Sinterklaas is coming to town...

in the Netherlands anyway!  On December 5th, Sinterklaas departs from his residence in Spain on his trusted white horse, Amerigo, and his helpers known as Zwarte Pieten (Black Pete/Petes), heading out to the Dutch port.  He will deliver presents to the "good" children who have left a shoe by the fireplace or the windowsill.  

Taking a bit of a dark turn, rumor has it the Zwarte Pieten seek out bad children and collect them in their sacks to take back to Spain (sounds absolutely horrifying), especially considering that the Zwarte Pieten have soot-stained faces from peeking out of fireplaces, giant afro-type hairstyles, big gold hoop earrings, and ridiculously brightly painted red lips. 

Sinterklaas apparently loves to hear children singing, and he will listen out for those singing especially loud to reward them with goodies such as gingerbread and chocolates.

A few lucky families may hear a knock on their door while having dinner on Christmas Eve and when they open their doors, they may discover an extra sack filled with goodies to be opened later that evening.

                        VROLIJK KERSTFEEST!!!

Not even a creature was stirring...

except for a spider (or two), at least that is the story in the Ukraine.  Celebrated on January 7th, spider webs and ornate spiders can be found on Christmas trees through out Ukraine and parts of Germany.  The story goes that a widow and her children spent the year growing their own Christmas tree from a pinecone due to lack of money to purchase one.  

'Twas the night before Christmas and the children were in a panic and crying because of the lack of decorations to decorate their tree.  

Luckily, nearby spiders heard their cries and when the family slept, the spiders decorated the tree with freshly spun webs.

Upon waking Christmas day, the children were delighted to see their tree adorned with the most beautiful shimmery webs that easily made their tree as beautiful as any other tree in the Ukraine.

13 for 13....

Happy Friday the 13th!

I. Every year has at least one Friday the 13ths but no more than three.

II. Blame it on Sunday!  Friday the 13 only occurs when a month starts on Sunday.

III. The longest span between Friday the 13s is fourteen months.

IV. The Ancient Chinese and Ancient Egyptians regarded the number 13 as lucky.

V. Friggatriskaidekaphobia comes from the Norse goddess of wisdom, Frigg (Friday) and the Greek words triskaideka (13), and phobia (fear).

VI. On August 13, 1899, Alfred Hitchcock was born.

VII. A few serial killers have 13 letters in their names, Jack The Ripper, Albert Desalvo, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Charles Manson. Adolfus Hitler is also, you guessed it, 13 letters!

VIII. Millions of people have a real fear of Friday the 13th.

IX. October 13, 1307, it is recorded that French King Philip IV gathered hundreds of monks and tortured them.

X. Margaret Thatcher, Fidel Castro, and Butch Cassidy were all born on a Friday 13th.

XI. In the UK, houses are never addressed as 13, instead they use 12-1/2 or 12A.

XII. No one can say exactly how these superstitions surrounding Friday the 13th were actually created but it certainly does make for a good story.

XIII. Fact: No one can simply avoid Friday the 13th.

Check out some more fun facts here and here if you dare!

Capucchin Catacombs in Palermo, Italy....

My love for Italy and its history (the good, the bad, and the hauntingly mysterious continues) with part 2 of the catacombs where Rosalia Lombardo lays to rest; The Italian Girl with the Yellow Bow in Her Hair.

Photo source

So what is a catacomb anyway? The Ancient Romans constructed underground cemeteries consisting of subterranean galleries with recesses to entomb their dead.

The word catacomb comes from the Latin word catatubas which means among the tombs. 

This is one of those times teaching Latin in our homeschooling curriculum paid off.  Learning Latin is so under-rated.

I think everyone should learn Latin and Greek, emphasis on the base words at least.  Anyway....

Catacombs can be found all over the world including Salzburg, Egypt, Australia, Greece, Spain, Bosnia, and right here in the USA in Indianapolis; even though, traditionally, catacombs are more common in Rome and Paris.

No other catacombs in the world are quite like Catacombe dei Cappucini in Sicily.

Photo source

This cadaverous territory for the decomposing was created in the late part of the 16th century due to overcrowding at the Capuchin monastery cemetery.

In 1599, Silvestro of Gubbio was the first priest to claim a spot.

Photo source
Meet Silvestro

This oubliette of death was originally designed to be the forever home of the deceased religious men/monks; however when word got out that this vault of the dead could created a natural mummification process, everyone wanted in.

Securing a spot to immorality became a status symbol that only the wealthy could procure.  That helps to explain all the finely dressed mummies you can find there.  The dearly departed are essentially on display and a few are arranged in outlandish poses.

This catacomb is also divided into separate areas for the religious people, priests, children, families, professional men, and women.

There are also a few famous folks resting in peace with Rosalia including the son of a Tunisian king, Sicilian painter, Giuseppe Velasco, Colonel Enea DiGuiliano, sculptor, Lorenzo Marabitti, and surgeon Salvatore Manzella.

Photo source

If you find yourself in Sicily, you can hang out with these guys if you dare.

Affascinante!!

Here are a few additional links just for fun or if you ever decide to pay them a visit but don't bring your camera because they have currently banned anyone from taking pictures.  Luckily, there are plenty of pictures online.
Palermo Catacombs
Tripadvisor
The Wonders of Sicily (this is a great site)
Here is a short YouTube video to peek inside.

The Italian girl with the yellow bow in her hair....

Rosalia Lombardo a.k.a. Sleeping Beauty was born in Palermo, Italy on December 13, 1918, and died of pneumonia on December 6, 1920 (over 100 years ago).

Image from Mummipedia

Rosalia's father was so distraught by his daughter's death that he turned to Alfredo Salafia, Sicilian taxidermist and embalmer, to preserve her by any means available.  To this day, Rosalia's mummy is considered to be one of the best examples of the embalming process.  That is obvious just by looking at her.

Image from Amusing Planet

Rosalia's mummy can be found at Catacombe dei Cappuccini (Capuchin Catacombs) in Palermo.  She was the last mummy to be admitted to the world famous catacombs in Sicily.  And Catacombe dei Cappuccini is a completely fascinating place which, of course, that blog post will be coming soon...

One final note, visitors have reported Rosalia's eyes open and close but Italian scientists have explained it away as just being an optical illusion having to do with the lighting but check out this YouTube video and decided for yourself.  Even if it is a simple illusion, it is kinda creepy.

Cito, Longe, Tarde...

Leave quickly, go far away, and come back slowly!  This famous Latin phrase coined by Hippocrates and Galen in the mid-1300s during the Black Death.  Lets talk quarantine!

Did you know that the concept of a quarantine (quaranta giorni-40 days/Italian) can be traced back to medieval Italy?  The general idea was to protect coastal cities from epidemics.

From Eyewitness History

Ships arriving in Milan and Venice were require to sit at anchor for 40 days before landing.  This concept has been the cornerstone of disease-control and came about in an effort to avoid a second bubonic plaque epidemic with the first being in 1348.

New York Public Library

Genoese merchant ships going around Europe with supplies also held many, many rats which carried fleas and in turn the bacteria yersinia pestis ran rampant through the people, animals, and goods on the ships.  

At this point, not much was understood about what bacteria or a virus was, they just understood they had to do something to stop the spread.  

The initial quarantine time was 30 days but was soon extended to 40 days because they figured out the life cycle of a plaque was about 37 days with the carrier becoming contagious around the 12th day and showing symptoms around the 33rd day.  Ultimately, an additional 20 days would be added to any crew member who showed signs of continuation of infection.

While the measures they took were a step in the right direction, they had to improve on things a bit.  

By the time the second bubonic plaque hit Naples, Italy, in 1656, the death toll was nearly half of the residents.  This is when the concept of the "hazmat suit" of the bubonic plague doctors was fashioned. 

The Halloween costume-looking suit consisted of long waxed coats, gloves, goggles, a top hat, a long stick, and the ever famous bird-shaped beak face mask.  The beak was lined with cleansing herbs to clear the air of toxins but still allow for plenty of room to breath while wearing it.  

An interesting thing to note is that these "plague doctors" were either new graduates, shady doctors, or knowledge-deficient doctors but no one seemed to care.  Another problem was that these doctors were sent out by the government to basically take notes, keep details, witness will signings, and attend autopsies.  They were not sent out to cure anyone.

Another innovative idea from Italy was the introduction of a quarantine station-lazaretto.  The first was in Venice in 1468 and was on a small island around the harbor.  Ships could anchor for 40 days to ensure there were no contagions.

Wiki

The ideas of quarantine safety measures and lazarettos were eventually implemented across Europe, Australia, Philadelphia, the Delaware River, and New York harbor-Liberty Island home of the Statue of Liberty.  Times change but it is fun to look back on history and see what we have learned, where we are, and where can we improve from here.  

This current pandemic has really kicked all of our butts.  We have obviously learned a lot of new techniques and prevention measures.  We don't know exactly when the next pandemic will hit but we certainly know as long as there are viruses and bacteria, there will be another pandemic at some point in the future.

From illustrious fortezza to tuberculosis treatment center to....

Photo credit

abandoned work of master Italian architect, Andrea dell'Aqua.  Constructed between 1635 and 1640, the Pidhirtsi Castle is a magnificent Renaissance palazzo in Ukraine. 

Photo credit

This impressive castle is the oldest castle in Ukraine and all of Eastern Europe and holds exquisite nightmares from the past. 

The walls of the castle literally hold a dark secret and everyone who has spent the night in the castle since the 18th century have reported seeing a woman dressed all in white roaming the castle. 

It is believed that she was 19-year-old, Mary, the wife of 60-year-old, Vaclav Zhevutsky.  Allegedly, Vaclav was insanely jealous and insecure because of the age difference so he decided to lure Mary to the dungeon and walled her up alive.

Photo credit

After WWII, the Soviets turned the castle into a tuberculosis treatment facility and the ghost of Mary was reportedly seen by workers and patients on a regular basis.

In 1956, the castle caught on fire that burned for three weeks and caused millions of dollars in damage.

Photo credit

In 1997, the Lviv Gallery of Painting bought the property in the hopes of turning it into a museum but as of 2013, the funding was not available so now this opulent treasure sits in silence.  Tourist are allowed to visit the property but no one is permitted inside.

Wedding off to a rocky start.....

I heard this story from a friend of mine who is from Bulgaria, and it is too interesting not to pass along.

A girl and boy from a very small village wanted to get married but their families were against their union.  The boy and girl organized their wedding anyway and invited both families to join them.  The groom's mother cast a spell on the couple.  The spell was to turn the couple into stone after they exchanged their vows.  The vows were completed and the couple kissed and immediately turned into stone; however, so did everyone else including the groom's mother who cast the spell in the first place.

These stone figures, known as the Stone Wedding, can still be seen today near the village of Zimzelen in Bulgaria.

The Stone Wedding rock formation, Zimzelen, Bulgaria

A white lady, a grey lady, and an Earl...

I randomly came across a story about the oldest castle in Denmark which also happens to be the "most haunted castle in all of Europe," the Dragsholm Slot.  The word Dragsholm means islet by the drag in which drag refers to the isthmus that connected Odsherred with Zealand before being reclaimed by Lammefjorden.

The Dragsholm Slot was constructed in the Renaissance around 1215 under the direction of the Bishop of Roskilde.  The castle was home to kings and noble families and functioned as a fortress against attacks.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, part of the castle was used to imprison evil-doers from the church and/or noble families with the most famous detainee being unruly Scottish nobleman, James Hepburn, the 4th Earl of Bothwell (third husband of Mary, Queen of Scots).

Hepburn lasted about five years and was only given enough food and water to survive.  He eventually lost his mind and ended up dying in a dungeon in the Dragsholm Castle in 1578.

It is alleged his ghost haunts the entire castle and endless reports of hearing the sounds of his horse and carriage in the courtyard outside the castle.

The castle is also home to at least 100 other ghost including the ghost of the White Lady.

She frequently wanders around the castle.  During a reconstruction project in 1930, builders discovered a female skeleton encased in a wall, and she was wearing white!!

She is said to be Celina the daughter of nobleman Bovles who owned the castle at one time.  Celina was promised to marry another noble but when she turned up pregnant by a commoner who worked at the castle, her father decided the only option was to seal her up behind a wall.  What a nutjob!!

And the third most standout haunter is the Grey Lady.  She is a "good" ghost according those who have interacted with her.  She was a maiden at the castle.

She developed a toothache, and she was given treatment for her tooth pain by the castle owners at the time.  The story goes they took great care of her and even though she did not die there, she comes back every night to make sure everything is in order.

Sadly, today, much like most of the other ghost-filled goldmines, the castle serves as a hotel, a rather luxurious hotel complete with a gourmet restaurant that is said to be one of the finest restaurants in Denmark.  The room prices vary and can cost upwards of $300 so if you can swing it, check out those prices and book a room here.

A Christmas Witch, The Whipping Father, a child-eating scarecrow, and a Troll named Meat Hook....

It is fascinating how many different traditions and customs Christmas symbolizes around the world.  I found a few that I have to share.


I did not really think people still went Christmas caroling but if you find yourself in Glamorgan, Wales, be weary of those songsters at your door.  You might just find those roaming performers have brought along a Mari Lwyd (a horse skull on a stick with a person hiding under a cover) with them to try to argue their way through song to get inside your house and take your food and gifts. 

If you are in Eastern Europe, you may find the two-faced Frau Perchta (Christmas Witch).

Apparently, she has a nice face for the nice children and a scary face for the bad children. She also comes into the homes of the good children and leaves a piece of silver in their shoe.

Norway also has a Christmas Witch.  The Norwegian Witch comes out on Christmas Eve to steal brooms just to go for a ride.

Guess you probably want to hide your broom if you are in Norway on Christmas Eve.

If you find yourself in Finland on Christmas Eve, head on over to a cemetery.  Finns go to the cemeteries to light candles at the graves of their loved ones who have passed away.


In the Alsace region of France, tales of a cold-blooded, rich, old man named Hans Trapp will give you a freight.

This devil-worshiping dude was excommunicated and lived in a forest.
Story has it he became a cannibal and would venture out of the forest on Christmas dressed as a scarecrow for the purpose of kidnapping all the bad children so he could eat them.

That's pretty frightening!  I am guessing there are some pretty well-behaved kids in Alsace, France.

People in South Africa have a full proof way to make kids stop eating Santa's cookies. Parents simply remind their kids about the story of Danny.  He was caught by his grandmother eating Santa's cookies so she killed him.  Makes perfect sense to me.  So now the ghost of Danny haunts all the kids who eat Santa's cookies.

In Iceland, Santa brings along 13 badass trolls when he visits.  Their gang name is The Yule Lads, and they have names like Pot-Scraper, Bowl-Licker, and Meat Hook.
They steal food, slam doors, destroy property, and kidnap the bad kids to bring to their mother, Gryla, who is said to be a large, hoofed troll/ogre female with terrifying horns and covered in warts.

And The Yule Lad gang also have a monstrous cat that goes by the name Jolakotturinn.


Fingers crossed that you will receive clothing of some type for Christmas because if you do not, Jolakotturinn with devour you.




I think I will be staying away from Iceland around the Christmas holidays.





And finally if those stories were not odd/scary enough; Le Pere Fouettard a.k.a. The Whipping Father should do the trick.

This dude hangs out with Santa everywhere he goes.


He basically whips all the children who have not been good.


If you are going for that obligatory mall photo with Santa, you can almost count on someone dressed as Le Pere Fouettard right beside him threatening children to be good.


On that note, Joyeux Noël! Et à tous une bonne nuit!

Creepy Corvin Castle...

Anytime I stumble upon stories of Vlad the Impaler (aka Vlad Dracula III, aka the real-life inspiration for Dracula), I get pulled so here is a brief summary of this awesome place.

Side note: Dracul means dragon.

Built in the early 14th century, with 42 chambers, 2 drawbridges, buttresses, inner courtyards, balconies, and turrets, the Corvin Castle (Castelul Corvinilor formally known as (Hunedoara Fortress) is a Gothic/Renaissance masterpiece!  It is said to be the most beautiful, well-preserved medieval castle in Transylvania.

It is also allegedly where Vlad, the head-impaling monster, was imprisoned for 7 years.  It is believed his time in the dungeon caused him to go insane (because clearly he was not insane before that point).  Vlad was not the only prisoner the castle was home to.

Legend has it that three Turkish men were captured and sent to the dungeon to dig a well.  They were promised that once they found water, they would be rewarded and set free.

At about 30 meters down and an astonishing 15 years later, they were successful in striking water; however, they ended up being decapitated by their captors.  What a stink! They left a message on a wall which read "You now have water, but you don't have a heart."

Another victim of the castle was a monk who was sealed in a wall of the Capistrano Tower for spying on the nobles.  He was alive by the way when they sealed him in.  People have reported seeing his ghost wandering in the tower.

Many other people had the misfortune of finding themselves in the Corvin Castle where they were tossed into the bear pit, tortured, executed, or left in the dungeon to die.

These tortured souls still haunt the castle today and many believe the real-life Dracula himself haunts the massive fortress as well which is something I would definitely be down for seeing myself if I ever make it to Romania.

You can get more details here.

And one last note. The castle is also a very popular location for filming movies, documentaries, and shows about paranormal activity including the 2018 hit The Nun which I will now have to watch.

Whilst in Amsterdam, watch out for the Ghost of Black Matthew...

In the 13th century, there was a shady lad by the name Matthew, a wandering magician and thief who filled his days gambling always winning by using trickery and dark magic. 

Eventually, his luck did run out when he tangled with the devil.  It is said that Black Matthew roams the streets all over Amsterdam hoping to start up a game and regain his luck.

Ghost stories Nordic style...

Put the Vicarage (a vicarage is a residence set up by the church for priest) of Brogvattnet on the travel list for next Halloween and check out what is said to be the most haunted location in Sweden with the highest number of ghost-to-person ratio anywhere.  There are only 50 residents in the village of Borgvattnet but still that is a pretty high ratio.

The Vicarage was built in 1876 for priests to have a place to stay.  The legend surrounding the Vicarage are that of babies buried in the yard, abused maids, and even that past Vicars haunted the house.

 The first reports of supernatural occurrences was in 1927 in a letter written by Chaplain Nils Hedlund who lived in the haunted house for holy men.  In the 1930s, Chaplain Rudolf Tangden claimed to see a woman in the house, and in the 1940s, Chaplain Otto Lindfren and his wife witnessed paranormal activities including moving objects and odd noises.  

There were also reports of rocking chairs rocking, three women sitting at the end of the bed, chairs tipping over, crying, screaming, knocking, footsteps, people in the shadows, and a Madonna (Mary) seen in a mirror.

Hauntings were continued to be reported and getting a lot of media attention which prompted Tore Forslund, an unconventional Lutheran priest, to try and clear the house of these mysterious mischief-makers.  He earned the nickname Ghostpriest.  He gave up after a year.  

Today the house is a bed and breakfast.  You can even rent the entire house if you dare and if you are brave enough to make it through one night, you will receive a certificate of bravery.

Czech it out....

The Houska Castle, Blatce in the Czech Republic is thought to be a portal to hell and for this reason, it is considered one of the scariest castles in all of Europe. 

The Gothic castle was built on top of a hill in the middle of the 13th century on the orders of Ottokar II, King of Bohemia. 

No one is sure why the castle was built or why it was built in the middle of nowhere.  There are no sources of water anywhere near the castle.  Folklore says no one has ever called the castle home. 

The castle was also oddly constructed over a hole that no one could see the bottom of, hence the nickname Gate to Hell. 

Legend has it that at night evil creatures venture out of the castle including a half demon/half animal creature with black wings that circles the area every evening. 

These villainous animal/human hybrids terrorize the locals and slaughter their livestock.  Some say these creatures can still be seen at nightfall (evil laughter).  If you are going to be in Prague, Houska Castle is only 29 miles north so swing by at night if you are not scared of these hellbeasts.

Only fools rush in.....

unless, of course, you are talking about the Fools Tower in Vienna, Austria, in which case, no one in their right mind would rush in.

If being plagued by the daunting fact that Austria is the birthplace of Hitler, welcome to an even darker history of the abused and the tortured of Vienna, Austria.

The Narrenturm, Europe's oldest building and one of the first asylums, was built in 1784 to accommodate psychiatric patients and now is home to the Federal Pathologic-Anatomical Museum.

This medieval prison looking structure is a 5-story fortress built by Isidore Canevale for Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II.  The massive structure was completed with underground passages and dungeons and was actually built over a Capuchin Monastery.  It is believed that the monks hid their own mentally-deficient brethren there.  It is a sprawling 28 room building designed in a circular fashion.  There was also a lightning rod installed on the roof. 

The asylum contained 139 individual cells for the mentally ill sent there.  They were referred to as inmates, lunatics, idiots, and madmen.  These inmates were essentially treated like animals and often times chained to the walls.  Their sleeping provisions included just a single straw mat for the floor.

Photo from Wiki

These people were essentially locked away in unsanitary conditions from others in society because of their lunacy.  They were ridiculed, degraded, and physically abused.  Sick patients were provided with little-to-no treatments.

Today, the museum houses at least 4,000 extremely shocking anomalies from the past which a few are never on display to the public but can be viewed with special arrangements.  They are said to have a stillborn "devil baby" born in 1827 that looks like Satan himself. 

The Viennese people are said to be conflicted by which scenario is actually the worst when it comes to the history of this fortress.  The rounding up and abuse of the poor or the grotesque abnormalities currently residing there.  Either way, that is enough spooky, sadness to last until next Halloween.

Just a little example of what you might encounter if you dare to visit.

Photo from Federal Pathologic-Anatomical Museum.

No bones about it....

Here is another 5 minute spooky tale for Halloween month and another tale from my favorite place, Venice, Italy.

Photo credit

Who wants to meet a giant, bell-ringing ghost looking to get his bones back at midnight?  That would be me! 



The story goes that one of the last official bell-ringers of St. Mark's Bell Tower was indeed a giant (the giant of Corte Bresanna).  He was almost 7 feet tall which is/was unusual for Italians.  He was basically a celebrity in his day.

Corte Bressana

One day the director of a scientific institution approached this giant with a deal he could not refuse.  The deal was that the giant would be given money, a lot of money, if upon his death the institute could have his skeleton to study.  The Giant of Corte Bressana quickly agreed to the deal thinking he would not be dying any time soon so it would not matter.  He collected the money and proceeded to go drinking every night which, of course, expedited his premature death.  What a stink!

His skeleton is on display at the Museo di Storia Naturale di Venezia.

The residents say that the giant haunts Corte Bressana.  He leaves the museum, climbs to the top of the bell tower, rings the bells 12 times, and then walks through the streets begging people for money so he can buy his bones back. 

October, ghost story, Venice, Italy, si grazie....

Image from wikimedia.org-
Campiello del Remer

I love October because that means Halloween, yeah, yeah!! 

So quickest ghost story ever.  

If you are planning a visit to Venice and want to see a tormented, guilt-filled, wife-murdering ghost man wandering aimlessly through a tiny Venetian square carrying the head and torso of his dead wife, set your GPS to 45°26'6"N   12°19'37"E.

Here is the deal.  In 1598, the Doge Marino Grimani (Doge is Italian for an elected chief of state for various city/states during the medieval times and the Renaissance) was walking with his men in the Rialto area (Venice) when he heard the screams of a woman.  Later discovering the source of the screaming was his niece, Elena, who was trying to escape from her husband, Fosco Loredan.  

Image from wikimedia.org-
Doge Marino Grimani

He was accusing Elena of infidelity and became so violent he ended up decapitating her.  Grimani was overcome by grief at witnessing such a horror.  






Grimani and his men ordered Fosco to collect his wife's head and go to Rome for the Pope to decide his punishment for the crime.  

wikimedia.org-Grande Canal

In shock, the Pope sent Fosco back to Venice without uttering a word.  


Fosco began to fall apart because of the guilt he felt over his actions and ended up taking his wife's head and body and drowning himself in the Grande Canal in front of the Campiello del Remer, a small workshop.  

Apparently, Fosco appears on nights with full moons and on the anniversary of his death walking earth with his beloved decapitated wife in his arms.