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A lake where a shockingly
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high number of people
have drowned.
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An ancient tomb
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that is guarded by the soul
of an evil warlord.
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And objects with the power
to harm anyone
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who touches them.
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All over the world,
there are places and objects
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that are thought to be cursed.
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But are curses simply
the product of our need to find
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reasons for tragedies
that we can't explain?
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Or could they actually be real?
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Well, that is what
we'll try and find out.
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Deep within this
mountain range lies Lake Lanier.
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Millions of people venture
to this popular vacation spot
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to relax and unwind
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despite the fact that every year
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a shocking number
of people drown
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within its placid waters...
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and many of their bodies
are never seen again.
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If you live anywhere
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near Lake Lanier
in North Georgia,
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you're gonna hear, every
summer, all of the deaths.
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There are bad boating accidents.
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And when somebody
goes overboard,
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it's almost impossible to
find them before they drown.
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Lake Lanier,
from the surface, looks clear.
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But we hear time and time again
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when we respond
to these drownings,
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people would say that,
"He didn't go into the water,
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"come up, struggle, and drown.
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He went in and
never came back up."
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And this happens
time and time again.
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This lake seems to take people
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in one gulp.
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Lake Lanier is 26 miles long,
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it has 700 miles of shorefront.
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And it's tempting to
attribute the inordinate
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number of fatalities
to the size of the lake.
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The fact is,
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there are lakes of commensurate
size in Northern Georgia...
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that don't have half that number
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of fatalities or accidents.
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So, clearly, there is
something about Lake Lanier
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that is cause for alarm.
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Since the 1950s,
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it is estimated that
more than 600 people
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have lost their
lives in Lake Lanier.
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It is such a staggering
number of fatalities that,
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for decades, many
have come to believe
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that these waters may be cursed.
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Even though
there's a lot of people around,
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there's just some strange
vibe about the lake.
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I feel it's a majestic
body of water,
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but you can't deny that there's
something odd about Lake Lanier.
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When you
actually get into Lanier...
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you get a feeling
that you're not alone,
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when you should be alone.
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I don't feel like someone's
reaching out to grab me,
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but the water feels
thicker than it should.
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And what I mean by that is,
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a lady fell out of a boat,
and we actually witnessed it.
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And we ran over there and
pulled her out of the water
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and she was very
upset, and she said,
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"I'm so embarrassed,"
and I said,
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"Don't worry, we see
people do this all the time."
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And she said, "No,
you don't understand.
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I'm a lifeguard."
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And she said just when she
found herself in that water,
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it was just like molasses.
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So all the things that
we see in this lake,
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it finally got so bad and
scared the locals so much,
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that we think
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maybe we're just stuck with
a curse we have to live with.
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Could the numerous fatalities
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that have taken
place at Lake Lanier
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be the result of a curse?
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It may sound
far-fetched to some.
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But for decades, researchers
have been examining
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the possibility that Lake Lanier
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could be harboring
the power to inflict harm.
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And according to
their investigations,
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it may have something to do
with the history of Lake Lanier.
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Lake Lanier
is the largest lake in Georgia.
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It's a man-made lake
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meant to provide water and power
to the surrounding communities.
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They actually made
it by flooding a valley
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that had a town
in it, Oscarville.
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So, they had to relocate
the people that lived there
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and then they just drowned
the entire town under water.
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Oscarville wasn't the only town
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that was affected by the
building of Lake Lanier.
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In the 1940s and 50s, the
U.S. government acquired
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the rights to more than
56,000 acres of land in Forsyth,
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Hall and Dawson counties
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to make room for
the 38,000-acre lake
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and more than 700
miles of shoreline.
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This included
several small towns,
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and the remains of
these communities
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are still submerged beneath
the surface of Lake Lanier.
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When they built the lake,
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they left tons of
structure in the water.
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We've got concrete,
roads, bridges.
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We've got a
racetrack under there.
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We've got standing timber
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that stands as high as 40,
60, 70 feet from the bottom.
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There seems to be
a great deal of debris in the water,
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so it's not an ideal
place for people
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to be swimming or boating,
or jet skiing, or partying.
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The fact is, it's a
dangerous place.
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Authorities claim that
many people drown in Lake Lanier
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because they get
caught in the debris
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lurking beneath its surface.
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But researchers
studying the lake
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believe this is only
part of the story.
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And that the source
of the dark force
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drawing people down
into its murky depths
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is a Native American
burial ground
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that was submerged by
the lake's construction.
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Back in 2007 there was a
drought and the water went way low.
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And because of that,
they found an area
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called the Summerour
Mound, Indian Mounds.
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It's considered a sacred area
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that belonged to the
Native Americans,
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the Creeks and the Cherokees.
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Lake Lanier was built by
the Army Corps of Engineers,
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and according to the
Army Corps of Engineers,
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they removed all the bodies
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while they were
creating Lake Lanier.
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But back when they
were building these lakes,
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they didn't have
ground-penetrating equipment.
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So there's a great likelihood
that there are bodies
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of the Native Americans
under the waters of Lake Lanier.
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Could the presence
of Native American remains
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beneath Lake Lanier
have a connection
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to the unusual number of
accidental deaths there?
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Has the Native American
belief in the power
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of ancestral spirits
cursed Lake Lanier?
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Certainly among Native American
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traditions, we have a widespread
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belief in curses, particularly
land-based curses.
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And this connects to an
overall sort of belief in animism,
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that the material world is
infused with spiritual aspects.
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Now, many Native American
traditions have long-standing,
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very deep beliefs about
how to treat dead bodies
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and how not to disturb them
and how not to disturb burial sites.
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The desecration of those is
held in Native communities
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to bring on a lot of
bad spiritual energy.
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Is it possible that Lake Lanier
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is home to dark
spiritual energy?
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Perhaps.
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But what's most surprising
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is that even though
this lake may be cursed,
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people continue to
enter its waters every day.
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There's world-class
divers that will not dive Lake Lanier.
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We have 11 to 14
million people a year
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that are coming here
and taking their chances
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in spite of the fact that
there has been somewhere
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between 600 and 700
drownings on this lake.
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I'm not saying
that there's a curse,
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but I'm saying there's
definitely some bad energy.
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And if it's not cursed,
maybe it should be.
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Can disturbing the
sanctity of human remains
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actually unleash a deadly curse?
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Well, there are
those who believe that
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when archaeologists tampered
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with the tomb of
an ancient warlord,
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they triggered one
that was so strong,
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it changed the course
of human history.
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Near the center of
this ancient city in Central Asia,
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is a mausoleum
known as Gur-e Amir.
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It is also known as
the Tomb of the King...
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because inside
its magnificent dome
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lie the remains of
one of the most feared
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rulers in history.
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Tamerlane the Great.
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Tamerlane was often
credited as being the last of the great
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Asiatic conquerors in
the mold of Genghis Khan.
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He started off basically
as a minor tribal leader
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and then he embarked
upon a 35-year career
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of constant war and conquest...
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during which
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he's often credited with
exterminating five percent
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of the world's population.
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Tamerlane was very adept
at psychological warfare
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and putting his adversary
on the wrong foot.
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His most chilling battlefield
signature was the erection of
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large numbers of towers around
the city he'd just conquered.
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And these towers were made
up from the decapitated heads...
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of the victims of
the latest conquest.
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A really awful warning
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to anyone else who
might think about rebelling.
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"This is the fate
that awaits you
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"if you even think
about any opposition.
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I will destroy you
and destroy your city."
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In 1405, Tamerlane
died of a fever at the age of 69.
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By that time, his empire
stretched from Siberia
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to the Mediterranean Sea.
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But some claim
that even in death,
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Tamerlane wasn't finished
exerting his power on the world
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because his tomb is
believed to be protected
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by a deadly curse.
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Certain people attain
that level of, you know,
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absolutely terrifying,
vicious person.
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Something is evil in
them, so when they die,
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whatever it is that
makes them evil,
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a lot of people
think it still exists.
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00:11:11,208 --> 00:11:12,458
And where would it be?
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It would be
wherever the body is,
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so in the tomb of Tamerlane...
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would be this evil presence
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that's now still
terrifying in his death.
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For centuries,
Tamerlane's tomb was untouched
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00:11:24,708 --> 00:11:27,500
by archaeologists,
for fear of unleashing
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00:11:27,667 --> 00:11:29,875
the dark forces inside.
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But 80 years ago, his
tomb was finally disturbed,
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00:11:35,333 --> 00:11:37,173
and there are those
who believe that it set off
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a chain of events that
changed the course of history.
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00:11:50,208 --> 00:11:52,792
Under the orders of Soviet
dictator Joseph Stalin,
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00:11:52,875 --> 00:11:57,500
Russian archaeologists
enter Tamerlane's mausoleum
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00:11:57,583 --> 00:11:59,958
and open his tomb.
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00:12:01,125 --> 00:12:03,042
Stalin was
interested in the clues
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00:12:03,167 --> 00:12:04,958
behind Tamerlane's greatness.
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00:12:05,042 --> 00:12:08,958
Tamerlane was such an
incredibly powerful man...
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00:12:10,167 --> 00:12:12,750
whose career had been
one of bloodshed and savagery.
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00:12:12,875 --> 00:12:15,083
And Stalin wanted to
send a very strong message
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that he was a
20th-century equivalent.
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00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:21,500
When the expedition
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00:12:21,625 --> 00:12:23,292
arrived on-site, they were told,
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00:12:23,375 --> 00:12:26,708
"Tamerlane's tomb has remained
undisturbed for centuries."
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00:12:27,667 --> 00:12:29,167
And not to open the tomb,
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00:12:29,250 --> 00:12:32,250
that if they did, something
terrible would happen.
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Of course, the expedition
proceeded to open the tomb...
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00:12:40,042 --> 00:12:44,000
and this very powerful
smell of frankincense,
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of rose oil and camphor suddenly
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00:12:47,875 --> 00:12:50,333
burst forth and
envelops the expedition.
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00:12:50,458 --> 00:12:54,333
Some of the members of the
expedition believe that it was
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00:12:54,458 --> 00:12:55,875
the smell of a curse.
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00:12:57,042 --> 00:12:58,282
There are, supposedly,
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two inscriptions on
the tomb of Tamerlane.
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00:13:01,625 --> 00:13:03,750
The first inscription reads:
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00:13:09,667 --> 00:13:11,750
The second inscription read:
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And that's an indication
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this is a sacred resting place.
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00:13:21,875 --> 00:13:24,167
This is not somewhere
to be trifled with.
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It was not something that-that
should even be entertained.
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00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:29,583
The body was removed
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00:13:29,708 --> 00:13:32,000
and it was taken
back to Leningrad
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where the remains
were being studied
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at that point in time.
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00:13:35,375 --> 00:13:36,917
One of the things
that was in the paper
251
00:13:37,042 --> 00:13:40,000
was a picture of a
Soviet archaeologist
252
00:13:40,125 --> 00:13:42,333
holding the skull of Tamerlane.
253
00:13:43,333 --> 00:13:45,875
And in the article
accompanying this,
254
00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:48,125
there is a reference that
255
00:13:48,208 --> 00:13:52,042
there were locals who
were disturbed about this.
256
00:13:54,875 --> 00:13:56,792
On June 22, 1941,
257
00:13:56,875 --> 00:14:00,292
two days after Tamerlane's
tomb was opened,
258
00:14:00,417 --> 00:14:02,667
Russia was hit with
a surprise attack
259
00:14:02,833 --> 00:14:04,792
by Germany, its supposed ally.
260
00:14:04,875 --> 00:14:09,875
Over three million Nazi
troops marched into Russia
261
00:14:10,042 --> 00:14:13,292
in the most massive
invasion in history.
262
00:14:13,417 --> 00:14:15,292
Nazi Germany invaded
the Soviet Union
263
00:14:15,417 --> 00:14:16,833
without any warning.
264
00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:21,125
Up until then, there had
been a pact of nonaggression,
265
00:14:21,208 --> 00:14:24,500
so this came as quite a
surprise to the Soviet Union.
266
00:14:24,625 --> 00:14:28,458
The Nazis called this surprise
attack Operation Barbarossa.
267
00:14:28,542 --> 00:14:32,292
And they were very swift and
overwhelming in their attacks,
268
00:14:32,375 --> 00:14:37,375
and they managed to get
very far into the Soviet Union,
269
00:14:37,500 --> 00:14:40,583
rather quickly, causing
great devastation
270
00:14:40,708 --> 00:14:43,083
and loss of life to the Soviets.
271
00:14:44,292 --> 00:14:48,375
Tamerlane's body is removed
from its tomb on the 20th,
272
00:14:48,542 --> 00:14:53,500
and the Eastern Front
erupts in flames two days later.
273
00:14:56,292 --> 00:14:59,000
Remember, there was a curse.
274
00:14:59,083 --> 00:15:03,667
"Whosoever will disturb
my tomb will unleash
275
00:15:03,750 --> 00:15:07,042
an invader worse than I."
276
00:15:08,208 --> 00:15:11,167
So a lot of people would
say the synchronicity
277
00:15:11,292 --> 00:15:15,375
between the removal of
Tamerlane's body from his tomb
278
00:15:15,542 --> 00:15:20,333
and the launching of
Operation Barbarossa
279
00:15:20,458 --> 00:15:21,667
isn't an accident.
280
00:15:24,292 --> 00:15:27,167
As German troops
continued to overpower Russian forces,
281
00:15:27,250 --> 00:15:30,000
Stalin's advisors
began to question
282
00:15:30,125 --> 00:15:34,583
if the curse of Tamerlane's
tomb had been unleashed.
283
00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:38,000
They urged him to return
Tamerlane's remains
284
00:15:38,125 --> 00:15:40,708
to Uzbekistan in
the desperate hope
285
00:15:40,833 --> 00:15:43,583
that it would turn
the tide of battle.
286
00:15:44,792 --> 00:15:47,833
And to their astonishment...
287
00:15:47,958 --> 00:15:49,833
it worked.
288
00:15:49,917 --> 00:15:51,500
Tamerlane's remains
are put back in,
289
00:15:51,583 --> 00:15:53,083
in December of 1942.
290
00:15:54,292 --> 00:15:55,708
But the whole course of the war
291
00:15:55,833 --> 00:15:59,000
at the Eastern Front changes
292
00:15:59,125 --> 00:16:02,583
and from that point
on, it's just one long
293
00:16:02,708 --> 00:16:04,833
nightmare retreat
for the Germans
294
00:16:04,917 --> 00:16:09,208
back to Berlin in April 1945.
295
00:16:10,708 --> 00:16:13,708
Is it possible that returning
Tamerlane's remains to his tomb
296
00:16:13,875 --> 00:16:15,375
broke the curse that triggered
297
00:16:15,500 --> 00:16:17,917
Hitler's invasion of
the Soviet Union?
298
00:16:18,042 --> 00:16:22,625
For many, the evidence
is hard to ignore.
299
00:16:24,333 --> 00:16:25,958
I think for those who subscribe
300
00:16:26,042 --> 00:16:28,083
to what we call the
Curse of Tamerlane,
301
00:16:28,208 --> 00:16:30,292
there are these two
great coincidences.
302
00:16:30,417 --> 00:16:32,125
Coincidence one,
303
00:16:32,250 --> 00:16:34,393
the tomb is opened against
all the objections of the Uzbeks,
304
00:16:34,417 --> 00:16:37,250
Hitler invades the Soviet Union.
305
00:16:38,250 --> 00:16:39,667
Coincidence number two,
306
00:16:39,792 --> 00:16:43,000
Tamerlane is reinterred
with full burial rights,
307
00:16:43,125 --> 00:16:44,417
Hitler is defeated.
308
00:16:44,542 --> 00:16:46,083
So it comes full circle.
309
00:16:46,208 --> 00:16:49,083
Two coincidences, or two proofs
310
00:16:49,208 --> 00:16:51,792
that the curse was
absolutely for real.
311
00:16:51,875 --> 00:16:53,000
Take your pick.
312
00:16:54,083 --> 00:16:56,625
The idea that the curse
of Tamerlane's tomb
313
00:16:56,750 --> 00:17:00,333
somehow brought about
the Nazi invasion of Russia
314
00:17:00,458 --> 00:17:03,542
is unsettling, to say the least.
315
00:17:03,708 --> 00:17:07,542
But curses that don't have
such far-reaching implications
316
00:17:07,667 --> 00:17:09,000
are no less alarming.
317
00:17:09,083 --> 00:17:12,333
Consider the case of
a hotel in Los Angeles
318
00:17:12,458 --> 00:17:15,833
where, for decades, there were
dozens of guests who checked in,
319
00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:18,167
but never checked out.
320
00:17:26,250 --> 00:17:29,333
Numerous
guests staying at the Cecil Hotel
321
00:17:29,500 --> 00:17:33,042
file complaints about
low water pressure.
322
00:17:33,958 --> 00:17:35,208
A maintenance worker
323
00:17:35,375 --> 00:17:36,855
is dispatched to
check the water tanks
324
00:17:36,917 --> 00:17:39,000
located on the hotel's roof
325
00:17:39,125 --> 00:17:41,833
where he makes a
shocking discovery.
326
00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:46,750
Floating facedown in
one of the water tanks
327
00:17:46,875 --> 00:17:48,917
is the decomposing body
328
00:17:49,042 --> 00:17:53,208
of 21-year-old hotel
guest, Elisa Lam.
329
00:17:55,708 --> 00:17:57,083
On the last day of 2012,
330
00:17:57,208 --> 00:17:58,458
New Year's Eve,
331
00:17:58,542 --> 00:18:00,083
was the last time
she was seen alive.
332
00:18:01,583 --> 00:18:04,458
Elisa Lam was caught by
the camera in the elevator.
333
00:18:05,667 --> 00:18:07,667
And then she disappears.
334
00:18:07,833 --> 00:18:09,167
The LAPD, they released
335
00:18:09,292 --> 00:18:11,583
a video of Elisa Lam
336
00:18:11,708 --> 00:18:15,750
and it's a really
bizarre, bizarre video.
337
00:18:17,083 --> 00:18:22,000
She's seen going in
and out of an elevator,
338
00:18:22,125 --> 00:18:24,875
she seems to be interacting
339
00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:28,083
or playing hide-and-seek
with someone.
340
00:18:28,208 --> 00:18:31,000
She's frantically, erratically,
341
00:18:31,083 --> 00:18:33,792
pushing all the
buttons in the elevator.
342
00:18:35,125 --> 00:18:38,875
And then, she was
found facedown...
343
00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:43,208
inside a sealed water tank
344
00:18:43,333 --> 00:18:45,375
at the roof of the hotel.
345
00:18:46,708 --> 00:18:49,250
After
conducting an investigation,
346
00:18:49,375 --> 00:18:52,000
the Los Angeles
County Coroner ruled
347
00:18:52,125 --> 00:18:55,625
that Elisa Lam's
death was an accident.
348
00:18:56,583 --> 00:18:59,667
But the bizarre circumstances
349
00:18:59,792 --> 00:19:02,667
surrounding her case led
some researchers to believe
350
00:19:02,792 --> 00:19:05,083
that something more
insidious had taken place.
351
00:19:05,208 --> 00:19:07,083
And that Elisa Lam was actually
352
00:19:07,208 --> 00:19:09,875
the latest victim
of a deadly curse
353
00:19:10,042 --> 00:19:13,250
that plagues the Cecil Hotel.
354
00:19:15,917 --> 00:19:18,875
Since it first opened in 1924,
355
00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:21,500
an alarming number of
people have taken their lives
356
00:19:21,625 --> 00:19:24,875
while staying there,
earning it the nickname
357
00:19:25,042 --> 00:19:26,833
"the Suicide Hotel."
358
00:19:28,542 --> 00:19:29,750
The Cecil Hotel
359
00:19:29,875 --> 00:19:31,458
is a Beaux Arts structure.
360
00:19:31,542 --> 00:19:35,583
It was built in the style
of grand American hotels.
361
00:19:36,667 --> 00:19:38,667
Back in its day, it
was quite beautiful,
362
00:19:38,792 --> 00:19:42,375
with columns, marble
floors, an expansive lobby,
363
00:19:42,542 --> 00:19:45,583
and it was intended to
be a very high-class hotel
364
00:19:45,708 --> 00:19:48,167
for an upwardly
mobile clientele.
365
00:19:49,875 --> 00:19:52,125
All hotels have deaths in them,
366
00:19:52,250 --> 00:19:54,750
but for some reason,
the Cecil Hotel
367
00:19:54,875 --> 00:19:57,542
seems to have far much
more than the average number.
368
00:19:57,708 --> 00:20:01,333
When I was doing my
research, I found 17 suicides
369
00:20:01,458 --> 00:20:05,000
within the newspaper
archives that linked to the hotel.
370
00:20:05,125 --> 00:20:06,458
And those are
just reported ones.
371
00:20:06,542 --> 00:20:08,000
Now, it doesn't
sound like a lot,
372
00:20:08,125 --> 00:20:09,833
but compared to
all the other hotels,
373
00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:14,167
I would find maybe one or
two, almost without exception.
374
00:20:14,292 --> 00:20:17,000
So it makes this
particular hotel stand out.
375
00:20:18,167 --> 00:20:21,458
The Cecil Hotel had
only been open a few short years...
376
00:20:22,542 --> 00:20:25,917
and the sheer number of suicides
377
00:20:26,042 --> 00:20:27,792
was already coming to a peak.
378
00:20:27,875 --> 00:20:32,583
W.K. Norton, he poisoned
himself in his room.
379
00:20:34,292 --> 00:20:38,542
And Army medic
Sergeant Louis D. Borden,
380
00:20:38,667 --> 00:20:42,833
he surgically slit his own
throat in the hotel room.
381
00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:45,875
The list of unexplained deaths
382
00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:49,167
goes on and on and on.
383
00:20:49,292 --> 00:20:51,500
And people were
like, thinking, "Wow,
384
00:20:51,625 --> 00:20:55,042
"could it be something
about the Cecil Hotel
385
00:20:55,208 --> 00:20:59,333
that triggered this kind
of insane behavior?"
386
00:21:00,417 --> 00:21:03,500
There are certain
places that seem to attract
387
00:21:03,583 --> 00:21:06,542
an inordinate amount
of violent activity.
388
00:21:07,792 --> 00:21:10,167
It's very easy for us to
talk in terms of coincidence
389
00:21:10,250 --> 00:21:13,000
when we're discussing curses.
390
00:21:13,083 --> 00:21:17,167
But if people hear that
there was an act of violence,
391
00:21:17,250 --> 00:21:21,042
suicide at a certain place,
392
00:21:21,167 --> 00:21:24,333
that seems to spark something
in the human imagination
393
00:21:24,458 --> 00:21:26,542
including in the
most negative sense.
394
00:21:26,708 --> 00:21:29,208
Hence, we have the phenomena of
395
00:21:29,375 --> 00:21:32,833
people being attracted
to certain spots.
396
00:21:34,583 --> 00:21:36,393
You might use the expression,
"I don't like the energy
397
00:21:36,417 --> 00:21:37,875
coming off of that place."
398
00:21:38,042 --> 00:21:39,500
We use it metaphorically,
399
00:21:39,583 --> 00:21:41,958
although there may be
something actual to it.
400
00:21:43,750 --> 00:21:47,500
What is it about
certain places such as the Cecil Hotel
401
00:21:47,667 --> 00:21:50,833
that causes people to
harm themselves or others?
402
00:21:52,250 --> 00:21:54,708
Could they really be cursed?
403
00:21:55,958 --> 00:21:58,833
Some researchers claim
that if there is a dark energy
404
00:21:58,958 --> 00:22:00,625
at the Cecil Hotel,
405
00:22:00,750 --> 00:22:04,333
it may have already
existed at this site
406
00:22:04,500 --> 00:22:06,708
long before the hotel was built.
407
00:22:08,500 --> 00:22:10,833
Another interesting aspect
of curses and cursed places
408
00:22:10,958 --> 00:22:13,417
particularly is that
there's always a reason
409
00:22:13,542 --> 00:22:16,083
of why this became cursed.
410
00:22:17,542 --> 00:22:19,708
So for example, in L.A.,
411
00:22:19,833 --> 00:22:21,708
this has been a
very contentious area
412
00:22:21,833 --> 00:22:24,458
for a long time, ever
since the initial colonization.
413
00:22:25,750 --> 00:22:29,792
So the local tribe, the
Tongva tribe, suffered greatly.
414
00:22:31,458 --> 00:22:34,750
They were pretty much
massacred at the hands
415
00:22:34,875 --> 00:22:37,500
of the Spanish colonists
who arrived in this area.
416
00:22:38,708 --> 00:22:42,750
Or later, in 1871, where they
have the Chinatown massacre
417
00:22:42,875 --> 00:22:45,458
where this was an
ethnic-driven violence
418
00:22:45,583 --> 00:22:48,792
perpetrated against the
Chinese community in L.A.
419
00:22:48,875 --> 00:22:51,875
that had been established
here, and it was horrific.
420
00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:56,417
The idea is that there's
a curse on this area
421
00:22:56,542 --> 00:22:58,667
that reflects these
atrocities and that
422
00:22:58,792 --> 00:23:00,833
the curse is not gonna be lifted
423
00:23:00,917 --> 00:23:03,917
as long as those atrocities
are not accounted for.
424
00:23:05,167 --> 00:23:08,667
Is it possible that
the dark history of the Cecil Hotel
425
00:23:08,750 --> 00:23:12,500
was caused by a violent
energy permeating the area?
426
00:23:13,458 --> 00:23:15,500
True or not,
427
00:23:15,625 --> 00:23:20,792
the Cecil Hotel nevertheless
closed its doors in 2017
428
00:23:20,875 --> 00:23:25,542
as a result of its
sinister reputation.
429
00:23:25,667 --> 00:23:27,250
A lot of people, of course,
430
00:23:27,375 --> 00:23:29,750
roll their eyes at
the idea of a curse.
431
00:23:31,458 --> 00:23:34,167
But if you gave a person
the option of spending
432
00:23:34,250 --> 00:23:37,250
a night alone in a place that
was rumored to be cursed,
433
00:23:37,375 --> 00:23:38,958
like the Cecil,
434
00:23:39,083 --> 00:23:42,167
most of the people who roll
their eyes would probably pause,
435
00:23:42,250 --> 00:23:45,667
given such a macabre history.
436
00:23:47,083 --> 00:23:51,208
Is it possible for a place to
be imbued with dark energy?
437
00:23:52,375 --> 00:23:55,292
In the case of the Cecil Hotel,
it certainly seems possible.
438
00:23:55,375 --> 00:23:58,250
But there are also
many who believe
439
00:23:58,375 --> 00:24:01,917
that objects can
carry curses, too.
440
00:24:02,042 --> 00:24:03,833
For instance,
there's a sports car
441
00:24:03,917 --> 00:24:06,583
that has a reputation
for killing its drivers,
442
00:24:06,708 --> 00:24:10,958
including one of the most
iconic movie stars of all time.
443
00:24:18,375 --> 00:24:20,333
At 5:45
in the afternoon,
444
00:24:20,417 --> 00:24:24,875
a brand-new 1955
Porsche 550 Spyder
445
00:24:25,042 --> 00:24:27,833
traveling west on US 466
446
00:24:27,917 --> 00:24:31,000
collides with an oncoming sedan.
447
00:24:33,042 --> 00:24:36,667
The impact instantly kills
the driver of the Porsche.
448
00:24:36,792 --> 00:24:38,458
News of the ill-fated accident
449
00:24:38,583 --> 00:24:42,125
sends shockwaves
around the world because...
450
00:24:43,333 --> 00:24:44,750
the driver was none other
451
00:24:44,875 --> 00:24:49,167
than the iconic American
actor James Dean.
452
00:24:50,750 --> 00:24:52,542
At the time of his death,
453
00:24:52,708 --> 00:24:55,625
James Dean was
definitely the one to watch.
454
00:24:56,750 --> 00:25:00,208
He had his debut
movie star performance
455
00:25:00,375 --> 00:25:02,500
in East of Eden,
456
00:25:02,583 --> 00:25:05,458
and he had two other
movies in the can,
457
00:25:05,542 --> 00:25:10,042
and he was launched
into becoming the face
458
00:25:10,208 --> 00:25:13,333
of rebellious Hollywood.
459
00:25:13,417 --> 00:25:15,958
But all that came
to a crashing end
460
00:25:16,042 --> 00:25:19,750
on September 30, 1955.
461
00:25:21,250 --> 00:25:23,875
James Dean's
death behind the wheel
462
00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:26,042
shocked friends and fans alike.
463
00:25:27,250 --> 00:25:28,458
Not only because the actor
464
00:25:28,583 --> 00:25:30,042
was such a rising
star at the time...
465
00:25:31,292 --> 00:25:33,958
but also because even
at his relatively young age,
466
00:25:34,042 --> 00:25:38,333
24-year-old Dean had
already proven himself to be
467
00:25:38,458 --> 00:25:40,667
an accomplished race car driver.
468
00:25:42,417 --> 00:25:46,458
When James Dean came to
Southern California in 1954,
469
00:25:46,542 --> 00:25:48,708
he entered the Palm
Springs Road Races
470
00:25:48,833 --> 00:25:50,792
as a novice driver.
471
00:25:53,625 --> 00:25:56,167
He won his race
472
00:25:56,292 --> 00:26:00,083
as a novice and qualified
for the Sunday main event
473
00:26:00,208 --> 00:26:02,042
against veteran drivers.
474
00:26:02,167 --> 00:26:05,875
He was a very serious
and aggressive competitor
475
00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:08,708
with a lot of skill
as a novice driver.
476
00:26:09,917 --> 00:26:12,542
James Dean's
reputation as a competent driver
477
00:26:12,667 --> 00:26:14,208
was so well known,
478
00:26:14,333 --> 00:26:16,018
that many found it
difficult to believe his death
479
00:26:16,042 --> 00:26:19,000
could have been the
result of poor driving.
480
00:26:19,167 --> 00:26:21,250
Over the years, some
people have claimed
481
00:26:21,375 --> 00:26:24,917
that there is only one possible
explanation for the crash.
482
00:26:25,042 --> 00:26:28,583
They believe that
James Dean's car
483
00:26:28,708 --> 00:26:30,708
was cursed.
484
00:26:32,917 --> 00:26:34,958
And as evidence of the curse,
485
00:26:35,042 --> 00:26:37,833
they point to a fateful
encounter that Dean had
486
00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:42,000
with a fellow actor shortly
before his untimely death.
487
00:26:43,333 --> 00:26:47,833
Two days after James Dean
purchased his Porsche Spyder,
488
00:26:47,917 --> 00:26:50,250
he was having dinner
with Alec Guinness.
489
00:26:51,542 --> 00:26:54,500
During the course of the dinner,
James Dean told Alec Guinness
490
00:26:54,583 --> 00:26:56,833
he had just purchased
a new Porsche Spyder.
491
00:26:56,917 --> 00:26:59,375
It was outside
in the parking lot
492
00:26:59,500 --> 00:27:02,708
and he wanted to
show him the new car.
493
00:27:02,875 --> 00:27:06,875
Alec Guinness, upon
setting eyes on that vehicle,
494
00:27:07,042 --> 00:27:09,667
he had a very strange reaction.
495
00:27:10,875 --> 00:27:15,625
Some strange thing came over
me, some almost different voice.
496
00:27:15,708 --> 00:27:17,292
And I said, "If you
get into that car,
497
00:27:17,417 --> 00:27:20,625
by 10:00 at night next
Thursday, you'll be dead."
498
00:27:22,583 --> 00:27:27,417
Five days after Alec
gave that warning to James Dean,
499
00:27:27,542 --> 00:27:31,625
James Dean died
in a head-on collision
500
00:27:31,708 --> 00:27:34,042
with the only other
vehicle on the road.
501
00:27:35,417 --> 00:27:37,708
Sir Alec Guinness recounted
502
00:27:37,875 --> 00:27:40,833
that as soon as he
laid eyes on the car,
503
00:27:40,917 --> 00:27:43,833
he felt a sense of evil
504
00:27:43,917 --> 00:27:46,750
emanating out of
the vehicle itself.
505
00:27:48,208 --> 00:27:52,708
Is it possible that James
Dean's car was possessed by evil?
506
00:27:52,875 --> 00:27:56,250
Well, if that's true, the
curse was apparently
507
00:27:56,375 --> 00:28:00,208
strong enough to survive
even after his tragic death.
508
00:28:01,375 --> 00:28:05,167
Because in the years following
James Dean's accident,
509
00:28:05,333 --> 00:28:10,333
several strange incidents
involving his car took place.
510
00:28:11,625 --> 00:28:15,833
The exterior of the car was
pretty much obliterated...
511
00:28:17,083 --> 00:28:21,333
but the chassis and the
engine block remained intact.
512
00:28:21,417 --> 00:28:23,875
Another race car enthusiast
513
00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:27,667
by the name of
Dr. William Eschrich
514
00:28:27,750 --> 00:28:31,000
took the engine block
from James Dean's car
515
00:28:31,125 --> 00:28:33,833
and put it into his own car.
516
00:28:33,958 --> 00:28:36,833
And then he parceled
out some of the parts
517
00:28:36,958 --> 00:28:39,417
to a good friend of
his and colleague,
518
00:28:39,542 --> 00:28:41,250
Dr. Troy McHenry.
519
00:28:42,417 --> 00:28:44,917
So Eschrich and McHenry
520
00:28:45,042 --> 00:28:47,875
are now driving their Porsches
521
00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:51,833
with James Dean
parts in the same race.
522
00:28:51,958 --> 00:28:53,958
Guess what happens next?
523
00:28:55,083 --> 00:28:58,333
McHenry loses
control of his Porsche
524
00:28:58,417 --> 00:29:02,958
and drives head-on into a
tree and dies at the scene.
525
00:29:03,875 --> 00:29:05,333
And Eschrich,
526
00:29:05,417 --> 00:29:10,500
he flips his car and
winds up severely injured
527
00:29:10,583 --> 00:29:12,417
in the same race.
528
00:29:14,708 --> 00:29:17,375
George Barris was a legendary
529
00:29:17,542 --> 00:29:19,875
car customizer in California.
530
00:29:20,042 --> 00:29:24,667
He got hold of the carcass
531
00:29:24,792 --> 00:29:27,583
of James Dean's Porsche Spyder
532
00:29:27,708 --> 00:29:30,333
and put it on display,
533
00:29:30,458 --> 00:29:34,083
and loaned it to the Los
Angeles Safety Council
534
00:29:34,208 --> 00:29:39,042
with the theme that
"Speed kills, drive safely."
535
00:29:40,708 --> 00:29:46,292
He told stories about how
individuals touched this car
536
00:29:46,375 --> 00:29:49,000
and injured themselves.
537
00:29:50,708 --> 00:29:53,476
The stories that
are from my father are really interesting.
538
00:29:53,500 --> 00:29:54,917
When the car was dropped off
539
00:29:55,042 --> 00:29:56,375
at the Barris Custom Shop
540
00:29:56,542 --> 00:29:58,268
in North Hollywood and
first came to the shop,
541
00:29:58,292 --> 00:30:00,667
his mechanic came
out to help him,
542
00:30:00,833 --> 00:30:02,000
you know, unload the car.
543
00:30:02,125 --> 00:30:04,125
It rolls and breaks his legs.
544
00:30:04,250 --> 00:30:06,083
Rolls over his legs
and breaks his legs.
545
00:30:07,125 --> 00:30:10,125
Incidents keep
happening and at that time,
546
00:30:10,208 --> 00:30:13,708
these stories that he's
telling us, it's concerning.
547
00:30:13,833 --> 00:30:15,153
And you could
tell he's realizing,
548
00:30:15,208 --> 00:30:18,333
"Hey, there's a
curse tied to this car.
549
00:30:18,458 --> 00:30:20,167
This is serious now."
550
00:30:21,708 --> 00:30:25,833
Is it possible that the
curse on James Dean's car lived on,
551
00:30:25,917 --> 00:30:29,167
even after it had been
wrecked and salvaged for parts?
552
00:30:30,125 --> 00:30:32,083
It's an unsettling notion.
553
00:30:32,208 --> 00:30:34,958
So disturbing in fact,
that some people believe
554
00:30:35,083 --> 00:30:38,917
George Barris took
matters into his own hands.
555
00:30:41,542 --> 00:30:44,708
In 1960,
George Barris sent the car
556
00:30:44,875 --> 00:30:47,250
to a safety exhibit
in Miami, Florida.
557
00:30:48,375 --> 00:30:50,583
He said that when
the transporter
558
00:30:50,708 --> 00:30:54,333
came back to L.A.,
the car was missing.
559
00:30:54,458 --> 00:30:56,792
In all my research,
560
00:30:56,917 --> 00:31:00,792
we cannot find any
trace of the missing car.
561
00:31:00,917 --> 00:31:04,875
And looking at all
the speculation...
562
00:31:06,167 --> 00:31:08,417
revolving around the curse,
563
00:31:08,542 --> 00:31:12,875
I believe that George
Barris disposed of the car
564
00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:16,000
and it disappeared forever.
565
00:31:19,042 --> 00:31:22,042
The question of the curse
and the death of James Dean
566
00:31:22,167 --> 00:31:25,958
has been going on for 65 years.
567
00:31:26,917 --> 00:31:30,167
And looking at those
strange incidents,
568
00:31:30,333 --> 00:31:33,167
they may have been coincidences,
569
00:31:33,333 --> 00:31:37,167
or there may have
been an actual curse.
570
00:31:37,333 --> 00:31:40,417
Unfortunately, we'll never know.
571
00:31:42,708 --> 00:31:45,125
Was it merely a coincidence
that several people
572
00:31:45,208 --> 00:31:48,875
who came into contact
with James Dean's car
573
00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:50,833
were harmed, and two even died?
574
00:31:50,958 --> 00:31:53,833
Or is it possible
that this vehicle
575
00:31:53,958 --> 00:31:56,458
was actually a cursed object?
576
00:31:56,542 --> 00:31:59,375
Perhaps the answer can
be found by examining
577
00:31:59,542 --> 00:32:01,833
a collection of artifacts
578
00:32:01,917 --> 00:32:04,792
believed to contain
such dangerous energies
579
00:32:04,875 --> 00:32:08,000
that they are kept
under lock and key.
580
00:32:13,417 --> 00:32:15,333
Just outside the city,
581
00:32:15,458 --> 00:32:19,292
on a normal suburban street
in an ordinary neighborhood
582
00:32:19,375 --> 00:32:23,208
is the home of Greg
and Dana Newkirk.
583
00:32:23,333 --> 00:32:26,167
From the outside, their
home is not much different
584
00:32:26,250 --> 00:32:27,833
from any other
house on the block.
585
00:32:27,958 --> 00:32:30,792
- Get some fork action going on.
- Yeah.
586
00:32:30,917 --> 00:32:32,333
But inside,
587
00:32:32,417 --> 00:32:36,375
it contains something
quite extraordinary.
588
00:32:36,500 --> 00:32:40,167
Because there is a room
in the basement that is filled
589
00:32:40,250 --> 00:32:42,458
with a collection
of strange objects
590
00:32:42,542 --> 00:32:45,917
sent by people from
all over the world
591
00:32:46,042 --> 00:32:47,375
that are believed to be...
592
00:32:48,542 --> 00:32:49,625
cursed.
593
00:32:50,792 --> 00:32:55,125
Greg and I lead normal
lives, and we go about our life
594
00:32:55,208 --> 00:32:57,042
the same way that
everyone else does.
595
00:32:57,167 --> 00:33:01,125
We just happen to be
caretakers for very strange objects.
596
00:33:02,292 --> 00:33:04,351
The way that we got started
collecting cursed objects
597
00:33:04,375 --> 00:33:05,708
was complete accident.
598
00:33:07,042 --> 00:33:09,542
It wasn't something
that we had set out to do.
599
00:33:09,667 --> 00:33:12,667
Never would have
imagined myself doing this.
600
00:33:12,833 --> 00:33:15,667
We were just interested
in-in general weirdness.
601
00:33:17,833 --> 00:33:21,458
My wife and I investigate all
manner of high strangeness.
602
00:33:22,792 --> 00:33:26,917
And we were both very interested
in the idea of cursed objects.
603
00:33:27,042 --> 00:33:29,833
We slowly gained a
reputation as being
604
00:33:29,958 --> 00:33:31,667
particularly good
people for this.
605
00:33:31,750 --> 00:33:35,125
And so anytime anyone
had a problem with an artifact,
606
00:33:35,250 --> 00:33:36,500
they would come to us and say,
607
00:33:36,625 --> 00:33:38,167
"I don't know
what to do with this.
608
00:33:38,250 --> 00:33:39,833
"This thing is
affecting my life.
609
00:33:40,000 --> 00:33:41,417
"Will you just take
it off my hands?
610
00:33:41,542 --> 00:33:43,208
"It'd be easier to
just give it to you
611
00:33:43,375 --> 00:33:44,542
and let you deal with it."
612
00:33:44,667 --> 00:33:46,542
And so we built
up this collection
613
00:33:46,708 --> 00:33:48,208
of very bizarre things.
614
00:33:49,917 --> 00:33:52,958
Visitors to the Newkirks'
home are given ample warning
615
00:33:53,042 --> 00:33:57,667
that the basement is filled
with objects that are cursed.
616
00:33:57,833 --> 00:34:01,292
We have a lot of
haunted robes...
617
00:34:01,375 --> 00:34:03,208
But curiously, every day,
618
00:34:03,333 --> 00:34:04,875
the Newkirks receive requests
619
00:34:05,000 --> 00:34:09,417
from people who are eager
to view their cursed collection.
620
00:34:09,542 --> 00:34:12,375
You'd think with cursed
objects, you want to avoid them.
621
00:34:12,500 --> 00:34:15,000
But there is a draw to them.
622
00:34:15,125 --> 00:34:17,000
When an object is
said to be cursed,
623
00:34:17,167 --> 00:34:18,647
another word you
can use is "special."
624
00:34:18,708 --> 00:34:20,667
It's special. If this
chair is cursed,
625
00:34:20,792 --> 00:34:23,625
it's different from every
other chair in the world.
626
00:34:23,750 --> 00:34:25,792
And that makes it unique,
that makes it interesting,
627
00:34:25,917 --> 00:34:27,875
and that draws our
attention every single time.
628
00:34:28,042 --> 00:34:29,917
And the fact that
that specialness
629
00:34:30,042 --> 00:34:31,500
is that it hurts people,
630
00:34:31,625 --> 00:34:33,333
that appeals to a
certain macabre,
631
00:34:33,458 --> 00:34:35,250
a streak that we all
have as human beings.
632
00:34:37,375 --> 00:34:41,250
People think of cursed
objects as being kind of fun and spooky.
633
00:34:41,375 --> 00:34:43,083
But working with them,
634
00:34:43,208 --> 00:34:46,250
it feels a lot less about
that and a lot more about
635
00:34:46,375 --> 00:34:48,125
that kind of heavy
responsibility
636
00:34:48,208 --> 00:34:50,583
to keep some of
these objects with us
637
00:34:50,708 --> 00:34:53,500
under lock and key and
maybe out of the wrong hands.
638
00:34:54,458 --> 00:34:56,333
And maybe in a
place that's safer
639
00:34:56,500 --> 00:34:58,708
not only for everyone
else but for them.
640
00:35:00,292 --> 00:35:01,833
The Newkirks' collection
641
00:35:01,917 --> 00:35:03,851
includes several objects
that are considered to have
642
00:35:03,875 --> 00:35:08,417
the power to inflict harm on
anyone who comes near them.
643
00:35:09,500 --> 00:35:12,792
This is the cursed deer skull.
644
00:35:12,917 --> 00:35:15,500
We drove down to Nashville
to pick up from a woman
645
00:35:15,625 --> 00:35:18,417
who saw this in an antique store
646
00:35:18,542 --> 00:35:20,500
and took it back to her office,
647
00:35:20,625 --> 00:35:22,958
and almost immediately,
her employees
648
00:35:23,042 --> 00:35:24,458
started getting sick.
649
00:35:24,542 --> 00:35:26,292
One of her employees
was hit by a car.
650
00:35:26,375 --> 00:35:30,042
And then, the wall that
this was hanging on,
651
00:35:30,167 --> 00:35:33,208
actually fell down and took
half of the building with it.
652
00:35:34,708 --> 00:35:37,708
There are certain
objects specifically in our museum that,
653
00:35:37,833 --> 00:35:39,000
without people knowing
654
00:35:39,125 --> 00:35:40,875
why they feel the
way that they feel...
655
00:35:42,125 --> 00:35:45,833
they will definitely have
heart palpitations, anxiety.
656
00:35:45,958 --> 00:35:48,125
We've had people almost faint,
657
00:35:48,208 --> 00:35:49,875
we've had people throw up,
658
00:35:50,000 --> 00:35:51,333
we've had people dry heave.
659
00:35:52,375 --> 00:35:54,333
People have very
visceral physical reactions
660
00:35:54,458 --> 00:35:56,625
to being around
some of the objects.
661
00:35:59,917 --> 00:36:02,583
Among the cursed
objects in the Newkirks' collection
662
00:36:02,708 --> 00:36:05,292
is a deadly ring that is claimed
663
00:36:05,375 --> 00:36:08,000
to kill anyone who wears it,
664
00:36:08,125 --> 00:36:11,667
a Bible used during
a failed exorcism,
665
00:36:11,792 --> 00:36:17,250
and a doll that is believed to
spread illness wherever it goes.
666
00:36:18,542 --> 00:36:21,375
But of all the cursed objects
the Newkirks have come across,
667
00:36:21,500 --> 00:36:24,667
there is one that
is so harrowing,
668
00:36:24,750 --> 00:36:26,792
they refused to keep
it in their collection.
669
00:36:26,917 --> 00:36:32,375
It is an unsettling wooden
effigy known as the Crone.
670
00:36:32,542 --> 00:36:35,375
The
Crone really is the definition
671
00:36:35,500 --> 00:36:37,667
of kind of a cursed object.
672
00:36:37,750 --> 00:36:40,333
It is a carved
statue of a woman.
673
00:36:40,458 --> 00:36:42,958
Someone at some point in time
674
00:36:43,083 --> 00:36:46,292
took this object and attached
the noose and the nails.
675
00:36:47,458 --> 00:36:50,875
It was given to us by
some hikers who found it
676
00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:54,417
in the Catskills, off the
beaten path in a cave.
677
00:36:55,708 --> 00:36:58,958
They took it home and
initially started to experience
678
00:36:59,042 --> 00:37:00,417
really frightening things.
679
00:37:00,542 --> 00:37:03,500
Their animals were
behaving strangely,
680
00:37:03,583 --> 00:37:05,423
they were finding wet
footprints on the ground,
681
00:37:05,542 --> 00:37:07,625
and they didn't know what to do.
682
00:37:07,750 --> 00:37:10,000
Someone who we had
worked with previously
683
00:37:10,125 --> 00:37:11,792
put them in contact with us,
684
00:37:11,875 --> 00:37:14,667
and after, you know, having
some communication with them,
685
00:37:14,792 --> 00:37:16,875
they-they sent the Crone to us.
686
00:37:18,125 --> 00:37:20,917
People
who would get near the Crone,
687
00:37:21,042 --> 00:37:24,000
they would be just
overwhelmed with anxiety.
688
00:37:25,208 --> 00:37:27,958
This guy came all
the way from Canada
689
00:37:28,042 --> 00:37:29,625
to come and see the Crone.
690
00:37:30,542 --> 00:37:32,875
He begged us to
take it out of the box.
691
00:37:34,125 --> 00:37:35,750
Almost immediately...
692
00:37:36,833 --> 00:37:38,513
his eyes roll up in
the back of his head
693
00:37:38,542 --> 00:37:41,083
and he starts to
bleed from his mouth.
694
00:37:41,208 --> 00:37:42,792
And he has a violent seizure.
695
00:37:42,875 --> 00:37:45,833
And he has to be taken
out by the paramedics.
696
00:37:45,917 --> 00:37:47,684
And that's when Dana
and I looked at each other
697
00:37:47,708 --> 00:37:49,875
and we said, "We have to
do something about this."
698
00:37:58,542 --> 00:38:01,167
After a string
of frightening incidents,
699
00:38:01,333 --> 00:38:03,000
Greg and Dana Newkirk
700
00:38:03,125 --> 00:38:06,042
are convinced that a strange
object in their possession,
701
00:38:06,208 --> 00:38:10,583
known as the Crone, is cursed.
702
00:38:12,375 --> 00:38:14,333
So they've traveled
to this remote region
703
00:38:14,458 --> 00:38:16,292
of Upstate New York
704
00:38:16,375 --> 00:38:19,667
to free themselves
of the evil object.
705
00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:23,625
The Crone is one of
the objects that does fall
706
00:38:23,750 --> 00:38:25,542
into that very small category
707
00:38:25,708 --> 00:38:28,167
of objects that we didn't
feel like we could handle.
708
00:38:29,542 --> 00:38:32,167
It got to a point where the
Crone was just too dangerous
709
00:38:32,292 --> 00:38:33,958
for even us to take care of.
710
00:38:34,042 --> 00:38:38,000
And what we wanted
to do was bring her back
711
00:38:38,125 --> 00:38:41,625
to the Catskills, which
is where she is from.
712
00:38:44,833 --> 00:38:46,667
To remove the Crone's curse,
713
00:38:46,750 --> 00:38:49,083
the Newkirks' plan
was to return to the area
714
00:38:49,208 --> 00:38:53,625
where it was originally found
by two hikers many years before.
715
00:38:54,708 --> 00:38:57,333
At which point, they
would remove the nails
716
00:38:57,417 --> 00:39:00,792
embedded in the Crone
in a cleansing ritual.
717
00:39:01,792 --> 00:39:04,583
We wanted to bring her back,
718
00:39:04,708 --> 00:39:06,458
and every time a
nail was pulled out,
719
00:39:06,542 --> 00:39:08,375
the intention was
720
00:39:08,542 --> 00:39:10,708
that we were pulling that
curse out of the object.
721
00:39:12,583 --> 00:39:15,833
We hiked into the
woods for miles...
722
00:39:17,042 --> 00:39:19,750
and I set up a circle.
723
00:39:19,875 --> 00:39:21,708
The idea of setting up a circle
724
00:39:21,875 --> 00:39:24,500
was basically just to
create an energetic space
725
00:39:24,625 --> 00:39:26,458
for containing this ritual.
726
00:39:27,500 --> 00:39:29,167
And the whole time
we were doing this,
727
00:39:29,250 --> 00:39:30,958
we were hearing footsteps...
728
00:39:32,708 --> 00:39:34,375
and strange sounds
729
00:39:34,500 --> 00:39:36,917
that weren't animals
around our circle,
730
00:39:37,042 --> 00:39:38,500
but...
731
00:39:38,583 --> 00:39:41,083
we couldn't see anything.
732
00:39:42,667 --> 00:39:44,500
We were absolutely terrified,
733
00:39:44,583 --> 00:39:46,583
but we start
performing the ritual.
734
00:39:46,708 --> 00:39:48,417
I pull the nails out.
735
00:39:48,542 --> 00:39:50,708
As soon as that happens,
736
00:39:50,875 --> 00:39:53,750
we feel this almost electric pop
737
00:39:53,875 --> 00:39:55,167
in the air.
738
00:39:56,667 --> 00:39:59,333
When we were done,
every coyote on the mountain
739
00:39:59,458 --> 00:40:00,792
just started howling.
740
00:40:00,875 --> 00:40:03,750
And the ritual was finished
741
00:40:03,875 --> 00:40:07,333
and what we were looking
at was just a block of wood.
742
00:40:07,500 --> 00:40:08,667
And we just kind of knew
743
00:40:08,833 --> 00:40:11,167
that we had done what
we went there to do.
744
00:40:12,792 --> 00:40:15,042
Scholars of religion
have long known
745
00:40:15,167 --> 00:40:16,625
the power of ritual,
746
00:40:16,708 --> 00:40:18,417
that when a group
of people get together
747
00:40:18,542 --> 00:40:20,667
and engage in the
same set of actions,
748
00:40:20,750 --> 00:40:23,500
believing that there's a
supernatural origin behind them,
749
00:40:23,625 --> 00:40:25,250
that brings people together.
750
00:40:26,458 --> 00:40:29,500
And so, special movements
that you need to go through,
751
00:40:29,625 --> 00:40:32,208
special sayings or songs
that you need to do...
752
00:40:33,792 --> 00:40:36,500
it's incredibly
powerful phenomena
753
00:40:36,667 --> 00:40:39,333
that can help rid
us of the devil...
754
00:40:39,458 --> 00:40:42,542
or whatever other
force has cursed us.
755
00:40:43,708 --> 00:40:46,458
Is it possible
that ritually cleansing
756
00:40:46,583 --> 00:40:49,125
the Crone removed its curse?
757
00:40:49,208 --> 00:40:51,333
Perhaps.
758
00:40:51,500 --> 00:40:53,667
But of course, it all depends on
759
00:40:53,792 --> 00:40:57,542
whether you believe curses
are real in the first place.
760
00:40:57,667 --> 00:40:59,000
Whether you believe
761
00:40:59,167 --> 00:41:01,833
in cursed objects or don't
believe in cursed objects,
762
00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:04,083
they can still have
a power over you.
763
00:41:05,625 --> 00:41:07,458
What that power is,
764
00:41:07,583 --> 00:41:10,833
to what extent that is,
how it kind of comes out?
765
00:41:12,333 --> 00:41:14,250
Who knows?
766
00:41:14,375 --> 00:41:15,393
But they're still
powerful objects,
767
00:41:15,417 --> 00:41:16,750
no matter how you look at it.
768
00:41:18,167 --> 00:41:20,226
For people
who don't believe in curses,
769
00:41:20,250 --> 00:41:22,375
what I would say is,
770
00:41:22,542 --> 00:41:23,833
keep believing they're not real.
771
00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:27,333
That's the best defense
you have against a curse,
772
00:41:27,458 --> 00:41:29,708
is to not feed it.
773
00:41:30,708 --> 00:41:33,167
So, what's your take on this?
774
00:41:33,250 --> 00:41:34,875
Are curses real?
775
00:41:35,000 --> 00:41:37,000
Or is it simply
human nature to look for
776
00:41:37,083 --> 00:41:40,208
a supernatural explanation
when bad things happen?
777
00:41:40,333 --> 00:41:44,250
Well, until we know for sure,
it might be wise to avoid
778
00:41:44,375 --> 00:41:47,292
those so-called
cursed places and objects.
779
00:41:47,375 --> 00:41:49,125
Let them remain...
780
00:41:50,417 --> 00:41:51,792
unexplained.
781
00:41:51,917 --> 00:41:53,875
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