The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

You might have watched the episodes of Supernatural where the "horsemen" make an appearance. I got interested in the origins of these horsemen and did some research. I found that they are not all named in the bible. In the bible, only one rider is actually named. The horsemen are the first 4 of 7 seals to starting the end of times. 

The four horsemen are as follows:

The first horseman rides a white horse and carries a bow and crown. In the bible, it says that the rider "...went forth conquering; and to conquer". 

The second horseman rides a red horse and carries a "great sword". The riders' power was to "Take peace from the Earth".

The third horseman rides a black horse and carries a pair of balances. He is essentially famine.

The fourth horsemen ride a pale horse and the riders name is Death. The bible says that Hell followed with him.

Together their power, as stated in the bible, is "...to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth."

The Salt and the Sumerians

Have you ever knocked a salt shaker over and the salt spilled. Has anyone told you to toss some of the salt over your shoulder to avoid bad luck caused by knocking the salt over in the first place? This method to counteract the bad luck associated with spilling salt was started around 3,500 B.C. by the Ancient Sumerians.

Roman soldiers were, in a way, paid in salt rations. The Roman writer Petronius, in the Satyricon, originated "not worth his salt" as an insult for Roman soldiers.

The belief that throwing a pinch of salt would counteract the bad luck caused by spilling salt originated with the Sumerians and worked its way to the Egyptians, Assyrians, and the Greeks.

Golem

The Golem is a man-made creature in Jewish Folklore.  Golems are brought to life by rabbi's using ancient rituals.  They are made from clay or mud.  They do not have the ability to speak and also lack souls.  Rabbi Yude-Keyb ben-Betsale, born in 1525, was said to have been given the answer on how to combat evil in a dream.  The dream told him that the secret to how to bring a golem to life was in the Book of Creation.

La Llorona

The tale of La Llorona goes like this... a woman discovers her husband cheated on her she drowns her children in madness.  After her madness fades she kills herself because of the guilt she has for drowning her children.

La Llorona is a  myth originating in Mexico.  La Llorona is a popular version of the woman in white  or weeping woman myth.  La Llorona translates to "the wailing woman".  Some people consider the wailing woman as being some version of a banshee do to their similar appearance.

In Mexico's La Llorona she appears in white near lakes or rivers crying because she drowned her children.

Wishing Well

Why do we tell children to toss coins in a well and make a wish?  Well,  it depends whether you go for the European, Celts, or Norse tales and beliefs.  

Wishing wells were common in Europe.  It was believed that when a person spoke their wishes the spirits that lived in the water would grant them.  If they were bribed by dropping a coin into the water.

In the Celts history their is a famous temple around spring water that is dedicated to a Celtic goddess.  Archaeologists found small gifts like pottery, buttons, beads, and coins dating back to around 407 C.E.

Within Norse mythology there is a tale in which Odin throws his eye in the Well of Wisdom as payment for the wisdom he received. Now there are an abundance of cultures that have similar tales that ties back to the origin of the wishing well but these were the ones that I found most interesting.  I hope you did to!

Davy Jones

Have you ever heard sailors mention Davy Jones or his famous locker?  Do you know what is said to be in this locker?  Well, it is said that Davy Jones's locker is the resting place of thousands of sailors who drowned at sea. 

The first reference to Davy Jones was in the 18th century 1726.  The first reference to Davy Jones Locker was in 1803.  There are quite a few versions and debates concerning this myth.  The most prolific version is the ghost ship that is doomed to sail forever much like the Flying Dutchman in the Pirates of the Caribbean.  Davy Jones has also been thought to be the evil god of the sea.  In another version Davy Jones was a man who owned a pub and killed men who where drunk or sold them to slave ships.

Bloody Mary Myth

Bloody Mary...Bloody Mary...Bloody Mary!  I really hope you didn't read that out loud in front of a mirror.  If you did, then you might see the ghost of bloody Mary holding a baby and trying to take yours. 

You ever wonder who the Bloody Mary myth was based on? 

Well,  Queen Mary the 1st earned the nickname "Bloody Mary" when she signed an act in 1554, which lead to the Marian Persecution during which over 200 men and 60 women were burned at the stake.  

The reason Bloody Mary might be holding a baby or trying to take yours is because of something that happened to Queen Mary.  The queen was one of the most famous cases of Pseudocyesis.  It is very rare and happens when a person is so determined to become pregnant that their body is tricked into acting like it is.  She showed all signs of being pregnant, but a month passed her due date she no longer had her baby bump.  She never had a child.  

It is a solid theory as to the origin of Bloody Mary.  Real or not you won't catch me trying to summon Bloody Mary!




Howard, K. (2019, January 30). Behind The Mirror: The True Story Of Bloody Mary. Retrieved June 15, 2019, from https://allthatsinteresting.com/bloody-mary

Bermuda Triangle

You know that rhyme...Columbus sailed the ocean blue?  Well he also sailed through the Bermuda Triangle.  In fact, he made the one of the earliest sighting of something odd in the area now known as the Bermuda Triangle.  He reported seeing a green fire crashing into the ocean.  As well as a weird light several weeks later.  


The 500,000 square miles of  bad luck in the Atlantic ocean has had many strange wrecks and disappearances.  In 1918 the USS Cyclops disappeared without sending any distress signals.  In 1941 2 ships similar to the USS Cyclops vanished in nearly the same spot and in both disappearances no wreckage was ever found.  Planes vanish, compasses malfunction.  Over all, not even the luckiest ship has a chance.

The Sidhe

This Irish race of supernatural creature has a twist on the "fairy" tale myth.  Some sources might says that the Sidhe [shee] are fallen angels.  The reason the are small is because it is believed that "...they diminished in size after people stopped honoring and believing in them, though they retained their human like form."(Alexander, 2014, p. 105)  They can also make themselves invisible and often hold feasts with music and dancing.

Who knows?..Tinker Bell might once have been an angel before she made it on the big screen.

Alexander, S. (2014). Fairies: The myths, legends, and lore. Avon, MA: F W Media.

One Diseases Symptoms Make it Look Like you're a Vampire

Although vampire superstition has been around for longer, lore and accounts of real vampires grew most in the Middle Ages.  The Middle Ages was ripe with diseases and plagues.  One of these diseases shows symptoms that fit the description of traits a vampire would show.  Lets list some common traits exhibited by a vampire throughout all lore  and compare it with symptoms of a disease called Porphyrias [pawr-feer-ee-uh].


VAMPIRE 

• Burns in sunlight
• Pale/Fair skin
• Drink blood       

PORPHYRIAS 

• Blisters in sunlight
• Changes in pigment (skin color)
• Desire to drink human blood to alleviate symptoms

Interesting huh?



Barber, P. (1987). Forensic Pathology and the European Vampire. Journal of Folklore Research, 24(1), 1-32. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/3814375

The Bedburg Werewolf

The 15th century holds one of the most famous cases of the werewolf. For a long time the town of Bedburg, Germany had a number of cow mutilations and the farmers suspected wolves. Then children and women started disappearing. Some were not found and others found mutilated. A man named Peter Stumpp, born in 1525, resided in Bedburg, Germany. Peter was blamed for the killings after some hunters claimed that they saw him shape-shift into a wolf. After being tortured he confessed to the killings as well as owning an enchanted belt that let him transform from man to wolf. The enchanted belt was never found.

Editors, H. (2017, August 23). Werewolf Legends. Retrieved June 5, 2019, from https://www.history.com/topics/folklore/history-of-the-werewolf-legend

Vlad the Impaler

Vlad Dracula ruled Walachia, Romania from 1456-1462.  The reason for his nickname is because he killed his enemies by impaling them on a wooden stake.  He is also said to dip his bread into dying enemies blood.  No wonder people believed he was a vampire.

Editors, History.com. “Vampire History.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 13 Sept. 2017, www.history.com/topics/folklore/vampire-history.