Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The Legendary Arnold Paole


While you may have never heard of him Arnold Paole was quite famous as a suspected vampire back in the 1700's and he is still remembered in the Serbian areas today. Many people in the area still believe he was a real life vampire even today.
The real life vampire story of Arnold Paole took place during 1727-1728 in the Serbian village of Meduegna. Arnold Paole was a soldier serving in the Austrian Army and he came home to his home village in the spring of 1727. But before he came home he said he was attacked and bitten by a vampire in Greece and he was able to kill it. But he told people in the Serbian village of Meduegna that he had started to feel weird and wake up at all hours of the night after being bitten by the vampire. 

He was not back home in his village of Meduegna for long before he fell off a hay wagon and busted his head wide open causing his death. He was buried and before long people in and around the village would claim to have seen Arnold at night in and around the village. It was said he went to many peoples houses and they held their door closed and refused to let him enter their home. Two people in different homes in the village were found dead with puncture marks to their throats. The villagers burnt those bodies and scattered the ashes to make sure they did not turn into vampires.
Forty Days after Paole had died army troops arrived from Belgrade and they dug up Arnold Paole at the request of the village elders. When the casket was opened it is said that Paole was laying on his back but as soon as the sun fell on him he screeched and rolled up in a ball on his stomach. The soldiers fired their muskets over and over into the casket and then they drug him from the casket chopped off his head and burned it and his body to ashes and poured them into the near by river. The vampire problems were then over in the village of Meduegna. Was he a vampire or was he not we can not say for sure. Its up to you to decide. But this is one of many documented tales of a real live vampires.


Saturday, May 28, 2011

Big Foot

Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, is purportedly an ape-like cryptid that inhabits forests, mainly in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, bipedal humanoid. The term "Sasquatch" is an anglicized derivative of the word "Sésquac" which means "wild man" in a Salish Native American language.[2]
Most scientists discount the existence of Bigfoot and consider it to be a combination of folklore, misidentification, and hoax,[3] rather than a living animal, in part because of the large numbers thought necessary to maintain a breeding population.[4][5] However some scientists such as Jane Goodall,[6] Jeffrey Meldrum, John Napier (primatologist) and Grover Krantz have expressed interest and belief in the creature. Meldrum expressed the opinion that evidence collected of alleged Bigfoot encounters warrants further evaluation and testing.[7] and Napier, a one-time director of the Smithsonian's Primate Biology Program, conceded the likelihood of Bigfoot as a real creature, personally stating "I am convinced that Sasquatch exists" in his 1973 book, Bigfoot: The Sasquatch and Yeti in Myth and Reality (although he ultimately judged the evidence to be scientifically inconclusive).[8] Bigfoot remains one of the more famous examples of a cryptid within cryptozoology and an enduring legend.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Cerberus

Cerberus featured in many works of ancient Greek and Roman literature and in works of both ancient and modern art and architecture, although, the depiction and background surrounding Cerberus often differed across various works by different authors of the era. The most notable difference is the number of its heads: Most sources describe or depict three heads; others show it with two or even just one; a smaller number of sources show a variable number, sometimes as many as 50.


Etymology

 
The name "Cerberus" is a Latinised version of the Greek Kerberos, which may be related to the Sanskrit word सर्वरा "sarvarā", used as an epithet of one of the dogs of Yama, from a Proto-Indo-European word *ḱerberos, meaning "spotted"[5] (This etymology suffers from the fact that it includes a reconstructed *b, which is extremely rare in Proto-Indo-European. Yet according to Pokorny it is well distributed, with additional apparent cognates in Slavic, British and Lithuanian).[6] The use of a dog is uncertain,[7][8] although mythologists have speculated that the association was first made in the city of Trikarenos in Phliasia.[9]
Cerberus is said to be the sibling of the Lernaean Hydra, the Nemean Lion, the Sphinx, the Ladon, and the Chimera.
"Cerberus" is generally pronounced in English with a soft C as in cell, even though the ancient pronunciation, in both Greek and Latin was with a hard C as in cat.
Cerberus was the offspring of Echidna, a hybrid half-woman and half-serpent, and Typhon, a fire-breathing giant whom even the Olympian gods feared. Its brother is Orthrus, always depicted as a two-headed hellhound.[10] The common depiction of Cerberus in Greek mythology and art is as having three heads, a mane of live serpents (similar to Medusa's hair) and a snake's tail. In most works the three-heads each respectively see and represent the past, the present, and the future, while other sources suggest the heads represent birth, youth, and old age.[11] Each of Cerberus' heads is said to have an appetite only for live meat and thus allow the spirits of the dead to freely enter the underworld, but allow none to leave.[12] Cerberus was always employed as Hades' loyal watchdog, and guarded the gates that granted access and exit to the underworld (also called Hades).[13]




The Twelfth Labor of Heracles

 
The task of capturing Cerberus alive, without using weapons, was the final labour assigned to Heracles (Hercules) by King Eurystheus, in recompense for the killing of his own children by Megara after he was driven insane by Hera, and therefore was the most dangerous and difficult. In the traditional version, Heracles would not have been required to capture Cerberus, however Eurystheus discounted the completion of two of
the tasks as Heracles had received assistance.

After having been given the task, Heracles went to Eleusis to be initiated in the Eleusinian Mysteries so that he could learn how to enter and exit the underworld alive, and in passing absolve himself for killing centaurs. He found the entrance to the underworld at Tanaerum, and Athena and Hermes helped him to traverse the entrance in each direction. He passed Charon with Hestia's assistance and his own heavy and fierce frowning.

Whilst in the underworld, Heracles met Theseus and Pirithous. The two companions had been imprisoned by Hades for attempting to kidnap Persephone. One tradition tells of snakes coiling around their legs then turning into stone; another that Hades feigned hospitality and prepared a feast inviting them to sit. They unknowingly sat in chairs of forgetfulness and were permanently ensnared. When Heracles had pulled Theseus first from his chair, some of his thigh stuck to it (this explains the supposedly lean thighs of Athenians), but the earth shook at the attempt to liberate Pirithous, whose desire to have the wife of a god for himself was so insulting he was doomed to stay behind.

Heracles found Hades and asked permission to bring Cerberus to the surface, which Hades agreed to if Heracles could overpower the beast without using weapons. Heracles was able to overpower Cerberus and proceeded to sling the beast over his back, dragging it out of the underworld through a cavern entrance in the Peloponnese and bringing it to Eurystheus. The king was so frightened of the beast that he jumped into a pithos, and asked Heracles to return it to the underworld in return for releasing him from his labors

Minotaur

Before he ascended the throne of Crete, Minos struggled with his brothers for the right to rule. Minos prayed to Poseidon to send him a snow-white bull, as a sign of approval by the gods for his reign. He promised to sacrifice the bull as an offering, and as a symbol of subservience. A beautiful white bull rose from the sea, but when Minos saw it, he coveted it for himself. He assumed that Poseidon would not mind, so he kept it and sacrificed the best specimen from his herd instead. When Poseidon learned about the deceit, he made Pasipha, Minos' wife, fall madly in love with the bull. She had Daedalus, the famous architect, make a wooden cow for her. Pasipha climbed into the decoy and fooled the white bull. The offspring of their lovemaking was a monster called the Minotaur.



The creature had the head and tail of a bull on the body of a man. It caused such terror and destruction on Crete that Daedalus was summoned again, but this time by Minos himself. He ordered the architect to build a gigantic, intricate labyrinth from which escape would be impossible. The Minotaur was captured and locked in the labyrinth. Every year for nine years, seven youths and maidens came as tribute from Athens. These young people were also locked in the labyrinth for the Minotaur to feast upon.





When the Greek hero Theseus reached Athens, he learned of the Minotaur and the sacrifices, and wanted to end this. He volunteered to go to Crete as one of the victims. Upon his arrival in Crete, he met Ariadne, Minos's daughter, who fell in love with him. She promised she would provide the means to escape from the maze if he agreed to marry her. When Theseus did, she gave him a simple ball of thread, which he was to fasten close to the entrance of the maze. He made his way through the maze, while unwinding the thread, and he stumbled upon the sleeping Minotaur. He beat it to death and led the others back to the entrance by following the thread.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Supernatural

Not per se. One would have to go through a painful and long transformation. Werewolves are humans with wolfish tendencies. We have a fondness for meat, moonlight and friends (members of our "pack"). We are extremely protective and fiercely loyal. We're brash yet respect whoever is in charge. Genetically it is impossible to turn into a REAL wolf. But you can believe what you think
i could not agree more. here's my "book" (aka a checklist to anyone that thinks they might be one)KEEP IN MIND THIS ANSWER ONLY APPLIES FOR SOMEONE THAT IS AT LEAST A LITTLE INSANE.
First off, If you are serious and NOT joking and you really think you are a werewolf, you're not alone. But we are VERY few. Some believe that they can physically transform. I personally do not believe this. However, there are miner changes such as heightened senses, increased amounts of energy/strenght, and then there are the cravings. For blood, or any type of red meat. These "symptoms" increase around the full moon, but may be present any time the moon is visible. Each cycle of the moon may be different. one often not being the same strength as the next cycle. The more strength, the more "symptoms."
here are some characteristics most "werewolves" will have. Use it as a checklist.
  • *ability to run/walk ( with a fairly mobile gate) on all fours (hands/feet, knees DO NOT count.)
  • *exact or very close-to imitation and understanding of canines, including howl/growl/whine/bark/ canine/ lupine facial & body language
  • *ability to move ears up/down. back/forward (slight movement, but to the point that it is noticeable) Some of us use our ears just as dogs/ wolves do, but the average person is unaware.
  • *Cravings for blood/ even cannibalistic thoughts (desired or undesired) and VERY rearely is anyone stupid enough to actually kill/ harm another person. this would result in more harm than good. For the sane, the consequences if found guilty of murder out-way the benefits.
  • *great hearing/sense of smell/ night vision (as humans go)
  • *obsessed with the moon- paying close attention to and even sometimes knowing when it is there even if it is not visible. (we know it is there when we feel an increase in our senses/energy level/ cravings.)
  • *may experience times where one cannot break their stare at the moon, feeling in a fog/ light-headed, or unbalanced/ feel as though they are being pulled to "the position" (aka position in which you would walk/run on all fours.)
  • *urge to rip/tear/destroy objects with teeth. object examples being: jeans, sheets, pillows, etc.
  • *Some, not all: have a history of self-injury, often for no other reason than to calm their cravings for blood/meat.
  • *Great interest in the canine species at a young age, easily grasping canine forms of communication.
  • *Do NOT like crowds of people, prefer to be left alone/ limited amount of people/ certain types of people/ with animals.
  • *have a strong compassion a respect to nature and the wild.
  • *feel at home and calm in the mountains or a place with lots of wooded areas.
  • *distracted easily by movement, often having impulsive thoughts to chase it.
  • *Prefer night rather than day.
  • *Do not get cold easily, especially when the moon is present/ visible.
  • *May develop a dislike of cats
  • * Majority are DISGUSTED with vampires.
  • *Anger/ irritability/ change in normal mood (in some cases) is prevalent close to/prior to/when the moon is out.
  • *Most of us have to find a way to channel our energy so we are not constantly pushed to be destructive.
  • *Some grow to be, or are already welcomed by who we are/what gift possess we. but we may feel guilty at times/ even at some points in our lives feel that it is more a curse than a gift. the feeling of being "cursed" might be more likely to occur in earlier stages of life; around ages 5-16.
  • *there are manny "fakers" and a true werewolf can pick them out.
  • *May become obsessive over the sharpness of one's teeth. Some even go so far as to cosmetically sharpening them. But that is rare.
  • *May strongly believe your spirit is part wolf: one also might often feel as though he/she is a wolf trapped in a human's body.
  • *We all have varied beliefs/ opinions. Some are very secretive, others can seem depressed or sad, while others are just the opposite. But we all share a fondness for "darkness".

Power of Moon

Spell

Saturday, November 7, 2009

History of the Werewolf
Many European countries and cultures have stories of werewolves, including France (loup-garou), Greece (lycanthropos), Spain (hombre lobo), Bulgaria (varkolak, vulkodlak), Czech Republic (vlkodlak), Serbia (vukodlak), Russia (oboroten' , vurdalak), Ukraine (vovkulak(a),vovkun, pereverten' ), Croatia (vukodlak), Poland (wilkolak), Romania (varcolac), Scotland (werewolf, wulver), England (werwolf), Ireland (faoladh or conriocht), Germany (Werwolf), Denmark/Sweden (Varulv), Galicia(lobisÛn),, Portugal(( lobisomem)) Lithuania (vilkolakis and vilkatlakis), Latvia (vilkatis and vilkacis), Andorra (home llop), Estonia (libahunt), Argentina (lobizon, hombre lobo) and Italy (lupo mannaro). In northern Europe, there are also tales about people changing into animals including bears and wolves.



IIn Norse mythology, the legends of Ulfhednar (an Old Norse term for a warrior with attributes parallel to those of a berserker, but with a lupine aspect rather than ursine; both terms refer to a special type of warrior capable of performing feats far beyond the abilities of normal people. Historically, this was attributed to possession by the spirit of an animal) mentioned in Haraldskvaeoi and the Volsunga saga may be a source of the werewolf myths. These were vicious fighters analogous to the better known berserker, dressed in wolf hides and said to channel the spirits of these animals, enhancing their own power and ferocity in battle; they were immune to pain and killed viciously in battle, like a wild animal. They are both closely associated with Odin.
A werewolf in folklore and mythology is a person who shapeshifts into a wolf, either purposely, by using magic, or after being placed under a curse. The medieval chronicler Gervase of Tilbury associated the transformation with the appearance of the full moon, but this concept was rarely associated with the werewolf until the idea was picked up by modern fiction writers. Most modern references agree that a werewolf can be killed if shot by a silver bullet, although this is more a reflection of fiction's influence than an authentic feature of the folk legends. A werewolf allegedly can be killed by complete destruction of heart or brain; silver isn't necessary.