Starfish anatomy and regenerative abilities, body swap comedy genre and Anthony Trollope's alleged death from laughter, correlation between horror movies and blood thickness, regulations on naming champagne, hidden figure behind a wall believed to be an angel, anti-Catholic propaganda pamphlet and allegorical images, historical paper on anal fistula and Edward the Seven's whisper, surprising otter attack on a woman
Animal attacks can happen unexpectedly and in a variety of circumstances.
The belief in drinking the blood of criminals to cure epilepsy has a long historical background.
Hoaxes like the one involving the 'speaking building' were used as propaganda tools to rally support against specific individuals or groups.
Deep dives
Snake and hawk attack woman in bizarre incident
A woman named Peggy Jones in Texas was attacked twice in a bizarre incident. First, a five-foot-long snake fell from the sky and wrapped itself around her arm. Immediately after, a hawk swooped down and began attacking her to retrieve the snake. Both the hawk and the snake inflicted multiple injuries on her, causing deep cuts and chipping her glasses. Her husband came to her rescue riding on his lawnmower. This incident is reminiscent of a minor celebrity story from two years ago when Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was temporarily barricaded in his home due to a hawk eating a snake outside his front door.
Animal attacks are more common than expected
Animal attacks are more frequent than one might think. Stories of animal attacks, ranging from an Australian farmer biting a crocodile to repel it, to an elk trampling a woman to death in Arizona, can be found in the news almost daily. Otters, typically seen as cute and harmless, have also been known to attack. For example, Leah Hillier experienced an otter attack while swimming in a remote lake in Minnesota. These incidents serve as a reminder that the animal world can be unexpectedly dangerous.
Surprising stories of animal attacks
Animal attacks can occur in astonishing and unexpected ways. For example, a Texas woman named Peggy Jones was attacked twice in a peculiar incident. First, a snake fell from the sky, wrapping around her arm. Then, a hawk attacked her to retrieve the snake. This incident is reminiscent of a similar story involving Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, who was temporarily barricaded in his home as a hawk ate a snake outside his front door. These incidents serve as reminders that animal attacks can happen unexpectedly and in a variety of circumstances.
Drinking Blood for Medicinal Purposes
Throughout history, people have believed that drinking the blood of criminals could cure epilepsy. This belief dates back to ancient Rome, where individuals would consume the blood of beheaded criminals or vanquished gladiators. Even in the 19th century, epileptics would wait at the executioners' block in Alaska, hoping to drink the flowing blood. The medical belief was that the blood of criminals possessed a curative effect for epilepsy, which conveniently aligned with the availability of executioners' blood.
The Angel in the Wall Hoax
In 1554, thousands of people in London fell for a hoax where they believed an angel behind a wall was speaking ill of Queen Mary. It was an attempt by anti-Catholic dissidents to rally support against the queen's marriage to Philip II of Spain. The woman behind the hoax, Elizabeth Crofts, was hidden within a facade wall and would whistle and speak anti-Catholic propaganda. When authorities eventually knocked down the wall, they revealed that it was Elizabeth herself causing the commotion. Despite her involvement, she was later released, and little is known of her before or after the event.