The Curse of “Hands Resist Him”

The Curse of “Hands Resist Him”: The Haunted Ebay Painting

Painted in 1972 by artist Bill Stoneham, “Hands Resist Him” is a self-portrait painting that caused a media stir when it appeared on eBay for sale with an elaborate ghost story attached.

 Stoneham has said the painting is a self-portrait of himself as a five-year-old boy, the hands on the door behind him represent other lives, other possibilities, other worlds, the glass represents the thin veil between the worlds of waking and dreaming, and the doll is a guide, leading the boy through the veil.

 In February 2000, the painting appeared for sale on ebay.com with a long description detailing that the painting had been found abandoned, behind a building. The seller then went on to claim that whilst the painting was in their house, the family’s daughter started to see the boy and girl moving inside the painting, they soon took to leaving the painting, and appeared to be fighting. The owners then set up a motion detector camera, which appeared to show the movement.

 Stoneham didn’t help the legends by adding that the gallery where the painting was originally displayed and sold, and a Los Angeles Times critic, who reviewed the painting in an article, both ended up dead within a year of the showing.

 Many people report strange feelings and strange events after seeing the picture, and some have reported children freaking out when seeing the painting or prints of it.

Below is the original text accompanying the painting when offered for sale on eBay.

written in ©2013 Allen Tiller

Revised 2017 -  Allen Tiller, Eidolon Paranormal

THE ORIGINAL EBAY TEXT THAT ACCOMPANIED THE PAINTING

WHEN WE RECEIVED THIS PAINTING, WE THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY GOOD ART. A " PICKER " HAD FOUND IT ABANDONED BEHIND AN OLD BREWERY. AT THE TIME WE WONDERED A LITTLE WHY A SEEMINGLY PERFECTLY FINE PAINTING WOULD BE DISCARDED LIKE THAT. ( TODAY WE DON'T !!! ) ONE MORNING OUR 4 AND 1/2 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER CLAIMED, THAT THE CHILDREN IN THE PICTURE WERE FIGHTING, AND COMING INTO THE ROOM DURING THE NIGHT. NOW, I DON'T BELIEVE IN UFOS OR ELVIS BEING ALIVE, BUT MY HUSBAND WAS ALARMED. TO MY AMUSEMENT HE SET UP A MOTION TRIGGERED CAMERA FOR THE NIGHTS. AFTER THREE NIGHTS THERE WERE PICTURES.THE LAST TWO PICTURES SHOWN ARE FROM THAT 'STAKEOUT'. AFTER SEEING THE BOY SEEMINGLY EXITING THE PAINTING UNDER THREAT, WE DECIDED, THE PAINTING HAS TO GO.PLEASE JUDGE FOR YOURSELF. --- BEFORE YOU DO, PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING WARNING AND DISCLAIMER. ----WARNING: DO NOT BID ON THIS PAINTING IF YOU ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO STRESS RELATED DISEASE, FAINT OF HEART OR ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH SUPERNATURAL EVENTS. BY BIDDING ON THIS PAINTING, YOU AGREE TO RELEASE THE OWNERS OF ALL LIABILITY IN RELATION TO THE SALE OR ANY EVENTS HAPPENING AFTER THE SALE, THAT MIGHT BE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS PAINTING. THIS PAINTING MAY OR MAY NOT POSESS SUPERNATURAL POWERS, THAT COULD IMPACT OR CHANGE YOUR LIFE. HOWEVER, BY BIDDING YOU AGREE TO EXCLUSIVELY BID ON THE VALUE OF THE ARTWORK, WITH DISREGARD TO THE LAST TWO PHOTOS FEATURED IN THIS AUCTION, AND HOLD THE OWNERS HARMLESS IN REGARD TO THEM AND THEIR IMPACT, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED.------------ NOW THAT WE GOT THIS OUT OF THE WAY, ONE QUESTION TO YOU EBAYERS. WE WANT OUR HOUSE TO BE BLESSED AFTER THE PAINTING IS GONE, DOES ANYBODY KNOW, WHO IS QUALIFIED TO DO THAT? THE SIZE OF THE PAINTING IS 24 BY 36 INCHES, SO IT IS RATHER LARGE. AS I HAVE HAD SEVERAL QUESTIONS, HERE THE FOLLOWING ANSWERS. THERE WAS NO ODOR LEFT BEHIND IN THE ROOM. THERE WERE NO VOICES, OR THE SMELL OF GUNPOWDER, NO FOODPRINTS OR STRANGE FLUIDS ON THE WALL. TO DETER QUESTIONS IN THIS DIRECTION, THERE ARE NO GHOSTS IN THIS WORLD , NO SUPERNATURAL POWERS, THIS IS JUST A PAINTING, AND MOST THESE THINGS HAVE AN EXPLANATION, IN THIS CASE PROBABLY A FLUKE LIGHT EFFECT. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO BID ON THE ARTWORK, AND CONSIDER THE LAST TWO PHOTOGRAPHS AS PURE ENTERTAINMENT, AND PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THEM INTO CONSIDERATION, WHEN BIDDING. AS WE THINK IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO BLESS ANY HOUSE, WE STILL WELCOME INPUT INTO THAT PROCEDURE.

This auction is nearing the end. I want to thank the more than 13000 people that took the time to look at this image on Ebay. I appreciate the more than 30 suggestions, that I received regarding blessing the house, exorcising and cleansing. 7 e-mails reported strange or irregular events taking place, when viewing this image. And I will relay two suggestions made by the senders. First not to use this image as the background on the screen, and second not to display this image around juveniles or children. Last not least, thanks for appreciating the art as well.

Curses: The Curse of the Rune Stones

The Curse of the Rune Stones

Blekinge Sweden is home to a mysterious 4.2-meter tall monolith that stands in a triad with two other menhirs. On the stone is written an inscription in a proto-Norse language of runes that contains a foreboding warning about the removal or destruction of the stone.
It reads:
"Björketorp Runestone, master of the runes, conceal here runes of power. Incessantly (plagued by) maleficence, (doomed to) insidious death (is) he who breaks this (monument).”

On the other side of the same stone is written the “Prophecy of Destruction” which translate roughly too “do not try to remove or destroy this stone as death will seek you”

The runes on the stone can be traced to one of the earliest forms of Germanic Runic language from around the 6th century known as “Elder Futhark Runes”, the name comes from the first six rune – F, U, TH, A, R and K, it contains 24 alphabetic runes.

The Bjorketorp Runes meaning is one of great debate amongst scholars, some believe it to be a border marker between the lands of the Swedes and the Danes, others believe it to be a shrine to the Norse God Odin, whilst others believe it to be a headstone or memorial to warriors lost in battle, whatever its meaning the curse inscription is believed to be one of substance.

A local legend tells of a man who wished to farm on the land and wanted to remove the stone as it was in his way. On a day of no winds and calm weather, the man piled wood around the rock to try and heat the stone and then crack it by pouring cold water over it.
As the man set fire to the wood a gust of wind blew the flames away from the stone and towards the man, setting his hair on fire, but extinguishing the flames around the stone. The man, panicking, could not put out the fire upon his head and died a terrible fiery death.

Whether the curse is real or not, the stone still stands after 14 centuries.


©2012 Allen Tiller 
first published Dec 17 2012
www.eidolonparanormal.com.au

Curses: The Curse of the Devils Pool

The Curse of the Devils Pool

In Far North Queensland, Australia, one can find the town of Babinda, surrounded by lush rain-forests, not far from the northern Queensland city of Cairns.

The Devils Pool is known in local Aboriginal legend as being a cursed place, cursed by an aboriginal woman. Legend has it that the woman was a wife of an Aboriginal Mob leader.
 It is said, during a local gathering event, she ran away with a man much younger than her husband, eventually, she was cornered, about to be captured, and threw herself into the pool, beckoning her lover to follow...

The “Devils Pool” is a beautiful rainforest location, but the pool itself is very dangerous, with numerous signs posted warning of shallow waters and fast currents, this isn’t a place to play casually.

Since 1959 the pools have claimed the lives of 17 young males, is it the fact that younger males are more reckless and willing to take chances, or is the curse a reality?

One local, Annie Wonga, gave this account on Wikipedia:
"There was a tribe that lived here. In this tribe was an elder, and his name was called Waroonoo and Waroonoo was promised to a girl called Oolana. When they got married, they had a big dance. As they went dancing a wandering tribe passed through and they welcomed them. In this tribe was a handsome young warrior and his name was Dyga. Oolana fell in love with him, and he fell in love with Oolana.
While they were dancing, they decided to run further up the creek and camp there overnight. And in the morning, the wandering tribe and our tribe saw that they were missing. So they went in search of them and they said to Oolana, "You've got to come with us." And his tribe took him away. And when she saw that, she just came and she threw herself into the creek. She loved him that much. And there was a mighty upheaval, and rocks were strewn everywhere and where she lay is now called the Devil's Pool. And every now and again she might call a wandering man to her, thinking that it's Dyga."


http://www.cairnsattractions.com.au/a_babinda-boulders.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil's_Pool,_Australia


© Allen Tiller 2012
first published Dec 17 2012
www.eidolonparanormal.com.au

Curses: The Curse of Robert the Doll

The Curse of Robert the Doll

Key West Florida 1897, The wealthy Otto family moved into their large plantation home, it is said the Otto's were particularly cruel to their servants and dealt out unjust punishments upon them for no good reason.

The Otto's welcomed their firstborn child Gene in 1906. the Ottos had a number of servant girls and gave one the distinction of being the Nanny of their young son.

The young girl, it is said, was well versed in Voodoo, and upon Gene's 6th birthday presented him with a new doll. Gene loved his new friend and named him Robert.

Robert went everywhere Gene went, the two were inseparable. As time passed the family noticed their son's fascination with the doll was becoming all-consuming. It wasn’t long before they noticed some unusual goings on with the doll. While listening to their son play, they heard him asking questions, and heard answers from an unknown voice, when the Father entered the room to check he saw no one present. He asked Gene who had been in his room answering him, Gene would only

reply “Robert."

Gene began to suffer terrible nightmares and would wake the house with his scream of terror in the night, when the Father would run into the room he would find all of Gene's furniture overturned and Gene in his bed trembling with fear. Robert would be sitting upright at the end of his bed, glaring at him.

Gene would shout “ Robert did it! Robert did it!”

Gene's Father died and Gene inherited the family home. He moved into the house with his wife Ann and used a room as his studio, as Gene was now a semi-famous artist. He would always have Robert with him in his studio, and paint, talking to the doll as if in deep conversation. Ann grew to despise the doll and her husband's obsession with it, eventually, she told her husband to put it in the attic, and he did so, visiting Robert with regularity.

Robert remained in the attic for a few years. During this time Gene would often state to Ann that Robert was terribly angry about his treatment. Gene wanted Robert to have his own room, one of the guest rooms that overlooked the street. Ann, not wanting to fight anymore over the doll, gave in to Gene and allowed it.

Legends grew among local children about the doll. Some said they would see it dancing in the window, others told how its head would follow them as they walked past, with a scowling look upon its face. Most children avoided looking at the Otto house altogether as they passed.

Gene and Ann's relationship was slowly deteriorating, Gene would lash out at his wife, throwing objects at her and smashing furniture. Gene's demeanour would change from normal to menacing and back again. He would apologise to Ann for his bad behaviour blaming it on the doll,  “It was Robert, Ann. Robert did it!”
Ann began to question her husband's sanity.

In the early 1970s Gene became very ill, he would not allow his wife to aid him and instead locked himself in a room with the doll. Robert Eugene Otto died in the guest room of his house with his doll Robert, laying alongside him. Ann sold the house and moved on, leaving Robert somewhat hidden in the attic.

A new family moved into the home, and in their efforts to clean the attic found the doll laying under a number of old boxes. The couple's daughter took a shine to the doll and added it to her own porcelain doll collection. It wasn’t long until Robert was up to his old tricks again. The family would be woken by the girl screaming in the bedroom, only to enter and find all her furniture strewn across the room.


She claimed that Robert had been running around the room jumping up and down breaking things. It is said to this day the then girl, now a 40-something-year-old woman, still claims what happened with the doll is truthful.

The Family moved the doll on, it was donated to the Key West Florida Martello Museum. Robert is now on display in the museum, he is said to still be active. Employees speak of Robert moving inside his display case, of his facial features changing and of bizarre goings on in the museum.

One of the most common stories regarding the doll is that of camera malfunctions in his presence, it appears, unless one asks Robert directly if they can take a photo of him, your camera will not work in his presence, this phenomenon has been documented on numerous occasions.

Guards will often leave candy in Robert's presence as a way to bribe him into not causing any damage in the museum, often they return in the morning to find just the wrappers at his feet.
Rumour has it that Robert was put together by Gene's Nanny for revenge for her harsh treatment by the Otto Family. It is suggested she was well versed in voodoo and that she put a curse on the doll as she filled his insides with animal bones and evil relics.

One of the strangest things about Robert is he appears to be aging, his hair has turned white and he is starting to look old and worn, is it possible, that whatever lurks inside Robert's tiny body is also subject to the ravages of time?

Much has been documented about Robert The Doll, a quick google search will reveal a great number of eye witness testimony and letters written to the doll asking to have curses lifted, whether or not you choose to believe Robert is haunted and cursed is up to you, but the evidence is mounting!

© Allen Tiller - 2012


www.eidolonparanormal.com.au

Curses: The Curse of Rosemary's Baby

The Curse of Rosemary's Baby

This movie made in 1968, directed by Roman Polanski, is another Hollywood movie said to be plagued by horrible tragedies that stem from a curse being placed upon it. The movie is a psychological Horror that tells the story of a young pregnant woman who thinks her husband may have made a pact with her eccentric neighbours to sacrifice her baby in a ritual as a pay off to help further his acting career

The curse for this movie seems to begin with a link to the notorious serial killer, Charles Manson. Charles was convicted through the “joint responsibility” law, that rules co-conspirators should also face the same fate of the en-actors of a crime. Manson's “Family” murdered Roman Polanski's then-pregnant wife, Sharon Tate, in cold blood in her California home, along with 4 other people. 

The hotel building which appears in the film Rosemary's Baby is the same hotel that legendary musician, John Lennon was murdered in front of by Mark Chapman in 1980
Other incidences that are attributed to the curse include the films music composer dying in exactly the same manner as a character in the film. The Producer of the movie almost succumbing to Kidney failure, and a model in the film who was later arrested for murder

©2012 Allen Tiller 
first published 17 Dec 2012
www.eidolonparanormal.com.au

Curses: The Curse of Superman

The Curse of Superman

One of the best-known curses of modern times, The Curse of Superman has plagued many modern actors who have worn the red cape of the legendary DC comics superhero.
The two most notable references tot he curse belong to George Reeves, who played Superman from 1952 until 1958 on the television show “Adventures of Superman”. George Reeves would eventually die of a gunshot wound to the head at the age of 45, that was officially termed a suicide by authorities but has always been a contentious issue due to evidence that was “overlooked” at the time.
The second most notable influence of the curse is sited at that of Christopher Reeve, who played Superman in 4 movies between 1978 and 1987. Christopher Reeve was injured in a horse riding accident in which he was paralysed from the neck down, he died nine years later at the age of 52.

Of course, the curse, in this case, is very loosely based on any accident or misfortune that befalls a cast member of someone who has worked on a production involving Superman.

Bud Collyer

Other deaths associated with the curse include Bud Collyer who voiced the first Superman cartoon from 1941 to 1943, he later voiced the 1966 adaption, he died three years later of a circulatory ailment.
Lee Quigley, who played Baby Superman in the Christopher Reeve 1978 move, died at the age of 14 from solvent abuse.
Then there is Dana Reeve, Wife of Christopher Reeve who died from lung cancer at the age of 44 despite being a non-smoker her entire life


Non Death related attributions to the curse:
Kirk Alyn, who played Superman in two very low budget serials of Superman found it hard to find work afterwards. He would later appear as Lois Lanes Father in the 1978 movie. He lived to the ripe old age of 88, but his career decline between playing Superman and starring as Lois Lane's father is often cited as an effect of the curse.

Margot Kidder who played Lois Lane went missing in 1996 and turned up naked and disorientated several days later. Her ordeal was put down to severe bipolar disorder.

Richard Pryor played villain Gus Gorman in 1983's Superman 3, the role is often attributed as the beginning of the end of his career in film due to massive box office failure that was Superman 3. Three years later Pryor was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Pryor died in 2005 of cardiac arrest.

So is the curse genuine or just superstition and loosely related accidents and mishaps?

The following actors are yet to have anything attributed to the curse: Dean Cain who played Superman in “Louis & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman".

 
Brandon Routh who donned the tights and cape for the 2006 movie “Superman Returns” and Bob Holiday who played The Man of Steel in the Broadway play “ It's a Bird, It's a Plane, it's Superman!”
We will eventually see their deaths attributed to the curse?, only time will tell...

Written & Researched
By
Allen Tiller
© 2012 Eidolon Paranormal

first published Dec 17 2012
www.eidolonparanormal.com.au

Curses: The Curse of Eddie and the Hotrods

The Curse of Eddie and the Hotrods

In 1977 Eddie and The Hotrods released their single “Do what ya wanna do”, which was soon become a massive hit for them. The cover of the single featured Alistair Crowley's face with a set of Mickey Mouse ears on his head, a play on Crowley's famous line “Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be The Whole Of The Law”
 
Not long after the release of the single a large volume of letters started arriving at the group's fan site address, many of them from Crowley followers telling the band they were “playing with fire” and would “live to regret” what they had done.
 Legend has it that Jimmy Page, long time follower of Crowley phoned members of the band and told them he would curse them in Crowley's name.

It didn’t take long for the curse to become true in the eyes of the band members, the man responsible for the Crowley cover committed suicide, the band's manager died of a drug overdose and numerous other legal, relationship and money troubles beset the band.

The band have broken up and reformed numerous times only Barrie Masters, the original singer has maintained his position in the band throughout its entirety.

Written & Researched
By
Allen Tiller
© 2012 Eidolon Paranormal
first published 17 Dec 2012
 www.eidolonparanormal.com.au

Curses: The Curse of Atuk

The Curse of Atuk

 

Atuk is a script for a movie yet to be made. Legend has it that this script has been passed amongst some of Hollywoods leading funny men who have all passed away suddenly after reading the script.
Atuk, which means “Grandfather” in Inuit is intended to be a film about an Inuit hunter trying to adapt to life in the big city, a classic “fish out of water” type tale. 

Actors to have read the script and allegedly top have died because of its curse include, John Belushi, John Candy, Chris Farley and Sam Kinison, others whose deaths have also been attributed to the curse include Michael O'Donoghue and Phil Hartman who both would have had minor roles in the film.

The movie was most recently referenced by Will Ferrell in “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” when Adam McKay repeatedly pitches a screenplay called “Eskimo in New York” to Ron Burgundy

Is the legend truthful or is it just another group of coincidences that have been loosely put together as a conspiracy and curses...

Written & Researched
By
Allen Tiller
© 2012 Eidolon Paranormal
originally published 17th Dec 2012
www.eidolonparanormal.com.au

Curses: The Curse of “Little Bastard”

The Curse of “Little Bastard”

 

  At 5:45p.m., September 30th 1955 Actor James Dean lost his life in a car accident. His new Porsche Spider, nicknamed “Little Bastard” slammed head-on into another car driven by Donald Turnupseed.
Dean's mechanic, who had been in the car with Dean, was thrown from the wreckage and survived the accident, Dean, however, was pinned inside the car, his neck broken.
Turnupseed received only minor injuries in the crash.

The car had been named “Little Bastard” after Dean's nickname given to him on the set of the movie he was filming named “Giant”.

Some of Dean's friends didn’t like the car straight away upon seeing it, Eartha Kitt stated: “James, I don't like this car; it's going to kill you”
Sir Alec Guinness thought the car was “sinister” when asked by Dean what he thought of it, and thought Dean would be “dead within the week” of owning it.
Had these comments influenced Dean to think he may die in the car? Prior to his death, Dean gave away a kitten given to him by Liz Taylor, saying “someday I may go out and not come back” and whilst filming a commercial for the National Safety Council, Dean ad-libbed his script, from “please drive safely. The life you save may be your own” to “the life you save may be mine”

After the terrible accident, the car, which was a wreck, was purchased by Master car customizer, George Barris for $2500. When the wreck was delivered to Barris' garage, the Porsche slipped whilst being unloaded from the truck and broke the legs of a mechanic helping unload it.
Barris had a feeling there was something bad about the car when he first bought it, his suspicions were confirmed when, during a race at the Pomona Fair Grounds on October 24, 1956, two cars which had parts in them from “Little Bastard” crashed.
The first car, driven by Troy McHenry went out of control after the engine stalled, the car slammed into a tree killing the driver on impact.
The second car, driven by William Eschrid, locked up suddenly as he went into a corner. Flipping the car, Eschrid was seriously injured but survived the accident.

Further events caused Barris to believe the car was cursed, two tires from the car simultaneously malfunctioned, causing accidents. A young man attempted to steal the steering wheel from the wreck and seriously gashed his arm on the jagged metal of the car, and another man was hurt trying to steal a bloodied seat

The California Highway Patrol convinced Barris to loan them the car wreck to take around to schools and fairs for a road safety exhibition.
In March 1959, the wreckage was taken to Fresno to be stored, a fire broke out in the garage and destroyed the garage, incinerating everything, except for James Dean's Car.

Not long after the car was on display in a Sacramento High School, which happened to be the anniversary of Dean's accident, the bolts holding the car in place snapped and the car came of its

display stand broke the hip of a 15-year-old student looking at the car.
Later it was reported that a truck carrying the car to Salinas lost control,, the driver was thrown from the truck, and was lucky to survive the fall, only to them have the wreckage of the car come off the trailer and land on him killing him instantly.

The car is reported to have come off the back of a truck on at least two other occasions.
Whilst on display in New Orleans, the Little Bastard wreckage is reported to have spontaneously split into 5 pieces

In 1960, the car's tour ended. Barris had the vehicle loaded onto a boxcar in Florida and sealed shut. Then it was transported via train back to California. When the train arrived in L.A., the seal was still intact, yet the car had vanished and has not been seen since.

There are many who speculate the car wasn't cursed, but that James Dean himself was cursed. Television “Vampira” Maila Nurmi, was a close friend of Dean's, some people speculate that after Dean and Nurmi's friendship fell apart, Nurmi, who is said to have been involved in occult practices, cursed Dean.
Another theory involves Dean himself, an avid explorer of occult practices bringing a curse upon himself, along with this theory comes the fact that the people James Dean called his “True Friends” Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo and Nick Adams all died under tragic circumstances themselves, was James Deans curse extended to his friends also?

Was it all just coincidence, or is “Little Bastard” a truly cursed item?
Will we ever know?

The car has not been seen since 1960 a reward for its return, no questions asked, was posted on the 50th anniversary of James Dean's death; howeve,r no one came forward to claim the reward.

Written & Researched
By
Allen Tiller
originally published :17 December 2012
  © 2012 Eidolon Paranormal
www.eidolonparanormal.com.au

Curses: The Curse of the Crying Boy,

The Curse of the Crying Boy

The Curse of the Crying Boy, reality or one media outlet's attempt to raise sales?

In 1985, the sun, a very popular tabloid newspaper in England, published a story in its September 4th edition (page 13) with the headline “Blazing Curse of the Crying Boy”.
The story that followed told how, after a fire burnt their South Yorkshire home to the ground, a married couple, Ron and May Hall put the blame squarely on a picture of a crying boy they had hung in their home.

A fire broke out from oil in an overheated chip pan and devastated the home they had lived in for 27 years. The house was a mess, and one of the only things unscathed in the fire was a picture of a crying toddler, hanging on a wall.
Ron's brother, Peter, was a local fire-fighter, his Fire station leader, Mr Alan Wilkinson said he had heard of numerous cases of fires where prints of “crying boys” would be undamaged in devastating house fires, this of course turned a mundane chip fire story into a leading headline and propelled the “Crying Boy” curse into the world spotlight.

The story went viral after it was published in The Sun newspaper. After the following day's edition, The Sun reported that readers had been phoning in with their own horrifying stories of bad luck related to The Crying Boy paintings.
Quotes were printed in the newspaper such as this one from Dora Mann in Surrey “All my paintings were destroyed – except the one of The Crying Boy”.

Mr Parks claimed he had destroyed his copy after returning from the hospital from smoke inhalation from his house burning down, to find the only thing untouched in the scorched ruins was a crying boy painting.

More stories circulated about misadventures occurring to residents in houses where the prints hung. One lady speculated that the painting may have been the cause for her husband and three sons dying over a span of a few years. A security guard named Paul Collier threw one of his two prints on a bonfire to test the theory that the paintings and prints would not burn. He claimed that after an hour in the flames, the painting was not even scorched. This of course led to even more sales for The Sun newspaper!

Strangely, not all the prints and paintings were of the same crying boy. Paintings by Giovanni Bragolin and Scottish artist Anna Zinkeisen became associated with the Curse. Zinkeisen had released her crying boy paintings as part of a study titled 'childhood,' which had nothing to do with the alleged curse.

After some time, and a lot of newspaper sales, it emerged that Alan Wilkinson had personally logged about 50 Crying Boy fires dating back to 1973. He had dismissed any supernatural connection between the fires and the paintings, finding that in almost every case, it was human error or human carelessness that had started the fire. He could not explain though, why the paintings would survive the fires unscathed.

As the original Sun newspaper story began to fade from readers' minds, the story of the Crying Boy paintings morphed into an urban legend and spread across the world. Along the way, new information was added to the original legend. Psychics claimed a spirit was trapped in the original painting and the fires were an attempt to free itself. Other stories told how the artist's bad luck cursed the painting, and that’s why so many bad things happened in its presence.

The Crying Boy legend is still very much alive today, recently shown on the new TV series 'Cursed.' If one looks hard enough one can find enough evidence to suggest that this whole urban legend is an exaggerated coincidence designed by The Sun Newspaper back in 1985 to sell newspapers, which has become part of urban legend and pop-culture in modern times.

Written & Researched
By
Allen Tiller

first published: 17 December 2012
© 2012 Eidolon Paranormal
www.eidolonparanormal.com.au

The Flying Dutchman

The Curse of the Flying Dutchman

Most people today recognize the legendary Flying Dutchman as the ship seen in the Johnny Depp “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies, but its origins and its curse are much older than Hollywood itself.
The first recorded document that makes reference to the Cursed ship appears in Chapter VI of A Voyage to Botany Bay, written in 1795 by George Barrington during his sea voyage to New South Wales , Australia, of which Mr Barrington writes:

"I had often heard of the superstition of sailors respecting apparitions, but had never given much credit to the report; it seems that some years since a Dutch-man-of-war was lost off the Cape of Good Hope, and every soul on board perished; her consort weathered the gale, and arrived soon after at the Cape. Having refitted, and returning to Europe, they were assailed by a violent tempest nearly in the same latitude. In the night watch some of the people saw, or imagined they saw, a vessel standing for them under a press of sail, as though she would run them down: one in particular affirmed it was the ship that had foundered in the former gale, and that it must certainly be her, or the apparition of her; but on its clearing up, the object, a dark thick cloud, disappeared. Nothing could do away the idea of this phenomenon on the minds of the sailors; and, on their relating the circumstances when they arrived in port, the story spread like wild-fire, and the supposed phantom was called the Flying Dutchman. From the Dutch the English seamen got the infatuation, and there are very few India men, but what has some one on board, who pretends to have seen the apparition "

Almost 100 years later the Flying Dutchman was seen by the future King George V, Prince George of Wales. In 1880 Prince George and his Brother Prince Albert were sailing aboard the HMS Inconstant when the ship had to pull into port in Australia for repairs, the two Royal brothers were sailing their tutor, Dalton. It was Dalton who recorded the following:

At 4 a.m. The Flying Dutchman crossed our bows. A strange red light as of a phantom ship all aglow, in the midst of which light the masts, spars and sails of a brig 200 yards distant stood out in strong relief as she came up on the port bow, where also the officer of the watch from the bridge clearly saw her, as did the quarterdeck midshipman, who was sent forward at once to the forecastle; but on arriving there was no vestige nor any sign whatever of any material ship was to be seen either near or right away to the horizon, the night being clear and the sea calm. Thirteen persons altogether saw her ... At 10.45 a.m. the ordinary seaman who had this morning reported the Flying Dutchman fell from the fore top mast cross trees on to the top gallant forecastle and was smashed to atoms.

So it would seem the curse was believed by folk long ago, mind you it was superstitious times.
The curse, it is said goes something like this. The Flying Dutchman is a ship doomed to sail the seven seas forever, never to return home. The Dutchman, if seen is a portent of certain doom for the ship and crew of the person who witnesses it.

Most legends say the ship is usually seen at a great distance and often seems to be surrounded by a glowing light, sometimes a glowing fog.
In this day and age, the ship is rarely seen...

First published
17 December 2012 
  © 2012 Allen Tiller
www.eidolonparanormal.net

The Alkimos - A Cursed Wreck.

The Alkimos 

Lying off the coast of Western Australia, close to Yanchep, is the ruins of a merchant sea vessel that many believe is not only haunted but cursed as well.

The Alkimos was originally named the Viggo Hansteen and was used by the Norwegian Shipping and Trade Mission. It was built during World War 2 and saw active service, often transporting troops and cargo across the Mediterranean, for 18 months.

In August 1944, whilst docked at Naples, Canadian radio operator, Maude Steane was shot, and killed by another crew member, who then went on to commit suicide.

After the war, the ship was sold to a Greek company who then renamed it Alkimos, a Greek God who represents strength.

For the next 20 years, the Alkimos crossed the globe as a cargo vessel. In 1963 the vessel was in Australian waters, leaving Western Australia when it hit a reef off the coast. It was towed back to Fremantle for repairs.

It was then to be towed by an ocean-going tug from Hong Kong, but only a few hours from the port, the tow line snapped, and with the currents, the ship was driven into the shore. It couldn't be floated, so it was filled with water to make sure it didn’t move with the tides, and an on-board caretaker was installed to look after the ship and make sure no-one came to salvage its steel.

In January 1964 the ship was successfully re-floated and was ready to be pulled by tugboat to Manila when local authorities seized the Tugboat! - The Alkimos was left anchored where it sat, eventually the anchor broke and the ship, again held by the current, was moved along the shore, this time onto the Eglinton Rocks near Yanchep.

The damage this time was far too great for the ship to be re-floated, and it was abandoned where it sat. Salvage workers were invited to scrap the vessel, and began to do so – during this time the ship was owned by 8 different people, who it is said suffered a curse from the ship, with almost all dying inexplicably or suffering money problems, or illness – all their problems would seem to be cured or solved as since as the ship was sold on to the next person.

The workers hired to salvage the ship soon left the vessel after hearing ghostly noises and witnessing tools move on their own, some workers even reported tools disappearing before their eyes, only to return at a later time. Almost all the workers would not leave their cabins during the salvage at night, as they claimed ghostly footsteps would follow them down the hallways, there were also claims of seeing a spectre dressed in oilskins, and all crew would report the smell of food cooking in the galley, only to find upon investigation, no-one there.

Rumour also suggests that during the construction of the shipmen working on the hull had been welded inside the vessel and left there to die, only to come back to haunt and curse the ship.

Claims about the ships hauntings and curse do not end with just being on board, it is said horses will not pass the wreck when walking on the beach.

Cray fishermen have reported seeing the oil-skinned clothed ghost standing aboard the ship, and when investigated find no-one there.

Perhaps one of the strangest occurrences is that of Herbert Voight. Voight was a long-distance swimmer who, it is said as part of his training, would tow behind him a plastic baby bath full of Emu Export Beer. Inexplicably during one of his training sessions, he disappeared, thought drowned. Later his skull found, washed up inside the body of the Alkimos.

The ship is often cited as cursed, with many visitors to the wreckage reporting injuries, near-drownings, engines stopping and bad things happening to them after leaving the wreckage, could this be over-active imagination, or is there really something to curse and haunting of the Alkimos?

The Alkimos, after over 40 years of sitting on the Western Australian coastline is now nothing more than a rusted hulk of a ship that often disappears under the high tide, it still sits there, of the coastline of Western Australia, a cursed monument to a decaying ship of death.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkimos_(ship)

http://www.jackwongsue.com/ghost_of_the_alkimos.htm



© 2013 Allen Tiller
www.eidolonparanormal.com.au