Monday, 31 October 2016
HALLOWE'EN
We wish our readers an enjoyable Hallowe'en. A brief article on the subject appears in yesterday's bulletin.
HERD OF WATER MONSTERS
A herd of water horses is said to be beneath this Scottish lake.
now read on.....
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| Loch a Gharbh-bhaid Beag |
now read on.....
ON THIS DAY IN WEIRD
On This Halloween in Weird...
1969: A curious alleged Bigfoot sighting comes to us from the
vicinity of Oroville, California. Rural resident Wes Strang reportedly sees the
creature squatting outside his home, and they spend several moments staring at
each other before Strang goes back inside to continue watching television. You
may find his photo in your dictionary, beside the definition of
"blasé."
Sunday, 30 October 2016
HALLOWE'EN IS HERE
Hallowe'en takes place on 31st October. It is so called because it is held on the eve of the Christian feast of All Hallows, which in the Latin rite became the date of the feast of All Saints in 835.
This was the same as the start of the Celtic new year, which in Gaelic was called Samhain (pronounced sowin). This came from the Celtic word samonios meaning half, as the dark half of the year was now coming in. Samhain was regarded as starting at nightfall on October 31st. This was called Samhain Night (Gaelic Oiche Shamhna, pronounced eeha howna; the ch is Scottish Gaelic is pronounced as in Bach, while it is usually just pronounced as h in Irish).
This time was regarded by the Celts as dangerous because the dead and beings from the Otherworld were said to be about at this time. While non-pagans no longer regard it as a religious feast, but merely as an excuse for dressing up in scary costumes, it is still so observed by modern pagan groups.
Hallowe'en was popular in Ireland and Scotland and was from those countries exported to the United States, where it enjoys some popularity. Recently, it has migrated from the United States to England, where it is possibly regarded as an American institution by many.
The feast is celebrated in other Celtic areas. Thus in Wales it is called Calan Gaeaf, in Cornwall Kalan Gwaev and in Brittany Kalan Goañv.
This was the same as the start of the Celtic new year, which in Gaelic was called Samhain (pronounced sowin). This came from the Celtic word samonios meaning half, as the dark half of the year was now coming in. Samhain was regarded as starting at nightfall on October 31st. This was called Samhain Night (Gaelic Oiche Shamhna, pronounced eeha howna; the ch is Scottish Gaelic is pronounced as in Bach, while it is usually just pronounced as h in Irish).
This time was regarded by the Celts as dangerous because the dead and beings from the Otherworld were said to be about at this time. While non-pagans no longer regard it as a religious feast, but merely as an excuse for dressing up in scary costumes, it is still so observed by modern pagan groups.
Hallowe'en was popular in Ireland and Scotland and was from those countries exported to the United States, where it enjoys some popularity. Recently, it has migrated from the United States to England, where it is possibly regarded as an American institution by many.
The feast is celebrated in other Celtic areas. Thus in Wales it is called Calan Gaeaf, in Cornwall Kalan Gwaev and in Brittany Kalan Goañv.
SCHOCH ON THE WEREWOLF
Jason Colavito takes a look at Schoch's theory that werewolves are humans who have a psychic connection with animals induced by drugs.
now read on.....
now read on.....
ON THIS DAY IN WEIRD
On This Day in Weird, October 30...
Keep your heads down and your pets indoors for "Devil's
Night," described by Wikipedia as follows: "Devil's Night dates from
as early as the 1930s. Traditionally, city youths engaged in a night of
mischievous or petty criminal behavior, usually consisting of minor pranks or
acts of mild vandalism (such as egging, soaping or waxing windows and doors, leaving
rotten vegetables or flaming bags of Canine feces on front porch stoops, or
toilet papering trees and shrubs) which caused little or no property damage. However,
in the early 1970s, the vandalism escalated to more destructive acts such as
arson. This primarily took place in the inner city, but surrounding suburbs
were often affected as well. The crimes became more destructive in Detroit's
inner-city neighborhoods, and included hundreds of acts of arson and vandalism
every year. The destruction reached a peak in the mid- to late-1980s, with more
than 800 fires set in 1984, and 500 to 800 fires in the three days and nights
before Halloween in a typical year." Such crimes have now
"declined," they say—but will the tradition be revived after its
portrayal as a holiday for undead serial killers on American Horror Story:
Hotel?
Saturday, 29 October 2016
ON THIS DAY IN WEIRD
On This Day in Weird, October 29...
Friday, 28 October 2016
FAIRIES AND ANIMALS
A look at fairy transformation and interaction with small animals.
(Site is in Spanish with good translation engine).
now read on.....
(Site is in Spanish with good translation engine).
now read on.....
MONSTER IN LOCH ACHTRIOCHTAN
A 19th Century report refers on a water horse (Gaelic each uisge) in a lake possibly identical with this one.
now read on.....
now read on.....
DO CAT-RABBIT HYBRIDS EXIST?
Variously referred to as cabbits and racats, their existence is the subject of rumor.
now read on.....
now read on.....
SCYTALE
When Medusa the Gorgon was killed by Perseus (Greek mythology), certain serpents developed from her blood. The scytale was one of them.
now read on.....
now read on.....
ON THIS DAY IN WEIRD
On This Day in Weird, October 28...
1980: New Mexico's Carlsbad Current-Argus newspaper
reports a Bigfoot sighting from Sitting Bull Falls. Witnesses Gene Bryan, Mike
Waldrop, and their families allegedly hear a "loud and horrifying"
scream before seeing the creature standing near a tree, watching their camp.
Sitting Bull Falls
Thursday, 27 October 2016
NEW GUINEA THYLACINE?
Are there thylacines roving north of Australia? Richard Freeman writes on this topic.
now read on....
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| Richard Freeman |
now read on....
ON THIS DAY IN WEIRD
On This Day in Weird, October 27...
1973: Ohio's Akron Beacon-Journal newspaper reports
that several witnesses have seen a seven-foot-tall hairy biped around Massilon.
They particularly note its "strong smell."
Wednesday, 26 October 2016
CASE OF ALIEN ABDUCTION
A straightforward but interesting story. What are we to make of such accounts. Hallucination, reality, false memory or a mixture?
now read on.....
now read on.....
BOOK ON ICELANDIC MONSTERS
This link brings you to a review of the book, which in turn provides a link to a place from which it can be purchased. (The book is in English).
now read on.....
now read on.....
ON THIS DAY IN WEIRD
On This Day in Weird, October 26...
2011: A retired software engineer claims a brief Bigfoot
sighting near his cabin on Bassett
Lake in Superior National Forest, near
Brimson, Minnesota. He describes it as "bigger than a human," with
"longer arms than a man."
Tuesday, 25 October 2016
HOMO SAPIENS AND HIS NEIGHBORS
A look at interaction among Modern Humans, Neanderthals and Denisovans. Article includes interesting distribution map.
now read on.....
now read on.....
ON THIS DAY IN WEIRD
On This Day in Weird, October 25...
1941: The Vancouver Province newspaper reports that "many
Indians" have piled into canoes and fled their village near Port Douglas,
at the head of British Columbia's Harrison Lake, after a Sasquatch 14 feet tall
invaded the settlement.
Monday, 24 October 2016
GOBLINS AND JESSE JAMES' RELATIONS
A report from a house, once occupied by relatives of Jesse James, of a strange phantasmal party taking place. The report is found in a newspaper article of 1892 and appeared in the Pittsburgh Press.
now read on.....
now read on.....
