All-Hallows Eve 2018

'The Witch of Yazoo still haunts the town she burned'

Therese Apel - The Clarion Ledger - October 28, 2014

In Glenwood Cemetry in Yazoo City, large, oval chain links surround a grave.

There's no name associated with who's buried there. She is simply known as "The Witch of Yazoo."

"The witch is very much alive," said K.K. Hill, director of the Triangle Cultural Center in Yazoo City. "The legend is like this big bellows that keeps blowing wind onto these flames and it keeps going."

Hill's analogy is appropriate, as the broken tombstone in Glenwood Cemetery states.

"On May 25, 1904, the Witch of Yazoo City broke out of these curious chain links surrounding her grave and burned down Yazoo City," it reads.

As legend has it, the woman, whose name is not known, lived on the Yazoo River and would lure fishermen in off the river and then torture them. The sheriff found some skeletons in the witch's shed one day and wanted answers.

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'Travel Channel Continues To Deliver Scares This November'

Kelli Marchman McNeely - HorrorFuel.com - October 24, 2018

Just because the Halloween season ends on October 31st, doesn’t mean the end of pulse-pounding programming on Travel Channel! We’ve got the action-packed, haunting highlights you don’t want to miss this November.

In the season finale of “Haunted Live,” the Tennessee Wraith Chasers investigate one of America’s most haunted locations. Viewers not only get to watch the action live, but they can also participate in real time through Travel Channel’s Facebook Live!

The animal world can not only be terrifying, but deadly. Watch as wildlife expert Casey Anderson hunts down man-eating tigers and a killer crocodile that is terrorizing local villages on all-new episodes of ‘Monster Encounters’

con't (7 new programs)....







The City of the Dead (1960) Patricia Jessel, Dennis Lotis, Christopher Lee

Movie A La Mode

A young college student arrives in a sleepy Massachusetts town to research witchcraft; during her stay at an eerie inn, she discovers a startling secret about the town and its inhabitants.






10 Creepiest Abandoned Amusement Parks

Alltime10s

There's nothing scarier than an abandoned theme park, and these 10 are set to give you nightmares.

From a deserted theme park on the edge of a notorious suicide forest, to a cursed amusement park built on top of an ancient burial ground, AllTime10s brings you 10 Scariest Abandoned Amusement Parks.

Music = Descent by Barrie Gledden / Tim Reilly / Jeff Dale and Nightshade by David O'Brien










Ghost Adventures - Halloween Special: Ireland's Celtic Demons

ChannelHub

GAC travel to the mystical country of Ireland to investigate locations steeped with demonic activity, while also covering the origins of Halloween. To start their Irish adventure, they begin with a trip to the cave at Rathcroghan; the birthplace of Samhain. Nick and Billy investigate the Leap Castle north of Roscrea in Clareen, Ireland's most haunted castle, to look for the "elemental", Zak, Aaron, and Jay investigate the Hell-Fire Club Lodge, on Montpelier Hill.

They learn about the stories of Satan visiting the premises and the mythological creatures of Massy Woods, including a banshee. Next, they hear the legend of the Black Cat of Killakee that haunts the Stewards House which sits at the bottom of the hill. The guys regroup to for their journey south in County Wexford for their lockdown in Loftus Hall, Ireland's most haunted house, outside of Duncannon, where the devil is believed to have stayed the night.






COAST TO COAST AM - August 12 2018 - CONTACT FROM THE OTHER SIDE

COAST TO COAST AM OFFICIAL

Coast to Coast AM August 12, 2018. Arielle Ford, a leading personality in the personal growth and spirituality movement, was invited by spiritual medium Jamees Van Praagh for a private reading with her sister in heaven, Debbie Ford. During the reading, Debbie kept asking Arielle if she would write a prayer book with her. Eventually, she gave in and said yes, clueless as to how this would happen. Arielle and James joined guest host Lisa Garr to discuss how they subsequently found an entire unpublished manuscript from Debbie.

St. Pancratius of Wil, death knight

Swords and Dorkery - April 24, 2014

I just picked up a copy of Heavenly Bodies: cult treasures & spectacular saints from the catacombs.  It’s a book with tons of photos of bejeweled and bedazzled relics from across Europe.  Some are reclining or posed like St. Pancratius above (& he’s pretty conservative, just being in fancy armor); others are just lying in jumbled ruins but heaped with gems and gold.   A lot of them have rather disturbing facial features added to the skulls in wax, as well as life-like glass eyes, and others are veiled in gauze, giving them a doll-like aspect.

This St. Pancratius was, apparently, originally buried in Roman legionary armor, but when his relics were translated (moved from a tomb or crypt to a shrine or altar), he was decked out in the latest parade armor.  I couldn’t easily find any more on him — there are two other early martyrs but neither is in Switzerland, as this one is.  More on the book
here ; even more photos here.


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Catacomb saints





History of a witch

ProducerSATV

Witch, Lori Bruno, tells her story in this interview. Video taped in Salem, Ma. where she still lives.


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I just put this on my iPod, so I can't vouch for this interview in particular. I'm not really a fan of Lori Bruno, but I think she has a lot of useful information. She's like Manly P. Hall for me... I'll listen, but I keep them at arms length.

October Halloween movies

Just viewing horror flicks in October is like a tradition in itself. I've watched quite a few this year; too many to review. Some newer, some old; it can be a fun inter-generational thing.

~ Remember the Ancestors Tonight~

This is that night; the real purpose of Samhain. The night where the veil between our world and the realm of our ancestors, and family members who've passed on, is at its thinnest.

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Ligurian mountain village of Triora - "The town of witches"

A village in Italy known for its witches prepares for Halloween

AP Archive

Triora, Italy - 16 October, 2007
1. Various of mountain village at night
2. Tilt down to sign in Italian reading 'The path of the witches'
3. Mid of village at night
4. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Daniela Coscioli, local resident
"Well, when you live here you become fascinated, and it has its own singular appeal."
5. Close of shop window with witches
6. Various of shop window with pumpkins and witches
7. Close of plastic spider
8. Close of stuffed owl
9. Various of Lila Lanteri dressed as a witch walking in street
10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Lilia Lanteri, local resident
"It means feeling something different, to have a certain knowledge, to know the history of the village, to help people as well. Because the Triora witches are positive, these women have always helped and healed, only they were not understood. They have been tortured and killed because nobody understood them."
11. Various of witch Antonietta walking about town
12. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Antonietta Alberti, local witch
"Living here in this witches' village I have become more enthusiastic of knowing more. Because, what did witches do in the past? Some healed with plants, some hated. When they had fights, it was war among the witches of Triora (cutaways). There were good and bad ones, they were not all bad witches."
13. UPSOUND: (Italian) Antonietta Alberti, local witch (preparing herbs)
"If you hurt yourself, you take this herb and do like this, then squash it with the mortar with some verbena."
14. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Antonietta Alberti, local witch
"If you believe that some woman is jealous of you, the only thing to save yourself is to put seven salt grains and a garlic clove in your pocket and always keep it on you, always. Then nobody can touch you any more."
10. Various of interior of witch museum
11. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Lorenzo Lanteri, mayor of Triora
"A very intricate trial started, which lasted three years, with over 200 local women involved, a child and an elderly. This was without a doubt the biggest witches trial in Italy. It didn't end up with stakes, even though thirteen were sent to the stake, because both the Republic of Genoa and the Inquisition put a halt to it. However, in reality five women died in the Genoa prisons, and three died while being tortured."
12. Close of halloween masks
13. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Vox Pop, name not provided
"Sure we are going to get down and carve pumpkins, many of them."
14. Various of man carving pumpkin
15. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Luana Bertol, local resident
"Halloween celebrations spontaneously started taking place here, because people found the ideal setting in the village."
16. Close of carved pumpkin
17. SOUNDBITE: (Italian) Luana Bertol, local resident
"On 31 October in the evening Triora will be all lit up with 200 pumpkins. There will be a designated tour of the village, and we have also organised a prize for the best Halloween costume for men, women and couples."
18. Various of woods close to village
19. Various of witches festival billboard
20. Close of street sign warning of witches
LEAD IN:
Halloween preparations are under way in a small village in Italy's Maritime Alps that is celebrated for its spooky history.
The mountain town of Triora has a long and chequered history with the occult dating back to the 1500s.
Today the town is the prefect backdrop to celebrate Halloween on the 31 October.
STORYLINE:
Walking through the narrow cobbled streets of Triora is like stepping back in time.
Dilapidated 500-year old buildings add to the 'mystical' atmosphere of this mountain town.
Daniela Coscioli is a local resident who says living in Triora is 'bewitching'.
Some villagers say one derelict building, known as La Cabotina, at times shines a bright green light.

 
'The Town Of Witches'

The location of the last witch trials of Italy, known as "The Salem of Europe."

“Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?” In Triora, Italy, it didn’t matter what kind of witch you were, witches burned. And to this day, the town remembers.

In 1587, bad weather and pitiful crops led to a famine, and the desperate residents of Triora became convinced that only the work of witches could bring such misfortune. The Inquisitor of Genoa and Albenga and the priest Girolamo del Pozzo arrived and verified the local parliament’s suspicions. Indeed, evil was afoot, and soon the first 20 women were rounded up, selected by the pointed fingers of parishioners that had been riled up during mass. 20 became 30 as the women were convinced through torture to name more of their Satanic sisters. Soon 18 of the accused broke down and confessed, dragging in 13 women, four young girls, and a single young boy as well.

The Council of Elders appealed to the Inquisitors to take it slow. Out of the 30 accused and tortured, several were nobles or from influential families. The trials hadn’t even begun and one of those noblewomen had died from the torture, another had flung herself out a window to her death. They were more or less ignored, but one 13-year-old girl was released, likely the daughter of someone important. The capture of these women set off witch hunts in neighboring countries, and for two years, women of Italy were rounded up and tortured mercilessly for supposed crimes against God, their neighbors, and most of all, tiny, innocent children.

At least four of the women were burned at the stake, despite there being a considerable amount of doubt from the government that the confessions were enough to uphold such a gruesome sentence. There’s conflicting reports on how the others fared, some accounts say they all burned eventually, some say they were imprisoned in Genoa until the Holy Office responded to requests to end the madness and set them free. Either way, the modern town of Triora revels in its morbid history.

First, there is the obvious, a museum, dedicated to the area’s agricultural and rural history, but focusing on the trials. The Ethnographic and Witchcraft Museum contains artifacts from the trials, as well as reconstructions of the tortures and interrogations. Beyond the predictable museum however, you’ll find signs of witchy workings all over town –witchy souvenirs, signs, statues, and even tours to the former homes of the accused, Monte delle Forche, the mountain where many met their fiery fate, and the alleged location of the baby-eating and Devil worshipping, the dreaded La Cabotina.

A hotspot of spooky festivals, the town hosts three major events throughout the year–a summer witchcraft festival and two fall events; the mushroom festival in September; and of course, Halloween.


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Triora

Triora Halloween Festival

A halloween night in Triora witches village in Italy!

The Real Halloween Town: Triora, Italy

Halloween in Triora: the eerie night in the Witches Village

A Walk in the Mountains around Triora





Triora Halloween

 
Mike Smith

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Nahuel Huapi Lake, Argentina

 
Nahuel Huapi Lake

Nahuel Huapi Lake (Spanish: Lago Nahuel Huapí) is a lake in the lake region of northern Patagonia between the provinces of Río Negro and Neuquén, in Argentina. The tourist center of Bariloche is on the southern shore of the lake. The lake depression consists of several glacial valleys carved out along faults and Miocene valleys that were later dammed by moraines.

Nahuel Huapi lake, located within the Nahuel Huapi National Park, has a surface of 529 km2 (204 sq mi), rests 2,510 feet (770 m) above the sea level, and has a maximum measured depth (as of 2007) of 1,437 feet (438 m).

The June 2011 eruption of the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcanic complex, in neighboring Chile, caused parts of the lake's surface to be blanketed in volcanic ash.

During the Last Glacial Maximum of the Llanquihue glaciation the lake basin was wholly occupied by a glacier.

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Nahuel Huapi National Park

Nahuel Huapi National Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi) is the oldest national park in Argentina, established in 1934. It surrounds Nahuel Huapi Lake in the foothills of the Patagonian Andes. The largest of the national parks in the region, it has an area of 7,050 km2 (2,720 sq mi), or nearly 2 million acres. Its landscapes represent the north Patagonian Andean Zone consisting of three types, namely, the Altoandino (with perpetual snow above an altitude of 1,600 metres (5,200 ft)), the Andino-Patagónico (in the lower reaches of the hills) and the Patagonian steppe. It also represents small parts of the Valdivian Rainforest.

The park and the reserve lie at an altitude of 720–3,574 metres (2,362–11,726 ft), and are designated under IUCN management categories II (National Park) and IV (Management Reserve). The park is completely protected while the reserve is partially protected.[4] The national park is dominated by the high mountain chain of the Andes, many lakes, rapid rivers, waterfalls, snow-clad peaks, glaciers and extensive forests. It is bordered by Chile on its western side.


Etymology

The park derives its name from the lake which it surrounds, namely the "Nahuel Huapi". In the Mapuche language, nahuel means "jaguar" and huapi means "island."

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I recall reading one time, although I forget the details, of some large forest in Eastern Europe discovered by the Germans of the early 20th century. Fascinated by the powerful image of the rugged and ancient forest, they proclaimed it--perhaps metaphorically--as a "primeval German forest." When I first saw the current Windows 10 image of Nahuel Huapi Lake, I thought it like something in the nature of a primeval Gaulish-Cisalpine lake. Staring at this particular photograph, feeling almost like I can feel the cool evening air against my face, or that I could place my hand in the cold water, and smelling the scent of the shoreline and mountain shrub. In addition, feeling the deep primitive craving for the wild; or quite frankly, a craving for the feeling of almost not being completely safe. Perhaps that image jogs something from my ancestral memory of a place like Lake Garda and its surrounding mountains; huge, primordial, powerful, dark, wild, harsh, beautiful, and eternal.

Nahuel Huapi Lake, Argentina images

Patagonia, Argentina images

Patagonia

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Mountains are cathedrals: grand and pure, the houses of my religion. I go to them as humans go to worship...From their lofty summits, I view my past, dream of the future, and with unusual acuity I am allowed to experience the present moment. My strength renewed, my vision cleared, in the mountains I celebrate creation. On each journey I am reborn. -- Anatoli Boukreev

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Guido von List: Part 30 - October 5 "Ice wheel" 160th birthday tribute!

Spinning Ice Disk Forms in Washington

Wall Street Journal

A perfect circle of ice was spotted spinning in the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River in Washington on Saturday. Meteorologists say the rotating disk is the result of water flowing around the river bend spinning a sheet of ice against the surrounding ice to create a smooth disk.


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Ice circle

An ice disc, ice circle, ice pan, or ice crepe is a natural phenomenon that occurs in slow moving water in cold climates.

Ice circles are thin and circular slabs of ice that rotate slowly in the water. It is believed[1] that they form in eddy currents. It has been shown that existing ice discs can maintain their rotation due to melting.[2]

An unusual natural phenomenon, ice disks occur in slow moving water in cold climates and can vary in size, with circles more than 15 metres (49 ft) in diameter observed.


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'Nature's Bizarre Formations - Ice Circles'

MessageToEagle.com - September 26, 2013

Nature creates a variety of geometric figures, but this rather rare phenomenon is normally associated with rivers and lakes in Scandinavia and other northern European and American countries.

According to one of many theories, warming of the water surface may be the origin of the circles.

Another popular theory says that ring patterns - sometimes so large that they are clearly visible from space - are created by quick shifts in temperature.

According to one of many theories, tectonic activity deep inside the Earth may be responsible for methane gas emissions, which in turn produce a rising mass of warm water.

The water, according to the so-called Coriolis effect, begins swirling in circular pattern (always clockwise in the Northern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern hemisphere) creating rings of different size.

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There are various forms of solar or "sun wheels" in ancient Indo-European traditions; Teutonic traditions in particular. In the same manner as the proverbial "ring of fire," there is also a "ring of ice." Could the solar wheels be fashioned into perhaps "lunar wheels" as well? Von List saw the solar wheels as a symbol of the endless wheel of revolving nature; of regeneration; of life, death, and rebirth; and of reincarnation. We see this in the eternally spinning galaxies, or even of gophers turning up the soil as birds, bees, or the wind spread seeds about. It's appropriate that the Alfather sun's "ring of fire" is accompanied by the Almother moon's "ring of ice." Tomorrow is Guido von List's 160th birthday; being born in Vienna on October 5, 1848.

von List's 'Armanen Futharkh'

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"Fire from Ice"

How can we get fire from ice? By shaping a piece of ice into a "lens" with your hand; then it could possibly be directed with the sun's energy to make a fire. 


"Ice from Fire?"

The Washington State forests and rivers are well documented as being mysterious places where bizarre natural phenomena occur due to its volcanic activity. -- Cat DeSpira, YouTube





Unusual phenomenon: Giant ice circle spinning in North Dakota river

euronews (in English)

A retired engineer out hunting in North Dakota on Saturday spotted a huge disk of ice spinning on the Sheyenne River, over 50 feet in diameter. George Loegering posted video online on Tuesday of his unusual sighting, clearly showing the snow-covered disc rotating.


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Christian human sacrifice - Rampant in the Middle Ages

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Although Christian "human sacrifice" rituals were a common part of this religious culture during its ancient beginnings, it has generally been assumed that this is where it ended. Apparently this is not the case! I can't help but recall with demusement, various lectures by Christian "anti-Halloween" advocates in which they described in horror the accounts of human sacrifice rituals by the Druids. This, of course, was intended to discredit Druidic culture in every manner... and ultimately demonize the traditions which led to the All-Hallows Eve or Samhain holiday; brought to America by mostly Irish immigrants. I can recall the look of absolute contempt on the face of Christian zealot Doc Marquis as he recounted accounts, probably from Roman sources, of the culture of the Druids as it related to what we know as Halloween. Moreover, he suggested Druidic crimes against children. I don't know if that has any truth to it, but there were brutal ritual sacrifices such as "The Wicker Man." However, Christian human sacrifice during the Middle Ages is seldom ever mentioned by anyone today despite it's well documented history.

The following are excerpts from page 18 of the book 'The Tradition of Household Spirits' (Lecouteux; 2000); Chapter 1 - 'The House and its Construction'.

Christian child sacrifice (translated and copied from a real account)

When the people decided to build the church of Skrunda, in Courland (Latvia), two pastors left on horseback to select the site. They first passed by the Krievukalns, where one horse dislocated a hoof; then by the Pilskalns, where a horse started bucking. They finally came to the spot where the church now stands. Here one of the horses went down on its knees, and they saw that the site was intended for the building. But during this period it was not possible to build a church without walling up a chaste young girl or child in a pillar, otherwise whatever one built during the day would collapse at night, which is what happened with the church of Skrunda. Messengers were sent to ask young boys and girls if they wanted to look after the keys of the church. The children had been warned to say no if anyone asked them this question. But one little girl responded: "I would really like to keep them." She was taken away and walled up in a pillar of the church. And look, what was built during the day no longer collapsed at night."

Obviously the construction work did not fall during the night; they merely wanted to conduct the ritual. If they were evil enough to murder a little girl, then I see no reason that they wouldn't have walled her inside the pillar alive. This was not isolated incident either.


The "construction sacrifice"

The construction sacrifice, which is well substantiated throughout the whole of Europe, became proverbial in Latvia: "Every church demands a sacrifice." Furthermore, it was assumed that the victim transformed into a supernatural guardian spirit.


The Sacrifice for the Building (excerpt from pages 19-20)

As the sacrifice for a building has already been extensively studied by various scholars, I will not dwell on it and simply noting certain aspects will suffice here. Depending on the time and the place, it could appear in a wide variety of forms: actual sacrifice of a human being or an animal, or a simulation of such a sacrifice. In the later case, the shadow or its life-size approximation was buried in the foundations, and even today a photograph may be used to perform the same function. Whatever the case, the person will die forty days or even a year later, which is why a stranger to the village is often chosen for this purpose. In the southern Slavic countries, the victim can be the first person to walk past the construction--his or her shadow will be walled up--a form of sacrifice (now) condemned by the Nomocanon (legal canon) of the Byzantine Church.

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'Mythical Beasts' - New series on Science Channel

 'Mythical Beasts on Science Channel Exclusive Preview'

A new series called Mythical Beasts is coming to Science and promises to be the stuff of legends in this exclusive first look preview.

Michael Ahr - Den of Geek! - September 17, 2018

If you’ve ever wondered about the origins of some of the most recognizable creatures of fantasy and legend, 'Mythical Beasts' on Science Channel will share the tales of how these fabled beasts came to be. The series will be premiering on Sunday, October 14 at 10pm ET/PT on the network and will include everything from dragons to cyclops to vampires and sea monsters. Although the series is non-fiction, its narrative style will no doubt appeal to viewers who enjoy fantasy, horror, supernatural and other similar genres.

Science is sharing this exclusive first look at the trailer for 'Mythical Beasts' with Den of Geek readers:

Each episode of 'Mythical Beasts' will look at the history behind legendary creatures including some with archaeological evidence or other truths behind the myths. The show will explain how scientists, for example, dug up elephant skeletons to investigate how they inspired the myths about the Cyclops and hunted through maritime logs to see why people believed the mighty Kraken was to blame for sinking ships. The series will also follow clues to the island of Crete where the menacing Grecian Minotaur was said to have lived and unravel why the Chinese feared that dragons lived among them.

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