PHOTO: The Gurdon Light - Gurdon, Arkansas

Gurdon Light

The Gurdon Light is one of the better-known, and examined, cases of "ghost lights."  First reported in Gurdon, Arkansas (US) around 1931, the Gurdon Light is seen over the railroad tracks in the small town in Clark County, Arkansas.  It is clearly visible, and attracts flocks of spectators -- especially around Halloween.

This photograph was taken in 1994 by the immensely popular US TV show, Unsolved Mysteries (see sidebar).  It was one of the first photos of the phenomenon considered "credible" by the scientific community.  Other photographs and footage of The Gurdon Light captured both before and since 1994 have taken on added significance, but I chose this one due to its historical import (and Fair Use).

Ghost Lights go by many names, including faery fires and corpse candles, and have been seen across the world for centuries.  They seem to be most prolific in Welsh legend, but are far from unique to the UK.  Prevailing theories explaining the Ghost Lights phenomenon include magnetic fields, mineral deposits, and the infamous "swamp gas."  While some instances are known to be manufactured (usually by, and for, criminal means), there is no official explanation for Ghost Lights.

Arkansas' Gurdon Light remains unexplained.

© The Weirding, 2018

Ghost Lights: Ball Lightning

Marfa Ghost Lights (Texas)

Ghost Lights are sometimes classified as ball lightning, especially when they appear indoors or during a thunderstorm.  Theories as to what comprises Ghost Lights include combustible methane (marsh gas), light from distant stars or planets refracting through atmospheric layers, headlights of traffic from a distance, concentrated magnetic force, nearby mineral deposits, and more -- however, most credible sightings of Ghost Lights defy explanation.  Ball lightning is often described as acting as though it were under intelligent control, or had a mind of its own.

However, most self-proclaimed atmospheric "experts" dismiss the ball lightning theory out-of-hand, noting that only surface similarities with Ghost Lights exist.  Ball lightning is a proven phenomenon that continues to intrigue researchers.  Strikes typically last under one to two minutes near, and after, a lightning strike or thunderstorm.  Many times, ball lightning dissipates violently, exploding with a sulfuric smell.

Ghost Lights, also known as faerie fires, are harmless and appear repeatedly in the same location over a lengthy period, regardless of atmospheric conditions.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

Ghost Light Transmissions - Silent Weaponry at Yakima, Washington

In a significant number of Ghost Lights reports, witnesses claim to have heard voices or felt strong emotions which strongly affected, or even dictated, their behavior. Many say they felt restrained, or even heard a voice telling them to, "Stay away!" or otherwise warning them of danger from the Ghost Light itself. 

In other cases, they felt wildly compelled to leave the area and avoid the Ghost Lights entirely.  Those affected reported experiencing a panic state forcing a "Fight or Flight" response that was hard to ignore.

More remarkably, many of these reports involve ghost lights seen from hundreds of yards away or farther.  These peculiar cases, likely involving the use of silent weaponry technology, are particularly common to sightings of the Yakima Ghost Lights near the Yakima Indian Reservation in Washington state.

The OddBlog knows that the US military, and its various criminal offshoots, have technology specific to weaponized (manufactured) ball lightning, ghost lights, and mouth-to-skull broadcasts.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Anglo-Saxon Hoard Found in Field

"This is what metal detectorists dream of, finding stuff like this," 55-year old Terry Herbert told journalists, after it was reported that he had stumbled upon an ancient gold hoard worth some seven-figures. Herbert found the cache in a field in Staffordshire owned by a friend. The field is located in what was once the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia.

The hoard, the largest Anglo-Saxon treasure ever found in the UK, contains some 1500 gold and silver pieces and is thought to hail from the 7^th-Century. It is so large, experts say it may take a year or more to value it. It has been demarcated a "treasure," meaning it belongs to the Crown. Herbert and his farmer friend will be rewarded for the find. "I have this phrase that I say sometimes - 'spirits of yesteryear take me where the coins appear' - but on that day I changed 'coins' to 'gold,'" Herbert said. "I don't know why I said it that day but I think somebody was listening..."

The hoard contained boxes of gold, swords with bejewelled pommels, over 500 silver pieces, and more. X-rays have shown over 50 dirt clods from the site contain objects yet to be uncovered. Jewels, copper alloy, and glass objects accompanied the find, but "feminine items," such as brooches and pendants, were curiously absent.

Archaeologists know it was not a burial, and do not believe it was an offering. Many of the pieces have been stripped of their precious metals and jewels, leading experts to think the pieces themselves were not valued as objects; some ancient cultures used "hacksilver" for moneys - large pieces of jewelry, such as bracelets, from which pieces were hacked to use as currency. Hoarding is not associated with the 7^th-Century and the pieces are warlike in nature, so the treasure may have been buried for safe-keeping and never recovered.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Gold Necklace Oldest in Americas

A gold necklace found near Lake Titicaca in Peru is the oldest hand-fashioned necklace ever discovered in the Americas.

The necklace, fashioned from what are believed to have been gold nuggets, is more than just a piece of jewelry; according to researchers, it indicates that the making and wearing of jewelry to indicate status and prestige is a custom older than once thought. Apparently, the custom stretches all the way back to more simple, hunter-gatherer, societies and shows that when it was made, the society in which the wearer lived was undergoing complex changes and sociological advancements.

Researchers believe it was made by using a hammer of some sort to flatten the gold nuggets around a cylindrical object to fashion tubing. It was found alongside an adult jawbone and is believed to have been worn by an adult female. It was obviously used to denote prestige and status/wealth, reinforcing the notion that this is a fundamental human need.

Perhaps this explains our society's current obsession with celebrity?

© C Harris Lynn, 2008