Tales of horrifying bogeymen like Rawhead and Bloody Bones.

(Image: Geoffrey Fantomo via Monster Wikia)

For as long as children have been misbehaving, adults have been telling them terrifying stories in a bid to make them tow the line – lest they be stolen away in the night, never to be seen again. To that end, children in 16th century Ireland and Great Britain were told tales of horrifying bogeymen like Rawhead and Bloody Bones.

The first written evidence of the gruesome duo dates to around 1564, but other documents from the same period seem to suggest that they were already familiar figures – making it difficult to tell for sure when the pair first began haunting children’s nightmares.

Jonathan Derby - rawhead rex

The Mask of Reason blog examined the original stories which featured a creature known as Tommy Rawhead, most often referred simply as Rawhead or even Rawhead and Bloody Bones, despite apparently describing a single bogeyman. The name was a literal label, since he was sporting a raw and bloody skull. Some interpretations of the tale have Rawhead living in ponds. Ponds were potentially dangerous places, and his presence was implied as a cautionary tale to keep curious children from wandering off and drowning.

'Keep away from the marl-pit or rawhead and bloody bones will have you' photo: ghostsago-gotoons.blogspot.com

In other folk stories, Rawhead lived in disused cupboards, while one claimed that says that if children stood on the stairs and gazed down between their ankles, through the gaps in the steps, they might catch a glimpse of Rawhead, crouched on a pile of bones in his home beneath the stairs. Should the children be caught, he’d gobble them up and add their bones to the pile.

No doubt such parental stories had the desired effect, and Rawhead’s nursery rhyme was a popular one:

Rawhead and Bloody Bones

Steals naughty children from their homes,

Takes them to his dirty den,

And they are never seen again.

Folk stories of Rawhead eventually migrated to North America, where they took on an even darker meaning. There, particularly in Missouri (and further south), Rawhead became the familiar of a witch named Old Betty, manifesting in the form of a half-wild boar.

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The above post is reprinted from materials provided by urbanghostsmedia . Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Top 10 - atrocities committed in the name of religion including Forced Conversion to Islam, Aztec sacrifices, Inquisition or Roman persecutions

Top 10 - atrocities committed in the name of religion, religion, jihad, inquisition, Mormon, Buddhist, burma, crusades, witch, sects photo: pinterest

Different people who have lived in periods distant from both a historically and geographically, people who worshiped different Gods and killed by violence and sadism peers, hiding in the protective shadow of religion that they have embraced it. A question should be: are religions globe foment violence or doctrines that are mere instruments through which people satisfy their pleasure to kill, with the excuse that they serve a noble purpose?

10. Buddhists in Burma

Photo: wikipedia.org

In 1850, Burmese Buddhists monks still performing it through the ritual in which human sacrifices. Once moved the capital to Mandalay, 56 people thought to be "blameless" were killed and buried beneath the city walls to become patrons of the new settlements. 

Buddhists Sacrifice photo: Britannica

Soon, two of the graves were found empty, which made him the royal astrologers to give a verdict radical: 500 people have killed and buried under the walls, otherwise the capital will be evacuated. Until the intervention of British Governors that ended the sacrifices, had been killed 100 people already.

9. Mountain Meadows Massacre

Mountain Meadows monument at burial site for some victims (near site of siege)  photo: law2

With the war in Utah, the Mormons from all over gathered in a short time, to fight the US military, who suspect that aims to eradicate Mormon population. Amid these tensions, there were rumors in Fancher-Baker train, carrying emigrants from Arkansas to California, were enemies who participated in the persecution of several Mormons. 

KnoWhys - Book of Mormon Central

The episode, remained in history as "mountain Meadows Massacre", was completed execution of a large number of immigrants on September 11, 1857. Mormons attacked the train with the help of Paiute Indians of the tribe. Two of those who had important roles in local military organization, Isaac C. Haight and John D. Lee orchestrated the attack, disguising and people seem so an attack by Native Americans. After the siege, the Mormons managed to convince immigrants to surrender. 

Mormons and Indians photo: Native American Netroots

Unwilling to let witnesses of their involvement in the attack, 120 people, men, women and children were executed. Of the latter, only 17 were spared. Only 20 years later, on March 23, 1877, one of the two leaders, John D.Lee, he would be convicted and executed on the site of the massacre.

8. Witch Hunt in Massachusetts

Salem Witch Trials photo: wikipedia.org

With their arrival in Massachusetts, around 1600, the Puritans created a religious police who prosecuted and punished any doctrinal deviance. "Sinners" were whipped, put in the pillory, hanged, they were cutting ears or holes are languages with a hot iron. On the other side were adept at Quaker religious faction, some of the biggest enemies of the Puritans, whose religion was considered a blasphemy. 

What can we learn from the Salem Witch Trials? photo: The Art Newspaper

Quaker caught practitioners were hanged. In 1690, fear of magic and its effects i made the Puritans to condemn to death 20 witches and throwing in jail other 150 people suspected of witchcraft. In the entire period of persecutions, which lasted from 1484 until 1750 thousands of people were burned alive or hanged. According to official statistics, 80% of victims were women.

7. Sect killings Thuggee

photo: npr..rg

To appease goddess Kali brutal blood, Thugee sect practitioners in India have developed since 1500 a religious practice where people were jertifi on its altar. Most victims were killed by strangulation during rituals. 

Thuggees – the Cult Assassins of India photo: Ancient Origins

It approximates that 2 million people have fallen victim over time. Only in 1800 were about 20 000 lives cut short, until the intervention of the British authorities put an end to these practices. The number of victims has diminished, although in 1840 a member Thugee trial for the murder of 931 people. Currently, some Hindu priests still practice this ritual, but people place on the altar of sacrifice was taken by goats.

6. Roman persecutions

Roman Persecution of Christians photo: pinterest

One of the first persecution against Christians was spent in the year 64 d. Cr., By order of

 Emperor Nero. It is the same year that Rome was engulfed in one of the largest fires in history. Because many rumors indict himself Nero of the disaster, he ordered all Christians to be arrested and killed on suspicion of being sparked a devastating fire. 

Many have been torn by beasts during the bloody spectacles novels or were burned alive. In the coming years, actions directed against Christians continued, reaching its peak during what was called the "great persecution". It began with a series of four edicts banning Christian religious practices and went to mass execution of practitioners. The persecution ceased with the enthronement of Emperor Constantine I in 306, who was to legalize Christianity seven years later, in 313.

5. Crusades

Defined as military conflicts with a religious character, medieval Crusades were fought against enemies both external and those internal. Not only Muslims or pagan Slavs were targeted, and Greek Orthodox Christians, Cathars, Hussites or anyone Interest "status" enemy of the Popes. The initial purpose of the Crusades was the recovery of the Holy Land from the Muslims and preventing Turkish expansion. 

The Crusades were fought against the pagans, heretics or those who were excommunicated for religious, economic or political. Soon, however, they began to serve and other purposes, mainly political. Organize a crusade meant the huge mobilization of military forces and struggles assumed an extraordinary violence, resulting in a large number of casualties. The idea of ​​a religious war that serves a noble cause fevered minds of the laity, so it makes the late eleventh century, some of the people engaged in these battles, becoming after swearing "church soldiers ." It seems that by 1291, the death toll had reached 20 million, but this is only an approximate figure, in the absence of accurate records. It is likely that the figure may have been much higher, augmented by numerous crusades occurred over a long period of time.

4. Islamic Jihad

Forced Conversion to Islam photo: Frontpage Mag

The meaning "holy war" were born over time a lot of controversy. Some Muslims understand jihad by using all resources to follow Islamic doctrine and to it please Allah. It is an ongoing process through which they learn to control their own desires and fight evil thoughts. For them, jihad is inside the being and materialized by bringing justice and remove the evil from society. These precepts were known shortly an extension, which was materialized against infidels.

But a certain passage from the Koran, Sura 25, verse 52 bore many debates in the Islamic world. Many have used in the past and currently use it as an excuse to commit crimes hidden behind a religious doctrine, "Do not give up against unbelievers, but fight vigorously against them."

Holy war, mentioned in the Qur'an, made many victims for 12 centuries. It seems that in history, the number of victims killed in the name of Islam has approximately 200 million. In the early years, Muslim armies spread rapidly: in eastern India to western Morocco. Soon, various religious factions have brought their mutual accusations, declaring jihad against each other: Kharijis fought with Sunni Azariqis declared dead all sinners and their families. In 1850 a Sudanese mystic, al-Hajj Umar, has initiated a jihad in order to convert pagan African tribes.

3. Aztec sacrifices

photo: pinterest

The Aztecs theocracy began developing in the 1300s, marking the golden era of human sacrificed. About 20 000 people were sacrificed to the gods, especially the sun god, who should ensure daily ration of blood. In rituals, the heart was removed victims and their bodies were eaten. Other victims were drowned, beheaded, burned or thrown from above. In a ritual dedicated to the rain god, who used to cry often children were killed as their tears slowly bring rain. To please a goddess of corn, a virgin had to dance for 24 hours, then was murdered and his skin was abraded. A scrap mentions that the coronation of King Ahuitzotl, 80 000 prisoners were slaughtered in order to satisfy the gods.

2. Inquisition

photo: wikipedia.org

The first inquisition movements were caused by the attitude of the masses to Christianity, particularly of the Cathars and valdensienilor. The torture began to be used after the year 1252. At that authorized the use of torture was Pope Innocent IV, by a papal edict known as Ad exstirpanda. But decree forbade bloodshed, mutilation or death. 

One method often used was "strappado", which involved tying the hands of the accused at the back and suspend it in the air, arms up in a fracture. Method known "improvements" in some cases add weight to the legs, which led implicitly to their dislocation. But things did not stop there. In 1568 the Spanish Inquisition Tribunal ordered extermination of 3 million people in the present territory of the Netherlands, the Spanish field, on charges of rebellion. Another example of religious fervor is the famous Spanish inquisitor Torquemada, who was on his conscience at least 10 220 souls.

1. Hindus massacre

photo: Daily Mail

The Mohammedan conquest of India was described by W. Durant history as the bloodiest episode in history. In some parts of Europe and Asia, conquered nations opted instead for converting to Islam who expect certain death. In India things were not as conquerors and wished Muslims because Hindu religion who took his place in life and culture of the people more than 4,000 years ago. 

Faced with an unusual resistant, Muslim conquerors did not hesitate to burn entire cities and massacring the entire population of them. Each such campaign increased the number of victims with thousands of souls and all the many were thrown into the clutches of slavery. Each invader they literally could build a hill of skulls Hindu followers. 

The horrendous details of the brutality of the massacre of Hindus by the Muslim Rohingya Armed Group photo: NewsBharati

The conquest of Afghanistan in the year 1000 resulted anihiliarea Hindu entire population of this territory. Bahmani sultans of central India had made a rule of Hindus to kill 100 000 per year. In 1399, Teimur killed 100 000 people in one day than most other occasions. Koenraad Elst teacher calculations, the number of Hindu population has declined since 1000 to 80 million in 1525.




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The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Descopera . Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Who was Helen Duncan: "The Witch" of Winston Churchill

"Recipe" of a classic ritual

The tradition that great leaders are surrounded by witches or any other kind of people with paranormal powers to benefit from the qualities and their advice has its origins in ancient times, when every leader of a tribe or king had shaman or magician its . 

The custom was perpetuated even in modern and contemporary. Just remember the situation in the former Soviet Union, where despite the atheism of state policy against religion and mysticism, almost all communist leaders from Stalin and ending with Brezhnev had their own 'witch' - most often women certain qualities paranormal took account of whose advice religiously. Even to us, it is notorious case of Elena Ceausescu who often steered to a mysterious witch Buzau area named Laila. 

But who would have expected, however, as Winston Churchill, one of the largest European leaders of the last century have had so much interest on occultism that rely on the advice controversial Helen Duncan, none other than the penultimate woman in England official accused of witchcraft?

Helen Duncan photo: wikipedia.org

Poverty and war

Misty and mysterious realm of Scotland, where early last century still rampant myths of pagan Celtic and Scotland, and belief in the paranormal, occult phenomenology was still common among men, was the birthplace of Helen Duncan controversial. It was born on 25 November 1897 Callander, a small town in the county of Stirling.

According to testimony loved ones, the little Helen had submitted certain psychic qualities since childhood. While he was at school, the girl drew the attention of those around them not only through series of prophecies neşteptat accurate, but also its behavior, often hysterically and uncontrollably.

Between "bullshit" and witchcraft ...


Despite the not very rosy situation, Helen Duncan persevered and engaging all the energy and creativity to perform seances as authentic. Soon, his efforts were successful, and more and more people began to seek, some driven by curiosity, while others were convinced by those who had already been direct witnesses of demonstrations inexplicable during meetings woman coming from the mists of Scotland.




Spiritism its meetings became increasingly bizarre, so attractive. These strange events that culminated in Cosntanta the materialization of large amounts of ecoplasmă coming out of the woman's mouth.

"Ghosts" false cloth made of gauze, which appeared on the eve of Helen Duncan during séances

Domanial ectoplasm of the paranormal is a term that describes the materialization of a substance "externalized" psychic trance when it enters the preliminary invocation of spirits. This material appears bizarre and usually flows from the mouth of a person with psychic role and is used by spiritual beings who wrap their bodies in it immaterial to interact with the physical world, palpable.


According to magicians and witches, so-called ectoplasm (whose existence is seriously negated by scientists) can not appear under day or strong light, very easy for disintegrated. Gustav Geley, a research physicist phenomenology paranormal enthusiast ectoplasm would have a composition very varied, sometimes vaporous, most often as a paste or membrane sails with fringe.

Helen Duncan exoplodat Fame since 1928, when the photographer Harvey Metcalfe made several photos during séances conducted by Helen Duncan. Photos captured on film aşaziselor materialization of spirits, including the emergence of the spirit "Peggy" that Ms. Duncan claimed to be his guide in tenebrosul maze of astral realms. In fact it was the beginning of troubles for the woman medium. 

Ectoplasm (paranormal) photo: wikipedia.org

Three years later, in London Spiritualist Association, a forum where phenomenology seriously investigate paranormal discovered with amazement that ectoplasm materialized Helen, it was actually composed of gauze cloth, paper and egg white ...

One of the tricks women consists of swallowing this mixture, followed by regurgitation of material during the hearing, the material presented as ectoplasm, ethereal substance associated with any seances classic!

To demonstrate that it is only a sham, members of the Association have asked Helen to swallow a small amount of methylene blue before its meetings to prove once and for all if materialized ectoplasm, or its mixture commonly would have the unmistakable blue of methyl.

Cornered, Scottish witch refused. Moreover, he continued undisturbed to his business.

Thus, during a seances in Edinburgh, when the spirit of a little girl had appeared in the room, someone turned on the light in the room and the spirit proved to be a doll made of rags and socks ...

Spiritualistic circle members called police immediately and Helen Duncan was fined on the spot with the sum of 10 pounds.

Churchill's concerns and its abolition Witches

The incident has frightened Helen, who with the help of her husband has resumed. Even if Spiritualist Association members in London have declared a fraud, the interest enjoyed by spiritualism in British society since then, and those few prophets Dunc hit Helen, they have brought her back quickly for people.


During the Second World War, Helen lived in Porthsmout, where he and Starfleet Headquarters British Military famous Royal Navy. Then there was chance that brought Helen attention of Winston Churchill, the most famous and appreciated British prime minister in history. In 1941, during a regular meeting of spiritualism in the dark room appeared, apparently, the spirit of a sailor who said he had just died alongside his comrades during sufundării a battleship Barham entitled.



According to witnesses visual on phantom sailor cap could read signs sale- ship HMS "Barham". Coincidentally or not, exactly the same day, the ship HMS "Barham" was sunk after its torpilării by German submarine U-331 in Mediterranean waters. Under the policy pursued by the British War Council, loss of the ship was officially released just a few months later after the incident, not to influence public morale in wartime and mislead German intelligence services.

HMS's fate "Barham" knew just British secret agents and personal Churchill. Obviously, the British authorities were notified after learning the outcome seance and arrested her on the spot Helen alongside three other people in his audience.

Duncan remained in custody in Portsmouth magistrates on charges formally Vigilance Section 4 of the Act, a law passed in 1824 on charges of practicing fortune-telling, spiritualism and astrology.

The trial was conducted in secret because the Allies were preparing for landing in Normandy, and feared that Helen Duncan, con artist or not, somehow do not find means paranormal date and place of landing of Day Z. How the application of the 1824 law, Helen would have escaped with only a modest fine, the prosecutor asked for the application of paragraph 4 of the famous witchcraft Act of 1735, a code of laws more harshly on witchcraft.

It seems that the prosecutor who handled the case, was so indebted tradition in conservative Victorian asked that sentencing women to death. How were still in the 20th century, the judges decided imprisonment. Some researchers and historians claim that switching imprisonment for a few months would be held after the intervention of Winston Churchill, himself an enthusiast of the occult, member of Order of Old Druids an occult society interested among other capabilities paranormal of Scots. 

The same historians say that during the months when the state closed, Helen Duncan would have communicated Churchill important information regarding the conduct of war, and therefore valuable suggestions for decisions and subsequent actions of the person nicknamed "Bulldog" for strength and proverbial inner fortitude.

According to information sent relatively recently by two researchers from the British Society for the Study of paranormal phenomena, there are documents according to which during its short period of detention, including Marshal Hugh Downing, commander of the famous Royal Air Force would fiparticipat alongside Churchill meetings spiritsm cell of Helena!


Coincidentally or not, immediately after the war, one of the first measures taken by Churchill visa abolishment of "Law Witches" after that was judged and condemned protected its law that the great statesman he considered unworthy, backward and ill British society. The law was changed so Fraudster called the Mediums Act, a series of measures quackery scam condemning those who receive income from activities such as guessing material. 

Witchcraft Act was originally formulated as a collection of laws on which to eradicate the belief in witches and witchcraft.

For many years, public opinion everywhere believed that Helen Duncan was the last woman in Britain who had been convicted on charges that he was a witch. The truth was quite different. Just days after his conviction, a new accused. Her name, Jane Rebecca Yorke, it had also been accused of witchcraft, but because of his advanced age, escaped from prison in return for a modest fines.


Helen Duncan was released from prison on 22 September 1944 and from then until 1956, the year of his death, was occupied solely by spiritsm and "embodiment" of ectoplasm. His descendants who consider not only the last witch of England, but also a national hero, launched a campaign to rehabilitate his name and reputation, which continues to this campaign.

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• Deciphering the past - 8 writings still unknown

• Tales of horrifying bogeymen like Rawhead and Bloody Bones.

• The legend of Sarah Helen Roberts the Vampire from Blackburn, Lancashire

• Gold foil with spells of 2,000 years ago, found recently.

The story of the last witch ( Enriqueta Martí 1913 ) killed at least 40 children and drink their blood. More than that using human fat, blood, hair and bones of victims to make magic potions.

The police could not ever find out her secrets.

The early twentieth century, Barcelona was not just the city where you wanted to live. The number of inhabitants increased enormously compared to earlier periods and most of newcomers found their shelter in El Chino (now El Raval) neighborhood center at that time considered pornography throughout Europe. Sexual slavery, rape and disappearances were common and the most vulnerable victims were children.

Nobody would have imagined then that there is a downright macabre reason for little ones without missing ever be found.

At that time, Enriqueta Martí, a woman comes from a province known for witchcraft in Cataluña, Barcelona becomes apparent. At night, she prostitution and begging during the day, requiring them children they met on the streets to do the same.

Angelita was one of the girls that Spanish police were able to rescue them from the hands Enriqueta Martí (Photo: murderpedia.org)

Enriqueta Martí was born in Sant Feliu de Llobregat in 1868. As a young woman, Enriqueta Martí moved from her hometown to Barcelona where she worked as a maidservant and nanny; she soon turned to prostitution. In 1895 she married a painter named Juan Pujaló, but the marriage failed. According to Pujaló, Martí's affairs with other men, her character, and her continuous visits to houses of ill repute caused the separation. The pair reconciled and separated approximately six times. At the time of Martí's detention in 1912, the couple had been separated for five years, and had not had children.

When she was caught in 1912, the woman testified that selling children for pedophiles, but did not name any of its clients. At that time, Enriqueta said he forced a teenage girl 17 years into prostitution in a brothel Street ,, Sabadell and that helped "many girls to have an abortion. Although never recognized that he killed somebody, newspapers at the time an accused abducted and killed about 40 children in the El Raval district.

Enriqueta has not been judged for crimes they never committed. It was, however, arrested and spent almost 1 year and 3 months in prison. Cops have not found secrets ever since the afternoon of May 12, 1913 was killed by her cell mates. Soon, it was buried secretly in a mass grave in Cementerio del Sudoeste.

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