Superstition
Bob’s Lucky Potatoes
When Bob Golub arrived in New York in 1984, he began selling "lucky potatoes." He would write his name on them with a felt-tipped pen and also sprinkle them with lucky water from his grandmother's well. The price was whatever a customer wished to pay. Golub said they were popular with stockbrokers. He told the New York Times, "There are guys making $500,000 a year walking around here with lucky potatoes in their suits."
Posted By: Alex - Mon Oct 28, 2013 -
Comments (7)
Category: Superstition, 1980s
A Romany Rhapsody
I sure wish I could get a ouija board to do all my writing for me!
Read the story here.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Aug 20, 2013 -
Comments (8)
Category: Literature, New Age, Superstition, 1920s
Monsters of Iowa
Who would ever suspect that boring old Iowa was host to so many odd creatures?
Consider this winged monster from 1903, above.
Or this account, below, found along with more Iowa monsters in UNNATURAL PHENOMENA. (See book sidebar.)
Posted By: Paul - Mon Jul 08, 2013 -
Comments (4)
Category: Cryptozoology, Fictional Monsters, Regionalism, Superstition, 1900s, North America, Nineteenth Century
Captain Kronos
The Captain's "flesh-colored" tights often make him appear bare-legged in a tunic miniskirt, especially in that scene when he's on horseback.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Jan 20, 2013 -
Comments (2)
Category: Horror, Movies, Superstition, 1970s, Fictional Monsters
1907: Big Year for Faux Gorillas
Original article here.
Original article here.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Dec 24, 2012 -
Comments (3)
Category: Animals, Human Marvels, Stereotypes and Cliches, Superstition, 1900s, Fictional Monsters
Onion As Weather Forecaster
No, we are not talking about the brilliant humor publication, The Onion. Rather, we are interested in this bizarre bit of folk wisdom:
Here's another account, whose hero is depicted below, with greater details as to the proper procedure.
How long has this been going on? At least seventy years, as we can see from this account.
Has anyone ever heard of this before, or know of the origin of the practice?
Posted By: Paul - Tue Sep 25, 2012 -
Comments (9)
Category: Agriculture, Regionalism, Superstition, Vegetables
Witches, USA
A big theme of NOTW is the persistence of belief in witches in foreign countries, right down to the present. Hardly a week goes by without a report of some poor soul being put to death for occult suspicions.How far back in the history of the USA are such beliefs--among the non-immigrant population?
Try at least as recently as 1929. Original article here.
Posted By: Paul - Fri Jul 06, 2012 -
Comments (8)
Category: Death, Superstition, 1920s
Magical Lust Stone
This is a magical Javanese stone, which can be used to arouse your target from a distance. The magical Stone of Lust can be used by both men and women to influence their target, so that to cause them to lustfully chase you!
The power of the stone will make your target go sexually crazy over you, as it influences them to be sexually intimate with you.
The magical stone vibrates on its own accord when steeped into any kind of liquid. The same affect will occur as your target will feel a vibration erotic-like sensation in his/her genital area.
Although, you can use this item from a distance the person you are targeting must be in close proximity.
It is a very simple magical item to use, as you are only required to recite a short mantra to activate its power.
The following virtues of this item presented below:
Sexually arouse your target from a distance
Make your target go sexually crazy over you and become passionate towards you
This magical stone vibrates when immersed into any kind of liquids
Easy to use Javanese magical stone
Get yours here for only $192.17!
Posted By: Paul - Mon Jun 25, 2012 -
Comments (10)
Category: Frauds, Cons and Scams, New Age, Paranormal, Sexuality, Superstition
Telling The Bees
George Morley writes in Shakespeare's Greenwood: The Customs of the Country (1900) of the curious tradition of "telling the bees":
I don't have any bees, but I guess I could try "telling the gopher" that lives in my front yard.
Posted By: Alex - Fri Apr 27, 2012 -
Comments (12)
Category: Animals, Customs, Superstition
Namahage
And you thought clowns were scary! What about Namahage?
Posted By: Paul - Wed Mar 21, 2012 -
Comments (7)
Category: Holidays, Superstition, Children, Asia, Fictional Monsters
| Who We Are |
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |