Thursday 22 December 2016

FOLKLORE FLASHBACK #19 - In Search of Santa Part II



This week on Folklore Flashback we continue our festive investigations of the history and mystery of Santa Claus! And so, here are Parts III and IV of a truly epic podcast series revealing everything you need to know about the man with the bag! 



In the next leg of our epic investigation of the history and mystery of Santa Claus, we examine the development of his image through 19th century America, his appearances in Victorian England, and how he came to inhabit grottoes in our stores come December time! 

DIRECT DOWNLOAD -  In Search of Santa Part III 



In the final chapter of this epic festive investigation, Mr Jim Moon explores the history of the British Father Christmas, goes on the trail of the German Weihnachtsmann, and perhaps finally gets to the bottom of where Santa Claus really comes from!

HYPNOGORIA 26 – In Search of Santa Part IV
DIRECT DOWNLOAD -  In Search of Santa Part IV

Finally, here is a gallery showing the images mentioned in the shows above, depicting Santa Claus through the ages -

http://hypnogoria.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/in-search-of-santa-gallery.html

Tuesday 20 December 2016

FROM THE GREAT LIBRARY OF DREAMS 28 - Do You Hear What I Hear



It's the third and final night of our ghost stories from the Great Library of Dreams, and it is also a very special occasion too - for this is our 300th show! And to mark this milestone in podcasting, Mr Jim Moon is settling by the fireside to recount the strange and ghostly events that were to befall him one Christmas some ten years ago...  




DIRECT DOWNLOAD - Do You Hear What I Hear

Find all the podcasts in the HYPNOGORIA family here -

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Sunday 18 December 2016

FROM THE GREAT LIBRARY OF DREAMS 27 - The Ash-Tree


In the second of our readings of ghost stories from Christmas from the Great Library of Dreams, Mr Jim Moon presents a classic tale from the great MR James - The Ash-Tree




DIRECT DOWNLOAD - The Ash-Tree

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Friday 16 December 2016

FROM THE GREAT LIBRARY OF DREAMS 26 - Bone to his Bone


Yuletide is almost here, and it's time to draw round the cosy fireside of the Great Library of Dreams for some ghost stories for Christmas. We begin this year with Mr Jim Moon narrating a tale by a friend and colleague of the great MR James, the Reverend EG Swain. And appropriately enough this festive little chiller is about a haunted library! 




DIRECT DOWNLOAD - Bone to his Bone

Find all the podcasts in the HYPNOGORIA family here -

HYPNOGORIA HOME DOMAIN - Full archive, RSS feed and other useful links

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Thursday 15 December 2016

FOLKLORE FLASHBACK #18 - In Search of Santa Part I


This week in Folklore Flashback we are revisiting my epic investigation from last Christmas - the curious case of the man with the bag! Known variously as Santa Claus, Kris Kringle, or Father Christmas, in this podcast series we attempt to uncover the long and strange history of a fellow who's said to be the embodiment of the festive spirit itself! 


Travelling down the centuries in a borrowed magic sleigh, we bust some myths about the Bearded Gentleman himself, before uncovering the roles played by the poem A Visit From St. Nicholas, the writings of Mr Washington Irving, and the drawings of Mr Thomas Nast in the development of legend of Santa Claus.




In the second part of our very special Christmas series, we further investigate the origins of Santa Claus, exploring the life and legend of St. Nicholas, his role in the tradition of Christmas presents, the assorted magical gift bringers he transmuted into in Europe, bring light to the dark rumours of Krampus and satanic Santas, and examine the forgotten alternative American Santa Belsnickel 

HYPNOGORIA 24 – In Search of Santa Part II
DIRECT DOWNLOAD -  In Search of Santa Part II 

Finally, here is a gallery showing the images mentioned in the shows above, depicting Santa Claus through the ages -

http://hypnogoria.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/in-search-of-santa-gallery.html

Tuesday 13 December 2016

HYPNOGORIA 46 - The Power of Christmas Unleashed


In a special surprise episode, Mr Jim Moon goes rooting through the dusty old audio archives of the Great Library of Dreams to learn of the strange but very festive adventures enjoyed by Batman and the Six Million Dollar Man courtesy of Power Records in the 1970s. 

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DIRECT DOWNLOAD - The Power of Christmas Unleashed

Find all the podcasts in the HYPNOGORIA family here -

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Saturday 10 December 2016

HYPNOGORIA 45 - The Box of Delights - A Christmas Commentary Part II


In the second of two special episodes, Mr Jim Moon revisits a Christmas classic - the much loved BBC adaptation of The Box of Delights by John Masefield. However this year, Mr Jim has invited all you at home along to join him in his annual rewatch with a full commentary! This episode covers Parts 4, 5 and 6. Now let us go swift and continue our adventures! 




DIRECT DOWNLOAD - The Box of Delights - A Christmas Commentary Part II 

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HYPNOGORIA HOME DOMAIN - Full archive, RSS feed and other useful links

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Thursday 8 December 2016

HYPNOGORIA 44 - The Box of Delights - A Christmas Commentary Part I




In the first of two special episodes, Mr Jim Moon revisits a Christmas classic - the much loved BBC adaptation of The Box of Delights by John Masefield. However this year, Mr Jim is inviting all you at home along to join him in his annual rewatch with a full commentary! This episode covers Parts 1, 2 and 3. However we shall not leave you little nor yet dark for long as the second half will be along in a couple days time!  




DIRECT DOWNLOAD - The Box of Delights - A Christmas Commentary Part I 

Find all the podcasts in the HYPNOGORIA family here -

HYPNOGORIA HOME DOMAIN - Full archive, RSS feed and other useful links

HYPNOGORIA on iTunes

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Saturday 3 December 2016

MICROGORIA 39 - Gef the Talking Mongoose


In the last episode before the Christmas specials begin, Mr Jim Moon is in a somewhat festive mood as he investigates one of the strangest haunting ever... In this episode we take a trip back to the 1930s and voyage to a remote farm on the Isle of Man to meet Gef the Talking Mongoose! 



DIRECT DOWNLOAD - MICROGORIA 39 - Gef the Talking Mongoose

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Friday 2 December 2016

FOLKLORE ON FRIDAY - Species of Spectres VII


Welcome once again dear readers to yet another exploration of all things ghostly and folkloric. This week we are still considering the possible classifications we can make under the heading of Animal Apparitions. We already discovered the spectral equivalents of man's best friends, the hound and horse, and last week investigated the strange fluttering of avian apparitions. So then it's only right and proper that we first sketch in a subcategory for Feline Phantoms, for as cats have enjoyed our company for many centuries it is unsurprising there are a fair few folk tales relating to metaphysical moggies.

Now to keep us on track and focussed on ghostly folklore, I'm not going to be making such mention of the reports of panthers and pumas roaming the British Isles. For these Alien Big Cats (or ABCs for short) are a relatively recent phenomena, and are perhaps more properly considered as belonging in the field of cryptozoology rather than folklore. Now that is not to say that folklore cannot be modern or recent, and while some writers and researchers have mooted the theory that ABCs are possibly a modern mutation of traditional tales of phantom black dogs, I tend to consider them to me more likely real creatures than phantom animals. Aside from tricks of perspective causing misidentification of regular felines, I think it is telling the ABC phenomena begins after a law was passed in the early 1970s that regulated the ownership of exotic animals, and several reports have been uncovered of big cat owners releasing their former pets into the wild as a result.

However even leaving ABCs aside, there is still a strong enough tradition of ghostly cats to justify a Feline Phantoms category. However while spectral hounds tend follow the same pattern, and tales feathered phantoms can be classified into distinct sub-groups, accounts of ghostly moggies seem to prove that even when they are ethereal or ectoplasmic, cats will still be cats i.e. independent to the last, always doing their own thing, and generally defying any rules we try and impose on them!

Naturally several tales of ghost cats would appear to be accounts of deceased pets returning. For example, at a house in Birtley, County Durham, a phantom Persian cat has been spotted on several occasions, and research has revealed that such a cat was the pet of a former owner. While at the Market Cross pub in Swaffham, Norfolk, a phantom cat is frequently mistaken for a real moggy. It is speculated that possibly this feline phantom was the pet of one of the pub’s other ghosts, one of the spectral old fellows who are sometimes seen sat drinking and smoking by the fire.

Actually it would appear that pubs are something of a favourite haunt of spectral cats. In Bedford, London, the Square Inn (formerly known as The Bull-nosed Bat) there have been many sightings of a phantom cat. While at The Beehive in Great Waltham, a ghostly grey cat is often seen disappearing through walls. This would appear to be something of a favourite trick with feline phantoms, as in the Gatehouse Restaurant, in Battle, Sussex, the ghost of a former house cat floats about and allegedly is often seen disappearing through a wall. At the Old Talbot public house in Worcester, a ghostly cat has been known to brush up against people, only to disappear as soon as it  has gained their attention. And at Sower Carr Lane, in Hambleton, another spectral cat does much the same trick, rubbing against the legs of walkers yet remaining invisible.

At Ye Olde Starre Inne in York two phantom black cats are often seen, and seem to delight in spooking the dogs of any patrons. It is said they are the spectres of two cats that were bricked up in a pillar between the front door and the bar. While this may sound terribly macabre and cruel, it is a historical fact that many dead cats have been found walled up in old buildings. The theory is that these animals were a kind of sacrifice or protective charm carried out when these places were built, and this practice is suspected to be the origin of several ghostly moggies. For example, the black cat that haunts the bridge over the River Coquet, in Rothbury, Northumberland may well have been such a sacrifice made when the bridge was built.

In a tale of a haunting in the late 19th century which took place at Lower Seedly Road, Manchester, part of the ghostly manifestations was the sound of a cat crying, and later the spectre of a headless cat appeared. Quite how it cried without a head remains a mystery. However being missing bodily appendages does not appear to overly trouble feline phantoms, for in 1675 the house of a Mr Edward Pitts in Puddledock, London suffered a poltergeist infestation, and one of the phantoms reported was a legless cat floating through the house. Of course cats famously never abide with convention, as demonstrated by the phantom puss that haunts Balbriggan, County Dublin who appears sporting a striking shade of green.

Surprisingly given that traditional association with witches, there don't seem to be very many ghostly cats linked with witchcraft. However there are a couple who appear to belong distinctly to the dark side. Firstly there's tales of a seemingly evil black cat that manifested in a room at Powerham Castle and attacked a guest. But perhaps the most famous ghostly moggy of all also enjoys a highly sinister reputation. Montpelier Hill in County Dublin, Ireland was the home of the Irish Hellfire Club where much whiskey was drunk and allegedly orgies, debauchery and evocations of Satan took place. The club's mascot was a large black cat who allegedly took the place of Satan in their gatherings. It was also said they had burnt a cat alive and committed several murders at their gatherings.

At first they met in a ruined hunting lodge atop the hill, and later in a nearby Victorian mansion, the Killakee house. In 1968 when renovations were being done on the now crumbling house, workmen began reporting ghostly manifestations, and soon several folks had seen an evil looking black cat. One of these was the painter Tom Massey who was left badly shaken after an encounter with the snarling brute, which he described as having burning eyes - and he would later paint the beast as seen below. In 1970, further work at the house uncovered a shock secret, a small skeleton was buried beneath the kitchen floor, and what's more with the bones was a brass statue of  a demon. This macabre discovery seemingly proved the old tales that the Hellfire Club had once beaten a deformed boy to death. However there's still tales of ghostly activity in the area, and the malevolent spectral cat is still allegedly seen at the house and prowling Monpelier Hill...

Well folks, that brings us to the end of Species of Spectres for this year - over the next few weeks we'll be shifting gear into a more festive mode and looking at some Yuletide folklore...


Thursday 1 December 2016

FOLKLORE FLASHBACK #17 When the Red Red Robin....


Well dear friends, currently it would appear that certain waterfowls appear to be ballooning and elderly gentlemen are reporting their headgear filling up with loose change. This can only mean one thing - Christmas is coming once again!  And to get you in the come for the coming festivities, here's a little series I wrote exploring the folklore behind one of the great icons of Yuletide, the humble robin redbreast! 

Part 1 - In which we examine superstitions surrounding the robin redbreast
http://hypnogoria.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/folklore-on-friday-who-killed-cock-robin.html

Part 2 - The origin of these supserstitions and the robins role in Babes in the Woods
http://hypnogoria.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/folklore-on-fridays-robin-in-woods.html



Part 3 - the folklore behind Babes in the Woods
http://hypnogoria.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/folklore-on-friday-babes-in-woods.html

Part 4 - The robin and his associations with Christmas
http://hypnogoria.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/microgoria-22-christmas-and-robin.html

Furthermore, if all of that looks like an awful lot of reading, last Christmas I created an audio version, adapting this little series into a podcast, which you can find here -

http://hypnogoria.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/microgoria-22-christmas-and-robin.html


Sunday 27 November 2016

FROM THE GREAT LIBRARY OF DREAMS 25 - Sredni Vashtar & Tobermory


As a curtain raiser for our forthcoming investigation of the curious case of Gef the Talking Mongoose, Mr Jim Moon invites you to take a seat by the fireside to hear two weird tales of unusually gifted animals from the pen of the great HH Munro AKA Saki.. 




DIRECT DOWNLOAD - Sredni Vashtar & Tobermory

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Friday 25 November 2016

FOLKLORE ON FRIDAY - Species of Spectres Part VI


Welcome once again dear friends to another instalment of Species of Spectres in which we attempt to devise categories to classify assorted ghosts and ghouls. Now last time we were looking at Animal Apparitions, and discovered that according to folklore the most common varieties of spectral creatures are two species that have had a long relationship with humanity, horses and dogs. However what of our feathered friends?

Now in the realm of folklore there are many supernatural beliefs associated with birds, but most usually these are related to the presence of birds at certain times, i.e. seeing a certain type of bird is good luck, while the appearance of another is a harbinger of misfortune. More closely relating to all things ghostly, it is commonly held that the absence of birds a sure sign a particular place is haunted - no birds will nest in the eaves of a haunted house, and in lonely countryside places where uncanny things are said to walk there will be no sound of birdsong. For example, at Nibley Green, Gloucester in 1469, the troops of Thomas Talbot, 2nd Viscount Lisle and William Berkeley, 2nd Baron Berkeley fought a terrible battle. And it is said the soldiers who perished there were buried in a mass grave in a nearby wood. Sightings of ghostly soldiers have been reported there, and it is said that no bird sings in that particular stretch of woodland.

Actual spectral birds however are another matter, and although uncommon there are enough accounts of avian apparitions to separate into three groups. Firstly we have simply the shades of bird that have ceased to be… The famous ghost hunter Elliot O'Donnell reported that at a house on Dean Street, London, a phantom black bird was often seen by locals. While not far away a house on Great Russell Street was prey to a phantom magpie that would tap on the windows,  before appearing inside perching on a phantom baton that floats in thin air. In Leamington, an old (and now demolished) house called Brookhurst was a Sonic Spectre ( is a ghost that is only heard) which manifested as the sounds of a large bird flapping round the place. As many varieties of birds have been tamed and kept by folks, it's not surprising there are a good few accounts of feathered friends returning from beyond the grave. Once upon a time, the Blue Bell Inn at Tushingham, Cheshire had a pet duck that playfully pecked at patrons ankles, a practice it perpetuated even after it perished, and its psychic predations were only prevented thanks to pious priests exorcising the phantom fowl!

However, aside from mere ghosts of birds that have joined the choir invisible, many old legends tell of phantom fliers that appear serve to a specific purpose. The first are harbingers, usually appearing to foretell a death. For a typical example of this, let us call in at Salisbury, where it is said that when a Bishop is going to die, two spectral white birds appear, either hovering over his house or on the roof of the cathedral. In a similar fashion it is said when there is to be a death in the family a flitting white bird-shaped apparition flaps about Arundel Castle and taps at the windowpane. A rarer variant of these traditions is recorded in Bangor, where at the Faenol estate, trespassers are warned away by the eerie crying of a spectral bird. And it is said that this particular avian apparitions is actually the ghost of a man executed for stealing timber from there, now doomed to warn others of the perils of theft.  


Finally we have a strong body of lore that tells of more fearsome feathered phantoms. At Temple Grafton in Warwickshire, there is a hill called Rolls Wood Hill. However locally it is also known as Alcocks Arbour, as it is claimed that the notorious highwayman John Alcock hid a cache of buried treasure there. However these riches are guarded by a demonic cockerel, and despite the risk of sounding like Tim the Enchanter from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, I must warn you that while this guardian sounds ridiculous it is not to be messed with. For the last fellow who attempted to retrieve the treasure was eaten alive by the evil avian! And the only way to gain safe passage past the creature is to be holding one of Alcock’s bones, which I fear are in somewhat short supply these days…

 There is a similar tale told of Bransil Castle in Herefordshire - once again it said that there is a hidden hoard of riches, guarded by a huge black bird, who may only be warded off by holding the bones of Lord Beauchamp who allegedly buried the treasure in the first place. And there are many more legends of supernatural treasure guardians that take the shape of birds. Interestingly these feathered fiends are very often described as having black plumage.

In Shorwell on the Isle of Wight, there is said to be a treasure chest buried in a quiet wood, beneath an elm tree. However if that sounds like a road to easy wealth, once again beware, for it is guarded by a fearsome spirit in the shape of a large black bird. Likewise at Penyard Castle at Weston Penyard in Herefordshire there is said to be more buried treasure, again guarded by a hideous black bird. While at Verwood in Dorset, there is a large rock known variously as St Stephen's Stone, the Hoarstone, or simply the Verwood Stone. And beneath this stone is said to be a hidden golden vessel containing yet another stash of treasure. However once again, these riches are guarded by a black bird that attacks anyone who tries to claim it. 

Next time we will be further considering Animal Apparitions, looking at some of the odder ghostly creatures that lurk in folklore and legend...


Thursday 24 November 2016

FOLKLORE FLASHBACK #16 - Headless and Chained!

illustration by Russ Nicholson

To compliment our on-going current series running on Folklore on Friday, Species of Spectres, here's a round-up of previous entries on the subject of ghost,s and specifically how they appear in folklore. Firstly we examine why it is that spooks and spectres are so often depicted as wearing manacles and chains -

http://hypnogoria.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/folklore-on-friday-chained-ghosts.html



And then we have a  brace of articles that explores that other great ghostly cliche - the headless phantom! Here we encounter many spirits that go about sans bonce, and take a look at one of the most famous examples of this type of decapitated denizen of the dark, the shade of Anne Boleyn! 

http://hypnogoria.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/folklore-on-friday-dont-lose-your-head.html

http://hypnogoria.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/folklore-on-friday-dont-lose-your-head_16.html


Saturday 19 November 2016

MICROGORIA 38 - New Arrivals at the Great Library


As Christmas is coming at an ever-increasing pace, Mr Jim Moon presents a trio of tomes from the wonderful world of horror comics as requests from Santa Claus... We have look at Phil Trombetta's huge and gorgeous volume The Horror, The Horror, and we take a look at two just released collections - Misty: Moonchild/Four Faces of Eve and a comics adaptation of MR James' Ghost Stories of an Antiquary from Leah Moore and John Reppion.


DIRECT DOWNLOAD - MICROGORIA 38 - New Arrivals at the Great Library

Find all the podcasts in the HYPNOGORIA family here -

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Friday 18 November 2016

FOLKLORE ON FRIDAY - Species of Spectres Part V


from Mysteries of the Unknown (Usborne 1977)

Welcome once again dear friends to another little exercise in classifying all things ghostly. In this little blog series, we have been attempting to devise possible categories for different hauntings based upon how they are documented in folklore and local legends. Now we often think of ghosts as being the shades of folks who have passed over, dead people returning to bother the living. However in the realm of folklore, a ghost is not necessarily something that takes an anthropomorphic shape. Indeed the spectral kingdom is apparently home to an entire phantom menagerie! 

There seems to be a wide variety of Animal Apparitions out a-haunting on a regular basis, so much so that several sub-categories can be constructed very rapidly. Perhaps most famous of all spectral beasts is the dreaded Black Dogs that appear all over the British Isles. Most regions have their own version of this famous phantom canine, and often have a local name too such as Barguest, Trash, Padfoot, Grim, Shuck, Skeff, Galleytrot. Commonly they are described as being hounds of a gigantic size, jet black, often with shaggy fur and burning red eyes. However there are some local physiological (or should that be ectoplasmic) variants, for example Norfolk's Black Shuck is sometimes described as appearing with a single burning eye, while the Yeth hounds of Dartmoor are sometimes said to headless (and further tales of the phantom hounds of Dartmoor can be heard here). 

Generally speaking, these spectral dogs are considered something of an ill omen, with a common belief that to see one is a harbinger of a death. However despite their fearsome reputation, the British Black Dog has had a remarkable impact on culture, inspiring Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to create The Hound of the Baskervilles, turning up as the Grim in the Harry Potter series, and inspiring musicians such as Led Zeppelin, Nick Drake and The Darkness. So possibly these spectral hounds are not quite as unlucky as folklore would have you believe...


Another popular ghostly creature is of course the Ectoplasmic Equines, however I suspect their numbers are often greatly underestimated as the ghostly humans accompanying them tend to hog the limelight. For there are legions of tales of spectral coaches, ghostly hunts and headless horsemen in the annals of folklore and legend, but as I said all too often it is their riders that receive all the attention. However, typically phantom horses usually appear as coal black steed, and like their canine brethren often with the usual accessories of burning red eyes. However flaming hoofs are not uncommon for phantom equines, nor is it unknown for them to follow suit with their spectral masters and appear sans heads too. Phantom coaches, usually bearing a local historical dead celebrity, are frequently Calendar Observers and Anniversary Apparitions, however Ectoplasmic Equines may be further divided into sub-sub categories too. 

Often very similar to your usual phantom coach set up - i.e. black horses, possibly headless, with headless and/or skellington drivers, a tendency to drive dangerously - are the Dead Coaches. These sinister vehicles are largely considered a major inconvenience as they come to pick up the souls of the soon to be dear departed, and frequently that means you if you've spotted one. However as troubling as the Dead Coaches are, our next sub-category is often even more sinister, if not in many cases downright evil. There are many legends of the Wild Hunt and usually it is considered extremely bad luck to witness this band of spectral riders pass by. In the oldest legends the hunt was led but Odin or Woden or Wotan, but in later tales we find some local villain of black repute or the Devil himself leading the spectral hunters. Some legends hold that these spectral riders are hunting down the souls of the wicked, however there are many stories of them hunting far less charming quarry such as the souls of unbaptised babes. And in some tales, often  anyone who they encounter is considered fair game, a famous example of this is the company of witches and devils that hound Tam O'Shanter. Finally it should also be noted that there is a certain overlap with the Black Dogs here, for spectral hounds are sometimes said to be part of these fearsome ghostly hunting parties. 

So then, having rounded up some of the more common Animal Apparitions, next time we shall hunt down some of the more unusual non-human phantoms haunting the realm of folklore and legend. 

Thursday 17 November 2016

FOLKLORE FLASHBACK #15 - Time Flies


Once again it's reached that time of the year when we start wondering where all the time has gone. Is it really nearly Christmas once again? It doesn't seem that long ago we were resolving to eat less and do more exercise... 

However as much as we sometimes desire a break from the tyranny of clock and calendar, in the past time pieces behaving erratically was generally seen as an ill omen...

http://hypnogoria.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/folklore-on-friday-clocking-on.html

And as much as we often wish we could stop the advance of those two hands around the dial, a stopped clock was often the herald of dark times. And there is even a true story behind that old song about a stopped grandfather clock too...

http://hypnogoria.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/folklore-on-friday-even-stopped-clock.html