Their appearance ranges from covered in shaggy, yellow fur to just having a mane down its back, webbed toes, tails with spikes, and no nose. They are prone to wearing green, whether it be a dress, robe, or kirtle, as it is the color of faeries. They sometimes intermarry with human beings (typically the female), whose offspring will share a mane, tail, and/or webbed digits. Their banes include sunlight and cold steel, which will kill them instantly. They grow restless upon crossing a stream. An alternative name for this class of monsters is Arrachd.
Don't think about "fuafa" just yet, my Brazilian friends! A Fuath (plural Fuathan) is actually an evil, Gaelic mythological water spirit. It's so evil that, in Irish Gaelic, the word "fuath" means "hate". Its name is sometimes used as a regional variance for Kelpie or Uisges in Northern Ireland or the Bean-Nighe. The Scottish use the name to refer to generic water spirits who inhabit the sea, rivers, fresh water, or sea lochs. Sometimes, this name is even given to highland or nature spirits, but all forms with the name are evil. Their appearance ranges from covered in shaggy, yellow fur to just having a mane down its back, webbed toes, tails with spikes, and no nose. They are prone to wearing green, whether it be a dress, robe, or kirtle, as it is the color of faeries. They sometimes intermarry with human beings (typically the female), whose offspring will share a mane, tail, and/or webbed digits. Their banes include sunlight and cold steel, which will kill them instantly. They grow restless upon crossing a stream. An alternative name for this class of monsters is Arrachd. ~Ally
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According to John Hyatt, a professor from Manchester Metropolitan University and director of the Manchester Institute for Research and Innovation in Art and Design (MIRIAD), fairies do exist. For the past two years he has been taking pictures of them, which he claims are genuine and not altered in any way. In his own words: "It was a chock when I captured them, I did a double shot. Then I left and took some photos of flies and mosquitoes and they simply didn't look the same. People may decide for themselves what is it. The message for them is to approach the pictures with an open mind. I think it's one of those situations when you need to believe to see it. A bunch of people who saw the photos came to tell me that they brought a little more magic to their lives." So far, the pictures were posted in the social media and are causing quite a debate. They will also be exposed throughout spring in an exposition called "Rossendale Fairies" in the Whitaker Museum in Whitaker Park, Rossendale. The name is a tribute to the fairies of Cottingley story, where two Bradford students claimed they photographed fairies in their garden and, 60 years later, they confirmed it was a fraud. Hyatt, however, admitis that the cratures he photographed aren't like the characters of traditional stories. "Everything is stereotyped. Life grows everywhere. I don't believe they are just smaller versions of us who go to their houses to take a cup of tea in the end of the day. From my experience, they were just having fun and dancing in the sunlight. These are just beautiful images and beauty can make people believe." What about you? Do you think these fairies are for real? Tell me in the comments! ~Ally
Let's start the week with more legends about horrible creatures, shall we? Erchitu is a legendary creature of Sardinian tradition. According to the ancient legends of that region, a man who committed a serious fault would turn on full moon nights into a white ox with two large horns. Sort of like a were-ox, if I may say so. The creature stops in front of a house and bellows three times: his roar is heard by all the inhabitants of the country, and according to tradition, the master of the house will to die within the year. Sometimes they are accompanied by Devils which lay two lit candles on their horns and prod them with hot skewers. The Erchitos can free themselves from their torment only when they encounter someone brave and strong, capable of extinguishing the candles in one puff, or capable of cutting the horns on the head with one precise shot. ~Ally
The Fachen, which is also known as Fachan, Fachin, Peg Leg Jack or Direach Ghlinn Eitidh (Dwarf of Glen Etive), is a creature with only half a body in Scottish and Scots-Irish folklore. Supposedly its appearance, which includes a mane of black feathers tufted at the top and a very wide mouth, is so frightening that it induces heart attacks. It can destroy an orchard with a chain in its strong, singular, withered arm, in a single night. A story in John Francis Campbell's Popular Tales of the West Highlands features a Fachen named Nesnas Mhiccallain being defeated in a race by the story's hero, Murachadh Mac Brian, who became king of Ireland. In that tale, the Fachen is described like this: "Ugly was the make of the Fachin; there was one hand out of the ridge of his chest, and one tuft out of the top of his head, it were easier to take a mountain from the root than to bend that tuft." ~Ally
I'm not a huge fan of macabre curiosities, but this case got my attention and it's probably going to cause me a fair share of nightmares. The number of people who are born with deformities every year isn't so small as we tend to think, and siamese twins aren't so uncommon either, but Mordrake's case was something remarkably unique. His anomaly had something more about it, which Mordrake himself described as "demonic". Mordrake was a man who had everything to be happy: he was an heir to an important English noble title (which he never claimed), a very talented musician and a brilliant gentleman. But, in the back of his head there was another face. And if you think it was always still, think again. It could laugh and cry, and sometimes whisper, which disturbed poor Edward deeply. Some reports claim that it was very unconfortable to look at the demonic face: people said that the eyes seemed to express inteligence and anger, and that they also followed them slowly, as if studying those who looked upon it. Others say that the face sometimes showed a sarcastic smile, as if it wanted to show an occult hate. It was almost impossible to observe it for long. The man suffered deeply with confinement and solitude, and said it was impossible to live with that "demon". He often asked doctors to take the second face away, but they refused, since Edward would die in the surgery. He ended up killing himself at 23 years old, but no one knows certainly how (some say it was poisoning, others say it was a bullet in the middle of the demonic face). In his suicide note, he asked that the second face should be removed from his head before he was put to rest. This final request was attended and he was buried in a cheap earth grave without any headstone or sculpture, also according to his wishes. ~Ally
Pretend for a moment that you are a millionaire - or, if you are, consider your current financial situation. Now imagine you came across an advertisement to buy an island called Poveglia, in Italy. Sounds good, right? But what if I told you that that's the most haunted island in the world? Would you buy it anyway? True story, dear readers. Turns out that the island of Poveglia is actually for sale and it's claimed to be very very haunted. Although it is in one of the most popular tourism locations in the world, between Venice and Lido in the Venetian Lagoon, northern Italy, Poveglia rarely sees any visitors. This now uninhabited 17-acre piece of dry land was used in the past as a dumping ground for plague dying victims. And, not so long ago, it was home to a mental hospital run by a cruel doctor who performed lobotomies on patients with crude tools like hand drills, chisels, and hammers. Oh, yeah, and he later threw himself from the hospital tower after claiming he'd been driven mad by ghosts. Iaiks. No wonder it is said to be haunted by tens of thousands of tortured spirits! The island has remained closed to visitors in recent years with access strictly restricted by the Italian government, but now they are offering this macabre location (sometimes described as "island of madness" and "hell") for sale in a bid to reduce the country’s public debt. Given its fame, the island has become a draw for supernatural investigators searching for signs of the rumoured spirits, the most famous of which is a plague victim called Little Maria, who it is claimed stands crying looking out across the lagoon towards her home. So far, it seems that the main plan for the decrepit building is to transform it into a luxury hotel, though a group of architects and planners have launched a campaign to buy the island in a bid to stop the further privatisation of the lagoon. ~Ally
Cloudy-rainy days like today are simply perfect to stay at home and learn more about monsters and cryptids, don't you think? Today's subject is the Flatwoods Monster, also known as the Braxton County Monster or the Phantom of Flatwoods; an alleged unidentified extraterrestrial or cryptid reported to have been sighted in the town of Flatwoods in Braxton County, West Virginia, United States on September 12, 1952. Stories of the creature are an example of a purported close encounter of the third kind (for those of you who didn't quite know what that means: a close encounter of the third kind is a UFO encounter in which an animated creature [humanoids, robots, and humans who seem to be occupants or pilots of a UFO] is present). There are various descriptions of the entity, but most people agree that it was at least 10 feet (3 m) tall and that it had a red face which appeared to glow from within, and a green body. Witnesses described the creature's head as having bulging, non-human eyes and as either being shaped like a heart, or as having a large heart shaped cowling behind it. The creature's body was described as being man-shaped and clad in a dark pleated skirt; later described as being green. Some accounts record that the creature had no visible arms, while others describe it as having short, stubby arms; ending in long, claw-like fingers, which protruded from the front of its body. Associated with the Flatwoods Monster it was described a large, pulsating, red ball of light that hovered above or rested upon the ground. Ufologists believe that it may have been a powered craft that was piloted by the entity. The encounter happened like this: At 7:15 PM on September 12, 1952, two brothers, Edward and Fred May, and their friend Tommy Hyer (ages 13, 12, and 10 respectively) witnessed a bright object cross the sky. The object appeared to come to rest on land belonging to local farmer G. Bailey Fisher. Upon witnessing the object, the boys went to the home of the May brothers' mother, Kathleen May, where they reported seeing a UFO crash land in the hills. From there, Mrs. May accompanied by the three boys, local children Neil Nunley (14) and Ronnie Shaver (10), and 17-year-old West Virginia National Guardsman Eugene 'Gene' Lemon, traveled to the Fisher farm in an effort to locate whatever it was that the boys had seen. Lemon's dog ran ahead out of sight and suddenly began barking, and moments later ran back to the group with its tail between its legs. After traveling about ¼ of a mile (400 m) the group reached the top of a hill, where they reportedly saw a large pulsating "ball of fire" about 50 feet (15 m) to their right. They also detected a pungent mist that made their eyes and noses burn. Lemon then noticed two small lights over to the left of the object, underneath a nearby oak tree and directed his flashlight towards them, revealing the creature, which was reported to have emitted a shrill hissing noise before gliding towards them, changing direction and then heading off towards the red light. At this point the group fled in panic. Upon returning home Mrs. May contacted local Sheriff Robert Carr, and Mr. A. Lee Stewert, co-owner of the Braxton Democrat, a local newspaper. Stewert conducted a number of interviews and returned to the site with Lemon later that night where he reported that "there was a sickening, burnt, metallic odor still prevailing". Sheriff Carr and his deputy Burnell Long searched the area separately, but reported finding no trace of the encounter. Early the next morning; on Saturday September 13, Mr. A Lee Stewart visited the site of the encounter for a second time and discovered two elongated tracks in the mud, as well as traces of a thick black liquid. He immediately reported them as being possible signs of a saucer landing based on the premise that the area had not been subjected to vehicle traffic for at least a year. It was later revealed that the tracks were likely to have been those of a 1942 Chevrolet pickup truck driven by local Max Lockard, who had gone to the site to look for the creature some hours prior to Stewert's discovery. After the event, Mr. William and Donna Smith, investigators associated with Civilian Saucer Investigation, LA, obtained a number of accounts from witnesses who claimed to have experienced a similar or related phenomena. These accounts included the story of a mother and her 21 year-old-daughter, who claimed to have encountered a creature with the same appearance and odor a week prior to the September 12 incident; the encounter reportedly affected the daughter so badly that she was confined to Clarksburg Hospital for three weeks. They also gathered a statement from the mother of Eugene Lemon, in which she said that, at the approximate time of the crash, her house had been violently shaken and her radio had cut out for 45 minutes, and a report from the director of the local Board of Education in which he claimed to have seen a flying saucer taking off at 6:30 on the morning of September 13 (the morning after the creature was sighted). Not long after encountering the creature, several members of the September 12 group reported being overcome with similar symptoms which persisted for some time, which they attributed to having been exposed to the mist emitted by the creature. The symptoms included irritation of the nose and swelling of the throat. Lemon suffered from vomiting and convulsions throughout the night, and had difficulties with his throat for several weeks afterward. A doctor who treated several of the witnesses is reported to have described their symptoms as being similar to victims of mustard gas, though such symptoms are also commonly found in sufferers of hysteria, which can be brought on by exposure to a traumatic or shocking event. What do you think it was? Check out the video above to get more information about this eerie story! ~Ally
Today's post is a small folk tale from Scotland explaining a popular saying in the West Highlands... Enjoy! The Fox and the Bagpipes "The fox, being hungry one day, found a bag-pipe, and proceeded to eat the bag, which is generally, or was till lately, made of hide. There was still a remnant of breath in the bag, and when the fox bit it the drone gave a groan, when the fox, surprised but not frightened, said - 'Here is meat and music!'" ~Ally
Although sometimes we embrace and cherish the few times we can be trully left alone, loneliness can be a real pain when it is not desired or needed. This past night I kept feeling it over and over, wondering how could I best act to come up with a "ritual" to get rid of it quickly. Feeling it to the deepest, despairing a little bit (five minutes are more than enough), taking a deep breath, analyzing it rationally and then stop thinking about it usually do the trick, but in the video above are other ideas which can be very helpfull next time you face it. And, let's be honest, it'll be sooner than you think. ~Ally
After reading about Blenda's legend yesterday, I got carried away and decided to read about another heroine from the past I had never heard or read about before, and the chosen one was Agustina de Aragón. What most impressed me regarding her story, though, is that she was 100% real! Agustina Raimunda María Saragossa Domènech, or Agustina of Aragón (March 4, 1786 – May 29, 1857) was a Spanish heroine who defended Spain during the Spanish War of Independence, first as a civilian and later as a professional officer in the Spanish Army. Known as "the Spanish Joan of Arc," she has been the subject of much folklore, mythology, and artwork, including sketches by Francisco de Goya and even the poetry of Lord Byron! In the summer of 1808, Zaragoza was one of the last cities in northern Spain not to have fallen to the forces of Napoleon and was therefore, by the time of the siege, choked with vast numbers of refugees fleeing the advancing Grande Armée. In early June, the French began to advance on Zaragoza, which had not seen war for about 450 years and was held by a tiny provincial force under José de Palafox, whose heroism would come to rival Agustina's. The Duke of Saragossa by Goya On June 15, 1808, the French army stormed the Portillo, an ancient gateway into the city defended by a hodgepodge battery of old cannons and a heavily outnumbered volunteer unit. Agustina, arriving on the ramparts with a basket of apples to feed the gunners, watched the nearby defenders fall to French bayonets. The Spanish troops broke ranks, having suffered heavy casualties, and abandoned their posts. With the French troops a few yards away, Agustina herself ran forward, loaded a cannon, and lit the fuse, shredding a wave of attackers at point blank range. The sight of a lone woman bravely manning the cannons inspired the fleeing Spanish troops and other volunteers to return and assist her. After a bloody struggle, the French gave up the assault on Zaragosa and abandoned their siege for a few short weeks before returning to fight their way into the city, house-by-house. With the human cost proving truly terrible on both sides and the city's defences hopelessly compromised, Palafox finally accepted the inevitable and was forced to surrender the city to the French. Despite the eventual defeat, Agustina's action became an inspiration to those opposing the French and, in a latter day, to many feminists. Original records on Agustina suggest that she was not fervently patriotic or pious, but an ordinary girl motivated by war. In the mores of the time, a woman who took on "manly" duties posed a problem. However, as the French-imprisoned King of Spain was considered anointed of God, the Church declared it the duty of every Spaniard to take up arms against his captors. Various places claim to be Agustina's birthplace. Most biographies suggest that she was born in Reus, in Tarragona, in 1786. At an early age, her family moved to Madrid. To the annoyance of the Spanish, she showed an independence of mind from an early age and records indicate that she was a persistent nuisance, hanging around the Army barracks at the age of 13. Although popular history records that she married for love at the age of 16, the age of her son at his death is disputed, suggesting that she might already have been pregnant at the time of her marriage to an artillery gunner by the name of Joan Roca Vila-Seca. The name of her firstborn child does not appear in the popular record, though a gravestone indicates his name was Eugenio. Although her husband was in the army as the Peninsular War was breaking out, she abruptly left him to return to the home of her sister in Zaragoza. The image of Agustina as the saviour of Zaragoza has, however, also overshadowed her later actions. After being captured, she was imprisoned and saw Eugenio die at the hands of her French guards. She subsequently mounted a daring escape and became a low-level rebel leader for the guerrilleros, helping to organise raids and attacks that harassed the French. As the strategic situation deteriorated for the French Army, her role became increasingly orthodox as supplies and training were covertly provided by the Duke of Wellington. Agustina began to fight for the allied forces as Wellington's only female officer and ultimately rose to the rank of Captain. On June 21, 1813, she acted as a front line battery commander at the Battle of Vitoria under the command of Major Cairncross, who reported directly to Wellington himself. This battle was to see the French Army that had occupied Spain effectively smashed beyond repair and driven out of Spain. After the war, she married a doctor and, late in life, she became a familiar sight in Zaragoza as a respectable old lady, wearing medals, who used to go for walks around the Portillo. Agustina de Aragón died at the age of 71 in Ceuta. Until 1870 her remains lay in the Church of Our Lady of the Pillar until 14 June 1908 when she was moved to the Chapel of the Annunciation in the Church of Our Lady (Nuestra Señora del Portillo). ~Ally
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