MONSTERS: Samca

  A Samca is a creature in Romanian Legends as an ugly and terrible evil spirit. She can take many different forms like a large pig, a grinning dog with rotten teeth, a hairless cat with fiery bulging eyes, a crow with bloody eyes, and a large black spider. The most known version is of a naked woman with disheveled hair down to her feet, dried out breasts that touch the ground, small bright eyes, a tongue of fire, and iron hands with nails as sharp as knitting needles or hooked as sickles.

They show themselves at the end of the month usually around the full moon. With their large crooked mouth, they show in front of children under 4-years-old.  A disease that children get after the Samca appeared often called "the children's malice". This causes the child to be deathly ill. 

They also show themselves to women lying on their birth bed, and once the creatures are visible they touch the pregnant woman as if kneading them. This would either scare the women to death or cripple them for life. It's also said that the Samca would curse the newborns.

Samca goes by 19 names; Vestitia, Navadaria, Valnomia, Sina, Nicosda, Avezuha, Scorcoila, Tiha, Miha, Grompa, Slalo, Necauza, Hatavu, Hulila, Huva, Ghiana, Gluviana, Prava, and Samca. In order to avoid the Samca people would need to write all 19 names on the wall of the house or ask someone for a protective spell. If attacked the person who did the spell gets attacked, except if the person is of age the Samca cannot.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Monster Wiki

Right Words

Librum Prodigiosum (tumblr)

UNIDENTIFIED: July 3, 1954 Los Angeles, California John Doe

On July 3, 1954, on 560 Towne Ave. in Los Angeles, California the badly decomposed body of a man was found under a vacant house. It's believed that he may have been a homeless man who crawled underneath the house and passed.

He was a male that was pre 60 years old. He was 5'10" and 134 lbs. He had brown hair and his eye color is undetermined.

SOURCES:
NamUs

GHOSTS: Ghost Ship of Northumberland Strait

 

Photo by Olia Nayda

For at least the last 200 years a ship has been seen in the Northumberland Strait that separates Prince Edward Island from New Brunswick. It's a beautiful schooner with 3 or 4 masts of pure white sails which become fully engulfed in flames. This ship is said to be seen before the northeast wind and is a warning for an upcoming storm.

There are a number of legends and ghost stories surrounding this ghost ship. It's said that the crew has been seen climbing the masts before the ship completely sinks or vanishes. According to legend in 1900 the ship was seen and a group of sailors boarded a small sailboat in Charlottetown Harbour and tried to save the people on the ship. Only for the ship and crew to vanish before they got to it. 

It's unknown what ship the ghost ship is, but there are several theories. One is that it is the John Craig Light that shipwrecked off Shippigan Island. Another is the Colbum that was lost during a storm in 1838. The Isabella is another contestant as a ship that was lost in 1868 and was last seen by a light housekeeper at Amet Island on its way to South America. Some theorize that it is a pirate ship or pleasure craft set ablaze by a drunken brawl.

There are three natural causes of the sightings of this ghost ship.

The first is St. Elmo's fire, which is a weather phenomenon. which is when a burst of electricity is discharged from pointed objects when the atmosphere becomes heavily charged. Which can serve as a warning for lightning and is seen as a good omen for sailors. (click the link above for a better explanation).

It's possible that it's a form of fata morgana mirage caused by when warm air settles atop a distinct band of cool air and rays of light are bent as they pass through different temperatures. This makes things seem like they are floating, flipped upside down, flying, or being seen in great detail at a distance. (click link above for better explanation)

The third is more simple. It's possible that people seeing the ship is the brain trying to place or make sense of something there. If it's a foggy, or stormy night lights and such might make a trick of the eye. 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

The Scuba News

Fox Harb'r Resort

Nuvo Magazine

Dancing Plague of 1518

A Copper engraving of Hendrik Hondius's based on a painting of Pieter Bruegel's believed to be about the dancing plague

It seemed like any normal day in July 1518 for the people of Strasbourg France. A woman named Frau Troffea started dancing in the street without any music. People laughed and clapped at her, but people began to worry as she not only danced to the next day, she danced for six days straight with no rest. Suddenly the dancing became contagious and 3 dozen people joined her by the end of the week. And by the time August came around 400 people had joined in the dancing.
No one really had a clue on what was happening. Physicians of the time claimed that the people were affected by hot blood and were recommended to dance the fever away. People started dying from exhaustion, heart attacks, and strokes.

In response to people dying the physicians recommended more dancing. They erected a stage and brought in music hoping that this will help people dance away the hot blood faster. Their plan didn't work as it had brought in more people to dance. During the height of the dancing mania, at least 15 people died per day. In September the dancing ended as it had started.

This event sounds like it's a legend, but it was a true event. There is no doubt that this Dancing Plague did happen as it was well documented in the town. It wasn't even the only one to have had happened in the 16th century either as events like it happened in Switzerland, Germany, and Holland. None of the others were as extreme as this one though.
There are many theories on why this event happened. One of the bigger theories is that it was all due to mass hysteria. This time it was extremely stressful for the people of Strasbourg. there was a famine happening and many of the residents were suffering from malnutrition due to t it.

Other theories are that they could have ingested Ergot which is a fungus that grows on Rye and grasses like Wheat. When ingested it can cause poisoning and or death. Some of the side effects are hallucinations, spasms, and convulsions which would be a cause for the dancing. It is known as nature LSD. Another theory is that they were part of a religious cult causing them to dance.

SOURCES:

BBC

Historic Mysteries

Discovery

History

Web MD

INFANTICIDE: June 30, 1956 Sunset Beach, California Baby Doe

On June 30, 1956, the body of an infant was found floating in a back slough near the intersection of Los Patos and Coast Highway in Sunset Beach, California. He was 1'4" and 4 lbs. He had died sometime in 1956.

SOURCES:
NamUs

Murder of Elizabeth Boyington

On the night of June 26, 1959, a couple was taking a stroll in the wooded area of the west end of High Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They would find the body of 44-year-old Elizabeth Boyington. Her arms were folded across her chest and her clothes were disarranged.  She had been stabbed around 5 times around her throat and it wasn't stated whether or not she was sexually assaulted. She was last seen being rejected entry at the downtown bar.

Elizabeth was a practical nurse at the time. She was also known to frequent bars.

SOURCES:

Toronto Police Service

The Windsor Star June 30, 1959

Toronto Sun June 13, 2021

UNIDENTIFIED: 1577 Chislet, England Jane Doe

In 1577 an unknown "wayfaring" woman died and was buried at the St. Mary The Virgin Churchyard in Chislet, Kent, England. There is little information in this case. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave