Black cats

 

Honestly this is a sad topic but relevant. Most people are superstitious about black cats, in the 21st Century. Halloween is a horrific season of people killing black cats. These animals have been a target by the religious, especially Puritans and Pilgrims, who slaughtered black cats on Shrove Tuesday. They believed black cats are linked with demons and witchcraft. A lot of people are afraid of black cats so they refuse to adopt any. During Halloween there is a spike in abandoned black cats, animal cruelty towards black cats, avoiding black cats and also being left behind in shelters. Owners of black cats are warned to keep their pets safe indoors over Halloween. Some animal shelters don't want people adopting black cats over Halloween because of fears they'll be abused. 

There is no evidence that black cats are bringers of bad luck. Its just a superstition and has no basis on fact or reality. The problem is, many people are superstitious and believe it. Some of the most horrific incidents of cruelty and torture against black cats is found on a Peta article: 

https://www.peta.org/blog/halloween-horror-stories-black-cat-outdoors/ 

Unfortunately in the past, especially in medieval times, black cats were seen as unlucky during the spread of witch mania. In this period of time, when everyone was afraid of witches, cats were slaughtered everywhere. It was an era called "Cat Burning". 

Is there any hope for black cats? There are many cat lovers who disagree with the old superstition. There are some educated and more of the young increasingly aware that black cats are a force of love and affection. In Britain and Ireland, black cats are considered very lucky and positive. In England black cats are considered wedding gifts that bring happiness. In Scotland, a black cat found on your doorstep is a sign of good positive luck, wealth and prosperity. Throughout Japan, black cats are lucky.  I have a lot of cat friends and they include sweet natured friendly black cats. Many animal lovers set up National Black Cat Day on the 27th October. 

Posted by She Wolf Night

  

Ghosts and their ghost animals

There's a load of various stories about this subject: ghosts with their phantom pets or ghosts of humans and animals together in the same locations, whether or not they're together. I wanted to share some of those tales, because they're actually quite strange. 

In Aldsworth, Gloucestershire, is pretty haunted, especially the parks and woodlands. A phantom coach pulled by a team of ghostly horses move along the road and disappears into Larkethill Wood. Also the ghost of Sir John Dutton travels to Lodge Park driving a coach of horses, the same place that a mysterious white stag was seen. 

In Blandford Forum, Dorset, a pair of stone dogs at the Bryanston Gates come to life at night then go off to the nearby river for a drink. There is also a pale human ghost that was witnessed in the area. In nearby woods there has been witnessed a Shuck creature, which is a spectre of a large black dog. People have listened to the mysterious Wild Hunt of barking and yelping of phantom dogs. 

In Lanarkshire, near a road to Faskine, a woman of the Kerr family was found dead with her lover at a site called Lover's Leap. Afterwards, a ghostly white hare appeared to her family as an omen that someone would die.

At Deans Place Hotel in Sussex, a ghostly woman dressed all in blue was seen inside the corridor, while a phantom dog has been witnessed around the car park. It's believed that the blue lady was murdered in the hotel and her spirit haunts the hotel with ghost dog haunting the outside.

At King John's Hunting Lodge in Somerset, a phantom white lady haunts the same building as her companion ghost cat. Both of them sit in the same chair. Another site called Dragon Theatre in Gwynedd, are a group of resident spirits including a cat and a girl that sings hymns. Lansdown Hill in Somerset is the fairy tale looking Beckford's Tower, that was once called Lansdown Tower. The owner, the novelist William Thomas Beckford and his dog now both haunt the place.

There is a load of reports on headless horsemen seen throughout countries such as Britain, Ireland and in the USA. The most popular headless horseman of all is based on the fictional story Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. 

Posted by She Wolf Night team.

The "penguin - alien" puzzle

 This is going to be a post too out there for this blog, although sticking to the theme of nature, mysteries and unexplained. Penguins are often associated with winter, although I can't help bringing this up now in the autumn. Something caught my attention a few weeks back, although I did some more reading up on it and felt like posting on the subject.

Penguins could be aliens, according to many who have examined them. These birds produce a chemical called phosphine, which is known to exist on planet Venus, about 38 million miles away. Scientists are unsure how this is possible. No one knows why penguins can make phosphine So researchers intend to study penguins diet closely and find out what's making phosphine. The chemical was discovered inside the droppings of penguins. Once this came to light, people are wondering if penguins come from Venus.   

More odd facts about penguins: 

They can't fly but they can swim underwater. They can go up to fast speeds of 22 miles per hour. There are about 19 different types of penguins. The smallest species of penguin can grow up to 12 inches tall. The biggest penguin species can grow up to four feet. However a prehistoric species of penguin was part of the "megafauna" and stood up to 6.5 feet tall. Male penguins can keep the eggs warm, as the females go off hunting. Yes, penguins are carnivorous. 

The most prehistoric penguin on record, the Kupoupou stilwelli, lived 61 million years ago, but another penguin fossil was found, belonging to a species called Crossvallia, which lived between 66-56 million years ago. The extinction of dinosaurs was caused by an asteroid, or the KT event, which happened 65 million years ago. It's very close together.    

More useful articles:

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/12/09/world/penguin-evolution-dinosaurs-scn/index.html

https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/33418/20210913/penguin-feces-containing-element-usually-found-venus-discovered-scientists-baffled.htm

Posted by She Wolf Night