The Pukwudgie

The Pukwudgie are said to have haunted Native American tribes for hundreds of years. These troll-like creatures are known to shape shift and be malevolent in nature. Real monster or myth?

Jinn

Jinn are supernatural beings that come from Middle Eastern and Islamic folklore. According to the Qur'an, Jinn are spirits or demons which are unseen to humans and capable of taking human and animal form.

"They may be either good or evil: If good, they are beautiful; if wicked, they are ugly. They exist in air, in flame, under the earth, and in inanimate objects, such as rocks, trees, and ruins. In some ways they resemble humans: They have the same bodily needs; they reproduce their kind; and they die, although they live longer. Jinn are mischievous spirits who enjoy punishing humans for wrongs done them, even unintentionally. Thus, accidents and diseases are considered to be their work. With the proper knowledge, however humans can control jinn for their own purposes. Popular in the folklore of Egypt, Syria, Iran, Turkey, and North Africa, jinn are familiar in the West as characters in The Thousand and One Nights. They are frequently known by the Anglicized form genie." MSN Encarta

Icelandic Elves

The existence of elves has long been the belief among many Icelanders. It is said that when the Vikings landed on Iceland's shores, they soon realized that they were not alone. The belief is so popular that a museum, school and documentary film have all be created to teach others more about the existence of these beings. Entire roadways have been built to bend around the rocks where these creatures are said to live in order to appease them.

Hidden people, as they are commonly called, are said to dwell in rocky outcroppings and forests. Eyewitnesses describe these beings as human-like with pointy ears, standing approximately 3 1/2 feet tall; however, some have been seen as large as the average human. Generally the hidden people keep to themselves but have been known to be mischievous from time to time. It is said that anyone who disrespects nature will be met by angry elves.

Until recently, I've never given Icelandic elves much thought. It was last night when I watched Josh Gates and his team that I got the idea for this post. Something seems to be going on-what, is the big question.

To the average person here in the west the idea a elves, gnomes and dwarfs seems ridiculous. But is it?

Friday the 13th: Superstition vs Reality

FRIDAY THE 13TH is back! Avoid black cats, mirrors, ladders and do not spill the salt. One of the most widespread superstitions of modern day is that Friday the 13th is an inauspicious day. In this symbolism, both Friday as well as 13 are considered to be unlucky and when added, their sum accounts double trouble.

Superstitions revolving around Friday the 13th as being unlucky have existed since ancient times beginning with the Northern countries. The modern day context originated from October 13, 1307 which is regarded as a black day in history. The catastrophe that occurred this day was known as the ‘Decimation of the Knights Templar’, the legendry order of ‘warrior monks’ formed during the crusades. Acclaimed as a fighting force for 2000 years, the order had grown so powerful; it was perceived as a political threat by kings and popes alike who sought to bring it down.

On the infamous Friday of October 13, 1307, officers of King Philip IV of France carried out mass arrests in a well-coordinated raid that left thousands of knights, templars, sergeants and priests charged with heresy, obscenities and homosexuality. None of these charges were ever proven, but the seven years following the arrests thousands of templars and knights suffered excruciating tortures and many of them were executed by the burning stake.

Ancient Romans committed the sixth day of the week to Venus, the goddess of beauty and love. When the Norsemen adopted the Roman method of naming days, they called it Freya, a translation for the goddess which eventually evolved into Friday, which was considered to be the luckiest day of the week.

Muslims regard Friday as the day God created Adam and Christians consider it as the day on which Christ was crucified.

According to a popular Scandinavian belief the number 13 indicated bad luck which resulted from Loki, their 13th demigod, who inflicted great misfortune on humans. In Christianity, Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th guest at the table of The Last Supper.

The biggest drawback in the theory stating that Friday the 13th is unlucky is the fact the there is no documentation of such beliefs prior to the 19th century. There is no evidence to back the fact that people observed it as a day likely to bring misfortune. Superstitions originate from beliefs or practices man used or is using to protect himself. It throws light on the fact the somewhere all of us are insecure. Despite the advancements in science and technology we are still unable to contest the paranormal.

People tend to overlook superstitions unless they are backed by concrete scientific evidence. The origin of every superstition is a belief. The phobia of Friday, the 13th is called Paraskevidekatriaphobia.

Interesting facts

The number 13 is despised by many to this extent that certain cities do not have a 13th Street or Avenue.

Some buildings do not have a 13th floor.

Certain hotels do not have a room numbered 13.

The opera house in Italy has also avoided the number.

Numerology and the number 13

According to numerology, the number signifies change. This can be positive as well as negative. Nothing associated with the number is jinxed. It is an utter myth.

Hype about Friday the 13th

After the release of the Hollywood blockbuster Friday the 13th the media created much hype about the day being ill-fated and unlucky.

Friday the 13th is not a day to be despised. We live in a superstitious world and it is likely for many to be paranoid in response to certain phobias. Today being Friday the 13th thousands of people will stay indoors, avoid driving and indulge in a number of religious affairs to ward off the so-called ill-effects of the day. Any kind of fear is a creation of the mind. One needs to learn to overcome such superstitions and beliefs by taming the mind in the right way.

Source: Simara Starr from merinews

Mummified Fairy Remains Found

I first saw this posted at Our Strange World, and thought I would share this story with the rest of you.

What you are seeing in the above picture are the supposed remains of a mummified fairy that was found by a local man in the Derbyshire countryside. The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, found the remains while walking his dog. The following day he phoned the police and handed his discovery over to the authorities for analysis.

"The 8 inch remains, complete with wings, skin, teeth and flowing red hair have been examined by anthropologists and forensic experts who can confirm that the body is genuine."

Quote taken from:
Do Fairies Live At The Bottom of your Garden?

I know that there are people out there that swear these creatures exist, but I think a very talented special effects person is behind this one and it is a fake. What do you all think?

Irish Folklore Post

Hopefully everyone who celebrated St. Patrick's Day had a good one and made it home safe. I was visiting Sue Darroch and Matthew Didier's Paranormal Blog today and read an excellent post on Irish Folklore. Well written and a must read!

Here is the link to their site.

Friday the 13th

For many today is considered to be an unlucky one. The fear of Friday the 13th stems from two separate fears -- the fear of the number 13 and the fear of Fridays.

It was in Roman times that the number thirteen became associated with ill omens, particularly those bringing death and destruction. For Christians, 13 represents the number of people present during the last supper. The 13th being Judas who was the last to arrive and the one that betrayed Jesus. Friday is the day that Jesus was crucified. Some believe it to be the day that Eve tempted Adam with the apple.

Today, most hotel chains have no room number thirteen, airplanes avoid the 13th aisle and many skyscrapers are without a thirteenth floor. Check out this National Geographic News article for more about Friday the 13th and the superstitions surrounding it.