These Bizarre Mysteries Will Freak You Out

It’s no secret that we come across weird and bizzare mysteries each and everyday. Many of the mysteries take place long, long ago and the stories have been carried through the generations to us today. Some of these mysteries are truly terrifying and will keep you awake at night. From demons to evil dwarfs and other sightings, it will be up to you to make your mind up about what you believe. These bizarre mysteries still plague us today, with many of them remaining unsolved.

5. Bizarre Mysteries: Our Lady of Zeitoun

Black and white photo of Our Lady of Zeitoun
Wikipedia

The appearance of Our Lady of Zeitoun marked what is commonly known as a mass Marian apparition, or the reported appearance of Mary, mother of Jesus. While this isn’t the only one of its kind, it has nevertheless drawn worldwide attention due to its length.

Occurring over a period of roughly three years, beginning on April 2, 1968, the appearance of Our Lady of Zeitoun was a massive phenomenon. It appeared in the Zeitoun district of Cairo, Egypt and led to a lot of controversy over time.

The first to notice this apparition was Farouk Mohammed Atwa, a bus mechanic, along with two other men. Positioned just outside of St. Mary’s Coptic Church, the group of men all believed to have seen a woman jump to her death. The police were called to the scene and by the time they arrived, a massive crowd had gathered outside the church, all claiming to have seen the same thing.

As there was no body, the police denied the events. So what had they all seen?

One week later, and reappearing several times over the course of the next few years, there were reported sightings of apparitions plaguing Zeitoun. News of the figure made it all the way to the Vatican itself, with Coptic Orthodox Pope Kyrillos VI approving the sightings.

Images of the apparitions were captured by numerous Egyptian news outlets. The event  was even acknowledged by the Egyptian president himself. The police could find no evidence of projection devices around Zeitoun.

Given the overwhelming mass numbers of sightings, as well as the sheer amount of photographs capturing said apparitions over the years, the Egyptian government has had no choice but to acknowledge the appearance of the apparitions in Zeitoun during those three years as a real supernatural event. What do you believe?

4. Bizarre Mysteries: Shades of Death

Photo of road sign 'Shades of Death Rd'. One of many bizarre mysteries.
Wikipedia

Located in Warren County, New Jersey, the origin of the name of Shades of Death Road is just the beginning of the bizarre mysteries this street holds.

The southern half of the road is covered in shade provided by an adjoining forest. Historically, the area was known to be riddled with Highwaymen lying in wait for potential victims.

Rumors of locals taking revenge on said Highwaymen also abound. There are whispers of locals hanging the bodies of the Highwaymen from trees near the road as a warning for other criminals. On top of this, at least three local and brutal murders are said to have been carried out along the road.

The road itself is so twisted that it has lead to an inordinate number of car accidents.

There are also vicious wild cats that are said to prowl the area of the nearby wetlands. These wetlands were formerly populated with malaria-infested bugs. This final threat gave the road its name. Originally just called “Shades” after the trees, “Death Road” was added onto the end.

The nearby Ghost Lake and Fairy Hole are said to be hotbeds for paranormal activity. They’re even considered too dangerous for some of the most ardent supernatural enthusiasts.

Finally, the road is thought to be guarded by a Native American spirit guide who sometimes takes on the shape of a deer. Drivers who make their way down Shades of Death Road at too great a speed are said to find themselves in often fatal accidents with deer thanks to the spirit’s involvement.

An eerie and frightening road, legends of Shades of Death Road abound with danger, and visitors are warned to take caution.

3. Bizarre Mysteries: Corpse Candles

Corpse Candle floating in forest, truly a bizarre mystery.

Some bizarre mysteries have a global reach. This is the case for Corpse Candles, which are often seen over marshes or in churchyards.

These phosphorescent lights have a variety of different names, from “dead men’s candles” to “ignis fatuus”. They seem to follow large concentrations of the dead. Seen all over the world in numerous such locations, their appearances are far too great in number for even the most hardened skeptic to ignore.

The spiritual explanation for these lights is an apparent correspondence between the light’s size and color and the type of spirit it is meant to represent. Children’s spirits produce smaller ignis fatuus, which also tend to be blue in color. The lights of adult souls may be red or white.

Scientifically, these lights are thought to be caused by a combination of gas and atmospheric conditions, as well as luminous insects. However, these lights remain fairly misunderstood in either context, with much yet remaining to be learned about them.

Other iterations of the Corpse Candle classify them as deadly omens. It is said that if one of these lights floats before one’s home, death is likely imminent. While these lights are also thought to be caused by phosphorescent emissions, they also maintain the surface appearance of a candle.

Whether they are seen as symbols of deadly souls or premonitions of death, Corpse Candles signify the mysteries of death, continuing to represent the forgotten soul.

2. The Lesser Key of Solomon

Symbols featured in the Lesser Key of Solomon
Wikipedia

The Lesser Key of Solomon is one of the most bizarre mysteries out there. Five anonymous books make up this collection, which details the names of 72 known demons at the time of writing. Compiled in the 17th Century the author of this mysterious book remains anonymous even today.

The grimoire is an exhaustive set of texts that outlines ideas of the time about demons. The book borrows lots of information from other demonic texts of the time. It is protected by seals to encourage the conjurer. The grimoire’s knowledge was intended to instruct you on how to summon and control a demon, while also being protected from them.

The demons in the text are categorized by and tied to cardinal directions. Each direction is believed to be ruled by a king. Additional princes are described as “wandering” to help control the summoned demons as well.

Angels are also discussed and addressed in detail in the grimoire. There was a belief that Angels would protect you against these demons mentioned in the texts. The grimoire also contains comprehensive instructions on how to summon these Angels so one can protect themselves from the evil demons.

Full of bizarre mysteries and distressingly specific and comprehensive knowledge, the exact origins of the five books making up the grimoire are unknown. While the knowledge seems to have been compiled from numerous sources, the author remains unknown to this day. Let’s just hope these texts don’t fall into the wrong hands! Would you be conjuring the demons or the angels?

1. Haunchyville

The Legend of Haunchyville is truly a bizarre mystery

The last of these final bizarre mysteries comes from the woods of a small Wisconsin town, Haunchyville. The legend surrounding this area is truly mysterious.

The woods are said to be home to a group of dwarves – but not the friendly Snow White kind. The dwarves are said to be served by an albino man, acting as the protector of their land. These dwarves are thought to be ex circus employees, who faced horrible exploitation during their working days. They one day snapped and turned on their master, hanging him in the woods, before chopping off his arms and legs in defiance. They claimed the land as their own and renamed it Haunchyville.

Since then, it is believed many others have met the same gruesome fate. Legend has it that a local farmer who exposed their home to the world was found hanging on his property bearing a sign saying, “The haunchies made me do it”. According to the stories, those caught trespassing met the same terrible fate.

The albino protector is rumored to be a young man who accidentally stumbled upon the dwarves in the woods. The dwarves sensed a kindred spirit and not an enemy, so the man became their protector. The man uses his unique appearance to drive away trespassers.

There are many different stories about what occurs within these woods. Some confuse the legend of their albino protector with the legend of the dwarves themselves. Others seem to think the group of dwarves inhabiting Haunchyville changes over time. Some believe that these dwarves are nomads.

The area is so known for danger that trespassers are charged a hefty $276 fine for trespassing through the woods. The reasoning? For their own safety. Would you been game to check it out?