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Researching Weirdness

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Anonymous

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I'm looking for old or urban legends, true stories or ones reported as fact, about towns villages or communties being placed under a curse, or having a disproportionate amount of woe; man-beasts or water creatures in the vein of Grendel, and things that have crawled their way into peoples bathrooms via the u-bend :eek!!!!:

Can anyone help?

Thanks :)
 
Ok, I know I'm stating the obvious here, but you have tried Snopes, right?
 
Yup, thanks anyway :)

There was stuff about the famous aligators in the sewer, but not much else :(

Is anyone familar with 'Voice of the Fire' the novel by Alan Moore. It's based on events that took place in and around Northampton. One chapter features a village whose entire inhabitants disapeared but for one man. Is this based on an actual legend, or did Mr. Moore invent it for the book? :confused:
 
I think there was a guy who was killed for being a witch, who then cursed the city and said the lions would return or some such. And some lions came and killed some people in the city. I can't really remember much.
 
Doctor V said:
about towns villages or communties being placed under a curse,
Click to expand...

This might not be much help, but I do remember reading a book called "The Screaming Skull and other Mysteries (can't remember author). It included a story about a witch stone that had been placed over the body of a witch. The story was that you should never remove the stone as the spirit of the witch would return and haunt the village.

In the war, a large American military truck was passing through the village, and got stuck trying to pass the witch stone. The only way through was to remove the stone. The Americans done this and moved on, not replacing the stone (not knowing it's significance). From then on, the village was haunted by the ringing of the church bells and apparitions of the witch. When the activity got to such a level (sharp objects nearly hitting locals) they decided to place the stone back. From then on all was quiet.

Sorry the story is a little fuzzy, I no longer know where the book is so can't check the story out again.
 
Doctor V said:
I'm looking for old or urban legends, true stories or ones reported as fact, about towns villages or communties being placed under a curse,
Thanks :)
Click to expand...

Is it actually true that birds have never returned to Auscwitz?
I read the Alan Moore book and an interview about it. He's very interested in local history and folklore, but didn't mention anything about your vanishing villagers.
 
My husband was telling me about the problems they're having in Guam with the ever-increasing population of brown tree snakes. They're getting everywhere, and get into people's houses via the loos. Apparently people have been bitten in some very delicate places . . .

Now he told me this as a true story (he's not given to passing on ULs), but it does have a taste of UL to me . . .

Carole
 
Alderly Edge is supposed to be bereft of birds.
 
carole said:
My husband was telling me about the problems they're having in Guam with the ever-increasing population of brown tree snakes.
Click to expand...
Evan worse than that, they're killing off all the local birds, a subject very close to my beak. :(
 
I've got a few books that have a load of Screaming Skull stories and the like, in the Yorkshire/Derbyshire area. Will read up and give a precis when I've got a bit of time.
 
Re: Re: Researching Weirdness

ninja said:
This might not be much help, but I do remember reading a book called "The Screaming Skull and other Mysteries (can't remember author).
Click to expand...

The Screaming Skulls & Other Ghost Stories by Elliott O' Donnell, published in the mid 1960's & as I remember, not a good book of it's type.

The titled: "Screaming Skulls" story, seemed to be an amalgam of various ghost stories of skulls retained in old houses & seems to have no real basis, which leaves me to suspect the other stories.
 
Re: Re: Re: Researching Weirdness

David said:
The Screaming Skulls & Other Ghost Stories by Elliott O' Donnell, published in the mid 1960's & as I remember, not a good book of it's type.
Click to expand...

Don't remember Elliott O'Donnell being the author but would agree it was the standard pastiche of Ghost Stories put into paperback form - my defense was it was my first ghost book and probably what got me hooked on ghosts in the first place :)
 
You don't need a defence ninja!!!!

And yes, it was probably the first ghost book I ever read, as well.
 
Cursed places - watery fates

http://www.yorkshire-tour.co.uk/yt/semerwater.htm

http://freespace.virgin.net/prince.helig/helig.html

Lake Gormire (N Yorks)

At the foot of Whitestone Cliff is Gormire, a beautiful lake or tarn measuring about three quarters of a mile in circumference, and margined by hills. Though nestling at the foot of the cliff it is situated at a considerable elevation, and attracts, by its beauty and romantic surroundings, numerous visitors in the summer season. It is fed by no streams and must, therefore, depend for its supply on rains and unseen springs. It is also commonly said to have no outlet, but this is not strictly true. There is a recess in the side near the cliff through which the waters find egress among the rocks, and a local tradition avers that a goose once penetrated the dark gully, emerging again to the light of day near Kirby-Moorside stript of all its feathers. Another legend ascribes the formation of the lake to an earthquake which swallowed up a populous town and left an unfathomable lake in its place, and the same veracious authority asserts that the tops of the houses and the chimneys may be seen through the clear water. Mr. Grainge says it is 27 feet deep in the middle, but popular belief declares it has no bottom, and in allusion to this fancied impossibility of its ever becoming dry land the villagers say -

"When Gormire riggs shall be covered with hay,
The White Mare of Whis'n'cliff will bear it away."
info from
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/NRY/Felixkirk/Felixkirk90.html

http://www.mythstories.com/lostR.html

Try also Llyn-y-maes, Kenfig Pool, Llyn Tegid,
 
Britains's "most famous Screaming Skull," according to Jennifer
Westwood in her "Albion, a Guide to Legendary Britain," is associated
with Burton Agnes Hall, Humberside. The story is standard - a skull
cries out when moved.

I remember a teacher telling me the same tale, which was associated
with the Royal Umpire Museum near Preston, Lancashire.

There are many more. :rolleyes:
 
As a new member i felt i had to reply to this message regading urban legends.....in a small town in the south west of England where i used to live is an interesting UL of a being who is named "Rabbit man".I have no idea of the origins of this particular UL,nor how many years it has been in existance,but that i have heard it on a few occasions from old and young people alike.From what i have heard and understood from the descriptions of this beast of the night is that he is allegedly a creature that appears to be 1/2 man 1/2 rabbit,an odd and humerous description i must agree but none the less,this is what it looks like.As far as i know,rabbit man has not killed or maimed any of the villigers in his time,but has been part of the folklore of this town for many years :confused: i hope this has been of some help,if not i hope it has humoured you!!!!!!:D
 
Screaming Skulls

There's an interesting precis of some screaming skull stories here. Info from the "Mercian Order of St George" (who they? seem to have a lot of info on Fort-ish subjects, especially ghosts).

Also, our old favourite Google comes up with about 16,000 other matches.
 
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