dispatches from the edge

Proudlly showcasing the weird, bizarre, and the downright creepy since 2005

Saturday, October 14, 2006

CURSE YOU!!!! a look at curses

dear readers

here is part 2 of our 3 part halloween special focusing on creepy things. today we look at curses.

a curse is defined by a wikipedia as a effective action of supernatural power, distinguished solely by the quality of adversity that it brings, else it would be considered a "charm" or a "blessing." A curse may also be said to result from a spell or prayer, imprecation or execration, or other imposition by magic or witchcraft, asking that a god, natural force, or spirit bring misfortune to someone. many examples persist.

king tut's

the famous curse is king tut's the legend is that everyone at the opening died. The first of these "mysterious" deaths was that of Lord Carnarvon. He had been bitten by a mosquito, and later slashed the bite accidentally while shaving. It became infected and blood poisoning resulted. This was before antibiotics, thus little could be done and the aristocratic archeologist died. It should be noted, however, that there was nothing mysterious about Carnarvon's death. He had been in frail health for years since a serious car accident. His doctors had recommended that he go to Egypt because the warm climate would benefit his fragile health. Several others directly or indirectly involved with the tomb of Tutankhamun followed the Earl in death. Skeptics pointed out that many, many others who visited the tomb or helped to discover it lived long and healthy lives. A study showed that of the 58 people who were present when the tomb and sarcophagus were opened, only eight died within a dozen years. All the others were still alive, including Howard Carter who died peacefully at the age of 64 in 1939. but the story perists

Sport curses

atheletes are known for being superstious, may have a ritual or lucky charm. however stories perist that whole teams are cursed because of a msitake the first is the curse of billy goat. As the story goes, Vasili "Billy Goat" Sianis, a Greek immigrant who owned a nearby tavern (the now-famous Billy Goat Tavern), had two 7.20 USD box seat tickets to Game 4 of the 1945 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Detroit Tigers, and decided to bring his pet goat, Murphy (or Sinovia according to some references), with him. Sianis and the goat were allowed into Wrigley Field and even paraded about on the playing field before the game before ushers intervened. They were led off the field. After a heated argument, both Sianis and the goat were permitted to stay in the stadium occupying the box seat for which he had tickets. However, before the game was over, Sianis and the goat were ejected from the stadium at the command of Cubs owner Philip Knight Wrigley due to the animal's objectionable odor. Sianis was outraged at the ejection and allegedly placed a curse upon the Cubs that they would never win another pennant or play in a World Series at Wrigley Field again and left the States to vacation in his home in Greece. The Cubs lost Game 4 and eventually the 1945 World Series, prompting Sianis to write to Wrigley from Greece, saying, "Who stinks now?" Following a third-place finish in the National League in 1946, the Cubs would finish in the league's second division for the next 20 consecutive years. This streak finally ending in 1967, the year after Leo Durocher became the club's manager. Since that time, the cursed Cubs have not won a National League pennant or played in a World Series --the longest pennantless drought in Major League history. Sianis died in 1970.despite many attempts to end it including the destruction of the cursed baseball that lost the palyoff to the marlins in 2003 the curse perists in lore. second is once famous curse of the bambino, the story is the owner sold babe ruth, considered oneof the greates palyers ever in baseball for cash to help build fenaway park. thusly they were cursed and would never win the world series because of their squanding of a gift from the gods of baseball for cold hard cash. however due to the red sox winning the world series this curse is no longer valid.

the curse of tecumesh


there is an ancient Indian curse, supposedly administered by Tecumseh himself after suffering defeat at the hands in William Henry Harrison at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. (Tecumseh died in the 1813 Battle of the Thames, again fighting troops led by Harrison.) According to lore, the famed Indian chief cursed the Great White Fathers. No explanation is given for why the chief's curse would only affect one presidency in five, but one cannot, after all, expect the fanciful to cover everything.

Another version attributes the curse to Tenskwatawa (also known as "The Prophet"), a Shawnee medicine man who was half-brother to Tecumseh. The hex was supposedly his revenge for the death of his half-sibling.

"Harrison will die I tell you," the Prophet reportedly said. "And after him, every Great Chief chosen every 20 years thereafter will die. And when each one dies, let everyone remember the death of my people." William Henry Harrison, who was elected in 1840, died at the age of 68 after delivering his inaugural address unprotected by an overcoat on a cold, drizzly day. Harrison spoke for an hour and 40 minutes, became ill, and died of pneumonia exactly one month later in April 1841.

Abraham Lincoln, first elected in 1860, was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth just after embarking on his second term in office in 1865.

James A. Garfield won the 1880 election. He was shot in the back in a Washington railroad station waiting room in July 1881 and died of his wounds in September 1881.

William McKinley was re-elected in 1900. In September 1901, after giving a speech at an exposition in Buffalo, he was shot while shaking hands with wellwishers. McKinley died of his wounds a little more than a week later.

Warren G. Harding, elected in 1920, expired of a stroke or heart attack in 1923. It was long rumored his wife had poisoned him.

Franklin D. Roosevelt, re-elected in 1940 for a third term, suffered a massive cerebral hemorrhage and died just after having started an unprecedented fourth term in 1945.

John F. Kennedy was elected in 1960 and assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald in 1963.

Ronald Reagan was elected in 1980 but managed to cheat the Grim Reaper by a matter of an inch, the distance by which would-be assassin John Hinckley's bullet missed his heart in 1981. supposly because of nancy reagan consulign a astrologist he was saved, or maybe its sleeping...


Do curses exist? or it all just a coincedity. so think twice before you dismised curse as silly because you never know...



love and peace,

Alex The Fallen shall be forever remebered as the Emperior's finest Stallwitz


sources

wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_the_Billy_Goat

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tecumseh%27s_curse

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_the_Pharaohs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse#Sports-related_curses

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