Showing posts with label story. Show all posts
Showing posts with label story. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Ancient Irish Were the First Known to Mark an Eclipse in Stone
More than 5,000 years ago people in Ireland carved a representation of an eclipse into three stones at a megalithic monument—the first known recording of a solar eclipse, scholars say. Researchers have further noted that the sun shines into a chamber of this monument in County Meath on the later ancient Celtic festivals of Samhain and Imbolc.
IrishCentral reports:
Our ancient Irish ancestors carved images of an ancient eclipse into giant stones over 5,000 years ago, on November 30, 3340 BC to be exact. This is the oldest known recorded solar eclipse in history. The illustrations are found on the Stone Age “Cairn L,” on Carbane West, at Loughcrew, outside Kells, in County Meath. The landscape of rolling hills is littered with Neolithic monuments. Some say that originally there were at least 40 to 50 monuments, but others say the figure was more like 100.
“Cairn L” received a mention in Astronomy Ireland’s article: “Irish Recorded Oldest Known Eclipse 5355 Years Ago.” They write that the Irish Neolithic astronomer priests recorded the events on three stones relating to the eclipse, as seen from that location.
Researchers Jack Roberts and Martin Brennan found the sun illuminates a chamber in the monuments on November 1 and February 2, the cross-quarter days, which marked dates halfway between solstices and equinoxes.
A solar eclipse, May 20, 2012 (Photo by Brocken Inaglory/Wikimedia Commons)
November 1 is the end of summer, which is what Samhain means. The ancient Celts, who came later than the people who made the eclipse carving, considered Samhain the beginning of winter. Christians call it All Saints Day.
- Ancient Myths and Legends Served to Explain the Startling Phenomenon of Solar Eclipse
- Does Oldest Written Text Reveal a 30,000 year old Cult that Worshipped the Prediction of Eclipses?
- Do the ancient stone walls of Saksaywaman in Peru contain hidden communication?
February 2, or Imbolc, is midway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It was later celebrated by Christians as Candlemas and in Ireland as St. Brigit's Day. The Celts called it the Festival of Lights and lit every candle and lamp in the house to commemorate the rebirth of the sun. Christians too celebrated February 2 with lights. On that day candles were lit in churches to celebrate the presentation of Jesus Christ in the Jerusalem temple.
The Irish called it Imbolc (“lamb's milk”) because it was when lambing season started.
“It was also called Brigantia for the Celtic female deity of light, calling attention to the Sun's being halfway on its advance from the winter solstice to the spring equinox,” Alamanac.com explains.
Angels take St. Bride or Brigit, a Catholicized ancient Celtic goddess of light, to Bethlehem to foster the Christ child, John Duncan (Sofi/Flickr)
Imbolc is also called Brigit's Day. Brigit means The Bright One. This sun goddess, later subsumed into the Catholic roster of saints, presided over the forge and hearth, crops, livestock and nature and also inspired skills of sacred arts and crafts, according to Celticatlanta.com.
Irish Central reports that many people believe the Celts invented the Festival of Lights to welcome the eclipse. They are also believed to have predicted when the eclipse would happen.
Brennan and Roberts noted the sun may not have shown into the chamber on Samhain and Imbolc when the Celts built it in 3340 BC.
In addition, Brennan and Roberts observed full moonlight illuminating the end of the cairn, where light shone on a cup mark on the endstone on August 26, 1980. Then, as the light moved across the chamber, it illuminated the bottom of the Whispering Stone.
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
The true story and mystery of Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp
The Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp (also known as the Lizard Man of Lee County) is a reptilian humanoid cryptid which is said to inhabit areas of swampland in and around Lee County, South Carolina along with the sewers in towns near the swamp.
First sighting
The first reported sighting of the horrifying lizard creature was made by Christopher Davis, a 17-year-old local, who said he encountered the creature while driving home from work at 2 AM on June 29, 1988.
According to his account, Davis stopped on a road bordering Scape Ore Swamp in order to change a tire which had blown out. When he was finishing up he reported having heard a thumping noise from behind him and having turned around to see a large 7 foot tall creature running towards him.
Davis said the creature tried to grab at the car and then jumped on its roof as he tried to escape, clinging on to it as Davis swerved from side to side in an effort to throw it off.
After he returned home, Davis’ side-view-mirror was found to be badly damaged, and scratch marks were found on the car’s roof, though there was no other physical evidence of his encounter.
Another Car attacked
Prior to Chris Davis coming forward to report his encounter, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office was called to the scene of a strange instance of vehicle damage. On the morning of July 14, 1988, deputies made their way to the residence, which was located in a small rural community known as Browntown on the outskirts of Bishopville, South Carolina.
When they arrived, homeowners Tom and Mary Waye showed them the vehicle in question. Police found that the chrome molding had been torn away from the fenders, the sidewalls were scratched and dented, the hood ornament was broken, the antenna was bent, and even some wires from the motor had been ripped out. Upon closer inspection, it appeared that parts of the molding had actually been chewed, as if an animal had used its teeth to inflict the damage.
The Sheriff reports on the monster
To further support the animal theory, the Wayes pointed out clumps of reddish colored hair and muddy footprints that had been left all over the car. While Sheriff Truesdale was investigating the car, locals informed him there might yet be another, more bizarre possibility.
“While we were there looking over this situation, we learned that people in the Browntown community had been seeing a strange creature about seven feet tall with red eyes,” Truesdale told us. “Some of them described it as green, but some of them as brown. They thought it might be responsible for what happened.
More sightings
In the month that followed the Davis sighting there were several further reports of a large lizard like creature, and of unusual scratches and bite marks found on cars parked close to the swamp.
Most of these are said to have occurred within a 3-mile (5 km) radius of the swamps of Bishopville.
Two weeks after the Davis sighting, the sheriff’s department made several plaster casts of what appeared to be three-toed footprints – measuring some 14 inches (36 cm) in length – but decided against sending them on to the FBI for further analysis after biologists advised them that they were unclassifiable.
On July 30, 1990, Bertha Blythers and her five children witnessed a strange creature near Scape Ore Swamp as they drove home from a restaurant in Bishopville. At approximately 10:30 p.m., they crossed over the interstate and were nearing the intersection of Hickory Hill Road when suddenly a large figure appeared out of nowhere and lunged toward the passenger side of the car. In a statement given to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Bertha described the creature as being tall, wide, and having “two arms like a human.” She could only see it from the waist up, but there was no question that it was “big.” She was not able to make out any clear facial details in the short time it was in front of her, but she was quite sure the body was covered in brown hair. “I never seen anything like it before,” she told the police. “It wasn’t a deer or a bear. It was definitely not a person either
Return of the Lizard Man
In February 2008, a couple in Bishopville, South Carolina, Bob and Dixie Rawson, reported strange damage to their vehicle, traces of blood, and the disappearance of some of their cats. Based on how the damage looks, some have claimed that this is the “return” of the Lizard Man
In 2011, Bishopville, South Carolina residents, Leon and Ada Marshall, reported that their car had been mauled by some kind of animal. Former Lee County Sheriff stated that the damage on the car looks much like the damage from earlier incidents. Deputy Fletcher Williams inspected the car and surmised that teeth were responsible for the damage, as if the car had been “chewed up.”
To further suggest that an animal had been the vandal, a clear trail of saliva was visible from “the front passenger door across the front of the vehicle to the driver door” and on the discarded strips of bumper material. He also found long white and brown hairs.
Monday, July 27, 2015
Letta The Haunted Gypsy Doll - Unexplained Mysteries
In 1972, Kerry Walton decided to face a childhood fear by visiting an abandoned building that had scared him for years. While there, he discovered an old marionette underneath the porch. He decided to take it home with him, and he still owns it to this day. Some people believe that the doll was made 200 years ago by a Romanian gypsy for his son who had drowned. It is believed that the soul of the gypsy's son now lives in this doll. The doll was given the name Letta, or Ledda, due to his European gypsy heritage. The doll moves on its own, changes positions while seated, and is said to emit a pulse while held. It has been known to rain whenever the doll is taken outside. Hanging pictures slide off the wall when the doll enters a room. The doll has real human hair. Underneath the scalp is a likeness of a human brain. Animals often try to attack the doll whenever they come into contact with it. People have said they feel fear or sadness when they see the doll.
A two-hundred-year-old doll discovered under a house in a small country town is believed to be possessed. Mr. Walton, who discovered the doll in 1972, believes the strange mannequin is possessed by the spirit of a young boy who drowned over two-hundred-years ago in Europe.
He also claims the effigy:
- Creates rain whenever it is taken outside
- Moves its head Makes pictures fall from walls
- Sends dogs vicious
- Arouses sudden terror in humans
The supernatural saga began more than thirty-years-ago when Mr. Walton – returning to his birthplace for his grandmother’s funeral – decided to put aside his childhood fear of an old haunted house. An avid collector of old bottles, he crawled beneath the ancient floorboards of the long deserted dwelling, and with torch in hand – spat aside dust and cobwebs in search of antique glass treasures. Suddenly, the torch swept across a face – a face that made his blood run cold. ‘What I found was something that looked like a dead child,’ Mr. Walton explained. ‘I jumped in fright and almost knocked myself out when my head whacked a floor beam.’ Avoiding its gaze, Mr. Walton inched closer and discovered the object was in fact a hideous doll. ‘Its clothes turned to dust in my hands,’ he said. ‘What I can’t understand is the house had been flooded many times over the years, so why weren’t the clothes washed away?’
Strange, but even more unusual was the sudden demolition of the abandoned house less than a month after the doll was removed. ‘The house had been standing there for over a hundred-years and suddenly it was pulled down,’ Mr. Walton said. ‘It was almost as if the doll knew what was about to happen and directed my actions. I found that very weird.’ But perhaps the most inexplicable aspect of the find was the presence of a real brain within the doll. ‘When one lifts up the top of the doll’s head – there’s a brain,’ Walton said. ‘It looks something like the color of wet newspaper.’
After placing the doll in a sack and loading it into his van, Walton and his brother set out for the long journey home. ‘I was dozing in the passenger seat when my brother nudged me awake and said the doll was making noises. I listened carefully, and could hear the bag rustling in the compartment behind us. My brother was really shaken, and I had to take over the driving, even though I was just as nervous.’ - See more at:
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The next shock came when Walton arrived home and his normally placid corgi turned savage the moment he saw the doll. Then his relatives told him they felt repulsed by the figure – ‘the way its eyes are on you all the time,’ one of them stated. Walton’s children played with the doll during the day, but when it was left in their room one night they woke screaming and he was forced to store the effigy beneath the house. For nearly five-years that’s where the doll remained, until he decided to take it to a
It began to rain heavily when the doll was placed in the car. Chillingly, Walton would soon learn this would happen whenever he took the mannequin out in public. In Sydney, excited museum experts told him the doll was between 170 and 250 years-old, the work of a Romanian gypsy craftsman. Gypsies of that time believed strongly in spirit transference and creating dolls through which a human soul could take sanctuary after death. Learning the age and rarity of the object, Walton thought it might generate a good price, and advertised the doll for sale. Receiving a generous offer, he loaded the doll into his vehicle – in the rain – and set out for the buyer’s residence, but upon arriving couldn’t get out of the car. ‘I was glued to my seat. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t move.’
As if sensing Walton’s money woes, the doll quickly became a talk-show celebrity. And on one occasion, the host of a daytime program arranged a consultation between the doll and a highly regarded psychic. ‘When the doll arrived at my office (in the rain) a painting immediately fell from the wall and the clock stopped,’ the psychic said. ‘The camera crew organized themselves and I placed the doll on my lap. Then, ever so slowly, the doll moved its head. ‘You could hear the wood creaking as it turned and looked directly at the camera. One of the cameramen went deathly-white and fled out the backdoor. The entire event was broadcast to thousands of viewers. ‘As I tuned into the doll, I discovered the soul of a six-year-old boy was trapped within the wooden vessel. The child had drowned during a storm in an isolated area of Romania.
His father, overcome with grief, fashioned a life-size figure in readiness for the ceremony of soul transference. ‘The child has been imprisoned for centuries. He’s confused and frightened,’ the psychic told her television audience. ‘The doll was brought to Australia by an immigrant, and stored beneath a house.’ When a national magazine ran a story about the doll and the psychic’s revelations, a group of American paranormal investigators travelled to Australia to conduct a séance – and the effigy unexpectedly spoke through them, and confirmed everything the local psychic had stated. ‘The Americans told me I would never be able to get rid of the doll,’ Walton said. ‘At least that explains why I couldn’t get out of the car.’ Impressed, the Americans desperately wanted to place the doll on the lucrative US talk-show circuit, but Walton refused – agreeing instead to a request by a famous Australian astrologer to conduct national tour. At one show, more than 200 people watched as the rain poured down outside. ‘We had placed the doll on stage and the crowd was beginning to gather around when suddenly a woman started screaming,’ Walton remembered. Then, as the hushed crowd looked on, the doll moved its head. ‘
On rare occasions I have actually seen the doll move myself,’ he said. ‘For a long time I had him sitting in an old rocking-chair upstairs. His arms and legs would move on their own.’ ‘Many times we’ve had tradesmen arrive and they have refused to enter the house, even though they had no idea we owned the doll,’ he added. ‘They just felt an evil presence and refused to come inside.’ Walton’s wife insists the doll also possesses the uncanny ability to alter its physical appearance. ‘Some days I visit him and he looks very sad,’ she said. ‘Other days he seems happy and smiling. ‘I know it sounds weird, but he does change he’s facial expressions.
On rare occasions I have actually seen the doll move myself,’ he said. ‘For a long time I had him sitting in an old rocking-chair upstairs. His arms and legs would move on their own.’ ‘Many times we’ve had tradesmen arrive and they have refused to enter the house, even though they had no idea we owned the doll,’ he added. ‘They just felt an evil presence and refused to come inside.’ Walton’s wife insists the doll also possesses the uncanny ability to alter its physical appearance. ‘Some days I visit him and he looks very sad,’ she said. ‘Other days he seems happy and smiling. ‘I know it sounds weird, but he does change he’s facial expressions.
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Australian legends that will give you the creeps
Building the Sydney Harbour Bridge was a dangerous business with 16 official deaths recorded — and three more mysteriously hushed up, according to this urban legend.
The tale goes that during construction, three contractors fell into the huge pylons and being itinerant workers, their disappearance wasn’t noticed for weeks.
The legend goes that their bodies were too difficult to retrieve and they remain entombed in the pylons today.
The Devil
This one’s a spinechiller. While waiting at Circular Quay for a ferry to take them to Sydney’s Luna Park on June 9, 1979, the Godson family was approached by a Satanic-looking figure dressed in a loin cloth and wearing a mask and a horned headdress.
The creature silently placed his hand on six-year-old Damien’s shoulder and somebody took a photograph.
It was the last ever taken of the boy who hours later died with his four-year-old brother Craig and father John on the Luna Park Ghost Train. Six children and one adult were killed when fire ripped through the ride at 10pm that night.
Conspiracy theories sprang up, but nobody ever saw the bizarre character again.
Underground Secrets
A secret subterranean world exists beneath Sydney where smuggling, kidnapping and other murky activities have been going on since Colonial times.
In Millers Point, there are persistent rumours of underground tunnels connecting pubs to the waterfront, including the convict-built Hero of Waterloo hotel, where a drunk punter could easily find himself ‘shanghaied’ only to wake up.
The shaft of the old tunnel in the cellar at The Hero of Waterloo, Walsh Bay. Picture: Justin Lloyd
Then there’s Lake St James, a mysterious underground water body below the Macquarie St station, where albino eels are said to lurk and secret military training ops are held in the darkness for weeks on end.
