The Homes Of Hidden Animals Series By Jeniak

“Superstition is a part of the very being of humanity; and when we fancy that we are banishing it altogether, it takes refuge in the strangest nooks and corners, and then suddenly comes forth again, as soon as it believes itself at all safe.”

— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Maxims and Reflections

Kan- wa ma kan.

It was- and it was not.

It's how all the stories start. They tell you of what was and what wasn't, but they don't tell you which is which.

Perhaps you are seven. Perhaps you are eight. You ask the sweet, greying hakawati (story crafter) "but a'amu (uncle), was it real?" Your eyes bright with eagerness and hope. And he tells you, his smile never faltering, "kan wa ma kan, my child. It was and it wasn't. Perhaps it is real. Perhaps there were caverns and theives and treasure. Perhaps there were empires and warriors and charmers. Perhaps it was the land of mysteries- the very land that Shahrazad spoke of. And perhaps it was not."

You close your eyes to better imagine the stories the old man tells. What a wild thing it was, your imagination- and even wilder his was, for the stories he crafted were his own. Flying carpets. Music. Mercenaries. A king's banquet. A marid (jinn) to make your wishes come true. "But was it?" You ask. Desperately hoping it was. And more so wishing it is. "It was and it wasn't," your hakawati says smiling.

You can smell the sweet smoke from the altars that burn ever so steadily; consuming an offering to gods long forgotten. You can hear the echoes of music long since silenced. You see the dances of people long dead. You know their stories. "But was it?" You press further. "It was and it wasn't," the old man says, his smile never fading.

You're out in the golden dunes of Arabia. A glistening object catches your eye and you take hold of it- and you are knocked back by the force of the marid storming out. "Shobeik lobeik. A'bdak bein edeik. Your wish is my command." He says. But you have no desire for anything other than answers "was it real?" You ask, but he disintegrates into whatever nothingness he came from, leaving you asking yourself whether or not it was. Whether or not you are.

You are growing up. You are now thirteen. You have yet to stop asking "was it?" Your father says it was not. Your brother says it was not. Your friend says it was not. But you are wild and stubborn. You say "but what if it was?" And they laugh you off.

Four years later and you are seventeen; and the raging fire of the stories' magic within you dims to embers. Your hakawati has long since passed away. You keep his smile tucked into a fold so deep in your heart you nearly forget about it. And you stop asking for stories. You stop asking "was it?" And what is even worse, though, is that you start to believe that perhaps, after all, it was not. That it never was.

But I am here to tell you this; it was. You spoke to the marid. You heard the music. You saw the people dancing and you smelled the offerings to their gods. It might be so deep within you, as deep as your beloved hakawati's smile is buried. And I want you to know that you, now, have your answer.

Pengabdi Setan (2017)

Pengabdi Setan, also known as Satan's Slave, is an Indonesian horror movie written and directed by Joko Anwar who also worked on other Indonesian horror films such as Perempuan Tanah Jahanam (Woman of the Damned Land aka Impetigore, 2019) and Ratu Ilmu Hitam (The Queen of Black Magic, 2019).

In the film, the matriarch who fell ill more than 3 years ago passed away under mysterious circumstances, setting a chain of horrific motions haunting her children Rini (Tara Basro), Tony (Endy Arfian), Bondi (Nasar Anuz), and Ian (Muhammad Adhiyat). Set in the early 1980s, Joko Anwar sets the mood with dim lighting and plot twists, evoking a building sense of suspense that climaxes into a horrific peak involving fertility cults and zombified pocongs.

Aside from the riveting storyline and awesome cast and crew, one thing that stuck with me is the soundtrack. Throughout the entire movie, snippets of Kelam Malam, performed by The Spouse and introduced as the matriarch's hit song early in the film, further set the mood playing throughout the movie with its haunting melody and suggestive lyrics.

The easter egg ending features Darminah who, for those who don't know, appeared in the 1980 version of Pengabdi Setan making this movie a remake, though some suggest it is also a prequel given that the 2017 setting was 1981 while the 1980 setting was 1982. Regardless, the seductive ending scene set against Diwajahmu Kulihat Bulan by Sam Saimun also set the mood for the sequel which we will see soon this year in 2022.

Happy Hauntings!

“The best aid for supplication is humility.”

— Imam Ali (a.s.), Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 9945

Mango & Sticky Rice by Khristina Cruz

My favorite piece from Will Draw For Good 2020. You can check out her Insta here

The Columbus Dispatch

For first time in 45 years, endangered American burying beetle found in Ohio

When she saw the plump orange-and-black insect crawling on the rotting rat corpse, Andrea Malek didn't know whether to cry, laugh or scream

In 2019, wildlife researcher Andrea Malek discovered evidence that the critically endangered American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) may have successfully bred itself in the wild, providing a future where these elusive beetles may once again become a part of the native American ecosystem.

An American burying beetle (N. americanus). Critically endangered though the possibility of species re-establishment now seems brighter. Photo credit to The Columbus Dispatch.

Once common throughout the United States and Canada, it is believed that N. americanus dwindled in population due loss of appropriately sized food sources, light pollution, and competition from larger scavengers among other things.

A pair of mating beetles are about to be placed in their makeshift home where they will feed, mate, and produce new offspring, all on top of a warm cozy carcass. Photo credit to the Columbus Dispatch.

To re-establish the American burying beetle population, breeding programs at The Wilds in Muskingum County, Ohio were initiated with new populations released every summer. However, none seem to have survived the winter period, until now.

Click on the link above to read more about these fantastic beetles and the breeding program maintained by The Wilds and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Wildlife division.

A physicist, a mathematician, and an engineer are all found guilty of treason and sentenced to death by guillotine.

The priest reads them their last rites, then the king orders the executioner to kill the physicist.

The executioner offers the physicist two choices: would he like a hood on or off, and would he like to be executed face up or face down. The physicist replies, “I spent my whole life studying the heavens. I would like to face the sky, with the hood on like night!”

The executioner positions the physicist and drops the blade… … and it stops inches from the physicists’ neck.

The priest cries, “It’s a sign from God! This man is innocent! Set him free!”, so the king pardons him, and orders the mathematician executed next.

The executioner offers the mathematician the same choices: would he like a hood on or off, and would he like to be executed face up or face down. The mathematician replies, “They all result in an equivalent state, but hood off face down is the most elegant solution!”

The executioner positions the mathematician and drops the blade… … and it stops inches from the mathematician’s neck.

The priest cries, “It’s a sign from God! This man is innocent! Set him free!”, so the king pardons him, and orders the engineer executed next.

The executioner offers the engineer the same choices: would he like a hood on or off, and would he like to be executed face up or face down. The engineer replies, “I have always loved machines, and there is no more elegant a killing machine than the guillotine. I will spend my final moments marveling in its beauty!”

The executioner positions the engineer and, as he’s about to drop the blade, the engineer shouts:

“I see the problem!”

Feeling rather ouija-bored myself these days...

The Nashville Tennessean, Nashville, Tennessee, April 7, 1920

Introduction to the Six Common Types of Spirits to Expect When Going on a Spook Hunting Session

Spook-spotting requires preparations and one of the preparations needed is figuring out exactly what type of spirits we are dealing with. Depending on the case, the spook could be one of the following six:

1. The Detached or Replay Spirits. The most common spirits to encounter, replay spirits are shades of the dead that "replay" the events of their tragic deaths over and over again. They tend to keep to themselves and have minimal to zero interactions to living humans.

Protocol: Observe and record their activities without interruption. Communication may be attempted but don't get your hopes up. Even if some of them interact, there is nothing to be done for the spirit themselves. The surrounding psychic energy keeping them trapped will, according to the first law of thermodynamics, eventually dissipate, though how long they will remain trapped, only time will tell.

2. Poltergeist. German for "noisy spirit", it is the second most common spirit to encounter. Always invisible, it makes its presence known through noisy disruptions hence the name. They tend to come and go as they please, though they often focus their antics onto a particular person or family, even buildings. Though violent, it is rarely murderous.

Protocol: Be prepared with backups when dealing with these types of spirit. Chances are, your cameras and other recording equipments will be thrown about during the spook-spotting sessions. Don't forget to bring a few sets of first aid kits. There will be bruising and scratches.

3. The Interactive Spirit. Third most common spirits to encounter and the most diverse. They can range from curious benign spirits to malevolent vengeful ghosts. These are the types that have unfinished business with the living, and if encountering one, it is advisable, though not warranted, that you try to help finish their earthly business.

Protocol: Be cautious. Interactive spirits are temperamental and the slightest agitation can send them flying off the handle. Observe in groups for security, preferably 5:1 in human-to-spirit ratio. If you have a skilled negotiator, bring him or her along. These types of spirits are generally attached to a particular person or building. So if the negotiations go sideways, it is advisable to destroy said building or individual to release the spirit's bond from the earthly plane.

4. Transport or Vehicular Ghost. This is one of the rarer spirits on this list. They behave similarly to detached or replay spirits. However, it is still unknown what triggers their manisfestation. It is also uncertain whether these can be considered spirits at all.

Protocol: Observe and record as normal. Corporeality of vehicular spirits have not been tested since these spirits usually appear far away from observers. For vehicular spirits that appear close to the observer, take caution as people approached by said spirits often report feeling anxious and unexplained dread when approached by these apparitions

5. Animal spirits. About as rare as vehicular spirits, cases of actual animal spirits are still quite uncommon because often witnesses confuse seeing animal spirits with demon cats or hellhounds. They often haunt their previous owners and can be either benign or malicious, depending on how their owners treat them when they are still alive

Protocol: Be nice. These spirits still have an attachment to their owners and it's best not to provoke either them or their owners. Keep your documenting equipment on standby as most cases involving animal spirits only document quick animal-like motions or mannerisms only their owners recognize. Full body apparitions are rare.

6. The Omen Spirit. Rarest of the six spooks and the hardest to document. They typically appear to a particular person or group and they never stay long. Sightings range from pale shades to full-body apparitions.

Protocol: Be vigilant and keep your documenting equipment on standby all the time. You'll have a better chance to capture it on camera if the spirit is attached to a group rather than a person.

These are the Big Six though there are variations within each of them. Some may argue that since vehicular spirits behaved very similarly to detached spirits, these two should be within a supergroup of their own. But whatever your arguments may be regarding spirit classification, always keep your wits about and have a safe spook spotting session wherever you might be.

Happy Hauntings!