Cursed Fridge: AFriday Funny

 

My stepmother had a heart attack on our kitchen floor in the middle of an electrical storm, and her soul was transferred into the computer unit of our smart fridge. She has been subtly undermining me ever since, commenting on how many processed cheese slices I've eaten, or whether I've put properly a lid back on a thing.

Whilst my wife finds comfort in her mother's still being around, I'm starting to feel it completely unreasonable that she's decided to linger in our fridge, judging me on my culinary decisions. SHE HAS TO GO.  Aside from the soul within, the fridge itself is in complete working order, and I'm sure the unit would be farm more agreeably housed with someone who hadn't forced their 'perfect child' into a life of 'mediocre servitude' 

I've come across this little flyer for a haunted fridge up for sale a couple of different times on social media, and have definitely had a giggle. This sounds like the perfect plot for a sci-fi horror; actually, I'm pretty sure I HAVE seen a near-similar plot! Anyway, it's interesting and begs the question---can an appliance be haunted, especially one with such a high tech computer component to it, here a human consciousness may become intertwined? That's kinda horrifying to think about. 

Want MORE haunted appliance stories?

Satanic Toast: A Tale of a Possessed Toaster

Possessed Toilet

Book Review for Cursed Objects

Title: Cursed Objects: Strange but True Stories of the World's Most Infamous Items

Author: J.W. Ocker

Published: 2020 by Quirk Books, Philadelphia, PA

Amazon Purchase Info

I just have to say, this book is physically stunning! The chunky hardback packs in 271 thick pages and has a beautiful cover featuring some eerie little illustrations in a sort of shiny, shimmery, metallic silver and blue combination. Honestly, that's what initially drew me to the book---but its content is pretty awesome as well! 

I've always had a fascination for cursed and haunted objects, the weirder the item the better! Ocker packs in quite a few of these items, each with a well-written, factual background on the item's known history and it's alleged 'cursed' activity. Each entry is only a few pages long, and there are plenty of illustrations to keep even my ADHD mind focused and moving through the book.

As someone who is a fan of all things strange and unusual, I've heard of quite a few of the objects mentioned in this book.  Some of the more famous cursed items include The Hope Diamond, King Tut's Tomb, the Dybbuk Box, The Crying Boy paintings, and of course, Annabelle the Doll.  However, I was delighted to see entries for objects that I either knew little about, or had never heard of, including Little Mannie and the Prague Orloj. 

These objects are discussed with just the right bit of humor mixed with legend mixed with fact to make for a really interesting read, and I love that the author also included a chapter on the museums that make a business out of collecting and showcasing the types of items found within this book. There isn't a whole lot of scholarly analysis as to the phenomenon of cursed objects as a whole, but there are few little extras throughout the book to help give a better understanding of why an object may be cursed. There's also a bibliography AND an index, which as a researcher, I'm thrilled to see included. Overall, this is a neat book for both the hardcore paranormal enthusiast and for someone who just likes a good, interesting read about spooky, unsolved mysteries. 

Want MORE from J.W. Ocker?  Ocker has a podcast called Odd Things I've Seen, about well...odd things and where to find them! 

See what else Theresa is reading at my Book Reviews page! 

The Donkey Tree of Kentucky

Kentucky has a lot of weird trees! Last month, I posted about a tree near Paducah that kept trying to tell passersby that there was treasure buried at its roots. Today, however, is dedicated to the Donkey Tree, a cursed tree near Springfield.

Source

Like all urban legends, the story behind the Donkey Tree changes slightly depending on who is telling it. Along with the background, the consequences of visiting the cursed tree also change from person to person. But, here's the gist:

There was once a farmer who was especially cruel to his donkey, and would often beat the animal severely. One day, the farmer took it too far and beat the animal to death. Atop the site where the donkey died (or was buried) grew what is today known as The Donkey Tree.

Visitors to the spooky tree, which does closely resemble a donkey, believe that the tree is cursed. It is said that anyone who touches the tree will have bad luck. Some believe that touching the tree will result in the person being in an accident, and some even say that its a death sentence. On the flip side, putting an apple in the 'donkey's' mouth is considered good luck. If you do put an apple in its mouth and then leave, you'll find that the apple has mysteriously disappeared by the time you get back.

According to the Donkey Tree Facebook page, in October 2014, people began contacting the admins of the site to report that they were hearing the sounds of a child laughing or crying near the tree between the hours of 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. Even stranger, the Facebook page mentions that an abandoned car was found in front of the Donkey Tree in September of 2015. The car allegedly belonged to a YouTuber from Indiana who was visiting the area to shoot a documentary for his channel. No updates were ever posted, and I couldn't find any additional information on this case.

Having said that, if you're still brave enough to visit the Donkey Tree yourself, it's located on Valley Hill Road in Springfield, KY. Roadside America gives the following directions:

Directions:  From Springfield drive north on Hwy 55/Bloomfield Rd. Just past the nursery on the left, turn left onto Valley Hill Rd. The tree is on the left, just past the little one lane bridge.

*Kentucky has donkey trees...West Virginia has men's faces in rocks.  It's all thanks to the wonders of Pareidolia!  Learn more about pareidolia at the link provided!*

The Japanese Suicide Girl Painting

Welcome to Day 2 of Haunted/Cursed Paintings Week!  The next 'painting'  has been floating around the internet for years and has recently made a comeback.  According to popular legend, it was a self-portrait painted by a young Japanese girl named Sonee, who then scanned the image and uploaded onto the web.  She then committed suicide.

After it was posted to a Korean forum, many members of the site claimed that the picture had eerie powers.  Some said that if you stared into the piercing blue eyes of the subject for more than five minutes, you too would go mad and commit suicide.  Others believed that if you stared at it long enough, the girl's ghost would appear and sometimes kill you, making it look like a suicide.  In another version of the tall tale, it is stated that the portrait changes as you gaze at it.  The melancholy young girl's mouth turns to an evil smirk, her brows furrow, and her eyes darken.  A dark mist then envelopes her petite frame.

Pretty cool urban legend, right?  And that's all that it is--an urban legend.

This artwork is actually by a Thai artist named Robert Chang and is of his original character creation, Princess Ruu, created for a screenplay he was working on called Tellurian Sky.  According to Chang, Princess Ruu is the only heir to the throne and is forced into a position of power at an early age, doomed never to have the chance of being with her true love.  This portrait, which was actually created using a computer program called Corel Painter, is supposed to be her last casual portrait before taking power.

Robert Chang's website

Urban Legends Online

*For another spooky Japanese Urban Legend, check out my blog on the Cursed Kleenex Commercial!*

Man Proposes, God Disposes

Welcome to Theme Week on Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State!  For the next seven days, I'll be blogging only about one specific topic...and the topic for January is Haunted and Cursed Paintings!  Throughout the week, you'll be reading about some pretty strange works of art---some that have enjoyed a long infamy for their spooky attributes, and some that are lesser known.  I even hope to bring you at least one haunted painting from here in the tri-state.  Hope you enjoy this week's collection of creepy, and don't forget to follow me on Facebook for a few extra haunted/cursed painting articles.

Man Proposes, God Disposes (1864) by Edwin Landseer

On 19 May 1845, Sir John Franklin led two ships carrying a total of 129 men on a doomed expedition.  The goal was to chart a Northwest Passage through the Canadian Arctic, a vital component for British trade.  The crew left with only three years worth of supplies, so when 1848 came and went with no word, several rescue missions were employed.  The disappearance of the Franklin expedition was a complete mystery until 1854 when a rescue mission led by John Rae discovered some disturbing information.  A local Inuit tribe he spoke to claims to have found items from the expedition as well as the bones of the deceased crew.  Disturbingly, some of the bones seemed to have the tell-tale signs of cannibalism.

Ten years later, this grisly end to what was supposed to be a crowning achievement in British expansion inspired artist Edwin Landseer to paint his infamous Man Proposes, God Disposes, showing his interpretation of the fate of the expedition. At the time, the painting wasn't exactly held in high regard in polite Victorian society.  However, it captured the attention of the wealthy Thomas Holloway.                                                                                                        

Holloway was the founder of Royal Holloway, an institution of higher learning for women.  The school officially opened on 30 June1886 with the main building on campus being the Founder's Building.  Housed within that building is the Picture Gallery, where the Landseer painting has hung for over 100 years.  It is one of 77 paintings acquired by Holloway over a period of three years, between 1880 and 1883, before the college opened.  He paid a hefty price, 6,615 pounds for it at Christie's auction, which was a record at the time. Apparently after Holloway's death in 1883, a collection of newspaper articles concerning the doomed expedition was found among his personal affects, leading many to believe he might have been a bit obsessed by the subject. 

By Mark Tollerman

In 1900, Royal Holloway became part of the University of London, but it wouldn't be until about 20-30 years later that the first inkling of a curse associated with this painting started to surface.  As the need for space increased, it was discovered that the Picture Gallery offered a wonderful venue for exams.  However, many believed that it was bad luck to sit near, or in front of Man Proposes, God Disposes.  To sit near the painting surely meant that the student was doomed to fail her exam.   

Men were finally admitted to Royal Holloway beginning with post-graduates in 1945 and undergraduates following 20 years later in 1965, and presumably it was during this post-male invasion of the school where many of the urban legends first began.  According to an article from 1984, sometime during the 1970s a popular tradition concerning the painting got its start.  A student assigned to take his exam near the painting flat out refused to participate until the creepy work of art was covered.  In a panic, the registrar grabbed the only thing big enough to cover it---a Union Jack flag.  Since then, the painting is always covered prior to exams with the Union Jack.

Therefore, the next part of the urban legend doesn't really make a lot of sense...

Some students believe that in the 1980s, the painting actually caused a student of unknown gender to commit suicide after gazing into it.  Allegedly, the student wrote "The polar bears made me do it," on his or her exam sheet (or in a diary, in some versions of the story) before committing the act in any number of ways.  But if the painting had been covered up, as it had during every exam season since the 1970s, how did the student even see it?  Did they mean 1880s, or did someone forget the Union Jack one year?  Obviously, the school has no records of any student committing suicide in connection to the painting, but that hasn't stopped class after class from taking a little extra precaution!

Sources:
Davis, Eleanor.  'Grisly 'Cursed' Painting's Story Recalled After Ship Discovery,' 7 October 2014.

MacCulloch, Laura. 'The Haunted Painting of Fabled Franklin Ship Discovered in Canadian Arctic,' 11 September 2014.

Wikipedia Article

Book Review: Haunted Stuff

Title--Haunted Stuff: Demonic Dolls, Screaming Skulls, & Other Creepy Collectibles

Author--Stacey Graham

Published--2014 by Llewellyn Publications

Amazon Order Info

Even with the series finale of Haunted Collector well past us, America still seems to have a passion for haunted, creepy, and cursed objects!  If you're one of those people, or simply love a collection of ghost stories, then this book is a great choice.

Starting out with a primer on the best places to obtain 'haunted' items, the author then goes into the collection of stories from haunted and cursed objects of every size and shape.  Obviously, there's a chapter on dolls and England's famed Screaming Skulls, but you'll also find tales of cursed boats, spooky snow globes, and photographs where the subjects' lips move as if in silent speech.

If you're looking for a hardcore scientific tome with groundbreaking theories as to how and why certain objects literally retain a piece of their former owners, this might not be the best choice.  However, if you're looking for a simple explanation of why we THINK objects may carry attachments, followed by plenty of awesome examples, then definitely check it out.  I am already familiar with many of the stories mentioned in here, but there were a couple that were completely new to me and all of them were concise and to the point, maintaining a pleasant balance between facts and entertainment.

I especially appreciated the Appendix, which was a collection of how are ancestors and those in other parts of the world dealt with their ghost problems through architecture, nature, and well...some pretty interesting improvisation!  The writing was decent enough, although it wasn't completely free of small editing errors.  The author seems adequately  knowledgeable on the subject, citing over 20 years of paranormal investigation experience, and was able to add her own voice to the writing style. Overall, a really fun and quick read to chase away the winter blues!