Friday, January 22, 2010
Awesome Tree House
Designed in 1997 and finished in 2004, it took its creator Robert Harvey Oshatz 7 years to build entirely. This unusual tree house is situated in the forests of Portland, Oregon.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Electronic Voice Phenomena
Electronic Voice Phenomena, or EVP, is the process or result of recording a ghost's voice on tape. In the past few years the technique has very much come into favor with those who search for the existence of ghosts or disembodied entities, possibly as a result of the preponderance of inexpensive hand-held recorders as well as software for enhancing (and manipulating) recorded audio.
Electonic Voice Phenomena The idea behind EVP's is that one may go to an area that ostensibly hosts spiritual entities, and then literally have a conversation with the ghosts. One generally asks them a question, waits a few seconds, then asks another question. It's apparently not important to actually hear the ghost's response to the questions, as most EVP's are found after the fact, when the recorder is sitting alone in his mom's basement listening to hours of electronic hiss. If one does hear a response that resembles speech to any degree, then presumably the hunt has just found gold. One to listen closely, however: the answers are not always clear, and may even be in a different language.
Many people have had success with this method; however, there are some serious concerns about the phenomenon that need to be addressed. One key characteristic important with EVP's is the ghost hunter's own listening process. The tapes have to be reviewed and listened to carefully several times. The problem with that is that if one listens to anything long enough, one will indeed begin to 'hear' things, real or imagined. One also have to be able to weed out all the background noises such as passing cars, barking dogs, the wind, etc.
A trustworthy, impartial listener may be required to give the tapes an unbiased opinion, although finding someone to actually sit through hours of this stuff may be difficult. [We at the Weird Encyclopedia suggest recruiting childhood bullies, DMV workers, people who park in the handicapped spot when they aren't supposed to, etc.]. Ghost hunters have the tendency to hear what they want to hear from the tapes. They know what questions were asked and have an idea of what answers to expect. Because the technique's authenticity is impossible to prove no tape, regardless of what's recorded on it, can be considered hard evidence. Critics have a valid point when they say that the sounds or voices recorded are either natural noises or hoaxes. There's no way to prove that they're wrong.
Tips for making good EVP Recordings:
Use a full size tape recorder, not the handheld models. The small tape recorders are fine for witness interviews but not for EVP recordings.
Use an external, static-free microphone. Maybe one of those big, heavy metallic ones that tilt one side, like the kind that old- fashioned broadcasters used to use. Pretend you're Walter Winchell.
Always use brand new, high-quality tapes. Never record over old tapes. There's always a chance that the overlapping recordings will mix and you'll hear things that shouldn't be there.
Don't bump the microphone and if you do, make a verbal note of it on the tape. You may also want to note any other nature sounds such as gusting winds, creaking doors, breaking of wind, etc.
Record in 20- to 30-minute sessions. You can record longer, but keep in mind that you have to listen to the tape later. If you record two hours of tape then you have to listen to two hours of tape. (Or someone else does. See above.)
Ask clear and precise questions.
Don't whisper during the recordings' you're not going to scare the ghosts away, and they may be hard of hearing.
After each question wait at least 10 to 15 seconds before asking the next question - you don't want to piss off the ghosts by talking while they're trying to give their answers.
The Lake Champlain Monster
The notorious sea beast of Lake Champlain, a 109-mile-long lake on the border of New York and Vermont, is considered America's Loch Ness monster. Popular legend has it that the French explorer Samuel de Champlain saw the creature in 1609, in the first ever sighting of a North American lake monster. But this apocryphal tale has been traced back to a mistaken account made by a reporter in 1960. It seems that Champlain did, in fact, spot a strange aquatic monster, but the location was off the coast of the St. Lawrence estuary, and not the lake that bears the explorer's name.
Lake Champlain monster Probably the earliest known report of a monster in Lake Champlain came from pioneer settlers near Port Henry, NY, in 1819. A railroad crew near Dresden, New York, in 1873 claimed to see "a head of an enormous serpent sticking out of the water and approaching them from the opposite shore." Following that sighting, area farmers reported missing livestock along with supposed drag marks stretching across the ground to the shore of the lake. That same year, P. T. Barnum offered a $50,000 reward for any monster hunter who could bring him the "hide of the great Champlain serpent to add to my mammoth World's Fair Show."
Barnum had no takers, but the sightings continued. In 1883, Clinton County Sheriff Nathan Mooney said he saw "an enormous snake or water serpent... 25 to 30 feet in length," which raised its long, curved neck about five feet out of the water. A group of fishermen in 1899 claimed to witness the creature partially climbing onto the shore, exposing about six feet of its finned body. In 1945 a man claimed to have caught a 14-inch 'baby sea serpent' at the lake, but it is thought to have been a salamander.
The most famous sighting of Champ in recent times was made in July 1977 by Sandra Mansi, who was vacationing in Vermont near the Canadian border. When she and her husband saw what appeared to be the head and long neck of a huge creature, she managed to grab a camera and take one picture before it vanished. Expert analysis of the Mansi photograph (shown on this page) has concluded that the image was not faked or retouched, and it has been widely speculated that the animal shown is a plesiosaur, the same prehistoric species often proposed as Nessie's true identity. Along more realistic lines, some suggest that the apparent head and neck might actually be the fin of a small whale rolling on its side. The credibility of the photo has also been hindered by Mansi's inability to indicate the area from which she took the picture.
Former teacher Joseph W. Zarzynski is the founder of the Lake Champlain Phenomenon Investigation, and the leading authority on Champ for the past twenty years. Zarzynski, who says there has been a total of over 300 Champ sightings, has reported promising results from sonar and electronic surveillance of the lake, but nothing conclusive yet. He is so certain of the creature's reality that he has convinced local and state governments to grant Champ some select measures as a legally protected species.
If there really are sea monsters living anywhere in the United States, Lake Champlain is about as ideal a habitat as anyone could ask for. It is vast in size, surpassed only by the Great Lakes, with depths of up to 400 feet. Champlain contains the populations of fish and aquatic life that would be necessary to sustain a colony of giant beasts, and with its outlet to the Atlantic, it could be home to a much wider diversity of unknown life than a small, isolated lake... such as Loch Ness.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Demons A-Z
A list of demons, devils, and evil gods from around the world. Probably not exhaustive. If you know of any more, keep it to yourself.
demons A
Abaddon - King of the Demons of Hell. Also known as Apollyon (Greek).
demons A
Abaddon - King of the Demons of Hell. Also known as Apollyon (Greek).
Abbadon
Abigor - Rides a horse and carries a scepter and lance. In Hell he commands sixty legions of devils
Adramelech - A demon of Hell where his job is Chancellor and President of The High Council of Devils.
Aguares - Commands thirty legions of devils in Hell. Is also the Grand Duke of Eastern Hell.
Aguares
Akop - A demon from the Philippines who preys on widowed people.
Alocer - A Grand Duke of Hell who commands thirty-six legions of devils.
Amduscas - A Grand Duke of Hell who commands twenty-nine legions of devils.
Andras - Marquis of Hell who commands thirty legions of devils.
Angul - A demon from the Philippines who kills people with an axe.
Apepi - A serpent demon who in ancient Egypt was in opposition to the sun god Ra.
Apophis - A serpent demon who stalks at night.
Asmodeus - A devil who was banished to the desert by Raphael.
Astaroth - In hell he is The Lord Treasurer and the Grand Duke of Western Hell.
Astarte - A heathen god who is sometimes consigned to Hell.
Aym - A Grand Duke of Hell who commands twenty-six legions of demons. Also known as Haborym.
Ayperos - A Prince of Hell who commands thirty-six legions of devils.
Azazel - Also known as Satanel, he is the Standard Bearer of the armies of Hell.
Azidahaka - The god of witchcraft from Iran. Has three heads.
Azrael - Muslim angel of death.
Azrael
B
Baal - Commanding General of the Infernal Armies
Baal
Baalberith - Also known as Berith, he is the Chief Secretary of Hell.
Balan - A Prince of Hell.
Bearded - Demon His real name is not revealed so that people do not deal with him when searching for the Philosopher's Stone.
Beelzebub - Name means the 'lord of the flies'. A high demon of hell who is sometimes equated with Satan.
Belial - Also known as Beliel and Beliar. The Prince of Trickery, the Demon of Sodomy and the Antichrist.
Belphegor - The demon of Ingenious Discoveries and Wealth
Beng - The Romanian Gypsy version of Satan.
Buer - Commands fifty legions of devils in Hell.
Bumalin - Philippines god of the Underworld.
demon C
Caym - The Grand President of Hell.
Charon - The boatman of Hell who takes souls accross the Styx.
Chax - A Grand Duke of Hell who is also known as Scox.
Chernobog - Slavic demon whose name means 'the black god'. He brings all things evil at night.
Chernobog
Chemosit - A demon from Kenya who is half man and half bird.
Chu Kwai - Sen Chun A demon from China, the creator of freaks.
Congo Zandor - A Demon worshipped in Haiti.
Cresil - The demon of slovinliness and impurity.
D
Dagon - The Baker of Hell.
E
Eblis - The Persian version of Satan. His name means 'despair'.
Elathan - A Celtic lord of Darkness.
Erebus - A Greek demon who guards the darkness around Hell.
Er Mo - Szechuan King of Demons.
Eurynomus - A Prince of Hell who likes to feed on the dead.
F
Furfur - A Count of Hell who commands twenty six legions of demons.
Furfur
G
Geryon - According to Dante, Geryon is a giant centaur who guards Hell.
Geryon
Grand Bois - A demon from Haiti whose name means 'big woods'. He is the master of the forests at night.
Guaricana - A devil from Brazil. He is honoured by the Yurimagua by flogging young men until blood flows.
demons H
Hatu-Atu-Topun - Also known as Hetu-Ahin, a female demon from Polynesia who stalks twighlight and dawn.
Hecate - Queen of the witches.
Herensugue - An evil serpent from the Basque Country.
I
Ibwa - A demon from the Philippines who feeds on dead bodies.
Ikwaokinyapippilele - A strangely named demon from Panama who causes illness.
Inmai - A demon from Myanmar who bizarrely lives in the post in front of houses and causes people to be inured with thorns.
Irvene - Demon dog who lives on the Canary Islands.
Itzcoliuhqui - A demon god of the Aztecs. He brought cold and destruction.
J
Jahi - Persion female demon. She specializes in debauchery.
Jezebeth - The demon of falsehoods.
Jilaiya - A demon from India who flies as a bird at night to suck the blood of people. It can only suck the blood from people whose name it has heard.
K
Karau - A demon from Panama who causes death in the world.
Kasdeya - Known as the 'Fifth Satan'.
Keron-Kenken - An evil spirit from Patagonia. He eats the newborn and drinks the tears of the mothers.
Kobal - Patron of comedians and the Entertainment Director of Hell.
Kok-Lir - A demon from Borneo who prays on men.
L
Lebara - A Brazilian demon worshipped by the cult of Yoruban.
Leonard - Known in Germany as Urian, he is the Inspector=General of Black Magic and Sorcery.
Leviathan - The androgynous Grand Admiral of Hell who is supposed to have seduced Adam and Eve.
Lilith - The first wife of Adam, before Eve, who was actually a demon.
Lilith
Lilitu - An ancient demon connected with Lilith.
Lima - A demon worshipped in Haiti.
Lingelson - A demon worshipped in Haiti.
M
Mammon - The Demon of Avarice.
Manuval - A demon of the night from New Guinea.
Mastema - The leader of the offspring of fallen angels.
Melchom - A treasurer of Hell.
Mephistopheles - Sometimes described as a servent of the Devil, other times is a name for Satan himself.
Merihim - The Prince of Pestilence
Moko-Titi - A hideous lizard demon of the Maori people.
Moloch - A demon from Judaism.
Mullin - Lieutenant to Leonard.
Murmur - The Demon of Music.
Mush - A demon of darkness from Iran.
Dore's Paradise Lost N
Naburus - A Marquis of Hell who has connections to Cerberus.
Nergal - The Chief of the Secret Police of Hell.
Nybras - Publicist of the Pleasures of Hell.
Nysrogh - An inferior demon.
Nyx - The sister and wife of Erebus.
Nyx
O
Olisha - An evil goddess from Haiti. A favourite of voodoo and black magic.
Orias - A Marquis of Hell.
Oroan - Guyanan demon of eclipses.
Orthon - A minor demon known for posession of bodies.
Orusula - Costa Rican demon who appears in the form of a giant pig. His foam gives people a fatal rash.
P
Paymon - The Master of Ceremonies in Hell.
Philotanus - A demon who likes to assist Belial in sodomy.
Philotanus
Pitkis - Baltic demon of the night.
Po-Tangotango - A night demon of the Maori people.
Proserpine - Sometimes known as a princess of Hell.
Pyro - The Prince of Falsehood.
Q
Qanel - Guatemalan demon.
R
Raum - A Count of Hell who commands thirty legions of demons.
Ravana - Hindu King of Demons.
Rimmon - Also known as Damas, is the Ambassodor of Hell for Russia.
Ronwe - Commands nineteen legions of devils in Hell.
Ronwe
demons in hell S
Sakarabru - An African demon of darkness.
Samael - The Angel of death and the Prince of the air.
Satanael - Believed to be the evil first son of God by the Bogomils.
Semiazas - The Chief of the Fallen Angels.
Set - An evil god of the night from Ancient Egypt.
Seth - The god of the Underworld from Ancient Egypt.
Shabriri - Known as the demon who made people go blind.
Sonneillon - The demon of hate.
Succorbenoth - The demon of jealousy.
T
Tando Ashanti - Demon who demands the simulataneous human sacrifice of seven men and seven women.
Tezcatlípoca - Aztec God of the 'smoking mirrors'. Has an evil black manifestation. An aspect of Tezcalípoca is Yaotl, meaning enemy.
Thamuz - An Ambassador of Hell.
Thamuz
Tlacatecolototl - A Toltec demon whose name means 'rational owl'. Is god of evil and night.
Troian - Baltic demon of the night.
U
Ukobach - The Stationary Engineer of Hell.
Ukobach
Uphir - A demon physician.
V
Valafar - A Grand Duke of Hell.
Verin - The Demon of Impatience.
Vetis - A demon of hell who corrupts and tempts the holy.
Vritra - Hindu enemy of the gods. Is a serpent.
W
Wele Gumali - Name means the 'black god'. He comes from Kenya.
X
Xa-Mul - A demon from the Philippines who swallows people whole.
Xaphan - A demon who stokes the furnaces of Hell.
Xic - From Guatemala. Brings sudden death to men.
Y
Yalocan Tumulu - A demon of darkness and mischief from Surinam
Yama - Hindu king of death who has two dogs to carry away the dying.
Z
Zaebos - A demon who is part human, part crocodile.
Zaebos
Zagam - The demon of Deciet and Counterfeiting who has the talent of being able to turn water into wine
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Legends of Vampires
Vampire legends originated in the far East and made their way west with caravans along the silk route to the Mediterranian. From there they spread up into the Slavic lands and the Carpathian Mountains. The Slavic people has the richest vampire legends in the world. They were originally more related to the Iranians, and they migrated to where they are now around the 8th century. Almost as soon as they arrived the Christianization process began, and vampire legends survived as myths. Later the Gypsies migrated westward from the northern part of India (where they have a number of vampire myths as well), and their myths mingled with those of the Slavic people already there. The Gypsies arrived in Transsylvania shortly before Vlad Dracula was born in 1431. The vampire here was the ghost of a dead person, which in most cases had been a witch, mage or a suicider.
Vampires were feared creatures, because they killed people but at the same time looked like people; the only differences were, that they didn't have a shadow, nor did they reflect in a mirror. Besides this, they could change their shape into a bat, which made them impossible to catch. At daytime the vampires slept in their coffins, but at night they lived from drinking human blood as the sun's rays were deadly for them. The most common method was by midnight to fly through a window, in the shape of a bat and bite the victims neck and suck it dry for blood. The vampires couldn't enter a house if they hadn't been invited, but as soon as they had, they could reenter as often as they liked. The slavic vampire wasn't only dangerous because it killed people (many human beings did that), but also because the victims, after death turned into vampires. The vampire's strongest side was, that it was almost immortal; only some very special rites could kill them such as: putting a stick through their heart, beheading, or burning the body. This type of vampire is also the most well-known type, owing especially Bram Stoker's Count Dracula.
Other types of vampires:
Asasabonsam:
Asasabonsam are african vampires. They are normal vampires except that they have hooks instead of feet. They tend to bite their victims on the thumb.
Baital:
Baital is an Indian race of vampires their natural form is half man, half bat, standing roughly one and a half meter tall.
Baobhan Sith:
The Baobhan Sith (buh-van she) is an evil Scottish fairie who appear as a beatiful young woman and will dance with men they find, until the men are exhausted; they then feed upon them. It can be killed by cold iron.
Bruja:
Bruja is the spanish name for a witch, it was very similar to the Italian Strega and the Bruxa from the neighboring Portugal. It was a living woman who was able to transform herself into various kinds of animals and attack children.
Ch'Iang Shih:
In China there are vampire-like creatures called Ch'Iang Shih; they are created by having a cat jumping over the corpse of a dead person. They appear livid and may kill with poisonous breath in addition to draining blood. If a Ch'Iang Shih encounters a pile of rice, it must count the grains before it can pass on. Their immaterial form is a sphere of light, much like Will-O-the-Wisps.
Dearg-Due:
In Ireland many druids speak of Dearg-Dues which has to be killed by building a cairn of stones upon the grave. The Dearg-Dues can't change their shape.
Ekiminu:
Ekiminus are Assyiran malignant spirits (half ghost, half vampire) caused by no proper burial. They are naturally invisible and are capable of possessing humans. They can be destroyed by using wooden weapons or by exorcism.
Kathakano:
The Cretan vampire Kathakano is much like the originals, but it can only be killed by chopping its head off and boiling it in vinegar.
Krvopijac:
These are Bulgarian vampires and are also known as Obours. They look like normal vampires, but have only one nostril and a pointed tongue. A krvopijac can be immobilized by placing roses around their graves. It can be destroyed by letting a magician order it into a bottle and throwing it into a bonfire.
Lamia:
Lamias were known in ancient Rome and Greece. They were exclusively female vampires, which often appeared half human, half animal (most often a snake and always the lower part) form. They ate the flesh of their victims as well as drinking the blood. Lamias could be attacked and killed with normal weapons.
Nosferatu:
Nosferatu is another name for the original vampire, which is also called vampyre.
Rakshasa:
Rakshasa is a powerful Indian vampire and magician. They usually appear as humans with animal features (claws, fangs, slitted eyes, etc.) or as animals with human features (feet, hands, flattened nose, etc.). The animal side is very often a tiger. They eat the victim's flesh in addition to drinking their blood. Rakshasas may be destroyed by burning, sunlight or exorcism.
Strigoiul:
This is the Romanian vampire. Strigoiuls are much like the original vampires, but they like to attack in flocks. They can be killed by putting garlic into its mouth or removing its heart.
Succubus:
This is a lesser known European race of vampires. The general way they feed is by having sexual relations with the victim, exhausting them and then feeding on the energy released during sex. They may enter homes uninvited and can take on the appearance of other persons. They will often visit the same victim more than once. The victim of a Succubus will experience the visits as dreams. The male version of a Succubus is an Incubus.
Upierczi:
These vampires have origin in Poland and Russia and is also called Viesczy. They have a sting under the tongue instead of the fangs. They are active from noon to midnight and can only be destroyed by burning. When burned, the body will burst, giving rise to hundreds of small, disgusting animals (maggots, rats, etc.). If any of these creatures escape then the Upierczi's spirit will escape too and will return to seek revenge.
Vlokoslak:
Serbian vampires, also called Mulos. They normally appear as people wearing white clothes. They are active both day and night and can assume the shape of horses and sheep. They eat their victims as well as drinking their blood. They can be killed by cutting off their toes, or by driving a nail through the neck.
Joseph Merrick - The Elephant Man
Elephant Man Joseph Merrick was born on August 5th, 1862, at 50 Lee Street, Leicester, England. His parents were named as Joseph Rockley Merrick, who was a warehouseman, and Mary Jane Merrick, who suffered from a crippling condition. The family was completed by two younger siblings, brother William Arthur Merrick and sister Marian Eliza Merrick. Marian was also born a cripple.
Early Warning
Joseph was apparently free from any noticeable deformities when he was born, but at around the age of twenty-one months his lower-lip began to swell. This turned into a hard tumor in the right cheek of the baby Merrick, causing his mother obvious concern. However, she could not have foreseen the monstrous proportions which this development would eventually take. As he grew, so did the deformities. A bony lump appeared on the forehead, his skin started to become loose and rough, and his right arm and feet began to look peculiar. The most disturbing part for Mary Merrick was a long 'snout-like' lump of flesh that extended several inches from out of her son's upper-lip. Poor Joseph was to suffer further discomfort, when at the age of 3 he fell heavily, damaging his left hip. The family were too poor to afford proper treatment so the hip became diseased, which left him permanently lame.
Family Losses
In 1870, just before Christmas, Joseph's brother William fell seriously ill with scarlet fever. His condition rapidly deteriorated and within twenty-four hours he was dead. This laid a heavy burden on the shoulders of his suffering mother who had two crippled children and a shop to manage. In three years she too became seriously ill, this time with broncopneumonia. On Thursday May 19th, 1873, she died.
Early Warning
Joseph was apparently free from any noticeable deformities when he was born, but at around the age of twenty-one months his lower-lip began to swell. This turned into a hard tumor in the right cheek of the baby Merrick, causing his mother obvious concern. However, she could not have foreseen the monstrous proportions which this development would eventually take. As he grew, so did the deformities. A bony lump appeared on the forehead, his skin started to become loose and rough, and his right arm and feet began to look peculiar. The most disturbing part for Mary Merrick was a long 'snout-like' lump of flesh that extended several inches from out of her son's upper-lip. Poor Joseph was to suffer further discomfort, when at the age of 3 he fell heavily, damaging his left hip. The family were too poor to afford proper treatment so the hip became diseased, which left him permanently lame.
Family Losses
In 1870, just before Christmas, Joseph's brother William fell seriously ill with scarlet fever. His condition rapidly deteriorated and within twenty-four hours he was dead. This laid a heavy burden on the shoulders of his suffering mother who had two crippled children and a shop to manage. In three years she too became seriously ill, this time with broncopneumonia. On Thursday May 19th, 1873, she died.
It did not take his father long to remarry and by the end of 1874 Joseph had a new stepmother and step-siblings. To his dismay Joseph was rejected by his new family and was forced to look for work, eventually getting a job at a cigar factory. After two years he became a door-to-door hawker. When he spent all his wages on food for himself, he was severely beaten by his father and turned out onto the streets for good. He found refuge with his uncle Charles, a barber, the only member of his family who still gave him any consideration. But even this fell apart when Joseph couldn't keep up with his work and failed to have his hawking license renewed. Joseph knew his uncle couldn't afford to keep him on, so in the last days of 1879 he had no choice but to enter the Leicester Union Workhouse. Seeing his deformities the authorities had no hesitation in allowing him shelter. He was on his own from now on.
A Way Out
Life in the workhouse was a nightmare. After four years Joseph was desperate to find a way out. The only thing to have broken the monotony was an operation to remove the fleshy snout which had become too large. In his despair he wrote to a local showman, Sam Torr, asking to take him on as an exhibit. After a meeting, Mr Torr agreed to the request and Joseph joined him on a tour of the country. The 'Elephant Man' was born.
The arrangement with Torr eventually led to Joseph joining up with a man named Tom Norman, an exhibitor of London. It became a fruitful partnership for both, and for the first time in many years Joseph was given comfort and a decent wage to live on. He settled into exhibition life in a shop in the Whitechapel area, near the London Hospital. This location attracted a lot of interest from doctors who were keen to see the freak of nature. By now Merrick's condition had enhanced greatly: his head was huge, he had large boils and lumpy skin. His right arm was nothing more than an oversized club, and the same could be said about his legs and feet. All that was normal was his left arm, which had a feminine look to it.
One such doctor that came to see him was Frederick Treves. He arranged a private viewing for a small fee, and being horrified but intrigued by what he saw, managed to convince Tom Norman to allow Joseph an examination at the nearby hospital. Treves, a gifted young surgeon, examined him a few times, but the next request was turned down. Joseph was angered at being stripped naked and shown to Treves' colleagues. This was the last Treves would see of Joseph for some time.
End Of The Show
By 1885 public opinion was changing. Freakshows were no longer considered morally acceptable, and the police were obliged to close them down. This meant the end of the show for Joseph in Britain. While he had no problem exhibiting himself, the masses decided they knew better. It was degrading, a disgrace to human dignity, they said. So Joseph would have to give up his only means of making a decent wage, a time which had so far been the happiest period of his life. In a last attempt to continue working, he went to exhibit in Belgium with a Mr. Ferrari. It failed, the distaste for freakshows becoming as apparent in Europe as it had in Britain.
Elephant Man In June of 1886 Joseph was abandoned by Ferrari in Brussels. To compound his misery, Ferrari also stole his savings of 50 pounds. After pawning his few possessions, he managed to scrape together enough money to get back to London. A blow to Joseph came when he was refused passage on a boat by the appalled Captain, who said his horrid appearance would scare the passengers. He did eventually get to Britain, but by the time he arrived at Liverpool Street Station, London, he was mentally and physically exhausted. He collapsed, surrounded by curious onlookers, and handed a card to an assisting policeman. The card was that of Frederick Treves, The London Hospital.
A New Beginning
Joseph was initially put into one of the isolation rooms usually reserved for cases of contagious disease. With the help of Treves and the hospital staff he slowly regained his strength. Joseph suffered from an incurable condition so he would not be allowed to stay at the hospital after he had recovered as much as he was likely to. After five months it seemed that he would again be turned onto the streets. A publicity campaign was sparked on his behalf, including a famous letter to The Times by the hospital chairman Carl Gomm. This helped convince the hospital committee to accept Joseph as a permanent resident, a unique occurrence. The Elephant Man had a new home.
Two rooms of the hospital basement, known as Bedstead Square, were specially converted for Joseph's personal living space. The larger of the rooms became a bed-sitting room containing a table, chairs, fireplace, a specially built armchair, and a bed. The bed had to be set up in such a way as to account for Joseph's strange way of sleeping. Because his head was so big, it would cause suffocation for him to lie on his back, so he slept crouched over with his hands and head on his knees. The smaller room became a bathroom. No mirrors were allowed in either. Joseph was astonished with his new home, and spoke of his gratitude often. It was the stable environment he had been longing for all his life.
The Last Years
Only at the age of 23 could Joseph begin to enjoy life in a reasonably normal way. Treves kept up a close relationship with him, as both surgeon and friend. He learned to understand Joseph's obscured way of speaking and they enjoyed long conversations. It happened that beneath the horrific exterior, there lay an intelligent and sensitive young man who loved to read and to talk. To prevent him from feeling too isolated Treves would introduce him to friends and acquaintances. He met many people of high society, including members of the royal family, and exchanged letters with them. Among his possessions he could boast signed portraits of famous actress Madge Kendal, and Princess Alexandra. It became a cult among friends of the Princess to visit the Elephant Man in his hospital home. People would remark on what a nice character he had. There was not a trace of bitterness in him.
Joseph particularly enjoyed building models and baskets, which he would give to members of the hospital, and to friends. He had a wonderful time when he visited the theatre to watch a production of 'Puss in Boots', and in the later years he spent time on holiday in the country, walking through the fields and sitting in the woods. He also regularly attended service at the chapel.
His condition was all the time deteriorating, and it was known that he would not live much longer. His heart was weakening and his strength fading. He had to walk with a stick on account of his damaged hip. One thing that didn't fade, however, was his spirit. He remained content with his life, grateful for everything that had been done for him.
Joseph died suddenly on April 6th, 1890, at the age of 27. His body was discovered at around three o'clock when the house surgeon came to see him. He was lying across his bed, his neck having become dislocated by the immense weight of his head. Joseph had often spoken of wanting to sleep like normal people, and perhaps he was trying to do so. After his death his body was dissected and his bones still stand in the private museum at the London Hospital, along with casts made, and some of his possessions.
The Elephant Man
Joseph Merrick was described by many as the most degraded example of humanity they had ever seen. Almost all of his body was affected by deformity. His skull was a massive 32 inches in diameter and covered by huge lumps of bone and skin. The right arm was three times the size of the unaffected left, and basically useless. The legs and feet were like the right arm. All over his body, especially his torso, skin hung loose and had a rough feel to it. He was also short, only about 5'2" in height. In a perverse irony, the genitals remained entirely unaffected.
At the time a few theories were made as to what was wrong with Joseph, although no real conclusion has ever been made. An exaggerated case of neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder of the skin, was considered a strong possibility. Proteus Syndrome, involving an overgrowth of bodily tissues and bone disorder, is a more recent theory. With the advancement of genetic science it should one day be possible to say conclusively what the problem was.
Frederick Treves went on to have one of the most distinguished careers in medical history, including saving the life of the king by operating on his appendix the day before he was to be crowned. There is no doubt that the arrival of the Elephant Man helped his career considerably, although this is not to say that Treves took advantage of Merrick, or that he didn't possess the talent to reach such heights. In his final book before he died, The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences, Treves wrote an account of his time with Merrick, although he chose to call him John rather than Joseph (this led to him being called John Merrick in the film The Elephant Man directed by David Lynch). In this book is an apt summary by Treves:
A Way Out
Life in the workhouse was a nightmare. After four years Joseph was desperate to find a way out. The only thing to have broken the monotony was an operation to remove the fleshy snout which had become too large. In his despair he wrote to a local showman, Sam Torr, asking to take him on as an exhibit. After a meeting, Mr Torr agreed to the request and Joseph joined him on a tour of the country. The 'Elephant Man' was born.
The arrangement with Torr eventually led to Joseph joining up with a man named Tom Norman, an exhibitor of London. It became a fruitful partnership for both, and for the first time in many years Joseph was given comfort and a decent wage to live on. He settled into exhibition life in a shop in the Whitechapel area, near the London Hospital. This location attracted a lot of interest from doctors who were keen to see the freak of nature. By now Merrick's condition had enhanced greatly: his head was huge, he had large boils and lumpy skin. His right arm was nothing more than an oversized club, and the same could be said about his legs and feet. All that was normal was his left arm, which had a feminine look to it.
One such doctor that came to see him was Frederick Treves. He arranged a private viewing for a small fee, and being horrified but intrigued by what he saw, managed to convince Tom Norman to allow Joseph an examination at the nearby hospital. Treves, a gifted young surgeon, examined him a few times, but the next request was turned down. Joseph was angered at being stripped naked and shown to Treves' colleagues. This was the last Treves would see of Joseph for some time.
End Of The Show
By 1885 public opinion was changing. Freakshows were no longer considered morally acceptable, and the police were obliged to close them down. This meant the end of the show for Joseph in Britain. While he had no problem exhibiting himself, the masses decided they knew better. It was degrading, a disgrace to human dignity, they said. So Joseph would have to give up his only means of making a decent wage, a time which had so far been the happiest period of his life. In a last attempt to continue working, he went to exhibit in Belgium with a Mr. Ferrari. It failed, the distaste for freakshows becoming as apparent in Europe as it had in Britain.
Elephant Man In June of 1886 Joseph was abandoned by Ferrari in Brussels. To compound his misery, Ferrari also stole his savings of 50 pounds. After pawning his few possessions, he managed to scrape together enough money to get back to London. A blow to Joseph came when he was refused passage on a boat by the appalled Captain, who said his horrid appearance would scare the passengers. He did eventually get to Britain, but by the time he arrived at Liverpool Street Station, London, he was mentally and physically exhausted. He collapsed, surrounded by curious onlookers, and handed a card to an assisting policeman. The card was that of Frederick Treves, The London Hospital.
A New Beginning
Joseph was initially put into one of the isolation rooms usually reserved for cases of contagious disease. With the help of Treves and the hospital staff he slowly regained his strength. Joseph suffered from an incurable condition so he would not be allowed to stay at the hospital after he had recovered as much as he was likely to. After five months it seemed that he would again be turned onto the streets. A publicity campaign was sparked on his behalf, including a famous letter to The Times by the hospital chairman Carl Gomm. This helped convince the hospital committee to accept Joseph as a permanent resident, a unique occurrence. The Elephant Man had a new home.
Two rooms of the hospital basement, known as Bedstead Square, were specially converted for Joseph's personal living space. The larger of the rooms became a bed-sitting room containing a table, chairs, fireplace, a specially built armchair, and a bed. The bed had to be set up in such a way as to account for Joseph's strange way of sleeping. Because his head was so big, it would cause suffocation for him to lie on his back, so he slept crouched over with his hands and head on his knees. The smaller room became a bathroom. No mirrors were allowed in either. Joseph was astonished with his new home, and spoke of his gratitude often. It was the stable environment he had been longing for all his life.
The Last Years
Only at the age of 23 could Joseph begin to enjoy life in a reasonably normal way. Treves kept up a close relationship with him, as both surgeon and friend. He learned to understand Joseph's obscured way of speaking and they enjoyed long conversations. It happened that beneath the horrific exterior, there lay an intelligent and sensitive young man who loved to read and to talk. To prevent him from feeling too isolated Treves would introduce him to friends and acquaintances. He met many people of high society, including members of the royal family, and exchanged letters with them. Among his possessions he could boast signed portraits of famous actress Madge Kendal, and Princess Alexandra. It became a cult among friends of the Princess to visit the Elephant Man in his hospital home. People would remark on what a nice character he had. There was not a trace of bitterness in him.
Joseph particularly enjoyed building models and baskets, which he would give to members of the hospital, and to friends. He had a wonderful time when he visited the theatre to watch a production of 'Puss in Boots', and in the later years he spent time on holiday in the country, walking through the fields and sitting in the woods. He also regularly attended service at the chapel.
His condition was all the time deteriorating, and it was known that he would not live much longer. His heart was weakening and his strength fading. He had to walk with a stick on account of his damaged hip. One thing that didn't fade, however, was his spirit. He remained content with his life, grateful for everything that had been done for him.
Joseph died suddenly on April 6th, 1890, at the age of 27. His body was discovered at around three o'clock when the house surgeon came to see him. He was lying across his bed, his neck having become dislocated by the immense weight of his head. Joseph had often spoken of wanting to sleep like normal people, and perhaps he was trying to do so. After his death his body was dissected and his bones still stand in the private museum at the London Hospital, along with casts made, and some of his possessions.
The Elephant Man
Joseph Merrick was described by many as the most degraded example of humanity they had ever seen. Almost all of his body was affected by deformity. His skull was a massive 32 inches in diameter and covered by huge lumps of bone and skin. The right arm was three times the size of the unaffected left, and basically useless. The legs and feet were like the right arm. All over his body, especially his torso, skin hung loose and had a rough feel to it. He was also short, only about 5'2" in height. In a perverse irony, the genitals remained entirely unaffected.
At the time a few theories were made as to what was wrong with Joseph, although no real conclusion has ever been made. An exaggerated case of neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder of the skin, was considered a strong possibility. Proteus Syndrome, involving an overgrowth of bodily tissues and bone disorder, is a more recent theory. With the advancement of genetic science it should one day be possible to say conclusively what the problem was.
Frederick Treves went on to have one of the most distinguished careers in medical history, including saving the life of the king by operating on his appendix the day before he was to be crowned. There is no doubt that the arrival of the Elephant Man helped his career considerably, although this is not to say that Treves took advantage of Merrick, or that he didn't possess the talent to reach such heights. In his final book before he died, The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences, Treves wrote an account of his time with Merrick, although he chose to call him John rather than Joseph (this led to him being called John Merrick in the film The Elephant Man directed by David Lynch). In this book is an apt summary by Treves:
Skull and skeleton of Joseph Merrick.
CT scan of Joseph Merrick's skull.
As a specimen of humanity, Merrick was ignoble and repulsive; but the spirit of Merrick, if it could have been in the form of the living, would assume the figure of an upstanding and heroic man, smooth browed and clean of limb, and with eyes that flashed undaunted courage.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Countess Elizabeth Bathory - The Most Cruel Woman Throughout History
Eastern European history is rife with nobility whose propensity for carnage, cruelty, and bloodshed are unequalled. Even some, like Countess Elizabeth Bathory, were rumored to be vampires. Her heinous crimes, when finally revealed, included torture, murder, and alleged blood drinking.
Born in 1560, “Erzebet” (Elizabeth) Bathory was a child of wealth and privilege whose closest relatives became cardinals, prime ministers, and kings. Unfortunately, other members of her large family tree
also dabbled in the black arts, diabolism, lesbianism, and habitual promiscuity. Supposedly, none of these “pastimes” were kept secret from the impressionable Elizabeth while growing up. Her renowned beauty and stature made her a valuable commodity for political alliances. By age 11, she was betrothed, and at age 15 she married Count Ferencz Nadasdy, a nobleman of equal stature. Nadasdy had earned a reputation as a fierce warrior and was more commonly known as “The Black Hero of Hungary.” As soon as they were married
, the Count whisked away his bride to northern Hungary and to Elizabeth’s new home, the isolated fortress of Castle Csejthe located deep in the Carpathian Mountains. The valleys around the castle were rich farmlands worked by superstitious peasants. What little entertainment or diversion there was could be found below in the tiny village of Csejthe.
Elizabeth was by no means impressed with her married life and her utter isolation, nor did her new husband help ease her boredom. Nadasdy stayed with her only long enough to ensure his line would continue and then once again rode off to war. Over the years, between her husband
’s sporadic visits and giving birth to 4 children, Elizabeth established herself as a cruel mistress. She seemed to enjoy the fact that the peasants were afraid of her and her hair-trigger temper. She relieved her boredom by taking countless lovers, one of whom the villagers believed was a vampire because of his slimness, pale complexion, and very sharp-looking teeth. His sudden and complete disappearance only confirmed the locals’ dark suspicions, and they became even more careful not to anger the Countess. Elizabeth’s other extracurricular activities included beating
and torturing her young female servants, first using cruel methods learned from her lesbian aunt and then with various torture devices her husband had discarded in the dungeons of Castle Csejthe. She also gathered around her loyal retainers, servants, her own trusted nurse, and various practitioners of the black arts. She and her enclave became avid students of witchcraft.
Elizabeth had always been a vain and self-centered child, and she treasured and protected her natural beauty. By her mid-twenties it was becoming evident that her looks were beginning to fade. Her temper turned even more unpredictable, and her acts of cruelty toward her female servants escalated. Young girls were dragged into the dungeons and mercilessly and sometimes ritualistically tortured. No one dared speak to protect any of the servant girls for fear of also being brutalized by the Countess.
By 1600 Elizabeth’s husband was dead, and she became the true mistress of her isolated domain. Once she’d divested herself of her children, who were sent to relatives, and her mother-in-law, the Countess was even freer to do as she pleased. It was around this time that she supposedly acquired her taste for blood. Elizabeth was now in her early 40s and desperate to find a way to stay young. So far, none of her dark rituals had been successful in restoring her fading beauty. One day Elizabeth’s latest maid somehow angered her and in a fit of fury, the Countless struck the unfortunate girl across the face. Blood poured from the maid’s nose and spattered Elizabeth’s hand. After wiping it away, she was sure her flesh looked smoother. Not wasting a single moment, she ordered her manservant to kill the maid and drain her blood into a tub so Elizabeth could wash with it.
Elizabeth soon ordered more unmarried maidens to be brought to the dungeons. For the next 10 years, her loyal accomplices did just that under the pretext of securing the peasant girls’ good jobs. They also assisted their mistress in the gruesome methods she used to extract their blood and then in the dead of night took the dead girls’ bodies away for burial. But the supply of young virgins didn’t last forever. Desperate, Elizabeth and her henchmen devised a new way to bring fresh blood to her mountain hideaway. Aristocratic families were always looking for tutors to train their daughters in etiquette and good manners. The Countess Bathory, whose lineage was long and impeccable, was the perfect choice. It didn’t take long for Elizabeth to acquire her next batch of victims.
Born in 1560, “Erzebet” (Elizabeth) Bathory was a child of wealth and privilege whose closest relatives became cardinals, prime ministers, and kings. Unfortunately, other members of her large family tree
also dabbled in the black arts, diabolism, lesbianism, and habitual promiscuity. Supposedly, none of these “pastimes” were kept secret from the impressionable Elizabeth while growing up. Her renowned beauty and stature made her a valuable commodity for political alliances. By age 11, she was betrothed, and at age 15 she married Count Ferencz Nadasdy, a nobleman of equal stature. Nadasdy had earned a reputation as a fierce warrior and was more commonly known as “The Black Hero of Hungary.” As soon as they were married
, the Count whisked away his bride to northern Hungary and to Elizabeth’s new home, the isolated fortress of Castle Csejthe located deep in the Carpathian Mountains. The valleys around the castle were rich farmlands worked by superstitious peasants. What little entertainment or diversion there was could be found below in the tiny village of Csejthe.
Elizabeth was by no means impressed with her married life and her utter isolation, nor did her new husband help ease her boredom. Nadasdy stayed with her only long enough to ensure his line would continue and then once again rode off to war. Over the years, between her husband
’s sporadic visits and giving birth to 4 children, Elizabeth established herself as a cruel mistress. She seemed to enjoy the fact that the peasants were afraid of her and her hair-trigger temper. She relieved her boredom by taking countless lovers, one of whom the villagers believed was a vampire because of his slimness, pale complexion, and very sharp-looking teeth. His sudden and complete disappearance only confirmed the locals’ dark suspicions, and they became even more careful not to anger the Countess. Elizabeth’s other extracurricular activities included beating
and torturing her young female servants, first using cruel methods learned from her lesbian aunt and then with various torture devices her husband had discarded in the dungeons of Castle Csejthe. She also gathered around her loyal retainers, servants, her own trusted nurse, and various practitioners of the black arts. She and her enclave became avid students of witchcraft.
Elizabeth had always been a vain and self-centered child, and she treasured and protected her natural beauty. By her mid-twenties it was becoming evident that her looks were beginning to fade. Her temper turned even more unpredictable, and her acts of cruelty toward her female servants escalated. Young girls were dragged into the dungeons and mercilessly and sometimes ritualistically tortured. No one dared speak to protect any of the servant girls for fear of also being brutalized by the Countess.
By 1600 Elizabeth’s husband was dead, and she became the true mistress of her isolated domain. Once she’d divested herself of her children, who were sent to relatives, and her mother-in-law, the Countess was even freer to do as she pleased. It was around this time that she supposedly acquired her taste for blood. Elizabeth was now in her early 40s and desperate to find a way to stay young. So far, none of her dark rituals had been successful in restoring her fading beauty. One day Elizabeth’s latest maid somehow angered her and in a fit of fury, the Countless struck the unfortunate girl across the face. Blood poured from the maid’s nose and spattered Elizabeth’s hand. After wiping it away, she was sure her flesh looked smoother. Not wasting a single moment, she ordered her manservant to kill the maid and drain her blood into a tub so Elizabeth could wash with it.
Elizabeth soon ordered more unmarried maidens to be brought to the dungeons. For the next 10 years, her loyal accomplices did just that under the pretext of securing the peasant girls’ good jobs. They also assisted their mistress in the gruesome methods she used to extract their blood and then in the dead of night took the dead girls’ bodies away for burial. But the supply of young virgins didn’t last forever. Desperate, Elizabeth and her henchmen devised a new way to bring fresh blood to her mountain hideaway. Aristocratic families were always looking for tutors to train their daughters in etiquette and good manners. The Countess Bathory, whose lineage was long and impeccable, was the perfect choice. It didn’t take long for Elizabeth to acquire her next batch of victims.
When peasant girls disappeared without a trace, no one asked too many questions and excuses were manufactured. But when aristocratic young women went missing, it didn’t take long for the families’ suspicions to soar. Elizabeth’s growing carelessness only made it easier for authorities to wonder what was really going on at Castle Csejthe. Instead of burial, she and her henchman simply began tossing the drained bodies of the young girls out for the wolves. It didn’t take long for someone to stumble over the gruesome remains. News of Elizabeth’s atrocities soon reached King Matthias II. Count Gyorgy Thurzo, a close relative of the Countess, was immediately ordered to investigate.
On the night of December 30, 1610, Thurzo and his soldiers came upon a scene that made their own blood run cold: half a dozen dead or dying young women, all of them gruesomely tortured. Dozens more bodies were found in and around the castle. Elizabeth and her band of accomplices were immediately put under arrest. All except one were tried and executed, a few of them in ways that befitted the horrific magnitude of what they had done.
Elizabeth herself could not go to trial, let alone be executed. Under Hungarian law it was illegal to try or condemn a citizen of noble birth. Determined to keep the Countess from walking away from the murder of over 600 young women, Parliament passed an interim law and sentenced her to be sealed alive in a tiny tower room in Castle Csejthe. Her only human contact was from the guards who passed her food through a narrow slot in the padlocked door. Four years later, one of her jailers caught a glimpse of her body lying prostrate on the floor. Bloody Countess Elizabeth Bathory was dead at the age of 54. Not once during her confinement did she ever speak a word of remorse for the horrible crimes she’d committed.
Written by Martina Bexter
Erzsébet original, according to McNally
More Facts:
Amongst her numerous acts and tortures, the accusation that Bathory drained the blood of her victims and bathed in it was what earned her the title of a vampire. It is also noted that she occasionally bit the flesh of the girls during their torture. It is said that the reason Bathory bathed in blood was to retain her youthful looks and beauty, and she was, by all accounts, a most attractive woman.
All records of Elizabeth were sealed for more than a century, and her name was forbidden to be spoken in Hungarian society.
Unlike most females of the time, Elizabeth was well educated and her intelligence surpassed even some of the men of her time. Elizabeth was exceptional, becoming "fluent in Hungarian, Latin, and German... when most Hungarian nobles could not even spell or write... Even the ruling prince of Transylvania at the time was barely literate." Some modern scholars and contemporaries of hers postulated that she may have been insane, thus accounting for her seemingly inconceivable atrocities, but even a brief glance into her past reveals a person fully in control of her faculties.
Dracula, created by the Irish author Bram Stoker, was based, albeit loosely, on the Romanian Prince, Vlad Dracula, the Impaler. Raymond T. McNally, who has written four books on the figure of Dracula in history, literature, and vampirism, in his fifth book, Dracula was a Woman, presents insights into the fact that Stoker's Count Dracula was also strongly influenced by the legends of Elizabeth Bathory of Hungary. Why, for example, make a Romanian Prince into a Hungarian Count? Why, if there are no accounts of Vlad Dracula drinking human blood, does blood drinking consume the Dracula of Stoker's novel, who, contrary to established vampire myth, seems to appear younger after doing so? The answers, of course, lie in examining the story of Countess Elizabeth Bathory.
It was largely Slovak servants whom Elizabeth killed, so the name "Csejthe" is only spoken in derision, and she is still called "The Hungarian Whore" in the area.
Amongst her numerous acts and tortures, the accusation that Bathory drained the blood of her victims and bathed in it was what earned her the title of a vampire. It is also noted that she occasionally bit the flesh of the girls during their torture. It is said that the reason Bathory bathed in blood was to retain her youthful looks and beauty, and she was, by all accounts, a most attractive woman.
All records of Elizabeth were sealed for more than a century, and her name was forbidden to be spoken in Hungarian society.
Unlike most females of the time, Elizabeth was well educated and her intelligence surpassed even some of the men of her time. Elizabeth was exceptional, becoming "fluent in Hungarian, Latin, and German... when most Hungarian nobles could not even spell or write... Even the ruling prince of Transylvania at the time was barely literate." Some modern scholars and contemporaries of hers postulated that she may have been insane, thus accounting for her seemingly inconceivable atrocities, but even a brief glance into her past reveals a person fully in control of her faculties.
Dracula, created by the Irish author Bram Stoker, was based, albeit loosely, on the Romanian Prince, Vlad Dracula, the Impaler. Raymond T. McNally, who has written four books on the figure of Dracula in history, literature, and vampirism, in his fifth book, Dracula was a Woman, presents insights into the fact that Stoker's Count Dracula was also strongly influenced by the legends of Elizabeth Bathory of Hungary. Why, for example, make a Romanian Prince into a Hungarian Count? Why, if there are no accounts of Vlad Dracula drinking human blood, does blood drinking consume the Dracula of Stoker's novel, who, contrary to established vampire myth, seems to appear younger after doing so? The answers, of course, lie in examining the story of Countess Elizabeth Bathory.
It was largely Slovak servants whom Elizabeth killed, so the name "Csejthe" is only spoken in derision, and she is still called "The Hungarian Whore" in the area.
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