tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44127170099303392802024-02-20T17:37:17.374-08:00MONSTER! THE A-Z OF ZOOFORM PHENOMENAThe world's first reference book pertaining to strange creatures that even cryptozoology will not touch!Neil Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18241593955210773189noreply@blogger.comBlogger176125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4412717009930339280.post-38689950751097953372015-04-13T03:17:00.001-07:002015-04-13T03:17:49.697-07:00Join the FACEBOOK page!MONSTER! THE A-Z OF ZOOFORM PHENOMENA is now on Facebook; click <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/zooformphenomena/">HERE</a>Neil Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18241593955210773189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4412717009930339280.post-49816495977251710892013-08-29T05:44:00.002-07:002013-08-29T05:44:44.538-07:00UFOs, Werewolves & The Pig-Man: Book Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I guess the world of self-publishing is proof that anyone can write a book, but it also means that a lot of obscure stories, which are usually ignored by mainstream publishers, can be aired for the first time in one volume. Despite it's rather comical cover and over-elaborate title, 'UFOs, Werewolves & The Pig-Man: Exposing England's Strangest Location Cannock Chase', by Lee Brickley is a much needed addition to the burgeoning list of Fortean/folklore books. Cannock Chase, situated in Staffordshire is an ancient site boasting dense woods and enough creepy stories and alleged zooform phenomena to have you sleeping with the light on. However, the main issue with such tales is that if true, then they are touched upon all too fleetingly here - with the segments on the 'big cat' sightings for example, being all too brief considering the amount of reports there has been. Even so, there are some fascinating stories concerning alleged UFO incidents, and ghostly encounters, although the tale of the Pig-Man seems to reek of urban legend - reminding one of the numerous Goatman, Donkey Lady, Bunnyman stories around the world - and nothing more, and the alleged 'werewolf' incident most certainly needs to be taken with a pinch of salt, especially when such 'sightings' are so rare. I would have preferred a few more historical accounts too - after all, Cannock Chase is extremely old, but as a paranormal-by-numbers guide to this strange place, Lee Brickley's book is a decent insight. I'm still waiting for that definitive book on Cannock Chase, but this is a well-written book, touching on some interesting theories although I'm often perturbed by authors who state that exotic animals such as 'big cats' which would have been released into the UK 'would have struggled to survive', which is completely incorrect considering the amount of prey and shelter in Britain. <br />
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A majority of the cases mentioned in this book seem to have been gleaned from modern press reports and more recent investigation, but when it comes to the complex realm of zooform phenomena, it's vital that older cases, and theories be looked at, which is why I was more intrigued about the opening historical segment and the chapter on alleged top secret military exercises. <br />
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'UFOs, Werewolves & The Pig-Man' is a slim, easy to read book that I'd recommend to anyone with an interest not just in Cannock Chase, but the paranormal in general but whether this place is truly as weird as is often made out, remains to be seen. 'UFOs, Werewolves....' is available from Amazon.Neil Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18241593955210773189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4412717009930339280.post-12144962555771180912013-07-12T03:17:00.000-07:002013-07-12T03:17:06.454-07:00Nick Redfern speaks about the Kentish 'Mothman'Over at his <a href="http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2013/07/did-mothman-visit-the-uk-in-1963/">MYSTERIOUS UNIVERSE</a> page author and good friend Nick Redfern speaks about the saga of the Kentish Mothman. A strange, possibly winged humanoid that terrified a group of teenagers back in 1963 - four years before the Mothman horror swept through Point Pleasant, in West Virginia.Neil Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18241593955210773189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4412717009930339280.post-3286637629416988042013-04-08T12:41:00.003-07:002013-04-08T12:41:55.464-07:00SHADOWS ON THE SEA - A New book by Neil Arnold
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Press release:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">SHADOWS ON THE SEA: THE MARITIME MYSTERIES OF BRITAIN <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A new book by Neil Arnold (Published by The History Press)
ISBN- 978-0-7524-8772-4<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ever wondered just what strange things lurk in the cold
depths of Britain’s foaming seas? Ever taken the time to peek down into those
grey waters as you’re fishing, or skinny-dipping off a rugged coastline?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, for the first-time ever Britain’s underwater domain can
be viewed in a different light as monster-hunter Neil Arnold takes us hundreds,
if not thousands of metres beneath the sea in the hope of finding out if those
seafaring tales of monsters and mysterious manifestations are true. Do strange
beasts resembling serpents inhabit those inky depths? What of those old
folktales concerning mermaids - mere superstition or fact?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fisherman have long spoken of “the one that got away” but
what of those seemingly tall stories that speak of haunted boats and phantom
vessels – ships believed to have been wrecked many years previous on harsh
coastlines, only to reappear on the horizon with tatty sails unmoved by the
wind. Can we truly believe the stories told by witnesses of spectral sailors
and ghostly crewmen aboard ships that have not seen action for decades? And can
we discount those even stranger tales where those aboard great ships and
smaller boats too, have reported seeing unusual lights emerge from, and enter
the frothing waters?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Forget Peter Benchley’s classic novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jaws, SHADOWS ON THE SEA – THE MARITIME MYSTERIES OF BRITAIN </i>is a
real-life exploration in search of those horrors of the deep that you dismissed
(or believed in!) for years. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Along with several tales pertaining to sea-related
superstitions, you’ll also hear about cursed sea-chests, the Devil and the deep
blue sea, haunted cliffs and beaches, smugglers tales, strange coastal swarms,
killer sands, haunted lighthouses, phantom bells at sea, ghostly lands, haunted
buoys, spooky submarines and close encounters of the coastal kind. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">SHADOWS ON THE SEA </i>(which
includes a foreword by Jonathan Downes of the Centre for Fortean Zoology) covers
all manner of British maritime mysteries, so, just when you thought it was safe
to go back in the water – it isn’t!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Available from all good bookshops and online. Priced £12.99<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Neil Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18241593955210773189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4412717009930339280.post-73635464105444051002013-04-05T09:28:00.001-07:002013-04-05T09:28:19.020-07:00Neil Arnold on COAST TO COAST AMOn Wednesday/Thursday 10th/11th April (depending on where you are in the world!) Neil will be discussing urban legends and monsters on America's biggest paranormal radio station, COAST TO COAST AM. Tune in...Neil Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18241593955210773189noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4412717009930339280.post-25494937980736582312013-03-21T11:05:00.002-07:002013-03-21T11:05:58.347-07:00KENT URBAN LEGENDS - A NEW BOOK BY NEIL ARNOLDWhat happens if you dance naked around the Devil's Bush in <span class="squiggly" splc="splc" state="new" title="To see spelling suggestions, click this word" word="Pluckley">Pluckley</span>, Kent's most haunted village? Do 'big cats' roam the local woods? Does the Devil appear if you manage to count the 'countless stones' at Aylesford? Is Bloody Mary more than just a childhood rumour? Does a phantom hitchhiker haunt the dark lanes of Blue Bell Hill? KENT URBAN LEGENDS is a new book by full-time monster hunter and folklorist Neil Arnold, a strange, quirky and downright weird collection of tales reputedly true yet never proven, passed down through generations and best told around a flickering campfire.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-XFIS_SWjO0AWmVbHohaJQvUGdhTojuYsV8PoUtUuCctW3NMW7hAjQSNs9Xkde_GxRMhNu8WXJEpxpdyoKA1N9XXa6QfurhaM6KX5SkcwA3FlLRhjxwn9E-FIsQvzw1obcsbrtA-4SV8/s1600/kenturbanlegends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-XFIS_SWjO0AWmVbHohaJQvUGdhTojuYsV8PoUtUuCctW3NMW7hAjQSNs9Xkde_GxRMhNu8WXJEpxpdyoKA1N9XXa6QfurhaM6KX5SkcwA3FlLRhjxwn9E-FIsQvzw1obcsbrtA-4SV8/s320/kenturbanlegends.jpg" width="200" /></a>Chinese whispers, playground murmurs, internet rumours, and friend of a friend tales are the most potent in that they can embed themselves into a local community despite the fact such yarns are not true. Stories can spread like wildfire despite lacking any detail, causing a snowball effect that can affect an entire village, town or city. KENT URBAN LEGENDS looks at a number of stories not just related to the county of Kent, but legends which have spread across the world, varying depending on the storyteller. Have you heard the one about the famous footballer who paid the mortgage of a couple who had booked their wedding on the same day as his? Have you heard about the girl whose hair was so dirty that all manner of creepy crawlies took up residence and eventually burrowed into her brain? And what about the woman who chomped down on her Chinese takeaway only to find the remains of some animal? These type of stories are known the world over, and you can guarantee that there's always someone you know who knows someone else this has happened to. <br />
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Urban legends come in all shapes and sizes, but for the most part they are tales of horror - confined to mist-enshrouded lanes and eerie woods, but with KENT URBAN LEGENDS you'll also find out what happens if you play a heavy metal record backwards, or if some horror movies are cursed. You'll also find out if the Chelsea <span class="squiggly" splc="splc" state="new" title="To see spelling suggestions, click this word" word="Smilers">Smilers</span> really did slash the mouths of school children in the <span class="squiggly" splc="splc" state="new" title="To see spelling suggestions, click this word" word="1980s">1980s</span>, and what really happened to the woman who had a Killer In The Backseat of her car. Whilst tales of the <span class="squiggly" splc="splc" state="new" title="To see spelling suggestions, click this word" word="Bunnyman">Bunnyman</span>, The Hook, and The Babysitter & The Man Upstairs may seem to have their origins in the USA, Neil proves that there's more to these scare stories than meets the eye, and delves into similar tales from Kent often involving lone female motorists and cavorting couples brave enough to venture into the night. From video <span class="squiggly" splc="splc" state="new" title="To see spelling suggestions, click this word" word="nasties">nasties</span>, to phantom viruses, from chain letters, to tales of monstrous bogeymen and out of place animals, KENT URBAN LEGENDS is one book you won't want to read before camping, driving, babysitting, or eating a meal! Be warned...the bogeyman is real after all!<br />
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KENT URBAN LEGENDS is published by The History Press, with a foreword by Janet <span class="squiggly" splc="splc" state="new" title="To see spelling suggestions, click this word" word="Bord">Bord</span> (Alien Animals), is an essential book to be read by candlelight!<br />
Available from Amazon and all good bookshops, priced £9.99 Neil Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18241593955210773189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4412717009930339280.post-92011970822700799192013-01-28T05:34:00.001-08:002013-01-28T05:34:26.187-08:00Kentish apeman...In the March 2013 issue of Fortean Times, Neil Arnold has a small article on the 'apeman' scare said to have taken place in the Kentish town of Tunbridge Wells during the Second World War. Despite the story having no basis in fact the details soon spread like wildfire across the world. For more on Tunbridge wells and its creepier side, check out Neil Arnold's new book HAUNTED TUNBRIDGE WELLS.
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Neil Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18241593955210773189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4412717009930339280.post-9038158361103247142012-12-07T12:09:00.000-08:002012-12-07T12:09:38.356-08:00Nick Redfern's new book, 'WILDMAN'For many years there have been occasional reports in the widls of the UK of what people term 'hairy men' and by that we don't just mean the local flasher on the loose! Although legends pertaining to creatures known as Bigfoot and the Yeti are hazy to say the least, can you imagine just how absurd it would sound if such beasts - or similar forms - were reported in the not so inhospitable woods of Britain! Well, since Medieval times there have been alleged encounters with 'wild men of the woods,' hulking great hairy bipedal figures that quite simply cannot be flesh and blood animals. So, what are they? Hallucination? Too many witnesses coming home from the pub? Hoaxes? Or esoteeric manifestations connected to the human psyche or somethingw eirder? In his new book, WILDMAN, author Nick Redfern investigates numerous accounts across the British Isles involving those elusive and seemingly supernatural monsters that seem to resemble those hairy hominids of lands far away. Could a Bigfoot-type of animal roam the forests and woods of Britain and remain undetected by science ? Highly unlikely, so what are people seeing ? Are these creatures connected to the history or magic of a place? Have they been raised occult rituals? Nixk Redfern presents a unique case study of such accountr, putting forward his theories - separating fact from fiction - and peeling back the layers of one of Britain's most intriguing yet obscure mysteries. Join Nick as he scours the valleys of Wales, the forests of Scotland, the woods of Kent, the darkest corners of rural Staffordshire, and just about every ruinous abbey, creaky mansion, and underground dwelling in search of those things that cannot be. Published by CFZ PRESS, 'WILDMAN' is one hairy read that should not be missed.Available from Amazon and all good bookstores.
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Neil Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18241593955210773189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4412717009930339280.post-58270451096974717152012-09-03T12:20:00.002-07:002012-09-03T12:20:29.920-07:00Neil Arnold interviewed on Binnall of America.comTim Binnall's interview with Neil Arnold can be heard <a href="http://binnallofamerica.com/boaa090112.html">HERE</a> - a bizarre discussion on all manner of strange creatures and otherworldy anomalies. Neil Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18241593955210773189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4412717009930339280.post-15395080478351344552012-04-05T09:22:00.000-07:002012-04-05T09:22:06.444-07:00SHADOWS IN THE SKY - Neil Arnold's new book<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWlMYfRWZvXokeBji6B-q7qwx4bJhHohbhdSpi9AAZT2G_R9haZflzwnpyWVZmBwXW-rALQvjLm8U7q9vT9C9aok-Wl5HtrzGiXdTKQ5eUSKcBNYBZiBI-HdSZlLHdOBInuS_8d80l1SO_/s1600/shadows+in+the+sky+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWlMYfRWZvXokeBji6B-q7qwx4bJhHohbhdSpi9AAZT2G_R9haZflzwnpyWVZmBwXW-rALQvjLm8U7q9vT9C9aok-Wl5HtrzGiXdTKQ5eUSKcBNYBZiBI-HdSZlLHdOBInuS_8d80l1SO_/s320/shadows+in+the+sky+cover.jpg" width="214px" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;">Flying monsters, strange lights, phantom airships, ghostly flares, spectral planes and pilots - just some of the strange things covered in Neil Arnold's new book SHADOWS IN THE SKY: THE HAUNTED AIRWAYS OF BRITAIN. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Press release as follows:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">For centuries mankind has reported unusual phenomena in the skies of Britain. From reports of UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects), strange winged creatures, and aerial ghosts. Now, for the first time ever, monster-hunter and author Neil Arnold has collated a vast amount of bizarre tales pertaining to those not only dark and stormy skies, but clear blue heavens which for many years have spat out all manner of anomalies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">With so many books being written about UFOs, Neil has decided to concentrate on the more unusual reports of unexplained aerial lights, such as aircraft encounters with peculiar objects, phantom flares, ghost lights, will-o-the-wisp’s and fairy lights. The book also features a chapter on spectral aircraft – mainly war-planes which continue to be seen on foggy moors long after they’ve been shot down. There is also coverage of ghostly airmen, phantasmal helicopters and ghost rockets, and not forgetting haunted airports and airfield’s. However, if you thought these chapters were weird (or not weird enough!) then wait until you read about the winged monsters said to have plagued British skies for many centuries. Fantastic tales of dragons, said to have appeared all over the UK, from the cattle-plucking beasts of Welsh lore to London’s flying serpents. Winged, red-eyed humanoids also sneak into the pages, coverage given to classic aerial anomalies such as the Owlman of Cornwall, the Hythe monster, and the lesser known Hertfordshire ‘Mothman’ and the like. Griffins, giant birds, leather-winged batmen, flying jellyfish and sky-bound horses and dogs, occupy a surreal Ark also inhabited by spectral birds and feathery omens of death….and don’t forget a few tales of harmonious angels </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">When you’ve escaped the ethereal menagerie, you’ll be scratching your head at tales of all manner of bizarre items and objects that have fallen from the sky. Whilst pennies, fish and frogs may be known to many Fortean’s, obscure cases in relation to falls of snails, slime, metal, wheat, clothes, blood and even excrement may be more unknown! And let’s not forget a chapter on those pesky phantom airships, aerial roads and buildings, flying boats, and yep, you’ve guessed it, even a flying pig! This is a book for monster hunters, UFO spotters, ghost investigators, and the insane.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">With a foreword by author Nick Redfern, SHADOWS IN THE SKY: THE HAUNTED AIRWAYS OF BRITAIN is one book that’ll have you reaching for your umbrella. Those who dare pull their eyes away from the skies, can purchase the book from Amazon, and all good bookshops.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Neil Arnold is the author of several books, such as MONSTER! THE A-Z OF ZOOFORM PHENOMENA, MYSTERY ANIMALS OF THE BRITISH ISLES: LONDON, and MYSTERY ANIMALS OF THE BRITISH ISLES: KENT. He is a full-time lecturer on mystery animals.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">ISBN – 9780752465630 For enquiries contact The History Press on 01453 883300</span>Neil Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18241593955210773189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4412717009930339280.post-77827706986736383002012-03-12T03:19:00.002-07:002012-03-12T03:19:30.332-07:00The zooform monster cat<span style="font-size: x-small;">Over at his <a href="http://karlshuker.blogspot.com/2012/03/horned-demon-cat-of-world-war-ii-true.html">Shuker Nature</a> blog, Dr Karl Shuker looks at the terrifying story of London's demon, horned cat.</span>Neil Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18241593955210773189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4412717009930339280.post-90991305995748939662012-03-08T04:45:00.000-08:002012-03-08T04:45:29.578-08:00The demon ape of EssexIn the case of some zooform phenomena, it seems that we are dealing with negative energy as a conjurer of monsters. For instance, the county of Essex has several cases of weird manifestations presenting themselves, but they are forms which clearly are not of some biological or zoological order. At Wallasea Island there was once a place called the Devil’s House which sat on the bleak marshlands flanking the River Crouch. The house, was more for a farm-like abode and took its sinister name from its owner, a chap named Daville, although author Eric Maple notes that’, according to the old records it was known as Demon’s Tenement as far back as the time of Charles II.’<br />
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At first the building seemed like many a haunted house in that local folk would refuse to stay in it because of the strange atmospheres and sudden drops in temperature. On other occasions weird sounds were heard, such as the flapping of wings and an overwhelming sense of dread would follow. Such a fear seemed justified when a sergeant, serving in the First World War decided to put the legends to bed and stayed the night in the building. The following morning the sergeant was found in such a terrible state, his pale complexion and refusal to speak had locals worried. Another man claimed that he had heard to sound of wings flapping suggesting some giant yet unseen bird was soaring above but the ghostly reputation of the place took a knock when one evening it was reported that a hideous spectre with horns and a long tail was explained by a stray bullock which had sought shelter in the hayloft after being pursued by a dog. However, during one particular harvest a local labourer experienced a terrible creature whilst working in one of the barns. He had heard his name being called on several occasions and the sudden drop in temperature told him that something wasn’t right. Although spooked, the man continued his work when suddenly he felt as though he was possessed and had a sudden urge to commit suicide. The labourer found a piece of old rope, fastened it around his neck as a noose and climbed a ladder to tie the rope around a beam. A voice rasped, “Do it, do it” in his ear but then something even more bizarre happened. Looking upward the man saw a terrible ape-like creature swinging from the timbers. The phantom ape had bright yellow eyes that glowed in the gloom. It appeared rather slim in form and was completely black in colour. This hideous apparition seemed to jolt him out of his suicidal trance and scrambled down the ladder and fled the barn. <br />
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Locals believed the ghastly experiences that had taken place in the building were the product of Devil worship which had taken place years before. Such negative energy, depending on the individual who experiences it, seems to have the ability to prey on the human psyche and cast out weird, absurd holographic-type entities which feed on fear. Such devils can take on many forms, either as unseen poltergeists which hurl items around the place or attack their victims, to nefarious familiars ranging from disfigured demonic cats, headless black dogs, and goodness knows what else.Neil Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18241593955210773189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4412717009930339280.post-90538944276643546602012-02-29T04:30:00.002-08:002012-02-29T04:30:44.786-08:00Spring-Heeled Jack is back!!!For more info read <a href="http://beastsoflondon.blogspot.com/2012/02/is-spring-heeled-jack-prowling-surrey.html">BEASTS OF LONDON</a>Neil Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18241593955210773189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4412717009930339280.post-62638616971920010032012-02-24T10:46:00.000-08:002012-02-24T10:46:17.617-08:00Monster-hunter Richard Freeman interviewed...by another monster-hunter!!Nick Redfern, a good friend and fellow hunter of monsters, has recently written a smal feature on Richard Freeman - Goth beast-hunter extraordinaire, and author of the excellent 'Yokai Encyclopedia'. Check out the article <a href="http://www.mania.com/lair-beasts-origins-monster-hunter_article_132212.html">HERE</a>Neil Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18241593955210773189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4412717009930339280.post-20997881602043286252011-12-21T08:19:00.000-08:002011-12-21T08:19:41.558-08:00'Darklore VI' out now!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7YxgdIA1jk-TjSOW38hUyPt5vZvxSdckPas1bQ5U15GmwfSYDIN379t8YszU2bH0uiVwv0vGEwRdoBHS69s23S-_H58Uvod_9gszrdW4m1gMnLsOwUWzQdkxAp1CUvmNMGXotRTW4YqsU/s1600/darklore6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7YxgdIA1jk-TjSOW38hUyPt5vZvxSdckPas1bQ5U15GmwfSYDIN379t8YszU2bH0uiVwv0vGEwRdoBHS69s23S-_H58Uvod_9gszrdW4m1gMnLsOwUWzQdkxAp1CUvmNMGXotRTW4YqsU/s320/darklore6.jpg" width="213px" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;">My, my how time flies....Grey Taylor's fantastic 'Darklore' series of books now reaches its sixth volume - a creepy, cosmic compilation of tales from varying researchers on all manner of esoteric subjects. The latest edition features an entry by Neil Arnold called 'There's Something Strange In The Sewers', looking at a variety of sewer-based mysteries, from legends pertaining to sinister creatures and not forgetting a few ghost stories and the like. The book can be purchased from Amazon UK and Amazon US.</span>Neil Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18241593955210773189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4412717009930339280.post-80642316400873551332011-10-24T10:12:00.000-07:002011-10-24T10:12:14.499-07:00MYSTERY ANIMALS OFTHE BRITISH ISLES: LONDON - OUT NOW!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoBYJNOXxG3j5GRk9ePr9FJDZd-MAsfpf2GCwX7aDqReKq-h53oOmRio10xqAxJqPE_mSRl4vp95wT8JKp-m0ewlX_R_ha2P9kYK99K7zBhRgCXlkOqbIsHRQHMJiDQuFgpyy3z6ksj_Mg/s1600/mystery+animals...london.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" rda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoBYJNOXxG3j5GRk9ePr9FJDZd-MAsfpf2GCwX7aDqReKq-h53oOmRio10xqAxJqPE_mSRl4vp95wT8JKp-m0ewlX_R_ha2P9kYK99K7zBhRgCXlkOqbIsHRQHMJiDQuFgpyy3z6ksj_Mg/s320/mystery+animals...london.jpg" width="226px" /></a></div>MYSTERY ANIMALS OF THE BRITISH ISLES: LONDON By Neil Arnold, published by the CFZ, is now available. The long wait is finally over. This much anticipated book is the first of its kind to venture forth into the concrete jungle of England's capital city and unravel fantastic, yet true tales of monsters and mysterious beasts. From yarns spun pertaining to strange creatures in the River Thames, to odd things-a-flutter in the skies of the city. Supernatural animals, beasts escaping from menageries, sightings of exotic cats such as leopards and lynx and the Surrey puma, and not forgetting a whole host of weird and wonderful arcane animals cast from the Ark. MYSTERY ANIMALS OF...LONDON weighs in at more than 300 pages, is richly illustrated and indexed, and proves once and for all that the greenest corners, dankest sewers, and darkest streets can still harbour all manner of elusive and out of place creatures. So, if you're thrilled, or repulsed by tales of flesh-eating giant rats, prowling alligators, blood-sucking fish, rampant wolves, swooping eagles and vultures, ghostly lions, spectral bears, phantom chickens and real life vampires, then MYSTERY ANIMALS OF...LONDON is perfect for campfires constructed on a crisp autumnal night. The book is available from Amazon and all good bookshops. <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mystery-Animals-British-Isles-London/dp/1905723717/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319475714&sr=8-1">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mystery-Animals-British-Isles-London/dp/1905723717/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319475714&sr=8-1</a>Neil Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18241593955210773189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4412717009930339280.post-6437577240562922682011-10-18T10:57:00.001-07:002011-10-18T10:57:32.596-07:00Attack of the CyclopsAs a teenager some of the best films were those fantastic adventures such as Clash Of The Titans, Jason & The Argonauts, and those Sinbad epics. Whether in search of lost treasure, or hidden lands, warriors would fall at the feet of great, mythical beasts that had risen from oceans or deep caverns. One of the most popular mythical beasts was of course the dreaded Cyclops. This formidable horror exists in the crusty pages of centuries old tomes which also cage more unbidden beasts such as the Minotaur, the Centaur, the Satyr, the Unicorn, the Harpy – these were from the original menagerie of mystery.<br />
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However, time and time again, the monsters which appear relegated to folklore do, at certain times and to certain people, seem to escape from the pen of myth and step into what we deem reality, albeit a very strange and as yet understood one. The Cyclops is no exception.<br />
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This monster belonged to a race of primordial giants raised in Greek, then later Roman mythology. Of course, this hideous creature was all the more terrifying due to its single, beady eye perched in the centre of its wrinkled forehead. The name Cyclops is said to derive from ‘circle-eyed’. In the film The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad, made in 1958, and animated by Ray Harryhausen, Sinbad the sailor and his crew stumble up the lost land of Colossa. Whilst trudging across land they meet a magician called Sokurah who is fleeing from a Cyclops. Sinbad and his men escape but their boat is destroyed when the monster throws a giant boulder at it. However, author R.S. Lambert, in his 1966 book Exploring The Supernatural, records two bizarre encounters with a Cyclopean form. In 1888 a young man was visiting a friend in the area of Mule River, Inverness County, Nova Scotia, in Canada when, up on the road ahead he saw a terrifying creature. The monster, which was described as large and black, had its back turned to the witness but rather disturbingly it had a huge red eye in the centre of its back which leered at him. Suddenly, from its two frontal eyes a stream of light beamed ahead, lighting up the path on which the man was set to travel. The monster then moved slowly towards the house of his friend, mooched around the outside but then suddenly came back down to the road and ran quickly towards the petrified witness. The man was very alert and flung himself aside as the Cyclops rushed by. The beast didn’t turn on the man, instead it made its way off into the darkness, the glowing red eye on its back the only sign that it was moving away slowly into the night.<br />
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A quarter of a century later two elderly women were taking a stroll along the main highway of Port Hawkesbury, C.B. As Lambert states, ‘In those days the rail tracks of the Canadian National Railway, that now run alongside of the road, had not been built, nor did any ferry ply across the straits to Cape Porcupine.’<br />
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Whilst on their journey the two ladies were suddenly startled by a rushing noise behind them followed by a metallic clatter. Looking round they were horrified to see, coming toward them, a huge black monster with one terrible eye positioned in the centre of its face. Strangely, the monster ran straight by the women, rattling their ears with a tremendous roar which escaped its lips. The beast ran in the direction of the fish house. The women were so scared they ran off to another house and hid there until they believed the coast was clear. Even stranger still, according to Lambert, ‘Many years later, one of them heard for the first time in her life a railway train on the mainland of Nova Scotia, and recognised the sound as the one she had heard that night. She died, however, before the Inverness railway was built. When it was, the track, as surveyed, passed right through the fish house that the women had seen.’<br />
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An incredibly bizarre story indeed.<br />
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In 1981 at Parson Drove in Cambridge (England) a woman and her son, one night, claimed that they had seen a strange, calf-sized monster with one eye. The monster watched the witnesses and ran off. Around the same time in Kent, also in England, a man claimed to have seen a one-eyed tiger in local woodlands – died a few days later of a heart attack! In Scottish-Irish folklore a creature known as the Fachen is said to have one eye. The beast has a mane of black feathers, and has one tremendously strong arm which it uses to destroy orchards.<br />
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Some researchers believe that this seemingly impossible creature may have originated from some type of ancient bird which once inhabited the Emerald isle. Monster folklore speaks of many hairy humanoids, spectral dogs, dragons and demons said to sport one single glaring eye. Strangely, in Cyclopean lore, there is no mention of a female Cyclops.<br />
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Masinaigan’s UFO Roundup of 19th January and 2nd February 1997, reported that during the December of 1996 a Daoud Ahmad, who resided on Israel’s West Bank at the Nur-a-Shamat camp, had awoke during a restless night when two bizarre humanoids attacked him. Ahmad described the beings as having a single eye, large heads, a Mohawk-style haircut, and the intruders stood around two-feet in height. Ahmad added, “They wore black leather clothes…After they beat me I lost consciousness.’<br />
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The terrified witness was taken to hospital and treated for facial bruising. Although neighbours heard a commotion coming from the home of Ahmad, they saw no-one enter or leave the premises.Neil Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18241593955210773189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4412717009930339280.post-41059725856814070402011-10-18T10:55:00.000-07:002011-10-18T10:55:31.254-07:00Remember the 'Red Ghost' ?<span style="font-size: x-small;">A bizarre zooform creature story from Neil Arnold at the CENTRE FOR FORTEAN ZOOLOGY. Read it <a href="http://forteanzoology.blogspot.com/2011/10/neil-arnold-remember-red-ghost.html">HERE</a></span>Neil Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18241593955210773189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4412717009930339280.post-11848044782601490662011-08-19T11:19:00.000-07:002011-08-19T11:19:41.576-07:00The Warrington Man-Beast!The town of Warrington, which sits on the banks of the River Mersey, is also a borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire. According to an obscure story from the 18th century, later repeated in Wally Barnes’ 1990 book Ghosts, Mysteries & Legends of Old Warrington, a terrifying man-beast once stalked a farm in Warrington. One such farm, once known as Peggy Gronachs Chicken Farm harboured a bizarre story which Wally Barnes was told of in the 1940s. According to Barnes, Peggy Gronach was ‘…the most evil, ugly and haggard old wretch ever seen in the vicinity.’<br />
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According to legend Peggy Gronach was a witch who escaped the original 17th century witch hunts which took place in Norwich. When Peggy moved to Warrington, she was the dread of the local community, her run down shack would spook many a passer by and no-one was ever brave enough to venture through the undergrowth. However, one day a group of young children were playing near the old farm and decided that, for a dare, they would approach the cottage. When they were within a few metres a terrifying roar emanated from the building and staring through the grime-laced window pane was a hideous face. Then, Peggy emerged from the farmhouse and began screaming at the children who, of course, fled the area.<br />
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When the terrified children returned home to their parents, they spoke of the great roar, to which their parents responded that the crone must have owned a ferocious dog. However, the children were adamant that what they saw peering from the house was a hair covered man with burning eyes, pointed ears and horns on his head. <br />
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However bizarre the report may have seemed, the following month, according to Barnes, ‘…a farmhand was driving a horse and trap about a mile from the cottage when without warning the horse reared up. The farmhand then saw a hideous ghoul-like creature under a tree ready to pounce.’<br />
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Local villagers began to spread rumour that Peggy Gronach had supernatural powers and that to explain the man-beast, they believed she could transform herself into the terrifying man-beast which had been reported around the area. Shortly after the farmhand’s encounter, a local farmer reported that one of his cows had been attacked. He found it dead and its head was hanging on my thread – only a very powerful creature could have committed such a crime. So, the local vicar, accompanied by ‘a gang of religious zealots’ visited Peggy’s remote cottage in the hope of driving her away from the village. However, upon arrival they found no trace of the old hag nor the hairy monster, the only sign that some ‘thing’ had been around was the carcass of a half-eaten goat. <br />
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There were no further sightings of the terrible monster, or Peggy Gronach, and the building was knocked down. Barnes however, ends the tale with a chilling climax, stating that, ‘Many years later workmen dug up the remains of a giant bullock – or was it a bullock ? Bullocks do not have human skulls. Think about it.’<br />
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This intriguing tale may sound far-fetched, but maybe, just maybe, out there in the sticks of old Warrington, there still lurks a frightful, hairy monster, a creature which, during the day either retires deep into the woods, or transforms itself into the shrivelled form of Peggy Gronach.<br />
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Neil Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18241593955210773189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4412717009930339280.post-7322470281840246382011-08-10T12:15:00.000-07:002011-08-10T12:17:17.004-07:00Book review: The Real Men In Black<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdei9ESnajytwbwuzRxWPNCo5K6PGXvaI-ZFZH-DDbN3jRQOMI-EDAnoW0b8KARJZMFhBvNsDzQ1lbWTYSOCG9O7aNNq41CngFvtfYVTDh1Sz-3WB9a1u_ujfBVvGXKTMJZLZX9sjPxBRp/s1600/realmeninblack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdei9ESnajytwbwuzRxWPNCo5K6PGXvaI-ZFZH-DDbN3jRQOMI-EDAnoW0b8KARJZMFhBvNsDzQ1lbWTYSOCG9O7aNNq41CngFvtfYVTDh1Sz-3WB9a1u_ujfBVvGXKTMJZLZX9sjPxBRp/s320/realmeninblack.jpg" width="203px" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;">Some of you may wonder why on earth I'm reviewing a book about MIBs - those mysterious, UFO-related Men In Black, on this website. Well, for one, the author, Nick Redfern, is a good friend of mine, and secondly, a new book by Mr Redfern, is ALWAYS something to look forward to. However, there is also a third reason for mentioning this book - because although Nick is a dab hand at shedding new light on the classic encounters with the mysterious men, he even manages to find reports of bizarre monsters and their sinister relations to those black-suited gents. Now, Men In Black are a strange brew - and they've always been connected to UFOs, and those intrepid investigators who apparently get too close to the truth - but of course much of this is simply folklore - and Nick goes a helluva long way to prove that the MIBs are far stranger than we originally thought. I've often believed that every time a new mystery hits this globe, we always...and I mea nalways, blame the aliens! It's true - whether it's crop circles - blame the aliens, or cattle mutilations - blame the aliens, Bigfoot - surely dropped from a spaceship, phantom airships - blame the aliens, people abducted from their beds - blame the aliens and so on and so on. Those poor extraterrestrial visitors have been given a hard time by us earthlings over the years, and the Men In Black have often been said to have infiltrated this void of 'ours' to warn us not to report our UFO sightings. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Nick Redfern has scoured the archives, scanned the once hidden documents, and interviewed countless witnesses and investigators, to attempt to uncover the bizarre truth - if there is one - behind these sinister agents. The likes of Bender, Beckley, Keel, and Barker get the coverage they deserve, after all, these type of guys introduced us to these men, but alongside Jim Keith's 'Casebook On The Men In Black', Redfern's new look at the mystery is destined to become a classic. This isn't any old book talking about conspiracy and UFOs, instead Nick looks at cases where researchers have even investigated 'monster' sightings and other mysteries, only to be warned off by the 'three men'. And after every case is picked to pieces and then evaluated, Nick isn't afraid to cast new theories on such an enigma, and shares my view that such figures of dread could in fact, like so many monsters, vampires, spirits and the like, be tulpas - or thoughtforms - weird manifestations that exist as the product of the human psyche, and which exist the more fear them. This complex theory may sound ridiculous to some, but they clearly fit alongside other social panics, suggesting that maybe, just maybe, these men and in fact many of the mysteries around us, cannot be blamed simply on those bug-eyed aliens we've feared since Kenneth Arnold's 1947 'UFO' encounter over Washington. The Men In black, albeit for a short while, were local bogeyman, the product of conspiracy, rumour and moreso fear - they were projections, and media creations, harbingers of doom, agents of misfortune - or were they ? Maybe, as Nick argues, such figures were harmless but born from the shadows of a slightly, already unhinged and paranoid mind.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Whatever your opinions on the MIB phenomenon, 'The Real Men In Black', for me anyway, caps off a limited run of books, which, over the years have gradually given us a brief insight into such mysterious phantoms. I believe that the Men In Black are from the same void as the Black-Eyed Kids, mad gassers, phantom clowns, bogus social workers and spectral assailants - but they do not appear if there is no-one there to see them. The Men In Black are a social construct, that have embedded themselves into world folklore. They are real, but only in the sense vampires and werewolves are, and yet such figures have become household names the world over, given them strength and occasionally, on dark and stprmy nights they step from the realm of fantasy into our houses and our nightmares, and then are gone, in the blink of an eye. My only hope is that Mr Redfern doesn't get a visit from the terrible trio, although if he comes to the door in his Ramones t-shirt and black jeans, they may in fact mistake him for one of them and ask him to join their peculiar posse! A fantastic book that breaks the mould. Rock on Nick!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">'The Real Men In Black' is available from Amazon.com</span><br />
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Neil Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18241593955210773189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4412717009930339280.post-73732148097978695372011-07-17T10:37:00.000-07:002011-07-17T10:37:20.893-07:00Coming Soon: MYSTERY ANIMALS OF...LONDON, the book!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH4Miqams3W_Uc4LhZ5Y3uEkKOQ_rhwoL8Q9IxBtDJmgqhpXQ2FBpHruEmd06Y2Nbg94H41nhad4FgOrDgMV1izpWwPKgpX-XizDdf-VLz_Ujzv_l_I4Xqbu5FgTwXFUs3-3p-onHdGddS/s1600/mystery+animals...london.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400px" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH4Miqams3W_Uc4LhZ5Y3uEkKOQ_rhwoL8Q9IxBtDJmgqhpXQ2FBpHruEmd06Y2Nbg94H41nhad4FgOrDgMV1izpWwPKgpX-XizDdf-VLz_Ujzv_l_I4Xqbu5FgTwXFUs3-3p-onHdGddS/s400/mystery+animals...london.jpg" width="282px" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;">Monsters, mystery animals and zooforms galore! MYSTERY ANIMALS OF THE BRITISH ISLES: LONDON will be published by CFZ PRESS, containing a weird phantasmal menagerie of zooform monsters, as well as escaped animals, insect swarms, big cat sightings, alien invaders to the skies and rivers...if you're thing is phantom birds, ghostly glowing lions, vampires, real-life satyr's and hellhounds, then buy MYSTERY ANIMALS...LONDON, which will be available from Amazon and the like. More details soon...</span>Neil Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18241593955210773189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4412717009930339280.post-47509129938675490642011-05-31T15:12:00.001-07:002011-05-31T15:12:03.260-07:00Neil Arnold interviewed at CFZ Australia<a href="http://www.cfzaustralia.com/2011/05/meet-cryptozoologist-neil-arnold.html">http://www.cfzaustralia.com/2011/05/meet-cryptozoologist-neil-arnold.html</a>Neil Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18241593955210773189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4412717009930339280.post-42177752168936605782011-04-27T15:18:00.001-07:002011-04-27T15:18:42.831-07:00Monsters You've Never Heard Of...Part Two<a href="http://forteanzoology.blogspot.com/2011/04/neil-arnold-monsters-youve-never-heard_25.html">http://forteanzoology.blogspot.com/2011/04/neil-arnold-monsters-youve-never-heard_25.html</a>Neil Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18241593955210773189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4412717009930339280.post-60849105683577154312011-04-27T15:15:00.001-07:002011-04-27T15:15:34.428-07:00Monsters You've Never Heard Of...Part One<a href="http://forteanzoology.blogspot.com/2011/04/neil-arnold-monsters-youve-never-heard.html">http://forteanzoology.blogspot.com/2011/04/neil-arnold-monsters-youve-never-heard.html</a>Neil Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18241593955210773189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4412717009930339280.post-53107684287822356632011-04-22T06:16:00.000-07:002011-04-22T06:16:27.613-07:00Mothman Of Hertfordshire<span style="font-size: x-small;">Hertfordshire Mothman</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">More than a century ago a curious incident took place in the neighbourhood of Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire, UK. Mr Boreham was a well respected man who lived in the area with his wife and three daughters. One evening as the family sat around a crackling fire talking to a neighbour, their tranquillity was shattered by a knocking sound followed by several screams and shouts. The friend of the family, a Mrs Hummerstone, who was closest to the door, ran out towards the kitchen and saw the servant girl, an Elizabeth Harris, trying to defend herself from a knife-wielding maniac named Tom Simmonds. The eighteen-year old Simmonds, who had once been employed by Mr Boreham, had been dismissed after being more than unsuitable for the job. Simmonds had also been dating Harris, but overcome with rage was now attempting to kill her after Mr Boreham advised the servant girl to see him no longer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Simmonds rushed out of the house and then smashed a window with a chair and climbed through, stabbing Mrs Hummerstone in the throat on the way. Simmonds then brutally attacked Mr Boreham’s oldest daughter, stabbing her to death before slashing at Mrs Boreham and Elizabeth Harris. However, whilst in the throes of his murderous mission, Tom Simmonds suddenly ceased with his actions, dropped his knife, screamed and fled from the building.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A few hours later Simmonds was tracked down by police to an old barn where he was found shivering and staring wild eyed into blackness. Simmonds was to be executed but before his death he told a very strange story to the chaplain. He commented, that as he was about to slash Miss Harris with the knife something cold tapped him on the shoulder. When Simmonds turned he was confronted by a huge, dark coloured creature which had large wings. Although it’s face was human-like, it frowned heavily at him. Many would have perceived Simmonds rambling as the words of a madman, were it not for the other witnesses who came forward to speak of their own personal encounters with the winged monster. One local man, after hearing about the story came forward to say that after a bout of heavy depression he decided to commit suicide. Suddenly a winged humanoid appeared and its appearance alone forced the man to consider his actions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Was this bizarre birdman a peculiar omen of the ethereal ? A darkly guised angel ? Or an obscure legend which many, many years later would become as Mothman but elsewhere in the world.</span>Neil Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18241593955210773189noreply@blogger.com2