claims about being the oldest person definitely raise questions about his sanity.
To this day, nobody has taken an elixir tree and lived for that long. According to the longevity myths page on Wikipedia, he was 617 years when he passed away. That means he lived two more years after his arrest.
