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SHATNER: An ordinary day
that many believe to be
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the most dangerous of the year.
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A lake that swallows people...
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[muffled yelling]
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...into a bottomless abyss.
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And a priceless diamond
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that brings death
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to every man that touches it.
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Can places, things,
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or even people
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actually be cursed?
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There are those who insist
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that not only
do curses exist, but
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that these dark forces are
actually lurking all around us.
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So, how do we get rid of them?
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Well...
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that is what we'll try
and find out.
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♪
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SHATNER:
Hunterdon County, New Jersey.
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Nestled beside the sleepy
suburbs of Clinton Township
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lies Round Valley Reservoir.
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First formed in 1960
as a primary water source,
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this man-made lake
is beloved by locals
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for its great fishing
and scenic views.
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But many believe
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this idyllic watering hole
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conceals a deadly secret.
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For more than 40 years,
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people have been disappearing
in Round Valley Reservoir.
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And not just a few.
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More than two dozen men
have been lost
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beneath these placid waters,
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never to be seen again.
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Locals do believe
that this lake is cursed,
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and it's easy to understand why,
with so many tragic deaths
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00:02:04,137 --> 00:02:06,448
surrounding it
in just about 40 years.
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00:02:08,448 --> 00:02:11,103
And while I can't be sure
if it's cursed,
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there's always one thing
that's given me the chills.
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I heard someone say
that when one body is found
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at Round Valley Reservoir,
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another quickly replaces it.
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We don't even know for sure how
many bodies there really are.
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00:02:26,724 --> 00:02:28,620
[indistinct radio chatter]
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00:02:30,586 --> 00:02:32,620
When I worked in news,
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00:02:32,724 --> 00:02:35,689
I would hear the police scanner
crackle to life
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with "Round Valley,"
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"fishermen," "trouble,"
"boat," or
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- "Somebody has gone
under the water." - [muffled yelling]
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It's a creepy, horrible feeling
when you hear this,
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because you know that
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90% of the time,
this is not going to end well.
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I can't explain
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why these people at the bottom
of the lake haven't been found,
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00:02:59,931 --> 00:03:02,379
especially after searching
for them
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00:03:02,482 --> 00:03:05,137
with such a degree of intensity.
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00:03:05,241 --> 00:03:08,931
Even after bringing in
cadaver-sniffing dogs,
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00:03:09,034 --> 00:03:11,379
using sonar technology
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and submarines to crawl
the lake, there was no sign.
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00:03:15,310 --> 00:03:17,551
It's almost as if some
of these people disappeared
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00:03:17,655 --> 00:03:19,275
without a trace.
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00:03:19,379 --> 00:03:21,275
And an interesting thing,
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00:03:21,379 --> 00:03:23,758
if you're looking
for bones in Round Valley,
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is that you aren't necessarily
going to find a fisherman
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who disappeared 13 years ago.
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You may find a bone
that was in the ground
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long before Round Valley
became a reservoir.
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SHATNER:
Bones from a time before Round Valley became a reservoir?
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There are some who believe
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that these bones may have been
the very reason
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00:03:48,137 --> 00:03:51,551
the bodies of those
who have disappeared here
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00:03:51,655 --> 00:03:53,620
have never been found,
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and that the lake's refusal
to give up its victims
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is actually an act of revenge.
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00:04:04,379 --> 00:04:06,689
There was a town here once.
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00:04:06,793 --> 00:04:11,241
For centuries, people put down
roots in this valley.
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00:04:11,344 --> 00:04:13,758
It was very fertile
and rich farmland.
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There were thousands of acres.
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00:04:15,413 --> 00:04:17,379
And people grew their own food.
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00:04:17,482 --> 00:04:19,000
They raised their animals.
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00:04:19,103 --> 00:04:23,206
Then, in the 1950s, there was
a drought in New Jersey.
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And they needed a source of
water for, predominantly, Newark
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but the surrounding area
as well.
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00:04:30,586 --> 00:04:33,275
And so, they had
to fill in somewhere,
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and Round Valley, they believed,
was the best choice.
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People were opposed
to the reservoir being built.
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It was a small farming
community, very close-knit,
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and no one wanted
to leave their homes.
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Most of the homes were
eventually erased or moved.
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KIRILUK-HILL:
Their homes were either torn down
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00:04:52,379 --> 00:04:54,689
or they were put on flatbeds
and taken out of the valley.
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00:04:54,793 --> 00:04:58,448
And that construction started
on the reservoir.
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00:04:58,551 --> 00:05:02,448
In the 1960s,
they started filling it.
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00:05:02,551 --> 00:05:06,275
There was a lot
of bad feeling here when,
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00:05:06,379 --> 00:05:09,275
when the-the landowners
were pushed out of their valley.
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00:05:10,620 --> 00:05:13,551
Did these ill feelings
carry over?
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00:05:13,655 --> 00:05:16,517
There are people
who will say, "Yes, they did."
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00:05:16,620 --> 00:05:18,137
There are people who come here
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00:05:18,241 --> 00:05:19,655
who think the town
is still here.
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They still think
they see that church steeple
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00:05:22,448 --> 00:05:24,931
and that barn silo
underneath the water.
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Are they seeing it?
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Not really.
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They were torn down.
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But the foundations were left
in place.
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Of course,
there were fence posts.
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There were some things
left below.
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When you're at Round Valley,
you feel
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the spirit of the people
who came before you.
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There is a presence here
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that can make you feel
a little disconcerting.
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00:05:52,103 --> 00:05:54,413
Some local people
call Round Valley
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"the Bermuda Triangle
of New Jersey,"
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because as much
as this is a place
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00:06:01,137 --> 00:06:05,862
of great beauty
and great enjoyment,
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it-it's also a place
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where death happens
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really more than it should.
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SHATNER:
The idea that any body of water,
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let alone a man-made one
less than a century old,
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could somehow be imbued
with a deadly curse
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00:06:22,724 --> 00:06:24,965
seems far-fetched,
to say the least.
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And yet outlandish
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00:06:27,724 --> 00:06:31,827
and presumably
irrational notions such as these
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00:06:31,931 --> 00:06:35,620
have been held by nearly every
culture throughout history.
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00:06:35,724 --> 00:06:37,862
But why?
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We all are afraid of things,
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00:06:39,896 --> 00:06:42,413
and we would like
to be able to understand them,
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00:06:42,517 --> 00:06:45,482
if only to give a little
mental illusion of control
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00:06:45,586 --> 00:06:48,344
over things
that go bump in the night.
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00:06:48,448 --> 00:06:52,793
And so, we come up
with stories, and they help.
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They're entertaining
and maybe they're true.
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And then they get passed down
to children and grandchildren,
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and they gain authority
through time.
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00:07:01,862 --> 00:07:05,137
A curse has to be believed
in order for it to have power.
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00:07:05,241 --> 00:07:06,586
It's kind of like hypnosis.
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00:07:06,689 --> 00:07:08,551
You have to be willing
to go under hypnosis
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00:07:08,655 --> 00:07:10,413
in order for it
to actually be effective.
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00:07:10,517 --> 00:07:13,344
So maybe these curses
are created by us,
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00:07:13,448 --> 00:07:14,896
by our imagination,
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00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:17,241
by us trying to deal
with the mystery of nature.
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00:07:17,344 --> 00:07:18,724
It's just a game
that we're playing,
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00:07:18,827 --> 00:07:20,551
but we ascribe meaning to it.
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00:07:20,655 --> 00:07:23,551
So, if we ascribe meaning
to a curse,
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00:07:23,655 --> 00:07:25,689
could that actually
make the curse real?
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00:07:27,379 --> 00:07:29,206
SHATNER:
Although it may be human nature
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to blame inexplicable tragedies
on some sort of dark force,
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00:07:34,137 --> 00:07:36,344
according to skeptics,
there's nothing supernatural
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about the disappearances
at Round Valley Reservoir.
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They claim that
these strange occurrences
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00:07:43,689 --> 00:07:46,517
must have a perfectly rational
explanation.
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00:07:46,620 --> 00:07:48,413
KIRILUK-HILL:
Some people
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00:07:48,517 --> 00:07:50,620
who live around here think
it's more a matter
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of respecting your environment.
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And when the wind swirls,
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you can get waves up to three
feet tall on this reservoir.
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And that's where
people get in trouble.
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They're not expecting it.
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00:08:05,517 --> 00:08:08,310
In my career
I've handled anything from, um,
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00:08:08,413 --> 00:08:11,275
plane crashes,
homicides, suicides,
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um, you know, lost children.
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But, uh, when you're out there
in a small boat
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and there's fog
coming across the lake,
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it can be very eerie at times.
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You have
these 40-mile-per-hour winds
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that come up out of no place.
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They only allow small boats.
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You have excessively cold water,
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which leads to hypothermia.
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I can guarantee,
probably nine out of ten people
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that are out on this lake don't
wear their life preservers.
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I think
it's because of those factors.
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And you know what?
Just plain bad luck. Period.
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SHATNER:
So, where did the bodies of the lost men
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of Round Valley Reservoir go?
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00:08:51,931 --> 00:08:54,586
Could it be
that they're merely trapped
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00:08:54,689 --> 00:08:56,931
somewhere deep beneath
the lake's surface,
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in a place searchers
haven't yet looked?
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Or are they really victims
of a deadly curse?
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Either way, the very notion
that such a malevolent force
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00:09:09,206 --> 00:09:14,379
could corrupt an entire lake
is a chilling proposition.
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00:09:14,482 --> 00:09:17,000
Not unlike the notion
that a curse
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could be contained
in something so small
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00:09:20,517 --> 00:09:23,758
that it could fit
in the palm of your hand.
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00:09:31,344 --> 00:09:33,172
JOSEPH McLEAN GREGORY:
The Hope Diamond makes people want to "ah"
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of the most beguiling and
infamous diamonds in existence.
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00:09:37,620 --> 00:09:41,275
Set in a pendant surrounded
by 16 white diamonds,
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00:09:41,379 --> 00:09:43,655
this dazzling gray-blue stone
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00:09:43,758 --> 00:09:48,655
weighs a colossal 45.54 carats.
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00:09:48,758 --> 00:09:50,689
Although
throughout its history
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00:09:50,793 --> 00:09:53,655
the massive diamond
has been known variously
191
00:09:53,758 --> 00:09:58,275
as the Tavernier Blue
and Le Bleu de France,
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00:09:58,379 --> 00:10:03,620
today it is simply known
as the Hope Diamond.
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00:10:03,724 --> 00:10:05,655
GREGORY:
What makes the Hope Diamond
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00:10:05,758 --> 00:10:08,482
so mesmerizing is
the whole presentation
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00:10:08,586 --> 00:10:11,655
of the diamond itself, and
196
00:10:11,758 --> 00:10:13,620
I think that's what brings out
the beauty of the diamond.
197
00:10:13,724 --> 00:10:15,724
It highlights the blue stone.
198
00:10:15,827 --> 00:10:19,275
KURIN:
This is a piece of rock that's the size of a walnut!
199
00:10:19,379 --> 00:10:21,034
It almost looks sapphire-like.
200
00:10:21,137 --> 00:10:23,965
And yet, because people feel
it has this amazing story
201
00:10:24,068 --> 00:10:26,620
about curse and misfortune,
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00:10:26,724 --> 00:10:29,344
they regard it specially, so
when you go to the Smithsonian
203
00:10:29,448 --> 00:10:31,344
and you go
in that Winston Gallery,
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00:10:31,448 --> 00:10:32,793
you can't get close to it.
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00:10:32,896 --> 00:10:34,827
There's always mobs
of people around it.
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00:10:34,931 --> 00:10:36,965
Everybody's taking pictures
around it.
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00:10:37,068 --> 00:10:39,965
Everybody's whispering and
trying to figure out things,
208
00:10:40,068 --> 00:10:43,068
and they feel it's almost like
they're around a celebrity.
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00:10:43,172 --> 00:10:45,931
SHATNER:
Although renowned for its breathtaking beauty,
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00:10:46,034 --> 00:10:48,241
the Hope Diamond
has also become known
211
00:10:48,344 --> 00:10:51,206
for a far different type
of facet,
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00:10:51,310 --> 00:10:54,931
one that many regard
to be deadly.
213
00:10:55,965 --> 00:10:58,068
In 1908,
214
00:10:58,172 --> 00:11:01,724
The Washington Postdid a story
noting all the people
215
00:11:01,827 --> 00:11:04,172
that owned this diamond
and suffered misfortune.
216
00:11:04,275 --> 00:11:10,206
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette
faced the guillotine.
217
00:11:10,310 --> 00:11:12,689
The Hope family went bankrupt.
218
00:11:12,793 --> 00:11:15,482
All sorts of peoples
whose throat were slit,
219
00:11:15,586 --> 00:11:17,655
and people who went off cliffs,
220
00:11:17,758 --> 00:11:19,931
and everybody who was associated
with it died.
221
00:11:20,034 --> 00:11:23,689
And so that became
kind of a theme story about it
222
00:11:23,793 --> 00:11:26,620
and-and really led
to the diamond's notoriety.
223
00:11:26,724 --> 00:11:28,793
SHATNER:
Could it be that one
224
00:11:28,896 --> 00:11:32,172
of the most recognizable
gemstones in existence,
225
00:11:32,275 --> 00:11:36,517
admired by thousands of people
on a daily basis from afar,
226
00:11:36,620 --> 00:11:39,448
is also cursed?
227
00:11:39,551 --> 00:11:42,034
But if so, how?
228
00:11:43,793 --> 00:11:46,137
Putting together the story
of the Hope Diamond
229
00:11:46,241 --> 00:11:47,517
is like a detective story.
230
00:11:47,620 --> 00:11:49,172
It really is a puzzle.
231
00:11:49,275 --> 00:11:50,862
It started out in India.
232
00:11:50,965 --> 00:11:53,344
The diamond, a big blue diamond,
is basically acquired
233
00:11:53,448 --> 00:11:56,689
by this guy
Jean-Baptiste Tavernier.
234
00:11:56,793 --> 00:12:01,241
He is a, uh,
Belgian-French diamond trader.
235
00:12:01,344 --> 00:12:04,000
He's fascinated by diamonds.
236
00:12:04,103 --> 00:12:07,862
And he's really the first one
that goes to India
237
00:12:07,965 --> 00:12:11,379
to find out where diamonds
really come from.
238
00:12:11,482 --> 00:12:14,793
The rumor about the Hope Diamond
is that it was actually stolen
239
00:12:14,896 --> 00:12:18,103
from the statue of a Hindu god.
240
00:12:18,206 --> 00:12:22,793
KURIN:
Tavernier does report on a story from India.
241
00:12:22,896 --> 00:12:24,655
Somebody climbed up
on the statue,
242
00:12:24,758 --> 00:12:26,827
stole that large diamond,
243
00:12:26,931 --> 00:12:30,482
secreted it,
and then tried to get it out.
244
00:12:30,586 --> 00:12:33,137
The next morning,
they opened the temple,
245
00:12:33,241 --> 00:12:37,344
and they found him dead,
holding the diamond.
246
00:12:37,448 --> 00:12:42,172
And so, from that day forward,
apparently, the legend goes
247
00:12:42,275 --> 00:12:46,551
that the god cursed anyone
who would bear this stone.
248
00:12:46,655 --> 00:12:49,206
It seems to be that we have
many cases where people
249
00:12:49,310 --> 00:12:52,724
have had heart attacks
after putting on the stone.
250
00:12:52,827 --> 00:12:55,206
Uh, you know,
people have committed suicide.
251
00:12:55,310 --> 00:12:57,448
There's been tragedy
that has surrounded this stone
252
00:12:57,551 --> 00:12:59,137
from day one.
253
00:12:59,241 --> 00:13:02,482
SHATNER:
Is it possible that the fantastic stories
254
00:13:02,586 --> 00:13:04,724
about a Hope Diamond curse
255
00:13:04,827 --> 00:13:08,724
are based on nothing
more than morbid fantasies?
256
00:13:08,827 --> 00:13:11,034
According
to Evalyn Walsh McLean,
257
00:13:11,137 --> 00:13:15,862
a wealthy mining heiress
who died in 1947,
258
00:13:15,965 --> 00:13:19,793
the curse is,
in fact, very real.
259
00:13:19,896 --> 00:13:21,827
And she would have known,
260
00:13:21,931 --> 00:13:27,551
because she owned
the Hope Diamond for 36 years.
261
00:13:27,655 --> 00:13:29,862
Evalyn Walsh McLean
was my great-grandmother,
262
00:13:29,965 --> 00:13:31,827
and she was the last
and longest owner
263
00:13:31,931 --> 00:13:33,344
of the infamous Hope Diamond.
264
00:13:33,448 --> 00:13:35,103
KURIN:
Evalyn Walsh McLean
265
00:13:35,206 --> 00:13:38,862
was definitely iconoclastic
and rebellious.
266
00:13:38,965 --> 00:13:40,793
And I think
when she bought the diamond
267
00:13:40,896 --> 00:13:46,379
from the jeweler Pierre Cartier,
she liked the idea of the curse
268
00:13:46,482 --> 00:13:48,206
because-- she actually
wrote about it--
269
00:13:48,310 --> 00:13:50,862
she said, "I'm not a queen.
I wasn't born rich.
270
00:13:50,965 --> 00:13:54,931
"So maybe I'm not subject
to the same kind of forces
271
00:13:55,034 --> 00:13:57,241
"that these other people
have been
272
00:13:57,344 --> 00:13:59,862
that came from a different
station in life."
273
00:13:59,965 --> 00:14:05,931
But the Hope Diamond had tragic
consequences for her family.
274
00:14:06,034 --> 00:14:09,000
GREGORY:
Her mother-in-law did not want her to buy the diamond,
275
00:14:09,103 --> 00:14:12,620
because it had a curse
that she had heard about.
276
00:14:12,724 --> 00:14:15,620
So, Evalyn went down
to a local church,
277
00:14:15,724 --> 00:14:18,758
met with a priest
to get the diamond blessed.
278
00:14:18,862 --> 00:14:21,068
The priest placed it
on a velvet pouch.
279
00:14:21,172 --> 00:14:23,793
That night,
there was no storm in the air,
280
00:14:23,896 --> 00:14:26,068
but lightning
and thunder came in.
281
00:14:26,172 --> 00:14:28,965
Lightning hit a tree
across the street.
282
00:14:29,068 --> 00:14:32,448
So, Evalyn got
a little scared of it.
283
00:14:32,551 --> 00:14:35,724
Evalyn's mother-in-law
and her friend
284
00:14:35,827 --> 00:14:37,655
passed away within a year.
285
00:14:37,758 --> 00:14:40,517
And next,
Evalyn's youngest son Vinson,
286
00:14:40,620 --> 00:14:42,068
was hit by an automobile.
287
00:14:42,172 --> 00:14:46,344
On top of that,
my grandmother Evie McLean,
288
00:14:46,448 --> 00:14:48,068
she commits suicide.
289
00:14:48,172 --> 00:14:50,103
And then Evalyn's husband
Ned McLean
290
00:14:50,206 --> 00:14:53,137
commits suicide in a,
in a mental hospital.
291
00:14:53,241 --> 00:14:56,275
So, then she started thinking
that, yes, it could be cursed,
292
00:14:56,379 --> 00:14:58,655
but she still wanted
to keep the diamond.
293
00:14:58,758 --> 00:15:02,275
It was just a piece of her life.
294
00:15:02,379 --> 00:15:03,827
It was a soul to her.
295
00:15:03,931 --> 00:15:07,965
SHATNER:
But was the Hope Diamond really cursed?
296
00:15:08,068 --> 00:15:10,103
As far as Evalyn Walsh McLean
was concerned,
297
00:15:10,206 --> 00:15:13,103
the priceless stone's beauty
was so great
298
00:15:13,206 --> 00:15:16,413
that she was willing
to ignore the risk.
299
00:15:16,517 --> 00:15:17,862
But there are others,
300
00:15:17,965 --> 00:15:21,103
including some
in the scientific community,
301
00:15:21,206 --> 00:15:24,896
who believe that the Hope
Diamond curse is not only real
302
00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:27,172
but that,
under certain conditions,
303
00:15:27,275 --> 00:15:33,172
its evil properties can actually
be seen with the naked eye.
304
00:15:35,689 --> 00:15:37,655
So, with the Hope Diamond,
uh, it does have
305
00:15:37,758 --> 00:15:41,034
this amazing property,
and that is, if you, um,
306
00:15:41,137 --> 00:15:43,931
expose it to, uh,
ultraviolet light
307
00:15:44,034 --> 00:15:45,931
and then turn off the lights
in the room,
308
00:15:46,034 --> 00:15:50,310
the diamond will glow
a deep, dark red.
309
00:15:50,413 --> 00:15:53,206
Intense. And that may last
for several minutes.
310
00:15:53,310 --> 00:15:55,448
We've done a number
of experiments
311
00:15:55,551 --> 00:15:57,827
with other blue diamonds,
and many blue diamonds
312
00:15:57,931 --> 00:16:00,689
will glow blue, blue-green,
313
00:16:00,793 --> 00:16:05,137
but nothing glows
as intensely and as sharply
314
00:16:05,241 --> 00:16:08,137
and for the length of time
as the Hope Diamond.
315
00:16:08,241 --> 00:16:10,965
Physicists that have explained
this have talked about, "Well,
316
00:16:11,068 --> 00:16:13,689
"the exposure
to ultraviolet energy
317
00:16:13,793 --> 00:16:17,034
excites the electrons
in the gem."
318
00:16:17,137 --> 00:16:19,068
Other people think
there's something else afoot.
319
00:16:19,172 --> 00:16:20,241
[laughs]
320
00:16:21,275 --> 00:16:23,034
They think about other forces
321
00:16:23,137 --> 00:16:25,103
that are locked
inside the diamond
322
00:16:25,206 --> 00:16:29,068
that have this mysterious power
that can affect them.
323
00:16:29,172 --> 00:16:31,896
It's very much
of a majestic diamond.
324
00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:33,931
And what we do know
325
00:16:34,034 --> 00:16:36,896
is that it attracts people
who want to touch it.
326
00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:39,896
It makes people want
to "ah" and "ooh" over it.
327
00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:41,448
It's beautiful.
328
00:16:41,551 --> 00:16:45,000
It's a color of its own,
it's a piece of its own,
329
00:16:45,103 --> 00:16:48,862
and my true feeling is, everyone
has tragic events in their life.
330
00:16:48,965 --> 00:16:52,103
So, with my great-grandmother
having tragic events,
331
00:16:52,206 --> 00:16:54,413
I feel like,
with or without the diamond,
332
00:16:54,517 --> 00:16:57,000
they were gonna occur anyway.
333
00:16:57,103 --> 00:16:59,793
What's harder to believe?
334
00:16:59,896 --> 00:17:02,241
That the Hope Diamond
is actually cursed?
335
00:17:02,344 --> 00:17:05,482
Or that virtually everyone
who came into contact with it
336
00:17:05,586 --> 00:17:10,413
over the years suffered
a horrific tragedy
337
00:17:10,517 --> 00:17:12,310
by coincidence?
338
00:17:13,413 --> 00:17:15,310
Perhaps the answer
can be found by examining
339
00:17:15,413 --> 00:17:18,517
another supposedly
cursed object,
340
00:17:18,620 --> 00:17:23,448
one that was once found
in thousands of homes
341
00:17:23,551 --> 00:17:26,275
all over the world.
342
00:17:35,103 --> 00:17:37,137
The SunDAVE SPINKS:
There were so many fires that these paintingsThe Bd
343
00:17:37,241 --> 00:17:40,172
publishes an article
by journalist John Murphy
344
00:17:40,275 --> 00:17:44,413
about the aftermath
of a local house fire.
345
00:17:44,517 --> 00:17:45,965
But according to John Murphy,
346
00:17:46,068 --> 00:17:48,931
this is not your typical human
interest story.
347
00:17:49,034 --> 00:17:51,310
Because, although the blaze
burned the home
348
00:17:51,413 --> 00:17:53,517
and nearly everything in it
to the ground,
349
00:17:53,620 --> 00:17:59,413
one object did manage
to survive: a copy of a painting
350
00:17:59,517 --> 00:18:04,172
depicting the Crying Boy.
351
00:18:04,275 --> 00:18:07,172
I was told to go out
and have a look at the fire,
352
00:18:07,275 --> 00:18:10,000
speak to the homeowners,
and see what had happened.
353
00:18:10,103 --> 00:18:13,275
I got there and it was
a conventional chip pan fire,
354
00:18:13,379 --> 00:18:15,379
and no one,
fortunately, was hurt,
355
00:18:15,482 --> 00:18:17,827
but the house had been
completely gutted.
356
00:18:17,931 --> 00:18:19,965
But the extraordinary thing
357
00:18:20,068 --> 00:18:23,724
was that the print
had actually survived the blaze.
358
00:18:23,827 --> 00:18:26,137
SHATNER:
Initially, John thought that the painting's survival
359
00:18:26,241 --> 00:18:29,482
was a mildly interesting tidbit
360
00:18:29,586 --> 00:18:33,137
but not especially newsworthy
on its own.
361
00:18:33,241 --> 00:18:36,965
That is, until a firefighter
on the scene informed him
362
00:18:37,068 --> 00:18:40,241
that this wasn't
the only time that a copy
363
00:18:40,344 --> 00:18:44,931
of a similar painting had
survived such a massive fire.
364
00:18:45,034 --> 00:18:46,793
MURPHY: When I was speaking
to the fire officer
365
00:18:46,896 --> 00:18:50,724
outside the home
on that Monday morning,
366
00:18:50,827 --> 00:18:52,379
he told me about
his brother-in-law
367
00:18:52,482 --> 00:18:55,413
whose house had also been
destroyed by fire and who also
368
00:18:55,517 --> 00:18:59,137
had a print of the Crying Boy
in the house which survived.
369
00:18:59,241 --> 00:19:01,310
We had
an interesting conversation,
370
00:19:01,413 --> 00:19:04,827
and he said,
"This is really, really strange.
371
00:19:04,931 --> 00:19:07,413
"I have been on
so many house fires recently
372
00:19:07,517 --> 00:19:11,896
where there has been
this print in the house."
373
00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:13,965
CLARKE:
The houses where there'd been these fires
374
00:19:14,068 --> 00:19:17,344
were completely gutted,
so hot, in fact,
375
00:19:17,448 --> 00:19:19,379
that, say, on the ground floor
of one particular house,
376
00:19:19,482 --> 00:19:21,793
the plaster was stripped
from the walls.
377
00:19:21,896 --> 00:19:26,068
And yet the-- this particular
print was hanging on the wall,
378
00:19:26,172 --> 00:19:28,724
absolutely unscathed.
379
00:19:31,206 --> 00:19:34,137
I contacted my news desk,
phoned through the story.
380
00:19:34,241 --> 00:19:37,586
So hence the story of the curse
of the Crying Boy print
381
00:19:37,689 --> 00:19:39,724
was born.
382
00:19:39,827 --> 00:19:43,827
SHATNER:
Dozens of homes ravaged by fire,
383
00:19:43,931 --> 00:19:46,551
and in every single case,
384
00:19:46,655 --> 00:19:51,000
a Crying Boy print
had survived unscathed?
385
00:19:51,103 --> 00:19:54,655
But how could such a thing
be possible?
386
00:19:54,758 --> 00:19:58,655
MURPHY:
And the story went viral after The Sungot hold of the story,
387
00:19:58,758 --> 00:20:04,310
and next thing, they ran
telephone, uh, campaigns asking
388
00:20:04,413 --> 00:20:07,275
if their readers had got
a print of the Crying Boy,
389
00:20:07,379 --> 00:20:12,413
and if so, had they experienced
any disasters like house fires?
390
00:20:12,517 --> 00:20:14,586
CLARKE:
So, that's where the rumor became a legend.
391
00:20:14,689 --> 00:20:18,310
But at that stage,
there was no story to explain
392
00:20:18,413 --> 00:20:21,413
who the child was
and why was he crying?
393
00:20:21,517 --> 00:20:25,034
SHATNER:
The Crying Boy portraits are among a series
394
00:20:25,137 --> 00:20:28,482
of mass-produced artworks
that belong to a genre
395
00:20:28,586 --> 00:20:30,586
known as big-eyed art,
396
00:20:30,689 --> 00:20:35,000
sold in British department
stores in the 1960s and '70s.
397
00:20:35,103 --> 00:20:38,931
But in this case,
who was the artist?
398
00:20:39,034 --> 00:20:41,655
And why was he or she
so obsessed
399
00:20:41,758 --> 00:20:45,172
with painting the Crying Boy?
400
00:20:45,275 --> 00:20:49,103
CLARKE:
In the 1950s, there was a Californian artist,
401
00:20:49,206 --> 00:20:54,034
Margaret Keane, who painted
a whole range of, um, children,
402
00:20:54,137 --> 00:20:56,448
and this became big-eyed art,
403
00:20:56,551 --> 00:20:58,068
and it was something
that was very popular
404
00:20:58,172 --> 00:20:59,862
in the '50s and '60s.
405
00:20:59,965 --> 00:21:05,103
Lots of European painters copied
Margaret Keane's art style.
406
00:21:05,206 --> 00:21:10,310
Probably the best known
was a series of 27 paintings
407
00:21:10,413 --> 00:21:13,586
by an Italian artist
called Bruno Amadio,
408
00:21:13,689 --> 00:21:18,000
who was born in 1911,
died in the early 1980s.
409
00:21:18,103 --> 00:21:20,344
And he was, um,
classically trained,
410
00:21:20,448 --> 00:21:23,827
but he didn't make much
in the way of money.
411
00:21:23,931 --> 00:21:25,413
So, in order to make money,
412
00:21:25,517 --> 00:21:27,896
he painted,
in the style of Margaret Keane,
413
00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:29,896
lots of pictures
of small children,
414
00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:32,137
uh, sort of street urchins,
415
00:21:32,241 --> 00:21:34,586
crying girls, crying boys,
416
00:21:34,689 --> 00:21:37,448
and these sold to tourists
417
00:21:37,551 --> 00:21:39,793
in post-war Italy.
418
00:21:39,896 --> 00:21:42,689
He didn't want to be associated
with these paintings
419
00:21:42,793 --> 00:21:44,137
because he just didn't think
420
00:21:44,241 --> 00:21:45,827
they were very good quality
paintings,
421
00:21:45,931 --> 00:21:49,206
so he came up with a,
with a name, his nom de guerre,
422
00:21:49,310 --> 00:21:52,241
as Giovanni Bragolin,
423
00:21:52,344 --> 00:21:55,413
which was actually, apparently,
his uncle's name.
424
00:21:55,517 --> 00:21:57,724
No one knew
who this Bragolin was.
425
00:21:57,827 --> 00:22:00,517
He didn't have, um, a biography
426
00:22:00,620 --> 00:22:03,103
in the way that many other
well-known artists did.
427
00:22:03,206 --> 00:22:06,379
So, it's a...
There's that element of mystery.
428
00:22:06,482 --> 00:22:09,206
And one of the, um, stories
429
00:22:09,310 --> 00:22:11,586
about the Crying Boy Curse is
430
00:22:11,689 --> 00:22:15,241
that the child in the painting
is trapped inside the painting,
431
00:22:15,344 --> 00:22:17,275
and that the only way
that the child
432
00:22:17,379 --> 00:22:19,931
or the spirit of that child
can free itself is
433
00:22:20,034 --> 00:22:22,724
by setting fire
to its surroundings,
434
00:22:22,827 --> 00:22:26,103
and that's the way
it escapes from the painting.
435
00:22:26,206 --> 00:22:28,206
SHATNER:
Cursed paintings,
436
00:22:28,310 --> 00:22:30,724
and mass-produced ones at that.
437
00:22:30,827 --> 00:22:35,310
Why would anyone believe
such an outlandish notion?
438
00:22:35,413 --> 00:22:37,482
In Gothic literature,
there are examples
439
00:22:37,586 --> 00:22:41,344
from the early 19th century
of paintings that come to life.
440
00:22:41,448 --> 00:22:43,655
There is Oscar Wilde's
famous story
441
00:22:43,758 --> 00:22:45,689
The Picture of Dorian Gray,
442
00:22:45,793 --> 00:22:48,068
which is a painting
that was kept in the attic
443
00:22:48,172 --> 00:22:52,310
that does the aging
for the character in the story.
444
00:22:52,413 --> 00:22:55,206
M.R. James, the famous writer
of ghost stories--
445
00:22:55,310 --> 00:22:57,896
he had a story called
"The Mezzotint,"
446
00:22:58,000 --> 00:22:59,862
which is about an eerie painting
447
00:22:59,965 --> 00:23:02,655
that changes
every time you look at it.
448
00:23:02,758 --> 00:23:04,310
It's amazing to think, uh,
449
00:23:04,413 --> 00:23:06,862
when I think back
to that day in Rotherham,
450
00:23:06,965 --> 00:23:09,241
that a story from a small town
451
00:23:09,344 --> 00:23:12,344
in the north of England
has evolved to such a degree
452
00:23:12,448 --> 00:23:15,275
with so many column inches
dedicated to it,
453
00:23:15,379 --> 00:23:17,551
and it's become a global story,
454
00:23:17,655 --> 00:23:21,206
with instances of fires
happening across the world.
455
00:23:21,310 --> 00:23:23,275
Instances of fires
456
00:23:23,379 --> 00:23:27,275
where these prints have been
in existence.
457
00:23:28,793 --> 00:23:30,793
SHATNER:
Recently,
458
00:23:30,896 --> 00:23:33,931
forensic investigators
studying the so-called
459
00:23:34,034 --> 00:23:37,862
"Curse of The Crying Boy,"
have raised a new possibility
460
00:23:37,965 --> 00:23:41,103
as to how the painting has come
to survive so many housefires.
461
00:23:41,206 --> 00:23:43,379
And it has nothing to do
462
00:23:43,482 --> 00:23:46,275
with a supposed curse.
463
00:23:46,379 --> 00:23:48,586
There was some investigation
done on these paintings,
464
00:23:48,689 --> 00:23:50,310
and they were actually
465
00:23:50,413 --> 00:23:52,655
coated
with fire retardant material.
466
00:23:52,758 --> 00:23:56,482
And that could just be
the reason that they didn't burn
467
00:23:56,586 --> 00:24:00,241
and the other aspects
of the locations did burn.
468
00:24:00,344 --> 00:24:03,965
You plant an idea, whether
it's in a newspaper, in a book,
469
00:24:04,068 --> 00:24:06,758
or via Twitter or Facebook,
470
00:24:06,862 --> 00:24:09,034
suggesting
that there's something eerie
471
00:24:09,137 --> 00:24:11,586
or there's some--
there's bad luck
472
00:24:11,689 --> 00:24:15,551
that's circulating around
a particular object or painting,
473
00:24:15,655 --> 00:24:19,068
and you're almost guaranteed
to get people saying,
474
00:24:19,172 --> 00:24:21,379
"Yes, I've had bad luck."
475
00:24:21,482 --> 00:24:23,896
And that's exactly
what happened in the 1980s
476
00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:25,551
with the Curse
of the Crying Boy.
477
00:24:25,655 --> 00:24:28,379
SHATNER:
But even if we accept the wild notion
478
00:24:28,482 --> 00:24:30,931
that the Crying Boy paintings
are fireproof,
479
00:24:31,034 --> 00:24:35,172
that would only mean that it can
survive a fire, not cause one.
480
00:24:35,275 --> 00:24:38,344
In any case, perhaps in future,
481
00:24:38,448 --> 00:24:40,551
when buying art for your home,
482
00:24:40,655 --> 00:24:45,896
it would be best to choose
something a bit less emotional.
483
00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:48,275
Unlike another deadly curse
484
00:24:48,379 --> 00:24:50,793
that, taste aside,
485
00:24:50,896 --> 00:24:53,448
is truly unavoidable.
486
00:24:58,448 --> 00:25:00,137
SANFORD HOLST:
Friday the 13th-- the fear, the dread.
487
00:25:00,241 --> 00:25:04,620
all around the world,
it happens.
488
00:25:04,724 --> 00:25:08,482
From the moment
the new day dawns...
489
00:25:09,724 --> 00:25:12,137
...to the 12th chime
of midnight...
490
00:25:12,241 --> 00:25:14,448
[clock chimes]
491
00:25:14,551 --> 00:25:17,275
...it is utterly unavoidable.
492
00:25:17,379 --> 00:25:19,862
No continent is safe.
493
00:25:19,965 --> 00:25:22,862
No country is spared.
494
00:25:22,965 --> 00:25:25,655
No city is immune.
495
00:25:25,758 --> 00:25:28,310
No matter where you are
or what you're doing,
496
00:25:28,413 --> 00:25:31,206
there's no escaping
497
00:25:31,310 --> 00:25:33,931
Friday the 13th.
498
00:25:35,724 --> 00:25:38,482
HOLST:
It's actually very interesting,
499
00:25:38,586 --> 00:25:40,758
the whole idea
about Friday the 13th,
500
00:25:40,862 --> 00:25:43,379
the mysteriousness,
the-the fear, the dread.
501
00:25:43,482 --> 00:25:46,344
There's a natural human desire
to understand things,
502
00:25:46,448 --> 00:25:48,172
to know why something happened.
503
00:25:48,275 --> 00:25:50,103
And sometimes,
if the unexplainable happened
504
00:25:50,206 --> 00:25:52,103
but there was a curse involved,
you say,
505
00:25:52,206 --> 00:25:54,551
"Aha, I have the reason."
506
00:25:54,655 --> 00:25:56,896
We never know when they're gonna
turn out to be real,
507
00:25:57,000 --> 00:26:00,965
but we have to give all of them
a fair shot and say, "Maybe."
508
00:26:01,068 --> 00:26:02,793
SHATNER:
Believe it or not,
509
00:26:02,896 --> 00:26:06,103
there is some statistical
evidence which suggests
510
00:26:06,206 --> 00:26:08,379
that more bad things happen
511
00:26:08,482 --> 00:26:12,034
on Friday the 13th
than any other day of the year.
512
00:26:13,206 --> 00:26:15,931
But is it really cursed?
513
00:26:16,034 --> 00:26:19,310
And if so, how?
514
00:26:20,275 --> 00:26:22,413
13 is an unstable number.
515
00:26:22,517 --> 00:26:25,000
In numerology,
12 is a perfect circle.
516
00:26:25,103 --> 00:26:26,758
We think of the heavens as
517
00:26:26,862 --> 00:26:29,655
divided into the 12 houses
of the zodiac.
518
00:26:29,758 --> 00:26:31,689
The 12 months of the year,
the 12 apostles.
519
00:26:31,793 --> 00:26:34,793
12 is a very rounded
and total number.
520
00:26:34,896 --> 00:26:37,620
13 is an odd number,
an unbalanced number.
521
00:26:37,724 --> 00:26:40,655
WHITEHEAD:
There was a lot of superstition that surrounded it
522
00:26:40,758 --> 00:26:42,965
to the point
where many buildings were built
523
00:26:43,068 --> 00:26:44,689
without a 13th floor
524
00:26:44,793 --> 00:26:47,862
simply because they were worried
that there was somehow
525
00:26:47,965 --> 00:26:51,172
gonna be a cursed floor if they
installed it into a building.
526
00:26:51,275 --> 00:26:53,206
SHATNER:
Although it would seem
527
00:26:53,310 --> 00:26:55,310
that the public's awareness
of Friday the 13th
528
00:26:55,413 --> 00:26:58,448
really came of age
in modern times,
529
00:26:58,551 --> 00:27:00,137
- as it turns out...
- [clock bell tolls]
530
00:27:00,241 --> 00:27:01,862
the origin of this curse
531
00:27:01,965 --> 00:27:05,896
actually dates back
to the 14th century.
532
00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:07,655
It goes back, in my opinion,
533
00:27:07,758 --> 00:27:10,034
to what happened
to the Knights Templar.
534
00:27:10,137 --> 00:27:11,862
[horse neighing]
535
00:27:11,965 --> 00:27:16,068
So, the Knights Templar were
founded in the 12th century,
536
00:27:16,172 --> 00:27:21,379
and they were the world's first
combination of warrior and monk.
537
00:27:23,103 --> 00:27:26,448
They were the guardians
of a lot of the treasures
538
00:27:26,551 --> 00:27:28,448
of various kings and popes
and monarchs,
539
00:27:28,551 --> 00:27:31,137
and because
of their amazing reputation,
540
00:27:31,241 --> 00:27:36,517
they became known as the world's
first international bankers.
541
00:27:36,620 --> 00:27:39,620
Friday the 13th was
such a pivotal day
542
00:27:39,724 --> 00:27:41,655
in the life
of the Knights Templar
543
00:27:41,758 --> 00:27:44,482
that it ended one chapter
and began another.
544
00:27:44,586 --> 00:27:47,724
It literally was the day of
the destruction of the order.
545
00:27:47,827 --> 00:27:50,862
And the Friday the 13th
that was so critical
546
00:27:50,965 --> 00:27:56,206
to the Knights Templar happened
on the 13th of October in 1307.
547
00:27:56,310 --> 00:27:59,931
The king of France needed money,
548
00:28:00,034 --> 00:28:02,965
but he owed money to everybody,
including the Templars,
549
00:28:03,068 --> 00:28:05,413
and he decided
the Knights Templar had money,
550
00:28:05,517 --> 00:28:07,724
he wanted it,
so he attacked them.
551
00:28:07,827 --> 00:28:09,137
[bell clangs]
552
00:28:09,241 --> 00:28:10,965
[distant shouting]
553
00:28:11,068 --> 00:28:13,724
Everyone was arrested,
people were thrown in jail.
554
00:28:15,517 --> 00:28:17,379
They were tortured,
they were being killed.
555
00:28:17,482 --> 00:28:19,413
Then there were long trials.
556
00:28:19,517 --> 00:28:23,379
These trials were conducted
by the Catholic Church,
557
00:28:23,482 --> 00:28:25,620
and it basically ended
558
00:28:25,724 --> 00:28:27,931
with the death
of Jacques de Molay,
559
00:28:28,034 --> 00:28:29,862
the grand master.
560
00:28:31,965 --> 00:28:34,965
WHITEHEAD:
Jacques de Molay was a powerful, enigmatic figure,
561
00:28:35,068 --> 00:28:38,724
and so it was important
for the Church and the Crown
562
00:28:38,827 --> 00:28:41,793
to execute him publicly
to show as an example.
563
00:28:41,896 --> 00:28:45,482
And when they were burning
Jacques de Molay,
564
00:28:45,586 --> 00:28:47,344
the fire was being lit,
565
00:28:47,448 --> 00:28:51,137
he cursed Pope Clement
566
00:28:51,241 --> 00:28:54,068
and also King Philip and said,
567
00:28:54,172 --> 00:28:55,793
"Within this year,
568
00:28:55,896 --> 00:28:57,275
you will die."
569
00:28:57,379 --> 00:28:59,827
And, lo and behold, they did.
570
00:28:59,931 --> 00:29:01,758
[church bell rings]
571
00:29:01,862 --> 00:29:04,620
HOLST:
What happened was, within 33 days,
572
00:29:04,724 --> 00:29:08,103
the pope died
of a terrible illness.
573
00:29:08,206 --> 00:29:11,137
And all of a sudden, it just
seized him and killed him,
574
00:29:11,241 --> 00:29:12,896
just like that, suddenly.
575
00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:14,724
Seven months later,
576
00:29:14,827 --> 00:29:17,655
the king of France was
on a hunting expedition,
577
00:29:17,758 --> 00:29:19,758
had a massive stroke,
578
00:29:19,862 --> 00:29:23,000
- fell down dead on the ground,
right there. - [horse neighs]
579
00:29:26,344 --> 00:29:28,034
SHATNER:
In the years since the Templars'
580
00:29:28,137 --> 00:29:29,931
eventual exile from Europe,
581
00:29:30,034 --> 00:29:31,896
there were many
who began to believe
582
00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:35,206
that Jacques de Molay's
death curse applied
583
00:29:35,310 --> 00:29:37,206
not only to his enemies
584
00:29:37,310 --> 00:29:38,758
but also to the very day
585
00:29:38,862 --> 00:29:41,068
that spelled
the beginning of the end
586
00:29:41,172 --> 00:29:44,517
for the Knights Templar,
the day they were arrested--
587
00:29:44,620 --> 00:29:47,206
Friday the 13th.
588
00:29:47,310 --> 00:29:49,068
But is it really possible
589
00:29:49,172 --> 00:29:52,172
that a centuries-old curse
still has the power
590
00:29:52,275 --> 00:29:56,896
to cause bad luck
after 700 years?
591
00:29:57,000 --> 00:29:59,551
There is this legend
around Jacques de Molay
592
00:29:59,655 --> 00:30:03,000
that he possessed some kind
of extraordinary power.
593
00:30:04,965 --> 00:30:06,931
When it comes
to the Knights Templar,
594
00:30:07,034 --> 00:30:09,137
one of the things
that stand out is, of course,
595
00:30:09,241 --> 00:30:12,517
they were the guardians
of the Temple of Jerusalem.
596
00:30:12,620 --> 00:30:14,724
And some people believe
that they may have found
597
00:30:14,827 --> 00:30:16,517
some ancient artifacts there,
598
00:30:16,620 --> 00:30:18,241
possibly
the Ark of the Covenant,
599
00:30:18,344 --> 00:30:21,379
or came across
some ancient knowledge
600
00:30:21,482 --> 00:30:23,620
that was sort of confiscated
601
00:30:23,724 --> 00:30:25,896
and held sacred
from the general public.
602
00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:28,068
And so, some people look
at Jacques de Molay
603
00:30:28,172 --> 00:30:31,379
as some kind of a sorcerer in
a way, where he had this ability
604
00:30:31,482 --> 00:30:35,862
to put a curse that actually
really did come into fruition.
605
00:30:35,965 --> 00:30:38,517
HOLST:
When something happens
606
00:30:38,620 --> 00:30:42,172
such as De Molay's curse,
the Templar curse,
607
00:30:42,275 --> 00:30:46,413
it's entirely possible that this
actually has reality behind it.
608
00:30:46,517 --> 00:30:48,241
It's entirely possible
609
00:30:48,344 --> 00:30:50,620
that just simply
saying the words
610
00:30:50,724 --> 00:30:54,034
and putting it in everyone's
mind was like a common prayer
611
00:30:54,137 --> 00:30:55,724
between so many people.
612
00:30:55,827 --> 00:30:58,551
And the power of so many people
desiring it and wanting it
613
00:30:58,655 --> 00:31:02,172
might have influenced events
as they happened.
614
00:31:02,275 --> 00:31:06,379
Did Jacques de Molay channel
some type of dark force
615
00:31:06,482 --> 00:31:09,724
when he cursed Friday the 13th?
616
00:31:09,827 --> 00:31:12,655
Perhaps.
617
00:31:12,758 --> 00:31:16,689
But what if that theory
is missing the target?
618
00:31:16,793 --> 00:31:18,689
Because there are those
who believe
619
00:31:18,793 --> 00:31:22,344
that it isn't the day
that's cursed,
620
00:31:22,448 --> 00:31:26,068
but the number 13 itself.
621
00:31:26,172 --> 00:31:28,241
And if that's the case,
622
00:31:28,344 --> 00:31:31,310
could there be other numbers
623
00:31:31,413 --> 00:31:35,793
that hold dark
and deadly powers?
624
00:31:35,896 --> 00:31:38,517
Numbers that should be avoided
625
00:31:38,620 --> 00:31:41,758
at all costs?
626
00:31:49,379 --> 00:31:52,655
Jimi Hendrix dies
of a drug overdose.
627
00:31:57,379 --> 00:32:00,551
Kurt Cobain,
lead singer and songwriter
628
00:32:00,655 --> 00:32:03,551
of the trailblazing
grunge rock band Nirvana,
629
00:32:03,655 --> 00:32:07,034
dies of a self-inflicted
gunshot wound.
630
00:32:12,034 --> 00:32:14,827
Internationally famed vocalist
Amy Winehouse
631
00:32:14,931 --> 00:32:17,793
is found dead
of alcohol poisoning.
632
00:32:19,172 --> 00:32:22,517
Aside from their remarkable
musical talents
633
00:32:22,620 --> 00:32:25,724
and the fact that
they all tragically passed away
634
00:32:25,827 --> 00:32:27,689
well before their time,
635
00:32:27,793 --> 00:32:31,827
they all have something else
in common:
636
00:32:31,931 --> 00:32:37,793
at the time of their deaths,
each of them was 27 years old.
637
00:32:39,620 --> 00:32:44,517
There is sort of a weirdly
persistent pop culture
638
00:32:44,620 --> 00:32:47,482
legend that talks about
639
00:32:47,586 --> 00:32:50,931
the strange number
of pop cultural figures,
640
00:32:51,034 --> 00:32:55,793
especially musicians,
who have died at the age of 27.
641
00:32:55,896 --> 00:32:59,241
I think it's attracted
a lot of interest because
642
00:32:59,344 --> 00:33:01,689
it's obviously a young age.
643
00:33:01,793 --> 00:33:04,379
Also, a lot of the people
involved-- the circumstances
644
00:33:04,482 --> 00:33:09,793
of their death have been
sort of mysterious or unclear.
645
00:33:09,896 --> 00:33:12,206
So I think that really
grabbed people's attention
646
00:33:12,310 --> 00:33:14,275
and imagination.
647
00:33:14,379 --> 00:33:18,275
The 27 Club has definitely given
a lot of these rock stars--
648
00:33:18,379 --> 00:33:19,931
up and coming-- the fear.
649
00:33:20,034 --> 00:33:23,758
Their families, their parents
have all been scared,
650
00:33:23,862 --> 00:33:26,793
warning their, their siblings
and their children,
651
00:33:26,896 --> 00:33:28,068
"We know that this--
652
00:33:28,172 --> 00:33:30,206
"you're-you're getting
success now,
653
00:33:30,310 --> 00:33:32,034
"but be careful because
654
00:33:32,137 --> 00:33:34,310
no one wants to be
part of the 27 Club."
655
00:33:34,413 --> 00:33:37,793
SHATNER:
The 27 Club?
656
00:33:37,896 --> 00:33:41,275
While it may sound like
something the tabloids invented
657
00:33:41,379 --> 00:33:43,241
to sell newspapers,
658
00:33:43,344 --> 00:33:46,655
there is evidence to suggest
that such a club
659
00:33:46,758 --> 00:33:50,655
not only exists
but has far more members
660
00:33:50,758 --> 00:33:52,655
than you might think.
661
00:33:52,758 --> 00:33:55,448
WOOD:
You have Brian Jones from the Rolling Stones,
662
00:33:55,551 --> 00:34:00,206
Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison
from the Doors.
663
00:34:00,310 --> 00:34:02,413
Clearly, this is a club
that not everybody
664
00:34:02,517 --> 00:34:04,034
wants to be a member of.
665
00:34:04,137 --> 00:34:05,448
ERIC SEGALSTAD:
There was a study
666
00:34:05,551 --> 00:34:07,931
that just came out
from Liverpool,
667
00:34:08,034 --> 00:34:11,724
where the researchers looked
at the average age of death
668
00:34:11,827 --> 00:34:15,068
for people who had played
on charting records
669
00:34:15,172 --> 00:34:17,724
over the last, whatever,
30 or 40 years,
670
00:34:17,827 --> 00:34:19,862
uh, and compared that
to the general population
671
00:34:19,965 --> 00:34:22,758
in the same countries,
in the UK and the U.S.
672
00:34:22,862 --> 00:34:25,172
So I reached out and asked,
673
00:34:25,275 --> 00:34:28,241
do you see a statistical spike
at the age of 27?
674
00:34:28,344 --> 00:34:31,551
And they did,
and they couldn't explain it.
675
00:34:31,655 --> 00:34:34,620
There must be something
greater at play,
676
00:34:34,724 --> 00:34:37,206
and, uh, it keeps happening.
677
00:34:39,034 --> 00:34:40,448
SHATNER:
While it would certainly appear
678
00:34:40,551 --> 00:34:43,620
that celebrities are more prone
to accidental deaths
679
00:34:43,724 --> 00:34:47,482
at the age of 27
than the normal population,
680
00:34:47,586 --> 00:34:49,206
according to some experts,
681
00:34:49,310 --> 00:34:54,586
it's not fame that's behind
the curse of the 27 Club,
682
00:34:54,689 --> 00:34:58,793
but the number 27 itself.
683
00:34:58,896 --> 00:35:03,068
In horoscopic astrology, Saturn
return is this phenomenon
684
00:35:03,172 --> 00:35:06,517
where the planet Saturn returns
to the exact same spot
685
00:35:06,620 --> 00:35:09,000
in the sky as the day
you were born.
686
00:35:09,103 --> 00:35:11,379
That takes about
29 and a half years.
687
00:35:11,482 --> 00:35:15,379
Astrologers say that you enter
this phase of Saturn return
688
00:35:15,482 --> 00:35:17,206
starting in your 27th year,
689
00:35:17,310 --> 00:35:21,206
and astrologers say
that this particular time
690
00:35:21,310 --> 00:35:24,068
is really a time when you,
as a person,
691
00:35:24,172 --> 00:35:27,517
are on the threshold
between the face of youth
692
00:35:27,620 --> 00:35:29,931
entering to the face
of maturity.
693
00:35:30,034 --> 00:35:32,103
I think that for a lot
of the 27s,
694
00:35:32,206 --> 00:35:33,896
they might have faced
their own troubles
695
00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:36,793
around this time trying
to enter adulthood
696
00:35:36,896 --> 00:35:39,206
after having a successful
697
00:35:39,310 --> 00:35:44,000
or an artistically
very intense period of youth.
698
00:35:45,586 --> 00:35:47,689
SHATNER:
Is it possible the number 27
699
00:35:47,793 --> 00:35:49,793
actually carries a mathematical,
700
00:35:49,896 --> 00:35:53,724
or even celestial, jinx?
701
00:35:53,827 --> 00:35:55,551
It's possible.
702
00:35:55,655 --> 00:36:01,620
But if so, why does it only
seem to affect famous people?
703
00:36:01,724 --> 00:36:03,620
Many believe the answer
704
00:36:03,724 --> 00:36:06,103
as to why the curse
of the 27 Club
705
00:36:06,206 --> 00:36:09,896
is limited to celebrities
is the same reason
706
00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:14,862
some people are seduced by fame
in the first place.
707
00:36:14,965 --> 00:36:18,137
Rock and roll has always
romanticized extreme behavior.
708
00:36:18,241 --> 00:36:21,551
If you're growing up
as a young artist,
709
00:36:21,655 --> 00:36:25,103
the concept of it retains
a kind of dark glamour.
710
00:36:25,206 --> 00:36:28,689
Therefore, people
orient their lives
711
00:36:28,793 --> 00:36:30,448
around that kind of stuff.
712
00:36:30,551 --> 00:36:35,344
It becomes sort of a part of
what rock and roll's all about.
713
00:36:35,448 --> 00:36:39,379
You think that that is
what it is to be a musician.
714
00:36:39,482 --> 00:36:42,896
YOUNG: Whether this is
conscious or unconscious,
715
00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:44,931
what you have, if you die at 27,
716
00:36:45,034 --> 00:36:47,620
is eternal youth.
717
00:36:47,724 --> 00:36:49,931
You never have to be
an older person.
718
00:36:50,034 --> 00:36:51,586
You never have
to get the wrinkles.
719
00:36:51,689 --> 00:36:54,379
You never have to go into
the full disillusionment.
720
00:36:54,482 --> 00:36:58,310
So those who left young
get to stay young.
721
00:36:58,413 --> 00:37:01,586
WHITEHEAD:
It's become a myth in our culture now.
722
00:37:01,689 --> 00:37:05,275
And so, could it be
a self-perpetuating prophecy
723
00:37:05,379 --> 00:37:08,103
where, because people start
to believe it,
724
00:37:08,206 --> 00:37:10,655
they actually manifest it
into reality?
725
00:37:10,758 --> 00:37:16,137
SHATNER:
Is the story of the 27 Club a cautionary tale?
726
00:37:16,241 --> 00:37:19,344
One that tells us that we need
to accept the fact that curses,
727
00:37:19,448 --> 00:37:22,689
like fate, are simply
728
00:37:22,793 --> 00:37:25,413
inescapable?
729
00:37:25,517 --> 00:37:28,517
And if we can't avoid
deadly curses,
730
00:37:28,620 --> 00:37:31,862
perhaps we should ask whether
there's anything we can do
731
00:37:31,965 --> 00:37:36,448
to protect ourselves
once they come for us.
732
00:37:45,689 --> 00:37:49,827
R:Contractors begin uncovering
a series of strange artifacts
733
00:37:49,931 --> 00:37:53,310
while renovating
a string of 18th century houses
734
00:37:53,413 --> 00:37:55,551
in the area:
735
00:37:55,655 --> 00:37:57,724
mummified animals,
736
00:37:57,827 --> 00:38:01,103
dismembered dolls,
broken knife blades,
737
00:38:01,206 --> 00:38:04,310
strange bottles filled
with human hair,
738
00:38:04,413 --> 00:38:05,896
bent nails,
739
00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:08,482
and silver pins.
740
00:38:08,586 --> 00:38:13,379
And all concealed
within hidden nooks and voids
741
00:38:13,482 --> 00:38:16,448
throughout the old homes.
742
00:38:16,551 --> 00:38:19,724
The artifacts are so unnerving
that many began to wonder
743
00:38:19,827 --> 00:38:23,103
who had placed them
throughout the homes.
744
00:38:23,206 --> 00:38:26,206
And perhaps
more importantly, why?
745
00:38:28,068 --> 00:38:30,068
After looking at a, a number of
746
00:38:30,172 --> 00:38:34,000
instances of, of these
either intentional deposits
747
00:38:34,103 --> 00:38:37,482
or objects that were located
in strange places--
748
00:38:37,586 --> 00:38:40,000
uh, shoes, um, animal parts,
749
00:38:40,103 --> 00:38:43,103
bottles with, um,
unusual contents in them--
750
00:38:43,206 --> 00:38:45,758
certain patterns
that seemed to be prevalent
751
00:38:45,862 --> 00:38:49,137
throughout the area,
uh, became apparent.
752
00:38:49,241 --> 00:38:52,068
We see them in England
and in the Netherlands
753
00:38:52,172 --> 00:38:54,034
and in Germany,
where a lot of the people
754
00:38:54,137 --> 00:38:57,172
who settled in New York State
originally came from.
755
00:38:57,275 --> 00:38:59,793
And so it's clear that people
brought their folk beliefs
756
00:38:59,896 --> 00:39:01,344
and folk religion with them
757
00:39:01,448 --> 00:39:04,172
when they moved
across the Atlantic Ocean.
758
00:39:04,275 --> 00:39:06,413
Evidently, in all these cases,
759
00:39:06,517 --> 00:39:10,689
there was a very strong belief
in, uh, the agency of evil
760
00:39:10,793 --> 00:39:12,896
to affect people's
everyday lives.
761
00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:16,862
Particularly in a number
of stories that related
762
00:39:16,965 --> 00:39:20,034
to fears of illness
763
00:39:20,137 --> 00:39:21,724
or of the potential for curses
764
00:39:21,827 --> 00:39:24,206
to access houses
through openings,
765
00:39:24,310 --> 00:39:28,137
particularly, uh,
through fireplaces,
766
00:39:28,241 --> 00:39:31,724
uh, doors, windows,
that kind of thing.
767
00:39:31,827 --> 00:39:35,206
The more you look, the more
you find of these objects,
768
00:39:35,310 --> 00:39:37,137
and it becomes
increasingly clear
769
00:39:37,241 --> 00:39:39,862
that the numbers of objects
that we have found,
770
00:39:39,965 --> 00:39:41,827
which go into the thousands,
771
00:39:41,931 --> 00:39:43,793
is really just
the tip of the iceberg.
772
00:39:43,896 --> 00:39:48,137
SHATNER:
But were these strange objects carefully collected and hidden
773
00:39:48,241 --> 00:39:51,758
in order to invoke
a deadly curse
774
00:39:51,862 --> 00:39:55,310
or as a means of preventing one?
775
00:39:55,413 --> 00:39:57,517
I think what people
were really focused on
776
00:39:57,620 --> 00:40:00,344
was finding ways of turning
that harmful magic around
777
00:40:00,448 --> 00:40:03,275
and either repelling it
or trapping it or thwarting it
778
00:40:03,379 --> 00:40:05,068
in some way from
getting into their houses.
779
00:40:05,172 --> 00:40:07,862
So, the local sort of
white witch or wizard
780
00:40:07,965 --> 00:40:10,551
could be paid
to produce a charm for you,
781
00:40:10,655 --> 00:40:13,034
and the charm would eventually
be concealed on your property
782
00:40:13,137 --> 00:40:16,068
as a trap, essentially,
to impale any negative energies
783
00:40:16,172 --> 00:40:17,827
coming into the house
looking to attack you
784
00:40:17,931 --> 00:40:19,586
and stop it from going further
into the house,
785
00:40:19,689 --> 00:40:20,965
where it might do you harm.
786
00:40:23,448 --> 00:40:26,068
SHATNER:
While such arcane practices may seem like the stuff
787
00:40:26,172 --> 00:40:28,068
of fairy tales and fantasy,
788
00:40:28,172 --> 00:40:31,448
is it possible
that mystical talismen
789
00:40:31,551 --> 00:40:34,862
and other charms
can actually protect people
790
00:40:34,965 --> 00:40:38,896
from the deadly effects
of curses?
791
00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:41,310
YOUNG:
Things that are mysterious,
792
00:40:41,413 --> 00:40:43,310
if we put it
in the right narrative,
793
00:40:43,413 --> 00:40:47,000
then we have a semblance
of control or understanding,
794
00:40:47,103 --> 00:40:48,862
even though we made up
the story.
795
00:40:48,965 --> 00:40:51,931
The explanations may not be
very sound,
796
00:40:52,034 --> 00:40:54,172
but they still give us
some comfort.
797
00:40:55,275 --> 00:40:56,724
WHITEHEAD:
Maybe these curses
798
00:40:56,827 --> 00:40:59,551
are created by us,
by our imagination,
799
00:40:59,655 --> 00:41:01,827
by us trying to deal
with the mystery of nature...
800
00:41:01,931 --> 00:41:04,000
[thunder crashing]
801
00:41:04,103 --> 00:41:07,137
...and then it actually
comes to life,
802
00:41:07,241 --> 00:41:08,965
because we bring the curse
to life,
803
00:41:09,068 --> 00:41:12,551
by attaching our mind
to it collectively.
804
00:41:13,965 --> 00:41:18,344
Relics that can guard us
against evil?
805
00:41:18,448 --> 00:41:21,103
Perhaps you believe such ideas
are as nonsensical
806
00:41:21,206 --> 00:41:24,275
as the notion
of curses themselves.
807
00:41:24,379 --> 00:41:27,586
Well, then, maybe you'd be
comfortable taking a dip
808
00:41:27,689 --> 00:41:30,034
in Round Valley Reservoir, huh?
809
00:41:30,137 --> 00:41:34,068
Or hanging a picture
of the Crying Boy
810
00:41:34,172 --> 00:41:36,413
over your fireplace.
811
00:41:36,517 --> 00:41:38,931
Or perhaps you're eager
to tempt fate
812
00:41:39,034 --> 00:41:41,517
by placing the Hope Diamond
around your neck
813
00:41:41,620 --> 00:41:45,896
in celebration
of your 27th birthday.
814
00:41:46,000 --> 00:41:47,724
Well, until then,
I think the rest of us
815
00:41:47,827 --> 00:41:49,206
will choose to play it safe
816
00:41:49,310 --> 00:41:51,793
and let those things remain,
817
00:41:51,896 --> 00:41:57,068
at least for now, unexplained.
65095
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