October 24, 2015 · 10:52 pm

KILLIAN HEYLIGER’S PORTRAIT

Another neglected American horror legend from Balladeer’s Blog to help celebrate Halloween Month.

KILLIAN HEYLIGER’S PORTRAIT

1600s inBack when New York was still New Amsterdam Killian Heyliger was a vicious figure whose wealth protected him from the consequences of his actions. Today he would be considered a serial killer but back then with law enforcement technology in such a primitive state Heyliger had no problem getting rid of all traces of his victims.

Heyliger had financed an inn as an investment and lorded it over the establishment no matter what the actual management felt about it. Killian took any woman he wanted from the staff and befriended any men he wanted from the guests and would party and gamble with them all night in his private suites upstairs.  Continue reading →

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October 24, 2015 · 4:02 pm

MWINDO: EPIC MYTH OF AFRICA PART TEN

Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of this epic myth of the Nyanga people.

PART TEN

banana treeMwindo, having survived the initial gauntlet of traps from Muisa, the god of the dead, spent the night with Kahindo, the goddess of good fortune, in her hut. 

Come morning in the land of the dead Mwindo reported to Muisa. As the death-god had threatened the previous evening, he had a task to assign the semidivine Mwindo. If the hero succeeded at the task Muisa would tell him where he could find his evil father Shemwindo. If he failed he would be slain by Muisa and never leave the land of the dead.

Muisa commanded Mwindo to plant banana trees there in the land of the dead and cause them to grow and produce bananas despite the fact that no fruit had ever grown in that lifeless realm.

Given the amount of time it would take to plant acres of banana trees let alone for them to try to grow Muisa figured that even if Mwindo’s magic was strong enough to accomplish the miraculous deed it would keep him occupied for months.   Continue reading →

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October 23, 2015 · 10:40 pm

HUGUES THE WEREWOLF (1838): GOTHIC HORROR

If you love Gothic Horror be sure to check out my October 1st review of the obscure Gothic novella Isabella of Egypt (1812)

HUGUES THE WEREWOLF (1838)

Hugues the WerewolfHugues the Wer-Wolf to give it its original spelling, is a very enjoyable 1800s horror story written by Sutherland Menzies. The Wulfric family are from old Norman stock and live between Ashford and Canterbury.

The Wulfrics are largely shunned because of the belief that for several generations lycanthropy has run through their family. Since this is a horror story we know it’s the truth and that the Wulfric werewolves are responsible for bloody deaths of livestock and human beings as well as the digging up of freshly buried corpses when other game is scarce.   Continue reading →

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October 23, 2015 · 3:52 pm

NOTE TO MUSLIM APOLOGISTS ON BURKAS AND NIQABS

burqa 2Spineless hypocrites often try to defend the way Muslim men force Muslim women to dress in demeaning body bags. Those hypocrites even try to pretend that Muslim women are “happy to be wearing them.”

THAT PUTS THOSE HYPOCRITES IN THE SAME HISTORICAL CATEGORY AS DEFENDERS OF SLAVERY IN THE 1800’s WHO USED TO INSIST THAT AFRICAN- AMERICANS WERE HAPPY TO BE SLAVES, OTHERWISE WHY WOULD THEY BE SINGING IN THE COTTON FIELDS.

Until such time as ALL Muslim women can make their own CHOICE on the matter it is irrelevant how many Muslim “Stepford Wives” come forward to pretend they wear those outfits willingly.

I’m not just pro-choice on abortion – I’m pro-choice on the clothing issue, too. Continue reading →

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October 22, 2015 · 11:43 pm

THE DARK WOODSMAN

Another neglected American horror legend from Balladeer’s Blog to help celebrate Halloween Month.

THE DARK WOODSMAN

Dark ForestAround two hundred years ago in the forest outside Brighton, MA stalked the Dark Woodsman. Big and brawny and garbed in the clothing of the era, he was a supernatural figure condemned by Heaven to labor eternally at the cutting down of the seemingly endless woodland of New England. Alone the damned figure would chop down a tree per night, carry it off to some hidden woodmill then whittle and craft the timber.  

All implements made from the trees of the Dark Woodsman were used for evil. From his wood slave ships were made, spears and arrows for Native American tribes at war were crafted, clubs for bludgeoning victims were fashioned and devices for every other possible evil came from the vile figure’s workshop.  Continue reading →

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October 22, 2015 · 8:38 pm

MWINDO: EPIC MYTH OF AFRICA PART NINE

Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of this epic myth of the Nyanga people.

PART NINE

Kahindo

Kahindo

Mwindo prepared to pursue his cowardly father Shemwindo into the land of the dead ruled by the god Muisa. The semidivine hero’s Aunt Iyangura was frightened for Mwindo’s safety but he assured her he could take care of himself in the land of the dead.

To further comfort his aunt he pulled the rope from his pouch of magical implements and tore it into two pieces. He gave one piece to Iyangura and he kept the other on his person. Mwindo told Iyangura that her end of the rope would act as a life token so she would know he was still alive.

(Life tokens such as this have been covered previously at Balladeer’s Blog in Vietnamese, Malagasy and Philippine myths. They were usually a plant of some sort which would reflect the physical state of the myth’s hero on their travels. As long as the plant was alive then his loved ones would know the hero was still alive as well.) Continue reading →

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October 21, 2015 · 11:09 pm

DEATH SPA (1989) AND KILLER WORKOUT (1987)

Death SpaAs Halloween month continues here at Balladeer’s Blog how about we review a couple of “exercises in horror” (Thank you, I’m here all week!) in the form of Death Spa (1989) and Killer Workout aka Aerobicide (1987). 

DEATH SPA (1989) – Originally begun in 1986 but not completed and released until 1989, Death Spa is my favorite of the two Health Spa horror films of the 1980s. Part of the fun comes from the kitsch casting:

Merritt “Captain Kirk’s Son” Butrick plays David, a man whose sister Catherine killed herself under suspicious circumstances, causing him to blame his promiscuous brother-in law for her death.  

Ken Foree, the cult horror figure, is wasted as a maintenance man whose role is virtually non-existent yet this lame flick gets shown at Ken Foree film festivals. Go figure. Continue reading →

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October 21, 2015 · 3:39 pm

OBAMA STILL OKAY WITH MUSLIM MEN RAPING LITTLE BOYS

OBAMA: Yes, that Muslim man is definitely raping that little boy. By the way I believe the Muslim world has moral superiority to the Western World."

OBAMA: Yes, that Muslim man is definitely raping that little boy. By the way I believe the Muslim World has moral superiority to the Western World.”

Just because I’m not a Conservative I don’t want anyone to EVER think I’m an American Liberal. American Liberals are the most cowardly hypocrites and the most mindless and unquestioning political robots in the world.

Barack Obama – like most American Liberals – is still a-okay with Muslim men raping little boys in Afghanistan and his policy is that U.S. soldiers will face disciplinary action if they try to intervene to save the screaming child victims … even if the rapes take place on military bases. Islam uber alles!

Islam being the most backward and savage religion in the world at this particular point in history the practice of men raping boys is part of their “culture” and even goes by the name “bacha bazi.” Bacha bazi means “boy play” or “boy rape” or “Sorry, kid, we’d love to help you but it’s Obama’s orders.” Continue reading →

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October 20, 2015 · 8:26 pm

THE DEAD DANCE BY MOONLIGHT

Another neglected American horror legend from Balladeer’s Blog to help celebrate Halloween Month.  

THE DEAD DANCE BY MOONLIGHT

Dead Dance by MoonlightManetti was the violinist’s last name. His first name has been lost to history. He was making a name for himself throughout New England when twin milestones occurred which prevented him from earning the full musical fame he longed for.

Those twin milestones happened in 1775 and they were:

On the personal level, Manetti was diagnosed with consumption (tuberculosis) and on the national level, the Revolutionary War broke out. Due to his medical condition the thirtyish violinist was not looked down upon for refraining from military service. However, none of the New England towns had funds to spare for the type of symphonies or opera houses Manetti had envisioned for the area.  Continue reading →

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October 20, 2015 · 5:31 pm

COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS: NAIA

Lindsey_Wilson_KYNAIA – 1. LINDSEY WILSON COLLEGE BLUE RAIDERS     ###      2. MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE MUSTANGS     ###      3. SOUTHERN OREGON UNIVERSITY RAIDERS (Defending Champions)     ###      4. GRAND VIEW UNIVERSITY VIKINGS     ###      5. BAKER UNIVERSITY WILDCATS     ###       Continue reading →

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