British tycoon, Jimmy Heselden, who purchased the Segway company and was test-driving a "rugged" version of the popular scooter, apparently lost control of the vehicle and careened over a cliff near his home. The 62-year-old philanthropist's body, along with the prototype Segway, were recovered from the River Wharfe on September 27th. The conditions surrounding his death are under investigation, and are unknown at this time.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
The paranormal, the Supernatural, the odd and Unexplained
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Operation: All Clear - The Oklahoma City Bombing
Oklahoma City Bombing The Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995 was alleged to have been carried-out by Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols (alone...
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
17th-Century Letter Bears Unknown Peruvian Language
Beneath the ruins of a collapsed church some 350 miles from Lima, archaeologists uncovered a letter, on the back of which is a list of numbers written in what they believe is a previously-unknown, Peruvian language. Dominican friars lived in the church near Trujillo for nearly two centuries.
The numbers are written in Spanish and translated into the language, which experts say has not been seen nor spoken since the 16th or 17th -Century, but believe is related to Quechua, a language still spoken by millions throughout the Andes. Jeffrey Quilter, an archaeologist at Harvard's Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, believes it may be, or be related to, a Colonial-era language contemporary Spaniards referred to as pescadora. Pescadora was named for the Northern Peruvian fishermen who spoke it, though no written form of the language has ever been found.
The letter was discovered in 2008.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
The numbers are written in Spanish and translated into the language, which experts say has not been seen nor spoken since the 16th or 17th -Century, but believe is related to Quechua, a language still spoken by millions throughout the Andes. Jeffrey Quilter, an archaeologist at Harvard's Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, believes it may be, or be related to, a Colonial-era language contemporary Spaniards referred to as pescadora. Pescadora was named for the Northern Peruvian fishermen who spoke it, though no written form of the language has ever been found.
The letter was discovered in 2008.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Vatican Astronomer Would Baptize ET
Guy Consolmagno, an astronomer at the Vatican observatory told reporters that, if extraterrestrials exist, and wanted to accept the Lord into their lives, he would be happy to baptize them. However, he said the possibility of finding such intelligent life is "astronomical."
"God is bigger than just humanity," Consolmagno said, "Any entity, no matter how many tentacles it has, has a soul." Former Presbyterian minister and author of the book, The Bible and Flying Saucers, Barry Downing, said, "There's no need to worry about baptizing aliens if they show up," as the commandment is restricted to the nations of the Earth, and "We need to face the possibility that this reality -- whatever it is -- might be millions of years ahead of us? And why would we suppose that they would not already have the Holy Spirit and therefore not need to be baptized by the Church?"
The Vatican's former foremost authority on diabolic possession, Corrado Balducci, maintained to his death (in 2008) that extraterrestrial life was a matter of course, as written in the Holy Bible: "As God's power is limitless, it is not only possible but also likely that inhabited planets exist." Balducci, however, seemed to consider ETs dæmonic in nature, though his statements were sometimes confusing on this point; at the very least, Balducci posited that ET life was Supernatural in nature.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
"God is bigger than just humanity," Consolmagno said, "Any entity, no matter how many tentacles it has, has a soul." Former Presbyterian minister and author of the book, The Bible and Flying Saucers, Barry Downing, said, "There's no need to worry about baptizing aliens if they show up," as the commandment is restricted to the nations of the Earth, and "We need to face the possibility that this reality -- whatever it is -- might be millions of years ahead of us? And why would we suppose that they would not already have the Holy Spirit and therefore not need to be baptized by the Church?"
The Vatican's former foremost authority on diabolic possession, Corrado Balducci, maintained to his death (in 2008) that extraterrestrial life was a matter of course, as written in the Holy Bible: "As God's power is limitless, it is not only possible but also likely that inhabited planets exist." Balducci, however, seemed to consider ETs dæmonic in nature, though his statements were sometimes confusing on this point; at the very least, Balducci posited that ET life was Supernatural in nature.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Ancient Whale Found Beneath San Diego Zoo
Construction workers uncovered the bones of a 24'-long whale while constructing a new storm-water runoff tank. Workers came across the skull of the 3-million-year-old baleen whale during the initial dig, which was unusual enough, but continue to discover even more bones, including the vertebrate and flippers. Whale fossils have been discovered in San Diego before, but rarely intact. The bones will be moved to Balboa Museum for further study and may eventually be displayed there.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Winds, the Red Sea, Religion, and Science
There have been several stories regarding religion and science lately, from Stephen Hawking's "M-theory" and denial of God, to a study which portends that a high wind could have parted the Red Sea, allowing the Jews to escape Egypt, as told in the Book of Exodus. But the thing which sticks-out most in my mind has nothing to do with the how but the why: The Big Bang and high winds may be the mechanics by which these things occurred, but their timing seems pretty spectacular.
Granted, the Jews trekked through the desert for some 40 years, but it was only when they were trapped between the sea and the Pharaoh's advancing forces that a mysterious high wind rose, blowing throughout the night, to part the waters for their escape. Just as ominously, once the Jews had made their way across, the wind died, and the waters rushed in to kill the pursuing army.
I freely accept that this wind has some rational, scientific explanation; what remains mysterious, to me, is its timing. A wind that arises at just the right time, then disappears at an even more propitious one, seems to defy any scientific rationale. The question then, for me, is one of mind over matter vs. an unseen, guiding force: Did Moses' own desire, perhaps augmented by his followers' same desire, call forth this wind, or did a deity(s) provide it in response?
That it was coincidental is idiotic. The idea that, given a long enough timeline, anything is possible is, in this particular case, even more idiotic. I think of these arguments the way skeptics and atheists think of those who insist, "It was God. The end." And though I do see the formers' point, I find it lazy to simply assume it was one or the other, no middle ground allowed.
Most Occult ideology maintains that the actual forces involved are very natural; it is the Occultist's desire, or communication with unseen forces, that are the catalyst. There is no mere "wishing" things into, or out of, existence. In the story of Moses parting the Red Sea, the wind is how the waters were parted, but the wind would never have blown there, at that time, were it not for Moses' desire for it to do so. Let us not forget that in Moses' time, there were magicians who could rival his "miracles."
Many Occultists have long held that the only difference in Occult "magick" and religious "miracles" is the name, itself. And Christians are the ones who created this separation, just as they absorbed many of the world's religions and superstitions while rejecting their related deities. Along the same lines, many "Spiritualists" maintain that the central figure in almost all of the world's major religions are actually the same deity; Allah is God is the Great Spirit, etc.
While these scientific investigations and hypotheses are always interesting and welcome, science and religion are not mutually exclusive -- except to scientists and zealots -- and that bears mentioning once in a while.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Granted, the Jews trekked through the desert for some 40 years, but it was only when they were trapped between the sea and the Pharaoh's advancing forces that a mysterious high wind rose, blowing throughout the night, to part the waters for their escape. Just as ominously, once the Jews had made their way across, the wind died, and the waters rushed in to kill the pursuing army.
I freely accept that this wind has some rational, scientific explanation; what remains mysterious, to me, is its timing. A wind that arises at just the right time, then disappears at an even more propitious one, seems to defy any scientific rationale. The question then, for me, is one of mind over matter vs. an unseen, guiding force: Did Moses' own desire, perhaps augmented by his followers' same desire, call forth this wind, or did a deity(s) provide it in response?
That it was coincidental is idiotic. The idea that, given a long enough timeline, anything is possible is, in this particular case, even more idiotic. I think of these arguments the way skeptics and atheists think of those who insist, "It was God. The end." And though I do see the formers' point, I find it lazy to simply assume it was one or the other, no middle ground allowed.
Most Occult ideology maintains that the actual forces involved are very natural; it is the Occultist's desire, or communication with unseen forces, that are the catalyst. There is no mere "wishing" things into, or out of, existence. In the story of Moses parting the Red Sea, the wind is how the waters were parted, but the wind would never have blown there, at that time, were it not for Moses' desire for it to do so. Let us not forget that in Moses' time, there were magicians who could rival his "miracles."
Many Occultists have long held that the only difference in Occult "magick" and religious "miracles" is the name, itself. And Christians are the ones who created this separation, just as they absorbed many of the world's religions and superstitions while rejecting their related deities. Along the same lines, many "Spiritualists" maintain that the central figure in almost all of the world's major religions are actually the same deity; Allah is God is the Great Spirit, etc.
While these scientific investigations and hypotheses are always interesting and welcome, science and religion are not mutually exclusive -- except to scientists and zealots -- and that bears mentioning once in a while.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Greek Police Charge US Tourists with Desecration of Dead
Police in Greece charged two US tourists with desecrating the dead after an airport scanner revealed six human skulls in their luggage. The young tourists said they purchased the skulls on the isle of Mykonos and thought they were fake. A coroner confirmed their authenticity; all six are real human skulls. The tourists have been released pending trial.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Popcorn - Fresh from the Field
A Kentucky farmer sent samples of corn he says popped on the stalk to the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service for examination. The samples do appear to be partially-popped corn kernels, though an agent of department said he had never heard of such a phenomenon.
The outer coat of a kernel may sometimes explode after the ears have been pollinated, due to extreme heat, however. Temperatures in fields are sometimes as much as 10º hotter than surrounding areas, due to the plants' energy production.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
The outer coat of a kernel may sometimes explode after the ears have been pollinated, due to extreme heat, however. Temperatures in fields are sometimes as much as 10º hotter than surrounding areas, due to the plants' energy production.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
A Deal with the Devil - Dæmonic Possession
The case of Clara Germana Cele is a bit more specious, yet if the details are to be believed, dæmonic possession is about the only thing that could explain her behavior and, most importantly, the supernatural phenomena which surrounded her at two separate points in her life. You can dismiss all other online accounts of this case (or the majority of them), as they work from one another, and are incorrect at their foundation.
What makes Clara Cele's case less believable from the jump is that she claimed to have made a pact with the Devil - or so she told her confessor, Father Erasmus Horner. Another thing is that the priests and nuns of the Marianhill Order mission school in Umzinto, South Africa1, which Clara had attended since she was four, always considered her "somewhat erratic." What that means, exactly, is anyone's guess, but for skeptics, these are signs that something else may have been at-play, such as mental illness or simple fraud. Finally, Cele claimed to have actually entered a pact with the Devil, himself.
The phenomena reported is what makes Cele's case striking:
At 16, Cele confessed to Father Erasmus that she had made a pact with the Devil, yet no one apparently thought much of this until a few weeks afterward, when her behavior changed dramatically. On August 20th, 1906, she began tearing off her clothes, grunting and growling like an animal. Her strength was so great that she broke one of the posts on her bed. She then began conversing aloud with unseen forces.
While this was shocking enough, the sisters were truly alarmed by the sounds she was making. One nun who witnessed at least one of Cele's outbreaks is alleged to have written, "No animal had ever made such sounds. Neither the lions of East Africa nor the angry bulls." In a moment of lucidity, Clara begged them to fetch Father Erasmus: "I must confess everything," she told them, "But quick, quick, or Satan will kill me. He has me in his power! Nothing is blessed with me." She confided in them that she had thrown away all things holy she'd ever been given. Later that day, she cried out, "You have betrayed me! You... promised me days of glory, but now you treat me cruelly."
Over the next several weeks, Cele began showing "classic" signs of dæmonic possession, such as wretching and blaspheming ferociously whenever holy items were present, even if they were heavily concealed. Holy water burned her, but when regular, unblessed, tap water was substituted in attempts to trick her, she merely laughed.
Cele manifested far-reaching clairvoyance, detailing the daily sojourn of one priest through Africa to Rome, naming the addresses at which he stayed along the way. She revealed the scandalous details of one man's life -- down to the names, dates, and times -- to shame him for ridiculing her.
Somewhat similar to the Bruner boys, Clara began contorting her body impossibly without apparent harm, but her contortions took a far more darkly sinister twist: Clara transformed into a serpent-like creature -- her entire body became like rubber and her neck elongated -- and she writhed across the floor. Once in this state, several of the nuns tried to restrain her. Clara darted from the midst of them like lightning, sped across the floor to a nun who was kneeling in front of her, and bit her on the arm. The bitemark is said to have shown the impression of Cele's teeth... and a small, red puncture, like that of a snakebite.
Germana's levitations are among the most frequent and dramatic in the history of dæmonic possession, having occurred numerous times in front of throngs of witnesses, some of whom attempted to hold, or pull, her down -- to no avail. She levitated in church, was seen levitating by "outsiders" (non-Church members, or possibly non-Christians), and levitated several times above her bed. Germana:
Floated often three, four, and up to five feet in the air, sometimes vertically, with her feet downward, and at other times horizontally, with her whole body floating above her bed... in a rigid position. Even her clothing did not fall downward... instead, her dresses remained tightly attached to her body and legs.
Holy water sometimes stopped the phenomena, but on September 10th of that same year, permission was granted to perform an Exorcism. It was a long and grueling effort which lasted at least two days. At some point, whatever was possessing her said it would signal its departure with a levitation.
This levitation occurred in the mission chapel. In front of 170 witnesses.
In 1907, while Father Erasmus was away, Germana was said to have entered a new pact with Satan. Another Exorcism was performed, lasting another two days. Its success, and the departure of the Devil from her body, was marked by an "incomparably foul stench."
Despite the concept of pacts and all else, Clara Germana Cele's case remains one of the strongest in all the recorded accounts of dæmonic possession.
---
1 - Not St. Michael's, as is stated in several reports across the Web. Many of these same sources report the school to have been located in Natal, which is closer to the truth; Natal is about 20 miles from Umzinto. It is possible that this was intentional misinformation meant to shield Germana Cele from further questioning, ridicule, or even ostracism and/or physical harm, but more likely the fault of the authors'.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
What makes Clara Cele's case less believable from the jump is that she claimed to have made a pact with the Devil - or so she told her confessor, Father Erasmus Horner. Another thing is that the priests and nuns of the Marianhill Order mission school in Umzinto, South Africa1, which Clara had attended since she was four, always considered her "somewhat erratic." What that means, exactly, is anyone's guess, but for skeptics, these are signs that something else may have been at-play, such as mental illness or simple fraud. Finally, Cele claimed to have actually entered a pact with the Devil, himself.
The phenomena reported is what makes Cele's case striking:
At 16, Cele confessed to Father Erasmus that she had made a pact with the Devil, yet no one apparently thought much of this until a few weeks afterward, when her behavior changed dramatically. On August 20th, 1906, she began tearing off her clothes, grunting and growling like an animal. Her strength was so great that she broke one of the posts on her bed. She then began conversing aloud with unseen forces.
While this was shocking enough, the sisters were truly alarmed by the sounds she was making. One nun who witnessed at least one of Cele's outbreaks is alleged to have written, "No animal had ever made such sounds. Neither the lions of East Africa nor the angry bulls." In a moment of lucidity, Clara begged them to fetch Father Erasmus: "I must confess everything," she told them, "But quick, quick, or Satan will kill me. He has me in his power! Nothing is blessed with me." She confided in them that she had thrown away all things holy she'd ever been given. Later that day, she cried out, "You have betrayed me! You... promised me days of glory, but now you treat me cruelly."
Over the next several weeks, Cele began showing "classic" signs of dæmonic possession, such as wretching and blaspheming ferociously whenever holy items were present, even if they were heavily concealed. Holy water burned her, but when regular, unblessed, tap water was substituted in attempts to trick her, she merely laughed.
Cele manifested far-reaching clairvoyance, detailing the daily sojourn of one priest through Africa to Rome, naming the addresses at which he stayed along the way. She revealed the scandalous details of one man's life -- down to the names, dates, and times -- to shame him for ridiculing her.
Somewhat similar to the Bruner boys, Clara began contorting her body impossibly without apparent harm, but her contortions took a far more darkly sinister twist: Clara transformed into a serpent-like creature -- her entire body became like rubber and her neck elongated -- and she writhed across the floor. Once in this state, several of the nuns tried to restrain her. Clara darted from the midst of them like lightning, sped across the floor to a nun who was kneeling in front of her, and bit her on the arm. The bitemark is said to have shown the impression of Cele's teeth... and a small, red puncture, like that of a snakebite.
Germana's levitations are among the most frequent and dramatic in the history of dæmonic possession, having occurred numerous times in front of throngs of witnesses, some of whom attempted to hold, or pull, her down -- to no avail. She levitated in church, was seen levitating by "outsiders" (non-Church members, or possibly non-Christians), and levitated several times above her bed. Germana:
Floated often three, four, and up to five feet in the air, sometimes vertically, with her feet downward, and at other times horizontally, with her whole body floating above her bed... in a rigid position. Even her clothing did not fall downward... instead, her dresses remained tightly attached to her body and legs.
Holy water sometimes stopped the phenomena, but on September 10th of that same year, permission was granted to perform an Exorcism. It was a long and grueling effort which lasted at least two days. At some point, whatever was possessing her said it would signal its departure with a levitation.
This levitation occurred in the mission chapel. In front of 170 witnesses.
In 1907, while Father Erasmus was away, Germana was said to have entered a new pact with Satan. Another Exorcism was performed, lasting another two days. Its success, and the departure of the Devil from her body, was marked by an "incomparably foul stench."
Despite the concept of pacts and all else, Clara Germana Cele's case remains one of the strongest in all the recorded accounts of dæmonic possession.
---
1 - Not St. Michael's, as is stated in several reports across the Web. Many of these same sources report the school to have been located in Natal, which is closer to the truth; Natal is about 20 miles from Umzinto. It is possible that this was intentional misinformation meant to shield Germana Cele from further questioning, ridicule, or even ostracism and/or physical harm, but more likely the fault of the authors'.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
China Sets Record for Lightning, UFOs Reported
China recorded over 13,000 lightning strikes in Hong Kong within an hour, thanks to a powerful storm tied to Tropical Storm Meranti. Some villages reported flooding, others were assailed by winds exceeding 60mph. But what makes this even more interesting is the number of reports of UFOs.
According to Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), the Hong Kong Observatory, which recorded the lightning strikes, received numerous phonecalls from concerned citizens reporting UFOs. The observatory assumed the UFOs were actually street lamps.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
According to Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), the Hong Kong Observatory, which recorded the lightning strikes, received numerous phonecalls from concerned citizens reporting UFOs. The observatory assumed the UFOs were actually street lamps.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Changes Afoot
No, this is not about design; I'm actually pleased with the look, feel, and overall design of The OddBlog, and I have someone else to thank for that (whose name I forget, but is linked to somewhere on the template). This is about posting, frequency, and expectations.
I have lost control of my daily, personal life over the last several months. A lot of it is due to my health issues and the surgery I had back in January, but some of it is from being constantly overwhelmed, and I have got to find a way out from under it, so I've decided to do something I'd intended to do a while back and simply haven't been able to get to until now (and am doing so now only by pulling an over-nighter -- I took about a one-hour nap between 7:30 and 8:30p last night and have been at it ever since): I am scheduling posts far in advance.
This should actually work fairly well here, given the subject matter and the relative infrequency of new paranormal activity. Of course, things do happen, and I will report on them as soon as possible. We also have a fair number of sponsors and advertisers whom I refuse to disappoint, so things should not only go well with this here, they should actually go better -- regular content is better than stop-and-start spates and for that, I apologize. Still, this is an entirely new system that I'm going to have to develop, work-out the kinks in, and become accustomed to, so expect a few hiccups along the way.
That is all.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
I have lost control of my daily, personal life over the last several months. A lot of it is due to my health issues and the surgery I had back in January, but some of it is from being constantly overwhelmed, and I have got to find a way out from under it, so I've decided to do something I'd intended to do a while back and simply haven't been able to get to until now (and am doing so now only by pulling an over-nighter -- I took about a one-hour nap between 7:30 and 8:30p last night and have been at it ever since): I am scheduling posts far in advance.
This should actually work fairly well here, given the subject matter and the relative infrequency of new paranormal activity. Of course, things do happen, and I will report on them as soon as possible. We also have a fair number of sponsors and advertisers whom I refuse to disappoint, so things should not only go well with this here, they should actually go better -- regular content is better than stop-and-start spates and for that, I apologize. Still, this is an entirely new system that I'm going to have to develop, work-out the kinks in, and become accustomed to, so expect a few hiccups along the way.
That is all.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Ghost Adventures Returns
Ghost Adventures returns to the Travel Channel tomorrow night with two, brand new specials. Best Evidence So Far starts at 8:00p, CST, followed by a new Scariest Moments Special at 9pm. The new season starts next week, September 17th, with the team in Gettysburg. We'll have some special highlights and goodies before then, as always.
Don't forget, The OddBlog is an official Ghost Adventures support blog -- we get all the good stuff before everybody else -- so be sure to bookmark us and check back each week for more on Zac and the team! And set your DVRs for Ghost Adventures, Friday nights on the Travel Channel.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Don't forget, The OddBlog is an official Ghost Adventures support blog -- we get all the good stuff before everybody else -- so be sure to bookmark us and check back each week for more on Zac and the team! And set your DVRs for Ghost Adventures, Friday nights on the Travel Channel.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
The Peculiar Case of the Bruner Boys - Dæmonic Possession
In the annals of dæmonic possession, or "diabolepsy" (a term abandoned due to its similarity to epilepsy, which many skeptics think explains away many so-called cases of dæmonic possession), the peculiar case of the Bruner boys, Theobald and Joseph, is pretty tough to beat.
Though the events which plagued the children occurred from 1865 to 1869, it remains one of the most well-known and accepted cases of "modern" dæmonic possession due to the breadth of symptoms the boys showed, and the documentation of their affliction. From levitation to contortions to glossalia (a specific type of "speaking in tongues," whereby the possessed demonstrates a worldly knowledge of languages s/he could not possibly know, often demonstrated by answering questions posed in one foreign language in another) to the vomiting of foul-smelling articles the boys had never eaten -- if the accounts are to be believed, little else explains the Bruner boys' impossible behavior.
The diabolic events began in 1865 when the Bruner boys started drawing "horrible Devil faces" on their bedroom walls and talking playfully to them for hours. Their bedroom was said to be unnaturally hot despite not being heated. The boys would run and hide from clergymen who visited the house and were said to hide under their covers whenever Rosary beads were placed on their bed. True to form, they would begin cursing and writhing in the presence of Holy items, and soon took to their bed.
Joseph, the younger of the two, displayed fewer, and less fervent, signs of possession than his older brother, who began speaking in foreign tongues and dialects unknown to him, including English. Theobald Bruner also showed knowledge of outside events (clairvoyance, clairaudience) and correctly predicted the deaths of others several times (precognition, or maybe prophecy), which he often did by kneeling beside his bed to mimic the ringing of a mourning bell.
In one such event which included all of the above, a local man's daughter was visiting the house when Theobald predicted her father's demise. Shocked and angered, the girl spat, "You liar! My father is not even ill," to which Theobald responded, "That may be, but he just had a fall." No one in the entire village knew this had happened, but Theobald was correct; Gregor Kunegel had fallen from a scaffold at the precise moment Theobald had made the ringing motion.
Things only got worse from there:
The boys would simultaneously bend backward on their heads and legs, their backs arched high, and nothing could right them "until the Devil saw fit to give these objects of his torture some temporary peace." Every few hours, the boys would entangle their legs so impossibly and intricately that no one could untangle them but the children themselves, who would do so "suddenly... with lightning speed." Their little bellies would bloat and distend to the point of bursting before they would vomit "yellow foam, evil-smelling feathers, and seaweed" which inexplicably covered their clothes, no matter how often they were changed and cleaned. The stench was so foul that their clothes had to be burned.
The children's bed levitated, even with their mother on it; furniture flew around their room; doors flew open of their own accord; the entire house shook.
Finally, Theobald was sent to an Orphanage in Schiltigheim, near Strasbourg. Upon arriving, he was forced to remain in front of the altar. It took three men to hold him there. He remained silent for three days, drooling yellow foam, but on the fourth, he said, "I have come and I am in a rage." When one of the nuns asked, "And who are you?" He responded, "I AM THE LORD OF DARKNESS!"
Joseph was eventually sent to join his brother and a prolonged Exorcism of the two boys began. One of the more curious manifestations of the possession was when the brothers' heads were so infested with bright red lice that a team of four people with brushes and combs could not keep pace with them. These were dispelled by sprinkling Holy water on their heads. Theobald had to be restrained by straitjacket, as he ripped at himself and his clothing and tried to break everything in reach. His Exorcism took a full three days, after which he fell into a deep slumber, or possibly coma. Joseph's Exorcism took only three hours, after which he too fell into a deep sleep. When the boys awoke, neither remembered what had happened to them.
Theobald Bruner died two years later at age 16. Joseph lived to the age of 25. The events which plagued the Bruner boys for those four years have never been fully explained by conventional means.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Though the events which plagued the children occurred from 1865 to 1869, it remains one of the most well-known and accepted cases of "modern" dæmonic possession due to the breadth of symptoms the boys showed, and the documentation of their affliction. From levitation to contortions to glossalia (a specific type of "speaking in tongues," whereby the possessed demonstrates a worldly knowledge of languages s/he could not possibly know, often demonstrated by answering questions posed in one foreign language in another) to the vomiting of foul-smelling articles the boys had never eaten -- if the accounts are to be believed, little else explains the Bruner boys' impossible behavior.
The diabolic events began in 1865 when the Bruner boys started drawing "horrible Devil faces" on their bedroom walls and talking playfully to them for hours. Their bedroom was said to be unnaturally hot despite not being heated. The boys would run and hide from clergymen who visited the house and were said to hide under their covers whenever Rosary beads were placed on their bed. True to form, they would begin cursing and writhing in the presence of Holy items, and soon took to their bed.
Joseph, the younger of the two, displayed fewer, and less fervent, signs of possession than his older brother, who began speaking in foreign tongues and dialects unknown to him, including English. Theobald Bruner also showed knowledge of outside events (clairvoyance, clairaudience) and correctly predicted the deaths of others several times (precognition, or maybe prophecy), which he often did by kneeling beside his bed to mimic the ringing of a mourning bell.
In one such event which included all of the above, a local man's daughter was visiting the house when Theobald predicted her father's demise. Shocked and angered, the girl spat, "You liar! My father is not even ill," to which Theobald responded, "That may be, but he just had a fall." No one in the entire village knew this had happened, but Theobald was correct; Gregor Kunegel had fallen from a scaffold at the precise moment Theobald had made the ringing motion.
Things only got worse from there:
The boys would simultaneously bend backward on their heads and legs, their backs arched high, and nothing could right them "until the Devil saw fit to give these objects of his torture some temporary peace." Every few hours, the boys would entangle their legs so impossibly and intricately that no one could untangle them but the children themselves, who would do so "suddenly... with lightning speed." Their little bellies would bloat and distend to the point of bursting before they would vomit "yellow foam, evil-smelling feathers, and seaweed" which inexplicably covered their clothes, no matter how often they were changed and cleaned. The stench was so foul that their clothes had to be burned.
The children's bed levitated, even with their mother on it; furniture flew around their room; doors flew open of their own accord; the entire house shook.
Finally, Theobald was sent to an Orphanage in Schiltigheim, near Strasbourg. Upon arriving, he was forced to remain in front of the altar. It took three men to hold him there. He remained silent for three days, drooling yellow foam, but on the fourth, he said, "I have come and I am in a rage." When one of the nuns asked, "And who are you?" He responded, "I AM THE LORD OF DARKNESS!"
Joseph was eventually sent to join his brother and a prolonged Exorcism of the two boys began. One of the more curious manifestations of the possession was when the brothers' heads were so infested with bright red lice that a team of four people with brushes and combs could not keep pace with them. These were dispelled by sprinkling Holy water on their heads. Theobald had to be restrained by straitjacket, as he ripped at himself and his clothing and tried to break everything in reach. His Exorcism took a full three days, after which he fell into a deep slumber, or possibly coma. Joseph's Exorcism took only three hours, after which he too fell into a deep sleep. When the boys awoke, neither remembered what had happened to them.
Theobald Bruner died two years later at age 16. Joseph lived to the age of 25. The events which plagued the Bruner boys for those four years have never been fully explained by conventional means.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Enfield Poltergeist Confirmed
Recordings made between 1977 and 1978 during investigations of the world famous Enfield Poltergeist case have proven "unlikely" to be normal in nature, according to a report published in the Journal of the Society for Psychical Research. This is the first time the recordings have been examined in detail against "control" disturbances, in which living humans knocked on the walls and furniture of the home. The nature of the many recorded knocks and rappings have proven different from one another, suggesting some unseen force was, in fact, present at the home.
Journalists, local police officers, neighbors, and others witnessed all manner of phenomena in and around the area at the time of the disturbance. Experiences reported included levitation, unexplained sounds, moving furniture, and visible apparitions. Children's toys were said to be too hot to touch and to have been thrown forcibly across rooms. The phenomenon lasted approximately one year, from 1978 to 1979, but thee may have been a second burst of activity in the 1980s. All told, there were some 30+ witnesses, and several inexplicable encounters and incidents were caught on tape, both audio and visual.
Guy Lyon Playfair, an author who spent two years investigating the case before writing a book on it entitled This House Is Haunted, called the examination of the evidence "the biggest step forward in the last 30 years [for paranormal investigation, and the Enfield case]." Playfair's experiences included feeling cool breezes where there were no natural source, seeing pools of water appear on the floors, objects moving of their own accord, and more. At least one witness, a photographer, claimed to have been physically assaulted -- he claimed a Lego brick hit him in the head.
Possession of one of the young girls in the house was also said to have occurred.
But the Enfield Poltergeist case is also famous for one other things: The girls at the center of the case were caught playing "practical jokes" on the investigators, and admitted to faking some of the phenomena, casting doubt, for some, on the entire case. However, several of the more inexplicable events -- such as moving furniture and a dismantled fireplace -- could not have been achieved by the children.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Journalists, local police officers, neighbors, and others witnessed all manner of phenomena in and around the area at the time of the disturbance. Experiences reported included levitation, unexplained sounds, moving furniture, and visible apparitions. Children's toys were said to be too hot to touch and to have been thrown forcibly across rooms. The phenomenon lasted approximately one year, from 1978 to 1979, but thee may have been a second burst of activity in the 1980s. All told, there were some 30+ witnesses, and several inexplicable encounters and incidents were caught on tape, both audio and visual.
Guy Lyon Playfair, an author who spent two years investigating the case before writing a book on it entitled This House Is Haunted, called the examination of the evidence "the biggest step forward in the last 30 years [for paranormal investigation, and the Enfield case]." Playfair's experiences included feeling cool breezes where there were no natural source, seeing pools of water appear on the floors, objects moving of their own accord, and more. At least one witness, a photographer, claimed to have been physically assaulted -- he claimed a Lego brick hit him in the head.
Possession of one of the young girls in the house was also said to have occurred.
But the Enfield Poltergeist case is also famous for one other things: The girls at the center of the case were caught playing "practical jokes" on the investigators, and admitted to faking some of the phenomena, casting doubt, for some, on the entire case. However, several of the more inexplicable events -- such as moving furniture and a dismantled fireplace -- could not have been achieved by the children.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Korean "Vehicle" Passes Driving Test on 960th Attempt
69-year-old South Korean grandmother, Cha Sa-soon, had to take her driving test every weekday for three years, then continued to take it at a slightly slower pace until she finally passed -- on her 960th attempt!
Cha has now become a national celebrity, and even appears in a major commercial for Hyundai. Instructors at her driving school say she is no threat, as it was the written portion of the test Cha continued to fail.
The kicker? Her surname means "vehicle" in Korean.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Cha has now become a national celebrity, and even appears in a major commercial for Hyundai. Instructors at her driving school say she is no threat, as it was the written portion of the test Cha continued to fail.
The kicker? Her surname means "vehicle" in Korean.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
World's Shortest Man 27" Tall
24-year-old Columbian, Edward Nino Hernandez, has been named the world's shortest man by the Guinness Book of World Records. The previous owner, He Pingping of China, died in March and was 11/2" taller.
Hernandez, who works part-time as a dancer despite having dropped-out of school in the eighth-grade, says he is "happy because [he's] unique," but he is expected to lose the record to Nepalese, Khagendra Thapa Magar, next month when the latter turns 18. Hernandez' brother is only 37" tall, and their mother says doctors never told her why her sons are so short, despite having studied Edward for three years (before "losing interest," she says).
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Hernandez, who works part-time as a dancer despite having dropped-out of school in the eighth-grade, says he is "happy because [he's] unique," but he is expected to lose the record to Nepalese, Khagendra Thapa Magar, next month when the latter turns 18. Hernandez' brother is only 37" tall, and their mother says doctors never told her why her sons are so short, despite having studied Edward for three years (before "losing interest," she says).
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
Happy Labor Day!
Happy Labor Day, everybody! We'll be back to regular posting tomorrow, but I am taking the day off to relax, clean the house a bit, and do some things I've been putting-off for far too long.
A power surge knocked-out the computer entirely earlier and I had to spend a couple hours on the phone with tech support, pulling out batteries and memory and so forth. It reminded me of all the many things -- both online and off, computer-related and non-, that I have been saying I would get to later for months now, and made me determined to get at least a handful of them done! True to my word, I have already started, and once I knock a few of them out proper, I'm going to make a list of the rest and stick it on the fridge to tackle over the next few weeks. But I am also trying to work-in some posts here, and across all the blogs, so that you always have something to check-out, even if I get busy elsewhere.
So, enjoy your holiday and enjoy the archives and all the new posts I got up for you before the weekend!
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
A power surge knocked-out the computer entirely earlier and I had to spend a couple hours on the phone with tech support, pulling out batteries and memory and so forth. It reminded me of all the many things -- both online and off, computer-related and non-, that I have been saying I would get to later for months now, and made me determined to get at least a handful of them done! True to my word, I have already started, and once I knock a few of them out proper, I'm going to make a list of the rest and stick it on the fridge to tackle over the next few weeks. But I am also trying to work-in some posts here, and across all the blogs, so that you always have something to check-out, even if I get busy elsewhere.
So, enjoy your holiday and enjoy the archives and all the new posts I got up for you before the weekend!
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Friday, September 3, 2010
The Gargoyle
According to at least one source, there exists a creature in Puerto Rico that residents have dubbed "The Gargoyle." Depending upon whom you ask, the Gargoyle is either related to the Chupacabra or a large, winged "bird" with leathery, bat-like wings. Like the Chupacabra, the Gargoyle attacks mostly animals and drains them of blood. It is said to have attacked horses, cattle, and pets -- mainly cats and dogs -- and goes after healthy animals, as opposed to some other predators, which tend to attack weaker, feeble, or sickly prey.
The Gargoyle is said to live near the ruins of the old Guánica Sugar Mill, and local legend has it that it is within these catacombs that the skeletons of its victims can be found. However, few witnesses are willing to come forward, fearing their story will attract ridicule and scorn. However, at least one policeman and a school teacher who collects tales of the paranormal have gone on-record as to its existence.
Worse yet, the Gargoyle is said to have attacked a man in the 1990s.
Reports say the man "soberly" described a winged creature which set upon him in his backyard, raking his belly with talons so sharp they pierced the skin down to the fat. The policeman on record says he heard "the powerful beating of wings" some months back while patrolling with another policeman near the abandoned Guánica Sugar Mill. He says he saw nothing.
Some witnesses say the Gargoyle emits a powerful odor some have described as "sulphuric."
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
The Gargoyle is said to live near the ruins of the old Guánica Sugar Mill, and local legend has it that it is within these catacombs that the skeletons of its victims can be found. However, few witnesses are willing to come forward, fearing their story will attract ridicule and scorn. However, at least one policeman and a school teacher who collects tales of the paranormal have gone on-record as to its existence.
Worse yet, the Gargoyle is said to have attacked a man in the 1990s.
Reports say the man "soberly" described a winged creature which set upon him in his backyard, raking his belly with talons so sharp they pierced the skin down to the fat. The policeman on record says he heard "the powerful beating of wings" some months back while patrolling with another policeman near the abandoned Guánica Sugar Mill. He says he saw nothing.
Some witnesses say the Gargoyle emits a powerful odor some have described as "sulphuric."
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Alligator in Michigan
This is a day for creatures far from their natural habitats, huh? Alligators, especially, as a Michigan man who was picking sweet corn near the Indiana border killed one with a crowbar!
According to him, two women a few rows over came running toward him, screaming that they had encountered an alligator. Upon investigating, the man says the alligator rushed him. Though he kept backing away, the alligator continued advancing. The man escaped, but worried about children being attacked, and got the 4' bar from his car. He then confronted the alligator and beat it to death. One Michigan official called the killing "extreme."
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
According to him, two women a few rows over came running toward him, screaming that they had encountered an alligator. Upon investigating, the man says the alligator rushed him. Though he kept backing away, the alligator continued advancing. The man escaped, but worried about children being attacked, and got the 4' bar from his car. He then confronted the alligator and beat it to death. One Michigan official called the killing "extreme."
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Whale Euthanized by Explosives
A "terminally ill" humpback whale that had beached itself in Western Australia was euthanized by explosive charge after it repositioned itself some ways down. Apparently, the whale became stranded in Albany two weeks ago and authorities had determined it was ill. They had decided to let it die, but it was still very strong. After it moved several meters down the sandbar, authorities decided it was a health risk and used an explosive charge to kill it.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Hawk Attacks Suspend Mail Service
Thanks to a family of four hawks, mail to about 150 homes in the Calgary area has been suspended. According to mail officials and several eyewitnesses, at least one hawk in particular routinely dive-bombed a mail carrier so viciously, it even broke the helmet the carrier wore as protection!
Residents have a running joke not to make eye contact with the birds, lest they attack, but the frequent assaults are no laughing matter for the post office, which has suspended the mail route to about 150 homes in the area. The hawks usually fly South for the winter, which begins in the area in only a few weeks, and officials hope to resume the route then.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Residents have a running joke not to make eye contact with the birds, lest they attack, but the frequent assaults are no laughing matter for the post office, which has suspended the mail route to about 150 homes in the area. The hawks usually fly South for the winter, which begins in the area in only a few weeks, and officials hope to resume the route then.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
News on Normandy Nessie
While one Florida citizen swears he has been videotaping a serpentine creature he calls "Normandy Nessie" behind his house for over a year now, many remain skeptical. However, a visiting Ohio family says they have also seen a snake-like creature in the area. While video captured on a cell phone proved inconclusive, the couple's description of the creature is distinctly similar to that of Normandy Nessie: A 20-30' "serpent."
Experts say it's possible that Normandy Nessie could be an anaconda, but it is highly unlikely, as the snake would not stay in the saltwater. The creature was last spotted in June, but the Ohio couple claim their sighting was on Monday of this week.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Experts say it's possible that Normandy Nessie could be an anaconda, but it is highly unlikely, as the snake would not stay in the saltwater. The creature was last spotted in June, but the Ohio couple claim their sighting was on Monday of this week.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Gator Forces Detour for New Jersey Walker
A woman on an afternoon stroll called authorities after spotting an alligator by a drainpipe near a middle school. While no students were in the school (which opens next week, following Labor Day), officials had to corral the creature and remove it.
It took area firefighters to flush it out of the drainpipe after local wildlife authorities unsuccessfully tried to lure it out with a hot dog. A state Fish and Wildlife official was called-in and removed the alligator from the Wayne County school. Authorities believe it may have been an exotic pet which outgrew its "welcome."
The alligator is believed to be American. Experts are trying to find it a new home.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
It took area firefighters to flush it out of the drainpipe after local wildlife authorities unsuccessfully tried to lure it out with a hot dog. A state Fish and Wildlife official was called-in and removed the alligator from the Wayne County school. Authorities believe it may have been an exotic pet which outgrew its "welcome."
The alligator is believed to be American. Experts are trying to find it a new home.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Fetus Fails Woman
Police in Palm Beach are seeking a woman after a 20-week-old fetus was found on the beach. They have no leads and details are sparse, but the fetus was apparently discovered on a South Florida beach. Experts are concerned for the would-be mother's health. The fetus was female.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
8' Bull Shark Caught in Potomac
Willy Dean set out nets in the Potomac River to catch cow-nosed rays but caught an 8' bull shark, instead! Dean was fishing for a marine biologist, yet neither expected the catch. Experts note that, while unusual, sharks are known to swim up rivers hundreds of miles, in some cases.
This is not even the first time sharks have been caught in the Potomac!
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
This is not even the first time sharks have been caught in the Potomac!
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Mother, Cubs Killed for B&E -- Twice in One Week
Colorado wildlife officials have had to kill two mother bears and their cubs (both had two cubs, as well) after the bears broke-in to residences. According to experts, bears become a danger once they begin breaking-in to residences. Bears eat more this time of year in order to pack-on pounds for hibernation.
Wildlife officials say people feeding the bears illegally may be to blame, as it acclimates them to humans, whom they usually avoid.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Wildlife officials say people feeding the bears illegally may be to blame, as it acclimates them to humans, whom they usually avoid.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Amazon River Lowest in 40 Years
The Amazon River, the second-longest river in the world (after the Nile), is at its lowest point in 40 years, beating the previous record set just five years ago. Six cargo boats have been grounded near the Peruvian city, Iquitos. Smaller boats capable of navigating the exposed mudbanks have been forced to bring in food and supplies. Many cities, such as Iquitos, have no inland roads and depend on the Amazon as their transportation route.
The river's low level is due to a severe drought that is not expected to lift until the rainy season starts next month.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
The river's low level is due to a severe drought that is not expected to lift until the rainy season starts next month.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
NYC Man Survives 39-Story Fall
A 22-year-old man attempting to commit suicide suffered broken legs and is in critical condition after crashing through the back window of a car and landing in its backseat. The man jumped from a 39th-story ledge. The owner of the car says he believes the Rosary beads he keeps in the car saved the man's life.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
Agenda
It's going to be a busy day, guys. I had to take yesterday off to handle some IRL things, including a little recharge of my internal batteries, and these things are far from done -- I still have laundry, dishes, have a prescription to pick-up, and it looks like I'm going to have company this weekend, so I have got to get this house cleaned-up... I know that's all boring, and I apologize, but it is what it is.
However, I have a lot to get to you, so it's going to be a flood. I may also be working over the weekend, but I do not know for certain. We are looking at thunderstorms this afternoon, as well, so bear with me.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
However, I have a lot to get to you, so it's going to be a flood. I may also be working over the weekend, but I do not know for certain. We are looking at thunderstorms this afternoon, as well, so bear with me.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
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