#i have made posts about the working class titanic victims before but it has been a really long time

[the-casbah-way]

i will say this once and then i’ll never talk about it again because my dashboard is full of it and im tired of reading about it now. but as a soon to be archaeologist we have been telling you over and over again to stop treating grave sites and protected heritage monuments as tourist attractions. we keep telling you to understand the difference between expeditions that are historically/scientifically necessary versus ones that are purely to satisfy personal curiosity. not only because they are dangerous for those involved (and the innocent people who may have to be sent out to rescue them) but also because it can be damaging for the site/monument itself. we keep telling you and you keep ignoring us. so i have limited sympathy for those who refuse to listen. HOWEVER. i am also tired of reading all these posts joking about “stupid rich people” dying on the titanic because that isn’t fair to the other titanic victims. there were lots of working class people on the titanic and they died in far higher percentages than the first class passengers did and that is not a coincidence. not only this but when crews later began recovering bodies the first class passengers were STILL treated as the priority, purely because they were first class. there weren’t enough embalming supplies for all the bodies that were recovered, so the ones that could be identified as wealthy passengers were preserved whilst any that couldn’t (along with any identifiable as crew members) were essentially tossed back into the sea. they did this because they decided the wealthy victims were more important because having an identifiable body would help in any disputes over their estates/wealth. meaning they were given the burial they deserved because they were rich, whilst the third class passengers were discarded like they weren’t even people. basically my point is if you’re going to make this about stupid rich people make it about the ones who are responsible for building and okay-ing the glorified tin can that is now lost in the ocean because they refuse to let the titanic victims rest rather than erase all the working class people who died on that boat in the first place

[whenthemarshmallowmettheslayer]

I’m happy that you like to hear people’s thoughts about subplots and ideas and such. I just got so caught up thinking about the time right after he was claimed and how “everyone was afraid of him” and how different his experience might have been if instead he could’ve met people with the undercurrent of “this kid might be my sibling” and that’s really neat :) I absolutely, 10000% look forward to whatever you write next!!!

I do! (About hearing people’s thoughts on subplots, ideas, and so on.) :) 

Heads up I’m going to break this reply in two parts. The first part is about claiming or rather Percy not being claimed and what that means later on in the series. The second part will be about his SPQR tattoo. Okay, onto the the first part, claiming: 

1.) Annabeth canonically assumed Percy was Zeus’ son even after Percy became the supreme lord of the camp’s plumbing (which Percy doesn’t become in this verse). It isn’t till she sees the water healing Percy that she puts the pieces together and then BAM Percy gets claimed. 

This is honestly a fair guess because in Greek mythology Zeus had the most children. This is also supported by the fact Zeus has the most demi-god children in PJ series. 

Before someone points out Hazel, Bianca, Nico, and I’m pretty sure it’s hinted in the books Hitler was Hades’ son and that three confirmed children of a big three beats the two (Thalia and Jason) children Zeus has let me remind you that Hades stopped having children after the oath was made that was result of the great prophecy and of their children being too powerful (about WW2).

Hades actually kept his oath which both is something Greek mythology supports in two different ways but that’s a discussion for another day. (I haven’t had caffeine yet. My cup of tea is still steeping.) 

Zeus had two children after the oath - one who Annabeth personally knew - while 

Poseidon only had one and Hades had none after the oath. 

So it was a valid guess to assume Zeus had fallen off the bandwagon again. 

Grover, on the other hand, states that he believed Percy is the son of a minor god or goddess. 

We never officially (key word officially) get Chiron’s guess on Percy’s parentage but 

I think it’s telling that out of everything he could have done Chiron gave Percy  Riptide during the school’s trip to the museum. 

It’s apparent in the chapter after Percy vaporizes pre-algebra teacher that Grover and Chiron knew she was a Kindly One (plus I just remembered in the first chapter that Percy made a remark after sententious that she was pure evil and Grover agreed). There’s also the fact it’s stated several times throughout the series that Grover, and I’m sure it’s a safe assumption Chiron too, could smell monsters. Even if they couldn’t smell that there was a fury in the school they would have noticed her appearing one day and manipulating the mist. (Thalia states TTC that Chiron taught her to manipulate the mist.) 

So Chiron must have known Mrs.Dodds was a monster. If he didn’t carry a weapon with him that would be beyond stupid (maybe he can’t personally interfere since there’s red tape for everyone but a demi-gods who only held back by their own bravery but that doesn’t mean Chiron couldn’t have kept a weapon to give Percy in case he needed it which he does) especially when Percy states in the book Chiron had a collection of weapons he would let the class mess around with. 

Out of all the weapons Chiron - Chiron who manipulates the mist, Chiron who had been training demi-gods for hundreds of years, Chiron who had a stash of weapons he let his class play around with - could have kept on him it’s Riptide - the sword Poseidon gave him - that Chiron gives to Percy. 

So even though Chiron is never officially guessed Percy’s parentage I think he had already guessed right in the privacy of his own mind. (This is something I hint about in the series.) 

Okay, so that’s Annabeth, Grover, and Chiron’s guesses in canon. 

It would be fair for other campers to assume that Percy was a child of Zeus because he was the only big three known to break the oath at the time (Thalia) and seriously the god could not keep in it his pants in Greek mythology. You would be surprised how many people are attributed to being Zeus’s. There actually are a few bad guys in Greek mythology that are sons of Zeus and some of Hades’ children that could be his are also said to be actually Zeus (Macaria, Zagreus, and Melinoe). 

But the kicker is Zeus doesn’t claim him.

It doesn’t matter what you or anyone thinks. If the kid isn’t claimed they have to stay in the Hermès Cabin. (Which really sucks if you’re a child of a god or goddess who isn’t an Olympian. Even if you’re claimed you still have to live in that overcrowded cabin because the camp only had twelve cabins until the end of TLO.) 

Zeus who apparently didn’t just only turn Thalia into a tree to save her life (and finally give the camp some protection) but kicked up a fuss on Grover failing to retrieve Thalia to camp safely.  (It’s mentioned throughout the series Grover was given shit about not saving Thalia and that Zeus doesn’t like him. I know for a fact Zeus still holds it against Grover because I reread the scene in TLO where the gods rewarded the heroes; I’m working on an oneshot with trans female Percy - Helen - that takes place in that scene.) 

So to most campers who were old enough to know about Thalia and the story behind the pine tree that protects them or were told about it by someone who did...it’s very telling and makes them wonder that Percy might not be Zeus’ son. 

That who knows...he could be the son of just a normal Olympian, a minor god, or a minor goddess. 

Who ever thinks not being a son of the big three, Ares, or Athena means you’re not powerful is dumb. We see this (off the top of my decaffeinated head) in Selina (her love for Charlie makes her trick the Ares cabin to defend New York which saves the battle, Clarisse’s love for Selina makes her slay a drakon that Percy with the Achilles’ heel couldn’t do, and there’s also the fact her telling Luke of Percy and Charles plans to blow up the cruise ship could have turned the tides of war if Kronos had been able to kill Percy too) who was a daughter of Aphrodite, when see this in Meg in ToA who is the daughter of Demeter whose children Annabeth brushed off in TLT, and in Luke who was a leader for the Titan’s army until Kronos possessed him and fought Percy (the son of Poseidon, of the big three, while Luke was only the son of Hermes). 

Demi-gods are important- this is stated several times in the series because they are only held back by their bravery, their hubris - no matter their parentage. 

In the last chapter I had a parts where Percy (who was told he was a pawn by Gaea) realize his worth and honestly this can apply to any demi-god who survives long enough and realizes their worth (the gods need demi-gods because the demi-gods are not held back but by their bravery): 

1.) “Percy would not be a victim nor would he longer be a pawn that Gaea had told him he was before promising to persevere him if he went north. Didn’t they know about the thing called promotion in a game of chess? Percy had still had not played a round of the game (he had kept meaning to download an app for it) but he had googled about pawns and the thing was if a pawn survived long enough and got to the other side of the board they could become anything but the king.

And Percy?

He was no longer a pawn because Percy had survived. Yet the thing was Percy had to wonder at what had been the cost. He wondered if had become a monster along the way because don’t you know? Monsters are made, not born. And two wars had certainly made Percy into something: a child killer, a person who watched his best friend die to bomb a cruise ship which Kronos had still survived, someone who intimately knew the smell of burnt human flesh from the pyres of fallen comrades, but Percy had not been made a good person. A good person didn’t talk the person, the titan Bob, they claimed (they lied) to be their friend and convinced them to murder their brother.” 

2.) “There it was again: pawn. Percy was no longer a pawn. He had survived and he had become what was needed of him to save his loved ones and to live after so many quests. (And maybe what he was was a monster that no one else could see because it was under his skin - in his soul. A monster that possibly couldn’t die until this body reached sixteen.)” 

3.) “I lied earlier,” Percy admitted as realization fell upon on him. (Don’t you know the king is the weakest player? Don’t you know if the pawn survives across the journey to the other side of the board it can become anything but the king?) Percy thought of Calypso and of vows sworn to the river of Styx. Percy remembered how Hera had told him he was the glue that held the Seven. (Don’t you know when you make a Faustian contract with the devil you will pay for it even if it’s years later - so many years you thought you escaped him? As if he would forget after what he’s given you. You struck a deal and you were a fool for ever thinking he would let it slide without payment. Not after he’s given for you because he gave you his soul in the end when he only meant to give you victory of your wars.) “When I said I was sorry and that it wouldn’t save either of us.”

Okay, that was the end of part one of my reply. I’ll try to write the second part later today. (When I post the second part I’ll come back to edit this post so there’s a link to the second part of the reply.) 

[falcon94ssy]

Interview with Shingeki no Kyojin’s author, Hajime Isayama: “The ending of Snk has been decided”

Translated by @falcon94ssy. Please do not re-post without permission. 

Source: Apple Daily, September 19, 2013 (x)

The Shadow of the man-eating La Gioconda

In 1986, Isayama was born in Hita, Ōita Prefecture, having two sisters and parents who made a living by growing plum trees and rice. Like the typical post-1980 generation, Isayama loved to watch movies and MMA fights. Isayama said he is a fan of Momoiro Clover Z, a Japanese idol group. When Isayama was studying in high school, he had decided to become a manga artist in the future. Yet, his interest in story writing had been nurtured before this. “When I was young, I loved to play toys. Even when I had been a senior primary school student---the period when boys won’t play toys anymore, I was still doing this with my friends and improvising stories.”

Where do the ideas of titans come from? Isayama said undisguisedly:

“The ideas and designs of the titans were inspired by the adult-oriented computer game Muv-Luv Alternative and manga Hell Teacher Nūbē,”  Muv-Luv Alternative is a story about the Earth attacked by the aliens, while the Hell Teacher Nūbē anime had been aired in Hong Kong before. When Isayama was a primary school student, he witnessed a La Gioconda monster from an episode of it. The monster which would suddenly pop its head out of the painting to eat people is still fresh in Isayama’s mind. “At that moment, I was so scared, even being too afraid to go to washroom alone. It seems the fear of titans is similar to my fear of the man-eating La Gioconda when I was young.” 

When Isayama was 18, he left his hometown and went to a Fukuoka polytechnic to attend manga class. When he was 20, he went to Tokyo alone, working and drawing manga at the same time. Being a midnight staff in a manga cafe located in Ikebukuro, the job had brought inspirations to Isayama. “During midnight of Ikebukuro, you can imagine what kind of customers will enter the shop.” In the manga cafe of Ikebukuro, many drunk customers would spend their night in the cafe. Isayama thought he was powerless, unable to communicate, and the fear of being toppled over by the unreasonable drunk customers---these feelings were reflected in the story of Shingeki no Kyojin. Most importantly, “With these experiences, I can urge myself to complete my manga, in order to get rid of life like this.”

I belong to The Garrison

Of course, he did not create Shingeki no Kyojin only with his imagination. “Shingeki no Kyojin should be classified as fantasy. Yet, one of my favorite movie critics has mentioned before, a story cannot attract audience if it was not connected to the real life. So I had paid extra attention about this when I was creating my story---the most fundamental part is humans go against the fear of being attacked at anytime. This fear varies through time and countries. In addition, I hope my work could be popular, so I wish a more commercial aspect can be considered.”

As he (Isayama) has expected, from different reviews, everyone can feel the fear demonstrated by him. Some people interpreted titans as a metaphor of social phenomena or natural disasters, some people even regarded it (Shingeki no Kyojin) as equivalent to Japanese militarism. In a television program aired in Taiwan, there was a discussion of the Colossal Titan represents Xi Jinping (Chinese President), the Armored Titan represents Kim Jong-un of North Korea, the Female Titan represents Park Geun-hye of South Korea (ex-President), while the humans fighting against them are the Japanese---it seems Shingeki no Kyojin encourages Japanese to struggle and restore militarism. When Isayama heard this, he was shocked a little bit, but he said gently:

“Since I want to create a story resonates with other people, if there are people compare their real life experiences with my story, and able to share their thoughts and worries to make them feel better, that would be good.”

What’re your thoughts on critics about the restoration of militarism?

“People might believe it if they don’t know when was the manga (Shingeki no Kyojin) published (2006). I don’t care much about people’s opinions...What I want to say is, in the story, Eren and other humans (within the Walls) are deliberately emphasized as the victims, killing titans for self-defense. Sometimes, people need to be brave and willing to battle, yet as time passes, what would happen to those who still possesses this mindset? I think in real life, it won’t be that simple.”

Isayama said the three military divisions in the story represent people with different mindset, like a microcosm of society.

“I was inspired by the American comic “Watchman”. I think humans can be divided into those who are unwilling to living inside the Walls and eager to venture even it means it will cost their lives, and those who discriminate them and want to live like ordinary people. The Survey Corps are the first group---the later one can be further divided: The Military Police Brigade who only strive for peaceful life, despite they are skillful, they would only sacrifice others in order to bring benefits for themselves, and the Garrison are opportunists---they claim they are skillful, yet they are not brave enough to do something. I think the majority of the world belongs to the Garrison, despite they are not the bad guys, I hate them most---I even like the Military Police Brigade more. At least the Military Police Brigade members are loyal to themselves. Yes, I like the Survey Corps, they are not afraid of dangers, like astronauts or explorers follow their hearts to act. Yet I can’t become a member of Survey Corps, I think I belong to the Garrison.”

If you are brave enough to jump into the water...

There are a lot of Snk fans in Hong Kong, which is out of Isayama’s expectation. “I’ve never imagined that, but this is what I want in the first place (lol), yet it seems it has become more popular than what I was expected in my hometown. Since I was young, I believed people should struggle to the end when there’s only one road leads to destruction. When I was a kid, I used to play with my friends in rivers. While the others jumped into the water from the rock, I was not brave enough to do the same. After I have started drawing manga, I realize that it’s like a spiritual rite of passage for a kid—which is unavoidable in one’s growth and development. I regret that I didn’t dare jumping into the water, perhaps I’ve influenced myself in an unconscious way, leading me to draw and express my feelings at that time. In another word, if I were bold enough and leaped, I would not have created the story of Shingeki no Kyojin.”

In your opinion, how should the readers of Hong Kong view your work?

“Being a writer, I believe it is impolite to instruct your readers the way of how to read your story. If I want the readers to feel something, I would simply do it in the manga. It is the job of a manga artist.”

The story of Shingeki no Kyojin is still on the way to reach the climax. The mystery of the titans and the Walls, the relationship between the main characters are yet to be revealed by Isayama. But he has already decided the plots of the ending---of course, he is not going to spill the beans. “I have planned what would happen in the end of the story already. Yet, I still haven’t think about what will Eren and other characters feel or act at that moment.” 

(end)

[spacecaptaincartoon]

Journal #1 (11/4/19)

The events which catalyzed my break up were titanic thunder fuck levels of catastrophic. However, despite the inarguably terrible circumstances which have led to my break up i feel a pervasive calm that has spread through me. At times I feel an excitement and energy that i have not experience for a long time. This first and foremost leads me to believe that this was in fact the correct move to make. Breaking up was difficult definitely. It always is. This was no exception. However, the feelings i harbor post break up are very very different in this case. I will say that this time, I was the clear breaker-up-er and that always means you have a little more self esteem to stand up when the ship ultimately goes down. Its a crashed ship but at least you can say you crashed it and not that you were a victim in the wreck. Ironically she was the one who fucked up. Anyways. I feel pretty good. I’m excited to be able to flirt with women again. This was something that i was getting quite good at before i entered this hellish relationship, and while i feel like i probably had more energy and verve in my flirt game 5 years ago, I am more confident in other ways this time around. I’ve been giving out my number. this is something i was never able to do. I was way way too self conscious in my twenties for that. Another thing that is exciting is that i dont feel super compelled to be in a relationship. This is excellent because then i can focus on things that matter a great deal to my future. Such as career, making money, living space, and other business matters. 

Right now i am talking sorta not really with this one girl named Jordana. She is an Australian born architect that lives in Silverlake. She’s pretty cute but more than anything i gave her my number because she immediately made me smile the moment i met her. And it wasn’t with a funny quip or something or a witty statement, it was simply the way she spoke. Her cadence, the way she carried herself. She had a kind of slightly silly energy to her that felt positive and approachable. I have recently decided to follow my gut when it comes to women. Fiona...barf....was someone that i was never super duper attracted too but i got with her mostly because i felt super bad for her. Then when i was seeing Katie Kidd...swoon...and then tried to break up with Fiona, I made her cry...crocodile tears that triggered me into save a bitch state and I felt the need to not betray Fiona and stick with her. Flash forward 5 years later and it was the very worse decision of my life. Well that feels like an exaggeration but its more or less true.

I think about Katie a lot. I have for 5 years. I always went back and looked at her Instagram. Watching her progress, graduate, move to Australia. Things were really really great with her but there was a shred of doubt in my mind about her. As far as sexual chemistry there was no question, she was a fucking dynamo in the bedroom...oy...thinking about it makes me all tingly. But there was a weird energy at the end of her visit (probably because we were fucking so much that my hormones were a fucking cyclone) but there was certainly a shred of doubt. Now that fiona is out of the picture I’m afraid to contact her because it seems like im just trying to tie another knot and get into a relationship again. Though i doubt doubt doubt that we would even get togther again, i mean she’s like 18 hours away in Australia. But even still, its like take a fucking break Bob!

I do kinda want to get on a  dating site but the timing is still not right. I have to get an apartment and get settled. Also there are so many way more important things to take care of that dating would be hyper trivial right now.

Also I think about a phenomenon now that i’ve always been aware of, but now it seems more evident that i should work on this rather than date now. The phenomenon is that hot beautiful women dont give a shit about broke guys, even sweet, compassionate, and handsome guys. If the guy is living in a shitty apartment with a shitty job than that guy fucking gets no pussy. The only ones you can score are those in your general social hierarchy. This is something that i dont really want. I have always been searching for a really special hyper intelligent positive girl that is bonkers attractive. This of course has never happened unfortunately. However, just using the powers of observation there are a lot of incredibly beautiful and accomplished women that date schluby gross mother fuckers mostly because they are more stable and successful in their lives. Money = status= more viable as a mate. My goal in these next two or so years is to get a sweet nursing job and then start making some fucking money. Fucking money will be money for fucking. That’s crude but im thinking really crudely for this secret blog that no one will ever read. Of course though it isn’t my style to go around fucking a bunch of girls, I sorta tried it and it was very difficult on my morals. However, getting the job and the money would put me in a much larger pool with way more viable partners. I would loooove to date a nurse, or doctor, or some very intelligent and gorgeous person. Nursing school and working in a hospital would be such a good vetting process for finding a mate. This sounds so calculated and national geographic at the same time. but i dont really care. 

Other things that I am doing right now is I am doing breathing exercises every morning. These would be the Wim Hof breathing exercises that have me do rounds of rapid inhales followed by holding my breath for as long as a can without struggling too hard. This has proved to be very very beneficial. I have been feeling more open and less self conscious since I started doing these exercises. On top of that I’ve been doing these cold showers which have been really wonderful too. I’ve been doing the two of them in conjunction so i guess its hard so say which is giving me the most benefit but Its probably both. The showers are really nice and are getting me to a place where i am sincerely looking forward to them.

Going to the gym again, that is great. I’m going to try and put some muscle on and for the most part stay on a low carb diet. Keeping my blood sugar low. I’ve been drinking a lot of Kombucha...I think i need to calm it down a bit. Maybe only after workouts. Tomorrow is going to be a triceps and back day. Looking forward to it! I like lifting. I’ll be taking a little bit of creatine soon with my workouts but keeping it to a minimum. Giving me that extra bit of ATP.

Been studying Nursing stuff early before my classes have started. I SIGNED UP FOR CLASSES! HUZZAH! This is exciting even though i’ve only signed up for one class. Thats the only class i can take really. I cannot wait to do this damn thing. I’m going to fucking crush this so fucking hard. I’m going to work hard and be the most eligible candidate for the nursing program. No fucking around. Just working hard. Moving forward and progressing.

I’m done for now.

Side note, I’ve been sitting and feeling pretty good. My back isn’t hurting...fuck yeah. I’m doing something right. Maybe those squats or kick backs or something....KEEP IT GOING!!!

[floraexplorer]

A Haunted Guide to Lunenburg, The Spookiest Town in Nova Scotia

At first glance, the little town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, is picture-perfect.

Under bright skies, tourists flock to Lunenburg to eat ice cream, shop for souvenirs, and learn about the town’s rich maritime history at the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic.

Lunenburg is famous for its brightly coloured clapboard houses lining the narrow streets, and for its picturesque harbour, home to the famous tall ship Bluenose II. And as one of the best surviving British-built colonial towns in North America, the whole of Lunenburg’s Old Town is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

But as the sun begins to set, the streets of Lunenburg seem to mysteriously empty.

What you don’t see in the daylight is Lunenburg’s spooky side – because this is a town filled to the brim with ghosts, witches, and spiritual stories. Every night, the streets of the Old Town are lit up by lanterns as the braver tourists set out on the Haunted Lunenburg Walking Tour.

Lunenburg is an historic town – but it’s also a haunted one. 

A history of Nova Scotia: why is it so haunted?

Over the generations, the people of Nova Scotia have grown up in close proximity with death.

The province’s maritime history is largely responsible: as almost all of Nova Scotia’s landmass is unsuitable for agriculture, the economy has always been based around fishing. When sailors left shore they’d be gone for months at a time, and there was no guarantee they’d return.

Storms, shipwrecks and drownings often occurred. Those lost at sea were commemorated with granite memorials in the places they hailed from – and the bodies of victims who made it back home were buried in cemeteries right in the centre of towns, not shunted off to the outskirts.

It’s been said that Lunenburg has more folklore, witches, superstitions and ghost stories than any other place in Nova Scotia. And when you stand in the town’s 300-year-old cemetery at the top of a street named Gallows Hill, you get the feeling it could be true.

Read more: the most beautiful cemetery I’ve ever seen 

A turnstile at the entrance to Garrison Graveyard in Annapolis Royal, NS

Although we’d only been in Nova Scotia for two days when we arrived in Lunenburg, Kim and were already getting familiar with the province’s spooky past.

In Halifax the night before, we’d enjoyed a fancy dinner at the Five Fishermen Restaurant – and in between bites of lobster mac and cheese I’d been on the lookout for poltergeist activity. The Five Fishermen building used to be a funeral parlour and mortuary back in the 19th century and prepared dozens of the Titanic victims for burial.

And just that morning we’d visited the lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove, famed for the ghost of a woman in a blue dress named Margaret. Her husband was lost to the sea, and she’s wandered the rocks mourning for him ever since.

So we were well-prepared for some haunted goings on in Lunenburg. Or so we thought.

[Photo by Kim Leuenberger]

A spooky night on the Haunted Lunenburg Walking Tour

The sun had already set when we met our guide Kerriann beside a splintered bench. A tiny sign hung above it, advertising the tour; a collection of lanterns sat on the steps beside her, candles waiting to be lit.

Kerriann introduced herself as an eighth-generation Lunenburger, and a direct descendant of the Moreash clan. Many of her ancestors called these same streets home, and their names cropped up repeatedly throughout the tour.

A bored-looking teenager with his parents walked towards us. They were the last three members of our little tour group, and after Kerriann handed out the lanterns we set off together.

[Photo by Kim Leuenberger]

From the moment she began to speak, it was clear that Kerriann had worked extremely hard to perfect her storytelling skills – and I realised that it wouldn’t be fair for me to give away the specifics of her stories in writing.

What I can describe is the atmosphere she created.

As we wandered past ornate houses and looming hotels, Kerriann told us ghost stories about Lunenburg’s long-dead residents: the disgruntled hotel owner tormenting guests; the murderous husband who was the last man hung beside the jail; the young girl forever standing in a ‘Lunenburg Bump’, waiting for her long lost love.

The ‘Lunenburg Bump’ is a curious architectural wonder in the town – an extended dormer window built into the top floor of many Lunenburg houses, it first began as a way to provide a bit more light and air, but quickly gained pace as neighbours took the idea and developed it.

Nowadays Lunenburg is filled with Bumps of all varieties, and it’s all too easy to imagine them as a type of ‘widows walk’. How many wives, fiancees, mothers and daughters of sailors and captains have patiently stood watch up there, waiting for their seafaring men to come home?

Superstitions are still alive and well in Lunenburg

The widow’s walk is just one of many superstitions to still hold weight here. The residents of Lunenburg are a tight-knit community, which means they’ve been raised with an oral history.

Familiar stories passed down through generations are responsible for shaping the behaviours of thousands of Lunenburgers – and alongside her ghostly tales, Kerriann explained the amount of superstitious belief which has influenced much of Lunenburg: how wearing grey mittens when fishing would bring grey skies, or how Lunenburg houses were built with identical front and back doors to confuse the devil, who only entered through the back door.

We learned that it’s legal to spit in public – but only when you’ve seen a single crow. The sight of that one bird is bad luck, but spitting on the ground invites a second crow to join it. Unfortunately the governors in Halifax cottoned onto this belief and introduced a fine for spitting in public in their city, which was often referred to as the Lunenburg tax on account of who often ended up paying it!

Kerriann told us that flipping things is bad luck, as it mimics the action of a boat capsizing. That means eggs are always cooked ‘over easy’; food comes out of a can with a spoon instead of being turned upside down; and women serve freshly-baked bread by taking it straight from the oven, running a knife around and lifting it out.

These superstitions make sense when you remember this community revolved around the sea – a place full of unpredictability and danger. Sailors have always been renowned for their superstitious nature, but it’s fascinating to realise that many modern-day Lunenburgers still wholeheartedly believe in these things, and abide by them too.

Read more: traditions and superstitions in the South American mountains

[Photo by Kim Leuenberger]

The mysterious stars of St John’s Anglican Church

As darkness fell, we made our way slowly up Gallows Hill until we reached St John’s Anglican Church.

This Gothic building was the first church built in Lunenburg in 1754 and the second oldest Anglican church in Canada, but it was tragically set on fire by arsonists on Halloween Night, 2001. The precious stained glass windows had to be smashed to gain access to the church and attempt to fight the fire which ultimately destroyed half the building and all the contents within.

[Photo by Kim Leuenberger]

Inside, we stared up at a domed ceiling above the altar which was covered with stars. Kerriann told us that during the post-fire restoration (achieved by solely using salvaged wood from the wreckage), historians realised the spacing of the stars seemed somewhat strange – so they called in star experts. Eventually they realised it was the same constellation visible from Lunenburg on 24th December, the night Jesus was born.

Somehow this significant fact had slipped from history – but thanks to the fire, it came to light again.

[Photo by Kim Leuenberger]

The haunted graves of Hillcrest Cemetery

At the very top of Gallows Hill sits Hillcrest Cemetery, a sprawling plot of land where the oldest grave marker dates back to 1761, eight years after Lunenburg was established.

We approached the cemetery beneath the pale light of a watery moon, and I could feel the air of unease settle around the group. Being in such close proximity to a lot of very old graves felt rather vulnerable.

I stepped onto the damp grass, holding my lantern closer to my face – I didn’t want to trip over any gravestones and give myself a heart attack – but luckily Kerriann knew exactly where she was going. She picked an easy route between old slate gravestones with German names until she reached one surrounded by a wrought-iron fence. It was the grave of Sophia, a 14 year old girl who died of a broken heart.

While Kerriann told us the sad story of Sophia’s untimely death after she was accused of stealing $10, I looked furtively around at the neighbouring graves. Did Sophia still wander this patch of ground?

[Photo by Kim Leuenberger]

The basement ghost of Lunenburg Academy

The ‘Castle on the Hill’ is a massive, three-storey building which dates back to the 1890s and has housed the local primary school for centuries. It’s also just opposite Hillcrest Cemetery, meaning generations of children walked past these graves on their way to and from class.

Lunenburg is a landmark building for both historical and architectural reasons – it’s imposing enough just to look at – but as you’d expect in this town, it’s seriously haunted too.

The basement was nicknamed ‘The Dungeon’ by scared students, thanks to an evil feeling which pervaded the space and the rumour of a monster inhabiting one of the toilet stalls. Little boys were dared to enter alone, goading each other on despite the fear, while girls refused to go inside unless they were in pairs.

But the more compelling ghost story is about Sidney Kernickle, a school janitor who was such a strong spiritual force in the Academy that a ghost hunters show paid $50,000 for a local to show them around the building, eventually capturing an image of a face in one of the windows. When the image was circulated around Lunenburg, someone pulled out a yearbook from 1960 and identified Mr Kernickle!

[Photo by Kim Leuenberger]

As Kerriann told us about the ghost of Lunenburg Academy, I glanced over at a car parked in front of the building. There was a middle-aged man sitting in the car’s front seat: he was disarmingly still, and I wasn’t entirely sure what he was doing. Neither was the moody teen from our group, who slouched his way towards the car to investigate. I could see the tension in his shoulders as he approached, peering through the window to get a closer look.

I turned to Kim and whispered very quietly, “There’s a man in that car…” She jumped a mile in the air and everyone began to laugh, the ghostly tension dissipating for a moment.

But as we walked away from the dark red bricks of Lunenburg Academy which towered above us, I felt a chill run quickly down my spine. There were so many windows. Who knew if Sidney’s ghostly face was peering down at our little group as we walked away?

Info about Lunenburg Walking Tours

Lunenburg Walking Tours offers a selection of daily tours from June 1st to October 30th – ‘Essential Lunenburg’ at 10am & 2pm and ‘Haunted Lunenburg’ at 8.30pm. Their tours are also available year-round via reservation.

All the Lunenburg Walking Tours take about an hour and have the same prices:

Adult: $25

Youth: $15

Family: $75

I can personally attest to the quality of both these tours – we received complimentary tickets for the Essential Lunenburg tour, and loved it so much that we immediately paid for the Haunted Lunenburg tour that same evening!

Read more about my adventures in Canada here

Pin this article if you enjoyed it! 

NB: This trip was in partnership with Tourism Nova Scotia – but the ghost stories and haunted streets are all down to Lunenburg’s long-gone residents…

The post A Haunted Guide to Lunenburg, The Spookiest Town in Nova Scotia appeared first on Flora The Explorer.

via WordPress https://ift.tt/2Jqi6Zo