Good Evening everyone and welcome to between monsters and men, today we are looking into the curse of Lorenzo dow
The Curse of Lorenzo Dow
Jacksonboro
Founded in 1767 by Solomon Gross and his wife Mary, Jacksonboro, became a small town nearby the city of Sylvania. It didn't take long before the town flourished with every year that passed, but never had it grown in its popularity than in 1820.
Regardless it was a rough town with a terrible reputation. Saloons outnnumbered all other businesses combined which resulted in plenty of fighting and drinking as the local pastime. In 1849, George White wrote in the Statistics of the State of Georgia that, "in the mornings after drunken frolics and fights you could see the local children picking up eyeballs in tea saucers."
The Story
It was 1821 when it all began. A hunched man with long hair and a beard, traveled into Jacksonboro in hopes to make a change to one of the most routiest town in southern United states at the time.
Lorenzo Dow preached at a Methodist church in town where he would deliver a fire and brimstone sermon. To alert the good people of Jacksonboro, he'd ring the church bell and they'd come. Unforuntately for Lorenzo, the chiming of the church bell also alerted the hooligans as well, which quite outnumbered the good people.
They threw rocks and bricks through the church windows, shooting their pistols into the air. Outraged, Lorenzo finished his sermon and then followed the crowd into a local tavern. He grabbed an iron bar, and split open a barrel of whisky. The liquor quickly covered the floor, earning an immedate beat down on Lorenzo by the bar attendees. In comes a mason named Seaborn Goodall, who quickly got Lorenzo to the safety of his home.
Another version has him riding into town on a horse in 1820, yelling at the people, "Repent, brethren, repent!" Understandably angry, the townsfolk threw tomatoes and rotten eggs at him. Lorenzo was persistent though, he climbed down his steed, grabbed an iron tool and broke open a barrel of whisky. The town rushed for him, but before they could grab ahold of the preacher, a man came forward and got him to safety. This man was a fellow methodist and mason, named Seaborn Goodall.
In either version, Seaborn Goodall took Lorenzo to his house where he was allowed to stay the night. The house was just outside the town, decent size, but no one dared to bother Mr. Goodall because he owned quite abit of land in town. It was that night, that the usually stubborn Lorenzo decided he would leave town the next day.
The next day, Lorenzo was about to leave, but before he could, the town taunted and threw objects at him in rage. Upset, yet again, Lorenzo placed a curse upon the town.
Curse
Lorenzo left, leaving behind a curse that involved the entire town except for one house. The Goodall house. Windstorms came along, blowing off roofs of many buildings. Many were destroyed by mysterious fires. The Beaver Dam Creek, at which Lorenzo walked passed when he left, which was normally docile, became prone to flash floods that would sweep away entire houses. Even the General Sherman's March to the Sea came through and destroyed properties.
The town of Jacksonboro began to disappear, leaving behind the Seaborn Goodall house. Matter in fact it still stands today. It was restored by the Brier Creek DAR. And it is now open for tours on the first Saturday of every month April - November.
Who was Lorenzo Dow
Lorenzo Dow was born October 16, 1777 in Coventry, Connecticut. He was a sickly child, suffering from asthma and a few other illnesses, but as he got older he was said to have preached to more people than any other preacher of his era. Regardless of his popularity, he was unkempt in all the terms it means. He was never hygienic, his hair and beard were long and never combed. He usually had one set of clothes and he wore them till scraps. The only time he switched clothes was when people donated some to him. However, through his dirtiness, he became an important figure in the Second Great Awakening and even a very popular writer. His autobiography was the second best-selling book in the United States at the time, only being passed by the Bible. Both in America and Britain, he attracted large crowds that came to hear and see him - both persecuted as well as admired.
Due to the churches being closed to him, Lorenzo would often preach in town halls, barns, and even open fields. He appeared unexpectedly at public events, annoucing in a loud voice that he'd would return exactly one year from that day and would actually do so. He never disappointed his audiences. His preaching consisted of shouting, screaming, crying, begging, flattering, and even insulting and challenging people in their beliefs. So popular was he, that there is recorded proof of Lorenzo preaching in front of 10,000 people or more.
Of course, due to his type of preaching and his insulting people of their beliefs , he's met with plenty of threatening audiences from parts of southern United States. He was sometimes so bad he would be ejected from towns, pelted with stones, eggs and other rotten foods.
Was there a curse?
Lorenzo dow never mentioned Jacksonboro in his writings - now that doesn't mean he didn't wander in and simply kept it out of his texts. Historians are certain that he did visit the town and it had to be around 1821 since that was the year Goodall owned his house. Also, after 1821 quite a few children that were born in the area, were named Lorenzo. What makes me curious about this is, why would people who hated him, and kicked him out, name their children after him?
Maybe it was the few people who enjoyed his preachings? Let's hope, otherwise that's just weird.
Weird things did occur in Jacksonboro after 1821 as mentioned. The tiny town no longer exists, with only the one house still standing, rocks, trees and dirt are all that is left of its memory other than history itself.
So tell me, what do you think?
I am no longer monetized on youtube anymore. If you wish to support this channel feel free to check out my patreon page. I create videos on abductions, cryptids, hauntings, serious killers and more. Be part of the family - if you can't support me that way, like, comment and subscribe. I'd like to thank my supporting Patron thus far.
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
Cockatrice| Witcher Vs Reality
Good Evening Everyone and Welcome to Between Monsters and Men. Tonight we are doing something a little different: we are comparing the Cockatrice of the Witcher game series, to the one of legend.
Before I begin, let me address the fact there is a large amount of contraversy between Basilisks and Cockatrices being one in the same. There are stories on both creatures with the other names; when researching these creatures, I made sure to identify which was what by the landmarks, sigils, and ancient pictures that were left behind. So for the sake of my sanity and yours, I will be referencing all the stories and terms by the name Cockatrice even if it was Basilisk in the original.
The first mentioning of a cockatrice appears in the late 12th century, in a book called, "De Naturis Rerum," by Alexander Neckam. When we first start to see the mix up betwen Basilisk and Cockatrice is in Bartholomeus Anglicus, "De proprietatibus rerum," in 1260, after it was translated by John Trevisa in 1397.
Appearance:
When Geralt, our main Witcher, confronts a Cockatrice it is twice his size. The beast has the head of a rooster, feathers colored black, grey and brown, wings large enough to take flight, legs of a rooster, and tail resembling a dragons. It is a terrifying beast, that looks the part.
However, in real legends it is often shown in pictures to be maybe at the heightest, half a normal man's height. It is described similarly otherwise, some comparing the feathers and scales as yellow, or brown, there are a few pictures of it as a emerald green. It has the wings of a dragon, the head, neck and legs of a rooster and then here is the weird part. Some tales say it has the face of a rooster and others, the face of a human. The tail is also depending on the story, some say it is the tail of a snake and others, and most common, the tail of a dragon.
Born:
In the Witcher PC Journal Bestiary, Cockatrices are born of eggs laid by roosters consorting with other roosters. The egg must be incubated for forty-four days by a toad, which will be devoured by the little beast as it hatches.
The game isn't too far off. There is no written word saying that a rooster must consort with another rooster. Remember, rooster is male. But the egg is from a rooster, and is incubated by a toad or by a serpent. The rooster has to be old, some say, seven years of age, and it has to be laid under a full moon. The incubation time takes nine years - or as others claim, just a few days. Either way, the egg shell is not hard, but soft and leathery like an alligators or turtles, and when hatched, the creature has all its features as it would as an adult.
Territory:
We know where they thrive in the Witcher universe - its written on the boards, in books, and people are constantly screaming about them. They live in dark caves, abandoned ruins, cowebbed dungeons and somehow, manage to fit down the cellar into the basements. If you've seen some of the cellar doors, its hard to believe the beast got down there.
In the legends, it was a little harder to pinpoint. What I was able find was that it roamed England, which will be explained later but the main location I was able to find was in Cantabrian mythology. Cantabria is Northern spain, and from their mythology, that is the only plac it can be found and it was rare to see. The Cockatrie was also refered by them as he Basilisco.
Abilities:
A Cockatrice kills with its sharp beak, long tail and deadly talons in the Witcher universe. They have no fear of charging at a victim or swooping down to commit a kill. But in the legends of our world, things were a little bit different.
Much like Medusa of greek mythology, the slightest glance from the cockatrice's eyes turned victims into stone. And like the Basilisk, it can kill by touching its victim or even breathing on them - the difference between the two is the fact the Basilisk's presence alone, was venomous, mean while it is just the Cockatrice's saliva that is venomous. Apparently so deadly that it can kill an elephant. Later on, due to the dragon-like appearance, it was said to be able to breathe fire and kill with the sound of its voice.
Weakness:
Unfortunately, there is no devilishly handsiome witchers to hunt the Cockatrice for us - whose weakness in their world is as simple as fire and a good silver sword. In our world, it first started to be weak to a putto, or cupid. At which the little angel in appearance, had ot kill the cockatrice itself. Fortunately, throughout the ages and legends, the cockatrice was reported to be weak to some of the same things as the Basilisk.
The weasel is immune to the cockatrice's glare and can kill it also. The sound of a crow can cause the Cockatrice to thrash itself to death. And lastly, if the Cockatrice looks upon itself ina mirror it will die much like Medusa, but unlike the Gorgon - even after the Cockatrice dies, it can still petrify its victims.
Stories:
In the village of Wherwell, England there was a legend of a Cockatrice that once terrozied the people. Unable to defeat the beast, the townsfolk were able to trap it in the dungeons below Wherwell Priory. Once trapped, they offered up a piece of land to anyone who could kill it. In comes a man named Green. He lowered down a mirrior into the dungeon where the Cockatrice was trapped, and upon seeing itself in the reflection, the Cockatrice perished. Til this day, there is an area near Wherwell called Green's Acres.
Another legend comes from Saffron Walden in Essex, England which is 2 1/2 hours from Wherwell. During the 17th century, a Cockatrice with red eyes plagued the area. It was only a foot long, and had the ability to breathe fire. This fire killed everything in its path, including people, but where it burns, nothing ever grows again. One day a knight came to the village, wearing a coat made of crystal glass that reflected the creature's gaze. The Cockatrice curled up and died on the spot and the knight became a hero to the village. His sowrd was hung in the church. Unlike Wherwell, whose images show a beast more like the Cockatrice, the beast of Saffron Walden, looks more like a Basilisk.
This is an interesting story because I couldn't find any works of real crystal armor. Crystal is a fine material, easily to break and easy to cut if not properly used. It is hard for me to believe that such armor was real in the 17th century but who knows. Maybe the armor was more like squares of mirror he hung from his body?
Little Facts:
- The Cockatrice is the guardian creature and traditional symbol of the Swiss City Basel.
-Bondeson reports in 1202 that a mysterious outbreak of fainting spells traced to a Cockatrice that was hidden in a well. The creature was already dead when the hunters found it. The body was recovered and a sandstone statue erected to commemorate the hunt.
- It is the symbol of the 3 (fighter) squadron of the Royal Air Force.
-Like the Basilisk, the Cockatrice is in many medias: Game of Thrones, Dungeons and Dragons, Witcher 3, Pathfinder, Magic the Gathering and much more.
So in comparison, the witcher 3's Cockatrice is not only bigger, seen more, and deadly without its piercing gaze. It's a great beast, feared by the people and only seemed to be killed by trained hunters. Though not exact with the legends of our world, the Witcher always seizes to surprise us with fantastic creatures based on our world that is fantastically made into worthy opponents and even some, more interesting than our own.
So tell me, which would you prefer?
My youtube channel is no longer monetized, if you wish to support me, feel free to check out my patreon page. I create videos on cryptids, hauntings, abductions, serious killers and much more. If you can't support me there, please like, comment and subscribe here. Either way, you're part of the family. I would also like to thank my supporting patron thus far.
Before I begin, let me address the fact there is a large amount of contraversy between Basilisks and Cockatrices being one in the same. There are stories on both creatures with the other names; when researching these creatures, I made sure to identify which was what by the landmarks, sigils, and ancient pictures that were left behind. So for the sake of my sanity and yours, I will be referencing all the stories and terms by the name Cockatrice even if it was Basilisk in the original.
The first mentioning of a cockatrice appears in the late 12th century, in a book called, "De Naturis Rerum," by Alexander Neckam. When we first start to see the mix up betwen Basilisk and Cockatrice is in Bartholomeus Anglicus, "De proprietatibus rerum," in 1260, after it was translated by John Trevisa in 1397.
Appearance:
When Geralt, our main Witcher, confronts a Cockatrice it is twice his size. The beast has the head of a rooster, feathers colored black, grey and brown, wings large enough to take flight, legs of a rooster, and tail resembling a dragons. It is a terrifying beast, that looks the part.
However, in real legends it is often shown in pictures to be maybe at the heightest, half a normal man's height. It is described similarly otherwise, some comparing the feathers and scales as yellow, or brown, there are a few pictures of it as a emerald green. It has the wings of a dragon, the head, neck and legs of a rooster and then here is the weird part. Some tales say it has the face of a rooster and others, the face of a human. The tail is also depending on the story, some say it is the tail of a snake and others, and most common, the tail of a dragon.
Born:
In the Witcher PC Journal Bestiary, Cockatrices are born of eggs laid by roosters consorting with other roosters. The egg must be incubated for forty-four days by a toad, which will be devoured by the little beast as it hatches.
The game isn't too far off. There is no written word saying that a rooster must consort with another rooster. Remember, rooster is male. But the egg is from a rooster, and is incubated by a toad or by a serpent. The rooster has to be old, some say, seven years of age, and it has to be laid under a full moon. The incubation time takes nine years - or as others claim, just a few days. Either way, the egg shell is not hard, but soft and leathery like an alligators or turtles, and when hatched, the creature has all its features as it would as an adult.
Territory:
We know where they thrive in the Witcher universe - its written on the boards, in books, and people are constantly screaming about them. They live in dark caves, abandoned ruins, cowebbed dungeons and somehow, manage to fit down the cellar into the basements. If you've seen some of the cellar doors, its hard to believe the beast got down there.
In the legends, it was a little harder to pinpoint. What I was able find was that it roamed England, which will be explained later but the main location I was able to find was in Cantabrian mythology. Cantabria is Northern spain, and from their mythology, that is the only plac it can be found and it was rare to see. The Cockatrie was also refered by them as he Basilisco.
Abilities:
A Cockatrice kills with its sharp beak, long tail and deadly talons in the Witcher universe. They have no fear of charging at a victim or swooping down to commit a kill. But in the legends of our world, things were a little bit different.
Much like Medusa of greek mythology, the slightest glance from the cockatrice's eyes turned victims into stone. And like the Basilisk, it can kill by touching its victim or even breathing on them - the difference between the two is the fact the Basilisk's presence alone, was venomous, mean while it is just the Cockatrice's saliva that is venomous. Apparently so deadly that it can kill an elephant. Later on, due to the dragon-like appearance, it was said to be able to breathe fire and kill with the sound of its voice.
Weakness:
Unfortunately, there is no devilishly handsiome witchers to hunt the Cockatrice for us - whose weakness in their world is as simple as fire and a good silver sword. In our world, it first started to be weak to a putto, or cupid. At which the little angel in appearance, had ot kill the cockatrice itself. Fortunately, throughout the ages and legends, the cockatrice was reported to be weak to some of the same things as the Basilisk.
The weasel is immune to the cockatrice's glare and can kill it also. The sound of a crow can cause the Cockatrice to thrash itself to death. And lastly, if the Cockatrice looks upon itself ina mirror it will die much like Medusa, but unlike the Gorgon - even after the Cockatrice dies, it can still petrify its victims.
Stories:
In the village of Wherwell, England there was a legend of a Cockatrice that once terrozied the people. Unable to defeat the beast, the townsfolk were able to trap it in the dungeons below Wherwell Priory. Once trapped, they offered up a piece of land to anyone who could kill it. In comes a man named Green. He lowered down a mirrior into the dungeon where the Cockatrice was trapped, and upon seeing itself in the reflection, the Cockatrice perished. Til this day, there is an area near Wherwell called Green's Acres.
Another legend comes from Saffron Walden in Essex, England which is 2 1/2 hours from Wherwell. During the 17th century, a Cockatrice with red eyes plagued the area. It was only a foot long, and had the ability to breathe fire. This fire killed everything in its path, including people, but where it burns, nothing ever grows again. One day a knight came to the village, wearing a coat made of crystal glass that reflected the creature's gaze. The Cockatrice curled up and died on the spot and the knight became a hero to the village. His sowrd was hung in the church. Unlike Wherwell, whose images show a beast more like the Cockatrice, the beast of Saffron Walden, looks more like a Basilisk.
This is an interesting story because I couldn't find any works of real crystal armor. Crystal is a fine material, easily to break and easy to cut if not properly used. It is hard for me to believe that such armor was real in the 17th century but who knows. Maybe the armor was more like squares of mirror he hung from his body?
Little Facts:
- The Cockatrice is the guardian creature and traditional symbol of the Swiss City Basel.
-Bondeson reports in 1202 that a mysterious outbreak of fainting spells traced to a Cockatrice that was hidden in a well. The creature was already dead when the hunters found it. The body was recovered and a sandstone statue erected to commemorate the hunt.
- It is the symbol of the 3 (fighter) squadron of the Royal Air Force.
-Like the Basilisk, the Cockatrice is in many medias: Game of Thrones, Dungeons and Dragons, Witcher 3, Pathfinder, Magic the Gathering and much more.
So in comparison, the witcher 3's Cockatrice is not only bigger, seen more, and deadly without its piercing gaze. It's a great beast, feared by the people and only seemed to be killed by trained hunters. Though not exact with the legends of our world, the Witcher always seizes to surprise us with fantastic creatures based on our world that is fantastically made into worthy opponents and even some, more interesting than our own.
So tell me, which would you prefer?
My youtube channel is no longer monetized, if you wish to support me, feel free to check out my patreon page. I create videos on cryptids, hauntings, abductions, serious killers and much more. If you can't support me there, please like, comment and subscribe here. Either way, you're part of the family. I would also like to thank my supporting patron thus far.
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