Posts Tagged ‘roman’

Posted on February 6, 2010 - by Andrew

Ghostly body parts at Capesthorne Hall?

Near Macclesfield stands the grand estate of Capesthorne Hall.

The Hall was built between 1719 and 1732 and has been subject to architectual changes over the years – especially after a fire destroyed much of the building.

The history of the grounds go back further than the Capesthrone Hall itself; everything from the passing of Roman Legions (and Roman road may run the building) to myths of Merlin and Arthur. Capesthrone, itself, can trace its history to the Domesday Book.

Hauntings

Capesthrone Hall has a record of ghostly body parts being sighted. A ghostly and disembodied arm, floating outside a window, was sighted by one of the Bromely-Davenport family who own the hall but vanished when the young man reached the window.

On another occassion there are reports of a disembodied head appearing in the grand hall only to vanish when people went to inspect it.

There’s also a common theme of smells being associated with ghosts and spirits in the hall too (some suggesting that the smells are disembodied senses). Some visitors link the distinct smell of a particular hair tonic to the ghost of the late Lord Bromely-Davenport.

The gray lady is another popular haunting story. Tales make mention of a phantom female that makes her way from the grand staircase to the chapel vault.

In Pure Spirit

Have you been to Capesthorne Hall? Where you able to sense anything? Do you have any stories of suicide, death or murder at Capesthorne that might be linked to the many ghostly tales?

Posted on October 26, 2009 - by Andrew

The starved ghost of Ashton Hall

There are two Ashton Hall’s in Lancaster. The first is part of the council complex of Dalton Square near the Buck Ruxton murder site and the second is currently the headquarters of the Lancaster Golf Club.

Ashton Hall, now used by the Golf Club, was originally built by Roger of Poitou in the Barony of Lancaster. Only the tower at the south wing remains of this original building which enjoys a fantastic view of the estuary of the River Lune and Morecambe Bay.

The main hall was built by Edmund Lawrence. The Lawrence family controlled Aston Hall for the best part of two hundred years. Records show that John and Alice Lawrence were tenants in 1323 and also that William de Lancaster I granted a portion of land to Gilbert during the reign of Henry II (1154 to 1189).

The old hall has seen an eventful past. At one point the manor was held by John de Coupland who captured David, King of Scots, at the battle of Nevill’s Cross in 1436. King James I, of England, and Charles II have both stayed in Aston Hall.

Hauntings

There are a number of reports of spirits in Ashton Hall. The most common story is a white lady who was locked away in one of the hall’s towers while her lord husband fought abroad. When the husband returned to the Hall she was found starved to death.

In 1788 the wife of the 9th Duke died and his sorrow was so great that he ordered the doors to Ashton Hall closed. They did not open again until 1819 when he died and was taken through to them the ancient Parish and Priory Church of Lancaster were he was buried beside her. Paranormal experts point out that grief on this magnitude can sometimes create a haunting manifestation.

 

Indeed, the wife of the 4th Duke of Hamilton, the lord who died in the duel against Lord Mohun and General Macartney was said to be so upset that she spent most of her remaining 32 years at Ashton Hall, in a bedroom in the south wing. The room is known as “The Duchess’s Bedroom” to this day.

It is also noticeable that Ashton Hall has an unusually high ratio of female descent – ownership of the estate has passed over the female line far more frequently than other comparable buildings.

Roman remains have also been found on the site. Some of the artefacts discovered nearby have included an altar inscribed with blessings to a Goddess of Plenty. This may have been Ops – a mother-goddess who also governed fertility and the harvest. She is celebrated in the festival of Opiconsivia on August 25th and Opalia on December 19th. Is there a connection between this nearby goddess and Ashton Hall’s strong line of female descent?

In Pure Spirit

Have you attended any of the events held in Ashton Hall? What was it like? Do you have any additional stories of murder at Aston Hall, death, ghosts, spirits or dark mists? Perhaps you have heard an alternative version of the Ashton Hall white lady legend?

Posted on October 23, 2009 - by Andrew

The Beast, To Mega Therion and 666

The Beast is not one figure from the Bible – but two.  In the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament, the First Beast comes from the sea, has seven heads and ten horns. The Second Beast comes the earth, looks like a lamb but talks like a dragon.

The Second Beast acts as an ambassador for the first. It has people make an image of the First Beast and pray to it. The Second Beast is able to make the image come to life and strike down anyone who refuses to worship the First Beast.

Revelation 16, 19 and 20 refers to the Second Beast as the False Prophet. It forms one third of the unholy trinity along with the Dragon/Satan and the First Beast/the Antichrist.

Aleister Crowley (1875–1947), the British occultist, adopted the name To Mega Therion for himself.  This phrase, Greek for “The Great Beast” comes from the Book of Revelation

And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast [θηρίον, therion] rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

Crowley used isopsephy, the art and science of adding up the numeric values of letters, to point out that the name translates to 666.

The Roman emperor Domitian is said to have been secretly called “The Beast” by Romans, Greeks, Christians and Jews according to theologian Ethelbert Stauffer.  Domitian’s office title was Imperator Caesar Domitianus Augustus Germanicus or, in Greek, Autokrator Kaisar Dometianos Sebastos Germanikos. This meant the coins of his empire, in Greek, would carry the abbreviation A.KAI.DOMET.SEB.GE. Once again, using isopsephy, the letters tally up to 666.

In the Bible itself, in the Book of Revelation, 666 is described as “the number of a man” associated with The Beast.

In Pure Spirit

Are you afraid of the number 666? Do you think there’s now too much hype around it and too many possible interpretations?

Posted on July 30, 2009 - by Andrew

The meaning of cat talismans

Originally cat charms were used to signify luck and are common today. The question is whether they represent good or bad luck.

The black cat, in particular, is sometimes seen as unlucky as it represents one of the forms Satan is believed to take as he stalks the Earth. Others will wear the black cat charm to specifically ward against bad luck.

The Romans took the fiercely independent nature of the cat and translated this to the concept of liberty. The ancient Egyptians associated the cat to the moon and drew connections between the dilation and contraction of cat eyes to the waxing and waning of the moon.  Egyptian moon gods or goddesses would often be depicted with the wedjat eye in the full-moon disk over their head. The wedjat-eye, however, belonged to Re and was later associated with Thoth, rather than the cats.

Posted on February 3, 2009 - by Andrew

Mosaic of pagan cult found in the Cathedral of Reggio Emilia

A 13 square metre mosaic pavement which depicts pagan rites and oriental gods has been found by archaelogists working in the Catholic cathedral in central-northern Italy.

Superintendent of Archaeological Heritage in Emilia Romagna, Luigi Malnati, said, “this is one of the most important and interesting mosaics in northern Italy. It stands out for its size, design and refined technique.”

Discovery News was told by Renta Curina, the archaeologist in charge of the dig, “The size and design of the mosaic pavement suggest that it formed the floor of a huge room. We believe this was the residence of a wealthy Roman,”

It was fairly common in Reggio Emilia for Christian buildings to be built over preexisting structures. The discovery of naked figures in-acting three large mythological scenes, however, is rare.

One of the scenes shows a naked man falling into someone else’s arms while a woman holds a fish and another man holds two live ducks.

A second scene depicts a naked man wearing a crown of icy, gripping a lotus flower in his right hand and a lituss in his left.

It is the lotus flower and ivy crown which lead archaeologists to theorise that the mosaic honours the ancient cult of Oriental gods.

The 5th century bishop of Reggio Emilia is better known as Saint Prosper of Reggio. Saint Prosper is remembered on the 25th of June globally according to the general calendars but on the November the 24th locally.

In Pure Spirit

This looks to be simply one more Christian building that holds artifacts of Pagan interest. Have you been to Cathedral of Reggio Emilia or somewhere like Roslyn Chapel?

Posted on January 30, 2009 - by Andrew

Derby’s City General brings in exorcist to fight the hospital ghost

The new City General hospital in Derby has an old problem – a ghost. The hospital, which is about to be renamed the Royal Hospital, is built on the site of the original City General. Staff have reported a black-clad figure in a cloak roaming the wards.

The Sun has been told that there have been dozens of sightings of the apparition in recent weeks.

“Several have seen a male figure cloaked from had to toe in black darting between rooms and through walls – especially in departments near the morgue.

“It’s affected morale so much that bosses decided they had to act.”

Debbie Butler, a senior manger at the hospital, admitted that an exorcist has been called to the £334,000,000 hospital. She told staff, “I’ve spoken to the Trust’s chaplain and she is going to arrange for someone from the cathedral to exorcise the department.”

The Catholic Church does still offer exorcisms but only as a last resort. Each exorcism requires approval from a bishop.

A popular theory as to the identify of the ghost is that it may be the spirit of an angry Roman solider. When the original hospital was built in 1920 it was built covering one part of an ancient Roman Roads despite protests.

A less well known theory is the connection of the Derby cemetery. Both the City General and the cemetery are on Uttoxeter Road. In 2003 safey inspectors discovered that many of the headstones where unstable and laid some of the smaller ones flat. The cemetery was later completely sealed off to the public.

Amazingly, machines were used to pump foam underground in the cometary in an attempt to stabilise it. It has been suggested that this foam has been responsible for the irritation or erosion of tombs below the ground and this as awoken a restless spirit.

In Pure Spirit

What do you think? Has the hospital done the right thing by calling in an exoricst? If this is the ghost of a Roman Solider why has he started to appear now?

Posted on January 4, 2009 - by Andrew

Divination arts

Aeromancy

Aeromancy is the divination art that studies cloud formation, atmospheric phenomena and wind currents. Closely related to Austromancy.

Alectromancy

The divination art which places a cock or hen in a circle of grain and letters of the alphabet. Letters near to where the bird pecks are assembled to form answers to specific questions. If only a yes/no answer is required then only two piles of grain can be used.

Aleuromancy

Aleuromancy is a divination art which uses flour. Sentences are written on slips of paper which are then rolled into balls of flour. The collection of flour balls is mixed nine times and then handed out to the aleuromancy participants to learn their fate.

Alomancy

Alomancy is a method of divination which studies patterns in trails and spills of salt.

Alphitomancy

A divination art used to determine whether someone is guilty or not. A barley loaf is specially prepared and fed to the subject. If the subject suffers indigestion then this is a sign of guilt.

Anthropomancy

Anthropomancy is the divination art where the entrails of the dead (or dying) is studied. Anthropomancy is also said to be used by necromancers raising the dead.

Arithmomancy

Divination by numbers. Practitioners use techniques closely related to numerology. The term comes from the Greek ‘arithmos’ (number) and ‘manteia’ (divination).

Astragalomancy

Astrogalomancy uses die or throwing bones for divination. Related to Cleromancy.

Austromancy

The divination art which studies the wind and cloud shapes. It is related to Aeromancy.

Axinomancy

Axinomancy is a divination art which uses a heated axehead in the embers of a fire. Axinomancers are able to use the axe in other ways in order to make predictions or answer questions.

Belomancy

The divination art which uses feathered arrows. Arrows are shot with messages attached to them and the arrow which travels the farthest is said to have carried the most significant message.

Cartomancy

Cartomancy is a divination art that uses cards or playing cards. Tarot is, in fact, a form of cartomancy.

Ceroscopy

Melted wax poured into cold water and allowed to congeal. The divination is determined from the shape of the hardened wax.

Chiromancy

Chiromancy is an alternative name for Palmistry.

Cleidomancy

A set of divination arts which make use of a key. One method of cleidomancy involves placing a key in an important book, hanging the book so that it may turn and twist and then studying the movement of the book.

Cleromancy

Cleromancy is the divination art is throwing small items – often dice. Related closely to Astragalomancy.

Crystalomancy

Related to Scrying.

Dactyliomancy

A divination art which uses rings to answer questions or make predictions. Rings may be used as a pendulum or dropped into a bowl of water.

Extispicy

The divition art that which studies entrails. This art was probbaly used heavily in and before the Roman period. Roman extispices were augurs.

Frith

A Scottish divination art in which a seer would fast before the first Monday of the quarter and then stand blind-folded on the doorstep at sunrise. After an invocation the seer would remove the blindfold and make a prediction based on the first thing he or she saw.

Galgal

A divination art which uses methods from the Kabbalah and the Hebrew alphabet.

Gryomancy

Gryomancy is a divination art in which the diviner walks or spins in a circle of letters until they are unale to continue. The letters which the gryromancer stumbles towards are collected and used to spell out answers.

Hydromancy

A collection of divination arts which use water to answer questions or make predictions. Boiling water is sometimes watched for patterns or sounds. Dish water can be studied for swirls and patterns. Sometimes pebbles or rings are dropped into a bowl and the ripples studied.

Necromancy

Necromancy is the black art of raising spirits and the reanimation of bodies. One aspsect of necromancy is divination; either through studying bones or entrails, listening to the whisper of spirits or raising the dead and communicating directly with them.

Oneiromancy

The divination art of dream interpretation. Oneiromancy sometimes uses ‘incubatory sleep’ where after a purification ritual the questioner would sleep in a special room or cave. Narcotic substances were also sometimes used. The diviner or mystic would then help the questioner understand the dream.

Ouija

A board and pointer used in divination with the spirit world. The name comes from the French ‘oui’ (yes) and German ‘ja’ (Yes).

Similiar board instruments have been used in ancient Greece and China. The Planchette, a similar device, reached Europe in the middle of the nineteenth century.

Palmistry

A divination art which involves the study of lines and bumps on fingers and palms. Palmistry is also sometimes known as cheiromancy.

Scrying

Scrying is a divination art that typically uses a crystal ball, mirror, shiny stone or surface. The tool used is referred to a speculum. Doctor John Dee’s speculum was a crystal egg and black obsidian mirror.

In Pure Spirit

Have you found this list helpful? Please feel free to suggest additions, extensions or corrections!

Posted on December 14, 2008 - by Andrew

The meanings of the days of the week

The origins of the names given to the days of the week in the Western calendar are traced back to a number of different beliefs and sources.

Monday

The name ‘Monday’ is Roman in origin and means “Moon’s Day”.

Tuesday

The word ‘Tuesday’ comes from old German and derived from “Tyr’s Day”. Tyr is a Germanic-Norse god of war and sky.

Wednesday

The name ‘Wednesday’ is derived from the Norse “Woden’s Day” or “Odin’s Day”. Odin is the Nordic all-father god and master of the runes.

Thursday

The world ‘Thursday’ comes from the Norse “Thor’s Day”. Thor is the Nordic god of battle and strength.

Friday

It is thought that the name ‘Friday’ could come from the Nordic phrase “Frigg’s Day”. Frigg was Odin’s wife and a fertility goddess. The name may also derive from “Frey’s Day” a god who could not battle in Ragnarok after the mortal Skirnir lost Frey’s sword.

Saturday

The name ‘Saturday’  has an origin in “Saturn’s Day”. In Roman mythology Saturn is the father of the god Jupiter.

Sunday

Sunday is Roman in origin and means ‘Sun Day’.

In Pure Spirit

What do the days of the week mean in other beliefs? What do they mean to you? Drop us a comment and share your thoughts.

Posted on November 19, 2008 - by Andrew

Demonic names

Abaddon

Abaddon is the name of the demonic entity which the Bible (Revelation 9:11) describes as the angle of the bottomless pit.

Abigor

Abigor is a demon conjured for military assistance, advice and fortune telling powers.

Afrit

Afrit, in Islamic lore, are giant and malevolent devil-djins. They are the second most powerful type of devil and may be related to ancient Egyptian spirits of the desert sandstorm.

Ahriman

According to Zoroastrain lore, Ahriman is the demon of lies and is trapped in never-ending conflict with Ahura Mazda. He is associated with the serpent form of Satan.

Alastor

In ancient Greek the word Alastor was used to mean avenging god. Roman demonologists used the name to refer to the evil Genius of a house.

Apollyon

Apollyon is the Greek name for the demon Abaddon.

Arioch

In Milton’s Paradise Lost Arioch is one of the fallen angels. The name is dervived from the Hebrew for ‘fierce lion’.

Asmodeus

In the Aprocryphal Book of Tobit the demon Asmodeus is the personal tormentor of Tobias’ wife-to-be. In the Testament of Solomon the demon is one that conspires to plot against the newly married. Don Cleofas is taken on a night flight by Asmodeus in the literatury work Le Diable Boiteux (1707, Le Sage) which gives rise to the term ‘flight of Asmodeus’. In the book Asmodeus uses magic to allow Don Cleofas to see into the houses he flies over so that the inhabitants private lives were revealed to him.

Azazel

In Paradise Lost Azazel is described as the standard bearer for the rebelling angels. In Islamic demonology Azazel is one of the Djin who was expelled from heaven for refusing to worship Adam.

Baphomet

Although the name Baphomet is sometimes used in conjunction with a demon it is more likely to be a variation of the word ‘Mohammed’ when the Knights Templar were acused of blasphemous worship.

Barbason

William Shakespeare writes of Barbason  in The Merry Wives of Windsor. Some scholars suggest the name may have been taken from the Discoverie of Witchcraft (1584, Reginald Scot).

Beelzebub (Baalzebub)

The name Baalzebub may stem from the Sryian ‘Baal’ and infer ‘Lord of the High House’ whereas Beelzebub translates as ‘Lord of Flies’. Beelzebub has come to be regarded as the leader of the fallen angels and the Prince of Devils.

Belphegor

Belphegor stems from the name ‘Baal-Poer’ a Moabitish god of orgies. Medieval demonologies later mapped the name to a devil sent from hell to investigate whether there really was such as thing as married happiness on earth. Belphegor concluded there was no such thing.

Caliban

In Shakespeare’s The Tempest Caliban is the half-human deformed offspring of the devil and the witch Sycorax.

Cambion

The name Cambion was given in the post-medieval period to anyone  believed to the semi-human offspring either an incubus or succubus.

Demogorgon

Lactantius wrote that Demogorgon was the chief power in Hell. The name was once kept a secret as to speak it was to invite disaster.

Eblis

The name Eblis means despair. Eblis is the same as the demon Azazel.

Gog and Magog

The Book of Revelation describes Gog and Magog as the future enemies of the Kingdom of God.

Lamia

Lamia is the name of a legendary queen of Libya who turned into a monstrous serpentine monster. The name became used as a synonym for a witch who could transform from demonic form to beautiful woman.

Lucifer

Lucifer means “Morning Star” or “Daily Star”. The name Lucifer has become synonymous with Satan – probably due to reads of Isaiah 14:12.

Mammon

Mammon is the Syrian term for “riches” or “wealth”. The name was linked to demonic names in Matthew 6:24 and Mammon has now come to be seen as a demon of money.

Mephistopheles

In Faust, Mephistopheles is the devil. The name is Greek and means “the one who hates the light”.

In Pure Spirit

Missing any? Please feel free to comment (and cite a reference) and we’ll grow the list.