Bigfoot, Sasquatch, Yeti or a Man in a Suit?

Is Bigfoot a reality? many people seem to think so and with sightings scatted across the globe there is certainly enough evidence for bigfoot to be a possibility. But what is this strange humanoid creature, could each sighting be a man in a suit or is there some scientific truth behind the legend?...

This humanoid creature has several names: Bigfoot, Sasquach, Yeti and other local names from far off cultures, but no matter what the name the descriptions of these creatures are always incredibly similar. A large 7-9 foot tall hairy ape like creature, that stands on two legs and stalks mountainous woody areas with large feet and a howling call. All sightings are short and fleeting, often with the creature spotting the hiker or hunter and running off deeper into the forests before any physical evidence is gained. The few photographs or video footage that are gathered are often quickly dismissed as fakes.




Image: http://www.riff.it/public/upload/HohRainForest.jpg

Mermaids, Reality or Fantasy?

The mermaid, a mythical creature that has captured our imaginations from the dawn of written time, their images are found in some of the oldest illustrated books, and stories held the knowledge of mermaids for hundreds of years before that.

So are these mythical beings real or not? I don't think we will ever know for sure, but what we do know are the alleged sightings.

In ancient times sailors would return home with tales of beautiful women who would sit on rocks and comb their long glossy hair, some would sing and try to lure the men into crashing their boats against the rocks. Their description has long since been the same; Usually only female, with long hair, a torso of a woman and a shining tail of a fish. The number of tails is the only thing that truly varies, some images show one tail, others show two or more. Some mermaids are even depicted as having powers over the ocean and weather,but could these magickal creatures truly be real?

In times gone by the theory of dugong and sailors missing their wives was common, even today the hallucination theory is still in circulation, but now in the 21st Century some radical thinkers have come up with another theory, and a new mermId legend.

The aquatic ape theory has been around for decades, but it has never been in the mind of the public as much as after the mockumentary "Mermaids- Body Found". During the program a unheard sound and unusual sighting provoked searches for a possible body, and one was found. After months of research the body was descovered to have both human and marine mammal characterists.

So, what is the Aquatic Ape theory? It it said that when man was learning to walk upright he came to the water for balance and boyancy, they found easy food and stayed close to the water. When Pangaea began to break up and volcanic activity on the continents began to increase some early humans retreated back onto land but others potentially could have gone further into the sea. If this had occurred over many thousands of years they would begin to adapt to their watery home, gaining gills rather than lungs, webbed hands and potentially, a tail.

This theory is extreme but many other mammals have completed this transition, all of our marine mammal species were once terrestrial creatures whose ancestors made the active choice to return to sea.

The aquatic ape theory is difficult to get your head around but humans already have the beginnings of webbing on our hands, we can hold our breath for much longer than most other terrestrial animals and we can easily adapt to a marine lifestyle; as was found in the Moken people in Tailand. Here the children have developed full control of their lense contraction allowing them to see perfectly underwater, they even get land sick when they return to shore.

Which type of mermaids do you think are more likely, the romantic mythical and magical women who comb their hair and potentially have powers over the ocean and weather, or the evolutionary possibility of mermaids being derived from early humans? The choice is yours.

Till next time...
xox - E

Image: http://hqwallbase.com/images/big/mermaid_in_pastel-1528531.jpg

The Chupacabra, Fact or Fiction?

The Chupacabra, is it fact or fiction?

The Chupacabra or "Goat Sucker" is a supernatural species that is found scattered across the USA and Southern America. It is said that the first sighting was in Puerto Rico in 1995, where its distinctive killing technique and the draining goats blood was seen in numbers. Since this first sighting, many more have been seen, filmed and shot (photo above), as far north as Maine and as far south as Chile, what is this strange creature?

The morphology of the Chupacabra varies depending on the sighting, it is said to be the size of a small bear with a row of spines from the nape of the neck to the base of the tail, personally I believe these to be vertebrae that are more obvious than they are in other species. It is said to have a sulphuric smell and often the vivid blue eyes as seen above. They have been seen to jump up to 20 meters, with a canine like face, forked tongue and vampire-esque fanged teeth. Some people see the Chupacabra as a reptile like creature, others as a canine; the sightings are so varied it is difficult to pinpoint a certain description for the creature. In South America it is usual for the Chupacabra to be reptilian, but heading into North America the sightings are more canine.

These could be different species, as many unusual canine like creatures are often classed as the Chupacabra.

Many different ideas about the origin of the Chupacabra have been put forward, a mange ridden dog, or a cross breed between a coyote and a wolf, maybe there is something far more supernatural about this creature...who knows...

Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chupacabra

This is from my other blog, not copied: http://magicalcorners.blogspot.co.uk/

Until next time...

xox - E

A Modern Day Vampire Myth

Vampires have been sighted for many centuries, their appearance and behaviour has changed drastically over the years, from a purple, bloated corpses that dragged themselves out of their graves to feed upon villagers, to Dracula, a vampire scared of running water and garlic and finally into the realms of Twilight where Edward Cullen sparkles in the sunlight, more like a faerie than a vampire. 

Although vampire sightings were common in old mythology, it is far rarer to have a modern day vampire story, and in all places, Highgate London. 

Highgate Cemetery, London was constructed in 1839, where the dead were peacefully buried until the late 1960's when suspicious sightings and rumours began to occur...

"Two seemingly unconnected incidents occurred within weeks of one another in early 1967. The first involved two 16-year-old convent girls who were walking home at night after having visited friends in Highgate Village. Their return journey took them down Swains Lane past the cemetery. They could not believe their eyes as they passed the graveyard’s north gate at the top of the lane, for in front of them bodies appeared to be emerging from their tombs. One of these schoolgirls later suffered nightly visitations and blood loss. The second incident, some weeks later, involved an engaged couple who were walking down the same lane. Suddenly the female shrieked as she glimpsed something hideous hovering behind the gate’s iron railings. Then her fiancé saw it. They both stood frozen to the ground as the spectre held them in thrall. Its face bore an expression of basilisk horror. Soon others sighted the same phenomenon as it hovered along the path behind the gate where gravestones are visible either side until consumed in darkness. Before long people were talking in hushed tones about the rumoured haunting in local pubs. Some who actually witnessed the spectral figure wrote to their local newspaper to share their experience. Discovery was made of animal carcasses drained of blood. They had been so exsanguinated that a forensic sample could not be found. It was only a matter of time before a person was found in the cemetery in a pool of blood. This victim died of wounds to the throat. The police made every attempt to cover-up the vampiristic nature of the death. Seán Manchester informed the public on 27 February 1970 that the cause was most probably a vampire. He appeared on television on 13 March 1970 and repeated his theory. The VRS, whose specialist unit within a larger investigatory organisation (now defunct) had opened the case twelve months earlier, established a history of similar hauntings that went back to before the graveyard existed. A suspected tomb was located and a spoken exorcism performed. This proved to be ineffective." [1]

Sightings and dead animals seemed to increase after the exorcism and more began to believe that this was in fact a vampire haunting the cemetery. People believed that a nest of vampires may be living and feeding within the area, scaring film makers away from the terrifying cemetery, they dubbed the creature "Vampire King of the Un-dead."

Another sighting, "In 1971 several years after the many publiciced vampire sightings, a young girl claims she was actually attacked by the vampire in the lane outside the cemetery. She was returning home in the early hours of the morning when she was suddenly thrown to the ground with a tremendous force by a "tall black figure with a deathly white face. At that moment a car stopped to help her and the vampire "vanished" in the glare of the headlamps." [2]

No one knows the reasoning behind these sightings and they may still be continuing; whether it's a vampire or a human is undetermined, but I certainly wouldn't be heading into the Highgate Cemetery at night.

Read more through the links:

[1]http://www.gothicpress.freeserve.co.uk/The%20Highgate%20Vampire.htm

[2]http://www.ghost-story.co.uk/index.php/unclassified/126-highgate-vampire-london-england

[3]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highgate_Vampire

This is my own work from my other blog that I am locked out of, not copying: http://magicalcorners.blogspot.co.uk/

Till next time...

xox - E

Werewolf of Cannock Chase

Werewolves have been a staple of the supernatural world for centuries; the image of the werewolf has changed considerably over time from the North American skin walkers, who believed wearing the skin Of a wolf would give them the wolfs' powers, to the modern day half human half werewolves personified in the popular Harry Potter movies, sadly even Twilight dived head first into the werewolf pool to pull out humans that could transform into giant wolves at will.

But the traditional and often most popular view of a werewolf is a human, either gifted or cursed with lycanthropy whom on every full moon can transform into a wolf-like-creature of some sort. 

These stories have been told for centuries but who would have thought we would have our own werewolf legends in England, yet we do.

In Cannock Chase, a woodland area found in Staffordshire, England, has apparently had several supernatural encounters with a Werewolf. All the information below is gathered from eye witness accounts and publications:

“One report I received came in from a gentleman who, on the morning in question, while walking his Labrador Retriever around the ancient Iron Age hill-fort at Castle Ring, heard the distinct sound of abnormal and unearthly howling coming from the surrounding damp and misty woodland. So loud was the noise, that his dog immediately began to draw back and cower in fear. Mr Chapman recalled that, upon glancing into the shadowy trees he saw two bright, fiendish yellow eyes glaring menacingly back at him. This was enough to seriously spook Mr C and, in his own words, he promptly ‘ran like the wind.’”[1]

A spooky account to anyone, but many sightings of this creature have been documented, yet there are only modern accounts, so where did this beast come from? Surely it couldn't have arrived in the woods overnight.

Paranormal investigations are being carried out in the woods, and it is no surprise, Staffordshire is one of the most haunted places in England, it is no leap to add werewolves to the considerable list of supernatural beings. 

"Another report involved a group of 3 teenagers who, whilst stopping for a cigarette break on a popular car-park near to the village of Brocton (a place that describes itself as the Gateway to Cannock Chase), witnessed the understandably terrifying sight of what they described as an “oversized, upright, wolf” rummaging through a litter bin. Luckily, at a distance of around 20 meters, the creature didn't notice them and soon moved on, but those lads have been deeply affected by it nonetheless." [1]

What to make of these claims depends on your belief in werewolves, with so many unconnected sightings in this area I find it hard not to believe that there is something unnatural occurring in the woods of Cannock chase. Despite most of the eye witness accounts being during the day many truly believe there is a werewolf hidden within these woods. 
Would you dare go in at night? I certainly wouldn't.

The truth is still unknown but I find this particular case one that I return to regularly for another dose of werewolf sightings. You can read more at:

[1]http://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/content/articles/2009/09/29/werewolves_in_staffs_feature.shtml
http://monsterusa.blogspot.co.uk/2007/05/do-werewolves-roam-woods-of-england.html
http://paranormalcannock.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/in-search-of-wolf-man.html

Photo: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8N8t1PCBdENdH8iAJ-CL0KKaz4KEbXk2ZjB-AzLzS6trvuuXgti-pFh4E-f9Pf0gVBXuymfMp1bsiS4UgoFbo2ppjwx2uRNN7KOBlMK1LmoZ8Ola3jOMyR87SyueYxWkCV59sj2D2zd1/s1600/Werewolf-werewolves-12640996-1024-768.gif

This is also on my other blog, that I am locked out of, not copied: http://magicalcorners.blogspot.co.uk/

Till next time xox

-E

Right or Wrong?

The question of who's right and who's wrong is a problem that has surrounded supernatural phenomena for years. It tends to be a Marmite subject, there are those, such as I, who believe that all things supernatural are possible, but there are others who are determined that there is no magic, only science. 

So who is right, and who is wrong?

Those who see it as an impossibility that magic exists tend to be those who need to see to believe, those who believe in magic, think that believing is seeing.

If you are here by accident or maybe just curious I want to open your eyes to the possibility that magic is real, by using science and history. 

As a zoology student myself I have a huge focus on the natural world and as a habit science is ever changing, something that was deemed a fact in Victorian times has been proven to be totally false today, and as an ever changing subject new discoveries are being made all the time.
E.g. It was once believed that giant squid were only in legend, a tale from drunk fisherman who had spent far too much time on the seas; but as science advanced they discovered the Colossal squid, one of, if not the largest squid in the world. New discoveries will come to light in the future that could rock the minds of future generations as they break apart what most people believe to be the norm. 

Out of the whole world it is only recent generations that have pushed the paranormal into the land of fiction, movies and books, but never reality. Go back only a few generations and there were thousands of people believing in superstitions: mirrors trapping spirits, vampires roaming the streets at night, sirens luring fishermen to a watery grave. These are only a few of the many supernatural beliefs that were still believed to be true until a few generations ago; often grandparents and great grandparents still alive believe these still to be true. 

If you go far enough back in time, to when no humans had travelled long distances, and the legends of tribes and their people were catalogued in paintings and early works of writing, people spoke of creatures that would come out of the shadows at night to feed off the blood of the villagers and their livestock. These stories of "vampires" were found in reasonably similar descriptions across the whole world in most cultures, despite the fact that these cultures often didn't mix; stories were not passed from one culture to another, they were free forming. 

How can one creature be merely imagination to so many different people in so many different cultures around the world have seen the same creature.

I don't believe this was merely coincidence at work.

These stories are so similar across the world that there must be some truth behind them but our belief in these stories has diminished. Living in the age of technology has dulled our senses to the magical and supernatural world around us, senses that people in less advantaged countries still hold on to.

So I leave it up to you to decide, should ancient myths be considered reality, or should they remain trapped in the bounds of fiction?

My work from my other locked out blog, not copied: http://magicalcorners.blogspot.co.uk/

xox - E

Introductions

Well...... I suppose everyone had better learn who I am:

Eleanor Frances' the name, nice to meet you *extends out hand for a handshake*. I am completely obsessed by everything supernatural and I honestly wouldn't want it any other way. I cant remember a time when I didn't have mermaids, vampires or ghouls on the brain, it takes up half my mind most of the time and it is so cool. I mean who wouldn't love learning all the fantastical ways a werewolf can be created, or the ghoulish stories of those who have been involved in spooky supernatural encounters.

I am a Wiccan/Athiest by nature (I can't quite decide) although my family was always atheist, the paranormal was something I was always drawn to since I was a small child (cliché I know). My parents thought it was a phase till they discovered my hidden magical grotto in the back of my wardrobe, filled to the brim with wands, cloaks, chalices, cauldrons, tarot cards and grimoires. I never force anyone into believing anything, on this blog you can take everything at face value; hoaxes, imaginations gone wild but if your a true believer you will hopefully see the magical secrets locked away from prying eyes. 

You will probably learn more about my fantastical adventures into the magical world, or learn how incredibly insane I am if you give me skittles, but for now its a toodlepip from me, till next time my magical friends...

xox - E

Welcome

Welcome to Magical Corners, my little blog about everything supernatural and paranormal.
Whether you are an atheist, pagan, wiccan, and anything in between I hope you will enjoy my little blog. 
After years of research into the paranormal, collecting an extensive library of magical and supernatural reading material and spending far too much of my spare time searching the web I have found some of the most interesting accounts of supernatural activity; so I hope you will join me in my quest to discover the Magical Corners of our quirky world.

xox -E

Another Blog

I am saying this in advance because I am not copy-writing or stealing the work of anyone else.
My name is Eleanor Frances and I run the blog Magical Corners at http://magicalcorners.blogspot.co.uk/ . Over the past few months emails and passwords have become lost and so I am unable to access this blog. Therefor I am starting by re-posting the past material. I AM NOT PLAGIARIZING, it is my own work, written by ME in February 2014.