Tag: hoax

Skvader: Story of the Flying Hare in Sweden
September 28, 2023
Fiji Mermaid: The Story of a 19th-Century Sea Monster
- The Fiji mermaid, a famous sideshow attraction, gained popularity in the 19th century.
- It was a fabricated creature, combining the upper body of a monkey with the lower body of a fish.
- Its legacy thrives in books, films, and music.
The Fiji mermaid, or Feejee mermaid, is a legendary sea monster with its roots in the South Pacific nation of Fiji. It was initially made available to the general public in 1842 in New York, United States. In the 19th century, the Fiji mermaid rose to prominence when a specimen was put on display as a “mystical marvel” for the benefit of interested visitors. Because of its fishy bottom half and monkey-like upper half, the Fiji mermaid is also known as the Monkey Fish. Until modern times, many people had different opinions on whether or not the Fiji Mermaid really existed.
- See also: Jenny Haniver: Bizarre Creatures Crafted by Sailors
Mermaids in Folklore
An advert for P.T. Barnum’s “Feejee Mermaid” in 1842.
The stories of mermaids have been told for thousands of years. Even today, those who go out into the ocean keep their eyes peeled for this legendary beast. Dugongs are believed to be the inspiration for mermaids. Dugong skeletons were frequently showcased as “mermaid skeletons” in Renaissance and Baroque-era cabinets of curiosities in public, the forerunners of modern museums.
Many of the displays included fabricated dugongs or children with sirenomelia (“mermaid syndrome”), a rare genetic disorder. The popularity of the “Fiji mermaids” notion may be attributed to the efforts of Phineas Taylor Barnum, whose display has been replicated several times by various hoaxers, notably in the collection of the renowned Robert Ripley.
What Was a Fiji Mermaid?
(Wellcome Collection, cc by 4.0)
Until the 17th century, people believed in a world where mysterious creatures lived in the sea. While mermaids were once thought to be real, they were now recognized as mythical. Nevertheless, reports of living or dead mermaids persisted even in the 19th century. The Fiji mermaid, popularized by P.T. Barnum, was a notable example that inspired many imitations.
The discovery of the Fiji mermaid in 1840 brought it to widespread attention. The Fiji mermaid looked nothing like the lovely sea creatures represented in stories; instead, she had a monkey’s upper body and a fish’s tail. The 1840 specimen was just 20.7 inches in length, 8.3 inches in height, and 8.3 inches in breadth, yet it had an uncanny face and a peculiar look. The top 60 percent of this specimen was made up of a small monkey, while the bottom 40 percent was made up of a fish.
Fiji mermaid, or Feejee mermaid. Colored lithograph by E. Purcell, 1822.
In 1842, Phineas Taylor Barnum brought the first Fiji mermaid to New York City to display at his museum. Many people who came to the museum were interested in this enigmatic and terrifying beast. The museum’s revenue greatly exceeded the previous month, with sales of $12,341 compared to $1,272.
Several additional mermaids from Fiji were shown in museums around the United States in the years that followed. The existence of mermaids gained credibility as the Fiji mermaid was showcased in Barnum’s exhibition for years. Although various Fiji mermaid replicas surfaced at Barnum’s exhibit in the early 1860s, the original specimen was lost forever after a devastating fire.
At this time, the Fiji Mermaid was a catchall term for several touring displays of oddities and street performances. The inclusion of “Fiji” in the name was a nod to P. T. Barnum, who propagated the story that these animals had been discovered off the coast of Fiji, an island country that was mostly unknown to the general populace of the United States and Europe in the middle of the 19th century.
When Barnum’s Museum was burned down in 1865, it took with it the original duplicate that had toured the United States. An alleged second (or original) copy was purchased by Harvard University’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology and is kept in the museum’s attic.
A replica in the Barnum Museum. (James Spurrier, cc by-sa 2.0, enhanced)
History of the Fiji Mermaid
The legend of the Fiji mermaid in the United States originated in mid-July of 1842, when a British man called J. Griffin arrived in New York City. Griffin said that the mermaid he was carrying was 100% real, saying that a Japanese fisherman had captured her near the Fiji Islands in the South Pacific. Journalists heard about J. Griffin and the strange creature and rushed to the hotel where she was staying to see the mermaid as soon as the rumor spread.
Griffin’s portrayal of the Fiji mermaid fooled the reporters into thinking the creature indeed existed. In an effort to convince Griffin to display the Fiji mermaid in his museum, P.T. Barnum paid a visit to the editorial offices of major New York newspapers.
- See also: Alyoshenka: An Alien-Like Being Amidst Russian Desolation
A Sensational Specimen
Boston Museum, 1857.
After then, newspapers began publishing mermaid woodcuts as well. With Barnum’s help, Griffin’s Fiji mermaid became the talk of the town as he handed out ten thousand brochures in New York depicting the creature.
Griffin eventually consented to having the Fiji mermaid shown in New York’s Concert Hall on Broadway. Visitors flocked to see the display for the whole week. Griffin then planned a month-long show at Barnum’s American Museum in New York City. Griffin not only displayed artifacts related to the Fiji mermaid but also offered talks to the public. Griffin’s creation was not appealing in the least to the curious onlookers, who saw an atrocity of a monkey and fish combined in a dried body instead of a beautiful, topless sea-lady as advertised.
The mysterious mermaid became a sensation.
The Fiji mermaid was originally mentioned in the British tabloid The Mirror. In 1842, Moses Kimball, the manager of the Boston Museum in the United States, purchased the mermaid from the son of Captain Edes, who had inherited the mermaid after his father’s death. Kimball then presented the Fiji mermaid to P.T. Barnum in New York City.
Barnum and Kimball had the mermaid examined by a naturalist before bringing her to the public. The naturalist looked at the mermaid’s teeth and fins and still didn’t believe in the existence of the creature. Barnum still leased the monster from Kimball for $12.50 a week because he thought it would bring a lot of people to his exhibit.
A Weather Report in Disguise
Barnum then proceeded to send a series of anonymous letters to prominent New York newspapers in which he made weather-related observations and also referenced a mermaid owned by a British man signed “J. Griffin.” Griffin then made a hotel reservation in Philadelphia. He eventually let the hotel owner see the Fiji mermaid after being there for a few days.
The public’s interest in the Fiji mermaid kept growing from there. The plan called for Griffin to go to New York and display the mermaid at Concert Hall as expected. The Fiji mermaid went on a cross-country tour after her debut at Barnum’s American Museum. After making its way to London in 1859, the Fiji mermaid made her way back to the United States and was shown at Kimball’s Boston Museum.
Origin of This Whole Hoax
Takeshi Yamada holding his Fiji mermaid at the Carnivorous Nights taxidermy contest at Union Hall in Brooklyn. (Istolethetv, cc by-sa 2.0)
Scientists of the time were baffled by the occurrence of the mermaid since they couldn’t make sense of the event. Many started to hypothesize that, just as humans descended from apes, so did the inhabitants of the ocean. Changes in the environment and the topography of the Earth had caused the extinction of the fish people, of whom Fiji was allegedly the progenitor.
However, not everyone fell for this hoax. After all, it appeared that two animals were skillfully sewn together and later covered in papier-mache to produce this fake animal and cash in on people’s curiosity. According to some theories, it was the Japanese fishermen who were responsible for creating the Fiji mermaid using their centuries-old artistic techniques.
The Plot
Dr. Griffin (actual name: Levi Lyman) was a trusted subordinate of Barnum’s. The “mermaid” was supposedly bought by American captain Samuel Barrett Edes from Japanese seamen in 1822 for $6,000. This same year, according to Edes, this beast was on display in London, England. The fire at Barnum’s exhibit in 1865 is blamed for the loss of the Fiji mermaid. The Fiji mermaid may have also made it, and some people actually think it ended up at Harvard’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. It is unclear, however, whether or not the mermaid on display in this museum is the authentic Fiji mermaid from Barnum and Bailey.
Not Made of a Monkey
A specimen display in Hot Springs, Arkansas. (Dbhewitt63, cc by-sa 3.0, restored).
By the end of 2011, a research team had determined that the Fiji mermaid was indeed a fraud but not a monkey. The scientists employed modern equipment to do painstaking structural analyses of these monkey-fishes. The monkey-fish mummy on display at London’s Horniman Museum was shown to be composed of paper, leaves, iron wire, clay, fish bones, and chicken feet thanks to X-ray technology.
Nothing that may have come from a monkey was found. The Fiji mermaid was originally designed as a fortunate charm for fishermen on lengthy sea trips, but due to its surprising popularity, many people began to believe in the reality of mermaids.
Where Is It Today?
A specimen from the 19th century, donated to the Civic Museum of Modena. (Renaud Bernadet, cc by-sa 3.0, cropped)
Even today, there remains debate regarding whether or not the Fiji mermaid perished in the fire at Barnum’s American Museum in 1865. Despite many claims to possession of the genuine specimen, the Peabody Museum at Harvard University has the strongest case. It’s not an exact duplicate, but it has the same bare teeth and flat nose. Since the mermaid no longer looks precisely like it did when it was in Barnum’s hands, experts believe that the fire was to blame.
A specimen from the 19th century, donated to the Civic Museum of Modena. (Renaud Bernadet, cc by-sa 3.0, cropped)
Fiji Mermaid in Popular Culture
- The Fiji Mermaid is depicted on the cover and is referenced in the song “Megalodon” from Mastodon’s second album, Leviathan.
- The episode “Humbug” of the 1990s TV show The X-Files speculates that a Fiji mermaid may have been responsible for a string of killings.
- In the episode “The Secret Serum” from 2010’s Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, Fiji Mermaid is shown as an exhibit in Darrow University Museum of Oddities.
- At the film’s conclusion in 2019, the mermaid Fiji makes an appearance in Missing Link.
- The Mermaid, published in 2018, is the story of P. T. Barnum and the mermaid of Fiji, by Christina Henry.
- The mockumentary Mermaids: The New Evidence is a sequel to the 2003 film Mermaids: The Body Found which focuses on the mermaids of Fiji.
- MewithoutYou, an indie rock band, released the song “Fiji Mermaid” in 2012 on their fifth studio album, titled Ten Stories.
- Rainn Wilson’s character, Bill Hudley, is murdered in Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses, and his body is transformed into a Fiji mermaid using the art of taxidermy.
- Puss in Boots’s episode “Mermaid” features the rescue of a mermaid called Fiji, who has a horrible appearance and dangerous fangs.
- First seen in the episode “Tourist Trapped” from 2012’s Gravity Falls, Mermaid Fiji is one of the curiosities shown at the Mystery Shack. Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back The Falls, the concluding episode in the series, has a different adaptation.
September 27, 2023
Jenny Haniver: A Bizarre Creature Crafted by Sailors
- Jenny Haniver, disguised skate specimens, were sold as sea monster “corpses” by sailors.
- The name likely originated from French.
- Historically, fake sea creatures like Jenny Haniver were sold as exotic oddities.
Dried marine life specimens known as “Jenny Haniver” were traded between European sailors and collectors, sometimes under the guise of the “corpse of an unidentified creature captured at sea.” In reality, it is a dried specimen of a skatefish that has undergone extensive processing to make it seem like a monster or extraterrestrial.
Origin of the Name
The origin and meaning of the name are not known. The most accepted hypothesis is that it is an anglicization of some French words. According to this, “Jenny Haniver” was once called “jeune d’Anvers” in French, which means “young from Antwerp,” and was renamed “Jenny Haniver” by English seamen with Cockney accents. It appears that the pioneers in the production of these fakes for resale as “mermaid corpses” were the British fishermen of Antwerp.
Another theory is the combination of the names “Genoa” and “Antwerp”.
(Photo: Malcolm Lidbury, cc by-sa 3.0, enhanced)
History of the Jenny Haniver
A Jenny Haniver was a fake monster created by cutting, folding, and otherwise disfiguring mostly the corpse of a guitarfish (the general name for the family of animals Rhinobatidae) or a thornback ray to make it seem like a demonic or angelic humanoid.
Skates like the guitarfish and angelshark were processed by sailors at Antwerp shipyards to make these “unidentified creatures.” They cut off features like wings and tails to make the animals seem more like demons, miniature dragons, or angels.
The specimens were dried and varnished, making it impossible to determine their genuine nature. These finished “unidentified creature specimens” were sold by sailors to tourists as a source of extra revenue. Legendary creatures such as Basilisks and Sea Monks were frequently used to describe these instances.
It is an Old Tradition
(Photo: Malcolm Lidbury, cc by-sa 3.0, enhanced)
Altering the physical appearance of animals of different races in order to create forgeries is an old tradition. In Volume 4 of his “Historia Animalium,” Swiss physician and naturalist Konrad Gesner offers one of the first accounts of Jenny Haniver in 1558. “Skates in disguise”, not some mythical creatures, were the focus of his explanation.
According to Gesner, the hoax was widespread. In the markets of Zürich (Switzerland), they were sometimes passed off as basilisks. Many Jenny Hanivers were made in Belgium, France, and Italy. Many have been found in Milan, Venice, and Verona, and they were made especially in the 16th century with Mediterranean fish.
The goal was generally to fool people into buying the body under false pretenses, such as a newborn dragon, basilisk, alien corpse, or other cryptozoological rarities. However, Jenny Haniver is also commonly cited as a potential explanation for the Sea Monk (or Monkfish) that washed up on a Danish beach in 1546 and other enigmatic sea animals documented in history.
Ulisse Aldrovandi, in his De piscibus libri V, et De cetis lib. unus (published posthumously in 1613), describes “a dragon made from a ray.”
A Jenny Haniver as a dragon, made of thornback ray. 17th-18th centuries, length 26 inches. (Zde, cc by-sa 4.0, cropped)
Jenny Haniver Today
Their modern samples are now used in biological research. A Jenny Haniver, coming in at a hefty 21 inches (54 cm) in length and 11.5 inches (29 cm) across, may be seen at London’s Natural History Museum. Aquariums may occasionally include such creatures for viewing. There is a wide spectrum of reactions to them, from “scary” to “cute,” and strange products like keychains have been made using their likeness.
It Still Fools People
The curanderos (the native healers of Latin America) in Veracruz, Mexico, still use Jenny Hanivers because they believe the animals possess mystical properties. They are used in voodoo ceremonies. In fact, the mummified copies are sold to tourists from the region. But the fishermen who sell them do not hide that they are carcasses of stingrays, cut by knife soon after being caught, and later left to dry in the sun.
(Lovej, cc by-sa 3.0)
Interestingly, Jenny Hanivers have been mass-produced and falsely marketed as strange beings even today. In 1971, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, a teacher of physical education who was fascinated by paranormal phenomena claimed to have caught a strange fish that could emerge from the water, breathe, and stand up like a person. This anthropomorphic beast was even given a special name. The teacher supposedly made his discoveries public in a book he released in 1974.
The most recent case of Jenny Haniver getting widespread attention is from Italy in July 2006. “Red as a Martian” was the title of a printed news story published by a local magazine and afterwards by a regional newspaper. The origin of this weird entity was a storage area for leftovers from the refurbishment of a building in Milan.
How They Are Made
A shovelnose guitarfish. (Greg Huma, cc by-sa 3.0, rotated)
Jenny Haniver has been recreated using daily equipment and procedures based on historical precedents. It has been replicated using the following methods:
- Pick a skate species, like the guitarfish, that is flat and simple to dry.
- Scrub the new skate with vinegar and a brush to get rid of any remaining slime.
- Cut away from the back, being careful not to nick the “face,” and avoid the spine.
- Soak it in saltwater until the water is completely absorbed, then stuff absorbent sheets inside its stomach, wrap it up, and dehydrate it in the fridge overnight.
- Put it in a net and dry it in the sun; the net will keep the insects away.
- After it has dried to a certain point, you may cut it to your desired form by manipulating the fins and other components. Skatefish do not have true necks, but by cutting off their gill slits on the left and right, you may give them the appearance of having one.
- To finish drying in the sun, position the “wings,” “limbs,” and “tail” as desired, fastening them with thread or clothespins. Smoke may be used to speed up the drying process or give something an aged look.
The underside of a skatefish. 1879.
Jenny Haniver in the East
While Jenny Haniver is firmly rooted in the Western canon, the practice of passing off dried specimens of monkeys sewn onto fish as Fiji mermaid mummies has been widely documented in Japan. They are kept in temples, and the Temple of Amaterasu in Fujiyoshida, Shizuoka Prefecture, is one location where these mermaid (“ningyo”) mummies can be seen.
People on social media talk about the creepy look of dried skate every day, and there are even smartphone applications for producing these dried specimens.
References
Stefan Ivanovich, cc by sa 3.0, cropped.
The Very Short, Entirely True History of Mermaids – Google Books
Dragons and Basilisks in the Old Natural History Books and in Modern Times on JSTOR
September 27, 2023
Atacama Skeleton: The Story of a Strange Body in Chile
The Atacama Skeleton was found in the Atacama Desert of Chile in 2003. The local people refer to him as the humanoid of Atacama, or just Ata. Its skull is shaped like “extraterrestrial” imagery, and it is only 6 inches in length (15 cm). It was conclusively determined to be human by genetic testing conducted at Stanford University at the year’s conclusion in 2012. Genomic testing performed in 2018 confirmed that the mummy belonged to a stillborn or preterm female infant, affected by abnormalities and early skeletal development.
This is similar to the case of Alyoshenka, an alien-like being amidst Russian desolation.
Finding of the Atacama Skeleton
Local Chilean newspaper La Estrella de Arica reported that on October 19, 2003, a man called Oscar Muñoz discovered the Atacama Skeleton while digging for artifacts in the desert village of La Noria in the Atacama region, a ghost town near Iquique, Chile.
About six inches in length, Muñoz found “a strange skeleton the size of a pen” outside an abandoned chapel. It was wrapped in white fabric and tied with a purple ribbon. It was a toothy beast with a peculiar bump on top of its dome-shaped skull—a sign of a cloverleaf skull symptom.
Its skin was black and scaly. She was built differently than the average person, with just 10 sets of ribs instead of 12. The Atacama Desert is one of the world’s driest places to visit, along with the Antarctic Plateau. The quantity of salt in it is excessive. It’s possible that this is what made mummification and subsequent preservation possible for the Atacama Skeleton.
Muñoz presented the skeleton to a colleague of his named Alejandro Davalos, who took the first photograph of it. Ufology group AION received the images taken by Davalos. After returning to Iquique a few days later, Muñoz sold the skeleton to a businessman, who is a long-time customer of his, for the low, low price of 30,000 Chilean pesos (about $60 USD).
The northern agent for AION, Mario Pizarro, claimed that the Atacama Skeleton may be resold for 80 million Chilean pesos ($160,000). Meanwhile, the skeleton’s new owner wants 500,000 Chilean pesos ($550) for one picture and 750,000 ($850) for two.
Identifying the Atacama Skeleton
The case quickly gained attention on Chilean television. The Chilevisión channel, which conducted extensive research into the Atacama Skeleton, traveled to the area with a group of ufologists and paranormal investigators.
The idea that this “thing” could be an alien was completely off the table for some investigators. For instance, a marine biologist from a Chilean university already confirmed the thing to be an aborted human pregnancy, solely by examining the images of the creature.
The American immunologist Garry P. Nolan published a data set in March 2018 that suggested the person also had mutations in genes related to dwarfism, scoliosis, and musculoskeletal anomalies in addition to an uncommon bone aging condition.
There have never been reports of detecting so many mutations that especially impair skeletal development, yet researchers have found 64 unique mutations in 7 genes relevant to the skeletal system. The Atacama Skeleton’s ancestry was even traced back to the Chilean island of Chiloé.
Examining the Atacama Skeleton
The Atacama Skeleton was allegedly determined to be a fetus in an x-ray scan conducted by Doctor Pilar Manchón of a radiology center in Barcelona. Since this radiologist has never verified these claims or published them, they are still unsubstantiated.
The University of the Basque Country conducted research on the object, and their findings indicated that it was really a mummified fetus. Prof. of forensic medicine at the University of the Basque Country, Dr. Francisco Paco Etxeberria worked with an anthropology expert from the University of Madrid.
Overall, the proportions of the anatomical structure, the degree of development of each bone, and its macroscopic arrangement led the experts to believe that the Atacama Skeleton is a mummified human fetus of about fifteen weeks of age.
The existence of the Ata life form in the Atacama Desert was disclosed in a documentary based on the research of American ufologist Steven M. Greer on April 22, 2013. UFOs were the focus of this documentary.
Dr. Steven Greer leads a “disclosure” campaign whose goal is to force the American government to disclose all of its findings on alien life. Ata was the focal point of this film. He calls it the Disclosure Project.
The picture of the “alien” has been all over the front pages of the media ever since the trailers for the documentary were released online. However, many believers in the paranormal were let down by the documentary since the results of the scientific analyses ran counter to what ufologists had hoped to find: the Atacama Skeleton’s DNA was absolutely human.
The analyses seen in the video were conducted in the autumn of 2012 by Garry Nolan, the head of the stem cell department at the Stanford University School of Medicine in California. He estimated that the Atacama Skeleton died at the turn of the last century.
Exams using an X-ray scanner were performed in Barcelona, Spain, at the end of September 2012. After that, DNA samples were taken for analysis at Stanford. The quality of the DNA samples acquired by dissecting the tips of the two front ribs on the right side of the skeleton was high. Chest organs, lungs, and what looks to be heart tissue could all be seen in the image. The specimen was unquestionably genuine; it was definitely not a scam or fakery.
Sequences found through DNA analysis of the Atacama Skeleton are more closely related to humans than to chimpanzees, confirming the organism’s human identity. Since Ata carries the B2 haplotype, which is prevalent among the indigenous people of this part of Chile, Nolan was able to infer that her mother may have been an indigenous Chilean thanks to mitochondria—DNA transmitted only from the mother.
The Features of Ata
Results from Gary Nolan’s analyses originally cast doubt on the existence of a fetus. When she passed away, the Atacama Skeleton would have been between the ages of six and eight. She would have been able to take in oxygen, digest food, and use energy like every human.
Nolan concluded that Ata was either suffering from a rare form of dwarfism and that her supposed age at death was indeed that of a child, or that she died during her mother’s pregnancy or shortly after a premature birth due to a disease causing her to age prematurely, namely progeria.
This theory is based on the analyses and findings of Ralph Lachman, co-founder and co-director of the Skeletal Dysplasia Registry at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
- See also: Bao Xishun: An Extremely Tall Man Without Gigantism
Swedish journalist Florencia Rovira Torres interviewed Gary Nolan three weeks after the program aired. The data shown in the research had contradicted what was presented in the documentary.
The documentary’s creators had really requested that Nolan provide evidence supporting the theory that the creature was alien. The rest of the analyses also weren’t finished during principal filming. Nolan claimed that he decided to appear in the documentary since he had a strong belief in UFOs. He had also valued the efforts of producers who supported his ongoing study.
The DNA sample was collected from Ata’s owner, who lived in Spain. Without an export license, it was illegal to remove the corpse from Spain.
The DNA analysis process is still carried on. They’re still meeting with the same group of 10 individuals from different institutions and businesses all across the globe. However, it is now known for sure that the Atacama Skeleton was indeed human.
Like every human, the examination uncovered a few mutations, but none of them were sufficient to account for the body’s peculiarities. Therefore, her alien-like body shape may have originated from the interplay of many different genes.
Ata’s body age was estimated by analyzing the ratio of cytosine to uracil in its DNA. The greater the proportion of uracil in a DNA sample, the older the sample is. This means that the Atacama Skeleton likely died about 100 years ago.
The Atacama Skeleton is Not That Rare
Deformed Skulls
Skulls of deformed children that seemed “alien-like” were found in a cemetery in Mexico that dates back a thousand years. Scientists who analyzed the skulls came to the conclusion that the distortions were intentional and provided evidence for the widespread use of skull deformation during that period in Central America.
Seventeen of the bodies buried ranged in age from less than five months to more than sixteen years. The high mortality rate among youngsters was attributable to the fact that their brains were crushed by the abnormal shape of their skulls. On the other hand, no outward symptoms of disease were seen in the children.
Atta Boy by Robert Ripley
Neal Thompson published a biography of Robert Ripley called “Curious Man: The Strange and Brilliant Life of Robert “Believe It or Not!” Ripley” on May 7, 2013. This biography explores the fascinating life of Robert Ripley, someone who was drawn to the extraordinary.
Within its pages, there exists a photograph from 1933 portraying Ripley holding a humanoid artifact bearing a resemblance to the Atacama Skeleton, accompanied by an inscription that reads:
ATTA BOY – 6 1/2 inches tall, reduced & mummified human figure, Jivaro — Peru.
Interestingly, the author did not shed light on how Ripley came into possession of this specimen or the creature’s backstory. In Ripley’s eyes, Atta Boy was no extraterrestrial being but rather a bona fide mummified human.
He remained uncertain whether it was a shrunken human, akin to the Jivaro shrunken heads, or perhaps a fetal entity. However, as the years progressed, “Atta Boy” vanished from public view.
Edward Meyer, the vice president of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! exhibition, leans toward the fetal theory, remarking, “I’ve seen genuine shrunken bodies, and Atta is markedly different (…) Personally, I am inclined to believe that Atta Boy is more likely a Bolivian mummy than a shrunken Jivaro body.“
Nonetheless, in the absence of evidence or formal studies, it remains unfeasible to formulate any hypothesis based on a photograph and anecdotal accounts.
Dr. Struve’s Shrunken Corpses
Edward Meyer claims to have seen shrunken corpses in the past. These are the results of the work of Doctor Gustaye Struve, a Peruvian physician who, at the turn of the twentieth century, learned the methods of head reduction from the Jivaros.
To make ends meet during times of widespread malaria and yellow fever, this doctor decided to put these methods to use in the reduction of whole human bodies. Tourists bought the corpses from him, thinking they were Jivaro mummies. From 1920 through 1990, the Museum of Indian Arts in New York was duped into displaying these remains.
While Edward Meyer acknowledged that Dr. Struve’s creations were fascinating, he acknowledged that Ata was not like them since Ata was not a shrunken body.
Shrunken Human Corpses in China
In 1994, journalist Caroline Alexander looked into the phenomenon of shrunken bodies. There were rumors about shrunken corpses in China, but she could never find any evidence of them. In light of the recent “alien reveal” by the Mexican government, the Atacama Skeleton was a worthy topic to look into.
References
Background Pictures: File:Sand Dune by Anna Fiofilova, CC BY 3.0 — File:Volcanic Blasts, Anna Fiofilova, CC BY 3.0.
Professor debunks theories of skeleton’s alien origins (stanforddaily.com)
Origin of ‘six-inch mummy’ confirmed – BBC News
September 14, 2023
Alyoshenka: An Alien-Like Being Amidst Russian Desolation
September 14, 2023
The Black Cat Myth: History and Origin of Their Bad Reputation
Black cats, legendary followers of so-called “witches,” are still stigmatized because of the belief that they bring evil fortune. Their unfavorable reputation has stuck with them so strongly that they are consistently the most abandoned and least accepted cats in shelters. When, therefore, did this superstition begin? Some people still think it’s unlucky to see a black cat, even in modern times. While anecdotal in the modern day, this notion has deep roots in centuries-old superstition, notably during the “witch-hunt” era of the Middle Ages. Let’s investigate where this custom came from and why the black cat continues to fascinate us, for better or worse, especially every Halloween.
A Long and Storied Past
In Ancient Egypt, people tended to avoid black cats. Although black was a color of honor and prestige in Egyptian culture, it was also connected with death and grief. For this reason, people often saw black cats as unlucky omens.
After Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, the once-pious cat fell out of favor and was seen as a symbol of wickedness. In later times, particularly the Middle Ages, the black cat came to be seen as a manifestation of Satan and was linked to all manner of dark arts. Heretical cults sacrificed black cats in their rituals. However, Satanists hold this animal in high regard since they believe it to be an avatar of their leader, Satan.
They believed that their cats shared their magical abilities, and on the nights of sabbats (Witches’ Sabbath), when rituals and sacrifices were performed, a black cat stood in for the devil. Since it was believed that black cats, like witches, could take on the form of animals, they were punished for their association with these pagan rituals, which were seen as a threat to Christianity.
Bunch of Burning and Wall Building
Black cats have had a negative popular perception since at least the Middle Ages. There was a rise in suspicion that witchcraft was involved in the deaths of many people during the 14th and 17th centuries. The Europeans were duped into believing that witches rode their cats to the Sabbath. And on the Sabbath, Satan himself appeared—in the form of a cat.
Yes, these creatures were a welcome addition to the homes of the “witches,” who were mostly elderly people who lived alone. However, their fame was secured. The legend spread across Europe that on the night before St. John’s Day (June 24), cats left urban areas to join witches. They used them to hatch plots of epic proportions to wage war on humanity using every manner of evil.
Even when “witches” plotted evil against humanity, they nonetheless suffered maltreatment at the hands of those people. Many innocent women were burned alive or thrown into rivers during the witch trials. There was a tradition of burning black cats in a sack on St. John’s Day. To keep the devil out, some people even built walls around their homes.
A Papal Decree in 1233, Vox in Rama
The devil appears in the form of a cat to St. Dominic of Calerueja. Image: Europeana.
Black cats are just as good-natured as any other kind of cat. There is no correlation between a cat’s coat color and its temperament. Nonetheless, the black cat carries heavy mythology. The black cat is the subject of several urban legends throughout Europe, with many people mistakenly believing it to be a bad omen. Where does this illogic originate, then?
According to historical records, it was Pope Gregory IX in 1233 who was responsible for associating black cats with evil in Europe. In June 1233, the Pope published a papal bull called Vox in Rama, which was directed at King Henry III. It was the first canonical document to confirm that heretics had engaged in covert demonic rituals with the assistance of the Devil.
According to the Pope, the black cat was highly revered by the cult of Evil. So, in 1233, he denounced the black cat as diabolical.
The Church’s stance on black cats, as conveyed via Sunday sermons and discussions, is sufficient for its widespread assimilation; and the information in the Vox in Rama of Gregory IX is not even required. It’s no coincidence that the introduction of Christian heresies and other paganisms went hand in hand with the stigmatization of black cats.
Death Was Symbolized by Black Cats
Black cats are considered a symbol of death in many different cultures throughout the world and have long been linked to witchcraft and demonic rituals. There are several tales around this topic, including one about Gaufrid, the inquisitor of Carcassonne, who was supposedly discovered dead with two black cats by his side.
There is also “The Tooth of the Cat.” This fable is a Savoyan folktale. In it, a fisherman recounts the day he accidentally reeled in a black cat. In an effort to rid the house of mice, he brought a cat home, but instead of killing the rodents, the cat ended up killing everyone in the house.
Authors like Edgar Allan Poe, who authored the bizarre tale “The Black Cat,” have found inspiration in these beliefs. The black cat is the “devil” that gnaws at the narrator, a metaphor for perversity and lunacy in this narrative.
In Japan, “The Vampire Cat” recounts how a young lady whose hand was pledged to the son of the Emperor is said to have had her throat cut by a large black cat while she slept.
And last, sailors‘ myths say that if you toss a black cat overboard, bad weather will follow.
Other Traditions About Black Cats
Bombay cat. Image: Wikimedia.
Some optimistic tales exist too, despite the above gloomy depiction of the black cat. As one example, the Breton people believe that if you find white hair on a black cat, you will be blessed with good fortune. Although its testicles were utilized in medieval pharmacopeia, the animal was still widely reviled at the time. The elixirs made from the black cat’s testicles were said to make the pain go away or drive away demons.
It would seem that the black cat’s superstitions are even more outlandish and inconsistent than the others. The most bizarre aspect of this story is an African belief. The Bantu people actually believe that cats of any color are witches.
However, in Europe, the traditions surrounding the black cat’s supposedly malevolent nature persisted for so long that it wasn’t until the 19th century that the cat was widely accepted in domestic settings again. Since then, there has been a surge of interest in the breed, with some breeders specializing in all-black cat varieties like the Bombay, which is much sought after for its resemblance to a miniaturized black panther.
In Popular Culture
These superstitions seem ridiculous and harsh to modern eyes, yet we must acknowledge that the link between black cats and witches is a fiction that has been widely propagated in both literary and popular culture (and still is). Numerous fictional witches are shown in the media carrying black cats. Professor McGonagall was transformed into a cat in the Harry Potter movies. It’s not uncommon to see black cats around Halloween time as well.
November 11, 2022