#fortean — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #fortean, aggregated by home.social.
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Attacks by "The Mad Gasser of Mattoon" continued OTD in 1944, with at least 8 people reporting paralytic gas attacks https://cromwell-intl.com/travel/usa/mattoon/?s=mb #history #travel #gas #Fortean
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Attacks by "The Mad Gasser of Mattoon" continued OTD in 1944, with at least 8 people reporting paralytic gas attacks https://cromwell-intl.com/travel/usa/mattoon/?s=mb #history #travel #gas #Fortean
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Beulah and Carl Cordes report an attack by "The Mad Gasser of Mattoon" OTD in 1944 https://cromwell-intl.com/travel/usa/mattoon/?s=mb #history #travel #gas #Fortean
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Beulah and Carl Cordes report an attack by "The Mad Gasser of Mattoon" OTD in 1944 https://cromwell-intl.com/travel/usa/mattoon/?s=mb #history #travel #gas #Fortean
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Attacks by "The Mad Gasser of Mattoon" continued OTD in 1944 https://cromwell-intl.com/travel/usa/mattoon/?s=mb #history #travel #gas #Fortean
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Attacks by "The Mad Gasser of Mattoon" continued OTD in 1944 https://cromwell-intl.com/travel/usa/mattoon/?s=mb #history #travel #gas #Fortean
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Emily Dickinson wrote: "Forever is composed of nows."
What 'nows' are lurking in your story's 'forever'? Ponder questions of time and space with us THIS SATURDAY at the next edition of Writing the Occult - an event for writers, creators, readers, and the simply curious.
writingtheoccult.carrd.co
#writing #writers #writingcommunity #creativity #creative #creativetoots #sciencefiction #horror #fantasy #speculativefiction #timetravel #atlantis #fortean #backrooms #liminalspaces #books #film #tv
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Attacks by "The Mad Gasser of Mattoon" continued OTD in 1944 https://cromwell-intl.com/travel/usa/mattoon/?s=mb #history #travel #gas #Fortean
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Police received the first report of an attack by "The Mad Gasser of Mattoon" OTD in 1944 https://cromwell-intl.com/travel/usa/mattoon/?s=mb #history #travel #gas #Fortean
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Police received the first report of an attack by "The Mad Gasser of Mattoon" OTD in 1944 https://cromwell-intl.com/travel/usa/mattoon/?s=mb #history #travel #gas #Fortean
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And yes, that means our time is fast approaching.
The place: Zoom.
The time: FOUR DAYS from now.
Get your ticket to ride >> writingtheoccult.carrd.co
#writers #writing #artist #filmmaker #film #books #tv #fiction #shortstories #novel #novella #sciencefiction #timetravel #horror #gothic #fantasy #darkfantasy #writingevents #writingtheoccult #occult #fortean #weirdfiction #weird
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Urban Raef and his wife told police that they had been victims of an early attack by "The Mad Gasser of Mattoon" OTD in 1944 https://cromwell-intl.com/travel/usa/mattoon/?s=mb #history #travel #gas #Fortean
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Urban Raef and his wife told police that they had been victims of an early attack by "The Mad Gasser of Mattoon" OTD in 1944 https://cromwell-intl.com/travel/usa/mattoon/?s=mb #history #travel #gas #Fortean
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SIX DAYS til we journey into time and space/place! Get your ticket to ride >> writingtheoccult.carrd.co
#writers #writing #writingcommunity #writerscoffeeclub #creativity #books #tv #film #events #creativetoots #horror #sciencefiction #fantasy #scifi #gothic #dystopia #doctorwho #ancientaliens #atlantis #fortean
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Still thinking about joining this crew full of the best and brightest in speculative fiction at Writing the Occult: Time & Place next weekend? Here's who's on what when to help the pondering...
And remember, the whole thing is recorded for ticket holders, so if you can't make it live then still grab that ticket as you'll be able to watch the whole thing at your leisure after the fact!
🧵⬇️#writers #writing #books #film #tv #doctorwho #atlantis #fortean #timetravel #sciencefiction #horror
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EARLY BIRD TICKET PRICES END TOMORROW!!
Get in quick if you want to make the most of the cheaper early bird ticket prices! We're at £35 + Eventbrite booking fee until 23 August, after which it goes up to the full price of £40 + booking fee.
All the details at writingtheoccult.carrd.co
#writers #writing #creativity #creativetoots #writingevents #creativeprompt #horror #sciencefiction #scifi #fantasy #darkfantasy #timetravel #doctorwho #ancientaliens #fortean
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THE MAGIC BEHIND HOOKLAND, the ongoing open-source (re?)creation of a lost English county that has delighted social media for more than a decade, explored in ways that diminish none of the enchantment. A lovely guidebook. A MINUS
#book #Books #bookreview #bookreviews #bookstodon #fiction #fantasy #alternatehistory #folktales #England #Fortean #SmallPressSunday
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The only crop circle I ever saw: in 1994 in #Berkshire, where my friend then lived. It's not a very good one. But turning the corner of a lane and seeing it suddenly and unexpectedly in front of me was something of a thrill. It may have been near the magical Wittenham Clumps.
#WyrdWednesday #Fortean -
Our final crew member is the one who's brought us all together: Chief Ink Slinger and Writing the Occult curator Lauren McMenemy has the task of a quick tour through some Fortean time and place. Bermuda Triangle content guaranteed. Meet her (again) ⬇️
#horror #sciencefiction #scifi #fantasy #darkfantasy #gothic #writingtheoccult #occult #fortean #weird #writers #writing #writingcommunity #books #film #tv #timetravel
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Updates to the #paranormal database include headless entities, women in white, and a couple of #haunted lighthouses… https://www.paranormaldatabase.com/recent/ #fortean
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This blog post about haunted paintings from @IcySedgwick is an absolute banger https://www.icysedgwick.com/cursed-artworks/ #occult #ghost #haunted #ghoststory #paranormal #fortean
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Fascinating article in the #Fortean Times about Paddington Bear as a psychopomp (i.e. as a guide into the afterlife). And how quintessentially _British_ it is.
I'm thinking, therefore, if you had _not_ been such a good person in life your psychopomp would be Mister Blobby.
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Updates to the database include a scattering of #Suffolk #folklore, a few #poltergeists from the 1970s, and a pig. https://www.paranormaldatabase.com/recent/index.php #fortean
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RE: https://disabled.social/@GimpyGurl/115729762577866244
I love short form #fortean stuff like this seasonal coincidence.
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Lil’ devil’s footprints
In February 1855 in Devon, England, tiny curved tracks, like horse-shoes or donkey prints, appeared in the snow overnight. The tracks, which reportedly extended some 40 miles, caused quite a stir. Someone suggested that they were made by the devil himself. The tale grew and became a well-known Fortean incident, mentioned to this day.
This story was one of my favorites, not because I thought of it as a real and perplexing mystery, but because it made such a lasting impact. Skeptics will immediately note that the tracks melted and what was left resembled a hoof print. Yet, I hadn’t seen any actual demonstration of this. There probably was a demonstration, but the mundane answers to the world’s mysteries are not very popular. People prefer the more dramatic and exciting “unexplained” framing. However, on December 14, 2025, my grand-dog and I inadvertently made the devil prints ourselves.
Devon: Winter, 1855
The weather reported in Devon on the day of the 1855 tracks was cold and windy, another day of the severe winter that froze parts of the nearby rivers. A half inch to 4 inches of snow had fallen overnight. Then came a bit of rain before another hard freeze. The next day, someone noticed the hoof-like tracks. Framed as a mystery, the news spread. Many people found similar tracks.
According to the collected information by Mike Dash (my favorite Fortean historian) in Fortean Studies, Volume 1, no one actually did any careful logging of the tracks. Some reports had the tracks going across rooftops or high walls. It’s unclear how someone could be certain of the rooftop claim. Later, the story evolved into miles of continuous trackways that were from the same creature, and happened simultaneously. This was untrue as the story unfolded over more than one day. Dash cites sources noting that the trackway wasn’t a direct line but meandered “like an animal looking for food”.
The tracks were not a hoax (but subsequent tracks in the following days could have been). The contemporary sources were sometimes anonymous and unreliable, with questionable details. Extra exaggerated elements were likely added to the tale later on. Speculation about the origin included reference to all sorts of animals to blame, including a kangaroo(?!). There were a myriad of creative explanations volunteered by serious investigators. Dash concluded that it is unlikely the mystery can ever be thoroughly solved.
The unknown culprit led to some people throwing up their hands and declaring the devil had traversed the land. This was a grievous insult to the local bishop!
The Devil prints.
By English Papers 1855, Public DomainThe making of the devil tracks
Additional accounts of mysterious “hoof prints” similar to the Devon mystery are reported up to modern day. Even more examples were noted in the UK that same winter. Certainly, there were more incidents that are never reported.
I’m reporting an incident right now. And I know how they were made.
On Sunday morning, Tito, the long-legged, long-haired Chihuahua, had to go on a walk to do his business because that’s the way he rolls. I was not keen on walking outside that blustery suburban morning, but I am his temporary keeper and I do his bidding. The sidewalk was mostly snow-covered with about an inch of powder. It was brutally cold, well below freezing. Our prints in both directions were the only markings in the windswept snow. No other sane people were walking, or cleaning their sidewalks.
Later that afternoon, we were off on our second trip. The winds had blown most of the snow clear off the smooth concrete sidewalks, leaving only the icy traces of our morning walk. I was amused to see my shoe prints enlarged, but Tito’s had formed into adorable little horse-shoe shapes. The prints remained the following day as the temps stayed in low double digits.
The Explanation
The original prints from Tito, the lil’ devil, pushed the snow into little ridges in the direction of travel. The tiny outer ridge remained as the wind blew away the loose snow and the sun melted the paw prints that were originally obvious.
As for the Devon prints, the single track indicated an animal that either hopped (like a rabbit, squirrel, etc.), making a single indentation in the snow, or a two-legged animal (a bird) tracked a linear path, unlike a dog that shows a parallel track.
This is no mystery. But we still want it to be. No matter how many times we show how a mystery was solved, a monster made, or a mistake revealed, the fun story will live on.
Tito was unimpressed with his Fortean accomplishment. He would rather lounge, careless, on the couch. I recognized that a mystery is mostly about context and culture, with a heavy dose of slow news day reaction.
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New Video: An Irreverent take on the history of Fortean Times magazine with Ian Simmons, their News Editor. Watch the full 50 minute live video here:
https://youtu.be/hQ8dhObF21E
#fortean #video #unexplained #mysteries -
Mawnan Church and Woods in #Cornwall, scene of the mysterious 'Owlman' sightings in the 1970s: a #Fortean and #cryptozoology favourite. In 1993 I found it an atmospheric location with its ancient granite church. The wood wasn't as spooky as expected but it will have grown a lot thicker in 30 years!
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50 Berkeley Square, has a dark history, with reports of ghostly sightings and strange occurrences dating back to the 19th century.
You can listen to ‘Ghosts of Berkeley Square’ and all other episodes of As Yet Unexplained at the As Yet Unexplained Website: https://bit.ly/asyetunexplained
#UFO #Hauntings #Ghosts #Unexplained #Podcast #ListenUp #UAP #AsYetUnexplained #Listen #ParanormalInvestigation #Ufos #TrueCrime #UAPs #Paranormal #Fortean #Mystery #Unsolved #AudioBook #Podcasting #ParanormalPodcast -
It has been stated that the first events of the Highgate Vampire occurred in London in 1969 when the British Psychic and Occult Society was to suddenly receive reports of a strange spectral creature in and around the area of Highgate cemetery.
The As Yet Unexplained Website:
https://bit.ly/asyetunexplained#ufo #ghosts #haunting #fortean #podcast #UFOs #paranormal #podcastepisode #asyetunexplainedpodcast #asyetunexplained #cryptid #paranormalpodcast
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SEASONS GREETINGS!! - 24/12/22 - This is Raynham Hall, a beautiful country mansion in the English county of Norfolk. It has been said that the property is haunted by the famous Brown Lady.
Series One, Two, and Three are still available on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify, Audible and most podcast platforms.
#Haunting #AsYetUnexplained #Podcast #Paranormal #UFO #Ghosts #UFOs #PodcastEpisode #ParanormalPodcast #Cryptid #Fortean #AsYetUnexplainedPodcast #ChristmasGhostStories -
SEASONS GREETINGS!! - THIS WEEK - This is Raynham Hall, a beautiful country mansion in the English county of Norfolk. The hall gave its name to the five estate villages known as The Raynham’s, and it is said to be haunted by the famous Brown Lady.
Series One, Two, and Three are still available on:
Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify and Audible
#Paranormal #Podcast #PodcastEpisode #Haunting #AsYetUnexplained #Ghosts #Fortean #ParanormalPodcast #AsYetUnexplainedPodcast