Mermaids of Staithes

This is a true folklore story and historical event. There was once a fishing town by the coast in Yorkshire. The town was thriving and pretty, set in the middle of Whitby and Saltburn. The name of the town was Staithes, and was much admired and visited because of its fishing, the modest harbour and gorgeous little castles. Nearby was a village by the name of Seaton. 

A rough storm occurred one night and two beautiful mermaids were caught in the tides. These two mermaids were tired and could no longer swim home as the waves dragged them to shore. The mermaids found themselves on a beach with a view of buildings at Cowbar Nab. 

Soon the villagers found the exhausted sleeping mermaids. The mermaids were described as beautiful with doe eyes and long golden hair, with heads and torsos of women, but the tails of scaly fish. The mermaids were kept in the village as prisoners, for selfish reasons mainly. They were cruelly treated by the villagers and people used to throw stones at them. 

Four months passed, the mermaids managed to escape during a party that distracted villagers. Soon the villagers realised the mermaids got away and they ran for them. The mermaids looked back at the villagers and then uttered: "The sea shall flow to Jackdaws' Well". After cursing the town, the mermaids plunged into the sea and never returned again. 

The mermaids words didn't make sense to the people but soon the meaning became clear that it was a curse. Years later, the town itself began eroding away and all the houses fell into the sea. Much of the town has crumbled away and battered by severe storms, claiming the lives of many of the villagers. Most significant of all is about Jackdaws' Well. This well was located further inland and provided fresh water to the village, but also fell into the sea! 

Today the town of Staithes is a picturesque tourist attraction but is a fragment of the size it was once. There's still erosion happening and many places lost to the sea. Staithes is cursed. Never upset a mermaid.  

She Wolf Night

Gilles Garnier

 The name Gilles Garnier is associated with werewolf folklore. Who was this person? It's not clear when Gilles Garnier was born, although he died in 1574 on 18 January. He's best known as "The Werewolf of Dole" and another "The Hermit of Saint Bonnot". He was a notorious monster who lived up to the werewolf stereotype and one that is part of history. 

He lived within the County of Burgundy in a small commune called Saint Bonnot. Gilles Garnier was a poor man. Married to a woman named Appoline she became fearful when her husband turned aggressive towards her and the children. Gilles liked to go out hunting at night so he could provide for his family, but it's believed this was when he turned into a wolf.

The local area became scary when children started going missing and soon found deceased. It was during these fearful times that Gilles Garnier was seen running around in wolf form, carrying a dead child. It was then that authorities arrested Gilles and he ended up confessing under torture. 

He told them he killed those children and was involved also in lycanthropy. Dark magic was used to help him transform into a wolf so that he could hunt better at night. As a result of this he was found guilty of lycanthropy and witchcraft, then executed by burning at the stake. So poverty in Medieval France drove this man to turn to horrific crimes, but also he had to have been creepy anyway. 

She Wolf Night 

Hit by a shooting star

An extraordinary thing happened to a woman. It was during 12:45 pm on 10th September 1954, that took place in a house in Sylacauga, Alabama. Ann Hodges was napping on the living room couch and then a piece of meteorite crashed through the roof. It broke into three pieces, and one of the fragments bounced off a radio and hit Ann. She was unhurt but left with a serious bruise. 

Ann was a housewife who lived with her husband and mother. Afterwards the mass media covered the story and she found some fame but it was short lived. Many accused her of making it all up for attention, resulting in some bullying that made Ann withdraw and enter depression. She sold the meteorite to a museum for just $25 which didn't please her husband. This followed with a divorce. She had no children of her own.

That night she was struck by a meteor was a rare and a one-off. According to records she's the only person ever to have survived being hit by a meteorite. On another level this woman could be perceived as lucky. She was touched by a star. In myths and folklore, shooting stars and meteorites are often considered magical. These are associated with omens of a departed loved one, souls of the dead and signs of good luck. 

In Greek mythology shooting stars were thought to be projectiles thrown by Zeus during anger. In Norse myth, they're seen as dragons. Many people are in awe when seeing shooting stars and children make wishes on them. Meteor showers were seen as tears of the gods. One specific deity was Asteria, a goddess of shooting stars, whose domain was dreams and sleep. Interesting that Ann Hodges was sleeping when a shooting star broke into her house! 

After this did she become powerful and supernatural? The answers is no but she was truly special because she was kissed by a falling star. She has something in common with people like Roy Sullivan, Mary Ball Washington and Sharon Stone who were struck by lightning. Being hit by lightning is more common than being hit by a shooting star but still. Ann Hodges was literally starstruck!  

She Wolf Night