By Nicole Baker ~ For centuries, sleep paralysis has afflicted people around the world. Known colloquially in English as “old hag” syndrome, sleep paralysis has
Tag: Halloween
The Great Amherst Mystery, 1888
By Nicole Baker ~ The Great Amherst Mystery by Walter Hubbell recounts his personal experience of what has been purported to be one of the
What’s Behind the Mask
By Elizabeth Mullen ~ As the end of October approaches many people begin to think about costumes. A Halloween mask could frighten your friends, hide
The Truth About Black Cats
Superstitions about black cats are common even today and are reinforced especially during Halloween. For instance, folklore tells us that if a black cat crosses your path, bad luck is sure to follow. But appearances are deceiving.
Bats in the Stacks
The bat an essential symbol of Halloween, its silhouette found carved into pumpkins and decorating windows each season. This fascinating little mammal is often underappreciated despite the vital role they play in human health.
A Portal of Death
As the nights get longer and leaves turn and fall, many will spend a dark evening communing with frightening images. This ‘portal of death’ is the frontispiece from Bernardino Genga’s beautiful Anatomia per uso et intelligenza del disengno…, 1691.
Costume Conundrum?
Still looking for a costume idea for Halloween? Find inspiration in this 1962 series of 12 prints “2300 Years of Medical Costume: Distinctive Garb of the Medical and Related Professions from the Time of Hippocrates and the Napoleonic Era.”
The Dance of Death
By Ginny A. Roth
Halloween is not a night for the faint of heart. This frighteningly festive 15th century woodcut from the Nuremberg Chronicle is captioned by a celebratory Latin verse which speaks of death as a friend.