Curious Archive

The Yeti Footprints of Mount Everest, as Photographed by Eric Shipton

Published date 13 July 2022 Categories Paranormal Encounters / Weird History

Whether you know them as Yetis or Abominable Snowmen, these ape-like creatures are the undeniable kings of snow dwelling cryptids. Similar to the North American Bigfoot, the Yeti is said to be a solitary creature who roams the snowy mountains of the Himalayas. While generally considered part of Sherpa (a Tibetan ethnic group’s) folklore, mountaineers in the region have recorded...

Take an Interdimensional Ride with Japan and Korea’s Terrifying Elevator Game

Published date 24 June 2022 Categories Digital Mythology

We all know at least one urban legend. Bloody Mary, the Jersey Devil, Hookman, Robert Johnson selling his soul to the Devil, Krampus, Mothman, Owlman… and countless other legends of folklore that come from cultures all around the world. With the birth of the internet came an entirely new type of ‘friend of a friend’ storytelling called Creepypastas. Unlike urban...

The Tombstone Thunderbird Photograph and the Mandela Effect

Published date 18 June 2022 Categories Paranormal Encounters / Weird History

The Mandela Effect: false memories shared by multiple people, often complete strangers. Paranormal researcher Fiona Broome coined the term in 2010 after recording her own false memory of South African President Nelson Mandela. According to Broome, she had a distinct memory of Mandela dying in prison during the 1980s – she even remembered watching the funeral broadcasted on international television....

‘Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm?’: Espionage, Witchcraft, and other Theories

Published date 13 June 2022 Categories Weird History

On 18 April 1943 four boys made a grisly discovery in Hagley Wood in Worcestershire, England on a stretch of private residential property. While bird-nesting in the area, they came upon a large wych elm tree and one of the boys, Bob Farmer, climbed in the hopes of finding a bird nest. Instead, Farmer discovered a human skull complete with...

Of Leprosy and Confinement: The Tragic Haunting of Uncle Hỏa’s Mansion, Vietnam

Published date 25 April 2022 Categories Paranormal Encounters

A haunted mansion. An ancient disease. A family with a dark secret.
The tragic legend of Hứa Bổn Hòa (aka Uncle Hỏa) and his ill fated daughter Lan is well known in Vietnam. But since Hứa Bổn Hòa was a real historic figure, it’s strange that this famous ghost story features a daughter that appears to be entirely fictional. Who exactly was Lan? Was her death as tragic as the legend says? And most importantly, did she ever actually exist?

Sacred Earth: The Neolithic Longstone on the Isle of Wight

Published date 12 April 2022 Categories Weird History

Tucked near the village of Mottistone on England’s Isle of Wight is the Longstone, the remains of a 6000 year old communal long barrow from the Neolithic Period. The site sits at the foot of a large hill who’s peak features south views of the English Channel’s endless blue. A sense of peace is present when standing next to the...

Meet Okiku, the Haunted Japanese Doll that Grows Real Human Hair

Published date 28 March 2022 Categories Paranormal Encounters

Pediophobia: the fear of dolls. Pop culture has done a great job turning the age-old children’s toy into a potential vessel of evil (thank you Chucky and Annabelle), and while we rationally recognise that dolls aren’t going to come to life, it’s completely understandable that we simultaneously feel uneased by the stare of their cold, lifeless eyes. Will they turn...

The Georgia Guidestones: Secret Societies, Ted Turner, and the Antichrist

Published date 26 March 2022 Categories Offbeat Travel / Weird History

Update: As of 6 July 2022 the Georgia Guidestones have been destroyed following a bombing by persons unknown. Known as an “American Stonehenge”, the Georgia Guidestones were mysteriously commissioned in June 1979 by a man under the pseudonym R. C. Christian and “a small group of loyal Americans”. According to Christian, the anonymous group spent the previous 20 years developing...

The Haunted Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital: Gone But Not Forgotten

Published date 10 March 2022 Categories Paranormal Encounters

In 1982 the Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital (or 곤지암 정신병원 / Gonjiam Namyang Neuropsychiatric Hospital) was established outside Gyeonggi-do, South Korea by a Mr Hong. The original building was just over 11,000m² and spread across three floors. Sometime during the early 1990s, an additional two buildings were added, which increased the size by another 500m². A short time later in July...

“What Drew Her Into Oblivion?”: The Disappearance of Silent Film Actress Marie Empress

Published date 23 February 2022 Categories Weird History

Mary Ann Louisa Taylor, known by her stage name Marie Empress, was born on 26 March 1884 in Birmingham, England. Marie had a busy career as an actress, singer, dancer, and successful male impersonator, and garnered a reputation as a comedienne in Britain. She specialised in playing femme fatale, or vamp characters which led to confusion about her real persona...