An Examination of Zombies in Popular Culture

With tomorrow night bringing our town's annual Zombie Walk festivities, the undead have been preying on my mind (not literally, thankfully), so I thought I would share a post on zombies that has been in the works for quite some time.

The zombie is unique among the various supernatural creatures that are presented within popular culture.

Many of our monsters have roots in literature, owing much of their origin to classic works.  For example, many of what we consider to be the essential traits contributing to our idea of what exactly defines a vampire is owed to Bram Stoker's novel Dracula.

The genesis of the zombie, however, is rooted actual tradition and folklore, only later to be further molded by popular fiction and movies until morphing into the modern incarnation we most widely recognize today.

Zombies of Voodoo Tradition

Traditional zombies are the product of Haitian Voodoo rites.  In fact, the term we use today is derived from the Haitian word "zombi" which means "spirit of the dead".

In Voodoo folklore, priests known as Bokor could seemingly kill a targeted individual through the use of a powder derived from the poison of a blowfish.  When ingested, this toxin could apparently slow a victim's heart-rate and breathing to a near standstill.  Their physiology  would be so adversely affected that even their body temperature would drop dramatically.  Thus, the afflicted would be presumed dead and ultimately buried by friends and family.  Later, however, the Bokor would return to the still-living victim's grave site to retrieve them.  The newly "resurrected" zombi would have no memory of their former life and would henceforth live as a mindless servant to the whims of the Bokor.

There are apparently actual accounts of real-life accounts of zombis.  Such accounts have been reported by Western scientists since the 1930's and serious medical studies have investigated and documented the zombi phenomenon even as recently as the 1980's.

In popular culture White Zombie, I Walked with a Zombie and other horror films introduced zombies to a wider audience.  These first films to feature zombies relied heavily on the folklore traditions of voodoo practices, but often took creative liberties.  The Voodoo practitioners or witch doctors in such films controlled their unthinking victims through hypnotism or some form black magic.  These brain-dead drones would carry out nefarious deeds to satisfy their wicked masters.

Some films, such as the zombie movies produced by the British studio Hammer Films, presented the idea that zombies could be the resurrected and reanimated dead.  In Plague of Zombies, for example, rotted corpses burst forth from coffins and erupt from their graves. Thus, future undead incarnations found their influence.

Undead Revenants

Across cultures there are tales of the dead rising again to seek vengeance against those who wronged them in life.  Whether it be ghosts or reanimated corpses, revenants also play an important role in the history of zombies.

A revenant is generally defined as one that has returned from death (or a long absence).  In fantasy fiction, a revanant could be a vengeful spirit or a reanimated creature that was resurrected for the sole purpose of seeking retribution and are primarily supernatural in origin.  Revenants have a long history in folklore and were commonly manifested as ghosts returning to torment those that had wronged or even killed them in their former life.  However, some stories actually featured living corpses rather than phantom spirits.

It was EC Comics (and other comic publishers around the same time) that popularized this form of zombie which would often appear in their warped morality plays in titles such as Tales from the Crypt.  Usually a revenant undead would return after previously being betrayed or murdered by someone they trusted previously in the plot (usually a love triangle affair of some kind).  The revenants in these stories were generally depicted as horribly decayed corpses (regardless of how long they had actually been dead) and they usually dispatched of their intended targets in some grisly, ironic fashion.

  

Creepshow, a horror/comedy anthology film influenced heavily by EC Comics has two segments featuring undead revenants.  In "Father's Day" the murdered patriarch of the family returns in a decomposed form to exact revenge, while in "Something to Tide You Over" two drowned lovers come back to return the favor.  This particular feature, a sentient will and definitive motivation (though limited), sets revenant undead apart from other zombies.  Other features that make this group unique are the capability of speech, possessing superhuman strength that belies their rotting state or sometimes other supernatural powers.

Romero's Zombies

In 1968, George Romero's Night of the Living Dead forever changed the popular perception of zombies.  In this film, zombies were depicted as mindless, reanimated corpses that had only one motivation:  a cannibalistic need to feed on the flesh of the living.  These undead were resurrected by mysterious, ambiguous means.  The film hints that reanimation could be a result of radiation emitted by a recently returned space probe, but Romero contends that there is no explanation aside from "God changed the rules; Hell is full."

While not actually called "zombies" at any point (they're referred to as "ghouls" in the first film), Romero's Living Dead series (Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, and Day of the Dead...  and eventually others) cemented several tropes that we commonly associate with zombies to this day:

1.  Zombies function on the most basic of  instincts.  They have an insatiable craving for living flesh.

2.  A zombie's bite is fatal and contagious.  Victims will die, but then reanimate themselves.  Zombies generally lack memories from their previous life and will therefore attack anyone, including friends and family.

3.  Zombies are generally slow moving and weak due to their decomposing state.  Alone, they pose little threat, but in large groups, they can easily overwhelm their victims.  Zombies never tire and never sleep.  They are relentless in their single-minded need to feed. 

4.  Zombies cannot be stopped by most normal methods.  Since they are undead and feel no pain, dismemberment through bullets and blades generally have little effect.  The only hope is to either incapacitate a zombie by some extreme means, or to simply aim for the head and destroy the brain.

In addition to establishing these rules, the Living Dead series presented an inescapable aesthetic that would accompany most zombie fiction, whether it be in film or any other medium.  The decomposition, of the reanimated, the diet of zombies, and the means needed to dispose of the undead necessitated the use of gore.  Like the slasher genre, this has led to creators endlessly ramping up their attempts to top one another through more realistically/creatively decomposed zombies, scenes of increasingly disgusting zombie feasts, or ridiculous methods of zombie maiming/killing.  Even Romero found himself falling into this sort of competition with himself in later films.

 

Although reportedly inspired by Richard Matheson's book, I Am Legend, the Living Dead series also introduced the apocalyptic scenario of a societal collapse which would come to be inexorably entwined with zombie stories henceforth.  As the dead rise and their ranks subsequently swell, humanity begins to break down.  Survivors typically do not trust one another as bleak desperation and grim inevitability sets in.  Mistrust and paranoia reign and careless mistakes can be fatal errors.  Often, it is not the dead that pose the greatest threat, but the living.

The comic book and the television series The Walking Dead famously focuses just as much on the drama of the interactions between the survivors as it does on their struggle with the undead hordes.  Many would argue that the survival aspect of zombie fiction is just as appealing and fascinating as the horror of facing a reanimated corpse.

Exceptions to the Rules

While Night of the Living Dead established tropes and rules that much of zombie fiction adheres to, there are always exceptions... And they too have had an impact on the ever-evolving concept of the living dead.

Return of the Living Dead is... interesting...  for a variety of reasons (many of which we will not discuss at this time).  Return of the Living Dead is not an official sequel to Night of the Living Dead but interestingly enough does reference Romero's film, stating that it was based on true events (very meta!).  This movie however, eschews the series and bleak tone of the Living Dead series, taking a comedic, slap-stick approach to zombie horror.  Return of the Living Dead is most notable because it featured zombies that could verbalize, thereby giving us another, as yet, unlisted zombie trope:  "Brains!"  That's right, the reason we associate the groaning and moaning of zombies for "Brains!" is thanks to this film and the ever-loving Tar-Man zombie.

Zombies in video games are a natural fit because of the survival horror aspect of the genre.  First- person shooters and role-playing games put players themselves into the fray against undead assailants.  However, to break up the monotony of fighting just one type of zombie, games such as Resident Evil, Red Dead Redemption:  Undead Nightmare, and  Left 4 Dead feature a variety of classes of undead typically unseen in other mediums.   These special types of zombies may vomit acidic bile, possess the ability to rush at survivors in short bursts, or be nearly unstoppable masses with superhuman strength.  

Then there is the most recent incarnation of zombies... the so-called "fast zombie". Films such as 28 Days Later and the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead introduced audiences to a new breed of the undead that was able to achieve a full-on sprint as it stalked its prey (It is worth pointing out that the creatures in 28 Days Later are arguably not zombies, but rather "Infected", it is undeniable that they share much in common with zombies which is why I and others generally lump them together).  While purists will contest that sprinting zombies aren't a realistic (Wait...What?) portrayal or representation of actual (Again...What?) zombies, they are an integral part of history of the undead in pop culture, like it or not.  Personally, I'm not a fan, either, but the rise of the "fast zombie" is an important side note as this type of zombie helped usher in the current resurgence in the popularity of zombies.

Zombie Nation

Speaking of the popularity of the zombie genre, we are living in a unique time in which an appreciation for the undead is unprecedented.  At one point, such a rabid fanbase for such a gruesome subject would have been considered a subversive subculture at best, but thanks to many of the aforementioned films, video games, comic books, and TV shows, zombies in popular culture are as pervasive and inescapable as they are in their fictional universes.  The love for zombies has manifested itself in a variety of ways, including:  Zombie walks in which large crowds of people dress and act like shambling undead, zombie 5K's feature runners taking on the role of survivors and actors portraying zombies engage in a flag-football type competition, and even zombie weddings which see the bride and groom dress as reanimated corpses.  

The Walking Dead television is a phenomenon in and of itself.  I can't tell you how many conventions I've been to where actors from the show (who portrayed either survivors or zombies) are met with huge crowds of fans.  The fanbase ranges from the old to the surprisingly very young and is as devoted as those who might be to a teeny-bopper pop-star

Of course, this rise in popularity has its pitfalls.  The recent surge in demand for all things zombie has flooded the market and, inevitably, overexposure is taking its toll.  Zombie films, comics, and products which used to be quite rare, have increased in quantity, but not in quantity.  It's only a matter of time before the trend dies down...  But, of course, zombies are known for their sudden, unexpected comebacks!

Zombies on the Brain:  The Symbolism of the Undead

Erudite Zombies

It's time to get psychological and philosophical:  The great thing about monsters in general is that they are manifestations of a variety of fears.  Zombies are no exception.  The undead can be interpreted as representations of numerous real-life threats.

Zombies of the voodoo tradition reveal a fear that continues to be pervasive:  The loss of free will and the hopelessness of being enslaved as a mindless drone.  The cannibalistic tendencies of a zombie horde can be likened to rampant consumerism (This, after all, was the point of Romero's Dawn of the Dead being set in a mall) or simply the dangers of mob mentality.  The unpopular "fast zombie" is generally associated with rapid pandemic outbreaks of viral diseases (In fact, a group of scientists actually used the concept of a zombie apocalypse to help explain and understand how viruses spread within populations).

Of course, the classic lurching zombie serves as a stand-in for the basic human fear of mortality. Just as a lumbering zombie is easily escaped today, it's just a matter of time until one catches up to you and grasps you in its clutches.  Zombies, at the root of it all, force us to face our own ultimately inevitable demise.

Well...  That's depressing.

Conclusion

The living dead, as we know them today, have had a very interesting and varied history.  From the zombis of Haitian Voodoo folklore to the familiar shambling, brain-eating hordes we see on our movie and TV screens today, it is clear that zombies are destined a permanent fixture of our popular pscyche and culture.

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...

Happy Birthday to Mary Shelley

“If I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear!”

- Mary Shelley, Frankenstein

Author Mary Shelley was born on this day in 1797.  Shelley was a writer of novels, short stories, screenplays, essays, travel pieces, and more.  However, Shelley is best known for her novel Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus.

A woodcut  depicting Frankenstein's Creature by Lynd Ward for a 1934 edition of the novel

Frankenstein is considered a influential, classic work of Gothic Horror and, perhaps the very first Science Fiction tale.  In her novel, Shelley warns of the perils of man playing God as an obsessive scientist does the fantastic and terrifying, resurrecting a creature composed of dead tissue.  Upon his the "birth" of his creation, Frankenstein rejects the "Monster" and thus sets into motion a series of horrifically tragic events.  Readers sympathize with Frankenstein's creation, who turns out to be a tortured, misunderstood figure and justly recognize the doctor himself as being "the real monster".

Famously, an 18 year old Shelley began writing the story in Switzerland during the stormy summer of 1816 (apparently brought on by the eruption of an Indonesian volcano).  She and her future husband, Percy Shelley, were challenged by Lord Byron to create a horror story.  Initially stumped as to what exactly to write, Shelley became preoccupied with the idea of a man reanimating a corpse.  This germ of an idea led to severe nightmares.  Inspired, Shelley sett out to create just a short story, but the tale eventually developed into a novel.  The book was first published anonymously in 1818, although Shelley's name would appear on an 1823 edition and all subsequent publications of the story.

Dr. Frankenstein (Colin Clive) and the Monster (Boris Karloff) face off in the classic 1931 Universal film

While the book would receive mostly negative reviews, it was popular among readers and would go on to become a classic.  Shelley's story is a cultural phenomenon that has inspired multiple stage and film adaptations.  Her legacy lives on as Victor Frankenstein and his "Monster" are now archetypal characters that remain indispensable fixtures of popular culture.

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.

Amazing Fantasy #15 - Spider-Man!

Amazing Fantasy #15 was first printed in 1962, but it was in the mid-90's, when I was in middle school, that Marvel began releasing reprints of the original Spider-Man stories.  The first issue was, appropriately, a reprint of Spider-Man's first appearance from Amazing Fantasy #15.  I'll never forget laying on the carpet of my old room, elbows propping my head up, reading through those magical pages being totally enthralled.

Spider-Man was most definitely my favorite character at that time and I was already somewhat familiar with the details of his origin story, having read a synopsis on a trading card.  In spite of this, I wasn't prepared for the emotional, life-altering journey I was about to embark on...

Heavy stuff.  Stan Lee's words in the final panel resonated deeply with me and still give me chills to this day.

"With great power there must also come great responsibility!"

It is probably surprising to hear today that Spider-Man almost never came to be.  Stan Lee had recently achieved great success with his creation and co-creation of characters such as the Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk, and the X-Men, one would think that Marvel would have trusted his creative instincts that had been translating into profits for the company.  However, when Lee proposed the concept of Spider-Man (reportedly inspired by his watching a fly climb up a wall) the idea was met with rejection. 

Marvel's publisher at the time believed that readers would be disgusted by a character with bug-like powers.  Undeterred, and convinced that he had a great idea, Lee persisted.  Noticing that many of Marvel's readers were teenagers, Lee further suggested a teen-aged hero that the readership would relate to.  This was considered ridiculous as well since most teenage characters at the time were minor characters or sidekicks of established heroes at best.

But, with Amazing Fantasy declining in sales and being on its last legs, Stan Lee finally convinced the publisher to allow him and artist Steve Ditko to do basically whatever they wanted in one of the comic's final issues.  Thus, seeing little risk in the venture the publisher allowed Spider-Man's debut to finally be printed.  And, as they say, the rest is history!  Spider-Man was a huge hit with readers who became enamored with the the web-head's strange powers and, more importantly, Peter Parker's realistic characterization. Spider-Man was soon given his own ongoing series, going on to become the web-slinging, wall-crawling phenomenon we know and love today.

The original cover for Amazing Fantasy #15 which did not see print

I digress. Getting back to middle school me:  

By the time the reprint reached my hands and I read that first Spider-Man story... I was hooked.  As if I wasn't addicted to comic books already!  The origin of Spider-Man remains one of my favorite comics to read and reread.  

Of course, adding to my fascination was my discovery that this was the 15th issue of Amazing Fantasy, which just so happened to be printed in August...  

In my young mind I was convinced that there was some kind of deeply profound significance in the perceived fact that I shared my birthday with Spider-Man!

The Brutal Life (and Afterlife) of the Bucaneer Blackbeard

Blackbeard (real name Edward Teach or Edward Thatch) is probably the most infamous and storied of pirates who sailed under the black flag during "Golden Age of Piracy" (1650-1726).  While not much is known about his early life, there are a plethora of legends surrounding his career as a pirate.  It is speculated that Teach may have actually been born into a wealthy family before becoming a sailor, then privateer, and ultimately pirate.  Apparently, Teach got his start in the career of piracy under under another pirate, Benjamin Hornigold.  Teach was given command of his own ship by Hornigold, who was sort of a mentor to the young Edward.

Hornigold was given a King's pardon and left the pirate business, leaving Teach on his own.  It was in 1717 when he and his crew captured a French slave ship called La Concorde.  The ship was retrofitted for piracy and renamed the Queen Anne's Revenge.  The ship boasted 40 cannons, making it a force to be reckoned with and probably the most dangerous pirate ships of all time.  The Queen Anne's Revenge was to be Teach's flagship as he went about terrorizing Atlantic and Caribbean shores, commanding two other ships with a combined crew of about 150.

Not long after his appropriation of the Queen Anne's Revenge, Teach was first called Blackbeard thanks to his trademark thick, black facial hair which he grew long and braided.  Blackbeard had the reputation, as well as the image to match.  He was once described as "such a figure that imagination cannot form an idea of a fury from hell to look more frightful".  In the heat of battle Blackbeard could be seen robed completely in black, armed with an arsenal of pistols.  As if his imposing figure wasn't terrifying enough, Blackbeard famously lit slow-burning fuses in his beard which gave off a sputtering, hazy smoke.  Indeed, he must have looked like some kind of  awful hell-spawn as he boarded his victims' ship.  It's little wonder that many surrendered on sight.

Like many pirates, Blackbeard had a very short career which ended in an early death.  But Blackbeard didn't go down without a fight.  It was November 22, 1718 when the Royal Navy finally caught up with him.  With most of his crew on ashore, Blackbeard was left with a vary small fighting force, but chose to engage his enemies anyway.  After nearly escaping, the Royal Navy was finally able to board Blackbeard's ship.

A prolonged hand-to-hand battle began, during which the notorious pirate fought so fiercely that he managed to break the blade of the his opponent's sword.  Blackbeard was eventually isolated during the battle and surrounded.  He sustained five bullets and twenty cuts from the blades of his enemies before finally going down.  His head was cut off, reportedly to ensure once and for all that the notorious pirate was actually dead.  Blackbeard's head was hanged from a Royal Navy ship as grisly proof of his demise.  His body was thrown overboard when - according to legend - the head moaned, "Come on Edward!"  The decapitated body was said to have swam three laps around the ship before it sunk into the depths below.

But the story doesn't end here...  Blackbeard's head remained on his enemies' ship at least until January of 1719.  Eventually his decomposing head was stuck onto a pole by authorities in Hampton, Virginia as a warning to other pirates.  According to some, his head was at some point taken down and integrated into a punch bowl in the Raleigh Tavern of Williamsburg.  Other sources go on to say that the skull was later plated with silver and fashioned into a drinking cup where it apparently remained until 1903.  Some believe that it ended up in the possession of a secret society at Yale university.  In 1989 the skull was said to be found at Blackbeard's Castle.  

Locals of Ocracoke Island, North Carolina tell tales of a strange light known as "Teach's Light" that is said to appear around the shore of the island.  Another region called Teach's Hole is said to be the haunted by the glowing spectral manifestation of Blackbeard's body that comes out on moonless nights, floating on the surface of the water or stalking beneath, ever groping for its missing head.

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!