Strange & Bizarre News

pigfarmer

tall, thin, irritable
Mysterious James Bond note found stashed inside historic castle leaves history buffs shaken, stirred

Mysterious James Bond note found stashed inside historic castle leaves history buffs shaken, stirred​


Published Feb. 28, 2024, 4:14 p.m. ET

It’s a mystery that has historians shaken and stirred.
An old note bearing the name of the fictional British super spy James Bond was discovered inside a bottle during renovations at a 400-year-old castle that sits off the coast of France — and now has local history buffs trying to figure out where it came from.
Mysterious James Bond note. 6
The mysterious James Bond note found inside Elizabeth Castle on the Island of Jersey has local history buffs baffled.Jersey Heritage
The note was discovered inside a wall when a fireplace was unblocked on the first floor of the Officers’ Quarters at Elizabeth Castle. 6
The note was discovered inside a wall when a fireplace was unblocked on the first floor of the Officers’ Quarters at Elizabeth Castle.Jersey Heritage
“We need your help to shed light on a mysterious note that was discovered when a fireplace was unblocked on the first floor of the Officers’ Quarters at Elizabeth Castle,” Jersey Heritage, a historic preservation group on the UK island, said on Instagram this week.
The words “007 James Bond” are scribbled on the yellowing piece of paper, followed by “26 Feb 1966” — two months after the release of the Bond flick, “Thunderball.”
“PS Secret agent,” the note further reads. “Don’t tell anybody.”

The note was left by a ‘E. A. Blampied’ and bears the date 26 February 1966. 6
The note was left by a ‘E. A. Blampied’ and bears the date 26 February 1966.Jersey Heritage
Also in the bottle are several pages from the Feb. 23, 1966 edition of the Reveille newspaper.
The only clue as to the author is on the reverse side, where it is signed, “E.A. Blampied,” which is believed to be a reference to noted Jersey artist Edmund Blampied, who died in August of 1966, just months after the note was seemly penned.
“However, we have no further information about the Blampied note!” the Instagram post said. “If you can help us to get to the bottom of the mystery, please DM us.”
[IMG alt="Martine Beswick and Sean Connery in
Thunderball."]https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/martine-beswick-sean-connery-thunderball-77367879.jpg?w=1024[/IMG]6

Martine Beswick and Sean Connery in “Thunderball”.Danjaq/Eon/Ua/Kobal/Shutterstock
35


Jersey Heritage is a local fund that oversees history sites on the island nation, including Mont Orgueil Castle, a Medieval fortress on the shoreline, and La Hougue Bie, one of the oldest buildings in the world dating as far back as 3500 BC, the group said.
Meanwhile, Bond is a world-famous British secret agent created by author Ian Fleming in 1953 — which has spawned more than two dozen hit films over the years.The fictional spy has a penchant for lovely ladies and likes his martinis “shake, not stirred.”
As for the puzzling note bearing his name, perhaps it was meant for his eyes only.


The note was discovered on the first floor of the Officers’ Quarters at Elizabeth Castle on the island of Jersey, UK. 6
The note was discovered on the first floor of the Officers’ Quarters at Elizabeth Castle on the island of Jersey,
 

nivek

As Above So Below

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whG5KdJgV2g

Hacked Road Sign in Washington Warns of 'Angry Raccoons Ahead'​

A hacked road sign in a Washington city caused drivers to do a double-take due to its very weird warning that there were "angry raccoons ahead." According to a local media report, the odd caution was spotted by motorists during Wednesday morning's commute in the city of Spokane. Since the community had not been overrun by mad trash pandas, it was quickly determined that the warning was the work of an enterprising individual who managed to change the sign's message by gaining access to its keyboard thanks to an unsecured lock.

The co-owner of the company that supplied the signs to the city, Andy Biggs, marveled that "that's the first time that's happened that I can remember. He also expressed relief that the message was clever rather than crude, musing that "we are fortunate that it wasn’t rated R." To that end, residents in the area were largely amused by the angry raccoon warning with some posing for pictures with the sign before it was eventually removed after a few hours.

.
 

nivek

As Above So Below

Man who vandalized a Buddhist temple was killed by a Buddha statue

On February 27, 2024, an unsettling incident unfolded at a Buddhist temple in Banbung district, Chonburi province, Thailand. Ek, a 49-year-old resident and regular visitor to the temple, launched a violent attack on a monk named Best, with whom he had a prior friendship. Unfortunately, Ek’s behavior took a drastic turn due to the influence of methamphetamine.

Under the drug’s impact, Ek aggressively struck Best’s hand with a lamp before proceeding to the main hall of the temple. Once inside, he wreaked havoc, deliberately toppling and breaking Buddha statues that adorned the sacred space. Despite Best seeking help from fellow monks who promptly contacted the police, Ek barricaded himself within the hall, continuing his destructive spree.

Upon the police’s arrival, they found Ek still engaged in his destructive rampage, having locked all access points to the main hall. Almost all the Buddha statues in the temple were shattered. Despite repeated calls for surrender, there was no response. The situation took a grim turn when the police forcibly entered the hall and discovered Ek lying lifeless in a pool of blood. A Buddha statue had impaled his chest, its sharpened tip piercing through his lungs and heart.

It was theorized that Ek, in attempting to vandalize the largest statue, lost balance and fell onto the sharpened tip of another Buddha statue.

The incident resulted in Ek’s rapid demise. Monk Best later expressed remorse, admitting to purchasing methamphetamine with Ek. As a consequence of this grave transgression, he announced his decision to leave the monkhood. Local media coverage stirred public reactions, with many viewing Ek’s death as a karmic repercussion for the sacrilegious act of desecrating the temple.




.
 

nivek

As Above So Below

Duo Allegedly Bring Dead Friend's Body to Bank to Withdraw Money from His Account

A pair of Ohio women are in trouble with the law after they allegedly brought their dead friend's body to the bank in order to withdraw some of his money. The bizarre caper, which has been likened to the classic film Weekend at Bernie's, reportedly occurred last week in the city of Ashtabula when Karen Casbohm and Loreen Bea Feralo discovered that their roommate, Douglas Layman, had passed away. With the help of an unnamed individual, police say, the pair put the man's body "in the front seat of his car and then drove to the bank where they withdrew an undisclosed amount of money from his account."

Authorities explained that the scheme went unnoticed by the bank staff because the pair used the drive-through window and "Layman was placed in the vehicle in such a manner that he would be visible to bank staff in order to make the withdrawal." Casbohm and Feralo are said to have subsequently left the body at a nearby hospital "without providing any information about the man or themselves." Cops investigating the very strange case were eventually able to identify Lyman and, upon visiting his residence, met with the duo who had 'deposited' his remains earlier that day.

While speaking to police, the pair inexplicably told the cops about the visit to the bank earlier that day. Ashtabula Police Lieutenant Mike Palinkas told a local media outlet that withdrawal came about because "allegedly, they wanted to pay some bills but outside of that, there wasn’t a specific motivation provided." Regardless of the reasoning behind the bank visit, the macabre maneuver led to the pair being arrested for abuse of a corpse and the two women could face additional charges presumably related to the money taken from their dead friend's account.


.
 

nivek

As Above So Below

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az24AjW_-cI

Cop Stopped by Rogue Raccoon

A police officer in Colorado Springs responding to call about a traffic accident saw his trip take a wild turn when a raccoon leaped onto his squad car as it was driving down the road. The stunned cop actually managed to snap a picture of the crazed-looking creature pressed against the windshield of his cruiser shortly after the animal 'attacked.'

Fortunately, the officer quickly pulled over to the side of the street and, after taking a few more photos of the presumably-bewildered beast, helped guide the raccoon off of his patrol car. The cop's strange adventure was shared by the Colorado Spring police department on their Facebook page, where they described the officer's reaction as "pawsitively surprised."


.
 

nivek

As Above So Below

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37ilcb0FwXI

Mysterious Eye Watches Over Mexican Garage from Hole in Wall

An unsettling video out of Mexico shows the moment when a worker at a Mexican garage discovers that a mysterious eye has been watching over the room from a hole in the wall. The nightmarish scene reportedly unfolded earlier this month at a mechanic's shop in the city of Saltillo. According to the witness, her work in the garage suddenly became disturbed by the eerie feeling of being watched. Curious as to what could be causing the sensation, she looked around the room and noticed that there seemed to be something behind a hole in the wall. Upon flashing a light at the spot, she and her coworkers were understandably taken aback at the sight of an eye staring back at them.

According to the witness, the group attempted to rouse a reaction from the eye by banging on the wall, but the observer did not respond and its gaze remained fixed on the room. Making the case all the more confounding, she posted a second video from outside the building to show that there are no holes that could account for how the mysterious watcher wound up behind the wall. Since being posted online last week, her initial video has gone viral in Mexico, amassing a staggering 26 million views to date with some viewers suggesting that the eye could have been an owl or a cat, while others offered more fantastic theories, such as a demon or a supernatural entity.


.
 

nivek

As Above So Below

Security Guard Stumbles Upon Alexa Devices Praying in the Middle of the Night

An eerie video circulating on social media in Mexico shows the moment when a department store security guard stumbles upon a group of Alexa devices praying in the middle of the night. The bizarre incident reportedly occurred earlier this month as the man was making his rounds at the Iron Palace shop in Mexico City. At approximately 2 AM, the security guard was stunned when several of the store's Alexa devices suddenly began reciting the Catholic devotion known as the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy. Particularly chilling about the strange scene was that there appeared to be one device leading the virtual prayer service, which echoed throughout the otherwise empty store.

Since being posted on TikTok over the weekend, the spooky video has gone viral in Mexico, amassing a staggering 13 million views to date and sparking all manner of theories as to what unfolded in the department store that night. Some viewers offered the intriguing suggestion that perhaps the devices were being used by ghosts in an attempt to hasten their journey to heaven, while others theorized that the incident might be some kind of Easter-related divine message. Meanwhile, more skeptical viewers posited that someone could have simply programmed the devices to recite the prayer as part of an elaborate prank to terrify the unfortunate security guard.



View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcqFIwMaLAU


.
 

pigfarmer

tall, thin, irritable
Was a very wily coyote or a man with a tall top hat, cape and waxed moustache apprehended running away from this?

Oregon man narrowly escapes death by runaway saw blade​


 

nivek

As Above So Below

Animal lover cared for hat bobble all night thinking it was a sick baby hedgehog

The staff at a British animal hospital got quite the chuckle when a kindhearted woman brought in what she thought was an injured baby hedgehog that turned out to be a bobble from a winter hat. The weird 'rescue' reportedly occurred last week when the unnamed woman spotted what appeared a downed creature on the side of a road. Concerned for its safety, the animal lover dutifully scooped up the suspected baby hedgehog with a box and brought the critter home with her, where (as seen below) she provided it with some cat food and a warm place to rest.

When her animal ward did not touch its food nor go to the bathroom after several hours, the woman grew even more concerned and decided to bring the creature to the Lower Moss Wood Nature Reserve and Wildlife Hospital in the community of Chester. When veterinarian Janet Kotze received the box containing the furry patient, she quickly realized that it was, in fact, the bobble from a winter hat rather than a baby hedgehog. Upon learning of the misidentification, the surprised woman simply replied "you're joking! Oh my goodness, how did I do that?"

While the woman did not wind up rescuing a baby hedgehog, Kotze credited her with having a "heart of gold" and doing exactly what the animal hospital recommends one should do if they find such a downed creature. "She did everything so well," the vet marveled, noting that once the perceived creature was contained in the box, the animal lover "barely peeked at it, because she didn’t want to stress it out," which would also seem to explain why she did not notice its true nature.


Untitled.png

.
 

pigfarmer

tall, thin, irritable
New Jersey toll collector with ‘premonition’ called out of work before garbage truck crashed into booth

New Jersey toll collector with ‘premonition’ called out of work before garbage truck crashed into booth​

By
Social Links forAneeta Bhole
Published April 15, 2024, 11:51 p.m. ET

Talk about a sixth sense!
A New Jersey toll booth attendant escaped potential injury or worse after she called out of work the same day a garbage truck crashed into the toll plaza because of a premonition that she had.
Jessica Daley, who works along the Garden State Parkway, told NBC New York she was jolted awake on Friday morning with a “bad gut feeling… like something terrible was going to happen.”
A second warning came at 4 a.m. when she felt she was “going to get in a car accident.”
Jessica Daley told NBC New York she was awakened with a “bad gut feeling… like something terrible was going to happen.” 3
Jessica Daley told NBC New York she had a “bad gut feeling… like something terrible was going to happen.”nbcnewyork

“It was so strong, that I actually called out and I never call out of work,” Daley told the broadcaster.

Four hours later, a garbage truck slammed into a collector’s booth at the Barnegat Toll Plaza — the booth Daley is usually in.
There was an explosion of debris which hit a nearby Chevy pickup and the toll booth. A toll collector and the driver of the vehicle suffered serious injuries.
“My immediate response honestly, I dropped to my knees and just started crying. I was praying for everybody involved and thanking God that I had that feeling to call out,” she said when she’d been told of the accident soon after.
State police are still investigating the crash and a spokesperson from the New Jersey Turnpike Authority said the injured toll collector has left hospital.
A garbage truck is shown slamming into a collector’s booth at the Barnegat Toll Plaza. 3
A garbage truck is shown slamming into a collector’s booth at the Barnegat Toll Plaza.NJDOT
Daley and her family were left with mixed emotions.
“I think her gut instinct was an angel or a premonition from a guardian angel telling her not to go in to protect her,” her mother, Jennifer said.
“It’s hard to feel so happy that my daughter wasn’t there, and at the same time, feel heartbreak for the ones that were involved.”
Police are still investigating the crash that left one toll collector in the hospital. 3
Police are still investigating the crash that left one toll collector in the hospital.NJDOT
Daley returned to work the next day and added that the warnings reinforced her faith.
“As of recently, I started getting a lot closer to God in the last like three months. I believe one hundred percent that was God looking out for me,” she said.

 

pigfarmer

tall, thin, irritable
‘Curse’ behind King Tutankhamun’s tomb mysterious deaths finally solved, experts claim

‘Curse’ behind King Tutankhamun’s tomb mysterious deaths finally solved, experts claim​

By
Social Links forRichard Pollina
Published April 27, 2024, 2:15 a.m. ET

The unsettling curse of King Tutankhamun’s tomb in Egypt has bewildered archaeologists since it’s been feared to be linked to the mysterious deaths of multiple excavators who discovered it in 1922.

However, a scientist now claims to have solved the mysteries of the infamous “Pharaoh’s Curse” more than 100 years later.

Toxic levels of radiation emanating from uranium and poisonous waste are believed to have lingered inside the tomb since it was sealed over 3,000 years ago, Ross Fellowes wrote last month in the Journal of Scientific Exploration (JSE).

GettyImages-1337839327.jpg

The burial chamber in the tomb of Tutankhamun, near Luxor, Egypt.Universal History Archive/Univer

The radiation level inside Tutankhamun’s tomb is so high that anyone who comes in contact with it could very likely develop a fatal dose of radiation sickness and cancer.“Both contemporary and ancient Egypt populations are characterized by unusually high incidences of hematopoietic cancers, of bone/blood/lymph, for which a primary known cause is radiation exposure,” Fellowes wrote in his study.

However, this radioactivity isn’t isolated to Tutankhamun’s tomb.

Fellowes revealed that “unusually high radiation levels have been documented in Old Kingdom tomb ruins” and spread throughout sites in Egypt.

“Radiation has been detected by the Geiger counter at two sites at Giza adjacent to the pyramids,” he wrote, adding that radon — a radioactive gas — has also been detected in “several underground tombs at Saqqara.”

Coffinette for the Viscera of Tutankhamun, which contained the mummified liver of the king, depicts him as Osiris, holding a crook and flail 9
The “Coffinette for the Viscera of Tutankhamun,” which contained the king’s mummified liver, depicts him as Osiris, holding a crook and flail.AP
Medical imagery of Tutankhamun is shown above a replica of King Tut's skull while on display during the Tutankhamun And The Golden Age Of The Pharaohs Exhibit Opening at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) on June 15, 2005 in Los Angeles, California.
Medical imagery of Tutankhamun is shown above a replica of King Tut’s skull on display during the “Tutankhamun And The Golden Age Of The Pharaohs” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in California.Getty Images


These readings were all found to be “intensely radioactive. ”“Modern studies confirm very high levels of radiation in ancient Egyptian tombs, in the order of 10x accepted safety standards,” the study shared. It’s also theorized that those who built the ancient tombs were aware of the toxins based on the eerie warnings carved on the walls.

“The nature of the curse was explicitly inscribed on some tombs, with one translated presciently as, ‘they that break this tomb shall meet death by a disease that no doctor can diagnose,’” Fellowes wrote.

Outside the tomb of Tutankhamun, Valley of the Kings, Egypt, 1922. 9
Outside the tomb of Tutankhamun during the 1922 excavation in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt.Getty Images
Other ominous translations like “forbidden” because of “evil spirits” may have significantly fueled the fear that supernatural curses lingered in the ancient sites.

Those fears intensified with the mysterious deaths of Lord Carnarvon, who funded the excavation in 1922 and reportedly walked through the treasured filled rooms — and multiple others after they unsealed the tomb.

“Carnarvon was dead within a few weeks of the uncertain diagnosis of blood poisoning and pneumonia,” Fellowes wrote.

Egyptologist Howard Carter (R) walks with the patron of his research, archaeologist Lord Carnarvon at the Valley of the Kings excavation site in 1922. 9
Egyptologist Howard Carter (R) walks with archaeologist Lord Carnarvon, the patron of his research, outside the tomb of King Tutankhamun in 1922.Getty Images

Egyptologist Arthur Weigall allegedly told colleagues that Carnarvon would “be dead within six weeks” upon entering, the study claimed.

Howard Carter, the first person to walk inside Tutankhamun’s tomb with Carnarvon, died in 1939 after a long battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which was suspected to be caused by radiation poisoning.

British Egyptologist and independent excavator Arthur Weigall was present at the opening of Tut’s Tomb and is also credited with starting the ‘myth’ of the curse.

He died of cancer at 54 years old in 1934.

a tray of chariot parts from the Tomb of Tutankhamun, Valley of the Kings, Egypt, 1922. 9
Workers remove a tray of chariot parts from the Tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, Egypt, in 1922.Getty Images
In total, six of the 26 people present when the tomb was opened died within a decade from asphyxia, stroke, diabetes, heart failure, pneumonia, poisoning, malaria and X-ray exposure.

While the deaths can be seen as odd, the curse theory was also likely fueled by the oddities that happened when it opened.

Carnarvon had reportedly suffered a mosquito bite that became severely infected.

Around the time excavators opened the tomb, Cairo reportedly suffered a bizarre power outage and a freak sandstorm, according to National Geographic.’

At one point during the excavation, Carnarvon’s favorite dog allegedly let out a chilling howl and suddenly dropped dead.

A monochrome photograph showing guards standing outside the tomb of Tutankhamon in Egypt in the 1920s 9
A monochrome photograph showing guards standing outside the tomb of Tutankhamun in Egypt in 1922.Corbis via Getty Images
A sacred cow being removed from Tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922.
A sacred cow being removed from Tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922.Bettmann Archive

From a historical perspective, the discovery of the tomb in the Valley of Kings is considered one of the most fascinating finds that gave modern society a glimpse into the Egyptian royalty voyage into the afterlife.

Five thousand items, including solid gold funeral shoes, statues, games, and strange animals, were discovered inside Tutankhamun’s tombs.

It would take the excavators ten years to clear the tomb of its treasure.

The golden funerary mask of Tutankhamun 9
The golden funerary mask of Tutankhamun.Getty Images

The unsealing and studying of the tomb is also credited with launching the modern era of Egyptology.

Tutankhamun took the throne as pharaoh around nine or ten years old and ruled between 1332 BC and 1323 BC.

However, he died by the time he turned 18.



https://nypost.com/2024/04/27/lifes...?utm_campaign=iphone_nyp&utm_source=mail_app#
 

nivek

As Above So Below

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J37Z1NULoRQ

Strange tornado spotted in the mountains of China

A video depicting an unusual tornado-like phenomenon has surfaced on Chinese social media platforms. However, what sets this apart is the context—it was filmed amidst snowy mountains and at a notably high altitude, where yaks roam freely. Reportedly captured on May 7, 2024, somewhere in Qinghai province, which shares its border with Tibet to the west and is nestled within the Kunlun mountain range, the footage showcases a remarkable meteorological event.

Given the region’s frigid winters and cool summers, devoid of warm, humid air masses typical for tornado formation, coupled with its rugged, snow-covered terrain, the emergence of a tornado, particularly one of considerable height and girth, is an anomaly. With only one video available, skepticism abounds regarding its authenticity, prompting inquiries into whether it may have been digitally altered or fabricated using advanced technologies like neural networks or video editing software.

Adding to the intrigue, the tornado depicted in the video appears motionless, defying conventional behavior. Speculation arises as to whether it is indeed immense and situated at a considerable distance, rendering its movement imperceptible within the short video clip, or if it conceals a more enigmatic nature beyond mere tornado classification.


.
 

nivek

As Above So Below
GNyN2DJW4AEoJXp.jpeg

.
 

nivek

As Above So Below

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USg8flpwCT0


Technicality Costs Canadian Town Weird Dinosaur Costume World Record

Hoping to capture a world record for the most people gathered together while dressed as dinosaurs, a Canadian community saw their dream dashed when the endeavor proved to be so popular that representatives from Guinness were incapable of counting all of the faux reptiles. The strange snafu reportedly unfolded late last month at the town of Drumheller's annual Jurassic Jamboree event which celebrates the community's claim to being the 'Dinosaur Capital of the World.' As part of this year's festivities (seen above), organizers called upon attendees to wear dinosaur costumes in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most people gathered together in the odd attire.

Alas, the chance to make weird history turned out to be particularly tempting as, on the day of the event, the town was overwhelmed by faux dinosaurs. "We had inflatable costumes, there were soft onesie-style costumes that were full body," marveled Keri Looijen of Travel Drumheller, "and some people even went as far as making their own costumes out of cardboard and other things." While organizers were undoubtedly thrilled at the turnout for the festivities, which is believed to have been somewhere between four and five thousand people in total, the sheer number of would-be record-breakers wound up being more than anyone expected, which ultimately cost them the title.

For Drumheller to lay claim to the record, it was revealed this week, all of the faux dinosaurs had to gather together for one minute while a Guinness representative confirmed the exact number of costumed people in attendance. Although the official "recorded 3,000 people through numbered bracelets or wristbands," Looijen explained, some of these individuals were seen leaving the designated area before the limit had expired, leaving Guinness with no choice but to throw out record attempt on this technicality. The missed opportunity is particularly maddening as the current record stands at a mere 252 people, which Drumheller easily smashed.


.
 

nivek

As Above So Below

1715977083627.jpeg

Coin collection of Danish butter magnate going on sale after being sealed for 100 years

A Danish butter magnate's collection of coins could fetch close to £60m on auction, a hundred years after he passed away. Lars Emil Bruun, who was born in 1852, said in his will that a 20,000-piece collection he built throughout his life must be safeguarded for 100 years before it could be sold. More than a century on, New York-based coin auctioneer Stack's Bowers will sell off the collection this autumn.

Several sales of what the auction house calls the "most valuable collection of world coins to ever come to market" are planned to be held over the coming years. In the 1800s, Mr Bruun's dairy enterprise made him rich and allowed him to hoard coins, medals, tokens and banknotes from Denmark, Norway and Sweden. After the First World War, he insisted in his will that the collection must "serve as a reserve for the royal Coin and medal collection in Copenhagen" if they were destroyed.

Since his death, the collection was held at former Danish royal residence Frederiksborg Castle, before it later made its way to Denmark's National Bank. Vicken Yegparian, vice president of numismatics at Stack's Bowers Galleries, called the collection "the best open secret ever".

"When I first heard about the collection, I was in disbelief," he added. "We've had collections that have been off the market for 100 years-plus."

Some pieces in the collection are valued at £40, but others could go for more than £800,000. All told, the coin collection could fetch up to £57.4m. Denmark's National Museum, which had the right of first refusal on part of the collection, purchased seven of the rare coins before they went to auction. The seven coins - six gold, one silver - were all minted between the 15th and 17th centuries by Danish or Norwegian monarchs, and cost more than £877,000

Senior researcher Helle Horsnaes, a coin expert at the National Museum, said: "They are described in literature as the only existing specimen of this kind. "The pure fact that this collection has been closed for a hundred years makes it a legend. It's like a fairytale."


1715977364838.jpeg

1715977396244.jpeg

.
 

nivek

As Above So Below

Why does this 16th-Century illustration show a cat with a jetpack on its back ?

We've seen quite a few illustrations of peculiar historical inventions over the years, but one that keeps cropping up is this drawing (above) of what appears to be a domestic cat with some sort of jetpack-type device strapped to its back. The image appears in the works of Franz Helm - a 16th-Century artillery master who lived and worked in Germany and fought against the Ottoman Empire.

Today, he is perhaps best known for his written work and illustrations depicting various types of weapons and artillery systems including cannons, caltrops and explosives. The image that tends to attract the most attention, however, is the infamous "rocket cat". The cat in the drawing isn't actually wearing a jetpack - the object strapped to its back is in fact a basic incendiary device designed to set fire to enemy buildings.

The idea behind it was that once the device was lit, the cat (which was taken from the enemy's town or castle), would run back home and hide in a barn or other building that would subsequently catch on fire. There was even a version of the same idea using doves instead of cats.

While there have been some accounts suggesting that such a method was used during warfare, it remains unclear whether or not this was genuinely the case. There were some quite obvious concerns that the behavior of cats was too unpredictable and that the animals could just as easily set fire to the same side's own buildings, tents and fortifications.


1715978014572.jpeg
This curious drawing is found in the manuscript of a book written in the 16th-Century by Franz Helm.

.
 
Top