Horror Report

Tag: paranormal

  • Cupid’s dangerous arrow: Those ancient Romans and what they gave us

    Those ancients were wild and crazy..

    valentine_custom-9e9220109b917ec126df608774dec75a10afbe40-s400-c85

    Imagine the scene: A naked herd or folks dancing while the sacrifice of animals takes place.. There are smiles and cheers, and hopes that the burning animals will get the gods to give the dancing nudes fertility.. Oh, and then while the crazy Romans would continue in their deadly pagan rituals, men would draw names from jars and, for the duration of the festival, be ‘coupled’ with them.

    All of this is described in this 2011 NPR story authored by Anne Seipel.. It showcases some of the darker origins of Valentine’s Day..

    And just as Christians always took on pagan traditions to make them their own, the same occurred here as reported by Seipel:

    The ancient Romans may also be responsible for the name of our modern day of love. Emperor Claudius II executed two men — both named Valentine — on Feb. 14 of different years in the 3rd century A.D. Their martyrdom was honored by the Catholic Church with the celebration of St. Valentine’s Day.

    Later, Pope Gelasius I muddled things in the 5th century by combining St. Valentine’s Day with Lupercalia to expel the pagan rituals. But the festival was more of a theatrical interpretation of what it had once been. Lenski adds, “It was a little more of a drunken revel, but the Christians put clothes back on it. That didn’t stop it from being a day of fertility and love.”

    Around the same time, the Normans celebrated Galatin’s Day. Galatin meant “lover of women.” That was likely confused with St. Valentine’s Day at some point, in part because they sound alike.

    There is more to the story besides the NPR article..

    Countless news bits from history showcase the reason for the season.. the Roman Festival of Lupercalia  is the heart of the whole thing, no pun intended. One highlight of the many things that occurred there: Two high-born young men stripped naked and sacrificed a dog and a goat. They smeared blood on their foreheads, then wiped it off with wool dipped in milk.. Sounds somewhat like the Bohemian Grove, don’t you think?

    I am a romantic at heart.. of course when you have a child, your romance takes a little bit of a back seat to the more practical parenting moments. But regardless, I still think love in the air is one of the most beautiful things ever–but Valentine’s Day? Lust seems to be in the air.. fake emotions, and fake flowers.. the offensiveness of men ordering giant bouquets of flowers and sending it to women at work always made me chuckle at its ridiculousness. It’s all for show–and more of a modern way of dancing to the gods of fertility..

    Restaurants will be filled tonight with the hopeless dopes who will spend way too much money on a dinner they’d much sooner make themselves to save time and effort. But it’s all about show..

    Don’t get me wrong. I like going out to dinner, too! But there’s certain days to avoid restaurants. New Year’s eve is one of them (made the mistake this year of partaking in highly priced bad food though) and Valentine’s Day is the other..Mother’s Day is the final avoid all restaurants at all costs day, especially if you work at one!

     

  • THE PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH NEVER CLEANED UP AFTER A POWWOW

    This is a story from my local area–but worthy of some attention from fans of the macabre or slightly paranormal..

    In Auburn, PA, a tiny little hamlet in Schuylkill County, a secret existed behind the walls of a quaint house..

    FOX 43 ran a story about the Bretzius and their discovery of a disturbing secret behind their walls: It was insulated with dead animals..

    WNEP interviewed the family .. as expected, Kaiji Bretzius was a little shocked and horrified by what was hidden in their home..

    We were shocked, horrified, and disgusted

    Fair to say that would be the emotional of us would experience if faced with the same circumstances, no?

    WNEP’s  Jackie de Tore goes on to report more:

    The mother of four said they first found animals in the walls back in 2012 and have been removing the items ever since.
    The dead animals were all wrapped in old newspapers from the 1930s and 40s.
    She said when they got a home inspection before they bought the place in Auburn, the inspector didn’t find a thing.
    “We got the radon inspection. We looked for everything. We didn’t know to look for chickens.”
    The family said when they bought the house in 2011, it was their dream home because they weren’t going to have to do any work, but now that’s all they’ve been doing.

    Insurance isn’t covering the situation since the corpses of the animals were there long before this family bought what they thought would be their dream house.

    A dream became a nightmare according to their account. They aren’t sure if all the dead animals are out..

    Various reports indicate that the animals were most likely placed there because of the old Pennsylvania Dutch tradition of pow-wowing–an American folk and magic belief held by the Dutch in the Keystone state decades ago, taking from even older traditions that link back to Germany..

    So what a tale! Witch doctors and powwows.. the Dutch. Home ownership. Undoubtedly a perogie and sausage sandwich will show up sooner or later..

    But there are some not buying it.

    The family has chosen to begin a GO FUND ME campaign to raise more money to get more dead animals from out behind the walls.. but at least a few viewers of WNEP and readers of the article aren’t believing the tale..

    A few snippets from a few commentators on the WNEP article:

    Get freakin real! Mold? There is NO WAY, NO HOW in the WORLD, mold will be caused from a dried up old carcass from the 1930s-1940s. There’s no moisture there. There wouldn’t even be a smell. Creepy? Yeah. Insurance claim? Come on. Welcome to home ownership. Inspectors can’t find everything. They don’t have x-ray vision.

    Another:

    GoFundMe? How about this: go after whatever home inspector who didn’t do his job, or the previous owners who didn’t disclose the Dead Animal Insulation. Asking for handouts is so damned cocky.

    This:

    Someone should do a fundraiser to help remove the bones and spices. Maybe a few of the hunting clubs, wait, wait, I know……….THEY COULD SELL T-SHIRTS………

    This one from ‘neighbor’ is interesting:

    This was actually my aunt and uncle’s house. They lived there for close to 50 years before it was sold, but they did move in it after the critters would have been put in the walls and I can honestly say that they had no clue that any of this was there. I visited there many times growing up and they raised 4 boys and we never were sick or noticed odd smells. It must have been exposed when the walls were ripped out in construction.

    Regardless of a few ‘spicy’ comments–powwow pun certainly intended there–the Go Fund Me campaign is already raising some cash..  The story is also making some national news now that various other ABC and FOX affiliates are picking it up.

    One comment the Go Fund Me account perhaps said it best.

    Look on the bright side… It’s not haunted

    As long as the powwow inspired Dutch medicine man in Pennsylvania got his ancient potions and magic right of course.

  • PARANORMAL ACTIVITY house off the market

    PARANORMAL ACTIVITY house off the market

    PARANORMAL ACTIVITY house quickly snapped off the market for under $800,000//  The house is gorgeous and, photos from inside show an even dreamier place to live. And the story is worthy of a flashback.. don’t forget, whoever is the proud owner of the humble abode, Oren Peli claimed he chose the house after real paranormal activity took place prior to making his first film..

    At that time, Peli said when he moved into then house, weird things continuously happened there. And that’s what gave him the inspiration to make the movie.. The CBS8 2009 story also quoted a pool cleaner who visits the house saying, “We try to not pay attention. We just do our job and we are in there and we are out. It’s really weird.”

    The reporter for CBS8 wrote this about the house itself: “Although no one was home, a faint banging was heard coming from the house.”  It is always difficult to tell fact from fiction.. other famous houses from horror exist, like the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET HOUSE that was purchased in 2013 (and it’s a beautiful clean and modern non scary place) .. and the AMITYVILLE HORROR location, which still attracts many and is constantly being sold and resold..
    As far as the PARANORMAL ACTIVITY house, new owners can cleanse it of spirits and bring goodness between the four walls.

    Or… let the oddities occur and let pool cleaners continue to be scared off by ‘weird’ bangs from inside.. So whoever buys it? Maybe you’ll have to clean the pool yourself.. and in the luxurious life of the rich and famous, that’s the truly scary thing..

  • Slender is the fright

    Before you begin to read this, yes I know: Slenderman was a meme created on a website thanks to a Creepypasta only a few years ago. I was  reminded of that today on Facebook, as well.

    With that out of the way, let’s go straight to the news of the bizarre from the an area in the UK.. Cannock, Staffordshire is the location, you may recall, where a number of “black eyed children” were spotted in recent times.. Those paranormal entities supposedly knock on your window and door begging to let them in.. Of course, as the urban legend would have it, you’re damned should you do so..

    In the newest news frenzy from the location, “Slenderman” is appearing to people–yes, that fictional character..

    For days news, tabloid media outlets in the UK have reported on the Slenderman sightings in Cannock. Paranormal investigators may want to flock to the location again, purported by some to be one of the more haunted areas of the globe. If you believe in that sort of thing..

    The UK version of the HUFFINGTON POST is publishing some first hand accounts from people claiming they have recently seen a tall figure roaming Cannock.  One report described the entity like this,

    If I were to compare it to anything, I would say it looked like a stereotypical Victorian gentleman. Long black overcoat with a Homburg hat. Except, I know this was no flying human. I know that because it had blood red eyes that shone in the night sky. It also had a mouth full of teeth that seemed to look like razors

    Another said this to the UK HUFFINGTON POST,

    I saw a man floating over me. He was so close that I would have headbutted him if I moved an inch. I could see into his eyes. They were a fierce red colour that shook me to my very core. Although he didn’t speak, I knew what he was thinking. It was as though he was talking to me telepathically. He definitely wanted to hurt me, but there was something stopping him. It was almost like he was someone gaining power from scaring me though. Maybe something bad will happen when he gets strong enough? For what it’s worth, I’m not a nutcase, and I work for a local business of which you will be familiar. It just seemed the anger in his eyes grew stronger as I was feeling more scared

    There are some things to note about this recent series of news articles streaming from the UK.,One important thing is this:  the tabloid UK MIRROR published what it portended to be a ‘photograph’ of the SLENDERMAN, which would make it the first in history.. You can see the photo here and discern appropriately: 

    Christine Hamlett

    I did, and I don’t think we are seeing anything except an trick of the eyes and oddity of a camera.. I know some may say this is proof of the tall slender man who roams Cannock, but I say the opposite. Quite frankly, the photo shows nothing..

    There is something else to ponder..

    While Slenderman a newly made name, history proves that the idea of the entity has been around for quite some time. Slender Man has appeared in folklore for centuries under different names – in Scotland the fiendish figure is known as Fear Dubh (The Dark Man), the Dutch dubbed him Takkenmann (Branch Man) and in Germany he is referred to as Der Grosse Man (Tall Man). Lots of nations and lots of cultural takes on the same creature..

    At the end of the last century, the popular show BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER featured one episode titled HUSH. The show had haunting “Gentlemen”. I think these perhaps most accurately reflect the notion of what a slender being actually is.. slow moving and almost floating, tall and pale, and grinning like a knowing demon of another world..

    [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53Uk1KITymI?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent]

    Most of the articles that have been circulated about the rash of Slenderman sightings have also been deluged with comments mocking the authors, the websites, and the thoughts that a paranormal entity could even exist is inane.

    But Tulpas? Urban legends? Scary monsters who haunt children–often the innocent youths tell the same tale without even knowing it .. Tall men. Hat man.. ghostly creatures staring in windows.. Tall and pale figures without faces.. Teeth that salivate as the victim of the haunt gets chilled to the bone.

    There are people, sane and rational, who believe in these things. And there are lots of people who pooh pooh the notion of any other-worldly creatures..

    Slenderman? Silly we are told by those who believe in Mohammed or Jesus.
    Silly?

    Perhaps ‘slenderman’ is not the name.. But the entity’s pop cultural presence throughout history gives me pause before I simply say there’s no such way that Cannock residents are seeing the tall and slender figure of fright..

  • The mad hat man’s hatting

    Last night, paranormal author Heidi Hollis appeared as a guest on Coast to Coast AM, hosted by George Knapp.

    Hollis has written a number of books concerning shadow people and other supposed paranormal entities, but lately it seems her attention has been focused on the ‘Hat Man,’ a rumored supernatural being known for his hat and often times dark red eyes starting at people through windows..

    Hollis used her guest appearance to relate a number of stories she has acquired from people about the hat man, often littering her stories with giggles and a light hearted spirit.. but she does not want her laughter to be mistaken for disrespect of the creature who pervades the night, according to eyewitness accounts.

    Hollis says that the ‘hat man’ is showing up throughout the world–according to Hollis, she even had a letter about the hat man dating back far in history ..

    According to Hollis, people who sense a presence of the hat man also have an overwhelming feeling of dread during their encounters..

    This website wrote about the ‘hat man’ previously.  My own family member has told me about a series of encounters with a strange man with a hat in the back seat of her car. It happens when she is alone, and the entity seems to look at her with a knowing stare. I have no reason to think my family member is a loon or crazed, and there’s no reason to assume that the story is untrue..

    On another occasion several years ago, another family member was watching my son while I was at work. During her time, she said she saw a ‘hat man’ type being in a mirror looking back out at her.. She said he vanished once she took a longer look at him.. she is a professional person, and again there is no reason to discount her story..

    A few years ago, I detailed a co-worker’s story about a creature her daughter saw outside of her bedroom window, what appeared to be a hag-like woman quietly tapping and whispering “1, 2, 3.” I called it the 1-2-3 Lady at that time.. I am beginning to wonder if this could also have been a hat man story, perhaps a 5-year-old’s perception of it as a woman was simply incorrect..

    I received a comment on Facebook from a reader concerning the hat man and last night’s COAST TO COAST AM:

    I thought the show was good, but it gave me the creeps at times – only because I have seen the “Hat Man” myself. Even though it was a few years ago, I still can’t talk about it without getting spooked. In fact, my daughter and I saw him at the same time. It’s one of those things you just don’t forget. 

    There are a number of people of reputable position in life, complete sanity of the mind, and critical and doubtful of paranormal encounters.. And what convinces me, more than anything, is when those people are the ones who come forward to speak of the ‘hat man,’ or the black eyed children and the men in black. It has become a cliched statement, but I will regurgitate it nonetheless: The paranormal is fake and fraudulent.. until it happens to you. When an explained moment takes place, or premonition comes true.. or dream becomes real.. or Hat Man appears in your rearview mirror.. that is the moment when the paranormal becomes real. And that may be the scariest thing in life..

  • The mad Hat Man

    The family member of mine, someone who I will remain nameless, told me of a story that has been happening..

    Over the past several months as she was driving her car alone, a man appeared in her rear view mirror.. she said each time the man was in the passenger seat, when she looked closer and took more than a passing glance, he vanished from sight..

    She tells me she has become used to it, that she is aware of him and he seemingly is aware of her.. She even tries to pretend she does not see him only to attempt to keep the entire thing lasting longer.. in a hope she will figure out just who the figure may be.

    Of course, she feels this foray to the netherworld was a bit alarming.

    The interesting thing she relayed to me, and the part that she couldn’t truly understand was as follows: When she first glanced at the man, or figure, she said that she recalled have a 100% recognition of who he was. As a matter fact, she said she thought to herself “hey what are you doing here”.. When she looked away and then re-locked her eyes back on the empty space the entity sat in milliseconds earlier, she had absolutely no recollection as to who he was or how she may have known him for that short instance.

    She knew that she knew him, but only for the brief fleeting moment in time, and the memory of whoever he was with quickly gone again .. as far as he was.

    There are a number of different theories in the paranormal world as to why someone or something would appear in your backseat as you are driving. Some believe that there is a message a spirit guide is attempting to get to you, others foresee such an occasion as a harbinger of some dreaded doom coming your way. And the best time to reach you is when you are alone in the car with your attention being divided between workings of your vehicle and throw it around, it is claimed ..

    That being said, at least for my family member who experienced this is our set of paranormal circumstances, she’s rather dismiss the entire incident from thought. She did the first time. And then the second time it became harder..

    I believe wholeheartedly in what she told me, . For me, I was able to judge the truthfulness of her story from the emphatic nature in her voice s she relayed it.. Even more, and the part that scared her the most, she has lost her ability to logically think through why this person in the mirror was there and what is haunting presence means for her.

    The reason I am even typing up these occurrences for the general NIGHT TERROR NEWS readership is because I saw that tonight’s COAST TO COAST AM–thankfully tonight hosted by George Knapp instead of Noory--will feature Heidi Hollis as a guest to discuss the ‘hat man’ and the strange paranormal theory that a supernatural being is peering into people’s homes, cribs, and cars.. could my family member be seeing the same being? Someone peering, in her case, into her soul?

    Of course, for that to make any sense, you may have to suspend your logic for a bit..
    But in talking to the person in my family, she has lost no logic but yet has found herself suddenly venturing down a path of paranormal oddity and high strangeness..

  • THE HALLOWEEN BEST OF LIST

    THE HALLOWEEN BEST OF LIST

    The HORROR REPORT presents some of the best reading from the website past..

    Horror tales and truths from Halloween then and now..

    In 2013, the HORROR REPORT mocked society’s traditional Halloween parties, those that take place at dive bars and feature women attempting to get themselves to the ‘whatever’ sexy costume of the year retailers offer. We cautioned to be careful out there to avoid becoming the next Ben Tramer..

    Speaking of sexy outfits, the HORROR REPORT lamented how soon we sexualize children around the Halloween season. I sounded prudish to some in 2012 when I first posted this. I still think, two years on, that is rings true..

    Though it is always humorous to go back and see what the ‘in crowd’ wore any given Halloween..Twerk it.

    In 2012, the HORROR REPORT was shocked by the weather more than the season.. A snowstorm was forecast for the night of Halloween. Though that did not happen, a very cold and windy Halloween did. After all, Halloween 2011 featured a snowstorm.

    Weather also took center stage Halloween 2012 as superstorm SANDY impacted the east Coast.. the NWS offered horrific warnings about how to prepare your body in case you did not survive.. 

    Halloween 3 is decried as the worst in the many sequels spawned by the 1978 classic hit. But the HORROR REPORT has written about a renewed appreciation for the film.  The SILVER SHAMROCK tune may be the scariest song in history..

    Though it has nothing to do with Halloween, we wrote in December 2013 that we wished Christmas would keep its tradition of having ghost tales and paranormal experiences. Bumps in the night can happen all year.. Christmas can also feature fright.
    X X X X X

    FROM THE STACK OF PARANORMAL NEWS:

  • Jim Thorpe and the old jail: A haunted attraction worth a look

    Jim Thorpe and the old jail: A haunted attraction worth a look

    Jim Thorpe’s Old Jail Ghost Tours stalk spirits: The Harrisburg PATRIOT NEWS REVIEWS »

    The Old Jail museum in Jim Thorpe has an amazing piece of coal region history.. Molly Maguires were hung here.. and some say the hand print of one of the doomed Mollys never vanished from the wall, as a reminder that something very unjsut happened there..

    I do recommend Jim Thorpe PA to anyone who would want to travel to this part of Pennsylvania. And during this time of year, the Old Jail Museum is a must go..

    Last year, I actually wrote a review about the museum here.. quite frankly, I faced some consternation from the Old Jail for what I wrote, namely a section where I said “The real paranormal story is the hand print—and a couple other little tales, probably tall, of whispers and pats on the back.. ”  There was offense taken from that section.. but I refuse to take it out. The hand print may not be faked, but there are no doubt other embellished stories that provide atmosphere during the Halloween season.

    Regardless of that or the controversy about what I wrote in 2013, I still say it’s a great place to visit and a profound place for anyone who has knowledge of why the Molly Maguires mattered in American history..

    old jail - handprint.jpg

  • Get to know your local clown

    Get to know your local clown

    Just days ago, the news of “Wasco the Clown” dominated headlines in California . . The creepy clown was spotted on park benches, and people were following him on social media, often scouting out at night to see if they could catch a glimpse. There were even tales of copycat clowns, some who may have chased children with an ax through dark streets..

    Apparently the great 2014 clown scare is broadening.. freakish and ghoulish images of clowns nationwide are now trending on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The latest location for clown sightings include Florida, Indiana, and New Mexico.

    Jacksonville residents, UPI tells us, are uniquely freaked. Clowns are now appearing in surveillance and security cameras.. UPI reports that one clown walks up to a person’s porch and tears a pumpkin apart–all the while staring into the camera.

    Thus far, the clowns are simply scaring with their actions. Crimes are not being committed–but a sense of security is being hurt.. The idea of a clown, sometime around midnight, staring in your window is haunting. This Halloween season, with all the trouble in the world, clowns are back en vogue. You can thank  AMERICAN HORROR STORY. You can also thank Wasco. But mostly, you can thank the endless number of people who want to join in the bizarre craze across the nation..

  • A true ghost story of the man in the rearview mirror

    The family member of mine, someone who I will remain nameless, told me of a story that has been happening..

    Two times over the past week as she was driving her car alone, a man appeared in her rear view mirror.. she said each time the man was in the passenger seat, when she looked closer and took more than a passing glance, he vanished from sight.

    While it is the season to see spirits of other worlds, she felt this foray to the netherworld was a bit alarming.

    The interesting thing she relayed to me, and the part that she couldn’t truly understand was as follows: When she first glanced at the man, or figure, she said that she recalled have a 100% recognition of who he was. As a matter fact, she said she thought to herself “hey what are you doing here”.. When she looked away and then re-locked her eyes back on the empty space the entity sat in milliseconds earlier, she had absolutely no recollection as to who he was or how she may have known him for that short instance.

    She knew that she knew him, but only for the brief fleeting moment in time, and the memory of whoever he was with quickly gone again .. as far as he was.

    There are a number of different theories in the paranormal world as to why someone or something would appear in your backseat as you are driving. Some believe that there is a message a spirit guide is attempting to get to you, others foresee such an occasion as a harbinger of some dreaded doom coming your way. And the best time to reach you is when you are alone in the car with your attention being divided between workings of your vehicle and throw it around, it is claimed ..

    That being said, at least for my family member who experienced this is our set of paranormal circumstances, she’s rather dismiss the entire incident from thought. She did the first time. And then the second time it became harder..

    I believe wholeheartedly in what she told me, . For me, I was able to judge the truthfulness of her story from the emphatic nature in her voice s she relayed it.. Even more, and the part that scared her the most, she has lost her ability to logically think through why this person in the mirror was there and what is haunting presence means for her.