Exorcism and Fried Chicken

 

Awhile back, this image was all over social media. A church near Bardstown, KY seemingly was advertising a public Satanic Exorcism, complete with all the fried chicken you can eat for 50 cents.  That sounds like a hell of a deal!  And let's be honest...at first glance, this image almost seems believable.  I can totally see this area hosting a large tent-revival type of church service, where faith healers smacked the demons out of the afflicted, and fried chicken was plentiful. 

But, sometimes things aren't as they seem. A quick reverse image search reveals the non-doctored, original version, which is from 1940 and can be found at the Library of Congress.

As you can see, the mundane phrase 'Church Picnic' was changed to the much more interesting 'Satanic Exorcism.' You can still get your unlimited fried chicken for 50 cents, though. The original photograph also gives us a slightly larger perspective. It appears that this advertisement for St. Thomas' church picnic was displayed at Hession Roofing Company, either on the actual store itself, or the owners' home.  In fact, in this ad from the early 1950's, the home featured looks almost exactly like the home in the photo!   One further thing to note, though.  St. Thomas in Bardstown, KY is a Catholic Church. I'm not a theologian, but I know enough about the Catholic religion to confidently say that church-sanctioned satanic exorcisms would not be a festive, public event. I can't, however, verify whether or not fried chicken would be an integral part of the process. 

I know it's been awhile since this photo originally started making its rounds, but I realized I never actually got around to blogging about it!  I still see it pop up every now and then, so it's a great reminder to not believe everything you see. There is a LOT of outright fakery, and a lot of misinformation being passed on as fact in the paranormal community. This photo probably started as a joke, without any malicious intent, but there are people who see this and automatically assume that it must be true. Always take a few minutes to verify information, especially if something seems too good to be true.  Happy Haunting! 

 

The Wewe Gombel

 

This horrifying entity with the super-long boobs is known among Javanese legend as the Wewe Gombel. Her tale is a tragic one, and when it comes to scary-looking ghosts and monsters of eastern lore, she's actually pretty misunderstood. 

The Wewe Gombel myth comes from the Semarang, the capital of Java Province in Indonesia. As the story goes, there was a couple living in the village of Bukit Gombel. After years of marriage failed to produce a child, the husband lost interest in his wife, and began neglecting her. After finding him with another woman, the wife killed her husband in a fit of rage. Shortly after, she committed suicide.

Since she died by her own hand with so much rage and hatred inside, her vengeful spirit was doomed to come back as the ghost or demon known as the Wewe Gombel. This ghost lives in a nest, located in the Arenga pinnata palm tree. 

At night, the Wewe Gombel goes out in search of children to kidnap, to make up for the children she was never able to bear in life. Although this tale is largely told to children to scare them into staying out of trouble, legend states that the Wewe Gombel only kidnaps children who are abused or neglected by their parents.  She tucks the child under her gigantic breasts, takes them back to her palm tree nest and lovingly takes care of them. She returns the children if and when the abusive, neglectful parents change their ways. Taking in abused and/or neglected children and giving them a loving home, tucked safely under her breasts in a palm tree nest, hardly sounds like something an evil or demonic spirit would do---especially since she's willing to return the child to its parents IF they can prove they've changed their ways. But, if you're concerned that your children will be spirited away by the Wewe Gombel, make sure you keep them inside at night!

Chilton House's Demon-Possessed Mirror

For years it has been a fancy restaurant, located on the banks of St. Albans' Coal River. But, is there a darker past hidden behind the brick and gables of Angela's On the River, formerly known as the Chilton House?  Maybe...

The historic Chilton House was built around 1857 by businessman Allen Smith, who had purchased the property a year earlier.  It was originally built about 200 yards away from its current location (right about where the post office sits now) and was right in the hub of the St. Albans business district.  It's a beautiful brick home,  built in the Gothic Revival style and sporting seven steep gables.  It wasn't until 1883, well after the Civil War, that the illustrious Chilton Family took ownership of the house.  Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Wilson Chilton, wife of William Chilton, Sr. bought the home from Smith's daughter and son in law.  It's noted that the house was expanded in 1883 when the Chilton's moved in, but you could hardly tell because the bricklayer was able to match up the original bricks so well!

Mary and William apparently needed the extra space because they had two daughters and five sons, all who became prominent citizens in St. Albans and throughout the Kanawha Valley.  One son, Samuel Blackwell, was a physician who died of typhoid fever in the home in March, 1893. Another son, William E. Chilton, II would go on to be a prominent lawyer and politician, serving as a WV Senator for several years.  The youngest son, John Savary, took over ownership of the home in 1915, but would go on to sell the property outside the family later on.

By the mid-1970's, the historic home was in danger of demolition as the 'Loop' was being built in St. Albans.  Local citizens were able to get the process started to get the home listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and by the end of 1974, the process of moving the home to its current location was underway.  It wouldn't become a permanent fixture until a cinder block foundation was finished in 1976, and would finally be formally added to the NRHP by 1977.  

It would later become the Chilton House Restaurant, and is still to this day a restaurant.  Angela Samples opened Angela's on the River in 2010 and its under this current ownership where a strange story unfolds.  This story came to my attention during the 2019 St. Albans' History and Mystery Tour, in which a costumed interpreter, portraying a member of the Chilton family, told the history of the home.  When asked about the 'ghosts' mentioned on the tour flyer, the interpreter mentioned that the restaurant was once home to a demon in a mirror!  

Wait, what?!?  A demoniacally possessed mirror?  I had to know more.  Luckily, a gentleman nearby was able to fill in some of the details with first-hand knowledge.  Here's the story as it was told to me:

As part of the period furnishings in the restaurant, there was included a large, antique mirror.  Being an antique mirror, its appearance was understandably a lil' spotty and grubby looking.  However, no matter how much effort Angela or her staff put into trying to clean the mirror, it would never come clean.  But the mirror wasn't just dusty and spotted with the normal gunk and grime acquired over the years...people would actually SEE something, something potentially evil, reflected in the mirror!  It was decided that it would be in everyone's best interest if the mirror was just removed and disposed of as quickly as possible.  So, it was taken out to the dumpster.

Chilton House 1950's

However, it was quickly brought to Angela's attention by someone familiar with what was going on that if that mirror happened to break, surely the demonic entity trapped therein would be set free and be unleashed into the community!  So, the mirror was quickly dug out of the trash and gently sat nearby, apparently in full view of travelers driving down St. Albans' Loop. I say 'apparently in full view' because the mirror wasn't out of the trash for more than a few minutes when someone drove by and saw it being discarded.  This person asked if they were offering it for free.  The staff in charge of disposing the mirror replied that yes, it was in fact free...but there was a demon in it!

The person didn't stick around for clarification and pealed out without saying a word.  The mirror would soon find a new home, however, when another driver stopped by shortly after and loaded it up.  

It would be interesting to know whatever happened to that mirror and if the new owners experienced anything spooky associated with it.  So, if you live in the St. Albans area and know what happened to the mirror...perhaps its hanging in YOUR dining room?...please let me know!  I'd love to check it out and bring some closure to this story.  And...if you're wanting to get rid of it, I'm guessing there's a guy out in Las Vegas by the name of Zak who'd be willing to give you a fair price! 

Bonus Fright:  I heard another rumor from a tour patron that there were still slave shackles visible  in the basement, left over from the home's pre-Civil War days.  I don't *think* this would be true, at least not at the modern location, because when the house was moved in the 1970's, it was put on a cinder block foundation.  Any old basement/cellar/etc. would not have been included...right? 

Synergize with Demons! A Friday Funny

If all exorcisms could be this easy...I hope this lil' demon got his fries for being so accommodating!  We're not always on the same side, but this little comic reminds us to at least be civil to each other and lend a helping hand. Happy Friday, everyone! 

This comic is the work of Mr. Lovenstein.  Check out the link and support awesome artists.

The Exorcist Staircase

Horror fans come in all forms...

On June 3 2018, Kimberly Suiters, a reporter with WJLA (an ABC News affiliate in D.C.) snapped this photo of two young priests recreating a famous scene from The Exorcist.  The Exorcist is a staple in demon-related pop culture, which makes this hilarious photo the perfect Friday Funny addition to Demon Week!  And, if you find yourself in the Georgetown area, feel free to visit the staircase for  yourself.  You're sure to get some cool photos---but probably not as cool as this one!  

See the ORIGINAL POST here.

The Suicide of Judas: Demonic Art

Welcome to another day of Demon Week here at Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State! I love to incorporate weird, supernatural art into my posts, so when I stumbled upon this image, I knew instantly that I wanted to included it into this week's theme.The oil painting, called The Suicide of Judas, was completed around 1491 by Italian artist, Giovanni Canavesio.

It depicts the suicide of Judas Iscariot following his betrayal of Jesus Christ in a rather...stylized?...way.  Apparently, when sinners die, the soul (which is a tiny, well-groomed, naked version of our outer body) is plucked from our chest cavity by a hairy little demon, not much bigger than our naked soul baby.

This is a pretty horrifying image today; I cannot imagine how much of an impact it must have had in the 15th century.  While the demon/devil isn't necessarily depicted as too ghastly, its still a disturbing enough image to make me rethink sinning!

The Suicide of Judas can found in the Chapel of Notre-Dame des Fontaines, near La Brigue, along with Canavesio's other religious works.  And just a quick note:  Obviously this is a historical piece chosen for its demon imagery, but it is in no way intended to make light of the very serious suicide problem we are facing today.  Depression affects people from every walk of life, and suicide touches our young, our celebrities, our veterans, our marginalized communities, and everyone in between---many whom you would never know by simply looking at them.  Be good to each other and reach out to those who might be struggling.  Stay spooky---and catch me over at Theresa's Haunted History Facebook page for more demonic posts throughout the week!

Demons for Sale

If I managed this produce department, I'd FIRE the writer of this sign. Not only is it really weird that he/she chose to randomly use a cursive 'L' for lemons when all other letters are printed...but this sign contains one of my biggest pet peeves in the whole demon-infested world. If you are writing that something costs x amount of cents, and you use the cents sign, then you do NOT need to add the decimal!!! By adding the decimal, you're actually stating that the price of the lemons shown here are less than 4 tenths of a penny. Every time I see a sign like this, I want to challenge the cashier and refuse to pay anything but what is stated right there on the sign.  Wow, this sign really is demonic, lol. It has brought out a terribly ugly side of my personality, lol. 

Fun with Possession

I've always wanted to do this. Unfortunately, any time I've stumbled or fallen in front of other people, I've been so embarrassed I couldn't think straight---so there's a very real possibility that I would totally forget about this.  But---I guess I could stumble on PURPOSE, lol. #KeepPossessionFunny

Dead Languages: Friday Funny

I stole this from my girl Bree's Facebook news feed! I thought it was a hilarious continuation of the failed Demonic December posts...and a totally plausible explanation! 

Demon Lemon

I, uh, sorta petered out with last month's Demonic December...so I'll be sprinkling in some demonic-themed posts throughout the next couple of weeks to make up for it! Happy New Year!

On a non-related note, I fully endorse teaching cursive in schools, lol. I do understand that it is a useful skill, especially for people like me to analyze old documents all the time. However, I don't think it should be put above subjects such as math, reading, science and social studies...but I may be changing my mind if something like this were to happen to me!

More Ouija Demons

Ever since the movie, The Exorcist, came out, the Ouija Board has been synonymous with demons. Many believe that there are plenty of low-level, evil, demonic entities just sitting around waiting to be contacted through improper use of the board. This is the second Ouija-related Friday Funny of the month, and I cannot promise it will be the last! 

Oh, and if you want some tips and tricks on using the Ouija board for yourself, or are simply interested in hearing MY thoughts on the whole Ouija debate, please check out my article: Ouija Boards ARE Dangerous! Stay spooky ya'll! 

Friday Funny: The Ouija Demons

You can file this one under "things I laughed at harder than I should have"! Happy Friday Funny Day...and I promise, there will be more...educational...demon-related posts throughout the rest of the month, lol. 

The Day I Tried to Sell my Soul

We've established on here that I was a weird kid. A REALLY weird kid. When I was about 4 or 5 years old, I would tell people that I wanted to be a voodoo high priestess when I grew up. When I got a little older, I abandoned those plans in favor of becoming a parapsychologist, just like the people I read about in my grandparents' collection of parapsychology and ghost books! I enjoyed visiting spooky locations, watching anything that came on television dealing with the paranormal, and reading anything I could get my hands on.

However, probably the weirdest (and least-advised) things I did before my 10th birthday was attempt to sell my soul to the king of demons himself, The Devil. A little explanation is in order...

It's not that I was an evil, Satanic child. I didn't worship Lucifer and I certainly wasn't after any selfish gains, such as wealth, popularity, or immortality. I was simply curious as to whether or not I could actually do it. There may also have been a touch of oppositional defiance disorder thrown in for good measure.

Even as a young child, I was starting to question a lot of things that I had been taught, one of them being the existence of Satan and how easy it was to summon him, according to movies and television. I was convinced that no matter what, it wouldn't actually work. However, on the off-chance that it did, I was prepared. I had planned on simply just not going through with the deal, lol. I would summon him with the promise of my soul, but before I signed any contract or made anything official, I'd just tell him I changed my mind. Apparently, I had thought this would be adequate, lol.

So, without fear, I attempted to contact the Devil one night. I didn't do anything fancy...just simply audibly and in my head tried to call out to him that I wanted to make a deal. I think I did wait until midnight to do this, as if that would make a difference. Obviously, the red man never showed up. For a brief period of time, I was slightly worried that somehow it HAD worked without me even realizing it. But since I could still enter a church without bursting into flames and the automatic door at the supermarket still opened for me (Simpsons reference for ya), my confidence that I was okay quickly returned.

As an adult, I still have a hard time believing in a Biblical perspective of the Devil and his legion of demons. However, I still would not recommend anyone actually attempting to make contact like I had tried, so many years ago. While my beliefs tend to lean away from this Christian perspective of who/what Satan is, I am open-minded enough to acknowledge that there very well may be forces of good and evil beyond our comprehension. There are some things that its probably best to err on the side of caution and just not mess with, this being one of them, lol.  I hope you enjoyed reading my Weird Wednesday personal experience for Demonic December---but try to do as I say, not as I do in this case!

*On another note, if you WERE to actually try to sell your soul, what would you ask for it in exchange? Is there anything worth selling your soul for? Let me know in the comments below!*

Friday Funny: Hell Hounds Welcome!

Ha! Here's a little Demon Week humor for you. I'm not gonna lie---I had to read that twice. I guess Hell Hounds are perfectly acceptable in the common areas of Pendle College's student housing?

Hehehehe...anyway, apparently this sign is a clever lil' play on words in reference to the Pendle Witch Trials, England's most famous and well documented set of witch trials in history. What do you think...is this sign funny, meh, or just in poor taste?

Book Review: The Demon of Brownsville Road

Title: The Demon of Brownsville Road: A Pittsburgh Family's Battle with Evil in Their Home
Authors: Bob Cranmer and Erica Manfred
Published: 2014 by The Berkley Publishing Group, New York
Amazon Info

When Bob Cranmer and his family moved into an older home in 1988, they were thrilled...until weird stuff started happening. This quick and easy read tells the story of the Cranmer Family and their trials and tribulations from living in a home with a sinister past. Things escalate for 12-18 years before the family finally goes through a long and laborious exorcism process. Ryan Buell and the PRS team make a brief appearance, as they are called in to help document the potential demonic activity for use in securing a church-sanctioned exorcism.

This book wasn't a terrible read, but it just wasn't for me. And...that's pretty much all I'm going to say about it. After I wrote a very thought-out  and honest review, I started looking around the web to see what other people thought of this book and was horrified to see both Bob and his wife, Lesa, harassing those that had anything bad to say about it. I'm trying to eliminate negativity in my personal life and ain't nobody got time for all that. So, proceed with caution. If you're a fan of Ryan Buell and/or Paranormal State, you might find this book interesting as it is said that this was a pivotal case for the team.  If you can get past a lot of personal information that has no bearing on the story whatsoever and pretend this is a work of fiction, then it can be a pretty interesting story. And, if you're still on the fence as to whether or not this book is for you, I'd recommend checking out the reviews on Goodreads, where people aren't afraid to express opinions openly!

Spoiler Alert! Check out this article for more info on the haunted reputation of the Brownsville Rd. home:
Former Residents of Brentwood 'Demon' House Dispute Book's Claims, by Sean D. Hamill (26 October 2014)

*MORE Book Reviews*

FREE Kindle Books on Demonology

Demonology is a subject that many are interested in, and it continues to be as hot a topic today as it was 100 years ago. So, today's quickie blog is a list of three totally FREE ebooks on the subject of demonology. Have you read any of these?


1. Demonology and Devil-Lore, by Moncure Daniel Conway

According to the Cambridge Library Collection: "In this two-volume work, first published in 1879, Conway draws from examples across the world to discuss the origins and decline of beliefs in demons. In Volume 1, he classifies types of demon and argues that the various types are personifications of the main obstacles to 'primitive man'. In Volume 2, he discusses the role that the Devil plays in Christianity, and that similar figures play in other religions." Also available through Project Gutenberg

2. Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft, by Sir Walter Scott

"The book takes the form of ten letters addressed to J.G. Lockhart, the epistolary mode permitting Scott to be both conversational in tone and discursive in method. In these, Scott surveys opinions respecting demonology and witchcraft from the Old Testament period to his own day. As a child of the Enlightenment, he adopts a rigorously rational approach to his subject. Supernatural visions are attributed to 'excited passion', to credulity, or to physical illness."--Source and More Info





3. The History of the Devil as Well Ancient as Modern in Two Parts, by Daniel DeFoe

This book is also known as The Political History of the Devil.  "The Political History of the Devil is a study of the devil by novelist, satirist and political journalist Daniel Defoe (1660?-1731). It was published in 1726 but this illustrated edition is from 1819. Defoe, a Protestant Dissenter, believed in the devil as a physical being at work in the world. The Political History of the Devil suggests that the devil appears on earth both in his own form and through inhabiting the bodies and minds of other beings. Defoe was strongly anti-Catholic and here he associates the devil with Catholicism, specifically with the Pope." Source and More Info

Weird Vocabulary: Anasyrma

What the heck is going on in this picture? Read below to find out everything you've ever wanted to know about the phenomenon known as Anasyrma!

According to a Wikipedia article, "Anasyrma is effectively “the exposing of the genitals.” This is a form of exhibitionism found in religion or artwork, rather than a display for arousal, and it always refers to the act of a woman exposing herself. The act of lifting up one’s skirt to display the genitals can be an apotropaic device."

Back during Vampire Week on the blog, we talked about how 'Apotropaic' is a word generally used to mean something that wards off demons and other evil spirits, but is often used to describe the various methods of stopping a vampire. Technically, it is defined as "preventing or intended to prevent evil," and comes from the Greek word apotropaios, meaning turning away from evil. 

I haven't really found out a whole lot of information about WHY or HOW showing one's genitals can scare away evil, but the Wiki article cited above does mention the idea that women are the ones who GIVE life, and thus, are the ones that can TAKE life, and the genital area symbolizes that giving of life. Examples exist in many cultures of women warding off evil, natural disasters, and other unpleasantness by simply lifting their skirts. An article by Yvonne Owens, PhD, contains an excellent assortment of photographs, examples of apotropaic vulva magic, and a deeper understanding of how flashing the lady bits seems the scare the hell out of men (and demons, storms, etc.). 

Whatever the reason behind this behavior, this image is a plate from Jean de La Fontaine's Nouveaux Contes (1674), and depicts a demon repulsed by the sight of a woman lifting her skirt.

So...the next time you're faced with a potentially malevolent entity or demonic haunting, you've got another option for combating the evil!

Bonus Vocabulary: Sheela-Na-Gig

A Sheela-Na-Gig is a figurative carving dating back to the Middle Ages. Primarily found in Ireland, Great Britain, France and Spain, these little cathedral and church carvings depict a nude woman exposing a (usually) exaggerated vulva/vagina area. Like many similar carvings, such as grotesques and gargoyles, these are meant to ward off evil, bad spirits, demons, and even death. 

Sheela-Na-Gig on Church
Kilpeck, Herefordshire
Source: Wikipedia

Medical Monday: Dizziness Upon Standing

I recently ran across this image on a Facebook page and was honestly appalled that a place where people are encouraged to visit for information and discussion on a variety of paranormal topics would post such a fear-mongering piece. If you have ever felt dizzy or felt as if you were going to pass out upon standing, before you call a priest, please call your doctor!

What you're experiencing is a medical condition known as orthostatic hypotension, and while its fairly common and usually benign, it some cases it can indicate a more serious health issue. Basically what happens is that blood pools in the lower extremities during a change in body position. As you quickly rise up from a reclining or sitting position, your blood pressure quickly drops. Certain medications, including anti-depressants, can increase the condition. Almost everyone will experience this, at least a couple of times, and if it doesn't happen with too much regularity, its perfectly normal and not a medical emergency.

However, if this is happening frequently, or if the bouts of dizziness last longer than a few minutes, you need to contact your doctor, as it could be an early warning sign of different neurological disorders, diabetes, etc.
The Mayo Clinic has done a wonderful job outlining the symptoms, causes, and treatment options for this condition. Please go check out their site for more information!

Demon Chases Deer Hoax

This photo has been around since at least 2005, but it continues to pop up every few years, each time with a new 'location' and a new back story.  It has morphed from the Jersey Devil to a chupacabra, to a regular ol' demon...most recently being caught on a trail camera in Canada. But, as you can see, this is another one of those photos that is simply too good to be true.  The bottom photo is the original as it was posted on a hunting forum.  The 'demon' version was cropped and edited to give an appearance of night-vision.

Debunked.

 

 

Book Review: The Travellers' Guide to Hell

Title: The Travellers' Guide to Hell
Authors: Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls
Published: Tinselhouse (2014)
Amazon Kindle Purchase Info

The Travellers' Guide to Hell, by Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls is available as of right now as a FREE Kindle download from Amazon, so if you're interested, jump on it now!  And I definitely suggest you do!  I absolutely loved this book, despite it not being exactly what I thought it was going to be...

It's advertised as being a fun little travel guide formatted book, taking you down through the depths of Hell itself.  I was expecting something very humorous and honestly, something that was probably going to be poorly written and not very factual.  However, I found just the opposite--almost.

This is still a comical look at Hell, from its history to its geography to its inhabitants and literally everything else you could think of.  However, its a very well-written and well-researched comprehensive, and even scholarly, look at the perceptions of Hell.  The idea of Hell is explored across history and across different cultures, bringing in references from a variety of literary and uh, "first-hand" accounts.  It actually loses a little bit of the actual "travel guide" formatting, but that fact is quickly forgotten, thanks to all the awesome information crammed into this book.  I especially found the information on the Chinese version of Hell and Gilligan's Island as an allegory of Hell, to be especially intriguing...so head's up:  I might be blogging about those later on!

And, like all the other books I review here, this is a title that I do recommend for paranormal researchers.  So many times we hear that religion has absolutely no place in paranormal research...and that's true, but only to a point.  We cannot allow our own faith or belief system to interfere with an objective and scientific study of the truth.

 However, for those groups and individuals working directly with clients, its crucial to have an understanding of how different religions and different cultures view the afterlife, and that includes opinions and even the mythology of what we know as Hell in order to relate to those clients and give them the best possible investigation possible based on their needs.  If you have to learn about Hell, then it makes sense to have a little fun with it, and get a comprehensive cross-culture view all in one FREE ebook!