A SOUTHERN HAUNTING: True Hauntings of the South

There are a million reasons why someone might want to come to the south and a million things to do, see and experience while you are here. There are beautiful cities, rich, wonderful foods and historical buildings and sites that mark major turning points in the history of the United States, but NOTHING seems quite as intriguing as the South’s deep rooted love and connection with… ghost stories.

I have been asked dozens of questions about living in the south from the far-fetched (Do you have indoor plumbing?) To the truly absurd (Do you fry everything you eat?) In case you are curious, I do have indoor plumbing and don’t actually know anyone who still uses an outhouse. I don’t fry everything I cook, but if I could, I just might! The one question I have never been asked is, ‘Are there really that many haunted houses in the south?’ My answer to this would be a resounding… YES!!!

For the next several months I will be tackling as many of the local haunts as I can and delving deeply into their past to see just what we can uncover. For some of my visits I will be interviewing owners, curators and even those who believe they have seen a ghost in these famous or not so famous haunted places. I will also be sneaking out and trying to get a glimpse of these spectral beings and the properties they haunt and even snapping a photo or two to get you, the reader, a little closer to the south; a little closer to the place I call home.

I set out to find as many haunted houses or buildings as I could and then narrowed it down to the ones with documented sightings. These included any photos of full bodied apparitions or unexplained orbs, any EVP’s that were taken with clear disembodied voices and of course, any homes or buildings that are on the National Historic Registry and are open at any time for tours based on their individual hauntings. What I found was mind blowing. In Columbus, Mississippi (the town where I was raised) there are five documented cases of hauntings within private residents and ALL are available for tours in the early spring months and are registered as landmarks. My whole life I knew of only one, Waverly Mansion, and now I find four more have been there all along just under my nose.

I could write for days and never come close to a complete listing of every haunt that I was able to find just in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia & Louisiana! So, I have decided to find the ones that I hold particularly near and dear in my heart and share them with you.

Just down the road from my current home in Alabama is a very famous haunt that boasts an extremely interesting story to go along with its very long history.

Pickens County courthouse is located in Carrolton, Alabama in Courthouse Square. Easily one of the more famous haunted buildings from this area, the courthouse has seen its share of Ghost Hunters and ghost investigations. With a little digging on the Internet you can come across a ton of information as well as some pretty incredible EVP’s (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) that are available from the investigations that took place there.

The Pickens County Courthouse has a long history dating back to the early 1800’s, but it would be November 16, 1876 that would change the town and add a harrowing twist to the courthouse’s history. It was on this date that the Courthouse burned to the ground for the second time. The first burning had come at the hands of Union Army soldiers during the chaos of the American Civil War. Carrolton Courthouse was the pride of Pickens County during those years mostly because it had been rebuilt during the Reconstruction Era, a time when money and resources were scarce for all Americans. The locals became so outraged at the second burning of their beloved courthouse that they set out for some swift justice of their own. Although nothing was ever proven, the local people believed that a hooligan by the name of Henry Wells was the perpetrator of the heinous crime.

Henry Wells was never given the opportunity to plead his case in court… his would be a much more malevolent and infamous type of justice. As a black man during a very tumultuous time in our nation’s history, a time when racism was rampant, Henry Wells quickly became an easy target. He was accused of burning down the courthouse and was arrested two years later in 1878 and charged with arson, burglary, carrying a concealed weapon and assault with intent to murder. He was whisked away and taken to the brand new jailhouse located inside the newly re-constructed courthouse. When word of his whereabouts spread, an angry mob was assembled and made their way to the courthouse.

As the mob assembled at the base of the courthouse steps, Wells became afraid and (as the story goes) it was then that he began to shout: “I am innocent. If you kill me, I’m going to haunt you for the rest of your lives.” Just as they were about to break through the doors and drag Wells from the courthouse, lightning struck and Wells was killed instantly. What remained behind was a permanent imprint of Wells face etched into the windowpane in the room where he stood as he died that night.

No one in the town noticed the window until daylight broke and it was then, while walking past the courthouse steps, that locals looked up and saw the haunting image of Henry Wells looking down over Carrolton, Alabama.

That same piece of glass is still in the window to this day and no amount of washing, scraping or the passage of time can remove the stain.

If you go to the courthouse in Carrolton you will find an old historical marker which reads:

If you walk just a few yards from that sign you will find a magnifying viewer that points to a lone window on the courthouse and for twenty-five cents, you can get a close up look into the face of Henry Wells.

Just remember, if you are ever in these neck of the woods, be sure to bring your camera and maybe, just maybe you might get a glimpse of this Sothern Ghost.

By: CK Webb

Magic, Monsters & Mythical Creatures: WIZARDS

We have talked of witches, dragons, Leviathan and the Basilisk, but this series would be incomplete if we did not delve into the mystery of…

 

WIZARDS

In the beginning of the days when magic took the forefront of the human psyche, there were two types of common spell casters. There were priests, who gained their powers from their deity or gods, and there were sorcerers, who worked their magic without any divine assistance, using sheer talent alone. Wizards, who required neither divine assistance nor talent, but seemed to be born with their powers, came later on.

The origins of a wizard’s talents are not clear, but every culture has its own explanations which add to the ever growing legend. The most popular explanation is that the person in question has either a deity or a demon in their family bloodline. Some cultures think the talent comes from having draconic blood, while others believe that sorcerers are the descendants of great heroes who took their magic from other races, typically dwarfs, either by force or with trickery. There are even some cultures who believe that wizards are given their power as a sign of favor from one of the elemental lords.

The origins of wizardry itself are a bit more solid and can be traced back to ancient cities where the Gilded League now holds sway. It is there that the first wizards began to study the magical arts and learn to cast, rather than simply wield the power they had. Nobody is quite certain who the first wizard was or how he learned his craft, but some legends tells us he learned by sneaking into a god's workshop and spying on him as he practiced his powerful spells. The legend tells us the wizard sought to learn the secret to working magic the way the gods did without being dependent on a talent as the sorcerers were. Dwarfs and elves however, claim a different origin for their wizards. The dwarfs claim wizardry developed as a natural extension of their skills as craftsmen, while elves claim their wizards were taught by gods.

The first recorded wizards appeared thousands of years ago in prosperous cities. Theirs was an art involving conjuring and summonings that had been adapted from the rites of evil clerics. They called on demons, devils, and other hideous beings and then made dark pacts with them in their search for knowledge and power. Death and madness were the ultimate risks for wizards and all those who kept company with them. More often than not, the biggest danger that wizards faced came from their fellow wizards who were always seeking to further their craft. Defeating another wizard and stealing his knowledge was the easiest way to learn and far less dangerous than dealing with the foul creatures that bubbled up from the belly of Hell itself.

As a result, magic became a secretive profession with all knowledge jealously guarded and only taught to the rare apprentice. Though a few were rich men who paid exorbitant sums for a chance at great power, all too often such apprentices were only clever youths taught just enough to be of use in the lab who supplemented that education with whatever scraps of knowledge they could filch on their own. The latter were often never intended to be anything other than menial helpers and only managed to learn enough to become a wizard in their own right. Because of this, most wizards were only half trained and possessed incomplete knowledge with the predictable dangers associated with it.

Even with such terrible risks and such jealously guarded knowledge, wizardry spread. Every culture has people who will do anything for power and they sought out wizards for training. Thus, over the centuries and millennium, the wizard's art spread throughout the world.

Merlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the legends of Arthur. The character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written in 1136. The writer claims to have gleaned all his information from historical documents and scrolls that track the life of this mysterious and well known wizard. The stories of Merlin have survived decades of time and each new generation places its’ own unique spin on the ages old tale. The newest Arthurian tale with a Merlin twist is HBO’s original series, Camelot. In it we see a more conniving, plotting Merlin who is actually afraid to use his powers because he cannot control them. When he does use them, they suck the very life from his body.

Another wizard that is famous from the literary world is Gandalf. He first appeared in 1937 in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Gandalf was first introduced as Gandalf The Grey and reintroduced later as Gandalf The White when he was brought back from the abyss of death. Other Tolkien books featured this well-known wizard and followed the hobbit’s journey into the very fires of Mordor. The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King all carried Gandalf as a central character. The books were later adapted to film and directed by Peter Jackson in 2001. Receiving 13 Academy nominations, The Fellowship of the Ring took home four Academy Awards and is, to this day, the 19th highest grossing film of all time. The Two Towers and The Return of the King would also be adapted to film and become classics from our time and see their fair share of Academy nominations and wins. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is the highest grossing film trilogy of all time and brought in a whopping $2.91 billion dollars worldwide.

I would step on a few toes if I failed to mention some more famous wizards from our time… The wizards of The Harry Potter series. In the series written by J.K. Rowling, we meet Harry Potter, an ordinary boy with extraordinary powers. As the series progresses, we watch Harry hone his skills as a wizard. In the meantime, we are introduced to a whole cast of wizards including Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape. Though the series is considered a young adult series, there are some extremely dark elements to the book and some of the wizards within its pages. As the series progresses, it becomes more and more harrowing as wizards began to kill other wizards in an attempt to be more powerful.

Through books and film we have discovered magic, monsters and mythical creatures. Though many of these things are fiction they still hold a very real place in our hearts and minds. They allow us to see possibilities we could not see before and they allow us to dream. We can dive into a fictional world filled with wizards, witches, dragons, Leviathan and the Basilisk and we can, for a short while, believe. Though these magical, mythical beings may not exist in our world, there is a wonderful place where we can go to find them all. It is a world filled with pages from great writers and the stories they have told, with films that we have fallen in love with, and full of dreams that can only exist in the most magical of places…

It is our imagination, and with it there are no boundaries and magic IS real.

CK Webb 

Magic, Monsters and Mythical Creatures

The Basilisk and Leviathan

Sometimes magic, monsters and myth collide. The end result is something far more elusive and harrowing than we care to believe. Whether they are fiction or real, the Basilisk and Leviathan are creatures that will not be denied their rightful place in our worlds. Ever present not only in literature, but in film as well, they have woven themselves into the very fabric of some cultures and are truly the stuff that nightmares are made of. Though similar in some ways, their traits vary considerably and give each creature its own unique flair and its very own killing style.

In some European legends, a Basilisk is a legendary reptile reputed to be king of serpents due to the crown-shaped crest upon its head. Alleged to be hatched by a cockerel from the egg of a serpent or toad, the Basilisk is rumored to cause death to anyone who locks eyes with the beast. One of the earliest accounts of the Basilisk comes from Pliny the Elder's Natural History, written in 79 AD. In it, he describes a monstrous, cow-like creature of which "all who behold its eyes fall dead upon the spot”. It is also believed that the venom of the Basilisk is so destructive that the creature leaves behind a burnt and scorched earth as it slithers across the landscape.

Many writers have been seduced by this legendary monster and brought forth their own ideas and slight variations of the beast. Geoffrey Chaucer featured a ‘Basilicok’ in his famous Canterbury Tales. He made use of the legend which states that basilisks can be killed by hearing the crow of a rooster or gazing at itself through a mirror. Chaucer would incorporate one of these killing methods in the legend of the basilisk of Warsaw. This tale would see the Basilisk killed by a man carrying a set of mirrors.

More and more stories added to the enormity of the Basilisk’s reputation and gradually added to the Basilisk's killing powers as well. Some began to describe it as a large beast capable of breathing fire and killing with only the sound of its voice. Some writers would even claim that the Basilisk could kill by touch and could even kill by touching something that a poor soul was touching. So, a sword held in the hand of a great warrior would yield almost certain death the very moment the hero struck the killing blow into the creature. All of this death came from a beast that would become the guardian and traditional symbol of strength for the city of Basel in Switzerland.

Many other writers would toy with the idea of this mythical monster and introduce it to millions of readers in the process. William Shakespeare, Samuel Richardson, Alexander Pope, Voltaire and even Charles Dickens dipped their quills into the world of this mythical monster and referenced it and its killing power in their work. Of course, the most famous telling of a Basilisk tale today is most likely J.K. Rowlings’ Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets. In this novel, the Basilisk, an enormous, snake-like creature with monstrous fangs almost kills Harry with its deadly venom, but he is saved by the tears of a phoenix.

Artists would also put forth their renditions of the Basilisk. Leonardo da Vinci included a Basilisk in his Bestiary. He describes it as so utterly cruel that when it cannot kill animals or humans by its baleful gaze, it turns upon the earth and withers everything in its path.

Unlike the Basilisk, Leviathan is widely claimed as a sea creature. In demonology, Leviathan is hailed as one of the seven princes of Hell and known as its gatekeeper.

Mentioned several times throughout biblical text, Leviathan finds its history deeply rooted in the traditions of Near Eastern Mythology and dates back as far as the 3rd Century BC.

In the Canaanite myth, ‘Liviathan’ was considered an interpretation of the chaos that spilled forth at the beginning of the Universe’s creation. From this chaos, a seven headed, fire-breathing crocodile-like dragon was formed. He lurked in the depths of the sea and waited for an opportune moment so he could rise up and steal away unsuspecting victims. A great warrior named Anat fought Leviathan and bound him in chains, bringing order to the universe. Though the tale ended there, it is believed that Leviathan is not dead, but simply waiting for the day when he will again rise up from the depths and destroy us all.

Beliefs about Leviathan and its origins vary greatly from one culture and religious background to another. If you are a Christian, Leviathan is a bringer of death sent forth by Satin himself. On the other hand, according to Anton Szandor LaVey, the author of The Satanic Bible, Leviathan represents the element of Water. The element of Water in Satanism is associated with life and creation. In The Satanic Bible, Leviathan is known as one of the Four Crown Princes of Hell.

We see two different takes on a mythical monster that looks the same to both groups and yet, is so very different in its intentions.

Other variations of this monstrous creature would show up in great literary works and the name Leviathan would become synonymous with any large creature living in the ocean. One in particular would become an instant classic and introduce us to a new spin on the Leviathan tale.

In 1851 American author Herman Melville published his novel, Moby Dick. The story tells the adventures of a wandering sailor named Ishmael and his voyage with Captain Ahab. The captain has but one purpose, to seek out a specific whale: Moby Dick. The whale is described as a ferocious and elusive white sperm whale that, in a previous encounter, destroyed Ahab's boat and bit off his leg. Ahab becomes consumed with bitter anger and longs to seek his revenge by killing the beast.

Leviathan would also gather some film credits when in 1989 a movie of the same name was released. Often compared to Alien and The Thing, Leviathan’s storyline focused on underwater deep-sea miners. After finding some Soviet wreckage, the crew brings back deadly cargo to their base on the ocean floor with horrifying results. The crew must then fight to survive against a genetic mutation as they are hunted down and killed one by one by LEVIATHAN!

Though their similarities are unmistakable, the tales behind the Basilisk and Leviathan could not be farther apart. Whether you are a fan of the classic tales or have only recently been introduce through Harry Potter, chances are you will not soon forget these monstrous and mythical creatures. Steeped in magical folklore and transported through time by literature, paintings and film, the Basilisk and Leviathan will surely be with us for hundreds maybe even thousands of years. I cannot tell you whether these creatures exist or if they are merely a figment of a most active imagination. The question still remains: Are they magic, monsters or mythical creatures… only you can decide.

CK Webb for Suspense Magazine

MAGIC, MONSTERS & MYTHICAL CREATURES

As summers’ long, lazy days come slowly to an end and autumn begins to push into its place, we find ourselves on a brand new journey of discovery. This journey will take us from witches to warlocks, from devils to demons, from elves to fairies and everything in between. So, light the candles and pull up a seat as I welcome you to the world of…

WITCHES & WITCHCRAFT
Throughout the ages, many different eras have come and gone in mankind’s history. Some are rumors, whispered in dark rooms and rarely spoken of in the daylight hours. But others twisted our history and our psyche as they left huge black marks on our past.
Witchcraft, in history, has been defined as the use of mythological, religious, supernatural or magical powers. Naturally, anyone who practices witchcraft is labeled a witch and oftentimes, with harrowing consequences.
It was often believed, in many cultures, that witches were in league with the Devil himself and only used their powers for evil or to bring harm to others. Today, there are many thoughts on witches & witchcraft, but more often than not, they are viewed simply as good or bad. It was not always this way.
In the early fourteenth and fifteenth centuries in Europe, witchcraft was brought to the attention of those in positions of power within the churches and towns. So began the infamous witch-hunts, where an estimated forty to one hundred thousand men and women were accused of witchcraft and subsequently executed for their deemed roles as cohorts of Satan. They suffered horrible deaths by hanging, burning or even drowning and many were most likely, innocent of their accused crimes.
Europe was not the only place where witchcraft was condemned and, in what has become widely known throughout the world, Massachusetts would leave a dark stain on our nation’s history, forever.
In 1645 in Springfield, Massachusetts, the very first accusations of witchcraft were brought forth by a husband and wife. While each accused the other of evil dealings with the Devil, the husband was later found innocent while the wife was, at first, acquitted then subsequently convicted of murdering her child and sentenced to hang. She did not make it to the noose and died while imprisoned. What began as a domestic squabble, quickly spun out of control and within the next eighteen years, eighty people would find themselves accused of witchcraft. Thirteen women and two men met with an untimely demise during those years and each were executed for their presumed roles as witches.
In what would later become the most widely known witch-hunts in history and would be the inspiration for many books and films, the Salem Witch Trials took place from February 1692 through May of 1693. The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings held before the local magistrate in Essex, Suffolk and Middlesex Counties in colonial Massachusetts. Over one hundred fifty people were arrested and imprisoned for witchcraft. The two courts convicted twenty-nine people of witchcraft, which was considered a capitol felony, nineteen of which, were hanged. One man who refused to enter a guilty plea was crushed to death beneath giant stones in an attempt to coax a confession from him. At least five others, who were accused, but never convicted, died while imprisoned.
Though known in history as the "Salem" witch trials, the hearings took place in several towns including Salem Village, Ipswich, Andover and Salem Town, Massachusetts. The best-known trials were conducted by the Court of Oyer and Terminer in 1692 in Salem Town. Twenty-six people went to trial before this court…
All were convicted.
The same town where witchcraft was once met with disdain now makes a mean business of witches and the art of witchcraft. Salem, Massachusetts’ tourism is the backbone of their economy and many visitors come to get a look at the town where witches who were once hung are now celebrated. You can visit famous places where witches were hanged, take a haunted tour at Halloween and even take home a witchy souvenir or two.

The focus on witchcraft died down after the trials, but some writers would see to it that no one ever forgot. In 1953 American playwright Arthur Miller wrote his dramatization of the Salem witch trials, The Crucible. The play was made into a movie of the same name many years later and starred Winona Ryder & Daniel Day-Lewis. It is also the basis for study throughout many of our school systems and today, considered a classic. The Witches is a children's book by Roald Dahl and it was first published in London in 1983. With beautiful illustrations and a ton of controversy to go with it, it remains one of the greatest witch books ever written and can be found in most libraries.
There would be a TV show that would emerge in the 1960’s with a fresh new take on the witch. Bewitched, starred Elizabeth Montgomery as an average wife with some above average talents and with just a wiggle of her nose, she gave America a new outlook on witches. Other TV shows would later follow in the footsteps of Bewitched by offering a more positive take on the dark subject of witches. Charmed debuted in 1998 and featured the four, fictional Halliwell sisters—Prue, Piper, Phoebe and Paige. Known as The Charmed Ones in the magical community, they were from the most powerful line of good witches in history and sent to protect innocent lives against evil beings, such as demons and warlocks. Each sister possessed her own unique magical power that she tried, often without success, to keep hidden from the world, while living a somehow normal life in San Francisco. The series was a huge hit and ran for many seasons. It is still in syndication today.
Two unknowns would ignite the world’s fascination with witches when they introduced their debut young adult novel in 2009. Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl made a huge splash in the literary world with their novel Beautiful Creatures. Billed as one of the best debuts of 2009, the book was followed up by a second book in the series, Beautiful Darkness, the following year. The next book in this franchise, Beautiful Chaos, will be released in October of this year. Not only did the books gain worldwide recognition from readers, but also grabbed Hollywood’s attention and has been optioned by Warner Brothers as a major motion picture! That is a far cry from the Salem Witch Trials.
A recent movie release that would bring a little of the darkness back to the witch is 2011’s Beastly. In it, a boy is cursed by a modern day witch, played by Mary-Kate Olsen. He is given one year to change the person he has become on the inside & find someone to love him for who he is or spend the rest of his life severely scarred and tattooed from head to toe.
Witches and witchcraft have come a very long way from the days of witch-hunts and mass executions. From Bugs Bunny’s fantastic Witch Hazel with her broom stick and flying hair pins that we loved as kids, to the unusual loveliness of Lena in Beautiful Creatures, witches have fascinated us for many years been a huge part of our history as a people.
Witches are no longer the hideous hags we believed them to be as children. There is no wart on their long, bulbous nose to give them away or a cackle in their voice that spells certain doom. Witches are all around us, but often hidden from our view. They could be your neighbor or the girl down at the super market or even the writer who weaves those wicked tales you love to read. So, whatever you do, watch what you say and how you treat those strangers you pass on the street or risk hearing the dreading words…
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
Double, double toil and trouble!!!

CK Webb

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT:

MARK P. SADLER

Sadler’s humble beginnings started in a small caravan in his grandmother’s garden in Post War Britain, May 1956.

Life started in the little nursing home in Dudley, and moved to a caravan in his grandparents back garden, until his aunt and her new husband moved out of the big house. For the next three years the new family inhabited the upstairs of the house on the hill in Woodsetton. Young Sadler quickly learned the joy of discovery through books as his mother, a pre-school teacher, read countless stories to him. He was reading at a level two years ahead of his age by the time he entered school and won his first reading prize in his beginning year at St. Nicholas’ Primary in Codsall, Staffordshire.

The family had by this time moved to the country, living in a small bungalow in Codsall Wood. By the time he graduated from Codsall Comprehensive in 1974 a future in writing seemed to be taking a clear path. The following year Sadler immigrated to the States on a student visa to attend Ambassador College Big Sandy Texas and participated in journalism and speech classes, intent on becoming the next big television news anchor.

As is often the case life got in the way. After hitchhiking from Dallas to Los Angeles a random blind date turned into a serious commitment, and just four months later, a blushing bride with a blooming belly, led him to Oklahoma City. With a family to care for Sadler went about his way over the next seven years trying to find a way to support what had now become two boys and a wife unable to work through illness. Writing took a back seat.

From the factory floors of Robberson Steel to the sales floor at Intempo Wood Factory, from employment counselor to debt collector, he finally found a permanent position at Retail Merchants Collection Service. Debt collections led to career that has now spanned over thirty years and has remained the one constant in his soap opera of a life. There were times, as the boys became teenagers that the opportunity came to write.

One day in 1980, picking up a copy of a new publication, OKC Sports Fan Forum, he noticed that there was no soccer mentioned, typical of just about any publication in Oklahoma that was so entrenched in football, basketball and baseball. When he called to complain to the editors he was offered the opportunity to write an editorial column covering the progression of soccer in Oklahoma as America faced the hosting of the World Cup.

When 2007 rolled around it found Sadler remarried and living in Tucson, having moved there in 1993. His two boys were now young men with children of their own, and a third son from his third marriage starting high school. With a little extra time on his hands he once again took up the skills that had engrained themselves in him during high school, and took on the task that he knew one day he would succeed in; it was time to write a book.

Inspiration hit, as it tends to do, at one in the morning. Armed with bludgeoning thoughts he turned on the computer and let the words flow. Several months later he enrolled in a class at Pima Community College and under the tutorial of Meg Files learned how to control the form of the words until Blood on His Hands was born.

The search for an agent for a new unpublished author proved daunting, nay impossible, and so along with one in every three books written this year Sadler decided to self-publish. Seeking the services of print on demand publisher Infinity Publishing the project went ahead. The novel should be available for ordering by early May 2009.

Sadler lives with his wife in Tucson, where he is working on his next novel. He is a contributor for Suspense Magazine. You can learn more about Mark by visiting his website at http://marksadler.com/

You can prchase Mark's book, Blood On His Hands, by clicking the book cover.

Things That Come Out At Night

WereWolves

“Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolf bane blooms, and the autumn moon is bright.” Wolfman ~1941

No matter your age or where you are from, chances are, at some point you were frightened by a creature that comes out at night. Some had fangs and drank blood, others were walking corpses that feasted on the brains of the living, but some looked no different than you and I. They could roam the world as everyday humans and go unnoticed until...the next full moon would find them sprouting thick coats of fur and preying on the throats of unsuspecting travelers in the night. Some werewolves were even graced with the ability to transform at will, making them an even more frightening creature of the night.

The very first werewolf movie that I cut my teeth on as a child was An American Werewolf In London. Even today, it is the standard by which I judge all werewolf books or movies. I was 8 years old and it was absolutely brilliant. Considering the date and the technology available then, it is still one of the greatest transformation scenes I have ever watched and very few can hold a candle to it.

Werewolves hold a unique place in our hearts and minds, but where did this concept of half man, half wolf emerge from and how has it changed throughout the years? Let us quickly find out before the full moon's glow shines brightly and some of us are no longer the same.
As children our first taste of werewolves probably came from the childhood fairytale Little Red Riding Hood, but in history, werewolf folklore dates back thousands of years. In 8 A.D., Ovid wrote the Latin narrative poem Metamorphosis which follows a man cursed to roam the earth as a werewolf because of the heinous crimes he has committed against a child. Other great poets of the same era would dip into the werewolf tale. Virgil, Pliny The Elder and Gaius Petronius Arbiter, were just a few. Some of Arbiter's works on the subject date back as far as 60 B.C.

The origins of the werewolf tale stem from a primitive time when forests covered most of the landscape and animals were quick to steal a bite to eat from the sparse populations of humans that inhabited their lands. Europeans were some who turned terror and misunderstanding into legend and are credited with some of the very first werewolf tales.

In a time where medicine was confined to medicinal herbs, hocus pocus remedies and cures, mental illness was not something that anyone had ever heard of. As such, a person who was suffering from lycanthropy was not mentally unstable and in need of medication, sedation and observation, but was someone who was indeed cursed to be a werewolf and needed to be exterminated in order to save their soul. Sounds crazy to us, but to those living in these wilderness times when humanity was just finding its way, it made perfect sense. Today we understand lycanthropy to be the mental illness associated with schizophrenia where a person becomes convinced they are or have already, transformed into various animals, including wolves.

In European folklore it was said that even in human form, signs existed to distinguish a werewolf from other humans. If you had curved fingernails or low set ears, you could easily have been mistaken for a werewolf. For those poor folks who had the misfortune of having eyebrows that grew together, in a time before tweezers had been invented, they too were thought to be werewolves.

The means by which a person could be become a werewolf, were almost as plentiful as the stories themselves. A person could be bitten or scratched by a werewolf, the most popular means, but there are some more obscure methods that are a lot more fun. There was rubbing your body with magic salve, drinking from an enchanted stream and even sleeping under the full moon on a Wednesday or Friday with the moon's glow shining on your face. My personal favorite has to be, drinking rainwater from the footprints of the beasts that were found in the forest!
As the years passed and we, as humans, became more sophisticated & educated, our take on werewolves changed drastically, but our desire to carry their tale with us through history did not.

Literature has adapted a plethora of these iconic tales into short stories, novels and later on, into the movies we have grown to love over the years. The nineteenth century would see a host of very famous writers tackle the werewolf story from the likes of G.W.M. Reynolds, Sutherland Menzies and even Alexander Dumas.

The twentieth century would usher in the true emergence of the werewolf as a staple in horror fiction and an explosion of stories and movies based on the tale would come blazing onto the scene. In 1933, American author Guy Endore wrote The Werewolf of Paris which has since come to be known as the Dracula of werewolf literature.

The very first feature film to use the werewolf premise was Werewolf of London in 1935. It would however be Lon Cheney Jr.'s portrayal of the tragic character Larry Talbot in 1941's The Wolf Man that would set the standard for all movies in the genre. The movie catapulted werewolves into the public eye and from this one film two very crucial werewolf staples were established...werewolves always kill those they love the most and they can be quickly dispatched from this world by a silver bullet.

Other movies and books would come along and werewolves would be further rooted into the horror genre until the introduction of the paranormal romance and young adult books that embrace the these creatures.

J.K. Rowlings gave a new take to werewolves in her Harry Potter series in which she creates them as dangerous, but also as misunderstood and widely discriminated against. Other authors in the young adult genre would give new life to werewolves with books such as Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater, Dark Guardian by Rachel Hawthorne and Night Shade by Andrea Cremer.
Movies have been plentiful and werewolves have graced the big screen hundreds of times. From feature length cartoons like 2005's Wallace And Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, to the 2010 remake of the classic The Wolf Man and even the new adaptation of the childhood tale in 2011's Red Riding Hood, werewolves have found for themselves, a home within our books, our films and our minds.

Even music has grabbed up a portion of this iconic creature that comes out in the night with songs like Monster by Skillet, Wolf Moon by Type O Negative and Of Wolf And Man by Metallica. These are barely scraping the barrel. You can literally find dozens of songs about werewolves and some you may never have even suspected were about them.

Though werewolves have a deeply rooted place in the media of our world, one thing has not changed much in the thousands of years since the very first tales were told. Werewolves were then and are almost always now, portrayed in a negative light. They are the thing to fear, they are the curse from which no one can ever return and they are the stuff of nightmares. I am happy to have them there in our songs, in our books and films in our very history. The alternative is, they walk amongst us, beside us and they are there waiting... waiting for the lights to go out, waiting for that next full moon, wanting to show us what really comes out in the night.

CK Webb

The Source of the Suspense

We have reached our very last installment in 'The History of' series and, as they say in the song...'We saved the best for last'.

Webster's Dictionary defines the word suspense as: a state of mental uncertainty, usually accompanied by a degree of apprehension or anxiety.
The word suspense is quite old and can be traced back to Latin roots dating between 1375 and 1425. But, where did the suspense genre get its beginnings and how has it changed in the years since its debut? I sincerely hope we can answer those questions with as little anxiety as possible.
There are many genres that contain suspenseful undertones and as confusing as it may sound, a suspense can be a thriller, mystery, detective fiction or even a horror. A suspense may contain all of these elements or none.
As with many genres, the exact origins of the suspense are a bit hazy but there are several places that could have easily been a good starting point.
The Epic of Gilgamesh, written sometime between 1300 & 1000 BC, tells a tale that had been handed down through generations from as far back as 2500 BC. On these twelve tablets made of clay, historians have discovered, what appears to be, the origins of several literary genres, include suspense. Many years would pass before other writers would give the world their contributions in the suspense genre.
Homer was an ancient Greek epic poet who was born between 850 & 1180 BC. His works begin to show up at the beginnings of the Western Canon of literature. Homer's epic poem, Odyssey, would help to mold and shape the literary world and even today, holds great sway in the writing community.
Another well known collection of stories that easily boasts some suspenseful moments is One Thousand and One Nights. The oldest known manuscript of One Thousand and One Nights, dates back to the 14th century but, scholars believe that the story told in its text, date back to the 9th century.
A plethora of other writers would emerge in the following years until finally, one would step fourth in the 1800's and give the world its first real taste of the suspense novel. In 1829, a Danish author by the name of Stech Steenson Bilcher, wrote a novella that has been billed as the first, true murder mystery and contained within its pages, all the workings of what would become, the suspense genre.
The next in line was Alexander Dumas, who's first works of suspense were published in June of 1844 and introduced readers to d'Artagnan. The Three Musketeers, was a huge success and soon two other books were added to the series that came to be known as, The d'Artagnan Romances. Dumas would again leave his mark, not only on literature, but on the suspense genre as well, with one of his most famous works. The Count of Monte Cristo was published between 1844 and 1846 and remains, to this day, one of the great classic suspense novels in literary history.
Wilkie Collins introduced us to his novel The Woman in White, in 1860. He would then follow it up in 1868 with, what many consider his finest work, The Moonstone, all the while giving us his own take on the suspense genre.
In 1866, Victor Hugo, known for his masterpiece Les Miserables, released his novel Les Travailleurs de le Mer (Toilers of the Sea). A broad step away from his previous novel, Toiler of the Sea, contained all the suspense that lovers of the genre could ever ask for.
Of course, we cannot talk of suspense without throwing in one of the true greats in literary history... Mr. Edgar Allen Poe. Poe's incredible pieces have shown up in almost every genre that we have discussed and suspense is no different. The Murders in the Rue Morgue, while billed as mystery, easily slips into the suspense genre as does his haunting classics, The Tell-Tale Heart and The Raven.
Thousands of authors have written books that are categorized as thrillers, romantic thrillers, mysteries, detective fiction and even horror and all have a common theme... a degree of apprehension or anxiety that draws them into the suspense genre.
During the late 1880's, the introduction of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, brought a surge in readers not only to mysteries and detective novels but to suspense as well.
Sales of the suspense genre began to skyrocket as the Golden Age of Detective Fiction emerged in the 1920's. Famous writers such as, Dame Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers left their pen strokes vividly displayed, not only in the detective fiction genre but also, in the ever growing world of suspense.
Soon, suspense began to take on a much more sinister, psychological approach when, in walked Sir Alfred Hitchcock. With him, Hitchcock brought the ability to toy with our emotions and raise our anxiety levels and he did so in a most unusual way... on film. Starting in 1927 in silent films and continuing on through 1976, Alfred Hitchcock became the premier writer/director/producer and is still known today, impressively, as The Master of Suspense.
Dozens of authors have written in the suspense genre and made big names for themselves along the way. Mary Higgins Clark, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, David Baldacci, Tasha Alexander, John Carpenter, Gregg Olsen and Michael Palmer are just a small sampling of well knowns who's books have flirted with the suspense genre.
The film industry took hold of suspense enthralled consumers and gave them a wellspring of anxiety and mental uncertainty in the form of feature length films and TV shows.
In 1990, David Lynch introduced his psychological suspense series Twin Peaks, causing audiences to clamor for the answer to the question, “Who killed Laura Palmer?” What transpired as a result of this suspense TV series was, an almost cult-like following of viewers from around the world. I too, must confess to being a member of the millions who tuned in and hung on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what else Mr. Lynch had in store for us. Even today, Twin Peaks, is still listed as one of the Top 100 TV Shows of all time.
Other writer/directors have preyed on us with their suspense laden movies and the likes of Stanley Kubrick, Roman Polanski, Martin Scorsese and M. Night Shyamalan have become household names. Bringing us such suspenseful movies as, Eyes Wide Shut, The Shining, Shutter Island and Signs these writer/directors find a way to torment their viewers and keep them coming back for more.
With a rich history dating back thousands of years, the suspense genres appears determined to remain with us for many more years to come. Today you can pick out thousands of books or movies devoted to the edge of your seat suspense we have all grown to love.
From the music that plays in the background of your favorite movie, to that long, agonizing walk to your mailbox in search of a dreaded letter; suspense is all around us. The suspense genre has become a meshing together of all the things that we, as readers, hold near and dear.
The suspense genre can be mysterious, thrilling, romantic or even, a little horrifying. So, what is the deciding factor that truly says suspense...YOU, the reader. Who better to judge the feelings that a piece of literature invokes than the very person who is doing the reading?
While many would argue the origins of the suspense genre, the truth of it is only known by those who's heart race and anxiety levels rise while delving into that TV series, movie or great piece of literature.

CK Webb

The Tale of the Thriller

Webster’s Dictionary defines the word thriller as…One that thrills; especially a work of fiction designed to hold the interest by the use of a high degree of intrigue, adventure and/or suspense.

The thriller genre centers around a few very simple, yet necessary criteria that must be met in order to separate it from other genres. Basically, if you have suspense, tension and excitement as the main element of a book or film, chances are it is a thriller.
So, who was the very first man or women to pick up that quill and create a world that kept the reader on the edge of their seat while turning the pages? The thriller genre is another where facts, arguments and speculation play a huge part in deciphering its origins. Let’s see if we can narrow it down just a bit and give some credit where credit is do.
It is widely believed in the Western world that the earliest version of the thriller was penned by Homer. Odyssey, one of two Greek poems written by Homer in the latter part of the 8th century BC, contains all the needed elements of a thriller and a plot dripping with suspense, tension and excitement.
In Homer’s Odyssey, or ‘epic voyage’ as it translates in English, the hero Odysseus battles for 10 long years in the Trojan War only to spend another 10 years adrift at sea as he makes his way back home to his wife & son. What makes Odyssey a thriller is the magnitude of the foes Odysseus must face, battle & conquer on his journey and the constant barrage of nail biting scenes that unfold along the way.
Some scholars agree that Odyssey was never meant to be enjoyed as a great book but rather was written as a poetic song and therefore meant to be performed and sung rather that read.
Next stop we have, yet again, 1001 Arabian Nights. With the oldest Arabic pieces of this manuscript dating back as far as 9th century BC, 1001 Arabian Nights contains a tale that’s origins could easily slip into the thriller genre. However, the story of a chopped up body inside a mysterious chest and the hunt to find answers falls, more fittingly I think, into the mystery genre.
Other thriller tales can be found in a most unlikely place, with harrowing tales of suspense and intrigue. I could easily tell you of paranormal thrillers as well as revenge thrillers that can be found right inside the pages of The Holy Bible…yes, thrillers can be found in the bible, and lots of them!
The thriller genre dates back so far that it is unlikely its’ precise debut in the literary world will ever be known for certain. We can however, get some pretty clear beginnings for some of the sub-genres that sprung from thrillers, and pin down the books and films that have made the thriller genre one of the most followed in the world today.
The 1800’s saw fantastic thrillers emerge and a ton of great writers would leave their mark on the thriller genre and from their works dozens of sub genres would spring forth.
Sometime between 1844-1846 Alexandre Dumas published The Count of Monte Cristo, in it he highlighted the very thing that defines the genre today…the thrill. In a swashbuckling tale of jealousy, deceit and revenge, Dumas put together what most now consider the very first ‘Revenge Thriller’.
In 1897, Bram Stoker’s Dracula hit the scenes and with it came a generous sprinkling of some new twists to the thriller genre. Billed today by many as horror, Dracula gave us our first taste of gothic, supernatural thrills. This one novel would ultimately spawn sub-genres that even today set the pace for some of our most loved, modern day horror and thriller tales.
In 1915 Scottish author John Buchan wrote and published his thriller, The Thirty Nine Steps. Making huge waves in the thriller genre, The Thirty Nine Steps has been seen or heard on many different mediums from radio, theatre to film.
As the thriller genre continued to make impressive strides in the literary world so too did the sub genres that came from it. We were introduced to the modern action thriller which consisted of non-stop, fast paced, action packed thrill rides with an unlikely hero. First Blood is thought to be the catalyst upon which the action thriller genre would slingshot into the forefront of not only books but film as well.
Conspiracy thrillers emerged as sub genres and introduced us to the likes of Robert Lundlum, James Grady and David Baldacci.
Crime Thrillers became all the rage and authors such as Cormac McCarthy, Thomas Harris and of course James Patterson left and continue to leave their indelible mark on the thriller genre.
Two of my personal favorites, sub genres loaded with big talent, are mystery thrillers and psychological thrillers. Just mentioning names like Alfred Hitchcock, Steven King, Dennis Lehane and M. Night Shyamalan should be enough incentive to get lovers of the thrill looking to these sub genres for their next nail biter.
But if you think these few sub genres are all there are to choose from…think again. Disaster, Erotic, Legal, Medical, Religious, Supernatural and even Techno thrillers all contain one central connection…they are designed to hold your interest and keep you on the edge of your seat. They are all able to do this by writing fast paced, high octane suspense stories that keep readers coming back again and again.
From books and movies to television, thrillers have become one of the largest and most followed genres world wide. Thrillers also rank among the highest grossing in sales of all the genres out there.
2010 has been quite a year for thrillers and authors such as Stephen King, Justin Cronin, Gregg Olsen and Joe Hill are just a few who have given us a taste of their unique voices and exciting style.
Everyday new authors are emerging (raises hand) and attempting to make their mark on this ever growing and evolving literary staple.
Like daring trips we take to amusement parks in order to brave giant, twisting, turning, heart stopping roller coasters, thrillers draw us in and keep us coming back over and over. We simply cannot get enough of living on the edge. As long as authors are willing to step up their game and push the limits of the genre, thrillers will continue to do exactly what we clamor for…Thrill.
Though the beginnings of the thriller are a bit cloudy one fact remains undeniable, the tale of the thriller is one that is written in history and that will continue to expand and be with us, no doubt, for many years to come.

CK Webb for Suspense Magazine

The Mystique of the Mystery

The origins of the mystery are a bit cloudy, but let’s see what we can uncover on the genre. Webster’s Dictionary defines the word ‘mystery’ as a piece of fiction usually dealing with the solution of a crime. Of course there are several other definitions of the word so let’s focus on the fiction aspect and where this genre got its start in the literary world.
The history of the mystery is a grey area and its origins are argued across the board by many. Some believe that the mystery dates back to the original text of the Bible, while others think that the first mystery came from Chaucer, others believe that A Thousand and One Arabian Nights is the originator. In western culture, it is widely accepted that the very first literary mystery written came by way of Edgar Allen Poe. But where did Poe get his inspiration for the story and what separated it from those that proceeded it?
The Murders in the Rue Morgue is believed to have been influenced by another short story written in 1819 by E.T.A. Hoffman. The difference in Poe’s story and all the others was, very simply, the introduction of the detective. That man or woman who set out to solve a crime and changed the way the world viewed literature also introduced us all to the ‘mystery’.
As such, mysteries have only been around for 179 years but their impact on the literary world has been immeasurable. During the short time the genre has been around it has seen its fair share of change and sub-genre spin offs.
Some of the most famous of all mysteries were written by Arthur Conan Doyle and gave the literary world its very first hero detective…Sherlock Holmes. Conan Doyle wrote four novels and around 56 short stories that featured the quirky detective in all his glory. Most ‘Holmes’ novels were in a narrative style and were told from the point of view of Dr. John Watson; Holmes’ trusted assistant and friend. It could very easily be argued that Watson was quite the detective in his own right, but never took much credit for any of it and was considered a biographer to the events that took place around him. Elementary!
Throughout the 1800’s and into the early 1900’s, the mystery genre would remain dominated by male authors, but a stirring change would soon take place. During the 1920’s and 1930’s, the world would embrace the period that would come to be known as ‘The Golden Age of Detective Fiction’. It was during these years that men would take a backseat and women would emerge as front runners in the mystery genre.
We were introduced to the ‘Queens of Crime’: Dame Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham. All of these women would, as we all know, make a massive impact on the mystery genre and leave behind legacies that are still brightly burning even today. As the mystery genre continued to define itself, the detective fiction genre was being standardized and guidelines established that would distinguish it from all other genres. The key element of detective fiction became… a detective unraveling a mystery. Along with this standard for detective fiction came other guidelines which would eventually spawn the sub genre ‘Whodunit’.
Dame Agatha Christie quickly emerged as one of the most popular writers of mystery and whodunit as she introduced her heroes, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, among others. Christie’s novels included Murder on the Orient Express (1934), Death on the Nile (1937) and And Then There Were None (1939). She is also credited with over 80 other novels and is to this very day, listed as the best selling mystery fiction author of all time with over 4 billion books sold.
In the late 1930’s and early 1940’s, the literary community would see a huge influx of popularity in ‘pulp magazines’. This rise in mystery magazine sales increased interest globally in the mystery, whodunit and detective fiction genres. The outpouring of new mystery fans would be quickly curbed with the introduction of the television set. Sales and interest in the magazines saw a massive decline and what had begun as numerous pulp magazines, was reduced to just two. Both of those magazines are still available today.
The staying power of Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queens Mystery Magazine are often credited with keeping America interested in the mystery genre.
During all the years when the mystery genre was fashioning and separating itself from other genres, many novels would be translated onto film or stage. Bella Lugosi even played the key role in the black & white screen version of the first mystery, The Murders in the Rue Morgue which debuted in 1932.
In the late 1940’s the mystery genre would receive a new boost from a most unlikely source…a family board game.
In 1949 Waddington’s Toy Company in Leeds, United Kingdom introduced ‘Clue’, a board game where the players become the detectives and attempt to solve a crime. The game was later purchased by Parker Brothers Game Company and distributed worldwide. Now, an icon of the Hasbro Industry, the game of ‘Clue’ is a worldwide phenomenon with over 20 versions of the original game, TV shows, movies and even a line of books. All of this sprang from a simple, mystery money maker.
The mystery genre has come a very long way in a short amount of time and it appears, much to the delight of its readers, determined to go with us into the next century.
During the television detective era, viewers around the globe were turned on by an array of shows where the main character’s goal was to solve a crime. It was during these years that we met Barnaby Jones, Remington Steele and Jessica Fletcher in Murder She Wrote. Three of the most popular detective shows were Perry Mason, Magnum P.I. and Matlock, all of which featured a unique twist on the mystery/detective genre in television.
Today you need not look far to see the influences of the mystery genre all around us. There are countless movies & TV programs in which the central theme revolves around the genre. We even have entire television networks devoted to uncovering the truth to some of the oldest mysteries known to man. These networks also come complete with a whole slew of fans who tune in on a daily basis, searching for the answers.
You can scan the channels and find a host of shows that spotlight new and unusual twists on the old concepts that define the mystery. Psych, House, Medium, Castle, Dexter and Monk are just a few of the shows with a fresh new take and a quirky new interpretation on the modern day detective.
Since its beginning, the mystery genre has spun a ton of sub genres that include, whodunit, amateur detective, private detective, cozy, hard boiled (noir), police procedural, crime and caper. Of course, this list may vary from one writer to another.
In 2010, the mystery genre made its mark on the literary landscape when some of the best selling writers of our time hit the best seller lists. Stieg Larson, Dennis Lehane, John Grisham and David Baldacci are just a small handful of authors whose presences in the mystery genre are being greatly felt in this year.
As long as there are unanswered questions in the universe, mysteries looming or even murders that go unsolved, the mystery genre will be there to pull its readers and viewers along on nail-biting journeys. Perhaps one day we will get the answer to that ages-old question…Was it Colonel Mustard in the library with the candlestick?
From the files of literary history it is hard to gauge the exact year and origins of the mystery. Though there are countless clues and many a detective willing to search for the answer, the origins of the mystery genre remains, fittingly…a mystery!!

CK Webb for Suspense Magazine