Author Archives: Sharon A. Hill
Gates to Hell and Hellmouths
In the past and even today, some believe that you can get to Hell via a portal or entrance from earth. There are countless tales of trips to the underworld made by mythical persons. There continue to be legends about gates to hell around the world that we might access today. Join me for a tour of Hell mouths.
Fireball “mud volcano” in Caspian Sea
TikTok generates multiple scare lore stories about flagged cars
Always keen to hear about the latest “weird news”, I noticed a trend in 2020 where young women (typically) were reporting that their cars were moderately vandalized in busy parking lots. On the video social media app TikTok, they interpreted these events as a signal that they were being targeted for abduction by sex traffickers… Read More: TikTok generates multiple scare lore stories about flagged cars »
Oracle of Delphi: Snake Death Gas or God’s Breath
The colorful and dramatic accounts of the Oracle of Delphi in Greece spanning many centuries appear to be strongly related to the geological setting and seismic activity of the locale. The cultural and geologic history is long and complex. Over time, people have speculated on the explanation as being supernatural, psychic, geological, or a hoax. It took a multidisciplinary effort to reach the most probable proposed explanation we have so far, but there are still many details we’ll never know.
Demon or dino print on the Appalachian Trail
Examining the Mentor ghost child video
A news article out of Mentor, Ohio attracted my attention this past week. The article claimed that local residents were observing strange, “mysterious” incidents and reporting them on their neighborhood Facebook page. Then, on the night of March 10, someone called the police. The police report was real. The local news station obtained a copy… Read More: Examining the Mentor ghost child video »
Healing waters of Waukesha turned sour
The fabled Blue Hole of the Pine Barrens
Cookie monster agate
Fillmore underground fire
Hexenplatten – the witches’ stone
The odd and clunky guide to researching the paranormal – Book Review
Researching the Paranormal: How to Find Reliable Information about Parapsychology, Ghosts, Astrology, Cryptozoology, Near-Death Experiences, and More By Courtney M. Block, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2020. 342pp. There has not previously been a book specifically about how to research the paranormal. Academic librarian Courtney Block aims to help those who may feel embarrassed or confused… Read More: The odd and clunky guide to researching the paranormal –… »
Legends and science of bottomless holes
Ringing rocks and sonorous stones
The “Hellmouth” Batagaika crater
Fake tiger tales and other plush hoaxes
Police in the Steyning area of West Sussex, England, were called to a public park on the evening of July 23, 2020 to respond to a report of a big cat on the loose. The Horsham police were likely familiar with the popular idea that large, non-native, “alien big cats” are roaming the UK. Hundreds… Read More: Fake tiger tales and other plush hoaxes »
Pic de Bugarach: The mysterious mountain
Pic de Bugarach in Aude, France, is a place that effortlessly combines natural wonder and legends. Add to its history a heaping portion of serious scientific misunderstandings, flavor with rumors and imaginative speculation, then bake for centuries, and the result is a bizarre mashup of fact and fiction that satisfies in our modern spooky times.