Joshua Dowidat

Eerie For Thoughts: Krampus

Hello Everyone,

Well the season is in the air. Or at least in some parts of the world. It hasn’t been very cold where I’m at. But then again it hardly ever does. Still I am reflecting on things that happen this time of year, or subjects that are relevant. So this blog will be about Krampus. Christmas’s darker side.

Krampus in History:

Krampus typically out-dates Christianity in certain Alpine traditions. This is only the description of a matching the character. But the creature we know as Krampus today was incorporated into the Christmas traditions sometime in the 17th Century.

This is when Krampus became known as one of the Companions of Saint Nicholas and originated in the regions around Bavaria, Austria, Slovenia, Hungary and other countries in that general region.

Appearance:

Krampus has many forms throughout history but many of them all agree that he shares the features Continue reading →

Eerie for Thoughts: Blizzard

Hello Everyone,

Not too long ago I was on the topic of sandstorms or Haboobs with a few blog posts but also in conversation. Given the area that I live in these are more common than that of a blizzard. Mainly because I have never seen one here. The closest I got to see a blizzard was when I was visiting the nearby mountain ranges for work several years back. It was a different and eerily experience.

What Defines a Blizzard?

The weather phenomenon can be described as a snowstorm with high winds and low visibility. Of course where I live a regular snowstorm may seem like a blizzard to me because of the lack of snow my area receives every year.

What Many People Think Of?

Most people who are not accustomed to blizzards think automatically to The Donner Party, or movies like The Shining when they think blizzard. Continue reading →

Eerie for Thoughts: Jack Frost

Hello Everyone,

Many of us know about Jack Frost. The folklore behind the winter-being most likely comes from older Norse beliefs. However, he is more commonly believed to derive from the winter-being Old Man Winter. Regardless of where he came from one thing is certain. Jack Frost has been part of our upbringing for many years now.

Modern Jack Frost:

Modern day depictions create him to be one of two things. Either a wispy, chilly, obnoxious character with an excitable outlook on life or a coldblooded killer.

Yes, in case some of you are not aware, Jack Frost is also in horror movies that exist today. And he has also starred in kid’s cartoons and Pixar style films. Or regular films as a lovely little snowman.

Beliefs:

It is believed in all the tales, (books, films, etc.) that Jack Frost comes with the winter weather. Or that he creates winter. Continue reading →

Eerie for Thoughts: Rasputin

Hello Everyone,

I decided to take a little break from the normal topic of Haunted Places in Arizona this week and focus on a particular character in history that many of us have heard of. This Russian man was famous both in his life and of course after death. Which makes Rasputin an eerie character in my view. But perhaps it’s just the rumors.

Rasputin:

Born in 1869 in Siberia of the Russian Empire, Rasputin was brought up as a mere peasant in his youth. After journeying to a monastery he later started gaining some influential aspects among the people. Perhaps this is where we got the nicknames like, “The Mad Monk,” and other similar names. Of course the ‘mad’ part would come later in life.

Although many people are not aware, he had a family. Daughters grew to very old ages and even migrated to the United States and Continue reading →

Eerie for Thought: Rat King

Hello Everyone,

First off I want to point out that “Rat King” is not a character from a cartoon many of us watched when we were younger. It is in fact a phenomenon that occurs with real rats when they are seeking warmth. I call it a phenomenon because of the resulting end of the manifestation, so to speak.

What is Rat King?

Well the translation from ancient times is how the part about the “king” comes into play and the “rat” part is kind of obvious. It is rats.

The phenomenon, Rat King, is when several to many rats or other small rodents get together, maybe for heat or comfort, and die in that formation. This can be caused my sticky substances that trap them or perhaps the exposure to the elements themselves.

When the rats die and the carcasses mummify they form a cluster of dead rats, they Continue reading →

Eerie for Thoughts: Hans Schmidt

Hello everyone,

To kind of deviate from the regular blog segment of haunted places in Arizona I thought I would talk about a person who was perhaps haunted within himself. That person is Hans Schmidt. A Roman Catholic priest of German Descent who was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death.

Hans Schmidt:

Born in a Bavarian City he immigrated to the United States of America in 1909. His first job as  a priest in the United States did not go smoothly, however. He was then transferred to New York City. This is where is priesthood turned sour.

He met a young women by the name of Anna Aumuller. They formed a secret relationship that was later to go as far as marriage in a private ceremony.

Seems almost romantic when you hear that part of the story. How he fell in love with another emigrant from Europe, Continue reading →

Eerie for Thoughts: The Spooklight

Hello Everyone,

Well out of all the eerie lights this is my last. Although, I will be discussing certain parts, or reasons why, I chose to do a segment about mysterious and eerie lights in another post. This last haunted light I saved because of a tale that is associated with it. Even though I will not dive much into detail on the tale or legend but it is eerie and sad. This light has a name that no one would suspect has anything to do with a haunted or ghostly light. Just kidding, it’s called the Spooklight.

The Spooklight:

This light was first reported all the way back to the terrible days that included the “Trail of Tears,” in the 1830s. However, the more common reported times was toward the end of the late 19th century and was first documented around 1881.

The first official report on Continue reading →

Eerie for Thoughts: The Norfolk Regiment

Hello Everyone,

Wow, I have to say that the amount of people my blogs are reaching nowadays is really great. Although we will be talking about the Norfolk Regiment I’m glad, and hope, that everyone is truly enjoying the blogs and taking a little bit of the dispensed knowledge with them afterwards.

So once again, thank you for continuing to read them and I will continue to try my best to deliver interesting subjects for discussion.

Back to the focus point though. The Norfolk Regiment. Well as most of you can guess it has to do with something vanishing or disappearing because that’s the topics of discussion lately. Well, you’re absolutely right. This time, however, instead of one person disappearing with many or few witnesses to testify to the accounts it was an entire regiment that disappeared.

Who, When, Where:

Well like the title states it was a Norfolk Regiment Continue reading →

Haunted Places: Orpheum Theatre

Hello Everyone,

The theatre we will visit this week goes back to the roaring twenties, or at least the end of the period, as we continue our journey through haunted places in Arizona. The Orpheum Theatre resides in the small very traffic friendly city of Phoenix, Arizona. Anybody who has been there will understand that.

Orpheum Theatre:

The Orpheum Theatre was built in 1929, or I should say completed. Like many large structures it takes some time to build them, in this case about two years. The original style of the theatre was for Vaudeville acts and it was built with the common Spanish architectural style that much of Southern and Central Arizona are famous for.

The theatre was renamed several times as new owners took possession of it over the years. After some years the building was falling apart and in need of repair. It was purchased in 1984 Continue reading →

Haunted Places: Casey Moore’s Oyster House

Hello Everyone,

Thanks again for reading and staying up today on the interesting haunted places in Arizona that you should, no must, visit. Or at least try. This week we venture back around Phoenix to the city known as Tempe. Here resides Casey Moore’s Oyster House. And know I feel like visiting an Irish Pub.

Casey Moore’s Oyster House:

Established in 1910 the house was a residency to a couple who lived and died there. They had ties with the early developments of Tempe and connections through-out the city as it grew and prospered.

After their deaths the house was still used as a residency in some form. Rumors came about that it was in fact used for a boarding house for ASU students at the time or perhaps another form of boarding. Other rumors state that is was used for a bordello and perhaps that’s where some of the Continue reading →