Urban Fantasy

urban fantasy - /ˈərbən/ /ˈfan(t)əsē/ - a type of fantasy fiction, often seen as a subgenre of fantasy, in which the narrative has magical rules or elements operating in an urban setting Become a Patron!

[urbanfantasypodcast]

This is an original video I put together on Flight 19 and the Bermuda Triangle for my argumentative writing class that I hope you all enjoy! Let me know if you’d like to see the paper I wrote to go with it and all credits are posted at the end of the video or within the slides.

[corvidaedream]

i love the idea of ghosts not being dead people but just places where time is kind of thin

like one of my friends & his girlfriend have a ghost in their very old new england house that's apparently an old timey little boy who does shit like jump on the bed and slam doors but if they tell him very sternly "daniel, stop that" the activity stops immediately

and i love the idea that years ago theres this rowdy little 19th century boy just being alive and playing in his room but if he gets too loud sometimes, the ghostly form of my 21st century friend shows up and is like "Hey! Cut it out." and then vanishes and no one believes this child

[urbanfantasypodcast]

This is actually one of the more popular theories when it comes to ghosts and explaining why, when ghost hunting, most ghosts seen are those of the far past! 

So, I don’t have time to get into the nitty gritty details of how “time is happening all at once” and everything else that makes our brains hurt, but it’s been proven that time is, at the core, a human concept. (If you’d like to get into it, you can check out the Wiki Link here for a good start: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternalism_(philosophy_of_time).)

How this relates to ghost hunting, however, goes by a few different names. In the sci-fi/urban fantasy genres it’s typically called “time slips.” This is where people travel backwards or forwards in time through unknown means - meaning the author wanted to focus on the plot rather than the science at times. Despite the fact it originated in writing, it’s a good term to explain what’s happening in relevance to ghost hunting. 

There’s some great reading you can do here - https://mjwayland.com/time-slips/ - to read more about the subject rather than this short reblog I’m doing, but at it’s basics some believe that “ghosts” aren’t the impressions of people long since dead, but fractures of history where we see the “ghost” as they were in their everyday life. It’s like a mirror connecting and reflecting two different points in time. 

[urbanfantasypodcast]

Welcome to the first official episode of the Urban Fantasy podcast - a podcast that’s all about the supernatural in today’s world. Listen to today’s episode to learn about the history of superstitions such as where they come from, how we feel about them today, and why we still BELIEVE in them today. Also check out the links down below to follow along to new episodes and support the growing show. We can be found on:

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/urbanfantasy  Wordpress - http://urbanfantasypodcast.wordpress.com/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/Urban_Fantasies  Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvnq9j7hwv6jcFmbiY8CX0w

Todays Song Credits

"Farm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Music from https://filmmusic.io "Heartbreaking" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

 Today’s Sources (In Order of Appearance)

(1) http://theconversation.com/the-science-of-superstition-and-why-people-believe-in-the-unbelievable-97043 (2) https://ed.ted.com/lessons/where-do-superstitions-come-from-stuart-vyse (3) http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-09/06/content_358428.htm (4) https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/features/psychology-of-superstition

[urbanfantasypodcast]

Have you ever wondered why thirteen is such an unlucky number?

On Friday the thirteenth wedding dates will avoid the day, business deals will be put off, some people will call in sick to work, and hotels will refuse to label rooms and floors with the number thirteen to avoid the bad luck associated with it. There’s even a word - triskaidekaphobia - for people who are afraid of the number thirteen! But why is thirteen so unlucky?

Well… we don’t really know.

Most people will cite Christian origins for the belief and point to the Last Supper where thirteen dined together - it even became a popular belief! “If thirteen dine together the first to rise will be the first to die.” If it sounds familiar, you might recognize it from the third Harry Potter book when Trelawney ate with them for Christmas dinner in the castle.

The fact of the matter, however, is that no one knows for sure where the fear came from.

The first recorded fear of the number thirteen came from the  Babylonian Code of Hammurabi (circa 1780 BC), where the thirteenth law is said to be omitted. This wasn’t actually the case as it was a clerical error made by an early translator who failed to include a line of text. (In fact, the Code doesn’t numerically list its laws at all.) 

The truth is that it’s mostly Western countries that fear the bad luck number 13 can bring - and for no good reason. There have been myths and rumors, of course, but there’s never been any defined myth as to why the number thirteen was so unlucky. 

In Italy, for example, the number 13 is found to be lucky! And in China and much of Asia the number 4 is found to be the unlucky number (do to the Chinese languages word for 4 sounding much like the word for death, as some of you might have learned from the show Fresh Off the Boat). 

In the end, it differs by culture, but in today’s modern Western culture thanks to books, movies, and so much more, it’s likely we’ll be afraid of the number 13 for a while longer!

[the-memedaddy]

meirl

[urbanfantasypodcast]

Actually, there are some theories about this! The leading theory by ghost hunters (I know, it sounds cheesy but bare with me, here!) is that when a ghost first ‘appears’ there is very little ‘energy’ to the ghost that exists there. It takes time to build up energy to where the ghost can interact with us. To put it simply, the ghost starts off on a different wavelength from us, and it takes time for them to find our wavelength. 

Another theory has to do with the fact that ghosts inhabit buildings and places of tragedy or horror. We’re more likely to see places like that in old, preserved buildings rather than in a house that was torn down and replaced by a parking lot. 

My favorite theory, personally, is that ghosts only linger when there are strong, violent emotions at the time of their death. While there are plenty of horrors in today’s world, there were far more horrifying things happening in the early days of our countries - especially in the U.S. We’re more likely to discover the ghost of a woman from colonials times who was tortured, raped, and killed than we are in today’s modern times. 

Overall, there’s plenty of reasons why we don’t hear or see any of the more ‘modern’ ghosts, but, honestly? I would love to hear a ghost screaming old memes at ghost hunters. 

[urbanfantasypodcast]

Have you ever wondered why horseshoes are so lucky? Well, the truth behind the myth depends on which culture you ask! 

In the Western World this myth really started due to Saint Dunstan, who worked as a blacksmith before he became an Archbishop. One day a man came into his shop and asked for horseshoes for himself, and Dunstan, after seeing the man’s cloven hooves, realized it was the devil asking. Dunstan, in a move befitting a future Archbishop, remained calm and nailed the horseshoes into the soft part of the hoof. It is said he caused the Devil so much pain that he agreed to never go near a horseshoe again if Dunstan would take it out. 

Horseshoes are also seen not quite so much as lucky, however, but as a ward against bad luck and evil, and this is because many of them were made of iron! Iron is a repellent against fae who were more than happy to cause trouble to anyone who they thought deserved it. They could be made lucky, however, by being nailed with seven nails - seven being a lucky number. 

In Hindu culture, which pre-dates Christianity, the horseshoe, open end down, represents the sacred temple, or womb, of the goddess Shakti, representing the creation of all of life. 

To pagans the horseshoe can represent the crescent moon and the moon goddesses Artemis and Diana. 

In Arabic countries the horseshoe is incorporated into amulets that protect against the Evil Eye. 

It’s only been in somewhat recent years in the US and UK that horseshoes have come to represent good luck over the warding off of evil. They’re typically hung open end towards the top to prevent the good luck from falling out (although it is said that you should tilt them down just enough so mischievous fae don’t use them as resting spots as they’re no longer made of iron). 

In many places in the rest of the world, however, it’s hung the opposite way to mirror the image of the sacred womb (or to allow luck to pour onto those entering the home). There’s also precedence to nail a horseshoe to the mast of a ship so that it can avoid storms! 

No matter the place in the world, it’s unanimous that the horseshoe means good things, whether that be good luck or even protection.

~

Did you enjoy learning about today’s superstition? You can learn even more about superstitions and why some died and some survived on Jan 18th’s episode!

[urbanfantasypodcast]

Did you know there's a superstition that was common in “medieval” times that involves wrapping a newborn child up until their baptism in their mother's clothes? This was so the baby would be seen as an extension of the mother and, thus, protected from fairies so the baby wouldn’t be replaced! 

You can learn more about superstitions and why some died and some survived on Jan 18th's episode!

[urbanfantasypodcast]

Welcome to the first episode of the brand new Urban Fantasy podcast - a podcast all about the supernatural in today’s world. Listen to the pilot and discover just what this series is going to be all about and, if you have the time, check out the links down below to follow along to new episodes and support the growing show. We can be found on:

Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/urbanfantasy  Tumblr - https://urbanfantasypodcast.tumblr.com/  Wordpress - http://urbanfantasypodcast.wordpress.com/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/Urban_Fantasies  Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvnq9j7hwv6jcFmbiY8CX0w

Todays Credits: 

"Farm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

[urbanfantasypodcast]

Haunted Histories: Waverly Hills Sanatorium

             [Cross posted on Urban Fantasy Blogging at Wordpress.]

Welcome to Urban Fantasy, a blog filled with content on haunted locations, urban legends, and cryptid histories. This is our first post on Haunted Histories and first up is the Waverly Hills Sanitorium in Louisville, Kentucky (my birth state)! For those who have no idea what a sanitorium is or why this location is on the list, let’s start with a rough overview.

A sanitorium is, typically, a place for people with a long-term or chronic illness. Waverly Hills in particular took care of those who were considered to be infected with a ‘plague’ in the time it served as a sanitorium, which was roughly 1926 to 1961. This building saw thousands of deaths, and not many of them were peaceful. First, though, let’s take a step back and talk about the plague that Waverly Hills dealt with.

When we talk about plagues that have wiped out millions of people, our thoughts tend to land on “the Black Plague,” but many would be surprised to know there’s a plague far more deadly. It’s been called “the plague of all plagues,” the “White Death,” and many more, but most tend to know it as tuberculous, or, TB.

First, what is TB? Tuberculosis is a dangerous infection that infects the lungs and, essentially, destroys them. Simply put, “Tuberculosis (TB) bacteria are breathed in through the nose and mouth and can enter the lung [and] Tuberculosis is spread through droplets put in the air by infected people who do not cover their mouths and noses when they cough” (1).

This isn’t just a disease that only affects certain parts of the world, either. “Tuberculosis (TB) is a global disease, found in every country in the world. It is the leading infectious cause of death worldwide” (2). While the disease was far more deadly back in the days when Waverly Hill was open, it’s still a deadly force, even today.

Dr Mario Raviglione, the WHO's tuberculosis director, said, "Tuberculosis and HIV are now competing to be the number one cause of death from infectious disease in the world. … Tuberculosis now ranks alongside HIV” (3). This is a terrifying disease that still plagues us and can lead to a gruesome end - which is where the haunted part of this history comes into play.

Waverly Hills Sanitorium was built in Louisville, Kentucky, and in 1900, “Louisville, Kentucky had the highest tuberculosis death rate in the country. This was due to the fact Louisville is such a low valley area and before development, was basically all swampland and perfect breeding ground for the Tuberculosis bacteria” (4).

As someone who lived in this state for 22 years, I can promise that’s not an exaggeration, either. The Ohio River and warm, muggy valleys and swamplands played as the perfect breeding ground for this plague, infecting thousands of people in its time. Being an airborne disease, there was little that could be done to stop such a rapid spread, especially when this was before the cure had even been found. It was a deadly, terrifying disease, and to put it into proper perspective, “[b]y the dawn of the 19th century, tuberculosis—or consumption—had killed one in seven of all people that had ever lived” (5)

It’s been said that tens of thousands died at Waverly during the height of the epidemic, but this is more of a lie than a myth. Overall it was estimated that over 8,000 people died on Waverly’s property, including worker suicides (6).

This also includes patients who underwent surgeries such as deflating a lung and removing ribs to give the lungs “more room to breathe” all without anesthetics (6) to those from when Waverly Hills was turned into a geriatric care center in 1962 that performed horrific experiments on the patients for non-existent conditions (7).

Now you’re starting to see where the haunted comes into play. Waverly Hills has seen more death and torture in its walls than can be fathomed. Suicides by depressed workers who could no longer handle the countless deaths, soldiers from World War II who were infected with illnesses that could not be fought, patients with TB who had no cure besides “fresh air and sunlight” and often died on the hour every hour, and elderly patients who were rumored to undergo torturous procedures such as shock therapy, lobotomies, and many others “treatments” all met their end in this building.

Haunted happenings have ranged from hearing voices telling people to get out to the smell of baking bread in the kitchens, to the sound of children laughing, to the sights of gathered shadow people. Yes, countless children died within the halls of Waverly Hills, as well.

A small part of the reason this Sanitorium saw so much death was that it functioned much like a miniature city. It was originally purchased by Major Thomas H. Hays in 1883 and was used as a home and school for his daughters before the city purchased the building and land to use due to the rapid increase in TB patients (8). As such, the land already had its own farm that was converted for patient use, but as patients increased, so did the need for more amenities.

“Waverly Hills had it’s own post office, water treatment facility, grew it’s own fruits and vegetables, raised it’s own meat for slaughter and maintained many of the other necessities of everyday life. Everyone at Waverly – patients, nurses, doctors and other employees had to say ‘goodbye’ to everything they knew on the outside world. Once you went to Waverly Hills, you became a permanent resident “on the hill” (9).

This was a horrifying reality, and “In 1916 a pavilion for children was opened at Waverly Hills. A schoolroom in one end of this building accommodating approximately 40 children, furnished with necessary equipment…” (10).

For many, many people, Waverly Hills was the last place they ever saw, and it was filled with death, decay, and the knowledge that they would likely never leave. It’s hardly any wonder the building is haunted to this day; especially in the area known as the Death Tunnel or “the Body Chute.”

This underground tunnel runs from the front entrance of the main building to the bottom of the hill and was originally over 500 feet long. It was used as a heating duct, originally, and to climb the hill safely in the winter, but during the TB years it was used to transport the dead so they wouldn’t be seen by any other patients in an effort to bolster morale. This means this tunnel saw thousands of dead bodies, many of them only deceased for a few hours or less by the time their body made the trip. Countless people today have said that the tunnel is “haunted by those who made their last journey through it” (11). It was to the point that a movie was named after it, Death Tunnel (2005), and filmed at Waverly Hills.

Interestingly enough, the reason the haunted hospital is so run down and broken is due to one of its last owners, a man who wanted the building condemned so he could build the world’s largest statue of Jesus Christ (that’s Kentucky for you). “He let vandals come into the building and tear it up. After breaking windows, porcelain sinks, toilets and doors, they began spraying graffiti on every available wall. The owner then dug around the foundation, in some places as deep as 30 feet, to try and make the foundation crack” (4). Needless to say, the man failed in his endeavor.

In 2001 Waverly Hills was sold to the current owners, Tina and Charlie Mattingly, who are paranormal enthusiasts and offer tours around Waverly Hills, all proceeds going to fix the building up and restore it.

As you’ve read, Waverly Hills Sanitorium was a place filled with tragic death and loss, but it’s important to keep in mind that it was also a place of healing and hope! This building was originally made to help people heal, and they did their best for the time period they were in. The building stands vacant, now, but, well… There are different meanings to the term vacant.

If you get a chance, I highly recommend exploring the building and trying your own look in spotting any who might be left behind. It’s not uncommon to hear children playing or to see nurses and doctors still making their rounds and checking on patients.

Just be careful of the underground tunnel that travels down the hill. There’s more than one place for a tunnel to let out, after all.

Did you enjoy this post and learning about Waverly Hills? Considering dropping a few dollars into my tip jar at https://ko-fi.com/mjanderson or pledging monthly to my Patreon where you can gain access to posts in progress, exclusive content you won’t see anywhere else, and so much more, all at https://patreon.com/mjanderson!

For even more reading about the Waverly Hills Sanatorium, check out the work done by the Buzzfeed Unsolved team in their own exploration of the building: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXhLlWQtdt0

https://www.buzzfeed.com/unsolvednotes/notes-for-unsolved-waverly-hills-sanatorium

Sources in Order of Appearance

[1]https://books.google.com/books?id=5mCn7y_B16sC&pg=PA88&dq=what+did+tuberculosis+do+to+the+body

[2]https://www.tballiance.org/why-new-tb-drugs/global-pandemic

[3]https://www.bbc.com/news/health-34658015

[4]http://arch.thomas-industriesinc.com/Bldg_WaverlyHills.htm

[5]https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/plague-gallery/

[6]https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/kentucky/waverly-hills-sanatorium-ky/

[7]https://www.historicmysteries.com/waverly-hills-sanatorium/

[8]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waverly_Hills_Sanatorium

[9]https://www.therealwaverlyhills.com/about

[10]http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~waverlymemorial/history/newspapers/waverly_herald/History_wh/history_p12.jpg

[11]http://mentalfloss.com/article/17263/haunted-hospital

[Some Photos]http://www.lovethesepics.com/2013/10/waverly-hills-sanatorium-1-of-the-scariest-abandoned-hospitals-in-america/