December 2009
Voodoo
Voodoo was brought to the French colony Louisiana through the slave trade. From 1719 to 1731, the majority of African slaves came directly from what is now Benin, West Africa, bringing with them their cultural practices, language, and religious beliefs rooted in spirit and ancestor worship. Their knowledge of herbs, poisons, and the ritual creation of charms and amulets, intended to protect...
The Scold’s Bridle or the Brank
First used in late medieval Scotland, the scold’s bridle, witch’s bridle, or brank, as it was sometimes called, had many different appearances. Fundamentally, it was the same: a metal cage for the head with a built-in gag. Some branks were very cruel pieces of work, with spikes which pierced the tongue. Some simply had a bell built in, a device which would further humiliate the...
“if your enjoyment of Haunt comes from making the guests happy then you are doing...”
– I found this on monsterspace and thought it was funny. It was written by a fellow of the username CSW..I’m guessing that stands for Campsnoopy/spooky werewolf
3 tags
The Black Death
Culprit: Oriental Rat Flea
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum:Anthropode
Class: Insecta
Family: Pulicidae
Order: Siphonaptera
Genus: Xenopsylla
Species: cheopis
Dead littered the streets everywhere. Cattle and livestock roamed the country unattended. Brother deserted brother.
The Black Death was one of the worst natural disasters in history. In 1347 A.D., a great plague...
Freaks THE MOVIE
Freaks is a 1932 United States horror film about sideshow performers, directed and produced by Tod Browning and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, with a cast mostly composed of actual carnival performers. The film was based on Tod Robbins’ short story “Spurs”. Director Browning took the exceptional step of casting real people with deformities as the eponymous sideshow...
“Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, That I shall say good...”
– Williamshakespeare
Sleep Paralysis
Have you ever felt like you were awake but unable to move? You might have even felt afraid but could not call for help? This condition is called sleep paralysis. Sleep paralysis may leave you feeling frightened, especially if you also see or hear things that aren’t really there. Sleep paralysis may happen only once, or you may have it frequently — even several times a night.
Sleep...
Memento Mori
Memento mori is a Latin phrase translated as “Remember you must die” (and the origin of the English word memento, which appeared as memento mori, “remembrance of death” ). It names a genre of artistic creations that vary widely from one another, but which all share the same purpose: to remind people of their own mortality and the punishment they will receive if they...
“I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity”
– Edgar Allen Poe
1 tag
To love is to be vulnerable