Random Thought

So, in cruising the web this morning, looking for interest that would hold me long enough to write something worth reading, I happened upon an article written by April Holloway of Ancient Origins . I usually tend to enjoy her articles, they seem to be thoughtful and researched and if someone questions her facts she is usually willing to support her ideas and engage in constructive dialogue and if there is any conflict she seems willing to note it and even updates her articles accordingly. via abovetopsecret.com This article states, that basically a poor Egyptian man, for some unknown reason, is digging, without authorization, in a room in his home. The home is located in the no digging, no drilling zone of an area considered of historical significance, due to its proximity to the Giza Necropolis. After digging down about 10 meters he stumbles upon the Causeway for the Great Pyramid! WOW!  REALLY!  The Causeway that has never been found by historians or archaeologi...

Jeanne Louise Calment According to Guinness World Records, the 'oldest person ever' was 122 ; however, there are claims of others that are older than that......from Nepal to Brazil there are claims for persons living well past Ms. Calment's 122 years........ Jose Aguinelo dos Santos, has been issued a birth certificate giving his date of birth as July 7 1888 ; this would not only make him 126 years old, but also possibly the first free child born to slaves in Brazil, which had abolished slavery just 2 months before his birth. The senior home where Jose resides hopes to conduct tests which will support his age claim. In addition to Senor Santos, there is Senora Leandra Becerra Lumbreras of Mexico , reported to be 127, whom has out lived all 5 of her children and by her admission fought in the Mexican Revolution of 1910. Even more amazing is the story of Bir Narayan Chaudhuri of Nepal ; it is claimed that he was 141 when he died in 1998. As amazing as these stories ar...

via watercolorwednesdays.blogspot.com We have grown up with tales told at bedtime that include all sorts of wonderful and scary creatures, some are warm and furry, others are ugly and mean, and still others defy imagination. Some of them are tricksters, others are mischievous, some are helpful and others are not very nice at all. We did meet some of the scary creatures of the night last month; so maybe it is nice to meet some creatures that are not so scary that we should be wary. One of the interesting things that you find when you start looking at our wonderful ancient knowledge, left to us from the rich cultures of times past, are all the over-laps and similarities. Not only are the story-lines similar, but, also the qualities of the characters involved seem to resemble one another. Several of the creatures included in the ancient stories are very similar to us in appearance. Some of the creatures that resemble us include giants, elves, fairies, leprechauns and gnome...

If you are of Celtic descent then you might have heard of the holiday Samuin or Samhain, which is actually Celtic New Year and was a 3 day holiday. It was during this time that Celts believed that the time between the years 'opened the door' so to speak betwixt the world of the living and the world of the dead. This meant that spirits could cross over into the world of the living and cause harm and mischief. The Celts believed that bad spirits of the dead were harmful to the living, they also believed that even the good dead needed to stay in the world of the dead, that it was not good for them to be in the world of the living. So there are several traditions that occurred during this festival, that helped celebrate the harvest, welcomed the death of the earth, and kept the spirits of the dead in their own realm. Some of the rituals and practices that were practiced across those regions that were influenced by Celtic traditions included bonfires, feasting, leaving off...

Voodoo Ritual As we have seen, there are many creatures that are neither living nor dead. The number of such creatures lends to many beliefs. First, that their are many creatures that defy our understanding. Second that there is something after or more than this life. Third, that the natural and supernatural overlap each other.  So let us continue our venture into the land of the night and the realm of the undead..... We will travel to the Caribbean and the Island of Hispaniola, the country of Haiti, the land of Voodoo. Across the beautiful tropical isles of the Caribbean is a complex and intriguing mix of Christianity and the ancient religions of Africa. Voodoo is one of the major old practices of the region. Zombi, a possible origin of the word Zombie, is actually a West African deity. Another version of the origin is the use of the Kongo or Dahomey word nzambi or soul. Once mixed with Haitian Voodoo the word became zombi. According to Voodoo, the body can die one of tw...

Shapeshifters via crystalinks.com It seems that the night is full of things that we do not see in the light. And it is those things, that it seems, we have been taught to fear, through the ages. All those bumps and thumps, all those shadows and whispers, even the creaks and moans of the night send shivers down our spines. Why is it that we fear the creatures of the night? Even older than the tells of vampires and ghouls are the legends of were-creatures or shape-shifters. Creatures that by choice, design or fated curse have the power and or ability to change the form of their appearance. For those that were always shape-shifters the power to change their outward appearance is something they do at will. It seems that they usually take the form of an animal, bird or even sea creature, as suits their needs, at the moment. Those shape-shifters that seem to be merciful and or helpful seem to not take forms that would scare us. Yet, it has been known that others are not so kind. Ther...

From Hector Hastings: I would like to add that there some other undead beings or creatures that roam around...I would suggest edit and add the following : Wights. Wights are not unlike skeleton warriors but they are fallen lords, dukes and such nobles who have been placed in a barrow and which their battle gear and wealth was stored with them. These barrows are protected by powerful enchantments. These nobles are more powerful than skeletons and are normally found leading groups of skeletons or zombies. Azeman. The Azeman originate from South America. They take the form of a human female during the day but at night they transform into a bat. The Azeman fed by draining the blood of their victims. Azeman are obsessed with counting, and if seeds are scattered on the floor she will stop to count them all. It is though that some of the modern vampire lore comes from the Azeman, which are South American versions of the European vampires. Banshee.Banshees are restless spirits ...