The Spooklight: Oklahoma's Mystic Phenomena

Author: Breasia Young

In the chilling hills of northeastern Oklahoma just outside the town of Hornet, there was a strange glowing light that confused locals and visitors for centuries. It is known as the Spooklight, this supernatural phenomenon has been reported seen since the 1800s and no one really knows what this “thing” could be. The Spooklight is described as a small bright orb also called the “ball of fire,” that moves quickly along a four mile stretch of a road between Missouri Oklahoma. This mystic figure goes by many names such as Joplin spooklight, Tri-state Spooklight, and Hornet Spooklight. It is an enchanting mystery for the locals, leaving everyone in suspense. The most famous road in Oklahoma is a road called “The Devil’s Promenade near a small town in Quapaw, Oklahoma.

According to an expert researcher in supernatural and author Lisa Livingston Martin, the Spooklight is normally seen during midnight often appearing as an orange glowing orb following locals. It is described by one of the locals it ranges from the size of a baseball to a basketball, most of the sightings occur on the Spook Light Road a winding path that straddles the borders of Missouri. The orb travels to the east and west, sometimes darting across the roads at very high speeds in midair. Some eyewitnesses claim the orb will even sway side to side like the lantern may be carried by a invisible figure, casting this eerie glow across the empty roads. Some may even say the light “dances,” moving in a playful manner or random patterns. Despite all the numerous reports, no one has really been able to catch the orb’s true nature and figure out what exactly causes the strange movements.

One popular folklore about the Spooklight involves a miner who returns home one night to find his home turned into ashes and his family missing, which many people believe it was the Native Americans. There are whispers ghosts roam around the Spooklight’s Road with a lantern, searching for their lost family. Moreover, there were two young lovers from Quapaw tribe who went against her father’s wishes and fled together. They were chased by warriors and trapped at the edge of a cliff above the Spring River, ultimately leading the two couples to jump to their deaths. Many people believe the light’s glow is the spirit of lovers. However, nonbelievers argue that the light is just car headlights from route 66. A theory by Popular Mechanics in 1965 stated that lights could be found from miles away. While this theory explains some of the sightings, it does not account for the earlier suspicious activities when cars did not even exist. This leaves many wondering if there is more mystery than meets the eye.

“Raw and uncut footage of the Spooklight (Oklahoma), capturing the mysterious glowing orb in its natural setting.”

Works Cited:

Ashley. “This Spooky Unexplained Phenomenon in Oklahoma Will Give You Goosebumps.” Only in Your State, 2 Feb. 2016, www.onlyinyourstate.com/nature/oklahoma/spooklight-ok.

Crazy Mule. "The Joplin Hornet Spook Light - Best Video Footage Ever Captured." YouTube, uploaded by Crazy Mule, 2 Mar. 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7VG72cSNoA.

The Spook Light | Joplin, MO - Official Website. www.joplinmo.org/575/The-Spook-Light.

Links for further research:

1. Unraveling the mystery of the Joplin Spooklight: A 4-state legend
Unraveling the mystery of the Joplin Spooklight: A 4-state legend | 4-States in Depth |koamnewsnow.com
The Joplin Spooklight is a mysterious phenomenon in a 4-states area, it has intrigued locals for many centuries, with theories exploring lost souls and paranormal activity.

2. Hornet’s Spooklight has drawn the curious for decades
Hornet's Spook Light has drawn the curious for decades — Ozarks Alive
The Hornet Spooklight a mysterious orb, has puzzled generations with such an eerie
appearance, sparking legends of ghosts and tragic events ever since one fatal
investigation in 1946.

3. Devil’s Promenade & the Hornet Spooklight
Devil’s Promenade & the Hornet Spook Light – Legends of America
The Spooklight has shaken both paranormal investigators and scientists, with questions ranging from the natural gas and will-o-the-wisps to atmospheric changes, this ghostly origin tragic Native American love story popular.

Step into Madness: Unraveling the Mystery of the Dancing Plagues

Author: Jess Shumate

 Picture a busy street in Strasbourg during the summer of 1518, when the sound movement and laughter fills the air. As soon as Frau Troffea encounters the sunshine, she begins to dance uncontrollably. Within days, the city turns into a display of dancing and insanity as scores of people join in a mad dance. Why would so many people dance until they were nearly exhausted or even dead? Combining aspects of psychology, society, and the supernatural, the 16th-century dance plagues continue to be one of history's most perplexing mysteries. Come explore this intriguing phenomena that has had a lasting impact on our fascination with curious human behavior.

The Dancing Mania by Hendrick Hondius

(1642) after Pieter Brueghel

According to author Patricia Brauer, in a Britannica entry titled “Dancing Plague of 1518”, the dancing plague of 1518 was the best known recorded occurrence of a mysterious phenomenon that happened in the city of Strasbourg in the Roman Empire, which is now located in France. During the episode of 1518, hundreds of individuals are reported to have danced relentlessly beyond their own control and the madness continued for over two months, eventually stopping. This dancing plague began when in July 1518, a woman named Frau Troffea started dancing in the street and did not stop until she fell to the ground, seemingly unable to stop herself. After one week, 30 or more people were also experiencing uncontrollable dancing, After the council met about the strange happenings, they decided that the cure to this dancing plague was more dancing.

During medieval times dancing plagues were thought of as curses and were and spiritual diseases caused by the supernatural. Sin was blamed for the affliction of the cursed. Lynneth Miller, author of an article titled “Divine Punishment or Disease? Medieval and Early Modern Approaches to the 1518 Strasbourg Dancing Plague”, states that the church possessed the only treatment for dancing plagues or mania until 1518. Only a priest could heal the sinner from the affliction. Any person healed was considered to have been done so by divine intervention. People were, in fact, banned from the city for being “loose”. Cursed by the dancing plague, people were loaded and forced by wagon to journey to the shrine for divine healing.

Haunted by the Dance: In Kölbigk, 1021, a priest's curse condemned 18 villagers to dance wildly for a year, marking the earliest recorded outbreak of the mysterious medieval dancing epidemics.

By the mid-17th century, the episodes of mass dancing that had once gripped Europe had largely faded away, coinciding with a decline in intense supernatural beliefs. By the late 1600s, the term "St. Vitus’ Dance"  was repurposed to refer to a different medical issue altogether. These unusual occurrences are noteworthy, as they illustrate how our beliefs and expectations can significantly influence the manifestation of psychological distress. In a time when genetic explanations dominate our understanding, the dancing plagues serve as a reminder that the symptoms of mental health disorders are not fixed; they can evolve with cultural contexts. Furthermore, the dancing mania phenomenon highlights the lengths to which fear and supernatural thinking can drive human behavior.

Author John Waller, in an article titled Dancing “Plagues and Mass Hysteria”, explains the dancing plague as a condition of people being in altered states and question the causes. Some believe this phenomena should be labeled as a mass psychogenic illness rather than a dancing plague or dancing mania. The extenuating circumstances could be factors, for example, environmental, multiple disease outbreaks, and the plague. Demonic possession was highly reported in these times; however, the author shifts us back to the altered state again, suggesting psychological illness.

Doomed to Dance: In 1247, Germany’s Erfurt witnessed a frenzied outbreak where dozens danced uncontrollably, highlighting the eerie and recurring phenomenon of medieval dancing mania.

Author Dr. Pallavi Saxena, in an article titled “The Dancing Plague: A Glimpse into History’s Mysterious Dance Epidemics”, outlines four major occurrences of dancing plagues or dancing mania as well as the possible causes for the mysterious phenomenon. The events listed are as follows: Kolbigk, 1021, Erfurt and Maastricht, 1247, The Great Dance of 1374, and The Strasbourg Epidemic of 1518, On Christmas Eve in 1021, the earliest known account of a dancing plague was recorded in the German town of Kolbigk. After dancing, clapping, and chanting madly outside of a church where mass was being conducted, eighteen people were cursed by the local priests to continue to dance for year. In Erfurt, Germany in Maastricht people danced across the Moselle River on a bridge until it caved in, and they were drowned. 1374 was a year of vast reports on the dancing plague. Reports included: screaming, visions, agonizing dancing for various periods of time, begging of clergymen, and “an odd dislike of red or pointed shoes”. The Strasbourg Epidemic of 1518 may have killed up to 15 people daily due to heart attack, stroke, and exhaustion.

Works Cited:

Bauer, Patricia. “Dancing Plague of 1518.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 8 Jan. 2019, https://www.britannica.com/event/dancing-plague-of-1518 

Miller, Lynneth J. “Divine Punishment or Disease? Medieval and Early Modern Approaches to the 1518 Strasbourg Dancing Plague.” Dance Research, vol. 35, no. 2, Nov. 2017, pp. 149–164, https:// www.euppublishing.com/doi/full/10.3366/drs.2017.0199?role=tab 

Saxena, Dr. Pallavi. “The Dancing Plague: A Glimpse into History’s Mysterious Dance Epidemics.” Medbound, 20 June 2024, https://www.medboundtimes.com/medboundblog/the-dancing-plague-a-glimpse-into-historys-mysterious-dance

Waller, John. “A Forgotten Plague: Making Sense of Dancing Mania.” The Lancet, vol. 373, no. 9664, 21 Feb. 2009, pp. 624–625, https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736%2809%2960386-X/fulltext

Waller, John. “Dancing Plagues and Mass Hysteria.” The British Psychological Society, 16 July2009, https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/dancing-plagues-and-mass-hysteria

Links for further research:

BBC News, http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_7608000/7608874.stm This source is an article that describes the Dancing Plague of 1518 and illustrates how the physicians of the time believed that the cure for the dancing phenomenon was more dancing

History.com, https://www.history.com/news/what-was-the-dancing-plague-of-1518 This source is about the Dancing Plague of 1518 and gives a detailed account of the citizens and their participation in the event

The Public Domain Review, https://publicdomainreview.org/essay/the-dancing-plagueof-1518/ This source is an account of the Dancing Plague of 1518 that lists information previously not found in other sources, such as the number of dead.

The Legend of The Tuatha De Danann

 Author: Dalton Riddick

The Tuatha De Danann are the most important figures in Irish mythology. They originally descended from the skies on clouds and inhabited Ireland. Time passes and eventually humans reach Ireland and fight the Tuatha De Danann. Humans claimed victory and the Tuatha De Danann became fairies to influence Irish folklore for good or for bad. The Tuatha De Danann are an example of the people that lived before trying to explain supernatural creatures.

The main figures of the Tuatha De Danann were Dagda, Brigid, Lugh and Morrigan. Dagda, often known as the “Good God,” is a character of duality. He is the largest of the Tuatha De Danann but wields a club that can kill and revive anything it touches. Brigid is known for fertility and flames associated with a forge. Lugh is craftsman and warrior. He is mainly associated with all of the victories that the Tuatha De Danann have won. and lastly Morrigan is usually represented as a crow typically on a battleground. They usually shape the outcome of conflicts and bring about death.

The idea of the Tuatha De Danann still hold relevance in modern day Ireland. For example there are multiple festivals held year round that some of the Tuatha De Danann are directly associated with. Lughnasadh is a festival that has been recorded to have been celebrated throughout Ireland, Scotland, and even the Isle of Man. The festival is typically held around August first and is held for the Tuatha De Danann, Lugh. 

Athletic events, feasting, and even trading were held during this festival. Lughnasadh isn’t particularly held anymore but some events like the “Puck Fair” share the same activities as Lughnasadh. Imbolc is another Irish festival that was celebrated throughout Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. Imbolc was celebrated because the Tuatha De Danann, Brigid. In Christian records Saint Brigid would do everything the Tuatha De Danann Brigid would do. How Imbolc would be celebrated was the night before everyone would weave a Brigids Cross and hang it on their door. It was said that Brigid or Saint Brigid would visit your home and protect it from disease, fire, and even evil fairies trying to invade your home. The tradition has of Imbolc has died but is considered a religious or a cultural holiday.

Even if the Tuatha De Danann don’t hold as much cultural signifigance as they once did they are still historically important from how much the communities of paegans benefited from the organized events. Though we may not be able to say that Lugh brought about the season of Autumn the paegan people of Ireland had a grasp on the events that happened with the Tuatha De Danann.

Works Cited:

“The Mythological Cycle: The Tuatha Dé Danann and the Origins of Ireland.” Irish History, The Mythological Cycle: The Tuatha Dé Danann and the Origins of Ireland -IrishHistory.com.

Sullivan, Kerry. “Tuatha De Danann, The Enchanting Predecessors of Irish Fairies and Elves.” Ancient Origins, 20 July 2019, Tuatha Dé Dannan, the Enchanting Predecessors of Irish Fairies and Elves | Ancient Origins. 

“Who Are The Tuatha De Danann? Demystifying The ‘God-Folk’ of Irish Mythology.” Irish Myths, 15 November 2023, Who Are the Tuatha Dé Danann? Demystifying the “God-Folk” of Irish Mythology - IrishMyths.

Ley lines in America

 By: Sarah Price  

Ley lines are found all over the world and are imaginary lines that connect historic places like graveyards, ancient sites, and landmarks. Ley lines were built and used for navigational purposes and are believed to hold magical powers. Some believe in the early 20th century that ley lines were lines of energy that they built structures Apon, and some believe they have vortexes on them. Later a man named Tony Wedd suggested that ley lines were used for alien spacecrafts and UFO sitings were always over ley lines and that's all. After all the research that has been done ley lines have been not proven to have any source of energy or any source of UFO sitings along them   

The man who founded Ley Lines Alfred Watkins says that Ley Lines are of great importance to the world and show different paths used to travel besides main roads and paths. He also states that the lines are trade routes founded by ancient societies. Watkins had gained a small following but his research was never taken in by big places like the British Archaeological Society. Ley lines were also called holy lines in Britain and these concepts we also founded in the USA and all over the world.   

There was a group of people who called themselves ley hunters and traveled all around Great Britain to try and track down ley lines because they believed they would transform human society. Because these people never truly found ley lines they believed them to not exist the only people who believed in them also believed in the supernatural and said that they would never truly be able to find ley lines because they were hidden from the naked eye and are used for sports and energy to travel from place to place and have portals to travel thru.   

Alfred has written many books about ley lines. One of his books, The Early British Trackways, was published in 1922. As I said earlier, he stated that ley lines were ancient trade routes. In his book, he cited an English astronomer who believed ley lines were oriented to sunsets. Later in times, the studies of ley lines were adapted into college studies this is when ley lines were known to not be studied anymore and this is also when believers believed that ley lines held mystic powers and this is where the idea of portals and spacecrafts. 

Works Cited: 

ley-line https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/ley-line  In this article they talked about ley lines and how they started and the beliefs behind them.  

https://www.iflscience.com/what-are-ley-lines-and-do-they-really-exist-71960 In this article they go over the creation of ley lines and how they created them and his ideas about it and the people that had other ideas about them Aswell. 

https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/unexplained-phenomena/ley-lines.htm They talk about the early times and ley lines and what they are and the scientific beliefs Aswell as the beliefs of how they connect and how they were traveled and the mystic beliefs about them.  

Further research: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ley_line 

https://allthatsinteresting.com/ley-lines 

41349-ley-lines.html 

The Devine Protector

 Author: Kevin Parada

The mythical creature known as the Thunderbird is a significant and powerful figure within Native American mythology. Often depicted as a large birdlike entity with Godlike powers and abilities with some cases claiming the entity is made of lightning and is practically Intangible. The thunderbird is believed to create thunder by flapping its whings and shoot lightning from its eyes. For these reasons this entity is depicted as a protector within Native American culture it is also a symbol of power and strength.

Thunderbird by windfalcon on DeviantArt

The Thunderbird is a very important figure and creature within many Native American tribes across the United States with some being located along the Pacific North-West coast, American South-East, The Great Lakes, and The Great Plains. Within these cultures the Thunderbird is associated with the coming of rain and storms and is also believed to have the ability to control the weather and the fait of their land as a whole.

Depending on the tradition the thunderbird can be seen as one of two things.

Option one: Within this tradition the thunderbird is seen as a protector and a guardian which protects mankind from evil spirits. It is also the symbol of change/transformation which leads it to appear within legends and stories as a powerful creature that bring about significant events. 

Option two: Within this tradition the thunderbird is more commonly known as El Demonio De La Tormenta (The Demon of The Storm) which is believed to be a destroyer by nature and is depicted as an evil entity destroying villages, fields, and killing livestock as well as human. It is seen as a symbol of destruction or death which lead the creature to be a main antagonist within many stories and folklore within the Palmar area. 

The Powerful Bird of Alaskan Folklore “A general recap of the thunderbird legend with images”

Ranging from version of the thunderbird legend the entity can either be a humanlike creature with the ability to turn into a bird made of lightning and granted God like powers. Or it can be a creature that was born with the first lightning strike also in some cases the thunderbird isn’t a single entity but a whole species with many specimens being spotted at a time. 

The legend of the thunderbird originated in the genesis of Native Americans. Across these tribes the thunderbird embodied a array of symbolic meaning with some representations being strength, courage, protection, pride, and unfaltering will. The original depictions varied from tribe to tribe but some of the things that remained consistent were the following: Colossal size and outlandish wingspan with vibrant plumage consisting of intricate designs. It was also believed to be able to penetrate the deepest part of the huma soul revealing the hidden truths and unlit roads.

Work Cited:

Mythical Encyclopedia. "Thunderbird (Mythical Creature)." Mythical Encyclopedia, Mythical Encyclopedia, 2024, https://mythicalencyclopedia.com/thunderbird/. Accessed 7 NOV. 2024

Britannica. “Thunderbird.” Encyclopedia 7 Nov. 2024, Thunderbird | Symbol & Facts | Britannica

“The Legend of the Thunderbird Native American Mythology.” MythologyWorldwide, 2 Mar. 2024, The Legend of the Thunderbird in Native American Mythology -. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.

Seal-Skinned Mermaids Ameliorate the Seas!

 Author: Nessquickian

Imagine swimming along the coast of Scotland. While swimming you come across a beautiful woman. To the unsuspecting, she comes off as an average woman. However, in the blink of an eye, you see the maiden pull on a seal skin and dive into the sea. The beautiful woman before you has become a seal and disappeared without a trace. On the coast of Great Britain and The British Isles, these shape-shifting sea maidens called selkies supposedly ameliorate the seas. 

Selkies or Selchies are mythologically half fish, half human creatures. They are also types of fae that tend to have water elemental powers. When in the water with the help of seal skins they can shape-shift into seals. They can be found in Scotland, Ireland, and Iceland, and more often than not rural coastal areas. Mythology or History of Selkies

Historically the origins of selkies are unknown. However, their origins seem to be from contact made between the Scottish, the Irish, and the Sami and or Finnish people. Selkies aren’t known particularly for being dangerous, however, certain stories involve selkies luring their love into the sea as a way to be with them. In most cases, selkies are noted as helpful creatures. They’re often found helping sailors and drowning victims while also being kind to those around them.

Tales of these mysterious creatures are commonplace amongst natives and have endured for ages. One of the most well-known stories of selkies is known as The Selkie Wife. The story of the selkie wife follows a man who under the moonlight spots a group of dancing selkies. One Selkie catches his eye, and he takes her skin to stop her from leaving. Unable to return home the selkie maiden follows her manipulator home and eventually they be-wed and have kids. The maiden was forced to stay against her will and despite loving her kids and some semblance of her life she still craved the sea. One day her son came to her with her seal skin, and she was ecstatic. Now reunited with her seal skin the selkie didn't waste any time returning to the sea. As a result, she was never seen again.

On the opposite end of the Selkie spectrum are the forgotten Selkie men. Unlike Selkie women, Selkie men tend to have prosperous lives and aren’t usually forced to forgo their lives in the sea. One of the most well-known stories of Selkie men is called the Selkie and the Hunter. who takes pride in killing seals for profit. Early in the day, the hunter wounds an unsuspecting seal and heads in. Later, the seal catcher is commissioned by a rider and is taken to a grove of seals. Instead of being able to kill the seals, the hunter is pushed underwater and turned into a seal. Distraught after being turned into a seal, he’s met by the selkie relatives of the seal he harmed earlier. He’s brought to the seal he harmed earlier and is made to heal him in order to turn back into a human. As a reward for healing the seal or rather selkie he’s allowed to go home and is given gold as well.

Works cited:

1. Graeme “Traditional Scottish Selkie Stories” Scotland’s Stories. June 2022. https://scotlands-stories.com/traditional-scottish-selkie-stories/ Accessed 3 November 2024

2. lizzbythesea “Selkies – The Forgotten Seal-Men” staring-at-the-sea October 2020. https://staring-at-the-sea.com/2020/10/30/selkies-forgotten-seal-men/ Accessed 3 November 2024

3. Rainbolt, Dawn “Irish Folklore, Myth & Legend: Selkies of Ireland” Wilderness Ireland. March 2022. https://www.wildernessireland.com/blog/irish-myths-legends-part-4-selkies/. Accessed 3 November 2024.

4. todayinmagicalgirlhistory “The Magical Girl Guide to: Selkies” Tumblr. April 2022. https://todayinmagicalgirlhistory.tumblr.com/post/682970547205832704/the-magical-girl-guideto-selkies. Accessed 3 November 2024.

5. Peuffier, Aube “All the gifs about selkies” Tumblr. December 2014. https://64.media.tumblr.com/94db157235d0794b1bfd508467f6ad3d/tumblr_nhbhk2ahcx1rmiepwo4_1280.gifv. Accessed 3 November 2024.

6. “The Story Of The Selkie Wife | Shetland Folktales | BBC The Social ” Youtube. Uploaded by BBC The Social. July 2021. https://youtu.be/0fE11rw0s8w?feature=shared. Accessed 3 November 2024

7. “Scotland’s Stories: Story of a Selkie - Tom Muir“ Youtube. Uploaded by Scottish Storytelling Centre. May 2017. https://youtu.be/JugM395E0TE?feature=shared. Accessed 3 November 2024 

Links for further research

1. Celtic Myths - The Selkies: Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA3Mv-LIJ38 Youtuber Count Dankula goes into detail about selkies and talks about selkies. He talks about Female selkie stories and male selkie stories.

2. Living Liminally – Fairy facts |Selkies: Blog Spot https://lairbhan.blogspot.com/2024/04/fairyfacts-selkies.html This blog that seems to have lot’s of other articles about other types of fairiesgoes into detail about selkie misconceptions, folklore and other selkie facts.

3. Selkies, Sex, and the Supernatural: Thebottleimp https://www.thebottleimp.org.uk/2016/12/selkies-sex-and-the-supernatural/ This article is about the sexuality and other aspects of selkie culture.

Alnwick Gardens

Author: Emily Nelson

For years, lots of people in Northumberland, UK, have been talking about this “poisonous garden.” Known as “Alnwick Gardens.” Locals and tourists are left curious about how poisonous this garden truly is. But they are also excited about the many events this garden holds each year. Such as a “Halloween Spectacular,” this event brings out many lights, decorations, and spooky objects all through the garden for people to walk through and look at. You wear costumes and get many pictures. But after dark is when all the fun happens. The spookiness unveils itself and the haunted fun begins. It is for adults, but brave kids are allowed. The garden also hosts a ‘School of poison’ it was made for parents and kids to learn and have fun at a sweet and simple price of one adult ticket and 4 kids accompanied with them.

While yes, those events may sound fun, you must be cautious of the real danger they bring.

Alnwick Garden may be known for its beautiful and breath-taking views but do not let that fool

you. The plants can instantly kill you if you are not careful and follow the rules that are provided.

There is a big black metal gate located in the garden with many plants behind it. You may not

enter that section of the garden without a guide present and leading you through the section. The

two plants that are known for being behind the gate are “Ricin” (castor oil plant) which is the

most dangerous one I the garden and “Laburnum tree” which is the second most dangerous plant

in the garden.

Visitors and tourists are still astonished at the views and the dedicated challenging work that the

garden accurately expresses just by looking through the gates before entering the garden. Just by

doing the research on Alnwick Gardens I do not think the pictures you can find on the internet do

justice to how beautiful it really is.

The pictures below show one of the breath-taking views that Alnwick Garden demonstrates. The

other picture of the Black metal gate stating “These plants can kill” is the same gate that you are

not allowed to enter with a guide present leading you through that specific section of the garden.

By TSP - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0 Wikimedia Commons

By Steve F, CC BY-SA 2.0 Wikimedia Commons

While they warn you not to touch, smell, or eat the plants inside the garden They rarely mention

how they maintain the garden to make it look the way it does. The maintenance people must

wear full hazard suits, mask, gloves full body suits before touching any of the plants that may

need maintenance. As shown in an earlier picture. You can see all the equipment they have to

wear before going that close to one of the plants. Especially if it is located behind the black gate.

Works cited:

Ian Smith. “Lilidorei’s Halloween Spectacular Launches at The Alnwick Gardens.”

Northumberland Gazette. 3 Oct 2024. https://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/whatson/

arts-and-entertainment/lilidoreis-halloween-spectacular-launches-at-the-alnwickgarden-

4809516. Accessed on 30 Oct 2024.

Ryan Smith. “The Alnwick Garden: ‘School of Poison’ is Now Open for Summer Holidays.”

The Sheilds Gazette. 21 Jul 2024. https://www.shieldsgazette.com/news/the-alnwickgarden-

school-of-poison-is-now-open-for-the-summer-holidays-4707631. Accessed on 3

Nov 2024.

Mona Bassil. “The World’s Most Unique Garden Could Also Kill You Easily.” The Travel. 22

Jul 2024.https://www.thetravel.com/alnwick-castle-poison-garden-deadly/. Accessed on

30 Oct 2024.

“Lilidorei’s Halloween Spectacular Launches at The Alnwick Gardens.” Photograph of

spookydorei celebrations at Lilidorei Northumberland Gazette.

https://www.alnwickgarden.com/2024/10/04/halloween-at-the-alnwick-garden-andlilidorei/

.published on 3 Oct 2024. Accessed on 5 Nov 2024.

“Discover Alnwick Garden”. Photograph of Alnwick Garden. Choosewhere.

https://choosewhere.com/alnwick-garden . Accessed on 5 Nov 2024.

Further research:

“Inside UK’S Deadliest Garden- Simply Touching or Smelling Flowers Could End in Death.”

https://www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/1889847/uk-deadliest-garden-Alnwick-Garden. New

reporter Christopher Sharp explains how deadly and serios this garden really is. He mentions the

Ricin plant (Castor Oil plant) which is the most poisonous there and the Laburnum tree, the

second most poisonous plant there. He also explains how important it is not to touch, smell or

taste any of the plants in the garden.

“Step Inside the World’s Most Dangerous Garden (If You Dare).”

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/step-inside-worlds-most-dangerous-garden-if-you-dare-

180952635/ . Natasha Geiling explains the history and how the Alnwick Gardens became a

thing. She also describes how the Percy family loses a family member and Jane Percy, and her

husband inherited Alnwick castle and 14 acres of land.

“Don’t Smell the Flowers: How Alnwick Castle’s Poison Garden Finds Beauty in the World’s

Deadliest Plants.” https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/648214/poison-garden-finds-beautyworlds-

deadliest-plants. Michele explains the story behind why the garden is what it is today

and how it it very dangerous to go in without an expert or guide there with you at all times.

Moon-eyed people

 Da’Myah Merritt

The Moon-eyed people are a short mysterious figure in Cherokee and Appalachian folklore, very often described as a pale-skinned, blue-eyed race sensitive to sunlight, living in the Appalachian Mountains before European settlers arrived. Legends say they inhabited areas like the Smoky and Blue Ridge Mountains and built stone structures, including Georgia's Fort Mountain wall. Due to their sensitivity to light, they could only see at night, hiding during the day and working during the night fall. 

The Moon Eyed People were, according to legend, cave dwellers who only ventured out at night.

Cherokee stories talk about conflicts between the Cherokee and the Moon-eyed people around 1100-1200 AD, which drove them away. Some legends suggest they fled underground, disappearing from history. Theories on their origins vary, some propose they were an indigenous group or displaced settlers from Wales, tracing their origins to the 12th-century Prince Madoc legend. Now people add a paranormal twist, suggesting they may have been ailes, a theory transpired from their unusual physical traits and nocturnal-like habits. Some link the story to the 1955 Kelly-Hopkinsville "alien" encounter in Kentucky.

                                Legend of the Moon Eyed People, America's First Civilization

Today, the Moon-eyed people are a captivating part of Appalachian culture, where Native history, European legends, and supernatural tales merge. Their story, passed down through generations, continues to intrigue and inspire those drawn to the mysteries of Appalachia.

Works Cited: 

Carmichael, Tim. “The Moon-Eyed People of Cherokee Legend: Mysteries of the Smoky Mountains.” Echoes of Appalachia, 26 September 2024. Accessed: 6 Nov. 2024. https://appalachianmemories.org/2024/09/26/the-moon-eyed-people-of-cherokee-legend-mysteries

Hocker,Chris. “The Moon-eyed People”. Strange Carolinas, June 2012. Accessed: 6 Nov. 2024. https://www.strangecarolinas.com/2019/10/the-moon-eyed-people-effigy-murphy-nc.html. -of-the-smoky-mountains/. 

Wayne, Jordan. “Blue Ridge Tales, Maintain Life & Love: Tales of the Moon-eyed People”. 2012. Accessed: 6 Nov. 2024. https://blueridgetales.com/tales-of-the-moon-eyed-people/. 

Spooky Appalachia: The Story Of The Moon-eyed People.” Accessed: 6 Nov. 2024. https://www.spookyappalachia.com/the-story-of-the-moon-eyed-people/.

Vučković, Aleksa. “Exploring The Mysterious North American Moon-eyed People Legend.” Ancient Origins, 23 January 2022. Accessed: 6 Nov. 2024. https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-americas/moon-eyed-people-0016334. 

For Further Reference: Voyles, Bruce. “Moon-eyed People Legends Center In Area.” Cherokee Scout. Accessed: 6 Nov. 2024. https://www.cherokeescout.com/opinion/moon-eyed-people-legends-center-area This article work by James Mooney includes references to the Moon-eyed people and mentions Cherokee legends and folklore, providing valuable historical context. Mooney discusses how Cherokee oral tradition describes the Moon-eyed people as small, fair-skinned figures who lived in Appalachia before the Cherokee arrived.

Georgia Parks Division, Department of Natural Resources. "Historical Marker at Fort Mountain." 19, Sep. 2008. Accessed: 6 Nov. 2024 https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=11590 This marker, placed by Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources, commemorates the Moon-eyed people and their alleged connection to Fort Mountain’s stone wall. It includes the belief that the Moon-eyed people may have been a separate race defeated by the Creek. A notable example of how folklore has been recognized in historical landmarks, encouraging ongoing curiosity about local legends. Atlas, Obscura. “Who Were the Mysterious Moon-Eyed People of Appalachia?” by Hadley Meares, October 22, 2024. Accessed: 6 Nov. 2024. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/moon-eyed-people-appalachia This article explores various versions and theories about the moon-eyed people, diving deep into archaeological evidence, Cherokee legend, and speculative folklore. The author describes how the myth evolved through both indigenous and European storytelling, as well as modern alien theories.

The Atacama Skeleton

 Author: Ailyn Mendiola Romero

In 2003, Oscar Munoz was trailing around La Noria, in the Atacama region of Chile, which is where the name Atacama Skeleton or “Ata” originated from https://thelittlehouseof horrors.com/humberstone-and-la-noria/. While trailing around, he stumbled across a mysterious leather bag. Inside of the bag was a white cloth, wrapped in the cloth was a mummified 6-inch skeleton. According to several sources, “Ata” did not look like a human skeleton. It had several abnormal structures, a cone-shaped head and ten ribs, rather than the normal 12. This caught the media’s attention, naming it “The Atacama Alien.” In 2012, an analysis was conducted proving that the skeleton appeared to have been in the Atacama Desert for about 40 years. This intrigued scientists at Stanford University and UC San Francisco, Garry Nolan and Atul Butte, because this meant there was still DNA intact, which could be taken for new studies. With permission, Garry Nolan took a sample of Ata’s lip to run a DNA analysis. Their mission was to identify the identity of this Atacama skeleton.

Atacama Desert's Mummified Skeleton (Beyond Science informational video from 2018)

On March 22, 2018, almost two decades after the Atacama skeleton was discovered, Garry Nolan and Atul Butte’s research was released to the public in Genome Research https://genome. cshlp.org /content/early/ 2018/03/21/gr .223693.117. This gave everyone either a relief that it wasn’t an alien or a slight disappointment. The article stated not only was Ata not an alien but, most likely, was of Chilian descent. It is unsure the exact age of Ata, but she’s possibly either pre- or post-term birth. The reason for her death was a rare bone aging disorder such as cranioectodermal dysplasia and Greenberg skeletal dysplasia, which resulted in making her look older than her actual age. Although Ata was proven to be dead by birth, her bone age appeared to be 6-8 years at the time, suggesting a new possible form of dwarfism.

Mummified specimen from Atacama region of Chile 

(Sanchita Bhattacharya/University of

California San Francisco)

so, there was no alien baby, just a baby girl who was exploited at death and confused for an alien cause of her condition which killed her at birth. As we know now, the Atacama Skeleton is in private possession in Spain by Ramon Navia- Osorio.

Works Cited:

Beyond Science. “Atacama Desert’s Mummified Skeleton.” YouTube, 11 April 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXyiQeHSg84

The Little House Of Horrors. “Humberston and La Noria.” The Little House of Horrors. 7 November. 2024. https://thelittlehouseofhorrors.com/humberstone-and-la-noria/.

De Abreu, Kristine. “The Alien of the Atacama” Explorersweb, 7 June. 2023. https://explorersweb.com/the-alien-of-the-atacama/.

Garry Nolan. “The Atacama Skeleton” Genome Research, 22 March. 2018. https://genome.cshlp.org /content/early/ 2018/03/21/gr .223693.117

Bhattacharya, Sanchita. “ Mummified Spicemen” WEB. 8 November. 2024. https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/180322095103-001-atacama-mummy.jpg?q=x_2,y_0,h_1179,w_2096,c_crop/h_653,w_1160/f_webp

Other References for Research:

Genome Research: The Atacama Skeleton
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5932602/ This web source is from Garry Nolan, a Stanford University professor, and Atul Butte, a University of California San Francisco professor. They provide further information on their research studies conducted against the Atacama skeleton.

Stanford Medicine: Mysterious skeleton shows molecular complexity of bone diseases
https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2018/03/mysterious-skeleton-shows-molecularcomplexity-of-bone-diseases.html This web source provides insights of Garry Nolan, a Standford University professor.

CNN: Researchers finally solve the mystery of ‘alien’ skeleton

https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/22/health/atacama-skeleton-mystery/index.html In this web source, Strickland provided direct quotes of the one-on-one conversation she’s had with Garry Nolan, providing exclusive details.

Kitsune: The Trickiest Kind of Fox

 Name: Lucy Hill

Kitsune may just be the coolest kind of fox you will ever learn about. Kitsune are mythological foxes or foxlike creatures, some people just call them foxes and others believe they aren’t enough like a real fox to be called one. Kitsune originated in Japan and are very important in all aspects of their culture like religion, entertainment, art, fashion, and more. (Encyclopedia Brittanica).

“Kitsune.” Mythical Creatures Information. 

There are thought to be two types of kitsune, good and bad. All possess many interesting characteristics. Kitsune are believed to live for hundreds or thousands of years and get wiser and more powerful as they age. The most prominent power kitsune are known for is metamorphosis or shapeshifting. It is believed by many that when kitsune reach one hundred years old, they gain the ability to shapeshift. The good or holy kitsune use their powers for good and are seen to be god’s messengers. They use their powers to protect people, give good luck, and get rid of evil spirits. Bad or wild foxes are kitsune that use their powers for evil or for pranking and tricks. They take the shape of certain people and trick the people close to them or just play around (Yokai). 

The myth of kitsune originated from a time when foxes were commonly seen in Japan in people’s everyday lives. These believed powers of foxes stemmed from people being near them and observing their behavior (Japan Primavera). Joshua Furr, an avid lover and researcher of all things Japan and Japanese culture, wrote an article about Kitsune on Edge of Niigata. In his article, he goes into three different parts of life in Japan that kitsune are involved in. These are the divine (religion), the delicious (food), and the legend (art and mythology). The divine refers to kitsune being associated with the goddess Inari of prosperity, because of this connection, kitsune are often found on shrines of Inari. The delicious refers to kitsune’s connections with food. Since the goddess Inari is associated with  agricultural bounty, so are kitsune. Farmers have a special relationship with kitsune, believing they kept pests away and as a peace offering would leave them dead mice to eat. The legend refers to the mythology around kitsune. In Japanese folklore, kitsune are the only foxes that can get married, this is often shown in art and myths written about them (Edge of Niigata). 

Overall, kitsune are very wise and interesting creatures. Whether they are working for good or evil, they are a large part of all aspects of Japanese culture.

Works Cited:

Ancient Origins. “Beware the Kitsune, The Shapeshifting Fox of Japanese Folklore.” Ancient Origins: Unravelling the Mysteries of the Past. 10 Oct. 2024. https://www.ancientorigins.net/myths-legends-asia/kitsune-0012027.

Furr, Joshua. “Tails of Kitsune: The Many Faces of Niigata’s Mysterious Fox.” Edge of Niigata, 28 June 2023. Tails Of Kitsune: The Many Faces of Niigata's Mysterious Fox | Edge of Niigata.

Martin, Roland. “Kitsune Japanese Folklore.” Encyclopedia Brittanica, 28 Mar. 2024. https://www.britannica.com/topic/kitsune.

Yokai Database. “Kitsune.” Yokai Database for Japanese Folklore, 17 September 2021. https://yokai.com/kitsune/.

Zaicek, Vladimir. “Kitsune- The Fox of a Thousand Appearances.” Japan Primavera, 10 Oct. 2024. https://www.japanprimavera.com/gb/blog/articoli-del-blog/kitsune-the-fox-of-athousand-appearances.

Links to further research:

Mythological Creatures Information: Kitsune - Japanese fox spirits | mythicalcreatures.info This source dives deeply into the origin of the mythological creature and the stories created around the creature.

Japanese Oni Masks: What is Kitsune? Types - Tales & Everything You Need to Know – Japanese Oni Masks  This sources dives deeply into all sorts of types of kitsune depicted in Japanese mythology and culture.

Bokksu: Kitsune: The Enigmatic Fox of Japanese Folklore – Bokksu This source dives deeply into how kitsune are involved in religion and spirituality in Japan.