Le Manoir Du Diable (1896)

Ready to pounce an unseen victim or victims, the tiger draws our attention to it first before our minds wander to the raging storm and billowing vegetation in the background and foreground. It is an inspirational, haunting piece on the powers of desperation or determination, where our subject drags us in its devotion to the point of ignoring everything else that's happening elsewhere.

Perhaps that was the mind-state that Henri Rousseau was experiencing at the time of the painting's creation. A late bloomer in the art scene, he could have been desperate or determined enough to make a breakthrough into the art world. And that desperation or determination is poured into the painting where despite the dangers of the raging storm, our tiger is either very desperate or very hungry for food. Either way, it is a very dangerous mix to have that state of mind.

Perhaps, it was a good thing that his artwork was accepted at the Salon des Independants. Wonder what would have happened if the painting was rejected again, in that state of his?

Henri Rousseau, Tiger in a Tropical Storm, 1891.

If you love the multitude of horrors found at the SCP wiki, you'll enjoy this short horror comic by Azam Raharjo, inspired by our resident strangler, SCP-173 him/her/itself (??). You can check the comic out and his other works here. His Twitter link is also available here for a follow.

reasons.

Book Review: Strange and Paranormal Tales of Malacca by Dennis de Witt

Title: Strange and Paranormal Tales from Malacca

Author: Dennis de Witt

ISBN: 9789671668610

For locals and interested international readers, De Witt's compilation offers a unique insight into the type of magical fantasy and monstrous wonders that exists in Malacca and its surrounding areas. From rock-throwing poltergeists to sea monsters and even mystical old men with the power to stop vehicles from working, De Witt weaves short tales around each subject, enough to inspire awe and curiosity in the readers. The entire book is broken down into three categories:

1421 - 1824 (Malacca Malay Sultanate and the Portuguese and Dutch Colonization Era)

1825 - 1956 (British Colonization Era)

1957 - 2019 (Post-Independent Malacca and the Modern Era)

I will admit that some entries looked much too short and a question kept nagging at the back of my mind: Where's the rest?! Fortunately, as a historian, De Witt keeps a meticulous record of his findings and supplicates each entry with a list of references for further reading. Most of it is newspaper clippings but a few of them are interesting for future reads like Malay Magic by Walter Skeat and The Were-Tiger by Sir Hugh Cliffords.

Overall, this book is a good stepping stone into the world of Malay folklore, particularly Malaccan folktales. Some stories are strange, others have a dash of the paranormal, and some just make you want to find out more.

Happy Hauntings!

Introduction to the Six Common Types of Spirits to Expect When Going on a Spook Hunting Session

Spook-spotting requires preparations and one of the preparations needed is figuring out exactly what type of spirits we are dealing with. Depending on the case, the spook could be one of the following six:

1. The Detached or Replay Spirits. The most common spirits to encounter, replay spirits are shades of the dead that "replay" the events of their tragic deaths over and over again. They tend to keep to themselves and have minimal to zero interactions to living humans.

Protocol: Observe and record their activities without interruption. Communication may be attempted but don't get your hopes up. Even if some of them interact, there is nothing to be done for the spirit themselves. The surrounding psychic energy keeping them trapped will, according to the first law of thermodynamics, eventually dissipate, though how long they will remain trapped, only time will tell.

2. Poltergeist. German for "noisy spirit", it is the second most common spirit to encounter. Always invisible, it makes its presence known through noisy disruptions hence the name. They tend to come and go as they please, though they often focus their antics onto a particular person or family, even buildings. Though violent, it is rarely murderous.

Protocol: Be prepared with backups when dealing with these types of spirit. Chances are, your cameras and other recording equipments will be thrown about during the spook-spotting sessions. Don't forget to bring a few sets of first aid kits. There will be bruising and scratches.

3. The Interactive Spirit. Third most common spirits to encounter and the most diverse. They can range from curious benign spirits to malevolent vengeful ghosts. These are the types that have unfinished business with the living, and if encountering one, it is advisable, though not warranted, that you try to help finish their earthly business.

Protocol: Be cautious. Interactive spirits are temperamental and the slightest agitation can send them flying off the handle. Observe in groups for security, preferably 5:1 in human-to-spirit ratio. If you have a skilled negotiator, bring him or her along. These types of spirits are generally attached to a particular person or building. So if the negotiations go sideways, it is advisable to destroy said building or individual to release the spirit's bond from the earthly plane.

4. Transport or Vehicular Ghost. This is one of the rarer spirits on this list. They behave similarly to detached or replay spirits. However, it is still unknown what triggers their manisfestation. It is also uncertain whether these can be considered spirits at all.

Protocol: Observe and record as normal. Corporeality of vehicular spirits have not been tested since these spirits usually appear far away from observers. For vehicular spirits that appear close to the observer, take caution as people approached by said spirits often report feeling anxious and unexplained dread when approached by these apparitions

5. Animal spirits. About as rare as vehicular spirits, cases of actual animal spirits are still quite uncommon because often witnesses confuse seeing animal spirits with demon cats or hellhounds. They often haunt their previous owners and can be either benign or malicious, depending on how their owners treat them when they are still alive

Protocol: Be nice. These spirits still have an attachment to their owners and it's best not to provoke either them or their owners. Keep your documenting equipment on standby as most cases involving animal spirits only document quick animal-like motions or mannerisms only their owners recognize. Full body apparitions are rare.

6. The Omen Spirit. Rarest of the six spooks and the hardest to document. They typically appear to a particular person or group and they never stay long. Sightings range from pale shades to full-body apparitions.

Protocol: Be vigilant and keep your documenting equipment on standby all the time. You'll have a better chance to capture it on camera if the spirit is attached to a group rather than a person.

These are the Big Six though there are variations within each of them. Some may argue that since vehicular spirits behaved very similarly to detached spirits, these two should be within a supergroup of their own. But whatever your arguments may be regarding spirit classification, always keep your wits about and have a safe spook spotting session wherever you might be.

Happy Hauntings!

Sleepy baby

Kan- wa ma kan.

It was- and it was not.

It's how all the stories start. They tell you of what was and what wasn't, but they don't tell you which is which.

Perhaps you are seven. Perhaps you are eight. You ask the sweet, greying hakawati (story crafter) "but a'amu (uncle), was it real?" Your eyes bright with eagerness and hope. And he tells you, his smile never faltering, "kan wa ma kan, my child. It was and it wasn't. Perhaps it is real. Perhaps there were caverns and theives and treasure. Perhaps there were empires and warriors and charmers. Perhaps it was the land of mysteries- the very land that Shahrazad spoke of. And perhaps it was not."

You close your eyes to better imagine the stories the old man tells. What a wild thing it was, your imagination- and even wilder his was, for the stories he crafted were his own. Flying carpets. Music. Mercenaries. A king's banquet. A marid (jinn) to make your wishes come true. "But was it?" You ask. Desperately hoping it was. And more so wishing it is. "It was and it wasn't," your hakawati says smiling.

You can smell the sweet smoke from the altars that burn ever so steadily; consuming an offering to gods long forgotten. You can hear the echoes of music long since silenced. You see the dances of people long dead. You know their stories. "But was it?" You press further. "It was and it wasn't," the old man says, his smile never fading.

You're out in the golden dunes of Arabia. A glistening object catches your eye and you take hold of it- and you are knocked back by the force of the marid storming out. "Shobeik lobeik. A'bdak bein edeik. Your wish is my command." He says. But you have no desire for anything other than answers "was it real?" You ask, but he disintegrates into whatever nothingness he came from, leaving you asking yourself whether or not it was. Whether or not you are.

You are growing up. You are now thirteen. You have yet to stop asking "was it?" Your father says it was not. Your brother says it was not. Your friend says it was not. But you are wild and stubborn. You say "but what if it was?" And they laugh you off.

Four years later and you are seventeen; and the raging fire of the stories' magic within you dims to embers. Your hakawati has long since passed away. You keep his smile tucked into a fold so deep in your heart you nearly forget about it. And you stop asking for stories. You stop asking "was it?" And what is even worse, though, is that you start to believe that perhaps, after all, it was not. That it never was.

But I am here to tell you this; it was. You spoke to the marid. You heard the music. You saw the people dancing and you smelled the offerings to their gods. It might be so deep within you, as deep as your beloved hakawati's smile is buried. And I want you to know that you, now, have your answer.

“Superstition is a part of the very being of humanity; and when we fancy that we are banishing it altogether, it takes refuge in the strangest nooks and corners, and then suddenly comes forth again, as soon as it believes itself at all safe.”

— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Maxims and Reflections

I would watch it.

The Sandman (2022)

For those who have read the Sandman comics by Neil Gaiman, watching this adaptation is akin to being Destiny of the Endless and his book, albeit a different variant. We are merely spectators in the grand scheme of things and it is not in our will nor power to change the events unfolding before us. In this variant, The Sandman (2022) adapts the first two collections of the Sandman comics, Preludes and Nocturnes (Issues 1 - 8) and The Doll's House (Issues 9 - 16). There are a total of 75 issues totaling 10 collections, so expect a few more seasons to come for this dreamy show.

Overall, I would say this is quite a successful adaptation of this brilliant series by Neil Gaiman. Each cast member brings their all to make this adaptation a memorable one. Tom Sturridge remarkably plays the physically powerful yet emotionally vulnerable Dream of the Endless, and Boyd Holbrook brilliantly plays the deadly yet seductive serpent the Corinthian. Even Kirby Howell-Baptiste, who played Dream's older sister Death, delivers a stunning performance despite appearing in only one episode. Honestly, the entire show is just brilliant from its cast to its cinematography. I can't wait for the next season to come to Netflix. I can only dream it will be as brilliant as this one.

Sweet Dreams.