The Dragon of Wawel Hill

Author: Kenya Humphrey

Krakow Dragon, from Wikimedia Commons

The legend of the Wawel Dragon, also known as Smok Wawelski, is the most well-known folklore in Poland. Many centuries ago, the dragon lived in a cave at the foot of Wawel Hill and terrorized the village by eating its sheep and taking its female inhabitants as sacrifices. When only the king’s daughter was left, he sent many knights to go fight the dragon, offering his daughter as a reward. When many knights took the challenge, but never returned, a young shoemaker’s apprentice took up on the king’s offer. Though he was teased and doubted by the rest of the village, the young apprentice roasted some sheep and filled them with spices and sulfur then left them for the dragon as bait. As expected, the dragon ate the sheep. The spices and the sulfur made the dragon’s stomach burn so much that he drank the village’s river to calm it. But instead, he drank so much he exploded. The village was finally at peace and the young apprentice, Krak, married the king’s daughter.

                The old folklore is known throughout Poland and Wawel Castle and the dragon’s den have been made very popular tourist attractions.  According to an online tourist site, the dragon’s den on Wawel Hill is “surely among great curiosities of Wawel” (Debicka). As a result of the folklore’s popularity, the home of the dragon brought Krakow many curious visitors. The dragon’s den, located in Krakow, is divided into three chambers for tourists to visit. The first chamber, also known as the “A chamber” is basically just the entry to the cave. The “B chamber” is the middle and largest portion of the cave that contains a storage room, a banquet room, and a tavern that date back to the 17^th and the 18^th centuries. The “C chamber” is the last part of the cave that holds the main room of the tavern. Though the den has been around for centuries, “after 1918, when Poland regained its independence, the Dragon’s Lair was prepared for visitors by prof. Adolf Szyszko-Bohusz” (Debicka).

                The Wawel Castle has also become an important tourist attraction because of the legend of the Wawel Dragon.  According to an article in History Today, the Wawel Castle “brings together a number of exhibitions tracing Wawel's history” (Monte). Though the castle serves as a setting for the legend, but it also serves as background for a lot of facts of the city of Krakow. Not only is it a very renowned tourist attraction, but Krakow is also “an important educational center since the Middle Ages” (Monte). The city of Krakow may be a setting for one of the most notorious stories in the country of Poland, but it is also a setting for historical discovery and educational teachings.

                The legend of the Wawel Dragon has laid out a pathway for curiosity and investigation for the city of Krakow and its visitors. Though the dragon once terrorized the city, it is now a mascot for the city and is the reason for discoveries tourists from all around.

Works Cited and Links for Further Research:

Dębicka, Maria. “Dragon’s Den.” Zamek Królewski Na Wawelu. NP. Nd. Web. 9 Oct. 2013. 

This article gives an overview of the dragon’s den.

Monte, Richard. “Krakow 2000”. History Today. Aug. 2009. Academic OneFile. Web. 9 Oct. 2013. 

This article gives a very good background of the Wawel Dragon and its history.

"The Dragon of Wawel Hill”.Wayback Machine.  NP. 10 April 2010. Web. 9 October 2013. 

This article gives a very detailed story of the Wawel Dragon.

The True Dracula: Vlad the Impaler

Author: Marlayne Smith

“Vlad the Impaler: The REAL Dracula.” By Joannapary

Dracula by Bram Stoker is the most famous horror story ever written. Bram Stoker was the one who brought the mythology of vampires to the world and vampires has become a popular since then. Everyone knows who Count Dracula is. Count Dracula has been described as not human, no reflection, turns into a bat or a wolf, fears the holly cross and can only be killed by stake through the heart. Count Dracula was undead and more importantly, Count Dracula drinks human blood. Where did Bram Stoker get this idea? Historians and scholars all point towards to Prince Vlad the Third. For centuries, Prince Vlad Tepes has been known to be a ruthless ruler who had the pleasure of killing his enemies.  

PRINCE VLAD’S VICTIMS 

Back in the 1400s in Transylvania (now know as Romania), there was such a man known as Prince Vlad the Third, the Prince of Wallachia and the son of Vlad the Second (1431-1476). Vlad’s brother were, Radu cel Frumos (the handsome), Mircea the second of Wallachia (the oldest sibling) and Vlad’s half-brother, Vlad Calugarul. Prince Vlad was also known for another name, Prince Vlad Tepes, the Impaler. What Prince Vlad the Third did to his enemies was unthinkable. Such as the men who worked and then betrayed his father, were all impaled. Vlad’s acts on impaling people were so horrifying, the village people, whether they were Vlad’s enemies or not, and his enemies started to fear him. Yet, the victims who were welcome into Vlad’s home knew something bad was going to happen, but the victims came into Vlad’s welcoming “parties” anyway and were killed by impalement. 

BRAN CASTEL, VLAD’S HOME

“The Dark Dracula Castle in Transilvania or Transylvania.” By Cristian Loja

A rumor has stated from a record by an unknown person who said Vlad would not just only impale his victims but drink their blood during the feats and after the feasts.. One true fact was when Vlad gave a group of men a big feast to enjoy and entertain the men. The men Vlad invited were the men who worked for his father and betrayed his father. Vlad had a plan in his mind to strike back at them as he saw the men were enjoying themselves. Not knowing who really was involved with his father’s death, Vlad’s only way to kill the killers was to kill all the men was loyal at his father’s side, the Order of the Dragon. Vlad put his father’s men into hard labor force. So hard that the men’s clothes started tear off from them from working endless. Just when the men’s clothes were all off, Vlad ordered his men to impale every one of his father’s men. The men were impaled as they were placed surrounding Vlad’s castle. This act of revenge started the rumors about Vlad drinking human blood after the death of these men. 

RUMORS HAS IT THAT VLAD DRINK HUMAN BLOOD 

“Vlad the Impaler.” By Scott Jackson

(For Sale on Etsy.)

Another story is told about when Vlad and his 10,000 men came to villages and then impaling thousands of people. For Vlad, this was his way to fear off his enemies. Sticking them on wooden pole in his forest and then outside his castle, Will Romano explained in his article. Vlad didn’t even have to fight face to face with the Ottoman armies in battle. The Ottoman armies came upon the impaling bodies and turned their heads away from the dying victims. They couldn’t look as each of the Ottoman armies marched back away from the bodies and not evening wanting to enter the forest. Wishing they never saw the thousands of victims being impaled.

Since hundred of years after the death of Vlad the Impaler, Vlad has become a major example as the first like vampire in the world. Whether Vlad was drinking human blood is true or not, the whole concept of vampires drinking blood started one of them mythologies about vampires, Ray Porter highlights in his essay. There is also a debate about Vlad being a great ruler and what he did was the good for his people and country. Many people who’ll try to point this across and believe Vlad as a good man. In medieval times, there were many ruthless rulers. Rulers who’ll do such cruel acts, such as cutting people, burning them alive, hanging them and so on with torturing people. These tortures were all based on a ruler’s laws in their country.

Whoever Vlad the third was, based on the research, he was a ruler who was doing his job and sought out revenge for his family. Then the revenge turned Vlad into a brutal psychological killer. Therefore by becoming one of the most evil men in history, based on by historians and scholars around the world who had studied him. Also to anybody who’ll learn about Vlad and having their own thoughts about Vlad the Third. Some will argue, mostly the Romanian people, who will defend Prince Vlad Tepes the Third and believe Vlad’s acts of violence has been fabricated from lies and rumors. I guess no one will know the truth about Vlad and the reasons of what he did as the Prince of Wallachia.

Works Cited

Cristian Loja. “The Dark Dracula Castle in Transilvania or Transylvania.”

Photograph. Staticflikr. 12, Jan. 2004.

joannapary. “Vlad the Impaler: The REAL Dracula.” Photograph. Wordpress. Web.

            31, Jan. 2012. 

Porter, Ray. “What’s in a Name?” The Historical Dracula: Vlad 3^rd Tepes, 1431-1476.

            Georgetown University, 1992. Web. 1996.

Scott Jackson. “Vlad the Impaler.” Photograph. Esty. 25, Sep. 2013

Romano, Will. “Vlad Dracula’s War on the Turks.” Military History. Massachusetts,

Rezachevici, Constantin. “Punishments with Vlad: Punishments in Europe

Command and different traits.” Journal of Dracula Studies. (1999-2013): n. pag. Web. 2006.  

“The Most Evil Men in History.” Discovery Channel. Discovery Communications.

Silver Spring, Maryland. 1985. Television.   

Charleston’s Paranormal Theater

Author: Sara Nichols

     
 Two hundred seventy-eight years ago Charleston, South Carolina became the home to America’s first theatrical-only-performance theater.  On February 12, 1735, The Dock Street Theater was opened on the corner of Dock Street (currently Church Street).  The first play performed in the theater was The Recruiting Officer by George Farquhar. (Brown) For the next few years, many different operas and plays were performed in this new American theater.

        Five years after its opening, in the Great Fire of 1740, the theater was destroyed, along with many other buildings in Charleston.  Nothing was done with demolished building until 1809, when the Calder’s bought the property and built Planter’s Inn or Planter’s Hotel in place of the theater. According to two articles, Brown and Wordpress, Planter’s Hotel was a place for wealthy men to gamble, drink, and encounter prostitutes. (Brown) (Wordpress)  Planter’s Hotel was owned by the Calder’s until 1852, when John C. O'Hanlon  took over management and renovated the hotel and advertised a new wine room.  In 1855, it was renovated, as a hotel, for the last time, adding a recessed porch, carved wooden brackets, banded brownstone columns, and an iron balcony (Preservation Society).  

        During the Civil War the purpose of the hotel was mute, due to the enlistment of many of the men who previously stayed at the hotel, and it was shut down.  Following the Civil War, the hotel reopened in 1884 mainly as apartments for tenements.  (Preservation Society)

        The Works Progress Administration (WPA) recreated the Dock Street Theater in 1935. On November 26, 1937, Farquhar’s The Recruiting Officer opened the rebuilt theater.  The theater was now accompanied by a performing company, the Footlight Players, who performed regularly in the Dock Street Theater.
In 2007, the theater begun a third renovation and was made more luxurious and handicap accessible. This renovation was completed in 2010. Currently about 600 shows are performed each year at the Dock Street Theater (Hollings).
        Junius Brutus Booth was a known traveling actor who stayed in Planter’s Hotel often and partook in drinking, gambling, and rendezvousing with prostitutes. Nettie Dickerson was a prostitute who worked in the Planter’s Hotel in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Over the past one hundred years, locals have told the mysterious tales of these two lingering residents said to have been spotted at the Dock Street Theater.

        Many spectators and actors have expressed seeing Booth on the balcony level of the theater.  However, no one really knows who lurks in the balcony people just assume it is Booth because he was a regular guest at the hotel.
        It is said that Nettie was stationed out on the second floor balcony of the hotel every night, after the wealthy men started avoiding her and she stopped making money. One night she was ridiculing someone over the edge of the balcony and the balcony rod was struck by lightning and she was killed instantly. Legend says that her ghost still haunts men at night, and even chases them down hallways.
        Junius Booth and Nettie Dickerson’s spirits still lurk the property of the Dock Street Theater, however don’t be afraid, they probably won’t bother you.  Unless you’re a wealthy white man, resembling those that started avoiding Nettie as a prostitute.


Works cited:
Brown, Alan. Haunted South Carolina: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Palmetto State. Mechanicsburg: Stackpole, 2010. Print.
Hollings, Ernest F. “The Dock Street Theater.” The Library of Congress. The American Folklore Center. Web. 13 Oct. 2013.
The Dock Street Theater. Wordpress.com. N.p., 13 Mar. 2012. Web. 11 Oct. 2013.
“30. Dock Street Theater, 1736.” Preservation Society of Charleston. Preservation Society of  Charleston. n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2013.


Links for further research:
1740 (November 18) Fire
http://www.preservationsociety.org/halseymap/flash/window.asp?HMID=37
A brief summary of the Great Fire of 1740, which destroyed the Dock Street Theater.
The Dock Street Theater
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/legacies/SC/200003498.html
A history of the Dock Street Theater without any paranormal information involved.
A guide to three of Charleston's haunted places
http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/a-guide-to-three-of-charlestons-haunted-places/Content?oid=3632921
A guide to several places in Charleston, SC where a tourist could go to be spooked and potentially sight ghosts.

The Hampton Lillibridge House

Author: Kaiyla Oliver



Hampton Lillibridge from Crime Library on Vimeo.

There have been stories about the Hampton Lillibridge House, and how it is haunted. A man named Jim moved into that house, and had workers to work on things that needed to be. They were reportedly working the house, and heard many noises. Along with strange activity happening. One man was working upstairs and had a strange force that tried to move him into a deep hole in the floor. So to try and save himself he laid down on his back. Not only was this going on. But they heard loud sounds that sounded like furniture moving around, along with tools going missing. 

After hearing what the workers had told him. Jim decided to move into the house anyway. While staying the night there, he admitted that he heard strange noises, and felt strange forces among him.

Some say that when you look up at the third floor window. You see an old man dressed in black looking right back at you. That sounds creepy right?

This article tells the history of the house, and where all of the hauntings all started. There is a sailor who committed suicide. By hanging himself in the bathroom. Neighbors reported hearing the voice of a woman singing while the house was empty. They also reported strange figures of people dancing in the windows upstairs.

Work Cited

(n.p, Friday February 20, 2009) savannahspecters.blogspot.com

Ramsland, Katherine (Ramsland, 2011) http://vimeo.com/19534164

Three other sites to visit:

http://ghosttoursinsavannah.com/2013/02/12/the-hampton-lillibridge-house/

http://spectresavannah.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-hampton-lillibridge-house.html

http://www.rottenworks.com/index.php/2012/01/26/the-most-haunted-house-in-america-hampton-lillibridge-house/

Urban Legends: Suicidal Roommate / Straight A’s

Author: Hal Pierre Livingston

An urban legend is a humorous or horrific story or piece of information circulated as though true. Usually the one purporting around, telling the story, has no clue or is vaguely related to the person who originally told the story. There are thousands of urban legends out in the public right now, some true some false. Some examples of urban legends are Bloody Mary, the belief that Walt Disney’s body isn’t dead and is frozen, and the myth that alligators inhabitant the sewers of New York City.
        According to the Bloody Mary myth, if you turn off the lights and say Bloody Mary three times in a mirror, you will summon the spirit of Mary Worth. Mary Worth was a woman who was said to be killed execution style, for being a witch. The myth about the sewer gators states that several alligators who were brought up from Florida to be kept as pets in New York City, grew too big and violent and escaped into the sewers where they now live freely. This myth dates back to the 1930’s, and has been proven false but is still being circulated around the United States.
The Urban Legend I chose was Suicidal Roommates/ Straight A’s. This myth says that if somehow your roommate or suitemate dies, you receive a 4.0. Prior to this research assignment, I would have argued to the end that this was absolutely true. Coincidentally my suitemates and I were talking about it at the beginning of the year and were making jokes about one another saying that we better watch our back. I personally thought this was a well-known rule. This Urban Legend have been proven false but different versions are still being told to this day. Depending on where you from, the stipulations may be different. Not all versions of the myth specify that the roommate has to die. Some versions actually say that the death of a parent, or other close relative, or anybody who is important in the student's life, also qualifies. Some say that if your roommate commits suicide in front you then you get a 4.0, but if you didn’t witness it then you only receive a 3.4. This just proves how easily things can be manipulated and taken seriously by society.


Work Cited
• http://www.snopes.com/college/admin/suicide.asp  
• http://www.collegebound.net/content/article/college-urban-legendslies-students-love-to-tell/19214/. 
• www.Akorra.com 
• Brunvand, Jan. “The Truth Never Stands In The Way Of A Good Story”. Chicago, Illinois. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data. Year 2000. Web.13 Oct. 2013.
• http://list25.com/25-most-popular-urban-legends-still-being-told/ 

Further Research
http://www.snopes.com/college/admin/suicide.asp - the website gives the most information about the urban legend of getting a 4.0 if your roommate commits suicide specifically.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_legend - Wikipedia gives the initial origin behind urban legends in general.
http://akorra.com/2010/03/04/top-20-urban-legends - This websites gives a variety of urban legends to read and look into.

Bigfoot

Author: Avery Deas

"Bigfoot." Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained. London: Chambers Harrap, 2007. Credo Reference. Web. 17 October 2013.  This source gives good information about some people who has had an encounter with Bigfoot. The writer intends to persuade the reader to believe that Bigfoot is real. The source is targeting people who believe in bigfoot. This is written to let the world no bout the encounters some people had with Bigfoot. I chose this source because it tells about peoples encounter with bigfoot. There are no pictures but it is well organized. This source has real people talking about their encounter with bigfoot, which would provide good information for my research.

Martin, Linda Jo. Marble Mountain Wilderness Bigfoot Sightings. Bigfoot Sightings. LJ Mattin Web, 23 July 2012. Web 16 oct. 2013. This source gives good information on where Bigfoot was sighted or could be found. It also shows videos of the beast. The source intends to give  real evidence of Bigfoot in the wild and to show where it could be found. The writer is targeting nonbelievers by showing them video evidence of the creator. I chose this source because it showed the location of where bigfoot was seen and videos of the creator. This source is different because it actually give s proof. I hope to use the videos to improve my research. 

"LEGENDS AND OTHER TRUTHS." The Greenwood Encyclopedia of American Regional Cultures: The Pacific Region. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2004. Credo Reference. Web. 17 October 2013. This source talks about the terrain and territory Bigfoot is most likely to live. The website is not to influence the reader but to give the reader knowledge on the type of habitat Bigfoot would live in. The source is for everyone to know. It does not target a particular group of people. I chose this source because for those who do believe in Bigfoot would love to know where to find it. With this source I hope to gain more evidence.

Pavone Food. Jack Link's "Messin' with Sasquatch" is advertainment gold. Pavone Food and Beverage. Pavone, Inc, 30 May 2013. This source shows bigfoot in commercials that we all watch. It does not Influence the reader but it gets everyone's attention by using  the TV network. This source is to entertain the readers. I chose this source because it uses funny videos to capture the reader's attention. Using this source well help me get the audience attention and not bore them with just facts but can also entertain them with funny videos.

"Yeti." The Crystal Reference Encyclopedia. West Chiltington: Crystal Semantics, 2005. Credo Reference. Web. 18 October 2013. This source gives me a another name for Bigfoot known as the yeti. It gives the reader a different name for the beast. The source targets everyone. I chose this source to show that bigfoot is none if many different names.

Shapeshifting, Weird but Very Cool

Author: Brittany Pressley

Added to MonsterWiki by realwaba

In fiction shapeshifting is the ability of a being to physically transform into another form or being, either as an creature. For those who don't really know what shapeshifting is it more like you can be normal but you can turn into anything you please, so if you wanted to become a animal you could. When most people think of shapeshifting they think evil but in reality that isn't true. there are seriously books on the topic but i only found two in our library . 

Reptilian Shape Shifter Photo Hoax
by Stephen Wagner, 2008

"Witches Werewolves and Fairies" and "they suck, They bite, they EAT, They kill." Both books talk about creatures and normal people turning into them. Just by the title you can tell that they are all shapeshifters. In most books you read they have vampires and wolves as shapeshifters are well known  They are what some might call black magic, but in most eyes they are far from that. shapeshifters are very cool and interesting. 

Works Cited:

Bodart, Joni Richards. They suck, they bite, they eat, they kill: The psychological meaning of

             supernatural monsters in young adult fiction. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow P, 2012.

Lecouteux, Claude. Witches, werewolves, and fairies: Shapeshifters and astral doubles in the

            Middle Ages. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions, 2003.

Links for Further Research:

Teen Wolf: Shapeshifting

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2082967/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl

It talks about how at a full moon the true wolf comes out of a shapeshifter.

Shapeshifters

http://www.supernaturalwiki.com/index.php?title=Shapeshifters

This websites shows you a lot of different kind of shapeshifting and you can click and learn about the different ones.

Twilight Wiki: Shapeshifting

http://twilightsaga.wikia.com/wiki/Shape-shifter

Twiliight is a show about people fighting and protecting their land. They turn into wolves and Vampiries. it teaches you why they turn into them.

The Island of the Dolls

Author: Daisha Arledge

Ramalama_22 Island of the Dolls sightings

These unpleasant looking dolls that live in trees on the island of Mexico symbolize bad spirits. An article about these mysterious dolls called “Mexico’s Haunted Doll Island” was written by Lamkin is about a man name Don Julian Santana who moved to Mexico away from his family. The place he chose to live at was abandoned, alone, and unfriendly looking, but Don had no idea about the dark spirits and the place. One day Don had experienced voices talking to him, it was one particular voice that spoke to him clearly. In the year of 1920 a little girl was playing near the island and fell in the water and drowned, So she spoke with Don wanting him to collect dolls that resembles voodoo dolls. Don collected these dolls and he would hang them up in his tree outside the house. Not too long after Don was collecting dolls for the little girl it wasn’t enough for her. Don’s nephew was visiting Don in April, 2001 and Lankin stated that Don said, “He felt these voices wanted him to join them in their watery grave.”(Lankin) Don was found by his nephew in the water unconscious in the water where the little girl had drowned at. Don was dead from drowning. No one knew what was wrong with Don, they thought he was delusional and crazy. People who visit Mexico go visit to see the doll in the day light because at night the dolls are frightening. 

Doupe “Chucky from Child’s Play” 

It’s an article that’s similar to “The Island of the Dolls”, The article is a biography about a doll that was possessed. There was a man named Charles Lee Ray known by Lakeshore Strangler was shot and killed. Charles practiced voodoo, so he knew how to change his soul into anything. The night he got shot it was a doll shop near him and he switched his souls into chucky the doll. A little boy named Andy bought the doll Chucky and discovered that the doll could talk and kill people. Chucky had Andy helping him find the people who shot him that night he switched souls. After Chucky killed who he wanted he was going after Andy because Andy knew his secret. Chucky was evil and he would kill anyone that was in his way. Chucky has been manipulated, abandoned, and hurt after people who knew about him attempted to kill Chucky. Andy was followed by Chucky until he was at the age of sixteen. Rainbowclimblinghigh said, “Andy, with the help of his girlfriend Kristin, destroys Chucky to shreds and Chucky died until someone comes and fixes him again.”(rainbowclimbinghigh) 

This video is giving a better look and feeling of the “Island of the Dolls”. The music in the video gives me a personal feeling how horrified the people were who visited Mexico when they seen the dolls hanging from the tree. The voices of the evil spirits are fearful and gives me an idea how that little girl who drowned was whispering in Don’s ear to get him to swim in the water.  The little girl’s hand was shown in the water on the video and this resembles the little girl drowning. The evil spirit voices was whispering to Don telling him to jump in the water, Don was found in the water where the little girl had died. Don had died in the same spot as the little girl.

 

Works Cited:

Lamkin, Virgina. “Mexico’s Haunted Doll Island.” Seeksghosts. 22 Feb. 2013. 14 Oct. 2013.

Rainbowclimbinghigh, “Biography for Chucky from Child’s Play.” 1 year ago. 19 Oct. 2013.

Spooky. “Mexico’s Island of the Dolls is Beyond Creepy.” Oditty Central. 19, Nov. 2009. 10, Oct. 2013.

L.C.S. ”KidRobot.” Rolling Stone, 2, Oct. 2003, 13, Oct. 2013.

Walker, Lindsay. “Painted Dolls of Martinique.” Ebscohost. Fall 2011. 13, Oct. 2013.

Peterson-Bidoshi, Kristin. “Albanian House Dolls and the Evil Eye.” EBSCOhost. Summer 2006. 14, Oct. 2013.

Links for further research:

http://www.fearnet.com/news/list/10-scariest-dolls-horror-movies

This article tells you more about Chucky the doll.

http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/mexicos-island-of-the-dolls-is-beyond-creepy.html

This article talks about the little girl drowning and about Don more.

Lucky Number 7

Author: Simone Jackson

The subject of seven has been said to be lucky over the years, it is often called “lucky number seven”. Most of the things in our world come in the number seven. For example the days of the week or the colors of the rainbow. When reading some of the articles on websites for example www.mysticalnumbers.com/number-7 gives says that the number seven forms the symbol called “the seed of life”. The seed of life represent the six days of creation with the center circle representing the day of rest. The number seven is also a lucky number for Pisces and Cancer horoscopes. The number seven can be referred to in some cultures for example the Hindu culture. At wedding the bride and groom are to walk around a fire seven times taking seven steps and they are to say a vow at every seven steps. In the Chinese culture they believe in seven gods. They believe that the seven gods arrive on a ship called “the treasure ship” every New Years to give gifts to all the worthy people. However though the number seven may be lucky with some cultures in the American culture saying the number seven in a game of craps is believed to be unlucky. Players I the game of craps refer to the number seven as “it” or “the devil”.  As well as breaking a mirror is believed to bring you seven years of bad luck. There are seven cosmic principles: The Principle of Correspondence, The Principle of Law and Order, The Principle of Vibration, The Principle of Rhythm,  The Principle of Cycles,  The Principle of Polarity, and The Principle of Sex . A geological perspective for the number seven would be that there are seven seas: The South Ocean, North Atlantic, North Pacific, South Pacific, Artic Ocean, Southern ocean and The Indian Ocean. In the Christianity the number seven is famous for the seven deadly sins. The seven deadly sins are believed to be the downfall of men. The seven deadly sins include: Pride, Sloth, Greed, Lust, Envy, Anger, and Anger.   Another interesting fact about number seven would be that there are seven ancient wonders in the world.  The seven ancient wonders of the world include: The Pyramids of Giza, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Statue of Zeus, Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, Colossus of Rhodes, and The lighthouse of Alexandria. 

 

Image from DC Basketcases

The Mysterious Stones of Death Valley

Author: Ashley Hines

In Life we often come across certain things that are not deemed to be logical or broken down to a science. Some things have to accepted for what they are.

The mysterious stones of Death Valley have raised many suspicions as to what might have caused these rocks to move. There have been many theories and absurd explanations about how the rocks move about without any physical assistance from animals or humans. Although no one has actually seen the stones move, there have been speculations that an alien life form used magnetic pull to move the rocks. The tracks left by these stones led to those suspicions.

From Hitfull.com

The picture above shows the tracks left behind by the moving rocks. The tracks can range in length from anywhere between 2.54 cm deep to 3-12 inches wide, with hundreds of feet in length.  The reason the rocks have never been seen moving is because it take the stones 2 to 3 years to slide. As shown in the picture two rocks may slide parallel to the other but over time will change directions. Some stones however, will turn over an with a different side being a different texture, the tracks will not be the same.

 DEATH VALLEY is a desert valley in California that is 240ft below sea level and is a 20 degree drop in temperature. The drop in temperature has scientists inferring that may be what caused the rocks to move.

Though many scientists have conducted experiments to test this theory, their end results have proven to be inconclusive.

       

Works Cited

  www.yellowecho.com/travel/deathvalley.htm

   www.buzzle.com/articles/sailing-stones-of-death-valley.html    

           

The Beast of Bray Road

Author: Paige Fulmer

Image from Fox News

The Beast of Bray road is said to be a hairy humanoid with canine features, much like a Werewolf.  Although in some places it was labeled as Bigfoot.  Scientist labeled it as Bigfoot because they wanted to avoid dealing with absurdities that people would be frightened by it more than calling it a werewolf.  The Beast of Bray Road  is the most famous modern American werewolf.  The Beast is out of the ordinary but nothing like an actual werewolf.  The Beast is sort of that of two different creatures in the same place at the same time but only seeing one.  

Shroud of Turin

Author: Sean Day

The Shroud of Turin is an ancient bloodstained piece of linen cloth with the imprinted image of a crucified man. Millions of people believe the image is that of Jesus of Nazareth, the man that claimed to be the son of God, and that the Shroud of Turin is the cloth he was buried in. It has also become one of the most studied artifacts in human history.

The most argued factor about the Shroud is that if it is real or not, some believe that it is and others believe it is a medieval forgery. Scientists have done countless DNA and other tests on the cloth and have determined that the image was formed by a burst of UV light and it is believed to be far too complex to have been forged in medieval times.

            People have also debated that the Shroud of Turin is not the burial cloth of Jesus, but is the tablecloth used at the last supper, although true believers continue to believe that it is a part of the miracle resurrection of Jesus.

Works Cited

Whiting, Brendan. "Dating_The_Shroud." Dating_The_Shroud. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2013. 

Links for Further Research:

http://www.shrouduniversity.com/

Gives basic information about the Shroud of Turin and offers opinions on whether it is fake or not.

http://e-forensicmedicine.net/Washed.htm

Gives information on the bloodstains and DNA tests, also on Jewish culture.

http://www.skepdic.com/shroud.html

Offers historical information and gives detail on more recent analysis of the Shroud.

Burrunjor

Author: Brandon Sharpe

Many stories have been passed down through the years about a giant reptilian carnivore called the “Burrunjor.”  This is a huge walking reptile, which roams in Australia, looking for both humans and animals for food.  Some of the “Burrunjor’s” distinct characteristics, such as its short arms and its huge three-toed track, relate it to other dinosaurs like the Tyrannosaurus and the Megalania Prisca.  Another characteristic the “Burrunjor” had was a bipedal stance, which allowed the creature to run a great distance with it.  This reptile would belong to a group of dinosaurs that became extinct many years ago called the Theropods.

            The Aboriginal tribe of Australia, here “long before the coming of White Men,” believed these monsters entered came from the past though “time windows” (The Cryptozoologist).  Other views that the tribe may have on “the creation of the world” are known as the “Dreamtime” (The Cryptozoologist).  This theory could also be used to explain mysteries of other extinct animals that have been seen in other places, but have never been captured.  This tribe has passed down information of this reptile by cave drawings and oral tradition.  Because it was simply passed down orally form one generation to the next, who knows where there story could have changed.  The stories included such tales as farmers reporting their cattle as missing or being half-eaten.  Loud rumbling sounds in the distant and even personal encounters with the Burrunjor are other stories the Aboriginal tribe members can tell.  One story specifically was told by the “part-Aboriginal tracker” Johnny Mathews.  Mathews said he saw “a 25-foot tall” creature described as a Burrunjor “moving through scrub…one day in 1961” (The Cryptozoologist). 

            There are many other stories and claims that have been told regarding the Burrunjor.  One certain well-known account is from the book Out of the Dreamtime – The Search from Australasia’s Unknown Animals written by Rex and Heather Gilroy.  The Gilroy’s write about a man named Bryan Clark who was tending to a group of cattle, but got lost out in the woods.  Little to Clark’s knowledge a policeman and two Aboriginal trackers set out to find him.  Once darkness fell the three men decided they needed to set up camp, which so happened to be in the area around the “Burrunjor’s land.”  Much to the Aboriginals’ dismay the men tried to catch some sleep.  Soon the policeman’s sleep was disturbed by the yelling and screaming of the Aboriginals and he finally realized the ground was shaking.  The men quickly got their things together and ran out of the woods, never looking back.  Later, the policeman reportedly told Clark that if he ever found himself in that situation again, it was every man to his own.  No one wanted to go back in there in fear of the terrible sounds thought to come from the Burrunjor. 

Image of the Burrunjor from SyFy's Destination Truth

Works Cited

“KASAI REX, BURRUNJOR, AND MINI-T-REX: EVIDENCE OF SURVIVING CARNIVOROUS DINOSAURS? PART 2.” The Cryptozoologist. The Cryptozoologist, 30 May 2012. Web. 17 Oct 2013.

For Further Research:

Syfy

www.syfy.com/destinationtruth/creatures/burrunjor

This website gives a little bit of background information on the Burrunjor.

Truedinos

http://truedinos.webnode.com/cryptozoology/land-cryptids/

The link gives an in-depth analysis of many creatures that are believed to be extinct.  This will give a lot of accounts from the book by Rex and Heather Gilroy that was mentioned earlier.

National Geographic

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/06/aboriginal-australians/finkel-text

This link will lead you to website that will give further information on the Aboriginal people, which were one of the first to give claims on the Burrunjor.

“Nessie” the Loch Ness Monster

Author:  Lawren Black

Original art by Fireberd904

“Nessie” the Loch Ness Monster? The Abominable Snowman?  Bigfoot?  Many don’t believe these exist but for those that do believe are known as Cryptozoologists. Cryptozoologists study these types of creatures because their existence is yet to be proven scientifically.  One of the more famous Cryptids that has been around a long time and is known around the world is “Nessie”, the Loch Ness Monster.  Pictures of Nessie have surfaced and some evidence has been collected, but no real scientific evidence has brought Nessie justice of being real.

 Living under the 24 mile long, one mile wide, 974 feet deep fresh water lake, Loch Ness, in Scotland is the famous “Nessie.”  Nessie has been around since the sixth century, but it wasn’t until 1933 when Mr. and Mrs. John Mackay reported a sighting that swept through the media internationally. Their sighting was published in the local newspaper, Inverness Courier.

Loch Ness in Highland, Scotland (NationalGeographic)

According to two articles, Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable and Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained, the appearance of Nessie is said to be a cross between a long-necked prehistoric time creature, Plesiosaur, and a seal.  Nessie real identity is yet to be discovered.  Many pictures only show Nessie as a hump or a “trunk-like” feature sticking out of the water.  Paleontologist Neil Clark even believes that “the monster was perhaps a padding pachyderm.” (National Geographic)  Clark saw many similarities between the two that made him come to believe that they are similar.

Painting by Neil Clark

While on a six-day monster hunt in 1960, Tim Dinsdale shot a four minute long film of what appeared to be a huge creature in the loch.  Dinsdale, who wanted to know more about the unknown creature, sent his film to be analyzed by JARIC, Royal Air Force Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre.  JARIC analyzed the film and concluded that the hump was 12-16 feet long and had a cross section that was at least five feet high and six feet wide.  JARIC also came to the conclusion that the unknown creature moved at a speed of seven to ten miles per hour and that “…it probably is an animate object” and a part of a living creature instead of a surface craft or submarine. (Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained)

In the summer of 1972, Dr. Robert Rines and his team traveled to Urquhart Bay and used sonar and under-water cameras to try and catch evidence of a lake monster.  Their trip turned successful when the sonar equipment and cameras caught a “thing”, 20-30 feet long and 400 pounds, moving through the water. This “thing” had a diamond shaped flippers, roughly six feet long that were attached to its body.

In December of 1975, Ornithologist Sir Peter Scott unofficially named the monster Nessiteras Rhombopteryx.  The name was taken to mean “Ness monster with the diamond shaped fin,” but later was proven to be an anagram that meant ‘monster hoax by Sir Peter Scott.’ (Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable)

The legend of Nessie has been around for many years and will stay around for many more years.  Until factual evidence of the existence of Nessie comes into play Nessie will forever remain a legend.  So what do you believe? Is Nessie real or not? 

Works cited:

Fireberd904. The Loch Ness Monster. 2010. Digital Art. Deviantart.com. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.

Kristof, Emory. Scotland Photos. n.d. Photo. nationalgeographic.com. Highland, Scotland. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.

Clark, Neil. Loch Ness Monster an Elephant? n.d. Painting. Nationalgeographic.com. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.

"Loch Ness Monster." Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. London: Chambers Harrap, 2009. Credo Reference. Web. 11 October 2013. 

"The Loch Ness Monster." Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained. London: Chambers Harrap, 2007. Credo Reference. Web. 11 October 2013.

Lyons, Stephen. “The Legend of Loch Ness.” Pbs.org. NOVA, 12 Jan. 1999. Web. 16 Oct. 2013.

Links for further research :

PBS NOVA http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/legend-loch-ness.html
The article gives us history of the Loch Ness Monster legend, along with some searches for the monster in the past.

LEGEND OF NESSIE http://www.nessie.co.uk/htm/about_loch_ness/nessgeo.html

This article gives a geological view of the Loch Ness in Highland, Scotland along with surrounding areas.

Rodrigues, Joao. “National Geographic- The Truth Behind The Loch Ness Monster [FULL].” youtube.com. YouTube. 18 Nov. 2011. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.

This video is providing us with the truth behind the Loch Ness Monster.