Internet Archaeology

The quest for mankinds roots has always forced us to turn to literature in order to understand it more clearly.  The works of the classic authors are enshrined today in numerous forms, be it divinely inspired like the bible, or insightful works such as the dialogues of Plato.  The modern world has produced a cacophony of documents in the form of the internet, widely circulated and available to all.  This is an excellent development for the human race, as it allows for the free pooling and dissemination of information.  As the internet develops and grows, it will certainly become the future communication system for mankind, as is evident to all.

However, the fact is, there is a dark internet -a place where search engines do not go.  Some of these sites date back to the very first times, whereas others are too obscure.  There are archived sections of formerly popular web sites that failed to keep up with the times, and these too have a valid voice with which to address our generation – if you can find them.  The problem with the dark net is that it is by nature difficult to surf.  The “Dark” part of its name comes from the fact that you don’t have the searchlight of an engine to work with, all you have is rumour or memory.

The good news is that the information is being preserved.   The bad news is that the information is not being looked at or researched.  This means that it is, for all intents and purposes, lost to the general public.  A person looking for an obscure fact might spend months poring through search engine results without success, remembering it from an old E-magazine, or angelfire site that has long since passed into the night.  This is the problem with the dark net, it is literally like searching a city sized library with a dollar store flashlight, and hoping to find the one book you want.

Since search engines have become the default tool for people to explore the internet, anything not on the first few pages, or lacking a powerful image to draw people in will be lost in the thousands of other hits that inevitably come back with each search.  Search engines skim over the dark net, just like birds on the surface of the ocean swim past fish and plants in the murky depths.  What lies below does not even affect the world of the surface net, and  without a search tool, people will not bother with it.

The problem is, just because the knowledge is dark, or lost, does not mean it is worthless.   Humanity has gone through this before, the dark ages, when although society was developing, and there was a lively oral tradition, little was written down that survives, so generations of culture were lost.  In effect, what we have here is the internet dark age, except for the fact that it does survive, and is possible to retrieve without searching through dusty archives, or stumbling across a lucky find in a church.  All that is necessary is a portal to begin searching into the unknown.

In the future, hopefully some genius will figure out how to access the dark web, and bring its contents to light.  Because since its inception, there have been so many emails, so many web sites, so much information shared, a single person could not catalogue it in a lifetime.  Information is previous.  Think of all the books that were lost in the burning of the library of Alexandria, the only possible correlation to the loss of the dark net for most people.  The difference is, we did not burn the materials, we paved over them, and our search engines simply are unaware of their existence.

Internet archaeology will be relevant for different reasons than regular archaeology.  Regular archaeology is the study of the past, the evolution of the animal kingdom, and structures on the earth.  Internet archaeology will involve the disciplines of sociology, programming, systems analysis, and most importantly, detective work.  As scripts evolve and become more advance, basic HTML will become a thing of the past.  (Anyone remember using <blink> -? it has long been relegated to the dust bin)  It will surely be replaced by more interesting and intricate coding languages, but, the fact that most of the basic web still lies on the backbone of this basic script is very important for understanding its structure.  Internet Archaeologists will have to be able to reconstruct the code they find, without damaging it.
Sociology will be important because in order to understand a society you must comprehend the events that shaped it.  Just like in real life, internet communities evolve.  People expect to see changes.  They visit Facebook for updates, they read their news and want different stories to engage their minds.  Just as we might not appreciate the historicity of an epic poem like Illiad (imagine:  it was intended to be memorized and sung!)  The same is true for web sites that have fallen beneath the surface of the web.  Once they were vibrant, and reflected a culture of people who visited them, and their decline is worth noting.

The first Archaeologists will no doubt face similar challenges that the real world ones do daily.  “What is the value of your work”  “How can you justify the expense” – the fact is, the only way to justify it is to go out and do it.  It is impossible to predict the value of an activity without actually attempting it.  When you seek the unknown, and the lost, you may come across anything from a site for people who like dolls, to a full blown USENET group that has lost its way.  Either way, you are witnessing the recordings of live information, thoughts and ideas, perhaps even inspiration that was far ahead of its time. 

Hypothetically, if a user proposed an impractical idea, and it is forgotten (due to the impracticality of it) when technology advances, instead of waiting for a second inspiration, perhaps if we could preserve the germ of the idea in the first place, it would make technology advance more rapidly – because the germ of the idea would still be in place, waiting to be rediscovered and shaped, or perhaps worked on by people who remembered it and thought it worthy of pursuing to fulfilment.  Technology continues to advance, an idea like Google Glasses would have been laughed at 10 years ago, brushed off as something for the future, while today, it is actively being developed. 

The most important thing Internet Archaeologists can keep alive is the knowledge of the basic net.  How the fundamental switching sites operate, and how to maintain them.  Just like in the real world, we have a tendency to build on what came before, instead of engineering things properly.  We have cities who’s sewers are centuries old, and require constant care to keep functioning, and  yet high rises are still constructed on them without regard for the load that they are meant to bear.  Some are lost, as maps are lost, damaged, or simply misplaced. The basics of the internet are much like a sewer system, they are not visible from the surface, and if something is not working, perhaps it is because the base levels of code are the problem, instead of whatever wonderful and flowery code a person has in mind.

Yes, new levels of the internet are constantly being built.  Like a city that stands on the ruins of an older city (like Jerusalem, or London) we just expect what remains below to remain below and not trouble us.  But, just as sinkholes erupt in our modern streets, the same can take place with the internet.  Imagine the chaos that would happen if an internet switching station was not built as redundant as they are.  Whole sections of the web might fail without reason, just like a sinkhole pulls cars down into its gullet.  This is why we must employ Internet Archaeologists to monitor and maintain the web, as well as looking for lost sites.  They are the ones who will keep it safe, in the event of a future calamity – a calamity of which we currently have little in place to protect against or fight.

Our infrastructure is vital, be it electrical, sewage, or cyberspace.  (Remember that term?)  It is essential for the development of future technology to secure the basic operations of the internet, and ensure there are people capable of maintaining it.  There is the old myth that the internet was built to withstand a nuclear war – and perhaps it can, but, can it withstand the weight of an entire planet cramming onto it, every one of which expects high speed downloads of whatever the latest feed from Youtube is?  As the internet grows, and becomes all embracing, we will be forced to address this question,  because failure to do so would not only render all our advancements useless, but, it could potentially make the entire web dark, and inaccessible to humanity forever. 

While some old schoolers may wax eloquent about the importance of books and reading, the fact is that the internet has evolved as the third media – written, broadcast, and cyberspace.  Maintaining it and expanding it is vital to our future as a species.  This is the point of researching the dark web now, while things are operating at their best.  We must establish what the base line paramaters of operation are to ensure humanities transition into the next age, where most of the planet will depend on this resource.  Humanity mourns the loss of information from ages past, it is time for a new breed of Internet Archaeologists who will protect it, nurture it, and make sure it is there for all to enjoy.  

A note to my readers

I am committing myself to a rather ambitious writing project presently that will take at least a month of my time.  So, I will still attempt to send blogs regularly, although they will probably be somewhat shorter, and will appear less frequently.

But, I firmly believe in this writing project, and have a stringent timetable to complete it on.

Thus, I will submit tonights blog, and then leave you with a promise to continue, but, without a guarantee of when. 

Thanks for reading, and I hope I’ll have a lot more for you soon!

 

Dance like no one’s watching

Historically speaking, the issue of music and dancing has received a very mixed reaction in the cultures across the world.  While it is affirmed over and over that people enjoy both music and dancing, there is a definite cultural taboo about it.  One of the more curious events that we find is mentioned in the book of Samuel, and perhaps reflects more light on the stigma regarding this practice than anything we have in the modern world.

The incident begins innocently enough, with the revelation that the Lord has consented for David to bring the holy Ark of the covenant into the city of David.  Justifiably, there is much celebration, including feasting, sacrifices, music, and dancing.  David, always a man of the people, joins in with the crowd.

“David danced before the Lord with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod.  So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.”  – 2 Samuel 6: 14 to 2 Samuel 6:15

David was raised from a shepherd family to achieve the status of Kingship.  The status of Kingship was still relatively new to the Israelites, as they had only previously had Saul to rule over them.  Thus, the practices of other middle eastern monarchs had not yet become ingrained into the psyche of the kings of Israel.  As such, David was doing what came naturally – joining in with the people, and enjoying the celebration of a momentous occasion. 

Curiously, the Bible notes that the king was clad in a linen Ephod.  The Ephod is mentioned as a priestly garment several times throughout the old testament narrative, and there was certainly no disrespect in wearing it.  However, King Davids wife, Mical, has a curiously negative reaction when he returns.

“David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, ‘How the king of Israel honoured himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ maids, as any vulgar fellow might shamelessly uncover himself!’ ²¹ David said to Michal, ‘It was before the Lord, who chose me in place of your father and all his household, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord, that I have danced before the Lord”-2 Samuel 6:20 to 6:22

David obviously returns from the festival in a mood for merriment, returning with wishes and blessings on his lips.  Yet, his wife, Mical, is not amused by his performance.  Previously, David had fought very hard for Saul to recognize his marriage to Mical, and from that, we can infer that he had previously held her in some esteem.  And yet, here she is, rebuking him for parading around naked.  The entire episode seems very curious, and even nonsensical to modern eyes, because an ephod is definitely clothed, and the royal couple’s one time love relationship is broken up so quickly.  These are the curiosities that we will endeavour to examine.

We have established David was clothed while dancing, and thus, we can perhaps examine what the actions of the king might have meant.  While it has been suggested that during the dancing, his ephod might have come loose, or through some furious action, been thrown up in the air, much as what happens when ladies of today wearing short skirts accidentally reveal themselves while dancing, this seems somewhat unlikely.  The middle eastern dress codes of yesterday and today do not lend themselves to garments that are easily hiked up during action.  The precise opposite is true.  In order to take refuge from the intense heat, garments are made loose fitting, and long, in essence to hide from the heat.  The Ephod itself would have been a modest garment, suitable for a priest, or a king, so the reference to the king uncovering himself must be symbolic, rather than literal.  Surely had the great King David exposed himself, it would have been scandalous enough to be recorded in the actual narrative, rather than in a snide mention from his spouse.  This means we are dealing with the symbolic nature of “uncovering” yourself, and doing something to affect the dignity of the position of king.

The key to remember in ancient societies, and middle eastern ones, is that status was and is a very key thing to remain conscious of at all times.  It is not so fluid as we perceive it in the modern western world, and Royalty itself was a status far removed from any other.  The Sumerians record that Kingship was lowered from heaven, and Samuel was chosen to anoint the chosen Kings of God.  So there is a direct tie between the divine, and the conduct of the king.  Kings were separate and sacred from their people, if you will, a priest among priests, a lord commander of all warriors.  They represented the divine in each of their words and actions, and later Kings would be judged by divine wrath as unfit to continue representing the will of God, both in Israelite literature, and in similar texts from Babylon, and even Egypt. 

So, for David to go around cavorting with the masses was seen as an affront to the dignity of his office as the representative of the nation, and the divine.  He was expected to hold himself aloof, and not engage in the common entertainments such as dancing and singing (despite the fact he was reputed to be a great lyricist) As King, he had to preside over all these things, and set an example for holy, pious behaviour.  He “uncovered” himself, not by taking off his clothes, but, by removing his dignitas as King and Ruler of Israel, and going amongst the people.  There was no time for dancing and singing, a King must attend to much more important matters, looking after his flock of followers much like a shepherd.  So, by going down and dancing with the people in the streets, it is almost like the King was like a Shepherd getting down on all fours, and cavorting with his sheep.  Royalty was not meant to indulge in such pleasures.  They were reserved for a higher purpose, and that purpose was to referee festivals such as this and ensure everything went according to the Lords will.

There is also a deliberate smack of sexism that comes across in from Mical in her observation.  She points out that there are women present and watching, and this is an affront to the King, and to her.  As most societies in recorded history have been dominated by men, the presence of women at the return of the Ark showed that it an event was witnessed by all classes with no distinctions.  In other words, it was like a regular day at the market, something quite beneath the dignity of kingship.  Ancient Israelite society, and indeed Middle Eastern society in general had quite strict taboos about when women were to appear, and when they were not to.  By having women mentioned as participants at the ceremonial return of the Ark, Mical is contemptuously pointing out how low-brow the parade actually is.  She is also being an astute observer of her time and place, and in speaking thus to the King, she is stepping over the line.  She does this because she feels more in touch with the dignity of a King, than the King himself is.  This makes the rebuke against King David all the more vicious, and causes him to respond with great cruelty.

Saul, who we know was Mical’s father, was butchered and killed by the Amalekites in a bloody battle.  So great was the tragedy of his loss, that even David wept.  Consider this fact, you have just been told you have inherited the kingship, and instead, you choose to mourn the passing of your predecessor, who has treated you badly and tried to hunt you down?  We must examine Davids mourning carefully, for clues to what makes this passage so significant.
            “How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle!  2 Samuel 1: 25

This quote is often interpreted in a derisory manner in common parlance “Oh, how the mighty have fallen”.  Yet in its original parlance, we can see that David is lamenting over the fact that Solomon was wounded, and still alive, yet was treacherously killed by an Amalekite.  Now, while it might be that Solomon asked to be killed as a mercy, which was seldom meted out in battle, the fact is that an unwashed heathen had committed regicide against the chosen King of God, and for this, David was driven to lament his passing.

Imagine how much more distressing this was for Mical, the daughter of Saul.  It was a relatively short period of time for her to learn that her father and brothers were dead. Saul had united the tribes of Israel, and was a man of great prestige in his day.  She not only had her prestige taken from her by his untimely death, but, was also still in mourning for her father and brothers who had fallen in battle.   Then, while still smarting from the death of this, she sees her husband singing and dancing in the streets, instead of conducting himself with dignity and solemnity, as he should have been for the death of his father in law.  This was a brutal thing for her to witness, and explains why she is so enraged by the fact of him dancing in the streets. 

King David was acutely aware of this, and this is where we see a true married couple at work in the bible.  In response to her outburst, he has an equally cruel one of his own, as we have seen.  He invokes God himself as the one who provoked this change of fortune between their two houses, which was a direct stab at her pain at the loss of her family, and a reminder that her position and power now laid at the grace of David alone.  Quite befitting a great poet and psalmist, he uses the minimum number of words to dash her illusions, and reduce her haughty attitude.  In this, he was quite effective.  While he never divorced her, the Bible reports that she never bore him a child.  In Davids palace, it would have been easy to marginalize a wife that he was no longer in love with, and certainly the Bible speaks of his many other loves.  Thus, we are left with an image of Mical, brave enough to speak out for what she thought was right, and yet chastised and broken for her bravery, and left, alone for the rest of her life.

Thus, we have formed a picture of dancing and music as it was pictured in ancient times.  These were entertainments for the common person, and while a King or Emperor might be able to enjoy them in quiet, there was no place for Royalty at a popular festival, or a parade.  The Emperor Nero aspired to poetry and singing, and is reviled to this day for the affront to the Roman imperial dignity.  In much the same way, David was such a man.  The Psalms are attributed to him, and even if he did write a few of them, they are majestic and sweeping in their beauty.  No doubt, he enjoyed listening to them set to music.  But, the Kings pen and art was intended to be one of giving laws, and conducting great battles, not given over to dancing and singing like the common people were in the celebrations and festivals.  The societies that attempt to limit dancing are attempting to practice control over their emotions, and not to allow people to be given to such tawdry entertainments.  They are intended to make people aspire to higher things than such visceral pleasures. But, despite attempts to outlaw it, or dissuade it, song and dance remain with us as they have for tens of thousands of years. 

This is the place of dancing, and why it is received with such mixed reaction in different civilizations.  Most people prize their singing and dancing, and from the rhythmic chants of Africa to the breathing music of the Inuit, songs around the world inspire people to get up and dance, as they have done for millennia.  The practice of dance is believed to be that of an uncivilized sort, a bawdy entertainment for the masses, and the more cultured and sophisticated are supposed to rise above it.  That being said, it is a testament to humanity that we have created songs for tens of thousands of years, and possibly more, and there is no sign to us ever stopping our music.  No matter whether it is banned, outlawed, or shunned, you might say that the beat will always get through.  For it is one way the average person can appreciate the finer things in life, and for a select few, the way to honour the creator, their ancestors, and indeed, humanity itself.  Music is humanity, and dancing is the way  that we can all admit it joyously into our hearts.  

The Edge of Society

On Halloween, as a society, we allow ourselves to indulge in a phantasmagoria of various diversions.  For one night, society stops to allow the presence of the supernatural within our lives.  We allow our children to dress up in fantasy costumes.  Adults take part in various rituals, from parties, to religious festivals, to watching horror movie marathons.  For one day, people are one step removed from society, and enact all sorts of things that would not take place on any other day or time.  It is, indeed, one special day of the year.

Perhaps it is the nature of this season that makes us take a moment to listen to ghost stories, and the paranormal, but, the fact is, it lies around us all the time.  The veil to the other side may be weakest at this time of year, but, the fact of the other worlds existence is undeniably all around us.  Humans do create art for arts sake, but, there is a lurking doubt clutching at the back of every human born that perhaps there are things that exist beyond our senses.

Take ghosts for example.  While most “Ghost Hunters” are merely obsessed with recording anomalies, and rely on somewhat questionable techniques (Raudive voices, while they may be incredibly eerie, still have not been confirmed as a reliable technique for searching for the spirit world)  Anomalous temperature drops are certainly worth investigating, and there are a number of “ghost photos” out there that do bear further investigation.  It is easy to build a circumstantial case to prove the existence of these activities, but, it is not easy to build a fully academic scientific paper on them because of the fact that these are anomalies.  They occur out of turn, out of place, and out of sequence.  This is what makes them so hard to explain, because of the lack of data. 

The frustrating thing about spectral phenomenon is its frustrating insistence on not being repeatable.  Scientific data requires that an experiment be duplicated in order to confirm its veracity, and for some strange reason, the creatures on the other side seem not to be willing to cooperate.  It is curious that certainly through the ages, enough scientists have passed on that would be interested in communicating the truth of life after death in a verifiable format for their colleagues.  This would suggest that either they do not have the ability to appear when they want, or perhaps, that they prefer for the mystery to remain.  Using Occam’s razor, if we accept spirits as a true phenomenon, the former seems more likely.  Spirits are probably unable to influence when they are seen and when they are not, and thus, are confined to the dark cellars and misty rainforests where they appear.  However, since so much is unknown, it is possible that another explanation exists.  This hypothesis will have to stand until a better one is offered. 

It also brings into question the other sprits that may be with us.  Virtually every culture has a story of the Fay folk, or similar such beings, and their effects on lives.  Nature spirits are ubiquitous on the planet, and there are many people who claim to have been contacted by them.  While in modern times, they are subject to marginalization in favour of other myths, they still hold a certain attraction to the modern world.  So many little girls fantasize about being a Fairy princess, and dress up accordingly at Halloween.  The many stories handed down through the ages of Mermaids marrying handsome men, Sirens luring men to their death, Changelings being left by the Fay folk, it seems the Fay are able to interact with us quite at their will. 

Of these, the practice of abducting human children is perhaps the most puzzling.  It is understandable that a nature spirit might fall in love with a human, after all, humans are perfectly capable of loving other races, and have claimed to love the Fay folk back.  This shows that the capacity to see beauty in one another is a characteristic that we share with the Fay.  Whether it is a physical attraction, or something on a more deep level is still to be determined.  But, the fact is, they see a human, and are drawn to it, either as a lover, or as a mother.  This shows that our own presence affects them on an emotional/psychic level, and the stories would have us believe that they are just as capable of human emotions as we are, which sheds light on them.  It shows we see them as some sort of otherworld mirror for ourselves, with similar hopes and dreams.  It shows they want us to be one with them, and to be invited into their world for a stay.

The opposite, intruding on the Fairies world, seems to bring dire consequences indeed.  The Wild Hunt, reported in Europe for many centuries, was believed to take the witness away with them, should the witness be noticed by any of the participants in the hunt.  Even those who were invited to visit the Fairy realm, IF they were lucky enough to be returned, experienced distortions that haunted them for the rest of their lives.  There were those who suffered missing time, and those who suffered mental trauma when being returned to the human world.  It is as though once the human psyche has experienced another world, it is never quite the same again.

We have seen a similar affect to this with our own Astronauts.  Those who went to the moon reported that they were changed men on returning.  Neil Armstrong retired as an introverted man, but, Buzz Aldrin will happily tell the world how amazing his experiences were, and could be considered a modern day prophet for space exploration.  Imagine how much more different your perspective would be if you were able to go to Mars for 10 years, or even more exotic locales.  Of course your perspective would be different, and there would be things you would never be able to share with someone who had not been there themselves.

The same stresses must have worked upon those in the high middle ages who were swept away by other folk to fantastic places.  On return, they were not only stigmatized by their absence, but, there was no one to turn to in order to talk with to sort things out.  There were no psychologists, while priests and magistrates would doubtless be less than sympathetic to their stories and plights.  In such a situation, no wonder so many people who were abducted were later deemed to be insane and put away in confined spaces (doubtless increasing the trauma)  Life for the abductee returning to the human world was fraught with uncertainty.

A far more pressing and threatening presence in the paranormal world is the presence of human predators. There are many creatures that preyed on humans for sustenance.  As previously explained, this was no doubt an echo in our minds left over from when Humanity was still vulnerable, equipped only with stone tools and a high IQ, standing virtually naked against well adapted predators like Lions, Tigers, and Bears.  We would not be here as a species if our ancestors hadn’t developed a healthy fear of being eaten alive.  However, these fears retreated into the psyche, and are part of what fires our imagination when we hear of ghost stories, faeries that can abduct us at will, and most notably, beasts that devour us whole. 

The fearsome werewolf belongs to that curious halfway human realm that is perhaps the most intimidating.  A regular person by day, in the right circumstances, this creature is transformed into a giant bloodthirsty wolf.  Modern Hollywood has largely anthropomorphized this into a half man half beast image, but, the ancient tales were quite clear.  The transformation was total, and the predator would roam in his beast mode slashing and slobbering over its prey.  The horrific part to this creature was the fact it was undetectable until it was too late.  The werewolf would masquerade as a human, and wait until the night before giving over wholly to its anthropophagic desires. 

The image of being chewed on by a shaggy smelly beast is terrifying enough, but, the werewolf added the dimension of prowling at night.  This too played on mankinds primal fears.  The first humans to domesticate fire were no doubt extremely relieved for the extra defense it provided against the predators that lurked in the African savannah for them.  But, they knew fire was not a perfect defense, and they were aware that a hungry, desperate predator would be willing to risk coming near fire for a meal.  They thus interpreted in their visions of a man eating terror that it too would have little fear of fire.  A flesh starved monster would have no fear of primitive mans ultimate weapon.  This is why the werewolf seems so invincible to us; afraid of nothing, unstoppable. 

The important thing to remember is that these other world creatures are with us all year long, and not just on one magical night a year where we allow them to haunt our streets in effigy.  Let us point again to the 2,300 mysterious disappearances a day, meaning over 900,000 people a year go missing.  While some are found in mundane circumstances, others disappear as though they have dropped off the face of the earth.  Who knows what manner of creature still lurks in the dark, hunting us, whether out of lust or blood lust? 

It must be remembered that humans have no bounds on their cruelty, and have been responsible for many infamous actions.  The Lindburgh kidnapping.  The Manson family.  The Donner party.  All resonate to us for the unspeakable things that one human was able to do to another.  However, not all actions are perpetrated by humans.  There are forces that wait for us, sometimes just beyond our vision.  The inexplicable motion we catch out of the corner of our eye, the voice that we hear just before we wake up, the way we are drawn to things that inspire fear. 

They are all because we know there is something powerful out there, waiting to be discovered.  Even the most voracious denier will still feel the hairs on his neck perk up when  he runs out of explanations for what he sees in front of him.  Science requires evidence, and there are precious few scientific inquiries into these phenomenon presently.  However, just on an anecdotal basis alone, it must be admitted that something mysterious happens, even to the point of intruding into our homes when we are asleep.

Be safe this Halloween.  Remember, there are many dangers, both from people, and from the paranormal.  Make sure you always take a friend with you, and most importantly, remember that this time was feared in the ancient world for a reason.  Although no one on the street may turn into a werewolf, they may certainly turn into a bully, or a rapist, or a killer.  Perhaps the most dangerous thing you can do is hide from that person in a dark alley, where no one can see you.   If no one can hear you scream, no one will ever know if it was the work of a deranged drug dealer, or the sinister machinations of a creature from beyond our world.  

My muse

I don’t often speak about what inspires me.  It is very hard to explain.  Its that quiet voice in the back of your head that whispers insights into your ear.  It fills your brain with a burning desire to write them down, research more, and express yourself creatively.  I have personified it into my personal muse – just like the ancient epic poets would dedicate their works to one of the Muses, I sometimes believe I have a personal spirit who’s sole purpose in life is to provide me with inspiration.

My only problem is that she (and yes, I believe the spirit is a she, both because the ancient muses were female, and because it only seems appropriate to have soft words of inspiration whispered to you by a person of the opposite sex)  she is a bitch.  She has no respect for time of day, responsibilities, or even civility.  When she whispers, it is deep within the recesses of my brain, and she demands instant action.  

Unfortunately, not having accumulated a private fortune that would allow me to spend unbroken hours in libraries in pursuit of knowledge to feed her, we do get into conflict.  over the years, I have noticed a pattern – when I ignore her, she either torments me, or goes into a pout.  I hate it when she pouts because she can go silent for a long time until I coax her out.  When she torments me, its like she’s screaming in my subconscious, distracting me from social situations, work, and sleep.  I am bidden to get up, and transcribe her works onto a medium, any medium, and failure to do so is dangerous.

I do confess, my muse was very helpful when it came to writing essays in University.  I type super fast, so I am able to record her inspirations very quickly and efficiently (although they usually need some editing, I blame that on my own skill rather than the inspiration itself)  and my muse continues to be of great help to me.  This blog is a testament to her.  There are times I only have a half hour or less to bang off something that I hope will amuse others, and my muse is usually more than happy to cooperate.  30 minutes later, I have 1800 words ready to go, sometimes in a direction that I didn’t intend when I started off.

So, here I am at 5:20 AM, being bidden by my muse to write a short paragraph about her.  I do hope everyone out there has a muse (hopefully one with a little more manners than my own) and that they learn how to work with them.  it is wonderful when the ideas are jumping off your fingers onto the screen, and there is a magic synergy that feels like you are conducting a bolt of lightning.  A surge of idea and intellect that seems to come from beyond.

Indulge your creative side.  Dry some leaves, and arrange them in a frame.  Learn to play an instrument.  Sing a song you invented.  It can be anything.  But, mental exercise is critical to the development of a balanced mind.  Learn where your inspiration comes from, and let it guide you down its paths, because what you will discover will surprise and enlighten you.  Even if it just involves sitting in a quiet place, and seeing where your mind wanders too, it was well worth the effort. 

Don’t believe me, please.  Try it.  Do it, and see how fulfilling your life can be.  This site and others are full of people who have allowed their muses to speak, and are now finding themselves in all sorts of situations they never would have imagined.  The world needs creativity, and freedom, and I invite you all to continue to express yourselves in any way you see fit.  (Any legal way, this blog does not condone any activity that might be illegal in your country – check your local laws before pursuing artistic expression that might be risque)  

On the subject of laws, i have always pondered the idea of non-consentual art.  The basic idea would be to take a tasteful garden statue, or similar ornament and leave it in a public place to see how long it would stay there.  In a crowded shopping mall, a local government office, or park, it might even become part of the place, and accepted as part of the decor.  I have long toyed with this idea in my head, but, have never had the time, money, or ability to set it up as an experiment and monitor it.  I’m passing it along now, hoping someone, somewhere will try it, and report back.  

To finalize, from my muse to yours – happy creating!

Blood Suckers

We all have the archetypal image of a vampire in our heads.  Tall, gaunt, and pale, with blood red lips, and a piercing, hypnotic gaze.  The unquiet dead rise from their crypts, descending into our bedrooms uninvited, and feasting on our very life essence, these creatures are haunting in every way possible.  Let us investigate the truth behind these creatures, and why they retain their strange hold on us, not only in the mythology of old, but, even in the modern storytelling medium of television and Hollywood.  Their story reflects our story, and is as ancient  as our race itself.

First of all, we should note some basic characteristics of the Vampire.  They are called the “Undead” – that is they inhabit a state that is neither alive nor dead.  As a category, this stands them in a fairly unique position, being neither a part of the food chain, nor part of the fallen.  They are apex predators in a system that includes a wilful, armed population determined to destroy them.  By not being dead, and  yet experiencing the sensations of life, they have been interpreted in a variety of ways.  From the classic manipulative Dracula to the modern glittery immortals, the dead driven to feast on human flesh are outside of the realm of humanity, and live an entirely alien existence.

Being dead offers disadvantages as well as opportunities.  Because of their power, vampires are feared and abhorred.  The modern tendency at rehabilitating their image into some sort of romantic tragic her are quite out of touch with the bloodthirsty monster that rises from its grave to torment the living.  If we leave the literature of the past 30 years out, we will see that the vampire in its purest form is malevolent, manipulative, and ultimately nothing more than a blood lusting predator within our midst.

Being dead, they do not have any cares for the concerns of the living.  Money, wealth, and status are not their goals.  While some of them may have accumulated it, after having lived lifetimes, there are many more who care nothing for such human concerns, and instead busy themselves with the task of feeding upon the living.  There is considerable controversy over how one becomes a vampire, some legends positing it is like a contagion spread when the vampire feeds, others believing that it is an act of magic, or destiny.  We can rule out the contagion theory, because if it were true, then the entire human race would have been fed upon by now.  So, the creation of a vampire must come about through some sort of ritual, or accident of birth.  No matter what, their death is not the end of their lives, so long as they keep killing others and stealing their essence to continue their existence.

The earliest tales of vampires stretch across the millennia.  Apparently the ancients understood the importance of blood as our life essence, and were aware of the potential horror of a monster that could drain it from our living bodies to sustain itself.  The vampires themselves appear in various guises in various cultures, from the mundane monster we have become accustomed to dressed in funeral clothing to the more fantastical portrayals of strange creatures that fly around with their heads and entrails exposed.  No matter their appearance, they inevitably bring terror and death.

The vampire, in many ways, is the clearest expression of the psyche’s shadow.  We are all animals, when you break us down.  We all need to feed, we all derive sustenance by draining the life force of another.  Whether eating a hamburger, or a salad, you are eating the flesh and indeed the entire life of another life form.  Even fruit bears the seeds of the plant, making your consumption of it the act of consuming another’s offspring.  We tend to repress this from our modern mind, but, in many cultures, for example those of the first nations,  the act of taking life was considered to be abhorrent and there were rituals to honour the spirit of the animal taken, and consecrate its flesh, so that partaking of it was no longer an act of murder, but, rather an act of community.  This sense of spirit was long lost in the western world, if it ever existed, but, there is always a sense of dread of appetite that lives within all of us.

The vampire is that appetite writ large.  It heeds no force save its own cravings.  It hunts for the pleasure of hunting and feeding, with no intention of benefiting others, but, solely ensuring its own survival.  The strange life it leads may involve a social aspect, even appearing at parties and in crowds.  But, this is the behavior of a true predator, daring to stalk its prey even in the most crowded spaces.  Daring to pursue it ever further and further, until it is cornered, and then brought to the ground by the vampires powers.  The Vampire indeed is a curious creature, given to extremes of total barbarity, or pretensions of sociopathic enculturation.

This is part of its horror.  It can fit in, or it can strike at any time.  Its hunger mirrors our own, except it is totally unchecked.  There is nothing that will detain it, or prevent it, unless immediate action is taken.  Slay or be slain – this attitude hearkens back to when our own species were not the apex predators that we were today, but, were forced to contend with other wild beasts with primitive (or non existent) weapons to scavenge from a kill, or find sources of food.  While the modern world sits fairly isolated from nature, we still are the products of our evolution, and in the back of our minds, there still lurks the danger of the anthropoid on the savannah, keeping its eyes on the horizon as it desperately chewed away at its meal.  The Vampire represents the beast, not only in ourselves, but ,the one we fear is ready to come and take not only our meal, but, our life, and add it to itself.

The powers of a Vampire also vary from culture to culture.  We must pause and consider why these corpses have inherited such incredible abilities, from flight, to seduction, to super strength.  The legends describe a near immortal creature that can only be killed by fantastic means, and by the life essence they have taken, this can be seen to be true – you must completely extinguish all life force in the corpse before it will cease stalking the living.  The stakes, the cremation, all are just ways to ensure that the body that has reanimated will no longer present any threat to the living by its incapacitation or destruction.

Without such means, the corpse still possesses strange powers.  Some of these might be attributed to the necessity of being a hunter.  After all, it would be only natural for a creature like this to develop the skills needed to hunt down their prey.  Enhanced hearing, sense of smell, and even the ability to project a refined external appearance to mislead their victims would all be very beneficial adaptations.  However, the corpse is still dead, wounded or weakened by the incident that led to its demise.  So its powers cannot come from its body.  They must come from another source altogether.

The key lies within the myths.  Vampires tend to attack at night, and they are reputed for having a ghastly appearance during their attacks.  While the victims may not have much of a chance to describe their attackers, there have been witnesses.  The victim is distracted by a force which modern science knows so well – hypnosis (or mesmerism, if you prefer)  The vampire appears to have super strength, incredible powers of persuasion, and other miraculous features because it preys on our psyche, and makes us believe that it can do these things.  It is another brilliant adaptation to a vampires predatorial nature.  Since an old corpse is extremely vulnerable to anything that might be able to challenge it, a more sensible solution is to exploit the weakness of the human mind, and hypnotize them into believing you are something other than a gaunt dreadful looking corpse.  It is far easier to hunt one’s prey when they are fascinated by the vampires mesmerism, and feel powerless, than it is to challenge a human that knows you are distasteful and hideous.

The single most important ability of a Vampire is its seeming immortality.  Indeed, they have achieved a form of life after death, but, not the one anyone would wish for.  A vampire is a creature, an animal, and one who is not wholly dead.  But, it is missing the animating spark that each of us living creatures possess.  This is why they must feed, and replenish their life force, because it does not spring naturally from within.  Being human, the spring of our life force is our soul, and we speak often of the presence of a powerful person, be it their charisma, or simply the result of factors we cannot describe.  But, it is their soul that we are experiencing.   A powerful soul is the mark of a great life.

It is this soul that Vampires need to feed on because they have none of their own.  Yes, they have achieved  immortality, but, at the cost of their own eternal salvation.  They are eternally bound to this planet, and their hungers, and unable to escape, much like the hungry ghosts of Tibetan lore.  No matter how much they feed, no matter how cordial and social they might seem, they are still little more than savage beasts feeding a hunger they cannot control.   This is the truth of the vampire.  It is a soulless being filled with ravenous desires, and that is all it will ever be, no matter what mesmerizing tricks it may use to tell you it is anything else.

So, keep in mind that while the evidence for these creatures existence is purely circumstantial, if they do exist, they are incredibly dangerous, and deserve to be treated with caution.  First of all, breaking their hypnotic hold on the victim is of paramount importance.  Secondly, remember you are dealing with a corpse, not a human.  Most importantly, never ever accept the offer they may make to share their power with you, because the cost will be that of your very soul.  Vampires are not the young handsome tragic heroes that we see on TV today, they are vicious predators that will stop at nothing to consume your soul.  This is why we must be ever watchful, and remember that while they reflect part of our mind, they once were human, and can see into that which we fear the most.  Ourselves at our most primitive, driven by our desires, hungers, and without remorse or emotion of any kind.

Freedoms End

After the traumatic events of 2001, there has been a steady increase in surveillance and an erosion of human rights.  The government has been seeking to do all it can to prevent a repeat of the catastrophic events that led up to the spate of attacks in the 2001-2002 time frame.  Indeed, there was much to be concerned about during that time, not only the world trade center attacks, but, the Washington sniper, and anthrax envelopes showing up at businesses.  These probably contributed to make the modern world a more horrific place than it needs to be, but, we are continually told it is necessary to make us safe.  The problem becomes how that safety has impacted us individually and socially, specifically how it has made its way into our psyche and group consciousness.

The 9-11 terrorist attacks definitely had an impact on the world.  Not only were they broadcast live and in living colour, but, they also were immediately followed by the invasion of Afghanistan, and eventually the occupation of Iraq.  So, it might be said that the true death toll of those attacks is unknown, as the ramifications of that act are still carried forward on the eddies of the time stream.  It is indeed a case of how one action begets another, and tracing the act backwards in time is equally curious, as it connects many people, and many generations, across the world in ways they cannot possibly imagine. 

The 9-11 attacks were big showy displays, with massive explosions, building demolitions, and soldiers in the streets of various countries.  As an act, they were aggressive, they were overt, and most importantly, influenced a generation.  Soldiers now roam the streets of various countries that would have considered themselves peaceful 15 years ago.  A new axis of the world began out of the ashes of the post cold war world, and still continues to develop to this day.  The people who saw this tragedy will never forget what they saw, where they were, and what they were doing.  For that reason, it overshadows the other curious events that took place and what their aftermath was.

The Anthrax envelopes have almost been forgotten in the world, and were the opposite of the 9-11 attacks.  Someone took to the idea of mailing chemical substances to major businesses under the guise of it being weaponized anthrax.  This case almost certainly inspired copycat criminals, because there were envelopes showing up with simple baby powder in them, or other inert substances.  Yet, although the terror they inspired was present, it was brief, and easily dealt with.  Very few people were actually affected by the phenomenon, so it was eventually buried at the tail end of the news, and completely forgotten aside from the detectives who were investigating it.  In this way, it might be said to be invisible, silent, and a lurking threat, rather than a real or overt one.  These characteristics will become important as we continue.

Then we have the case of the Washington sniper, who was able to elude capture for weeks through an ingenious system.  The idea of a mobile hidden sniper who was capable of striking anywhere, at any time was indeed frightening.  While few descriptions exist, the fact that two people hit on the idea of using a car as a base of operations through which they would slaughter seemingly indiscriminately was equally as disturbing as the twin towers attacks.  It shares their characteristics of being overt, deadly, and it certainly had a disturbing effect on those who witnessed it.  However, what separates these attacks from the 9-11 attacks is certainly scale, but, also public memory.  The offenders were apprehended, and the impact was local.  It did receive nationwide attention, but, that attention faded in the all encompassing shadow of the events of 9-11 and the aftermath. 

So we have 3 events that struck at the heart of North America in rapid succession.  All posed clear threats, although their public perception of danger was different.  They forced people out of their previous peaceful existence into a more dystopian world where security systems that would have never been tolerated before were suddenly thrust onto the public.  Airport check ins became more and more severe, as though that were the only way to shut down future threats, even though 2 of the 3 threats were entirely native to the United States.  But, worldwide, airports were forced to adopt new procedures in order to cut down the perceived risks.

The fact is, the technology for surveillance and invasive searches was coming, and was going to be adopted no matter what.  The security state was coming, it was merely hastened by the events of 9-11.  Governments and investigative agencies of all descriptions, from the alphabet agencies (CIA, FBI, etc) right down to private detectives have always been on the forefront of developing new strategies and devices for surveillance.  We have grown to accept them, even in our own homes.  The ever present baby monitor has taken the place of a mothers careful ear.  Cell phones and security cameras are ubiquitous, and alarm companies have raked in huge profits advertising live monitoring services.  Most people are content with having some form of surveillance in their home, even with the knowledge that it could be hacked or turned against them.  The price of security is unfortunately the loss of liberty.

The other side effect of these surveillance technologies was made readily apparent in our entertainment industry.  The idea of 24 hour surveillance gave birth to shows like Survivor, Big Brother, and countless other “reality” shows where the entire concept was based around monitoring others and watching their interactions at all times.  Of course, there were live events, but, mostly they were edited down to be more sensational, while trying to still present entertainment that was suitable for the mainstream public.  The fact is, spectacle had been removed from fiction, and placed into the arms of the cold mechanical surveillance of groups of people, displayed on our monitors for all to view.

There were several benefits to reality shows over traditional television.  One was relatively low expense, since they did not require writers past setting up the initial scenarios, and they were pretty inexpensive to produce.  The other advantage was that they were pitting normal people up against one another in a variety of challenges.  People love to see drama between others, which is why we will stop to watch a couple arguing on the street corner.  Its a natural human trait, and yet, there was a desire for something more, something to escape from “reality” and the mundane human existence portrayed by these shows.

There was an opposite backlash at about the same time.  While reality TV was dominating our screens, there was another spectacle that began to emerge.  Vampires, werewolves, magicians, and other creatures began to appear on our screens.  At first, as minor characters in other dramas, and then starring in dramas of their own.  Its true that the 1990s saw relatively low budget dramas like Buffy the Vampire slayer and Hercules, but, they were intended as entertainment.  The 2000’s versions of them were more on the lines of Battlestar Galactica, where people did get killed every week, and being a main character was no immunity against the ravages of the script writers.

So, even as the outside world was creeping into our lives and our daily existence, people were reaching out for entertainment outside of what was presented to them.  A world of fantasy, of make believe, where the characters were not representative of ordinary people, but, were instead heroes and villains.  Unlike the clear cut protagonists and antagonists of the 1960s, the 2000’s heroes and villains were nuanced in such a way to make for richer characters.  They were no longer solely devoted to their duties, they felt, they emoted, and they acted as real people should, with clear cut goals and self interest.  They struck a chord with audiences, and presented an excellent balance to the reality shows.  But, there was one more factor to their appeal, that was far more important.

The characters of these dramas transcended the world of baby monitors and strip searches at airports.  In the new Star Trek films, neither Captain Kirk nor his crew are searched when they board their craft.  Harry Potter is never detained at the train station waiting for his luggage to be searched while the other wizards impatiently wait to depart for Hogwarts.  These are characters who operate in a fantasy world, just outside of our own, where our insecurities and regrets disappear.  Even James Bond is not forced to endure more than a cursory baton wand investigation before he boards airplanes, or even runs amok on an airfield.  This was the world people dreamed of, a world where they could be free of their normal limitations, and of the one the government imposed upon them.

The characters themselves personify the opposite of daily existence.  Great leaders ignore commands and make decisions at odds with their commanding officers.  Vampires and other creatures of the life live freely off the grid, using their immortality as the foundation of great achievements.  These are individuals, true and free.  Quite the opposite of the normal existence of humanity;  mundane, hum drum, constantly ordered about by superiors, and never daring to raise an objection.  We have corporations of yes men all secretly hating their tasks, while the characters who inspire us give in to their flights of fancy.  They live in freedom, according to their dreams.

A learned man might protest “But, this is merely art, and entertainment.  What does it have to do with us”  and, to counter, let us admit another learned man, in the person of one Doctor Jung.  “Therein lies the social significance of art:  it is constantly at work educating the spirit of the age, conjuring up the forms in which the age is most lacking” (Lecture: The spirit in Man, Art, and Literature)  This is a damning criticism, and one that has always haunted every search undertaken in this blog.  Our literature is reflecting what is weak within ourselves.  Our spirit is yearning for lost archetypes, ones it wishes to embrace again.  The archetype that is globally lacking right now is true freedom, both in mind, and in spirit.

The key here is to understand that in the wake of oppressive events, there is a natural reaction for people to clamp down and try to be defensive.  Consolidate your positions, and increase your vigilance, and this is exactly what the governments and security agencies have (understandably) done.  There is also a desire in the human heart to be free, and to be free to imagine.  We are inspired by these stories exactly because they imagine a world of freedom, of visuals and effects that we could never imagine or duplicate ourselves.  They compel us subconsciously to continue to their stories again and again, searching for that lost element of freedom that we wish still lurked within our grasp. 

We must be vigilant in protecting our remaining freedoms, particularly our freedom to dream.  For it is the creative impulse that separates humanity from the more primitive animals, and gives us our drive to become more than just mortals.  We create art in the modern world to express these ideas, because reality constrains us.  Sorcery is impractical, space travel is still in its infancy, and ultimately to even attempt either would be difficult due to financial constraints, or due to neighborhood laws.  We are all unfortunately bound by the laws of our society, except for those lucky few who escape on their own terms.  Thus, while we are forced to live in the shadow of the events of 2001, that should never, and must never be allowed to prevent us from dreaming of a better future for ourselves and all humanity.

Cryptids and creepiness

In 1952, a creature stepped onto this world, and became a ghost at the edge of popular culture  It was known as the “Flatwoods Monster’ based on its location and appearance. The above picture, while drawn by hand, and superimposed onto a forest background, still echoes with the eerie terror that must have gripped its witnesses over 5 decades ago. Little is known about the creature, and since it appeared for one day only, reports are sketchy at best. Yet, it embodies one of the most terrifying facts of human existence, that perhaps the paranormal is only a step away at most.
The most common picture of the creature is drawn in black and white. (http://www.cryptomundo.com/cryptozoo-news/60th-flatwoods/ for more images) It was described as witnesses as glowing green, and appeared to accompany other bizarre light phenomenon, including UFO activity. There have been many speculated links to the creature and alien activity, but, what is known for sure is that it was seen by multiple witnesses, ranging from teens to a national guardsman. It also has been linked to physical residue, which may or may not be credible. What is certain is that for one day of terror, this creature lurked among us, and what its motives were are inscrutable at this point.
There was additional evidence that this creature was real. Witnesses described feeling sick after their encounter with it. The illness did not appear to be permanent, and was relatively minor. However, whether it was the result of stress, anxiety, and terror, or if it was due to exposure to something completely alien to their physiology, the fact is that the group who saw it were affected by its presence in a most disturbing manner.
The flatwoods monster is not the only cryptid that has been reported. The world is teeming with them. From the much sought after Sasquatch, to the menacing Chupacabra, there seem to be a number of menacing creatures that still threaten us, even as we fancy ourselves the apex predator of the world. While some would dismiss this as nonsense, or as childrens fantasies, the fact is that adults have encountered these strange intruders, and affidavits have been filed from trustworthy men who had nothing to gain from perpetuating a myth. So, we are led to question what possible sinister force might be lurking in the world that we inhabit.
Some people might justly scoff at the presence of cryptids. With all our satellite technology, and all our roads, how could any possible unknown creature exist. And yet, creatures are still being discovered every day, both in fossilized form, and in fully alive surviving glory. The fact is, it is quite possible for creatures to survive comfortably in the space that we give them. The deciduous forests of North America and Europe may be well known, but, the fact is, it is possible for moose, bears, and other large creatures to move unmolested around the country daily. This is one reason the forestry services of the world go to great lengths to tag wildlife, because following them with hunters would be well nigh impossible.
The fact is, even in our cities, with surveillance at maximum, and an established police presence, it is still possible for animals to live unmolested. Not only do deer, raccoons, and other such creatures find lairs and sustenance from the human world, but, our own species does too. Official statistics of homeless people are only an estimate, and indeed, people are known to disappear from everyday life, either through scrounging off the streets, or through underworld connections. Outside of the bright lights of the city, it is easy to imagine a completely off the grid lifestyle that would enable you to survive undetected, either as an animal, or as a human being. The accommodations might not be much, but, they would certainly be possible to live out an entire existence without coming into contact with other humans, if one were skilled enough.
In fact, it would be a survival trait for large creatures in the North American wild to learn to avoid and shun human settlements. One theory about the mass extinctions over the past 10,000 years is that humans played an active role in their extinction. Whether hunted to death, domesticated, or pushed out of their evolutionary niche, the fact is, humans are a deadly predator. As noted before, it is not impossible for large creatures to remain unseen by humanity. It is estimated there are thousands of brown bears alone, and not only do they have an adequate population to ensure breeding and genetic diversity, but, they are also able to happily carve out their niche. While fish and berries might not suit everyone’s plate, the fact is the bears do very well in avoiding human settlements. While a few wild animals do intrude on human settlements, the fact is the majority of them are quite happy staying well away from noisy humans with their vehicles, radios, and fire.
The fact is, when humans do stray far off the beaten paths, and into the untouched majestic wilderness of the untamed American forest, they do tend to encounter things that they cannot describe. The Gorilla was considered a myth just a few centuries ago, until intrepid explorers managed to hunt down and prove its existence. While there are a few explorers hunting cryptids in the world, there is nothing that could be considered a serious scientific effort. Scientists rarely see the point in trying to find cryptids, after all, the evidence is paper thin. A few eyewitness reports, a few badly preserved hair samples, or other detritus, and the hope that there is something else out there is hardly going to win funding from a university of any standing. Thus, it is left to the amateurs to document what might be lurking in the woods, and they do so with varying degrees of success.
The evidence should be allowed to speak for itself, though. Just because you don’t have evidence to prove something exists does not mean that it does not exist. Countless discoveries have been made by mavericks who did not take lack of proof for the final word, and instead pushed ahead to the glory of discovery. In turn we should not accept the limitations of our own minds as to what might be outside of our urban and rural environs, but, we should actively be exploring it. Anomalous finds are commonplace, and are reported frequently, but, paid attention to by very few, after all, there is little glory to be gained in noting the unusual. We still live in a society that limits itself to what it can see, feel, or hear, a society of senses alone.
Perhaps the most intense reason to bring scrutiny to the areas outside of our normal existence is the fact that they do, in fact, affect our lives. Daily disappearances are common throughout north America, as described in this book (http://www.messagetoeagle.com/missing411.php) and in statistics. While certainly more than a few of them are the result of well planned murders, people who have decided to abandon their lives, and more than a few are likely accidental victims of nature, the fact is, there are so many missing people in the proximity of our civilization that it defies imagination not to be exploring this mystery. People are literally walking off the face of the earth, and we turn a blind eye because their disappearance doesn’t fit with our perceived view of the world!
It is important to note the coincidence between strange encounters in the deep wilderness (or, as previously noted below, the Mad Gasser of Mattoon even struck within our cities) We do not have a map of every perilous situation a human being can encounter, and it seems something mysterious does lurk in the forest, ready to turn a person into a missing person. The motive is unknowable until we gather more evidence, although the utter lack of bones or blood in most cases would seem to indicate that something beyond mere predators and birds of prey are involved. What we are seeing is a phenomenon that is capable of pursuing us anywhere, anytime, and causing humans to vanish. More than likely, it is multiple phenomena, and this is indeed worth looking into, if only for the 2300 people a day that go missing in America.
Think about that, even in a population as massive as North America, and with the most sophisticated surveillance systems known to humanity, approximately 2300 people a day are going missing. Vanished, without a trace. To put that another way, nearly 900,000 people a year walk off the face of the earth and are never heard from again. That number is astonishing, particularly considering that such little attention is paid to so many disappearances. Of course, there are those who are eventually found, in one condition or another, but, the fact is, many of them still vanish without a trace, another file to wind up in a box in a police station. Though there is an evident human cost, the silence on these vanishings is astonishing.
Cryptids may hold a key to their whereabouts, but, more importantly, they show that there is something mysterious that is being encountered. When we are in touch with the savage world, our primitive mind may be capable of generating terrifying hallucinations resembling monsters. But, with detailed descriptions and multiple witnesses, we must eventually conclude that something is left beyond imagination, and that there is a palpable phenomenon at work. We have solid pieces of evidence, eyewitness testimony, consistent reports, and missing people. This would certainly warrant investigation if it were in the hands of the police, however, law enforcement shies away from what it cannot categorize into the materialist perspective of most of the western world.
Thus, we are left waiting, to find out the source of the mysterious disappearances, to find out if there is a large creature (or creatures) that are stalking the human race all around the world, and most importantly, if there is really a reason to fear what goes bump in the night. As Halloween grows closer this year, spend a moment to ponder this as you set up your decorations and treats. Perhaps that witch and vampire are closer than you imagine, and maybe the Flatwoods monster didn’t leave that day, but, is still lurking, waiting for other prey to cross its path. One day it may be found, hopefully by a well organized explorer, and not by some unsuspecting reveler who is unprepared for its nefarious intents.

Beyond the supernatural

This time of year, in European societies, has always been greeted with a certain degree of trepidation. The crops have yielded their last, the harvest festivals have begun their parade, and there is a certain numinous feeling that creeps into our soul. It could be the shorter days, the darker nights, or the certainty that winters icy grasp now stretches its grip from beyond the corner, alighting in our bedrooms, and even in our bones. There are those who claim the veil to the “other world” becomes thinner, allowing us to see the supernatural, and perhaps this is true. The most important thing to remember is that this has always been seen as a time of transition, and that it has been marked from deepest antiquity into the western mind.
We are narrowing our search here specifically to the world influenced by western European traditions, for simple reasons. First of all, it is a fairly fertile ground, without having to spread our searches into other areas. Secondly, we do it for familiarity, as most people reading this will be familiar with Halloween and Saturnalia, rather than festivals from other, equally important cultures. Those cultures are still to be respected, and perhaps in time an attempt can be made to synthesize their wisdom into these pages. Synchronizing festivals between the North and Southern hemispheres would be problematic, not to mention finding equivalents to every single detail. So, for now, we must regrettably limit our field of vision to form a more cohesive picture of the phenomenon as it appears to western Europeans from the northern part of the world.
The changing of the seasons was marked for millennia before man even learned rudimentary farming, or anything other than a simple hunter/gatherer existence. For at least 16,000 years, humans have faithfully recorded the passing of the months, for any number of reasons. (See the antler bone calendar at http://anthro.palomar.edu/homo2/mod_homo_5.htm) This shows that our primitive psyche was certainly developed enough at this time to notice patterns, and smart enough to plan for their recurrence, even over fascinatingly long periods like a month, or longer. With this technology in hand, there was almost certainly a need to document the seasons, as well as the months, and a lunar calendar like this might have served so many tribal functions, it is hard to imagine all the care and detail that went into building the first one. This also means that to manufacture this artifact, the artisan had to be given a reason to do so, set aside the necessary time and resources, and execute this design using only imagination and the most rudimentary tools. It is important to note that this is only the first confirmed evidence we have of lunar timekeeping, it could indeed have a much more ancient tradition. It merely shows that the human capacity and desire to map and document time is incredibly ancient, and the motivations to do so were obviously pressing enough to take away time and resources from other projects.
Please note that the artifact comes from France. While the cradle of civilization was thousands of miles away, this artifact shows that the people from before cities and towns were by no means primitive savages. They were thinking, articulate, rational beings who were determined to find solutions to problems. It is true, they lacked the thousands of years of technological developments that we enjoy today, and in many cases, they were inventing them from scrap. The most important thing that we can draw from this is that humanity everywhere was thinking and inventing at the same time. Faced with obstacles and problems we cannot imagine today, our ancient ancestors were still trying to make a better life for themselves, their children, and ultimately for us, and this behaviour is to be lauded. Since artifacts are still being discovered, it should be noted that this was taking place worldwide, and was not confined to any geographic area or race. It was only with the critical mass of several cultures technology coming together that fostered the modern age, and took tens of thousands of years of evolution from timekeeping to nuclear timepieces. Every race should receive credit, but, again, our focus is on western European influenced cultures, so we must return to the center of our inquiry.
In even more ancient times, we see a sort of ritual regarding the dead. Red Ochre was used to mark the face and body of someone who had passed on, not only by Homo Sapiens, but, also by our closest relation, Homo Neanderthalis. It appears that our minds had the capacity for such symbolism far in the distant past, 50,000 years or more. While any speculation would be suspect based on such evidence because of its very remote nature, it is obvious that our ancient ancestors revered their dead, burying them with some sort of ceremony which resulted in the painting, and also with grave goods, the latter practice enduring right up to the modern day. So we see that even though our most remote ancestors habited a primitive world with only their wits to protect them, they still managed to feel kinship and sympathy for their own dead. At the very least, this shows emotional attachment, and perhaps even a promise that in return for the proper care and treatment of their carcass, (be that inhumation or incineration) there would be some sort of benefit to the living. The most we can say about this ritualistic behaviour is that it existed, and fulfilled a need in the people who performed it. The people who ultimately evolved into ourselves, and brought with them a marking of seasons, and understanding of death, and the basic trappings of understanding change in life and environment.
In less hoary ages, as the climate warmed, and the human race began to prosper, breaking away from the uncertainty of the hunter/gatherer lifestyle, and moving towards what we would recognize as civilization with towns, cities, and government. In those transitional times, there was still an impetus to the human race to develop rituals and celebrations for propitiating a beneficial harvest, and thanking the deities for providing their bounty. The joyous harvest celebrations came into being, and significantly, even in less prosperous years, they were indeed celebrated with all the more fervor. However, as those with seasonal awareness knew, the bounteous crops only meant that the dark times were coming, the moments when weather would turn difficult, and mankinds ever present ally, Fire, would become more and more essential to daily life. Warmth became the focus of life, warmth, food, and survival.
As the winds blew colder, and the sun’s rays became feebler, certainly our ancestors would have felt kinship to the spirits of their ancestors. They might have wished to beg for more food, more warmth, or whatever other wishes they possessed. We know in more recent times, festivals of the dead took place both to placate the spirits of the departed, and also to protect the living from any harm that might be intended by the departed. There is a definite sense that had evolved by the time the Celts were establishing their first towns and farms that those who passed on possessed emotions, and were capable of anger and vengeance. A sign that the soul survived, and was watching from some misty other world, and needed interaction with the living. That interaction had to be handled carefully, and with diplomacy, and thus the rituals associated with this time of year were to honor the dead.

Our ancestors attempted to reconcile this in their minds with the festival of Samhain. While much of this tradition has been lost in the intervening 2000 years of Christianity, there are certain rituals that are shared across Europe. One, the bonfire, is prevalent even to this day. It is no wonder that humans would take up the fire that from time immemorial had protected them during the winter months, and from marauding beasts, as their communal comfort. There was obviously an association made in their minds between keeping the threats of the world at bay, and keeping supernatural ones from intruding, since the bonfire festival maintained its popularity even despite attempts to Christianize it, or repress it. The people had spoken, and they wanted their psychological security.
People enjoy symbolism, and certainly many rituals were established over the years, many probably having gone extinct long before Caesar tromped about Gaul composing his history of the Gallic wars. Yet, the ones that survive show a clear kinship in the human mind between the darkening of the skies, the cold winter winds, and the presence of ancestors and other spirits. Perhaps this is because a cold, wintery, November night seems ominous with all its strange sounds from the wind. Perhaps it is because we are a species that clings together as a community to find strength. No matter the reason, the fact is that this behaviour was a critical observance to our ancestors, who would were willing to risk persecution, bad weather, and even the presence of the modern age in order to ensure their participation in their rituals for ensuring the winter would end.
There is a cause and effect operation at work in the human mind here. If the ancestors are kept happy, if the warmth is spread, and if humanity maintains the traditions, then the coming year would have a bright outlook for the participants. Although it might be scoffed at by scientists who could clearly show the procession of seasons is not in any way affected by a celebration, it does fulfil an essential human need. No one likes to feel powerless, and certainly any valid survival technique involves psychological preparedness. Even though our ancestors, and even we in the modern day, are powerless to stop the weather, we are still driven to try. In the modern day we insulate our homes, and try to predict the weather to avoid being caught unprepared. The same was true of the ancients, who lacked meteorological predictions, or anything other than basic timekeeping. However, they needed to do something to confront the cold winter nights ahead. Having assured oneself that the ancestors were on your side was powerful psychological comfort, as was a good feast.
From the comfort of our homes, we still follow vestiges of these rituals today. We sit around fires and tell ghost stories, as if to recreate the sense of vulnerability our ancestors must have lived with day to day. We are told that our children dress up in costumes as a remnant of a custom where people would disguise themselves to go out at night, to avoid offending the ancestors. Indeed, this tradition shows how close the ancients thought the spirit world was, that they needed a physical disguise in order to avoid being cursed. While this may seem ludicrous today, the fact is, when unseen forces beyond your control exist, it is very valid to make sure you are in concert with the supernatural, and not offering offense. Plague, famine, and frostbite were not controllable forces to our forefathers, and it was necessary for their own salvation to ensure that everything they did proceeded in a prescribed manner. By taking positive action, instead of sitting idly by, they were able to turn back the darkness in their own minds, and proceed in making their own futures more optimistic.
This is the very nub of tradition. Even though in our modern age, we scorn it, it played a very important role in the survival of our species for thousands, if not tens of thousands of years. We must not ignore the fact it was a valid survival technique for our ancestors, and instead of dismissing it, we should give it the attention that it deserves. While the Great Pumpkin may never possess the same awe and dignity that the spirits of another world once did, Charles Schultz has shown that these archetypes remain in our minds, and that we are still creatures of habit. Our habits necessitate acknowledging the seasons, because we have no choice but to endure them. A healthy ritual of feasting and warm fires is certainly a dignified way to celebrate life, and the ancestors who lived before us. So, remember, when the winds blow after the trees have lost their leaves, and we are left with only the clothes on our backs to keep us warm, the fact is, our rituals kept us safe in the past, and there is no harm in putting an extra log on the fire, or, in the modern world, perhaps just giving ourselves an extra helping of potatoes and leaving aside a small portion for our ancestors. After all, we are all human.

The Degeneration of Popular Culture

Over the 20^th century, popular culture evolved through a myriad of forms.  At the first, it involved books, newspapers, and public lectures, and at the end, it featured the internet, radio, and television.  The fact is, we can see a clear degeneration of culture across this 100 year span, even as access to events became more widespread, the creation of culture became more and more monopolized.  This in turn has radically transformed our society from creators into consumers of culture. 

How does one define culture if not by its entertainment, and the entertainment is what we will focus on.  There is a myriad of entertainment being produced today, but, it is no longer in the same fashion as what came before.  100 years ago, a dramatic storyteller would have his lines carefully rehearsed, while today, a youtube video of a prank circulates around the world in seconds.  There is a significant gap between one and the other, that we will see has negatively impacted quality.

Back in the 1900s, entertainment was what you created.  You either played an instrument, told a story, or practiced some craft that people enjoyed.  Sure, there were the primitive gramophones, but, they were toys for the rich.  The fact is, the majority of people produced and consumed their own culture and entertainment, and that was beneficial to the whole species.  The individual quality might differ, but, there was an overall, organic feel to the whole entertainment process. 

This has been stated before here, but, look at an average political speech or novel from the era.  They are filled with rich innuendos, references to classical themes, and tug at the psyche far more than anything being produced today.  The musical forms are so diverse as to be virtually alien to one another, from Tchaikovsky`s mighty works, to the ditties that people sang in the pub.  Children were expected to make their own toys, and play outside unsupervised.  Of course, this put them in danger, but, they were acceptable dangers, because generations before had managed to live through them.  Trials of the spirit do tend to enrich the soul.

Consuming entertainment meant going out, and immersing yourself in a social situation.  This is in complete contrast to today.  100 years ago, you would go to the opera, or a concert, to hear the most magnificent compositions.  Today, you just turn on your computer, and need not bother getting dressed.  Going out in public is an active experience, where you must use all your senses to draw in the crowd, the mood, and the nature of the gathering.  This, was the essence of classical entertainment, the social aspect.  Without the social aspect, entertainment becomes little more than passive time wasting mind neutral activity. 

Slowly radio emerged, but, it was still an engaging medium.  Because of the limitations of the technology, and its relative expense, local entertainment was encouraged, so people were still exercising creative control.  The famous `War of the worlds`  broadcast, no matter its actual veracity, was still causing people to engage their minds, imagining the characters and images behind Wells` words.  If the ensuing panic actually did happen (despite evidence) it was precisely because people were engaged with the medium, and identifying with it.  People would gather around the radio and partake in it together, meaning that radio was still a social element (a quality which it has long since lost)

As networks developed, and communications became more centralized, the local voice was lost.  A newscaster might become notable in a given area, and a man with the right voice might become nationally famous.  However, the talent of individuals was slowly left to rot.  The average person playing an instrument like the Accordion became more of a parlor joke than an admired talent, and the idea of packaging entertainment was in its embryonic stage.  Gone were the sing alongs at the pub, replaced by the record spinners at the dance clubs.

This progress towards technology was not all bad. Admittedly, for the right people at the right time, who were `discovered` it was indeed a miracle.  It was a fast track to riches and fame.  However, they were the producers of culture, which had previously been a widescale democratic movement, rather than the product of a few companies ideal of what would sell.

By the time of Glenn Miller, the amateur producer of entertainment was lost, aside from local variety shows, and instead was replaced by massive record pressing companies, and radio broadcasts.  Entertainment was consumed by the masses, rather than produced by them.  Gone were the days where a person would try to remember how their grandfather had played a particular tune, instead, amateur musicians were trying to duplicate the latest sensational brass band favorites.  Mimicry became the call of the local entertainer, rather than innovation.  The individual had lost their voice in the cultural creation process.

Certainly economic forces played a factor.  Doubtless Johnny Carson selected Elvis Presley to appear on his show because of the musicians ability to draw viewers, rather than for any admiration for his gift (recall that at that point, Elvis was still highly controversial)  By the time of the Beatles and the `British Invasion`  people were in a  state of near hysteria over celebrities that they would never meet in person, or come in contact with anywhere beyond a thousand yards.  The modern age of entertainment had been born, and its direct affect on culture could be seen.  No longer was any socialization required with the entertainer, no culture required to put on a record player.   Just time to waste, and a passing fancy.

In the 60s to mid 90s, this continued to develop.  The corporations grip on broadcasting and networks only grew and tightened, to the point where `manufactured`  entertainment became mainstream.  Groups were thrown together just on the basis of packaging, rather than synergy or talent.  Thus, we have some very forgettable decades where the music was electronic, the entertainers robotic, and the audience hypnotic.

There was no antidote to this.  Gone were the gatherings celebrated in  culture of guitar playing by the outdoor fire.  Gone were sing alongs, aside from elementary school, and occasional community theater projects.  The individual talent had wasted away to near zero levels.  Our passion to perform had been subsumed by our passion to consume. 

However, in the late 1990s to the present day, the internet opened up a new phenomenon.  Personal entertainment was back again.  One person with a camera, or with a story could sensationalize the world just by getting views.  It is debatable whether this is social interaction, since the parties never see one another face to face, and the entertainment still caters to a passive audience.  However, it has encouraged the democratization of entertainment again.

The problem is the lost generations of local entertainers.  There were literally generations of people who grew up thinking what they saw on Television, or what they heard on the radio was representative of culture as a whole, instead of what they were being fed to believe.   People were too intimidated to perform in public, rightfully fearing they would be compared with the mass marketed musicians who enjoyed fame, fortune and glory.  What chance did the individual have against that.  Thus, we lost billions of voices in the decades that could have provided culturally revolutionary music, just simply due to self doubt and the intimidation of the multinational corporate entertainment empires.

Though the re-democratization of culture and entertainment is still in its infancy, it is our duty as a species to demand it back.  Yes, there will always be a great act that manages to draw in viewers, and upstage us all.  However, we should not be afraid to let our voices be heard.  Step out from the silence, and let people know what you feel.   Have a rant, play a song, read your poems, whatever it takes.  For if you do not do so, no one will ever know what, if any genius you possessed, and your talent will be lost to the world, just as we lost billions of talented people over decades who could have changed our culture, if only they were given a voice.

Now, to honour those countless lost performers, we will take our regularly scheduled weekend break.  See you next week!  Thanks for reading.  Every click on these pages makes someone smile, and know that your time spent reading my muses has been appreciated, and brought enjoyment to me, much as I hope it has brought enjoyment to you!