Cryptic Curiosities: Hand of Glory

Open, lock, 

To the Dead Man's knock! 

Fly, bolt, and bar, and band! 

Nor move, nor swerve, 

Joint, muscle, or nerve, 

At the spell of the Dead Man's hand! 

Sleep, all who sleep! -- Wake, all who wake! 

But be as the dead for the Dead Man's sake!

Now lock, nor bolt, nor bar avails, 

Nor stout oak panel thick-studded with nails. 

Heavy and harsh the hinges creak, 

Though they had been oil'd in the course of the week. 

The door opens wide as wide may be, 

And there they stand, 

That murderous band, 

Lit by the light of the Glorious Hand, 

By one! -- by two! -- by three!

- Tom Ingoldsby

Lock-pick, crowbar, lantern...  There are many tools of the trade a common thief might select for their work.  However, if the burglar were to have a background in black magic, a very unusual and gruesome addition might be included as part of their arsenal:  The Hand of Glory.

A Hand of Glory was the severed hand of a murderer who had been hanged.  Depending on which source you consult, the hand could be the left or right, but many agree that it was best to get the one that had "done the deed."   Specially prepared through an meticulously involved process of thoroughly draining the blood, drying, and finally pickling, the hand was then made into a candle using the body fat of the same hanged man, wax, and some special herbs.

Woodcut by Karel Němec

This begs the question:  Why would a thief go through all of this trouble?  When lit as a candle, the Hand of Glory was said to possess magical abilities a burglar would find most useful, such as unlocking doors and immobilizing any living soul within a household.  Additionally, the wielder of a Hand of Glory was the only one able to see the light it cast, allowing them to move undetectable as long as the candle remained lit.

It is interesting to note that, some legends state that only one finger of a Hand of Glory needed to be lit, while others contend that a robber needed to be aware of the number of individuals dwelling in a house beforehand - no pun intended - and light the corresponding number of digits accordingly (It is unclear what would needed to be done if the count of occupants was to exceed five...).

Artwork by James Deeb

Numerous German, Polish and Netherlandish legends from the 1500's and well into the 1800's describe the creation and use of such objects.  Depending on the story, a hand itself may not even be necessary; Some stories report that a foot or a mere digit such as a thumb or toe work just as well!  Even worse, however, other legends assert that parts of unborn children could be used instead.

Thankfully, if you fear that a robber might use a Hand of Glory against you, it is said that there are counter-spells that could offer some degree of protection.  If you are somehow able to avoid being enchanted to begin with and know the proper charm, you can turn the table on any would-be thieves by extinguishing their candle, thereby paralyzing the hand's possessor instead!

*  The top image is supposedly an actual Hand of Glory...

Cryptic Curiosities: Topsy

Standing about 10 feet tall and weighing around six tons, Topsy was an elephant with a nasty reputation.  The female Asian elephant was known for being a man-killer.  Amazingly, this was a major draw for the public, ever seeking a thrill.  While reports alleged that Topsy was a beast responsible for as many as 12 murders, these were likely exaggerated to further entice crowds.

Topsy was smuggled into the United States in 1875 to perform in the Forepaugh Circus, the captive elephant endured poor living conditions and regular harassment.  Topsy lashed out at her trainers on, but a few occasions, resulting in injuries.  But in 1902, a drunk taunted Topsy, throwing sand in her eyes and touching a lit cigar to her trunk.  The enraged animal flung the man to the ground and crushed him to death.  A few months later a spectator tried to tickle Topsy behind the ear, startling her.  The elephant lifted the man into the air and slammed him into the ground.

Following this latest "attack" the owners decided to sell Topsy and the elephant ended up at an attraction on Coney Island in New York.  Her constantly drunk trainer once stabbed her with a pitchfork and later intentionally setting Topsy loose to run the streets.  The event that proved to be the last straw for city officials involved the same drunken trainer actually riding Topsy, goading her to ram into a police station.

While the trainer was merely fired from his position, Topsy was given a death sentence.  It was not uncommon in those days for circuses and other attractions to publicly execute elephants, charging admission to the "spectacle".  Other elephants had been put to death by hanging via a large construction crane, while others were simply shot or poisoned.  Due to protests by early animal rights activists, however, the owners finally decided that Topsy would be electrocuted to death. 

On a cold January morning in 1903, Topsy was fitted with large copper sandals by engineers from Edison Electric Light Company.  The elephant, perhaps sensing what was about to happen, refused to be led to the intended execution site even with the enticement of food.  Wires which would soon carry some 6,000 volts through the copper fittings on Topsy's feet had to be brought to the spot where she firmly stood.  

After about 10 seconds, the elephant which had in life faced so much cruelty at the hands of men finally  collapsed and died.  Witnesses say that the elephant didn't even make a sound.

Apparently, the ghost of Topsy still wanders Coney Island...

Note:  I wrote this post some time ago, but it depressed me so that I couldn't bring myself to publish it...

Cryptic Curiosities: The Feejee Mermaid

For centuries sailors have told tales of amazing creatures they had seen on their nautical journeys.  One fabled creature that has been reported time and time again through the ages is the mysterious and alluring mermaid.  Whether they be friendly, curious entities described Hans Christian Anderson or beguiling, malevolent sirens that lure sailors to their doom, mermaids remain a source of undying fascination.

From 1842 through sometime in the 1860's the famous showman P.T. Barnum advertised an exhibit claiming to showcase a peculiar specimen called a "Feejee Mermaid".  That's right, for the fee of "only 50 cents" anyone could come and see for themselves a real-life mermaid!  However, the illustration on the poster was more than a little misleading...

Half humanoid and half fish, the creature on display was was not what they exactly what the crowds expected.  Some people were aghast.  The small, withered form of the "mermaid" was mummy-like in appearance.  What was this thing?  Where did it come from?

Supposedly, the specimen belonged to a man who had obtained it for a sum of $6500 from a group of Japanese fisherman in the 1820's.  After passing through the ownership of various collectors, the creature finally ended up being a part of Barnum's show.  As previously mentioned, Barnum attempted to pass off the mermaid as authentic, but the thing was actually a crudely crafted fake.

The mermaid was actually remains of a monkey combined with the tail of a medium-sized fish.  The effect was completed with hair from other animals and faux scales that were glued to the body.  Apparently the creation of mermaids such as Barnum's was a thousand-year-old tradition among Japanese taxidermists showing off their skills.

While many people coming to see Barnum's Feejee Mermaid were not fooled by the thing, it became something of a sensation and - in some places - a source of controversy.  The Feejee Mermaid remained a part of Barnum's show until 1865 when it was apparently destroyed in a fire that broke out in his museum.

Inspired by Barnum's original specimen and its success at drawing curious (and more importantly: paying) crowds,  countless imitators have since made their own versions for years.  No self-respecting sideshow would be complete without at least one Feejee Mermaid in their collection!

Cryptic Curiosities: The Red Ghost

For about a decade back in the late 1800's, settlers in American Southwest had reported numerous sightings of a phantom creature they called the "Red Ghost":  A spectral beast of burden bearing a ghastly rider upon its back.

In 1893 a farmer in Arizona spotted a large animal on the horizon, at the edge of his property.  Suspecting the beast to be a predator of some kind, he shot and killed it.  He was shocked to discover that the dead creature was a camel.  The animal wore a saddle with mysterious rope binding attached to it.  The farmer had found the Red Ghost!

Oddly enough, this and other strange tales of the Red Ghost apparently owe more to fact than fiction.  

In 1843 the U.S. Army Quartermaster was faced with the challenge of providing supplies and mail to remote western outputs.  Unfortunately, pack mules and horses were not up to the task with the heat and harsh terrain of the desert proving to be too much for them.  Eventually, a unique solution was proposed:  Camels!

Thus, the U.S. Camel Corp was born. The camels were ideally suited for the task being already acclimated to the conditions of the desert and were able to carry riders and supplies with little difficulty.  The program was successful and operational until around 1866 when the Transcontinental Railroad rendered it obsolete.  The camels used in the corps ended up being sold to circuses and private owners, but some managed to escape into the wilderness, which might explain the presence of a camel in the Arizona desert, but what of the Red Ghost's legendary rider?

This is where some speculation comes in:  The story goes that a young solider within in the corps who was fearful of camels slipped up somewhere along the way, and landed in some trouble.  In a cruel form of discipline, the man was bound to a camel to teach him a lesson.  Unfortunately, before he could be set free, the camel escaped into the desert, taking the man along for the ride.  It is supposed that the unwilling passenger, unable to free himself, died on the camel's back. If this is true, the rider could conceivably had rode on the animal's back for years, slowly decomposing until the point it fell off.

Cryptic Curiosities: "Ring Around the Rosie"

It's likely that you are familiar with the nursery rhyme and children's game "Ring Around the Rosie" which conjures whimsical, idyllic imagery of children dancing in a merry circle. However, it is less likely that you are familiar with the song's macabre implications...

Ring-around the rosie,

A pocket full of posies

Ashes! Ashes!

We all fall down.

Many have noticed a connection between the songs lyrics and symptoms of a plague. The "Ring around the rosie" is reported to allude to red rash found all over a victim's body.  "A pocket full of posies" was a method used in an attempt to stave the prevalent, overpowering smell of disease and death.  "Ashes, ashes" indicates the cremation of the bodies of the dead, claimed by the plague.  "We all fall down" ominously suggests the inevitability of death.

While the lyrics match up to historical accounts of the Bubonic Plague of the 1330's called the Black Death and England's Great Plague of 1665, the similarities are apparently nothing more than coincidental according to folklorist and historians.  The song was published in an 1881 edition of Mother Goose, which is far removed from both outbreaks.  However, you probably won't think of this nursery rhyme the same way ever again, will you?

The photography at the top of this post is the work of Tom Chambers.

Note:  As one of my two readers, you might have noticed that this and a few other posts in this vein were previously titled "Freaky Factoids", but I changed the name to "Cryptic Curiosities".  Turns out that "factoid" refers to a fact that is untrue, not a "bite-sized" tidbit of trivia as I had always assumed.  I couldn't live with myself after I found out, so I came up with a new title...  Plus, I can never pass up an excuse to apply my aptitude for awe-inspiring alliteration!

Cryptic Curiosities: Pepper's Ghost

During the Victorian Era, many were fascinated with afterlife, ghosts, and communicating with spirits.  Thus, spiritualism was a major near-religion for people during this time in history.  Psychic readings, séances, spirit photography, and other curiosities sought to appease the public's hunger for the supernatural.  Additionally, the "Ghost Show" was born.

The Ghost Show allowed audience members to witness the appearance of spirits in the comfort of the theater.  However, the conjuring of these ghosts was actually a clever illusion devised by the creator of the Ghost Show, John Henry Pepper. Unlike many "ghost-makers" during this time, Pepper never attempted to pass off his ghosts as anything more than illusion and did not seek to take advantage of his audience, but to entertain and even educate.

Pepper, a professor of chemistry, developed the illusion by taking advantage of successive reflections (the same kind of reflections you might notice in the glass as you ride in a car at night).  The trick worked in this way:  A projectionist below the stage shined an intense beam of light on an actor portraying a ghost.  A large sheet of glass tilted at a 45 degree angle toward the audience reflected the image of the actor below to give the audience the illusion of a semi-transparent "ghost" on stage.  Through careful coordination and stage direction, actors were able to interact with the fabricated phantoms.

A similar technique is occasionally used even to this day to create 3-dimensional holograms.

Cryptic Curiosities: The Bateson Revival Device

What is the Bateson Revival Device you might ask?  Besides being an awesome name for your psychedelic prog rock band, the Bateson Revival Device was one inventor's answer to 17th and 18th century fears of premature burial.

This was actually a legitimate fear back in those days.  Doctors were not as skilled at discerning the difference between someone who was dead or merely unconscious.  Due to the lack of preservation chemicals used in modern funeral homes, burial was often a quick affair in order to stave off the smell and general uncleanness of decaying flesh.  It was not completely unheard of for someone to wake up from unconscious or comatose states in the process of being buried or after burial had already taken place!

Enter John Bateson, an inventor who was (understandably) paranoid about this particular predicament.  Thus, the Bateson Revival was created.  The device consisted of a small bell attached to the lid of a coffin that was connected to a cord which would be fitted onto the hand of the deceased (or not).

The device was meant to work in such a way that if one was to wake up to find themselves buried alive, they could ring the bell until someone was able to come and rescue them.  I'm aware of no account in which the device was actually used. However, many people had the same paranoia as Bateson...  And so he became a very rich man.