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Jason Murphy is a novelist, screenwriter, and content creator. We shall see that at which dogs howl in the dark and that at which cats prick up their ears after midnight.
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Peter Stumpp: Guilty of Lycanthropy
According to German historical records, farmer Peter Stumpp was accused of transforming into a werewolf, wreaking havoc on both humans and livestock. His alleged crimes included murders, mutilations, and even cannibalism.
On October 28, 1589, he was declared guilty of having practiced black magic, being a serial killer, a cannibal, and most of all being a werewolf. It was one of the most lurid and famous werewolf trials of history.
Stumpp's trial in 1589 resulted in a gruesome confession extracted under torture. He claimed to have made a pact with the devil, receiving a magical belt that allowed him to change into a wolf. After the confession, they brutally executed him. (But I’ve got to be honest - I want that belt.)
The Vile Crimes of Ol’ Stumpy
Stumpp was born at the village of Epprath near the country-town of Bedburg in the Electorate of Cologne. It is believed that the name “Stump” or “Stumpf” may have been given him as a reference to the fact that his left hand had been cut off leaving only a stump, in German “Stumpf” and it was alleged that as the ‘werewolf’ had its left forepaw cut off, then the same injury proved the guilt of the man. It is assumed that Stumpp was a farmer in his rural community and he possibly was a widower with two children. According to the judiciary at the time, Peter Stumpp committed at least 16 murders, rapes and incest over a period of 25 years in Epprath and Bedburg in the Rhineland in the guise of a werewolf. He was also accused of sorcery and living with a “she-devil”.
The Werewolf Trial
In 1589 Stumpp faced one of the most famous werewolf trials of history. Apparently, he was stretched on a rack and heavily tortured before confessing to have practiced black magic since he was twelve years old. Stumpp claimed that the Devil had given him a magical belt or girdle, which enabled him to metamorphose into “the likeness of a greedy, devouring wolf, strong and mighty, with eyes great and large, which in the night sparkled like fire, a mouth great and wide, with most sharp and cruel teeth, a huge body, and mighty paws.” Removing the belt, he said, made him transform back to his human form. For twenty-five years, Stumpp had allegedly been an “insatiable bloodsucker” who gorged on the flesh of goats, lambs, and sheep, as well as men, women, and children. He confessed to killing and eating fourteen children, two pregnant women, whose fetuses he ripped from their wombs and “ate their hearts panting hot and raw,” which he later described as “dainty morsels.” One of the 14 children Stumpp was accused to have killed was his own son whose brain he was reported to have devoured. Next to the accusations of being a serial killer as well as cannibal, Stumpp was accused of an incestuous relationship with his own daughter, who was then also sentenced to be executed with him. Additionally, Stumpp confessed to having had sexual relations with a succubus which was sent to him by the devil.
The point here is … he was being tortured. He probably would have confessed to stealing the Declaration of Independence with Nic Cage and that he was a member of the X-Men.
The Execution of Peter Stumpp
The execution of Peter Stumpp took place on October 31, 1589 and became known as one of the most brutal recorded executions in history. Apparently, Stumpp was tied to a wheel where “flesh was torn from his body“, in ten places, with red-hot pincers, followed by his arms and legs. Further, his limbs were broken with the blunt side of an axehead to prevent him from returning from the grave, before he was beheaded and burned on a pyre. His daughter and mistress had already been flayed and strangled and were burned along with Stumpp’s body. As a warning against similar behavior, local authorities erected a pole with the torture wheel and the figure of a wolf on it, and at the very top they placed Peter Stumpp’s severed head.
Remember, kids! Superstitious people are dangerous people!
This execution of a werewolf takes place in a historical context where, in various parts of Germany, alleged witches or devil’s minions were hunted down and then condemned after torture sessions that led to extravagant confessions such as those of Peter Stumpp. About 250 werewolf trials from the period between 1423 and 1720 are documented in the literature. This case even attracted attention in the Netherlands, England and Denmark in 1589/1590. Its deeds and execution were depicted in copper engravings. The files on this witch trial have not been preserved. It is therefore impossible to determine whether Stumpp actually committed the crimes for which he was convicted.
http://scihi.org/peter-stumpp-werewolf/
Werewolf tales are often stories about man’s depravity, as though our baser natures are always lurking just below the surface, waiting to come out. It’s not just hunger and bloodlust. It’s carnal. It’s about giving in to the dark, animal urges, all of the things we struggle to repress. It’s sex, anger, and id. In my first, out of print, novel, The Black Goat Motorcycle Club, I wanted them to feel like a plague, like a tide of horror that tainted anything it came into contact with. We’re not really afraid of wolves anymore, but in 16th Century Germany, it was a genuine concern. The real horror here, however, is more akin to Kafka’s The Trial, a story about a man subjugated by a mysterious court.
The Dancing Mania Plague
A bizarre episode in the Middle Ages saw large groups of people engaging in frenzied and uncontrollable dancing for extended periods. The Dancing Mania plague occurred between the 14th and 17th centuries, primarily in central Europe. The affected regions witnessed groups of people, often in the hundreds, spontaneously bursting into dance in the streets, marketplaces, and even in churches. These episodes could last for days, weeks, or even months, with afflicted individuals seemingly unable to stop dancing due to extreme exhaustion and mental distress.
Symptoms of the Dancing Mania included rapid and erratic movements, sweating, exhaustion, and a trance-like state. Those affected would dance until they collapsed from fatigue, only to resume dancing when they regained their strength. Witnesses often reported that the dancers seemed to be in a trance, unaware of their surroundings and seemingly driven by an unseen force.
Scholars and researchers have proposed several theories to explain the Dancing Mania plague, though no single cause has been definitively proven. Some of the prominent explanations include:
Psychological Stress and Mass Hysteria: The social and economic challenges of the time, including famines, wars, and disease outbreaks, might have contributed to intense psychological stress. This stress, combined with a lack of medical understanding, could have triggered mass hysteria, causing people to exhibit irrational behaviors like frenzied dancing.
Religious and Cultural Influences: Many instances of the Dancing Mania occurred in religious settings or were associated with religious events. Some experts believe that the ecstatic dancing was a form of religious expression, possibly brought on by religious fervor or induced by charismatic leaders.
Ergotism: Ergot, a fungus that can grow on grains like rye, contains compounds similar to LSD. Consumption of contaminated grain could lead to hallucinations, muscle spasms, and other neurological symptoms, which might have contributed to the dancing behavior.
Socioeconomic Factors: In some cases, the dancing may have been a response to social or economic pressures. It's suggested that some individuals engaged in dancing to escape their daily hardships, with the movement spreading as others joined in.
Everybody cut Footloose until they died.
https://www.historyhit.com/1374-dancing-mania-strikes-aachen/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_mania
I would be dead. Really quickly. I would also pray for it, because I am in no way a dancer. “So you’re saying dancing is like exercise and I will look really stupid?”
Pass.
I’m struck by the similarities to fairy rings. Have you ever encountered one?
The story goes that if you find a ring of mushrooms in the woods, you’ve stumbled upon a fairy ring. If you step inside it, you might get transported to the fairy realm. Or they’ll make you dance ‘til you drop. There’s a progression to this horror that I think would be really well suited for film. It starts off with exuberant dancing. The people are curious, amused even. More start joining in. But as the day turns to night, the dancing becomes fevered. The grins on peoples’ faces turn mad and desperate. Then they start to weep. All the while, their limbs flail. At first, it’s with grace, but as exhaustion takes hold, they begin to stumble and twitch. Blisters erupt. Shoes are shredded to reveal the bloodied feet inside. Hearts stop. After a few hours, it becomes an orgy of thrashing and screams. To keep things interesting, I’d set this story on the floor of the US Congress. I don’t care if there’s a plot. I just want to see them dance.
Nukemap
Nukemap.com is a web-based application that allows users to visualize the potential effects of nuclear detonations on various locations around the world. It’s a fun way to remind yourself that we’re doomed. Developed by nuclear historian Alex Wellerstein, Nukemap.com serves as a stark reminder of the power and destructiveness of nuclear weaponry while fostering informed discussions about their implications.
Nukemap.com is a user-friendly platform that empowers individuals to explore the aftermath of nuclear detonations with a few simple clicks. The interface provides users with the ability to customize their scenario by selecting the type of nuclear weapon, its yield (expressed in kilotons or megatons), and the target location. The application then generates a visual representation of the potential blast radius, thermal radiation range, and even the radioactive fallout pattern. This data is superimposed onto a Google Maps view of the chosen location, allowing users to witness the widespread destruction that a nuclear explosion can cause.
By offering a tangible representation of the catastrophic effects of nuclear weapons, the platform prompts users to confront the reality of the potential outcomes. Nukemap.com has the potential to reshape people's perceptions of nuclear weapons by stripping away the abstraction that often surrounds them. The vivid visualizations offer a glimpse into the immediate and long-term effects of a detonation, and can serve as a deterrent, reminding nations and leaders of the colossal devastation that can result from the use of such weapons.
If you’re writing dystopian fiction, your Google searches can get a little dicey. Do you need to append every search with, “And I promise I’m only doing this to write fiction?” Writers are always asking “what would really happen if X occurred?” Why stop at nuclear devastation? Let’s get an application where you can pick the type of horror to unleash on the world. What would happen if an EMP went off in downtown Minneapolis? What would happen if a 300 foot tsunami hit Galveston? What if every third person in Lincoln, Nebraska spontaneously combusted? These are things that writers need to know!
Fukushi Masaichi was a Japanese physician, pathologist and Emeritus Professor of Nippon Medical School in Tokyo, researching the effects of syphilis caused aortitis and thyroid disease. His focus began to shift to tattoos when he saw that the ink used killed syphilis presenting in skin lesions. As he delved into this world, he came into contact with a certain subset of society known for embracing Irezumi, the Japanese art of tatooing. You see, in 1926, not everyone had tattoos, and no one had more tattoos than the Yakuza. Masaichi started to perform autopsies on them, removing their ‘bodysuits’ for preservation. He went so far as to pay for people to get tattooed so long as they agreed to donate their skin to him after they died.
Dr. Masaichi gained such renown from his collection he was known as “Dr. Tattoo”. He collected some 2000 “hides”, but most of these were lost during air raids in World War II.
https://sabukaru.online/articles/a-dying-art-doctor-fukushi-masaichi-the-body-collector
A modern version of this makes me think of the horror thrillers of the 90s. A young doctor at an inner city clinic is treating people who were drugged, only to awaken and find that their tattoos have been surgically removed. Victims are turning up with swaths of skin missing … because “Dr. Tattoo” is stalking victims around the city, collecting art for his flesh gallery.
It stars Ashley Judd.
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I’ve been introduced to the horrible beauty of Flying Lotus videos. Has anyone seen the movie he made?
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Always mind blowing when you read accounts like this. Actual people suffering and dying because of insane superstitions that these days are regularly in kids cartoons as goofy monsters.