Phantoms and Monsters

Legendary Humanoids - Orcs, the Warrior Monsters
Amazing: Bioluminescent Organisms Light Up Russian Caves
Fortean / Oddball News - 7/17/2010
Big Cat Mystery in Southern Mississippi....Possible Katrina Escapee

Legendary Humanoids - Orcs, the Warrior Monsters

Posted: 17 Jul 2010 01:39 PM PDT

Some mythical creatures have their origin in tradition and tales from the distant past. However, each culture is associated with a multitude of interesting and odd creatures, many of these beings are humanoids. One of these legendary humanoids is the Orc.

Traditionally, Orc is a word used to refer to various races of tough and warlike humanoid creatures in various lore settings. The Orc is a demon of Tyrol alpine folklore. It lives on mountains, Almen, rock holes, or valleys. It warn the noble game of hunters or can be savage and destroy cattle. As a dwarf, the Orc was a well-behaved kobold or house spirit in home wine cellars.

Orcs are often portrayed as misshapen humanoids who are brutal and warmongering (J. R. R. Tolkien's used Orks in Lord of the Rings or as Goblins in The Hobbit). However, some settings and writers describe them as a proud warrior race with a strong sense of honor (Morgan Howell's Queen of the Orcs). They are variously portrayed as physically stronger or weaker than humans, but always high in numbers. They often ride boars, wolves and wargs. In many role-playing and computer games, Orcs mainly have green skin (in such games as Warhammer Fantasy, Warcraft, Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons). Usually Orcs use a shamanistic magic unlike several other races such as Elves. However, their fighting skill is honed to maximum power and efficiency.

In Tolkien's writings, Orcs are of human shape, of varying size but always smaller than Men...ugly, filthy, with a taste for human flesh. They are fanged, bow-legged and long-armed, and some have dark skin as if burned. In a private letter, Tolkien describes them as "squat, broad, flat-nosed, sallow-skinned, with wide mouths and slant eyes...degraded and repulsive versions of the (to Europeans) least lovely Mongol-types".

Orcs fight with ferocity so long as a guiding 'will' (ex. Morgoth or Sauron) compels/directs them. In some instances, Tolkien describes Orcs as mainly being battle fodder (ex. The Battles of the Fords of Isen). Orcs are used as soldiers by both the greater and lesser villains of The Lord of the Rings — Sauron and Saruman.

Orcs eat all manner of flesh, including human. In The Two Towers, Grishnákh, an Orc from Mordor, claims that the Isengard Orcs eat Orc-flesh, but whether that is true or a statement spoken in malice is uncertain; what does seem certain is that, true or false, the Orcs resent that description. However, knowing what they are like and from later events, it seems likely that Orcs do eat other Orcs.

There are few differences between Orcs and Goblins as described by fantasy enthusiasts. Goblins are a lesser kind of Orc who dwell in caves. They can see in total darkness and can scale walls which help them to survive. Orcs are basically warriors, though there are more menacing Orcs. For example, Morranon Orcs are the same height of just under 6 ft., whereas normal Mordor or Isengard Orcs are a lot smaller. Uruk Hai are an advanced breed of Orc (possibly a hybrid of Orcs and Men). Uruk Hai all stand about 6 ft tall and resist the light of the sun better than Orcs, though their night vision is limited. The Berserkers are the top tier Orc, as demonstrated in The Battle of Helms Deep. They are shock troops and are trained to just kill opponents and as fast as possible. They are about 7 foot tall, 300 pounds and use a 5 foot long sword. Berserkers are said to drink human blood before battle in order to turned them into frenzied killers. Traditional Berserkers where said to be a race of Norsemen who fought unclothed and sent ahead of the regular warriors in order to inflict as much horror as possible.

Orcs are described as male creatures, though earlier references may have originally included females. The word Orc may actually be inspired by an Old English word in the poem Beowulf. Orcneas is termed as 'evil spirits of the dead' and is further explained as originating from 'the practice of necromancy, by which evil spirits were conjured by means of corpses back from the world of the dead.' Thus, there may be no need for female Orcs for reproduction.

On the other hand, a Tolkien enthusiast has referred me to the following passage. "But of those unhappy ones who were ensnared by Melkor little is known of a certainty. For who among the living has descended into the pits of Utumno, or has explored the darkness of the counsels of Melkor? Yet it is held true by the wise of Eressea, that all those of the Quendi who came into the hands of Melkor, ere Utumno was broken, were put there into prison, and by slow arts of cruelty were corrupted and enslaved; and thus did Melkor breed the hideous race of Orcs in envy and mockery of the Elves, of whom they were afterwards the bitterest foes. For the Orcs had life and multiplied after the manner of the Children of Iluvatar; and naught that had life of its own, nor the semblence of life, could ever Melkor make since his rebellion in the Ainulindale before the Beginning: so say the wise." -The Silmarillion, Of the Coming of the Elves. His assertion is that female Orcs were kept separate for breeding purposes...only to have contact with the males when more warriors were needed.

Sources:
Tolkien, J. R. R. - Christopher Tolkien, ed., Morgoth's Ring
Tolkien, J. R. R. - Christopher Tolkien, ed., The War of the Jewels
en.wikipedia.org
www.patriotresource.com
www.orcs.ca
forum.barrowdowns.com
British Goblins: Welsh Folk-lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions by Wirt Sikes

Legendary Humanoids - Orcs, the Warrior Monsters

Amazing: Bioluminescent Organisms Light Up Russian Caves

Posted: 17 Jul 2010 11:58 AM PDT

Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism. Bioluminescence is a naturally occurring form of chemiluminescence where energy is released by a chemical reaction in the form of light emission. Some creatures produce the chemicals luciferin (a pigment) and luciferase (an enzyme). The luceferin reacts with oxygen to create light. The luciferase acts as a catalyst to speed up the reaction, which is sometimes mediated by cofactors such as calcium ions or ATP. The chemical reaction can occur either inside or outside the cell. In bacteria, the expression of genes related to bioluminescence is controlled by an operon called the Lux operon. Based on its diversity and phylogenetic distribution, it is estimated that bioluminescence has arisen independently as many as 30 times in the course of evolution.

The Vibrionaceae are a family of Proteobacteria, given their own order. Most bioluminescent bacteria belong to this family, and are typically found as symbiotes of deep-sea animals. Bioluminescence is most common in living creatures that has an habitat in pitch black darkness. Eerie white to blue-green bioluminescent bacteria and fungi is seen in the images of a cave in Russia.

Sources:
english.pravda.ru
www.boddunan.com
www.worldchanging.com

Amazing: Bioluminescent Organisms Light Up Russian Caves

Fortean / Oddball News - 7/17/2010

Posted: 17 Jul 2010 10:56 AM PDT

New Sightings Reminder of Lithgow Panther

macarthur - Two sightings of a panther-like creature in the Macarthur area have been reported recently.

Sharon posted she had spotted the animal with her son while driving along Riverside Drive at Airds on Saturday, July 4. "Last night at about about 11pm my son who is learning to drive was driving along Riverside Drive at Airds as part of our driving lesson," she posted.

"We saw this what appeared to be a black large animal run at lightening speed from one side of road into bushland.

"When I got a better look at it as went to go into the bush it appeared to be like panther.

"It wasn't a dog as it was quite high in height. My son thought it was a greyhound at first. It was faster than I have ever seen a dog run and seemed to leap and bound as it ran. It freaked us both out and I was relieved my son did not hit it."

On July 12, Tom posted he had seen a large dark spotted cat when driving through Menangle six months ago.

"At first I thought it was a large dog then I saw a long thick tail and it jumped over a barbed wire fence. I did a u-turn and ran into the bush with a small flash light as I couldn't believe what I had just seen.

"Sadly I couldn't see anything but could hear rustling noises."

**********

MUFON Abruptly Deep-Sixes Member Forum

NOTE: I was informed that MUFON took down their popular member forum yesterday morning without notice, comment or warning to the Administrator or MUFON's 10,000+ members. The MUFON forum was started by James Carrion, the former International Director. Carrion turned over the forum to an interim administrator, Starchild, who then turned the forum ownership to the MUFON Board of Directors.

Yesterday, Friday, 7-16-2010, MUFON's board requested that Proboards, their forum provider, take the forum down. MUFON forum members can now go to the Open Minds Forum for the latest news, to contact fellow forum members, and to participate in active discussions. There is an information and discussion thread at the following link - Information/Discussion...Lon

**********

Witchcraft Madness in Africa...Three Recent Incidents

- Chitimukulu Sets Up Own Prison, Locks Up Witches - Paramount Chief Chitimukulu of the Bemba speaking people in Northern Province (Zambia) has allegedly established an illegal prison at his palace to confine people being suspected of practicing witchcraft in his Chiefdom.

- Cameroon: Six Women Jailed For Witchcraft - Six elderly women all from the Bangwa ethnic group of Lebialem Division in the Southwest Region of Cameroon but settled in the municipality of Muyuka, Fako Division, have been jailed for two to six years, for killing through witchcraft.

- FIDA Expresses Concern About Activities of Witch Doctors - The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), has expressed concern about the emerging witchcraft centres in some parts of the Upper East Region (Ghana). The Federation, cited a recent incident involving one Mrs Comfort Aseka, a 57- year- old woman, who was accused of witchcraft by her family, who sent her to a witch doctor at Zaare in the Bolgatanga Municipality, where she was stripped naked and detained for a number of days.

**********

The Remarkable Voyager 2 Marathon Continues

NASA - NASA's plucky Voyager 2 spacecraft hit a long-haul operations milestone on June 28 -- operating continuously for 12,000 days. For nearly 33 years, the venerable spacecraft has been returning data about the giant outer planets, and the characteristics and interaction of solar wind between and beyond the planets. Among its many findings, Voyager 2 discovered Neptune's Great Dark Spot and its 450-meter-per-second (1,000-mph) winds.

The two Voyager spacecraft have been the longest continuously operating spacecraft in deep space. Voyager 2 launched on August 20, 1977, when Jimmy Carter was president. Voyager 1 launched about two weeks later on Sept. 5. The two spacecraft are the most distant human-made objects, out at the edge of the heliosphere -- the bubble the sun creates around the solar system. Mission managers expect Voyager 1 to leave our solar system and enter interstellar space in the next five years or so, with Voyager 2 on track to enter interstellar space shortly after that.

Having traveled more than 21 billion kilometers (13 billion miles) on its winding path through the planets toward interstellar space, the spacecraft is now nearly 14 billion kilometers (9 billion miles) from the sun. A signal from the ground, traveling at the speed of light, takes about 12.8 hours one-way to reach Voyager 2.

Voyager 1 will reach this 12,000-day milestone on July 13, 2010 after traveling more than 22 billion kilometers (14 billion miles). Voyager 1 is currently more than 17 billion kilometers (11 billion miles) from the sun.

The Voyagers were built by JPL, which continues to operate both spacecraft. Caltech manages JPL for NASA.

************

Click for video

This 5 year old male was a pet in a home, and now lives at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. This little guy had been given an apple to eat, and seems to act more like a puppy than a porcupine!

Fortean / Oddball News - 7/17/2010

Big Cat Mystery in Southern Mississippi....Possible Katrina Escapee

Posted: 17 Jul 2010 09:44 AM PDT

natchezdemocrat - Authorities fear a big cat, perhaps a cougar, may be roaming the Cedar Point area in Bay St. Louis in Hancock County.

''I was raised in Hancock County, and the old people used to talk about the panthers — the big cats,'' city animal control Officer Dorty Necaise said Tuesday.

Now, talk of the big cats has returned, brought about by sighting reports and the death of a small dog that was mauled in the vicinity recently.

Deputy Police Chief Mike De Nardo said a family on July 8 reported that their miniature schnauzer had been attacked and killed by a larger animal.

''The owners heard the dog yapping. They went outside and saw a large creature dragging the dog off,'' he said.

Necaise said he tracked the animal over the weekend and found paw prints that were the size of a Great Dane's, but obviously from a feline-like creature with big claws.

He said he gathered sets of prints in the mud of the Cedar Point area and from sand traps on the Hollywood Casino golf course.

State wildlife officials were going to join local trapper Clark Breland in searching for the reclusive animal.

Since Hurricane Katrina decimated the area in 2005, Necaise said nature has reclaimed parts of Cedar Point that have not been rebuilt and wild animals abound.

''It's much wilder than any other part of the city,'' Necaise said.

There have been reports of hogs, alligators, foxes, bobcats, coyotes and other wild animals, he said.

**********

Mysterious Creature Found in Bay St. Louis, MS

wlox - The Bay St. Louis Police Department is investigating a mysterious and dangerous creature in the Bay's Cedar Point neighborhood.

They said a resident of the area reported seeing a strange looking animal drag off their dog and kill it. The trouble is no one knows what kind of animal it is.

Police have made a mold of its paw print and will have an animal expert analyze it soon. The imprint is about three and a half inches long and has long sharp claws.

They said it could possibly be a mountain lion, but won't know for sure until they get an expert opinion.

Mike DeNardo is the Deputy Chief of the Bay St. Louis Police Department.

"We had a call on Falicity Street of an animal that was dragged off by a large predator," DeNardo said. "We don't want people trying to approach it. Use caution with it. Be real cautious when they let their animals out, and most of all be real cautious when they let their children out. We have no idea what it is yet."

Police said once it is determined what the creature is, they will employ the help of a trapper.

**********

Police Caution Residents to Watch For Big Cat

sunherald - Police are warning residents to watch their pets and small children until a mystery creature roaming the Cedar Point area is caught.

Animal Control officer Dorty Necaise tracked the animal this weekend and found pawprints that were the size of a Great Dane's, but obviously from a feline with big claws.

"Now that this thing is hunting, people need to watch their children," Deputy Police Chief Mike DeNardo said.

Necaise and DeNardo believe it's a big cat they're looking for, possibly a Florida panther.

They'd heard of sightings, but had no proof.

Then last week something ate Chris and Julie Cowart's schnauzer.

The Sun Herald first broke the story of Norman the schnauzer Saturday. Julie Cowart watched the creature snatch her 7-year-old dog from her Felicity Street backyard and drag him away. Her husband, Chris Cowart, later found Norman's remains in the woods behind their home and buried him.

They called police.

"It's big. It's a predator," Necaise said.

Although Florida panthers are an endangered species mostly found in the Sunshine State, it's possible one could be prowling Bay St. Louis, Necaise said.

Historically, the species roamed the entire southeastern United States, including Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana, according to a Web site for the Friends of the Florida Panther.

The panther — also called puma, mountain lion and cougar — is tan, with a long, black-tipped tail. Males average 7 feet from nose to tail and weigh about 120 pounds; females can be a foot shorter and weigh about 70 pounds.

Law enforcement officers are employing private tracker Clark Breland to help. The goal is to catch it in a humane, rubber-coated wire trap and hold it for pick-up by the state Department of Wildife, Fisheries and Parks.

Since Hurricane Katrina left so many home sites vacant, more wildlife is moving back into the woody, swampy areas of the city, Necaise said.

In recent years he's spotted hogs, alligators, a python and even a kangaroo.

But whatever this one is, it's dangerous, he said.

DeNardo is asking any one who sees it to call 911. He warns against residents trying to trap it or shoot it themselves.

Big Cat Mystery in Southern Mississippi....Possible Katrina Escapee

Have you had a close encounter or witnessed something unusual?
Send us an email

Become a fan of 'Phantoms and Monsters' at Facebook

Listen to our segment
'Strickly Paranormal: For Those Seeking the Truth!'

'Twilight Saga - New Moon - Eclipse' authentic signed photos available

Anomalist Books - works on maverick science, unexplained mysteries, unorthodox theories, strange talents, and unexpected discoveries. Please check out their excellent and diverse catalog