Forteana
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The mysterious phenomenon affected the region of Yoro. While there is no evidence that can scientifically explain this fact, it could be due to a meteorological phenomenon.A torrential storm left a “fishfall” in a village of northern Honduras. This curious phenomenon has caused both incredulity and headaches among scientists, according to reports appearing this Friday…
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Yesterday, 500 years after Black Shuck first went on the prowl, archaeologists were examining the skeleton of a 7ft long dog unearthed in the remains of an ancient abbey.It was discovered a few miles from two churches where Black Shuck is said to have killed worshippers during an almighty thunderstorm in August 1577. read more…
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Few people today will have heard about the once common phenomenon known generally in the British Isles as ‘Will o’the Wisp’ or ‘Jack o’Lantern’. Prior to the end of the 19th century this rural mystery was a terror familiar to night travellers, especially in the marshy, undrained areas which still remained in many parts of…
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There’s been a lot of focus lately, on weird happenings in faraway lands. The middle-east, Russia, Asia, even Australia, which from a Can-Am-centric worldview I’m Canadian might provide an expanded view of our world, but there are plenty of weird things to look at right here in North America. And today I bring a story…
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The University of London’s Senate House Library is one of the finest academic research institutions in England. On a recent day, a lecture room in the imposing Art Deco building was filled with the world’s pre-eminent authorities on a talking mongoose named Gef. In a nation long fascinated by the supernatural, the case of Gef…
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I’ve only just started this column, so I’m not particularly worried about running out of ideas yet, but I did sit down for this one thinking, “I hope I can deliver something suitably strange.”And here we are, a race of mischievous shape-shifting horses who terrorise the north of England: Brags.Imagine the scene: you’re a medieval…
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It’s been a long time since we’ve had a good debunking-random-monster-sighting post. The ready availability of global satellite image databases is a powerful tool for exploration and monitoring but has also led to a boom in pseudoscience “discoveries” by people not familiar with how these images are produced or just willing to suspend disbelief for…
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I am fascinated by mermaids. But my fascination, I should add, is purely professional. It all began when, in my capacity as a curator of natural history at the Horniman Museum & Gardens, I was asked to help identify the composition of a mermaid in the collection. read more: Mysterious mermaid stripped naked | Paolo…
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The beautiful county of Yorkshire is the largest in Britain, and yet still possesses a strong and cohesive regional identity. Built on centuries of shared tradition, a characteristic body of folklore has thrived and endured well into the present day. Folklore of Yorkshire chronicles such beliefs throughout the whole county, identifying distinctive common themes, placing…
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For millennia, people have reported a rare and strange phenomenon: a sudden rain of frogs — or fish or worms — from the sky. You may be minding your own business walking in a park on a blustery day when a small frog hits you on the top of the head. As you peer down…
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Dorset is home to some weird and wonderful tales. Here are five you really should know. via From a ‘mer-chicken’ to the Shapwick Monster here are five weird Dorset legends you might not know From Bournemouth Echo.
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One of the first books I purchased from the paranormal field was Brad Steiger’s The Werewolf Book. Technically I purchased an earlier version, the amazon link there is to the latest edition. Within this fascinating book, is a story which I was reminded of while working on yesterday’s post. Our tale begins in the mountainous…
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While thumbing through one of my paranormal books the other night, I came across a familiar story. A group of sheep farmers were upset because something was attacking and killing their livestock. The creature was not, however, eating the sheep. According to witnesses, it was biting their jugulars and, apparently, draining them of blood. If…
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I’ve been a fan of stories of Spontaneous Human Combustion since my Frank Edwards-fueled childhood. This story, which, admittedly does have the complications of chemical embalming agents, and a rather literary tone, was new to me. Read More “A purple flame which rose from the casket:” Spontaneous Human Combustion in Brooklyn – Haunted Ohio Books.
