1 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:17,040 Well, hey there, campers, and welcome back to a brand new 2 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:19,400 episode of Camp Cryptid. I'm your host, Erica Fett. 3 00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:23,240 And this week, grab your sage and salt for protection and 4 00:00:23,240 --> 00:00:27,560 prepare to open a forbidden vault of stories of some of my 5 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:30,080 absolute favorite stories of cursed objects in the world. 6 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:34,240 And some people say that these objects are just things, you 7 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:36,440 know, just made of wood, metal, stone. 8 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:38,360 They're lifeless. They're harmless. 9 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:41,920 But others believe certain items hold more than just their 10 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:44,320 history. These objects hold energy, 11 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:49,400 emotions, and in some cases maybe even something darker and 12 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:53,120 sinister. From ancient tombs and relics or 13 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:56,480 porcelain dolls to gorgeous dazzling gemstones, cursed 14 00:00:56,480 --> 00:00:59,080 objects have fascinated and terrified people since the 15 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:03,040 beginning of written history. Now the question is, are these 16 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:06,400 items really cursed? Or is it all in our heads simply 17 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:09,920 coincidences or strings of bad luck that just happened to have 18 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:11,520 a spooky legend attached to them? 19 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:15,320 Now surely if you believe in objects that bring good luck, 20 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:18,560 there must also be some that bring bad luck, bring 21 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:24,280 misfortune, doom, or even death. Now some cursed objects are 22 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:27,520 locked away in museums or buried deep underground for protection 23 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:31,560 from the evil that they bring, but other objects sit quietly on 24 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:34,880 shelves and bedrooms. There's no doubt that dolls are 25 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:39,240 creepy, and with places like La Isla de Las Munecas, the Island 26 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:42,760 of the Dolls in Mexico, it really helps add the nightmare 27 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:45,360 fuel with how unsettling some dolls can be. 28 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:49,000 And of course, there are also many stories of haunted and 29 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:52,360 possessed dolls over the years, so it really just comes down to 30 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:55,000 the fact that dolls are, well, they're just creepy as hell. 31 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:58,240 But one of my favorite stories of dolls. 32 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:02,040 If you haven't heard of Robert the Doll, this one is a really 33 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:06,360 cool story. So Robert the Doll story starts 34 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:10,080 in Key West, FL and it starts around the early 1900s when a 35 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:13,520 family's life was forever changed when their young son 36 00:02:13,640 --> 00:02:16,680 Robert Eugene Otto and we'll call him Jean because he used to 37 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:20,680 go by Jean when Jean received a doll as a gift. 38 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:24,760 Now this doll stood about 40 inches tall and was created by 39 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:29,400 the German company Stife. Now eventually this doll would 40 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:33,200 wear one of Jean's old sailor outfits, which Robert the doll 41 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:35,040 stays dressed in even to this day. 42 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:40,360 Now even though this doll seemed normal, it wasn't long after 43 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:43,760 Jean's parents started to notice that things were a little well 44 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:46,760 off. When Jean misbehaved or would 45 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:49,560 get into trouble, he would often say that he didn't do it, that 46 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:53,360 Robert the doll did it. And there was no denying that 47 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:55,760 Jean had an unbreakable bond with this doll. 48 00:02:56,400 --> 00:02:59,200 In fact, his parents would hear him talking to the doll in the 49 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:02,640 other rooms, but would hear a voice that wasn't Jean's 50 00:03:02,640 --> 00:03:05,000 replying back. Now. 51 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:08,840 The story goes that his parents even said that it seemed like 52 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:14,120 the dolls expressions would change now as Jean grew older 53 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:17,160 and his parents passed away, he held on to Robert the doll. 54 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:21,520 And when Jean finally found love and got married, his new wife 55 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:24,800 Annie felt very uncomfortable by Robert the doll. 56 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:28,080 In fact, she asked that Jean store him in the attic. 57 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:32,080 But that's where this little weird story gets even weirder. 58 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:35,960 It was said that Annie could hear footsteps in the attic and 59 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:39,640 a child's giggle. There were even stories of 60 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:42,480 people that walked by the house who said that they could see the 61 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:45,960 doll watching them from the attic window as they walked by. 62 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:50,520 Now, sometime after Jean passed away in the 70s, many people who 63 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:53,320 rented out rooms in this house also had run insurance and 64 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:55,280 encounters of their own with Robert the doll. 65 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:58,240 The tenants of the house said that they would hear footsteps 66 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:01,880 running across the floor, a child's laugh, or when Robert 67 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:04,640 was out of the attic, they said that the doll would move across 68 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:07,680 the room on its own. There were even instances of 69 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:11,520 people noticing that the doll would change expressions, much 70 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:13,360 like what Jean's parents would experience. 71 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:16,160 Now. The ownership of the doll did 72 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:18,920 bounce around a bit until it found its home in the 4 E 73 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:23,720 Martello Museum in the 90s. But even as Robert the Doll sits 74 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:26,840 in the museum, there's lots of weird stories and unexplained 75 00:04:26,840 --> 00:04:29,960 occurrences that have happened. There are not only multiple 76 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:32,000 stories of equipment malfunctioning around the dolls 77 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:35,320 exhibit, there are people who actually faced a series of 78 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:37,680 misfortune events after visiting Robert the Doll. 79 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:41,200 In fact, there were actually a stack of apology letters to 80 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:44,360 Robert the Doll from the people who visited the museum who 81 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:47,320 either felt like they disrespected him in some way or 82 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:49,600 just that they needed to apologize to lift the bad luck 83 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:51,280 curse. Now. 84 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:54,280 Either way, Robert the Doll patiently sits waiting in the 85 00:04:54,280 --> 00:04:57,040 museum in the Florida Keys, haunting those that dare come 86 00:04:57,040 --> 00:04:59,000 visit him. Stories of Robert the Doll have 87 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:01,640 haunted people over the years and then adding in the 88 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:04,560 misfortune of some that come face to face with him, well, it 89 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:08,680 makes people wonder if something inside of this wooden doll is 90 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:12,120 actually alive. So it's recommended that if you 91 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:15,480 visit Robert the doll in this museum to always ask for his 92 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:18,720 permission to film or take pictures of him or else, well, 93 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:21,640 you may have some bad luck coming your way. 94 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:26,120 And side note, I have looked into this museum and I actually 95 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:28,840 asked my husband if we can go because I want to stay overnight 96 00:05:28,840 --> 00:05:30,960 in the area and kind of see what this is all about. 97 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:34,720 And personally I love dolls. I play with Barbies until like 98 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:36,960 the 8th grade. Well because I'm a huge loser. 99 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:39,920 But regardless, I think it's a cute little doll and I 100 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:41,360 personally don't get any weird vibes from it. 101 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:44,920 But also I haven't met him face to face so I can report back 102 00:05:44,920 --> 00:05:48,360 after I do experience it. And the cool little bit about 103 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:52,520 Robert the doll is a word is Robert the doll is actually what 104 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:54,640 inspired Chucky. So pretty cool. 105 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:56,840 So Robert the doll is really cool. 106 00:05:56,840 --> 00:05:58,960 I haven't met him yet but hopefully one of these days. 107 00:05:59,960 --> 00:06:04,400 Now when it comes to one of the more known cursed dolls, this 108 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:07,160 doll has movies after her and all that jazz. 109 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:10,960 We know Annabelle and while in the movie she's depicted as this 110 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:13,880 really super creepy looking blonde doll with like a sinister 111 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:16,640 smile that really couldn't be further from what she actually 112 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:20,320 looks like. So let's go back to the start to 113 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:23,200 Connecticut around the 70s. Which side note, Connecticut 114 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:25,880 just has so much stuff. Why is Connecticut like one of 115 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:29,160 the most haunted states ever? I swear, like every episode I 116 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:33,000 feel like I find something weird or strange or haunting and like 117 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:36,040 Connecticut, it's crazy. So Connecticut around the 70s. 118 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:39,680 Now this story starts when a Raggedy Ann doll was given as a 119 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:41,440 gift to a young woman named Donna. 120 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:44,880 But soon after the doll was placed in the home, very strange 121 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:47,760 things started to occur. Now the story says that the doll 122 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:50,080 would move on its own and that Donna and her roommate at the 123 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:53,080 time would find these little notes with the words help me 124 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:55,600 written on them. Now over all, the girls got a 125 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:59,320 very malicious, unsettling vibe from the stall and they decided 126 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:02,920 to enlist the help of a psychic. And this psychic concluded that 127 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:05,760 the spirit of a little girl that died on the grounds of the 128 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:09,840 apartment complex found a home for her soul within the stall. 129 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:13,560 Now, after the involvement of the psychic, weird things 130 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:16,400 continue to happen. And even supposedly the 131 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:19,160 boyfriend of Donna's roommate experienced a supernatural 132 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:23,120 attack when he touched the doll. And this wasn't the only person 133 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:24,960 who felt like they were attacked by the doll. 134 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:29,160 In fact, many people over the course of the story claimed that 135 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:31,880 they felt like they were physically attacked, and in some 136 00:07:31,880 --> 00:07:34,680 instances, supposedly the attacks drew blood. 137 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:39,080 Now cue the involvement of Ed and Lorraine Warren. 138 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:43,120 The Warrens believe that this doll wasn't inhabited by an 139 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:46,680 innocent little girl, it actually was possessed by a 140 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:48,920 demon. It was then that the warrants 141 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:51,640 removed the doll from Donna's apartment, placing in their 142 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:56,120 museum in a locked box with a sign positively DO not OPEN on 143 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:59,160 the outside of the box. Now, side note, and this is 144 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:02,840 where I'm going to be biased is my opinion that Ed and Lorraine 145 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:05,720 Warren often fabricated, embellished and sensationalized 146 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:08,040 stories in order to gain popularity within the field. 147 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:10,920 So I don't know how much I believe that there was actually 148 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:13,720 a demon. I don't know, but that's just a 149 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:17,200 little side note. Now, Annabelle is currently not 150 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:19,960 in the museum. She was moving around a bit from 151 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:22,960 haunted locations across the country as kind of a press tour 152 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:24,760 for the new country movie The Last Rites. 153 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:28,560 And there's also some weird stuff that happened with that. 154 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:32,200 And it just honestly, when it comes down to Annabelle, a lot 155 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:34,840 of speculation on if it is actually haunted or and 156 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:38,400 honestly, if it's a demon. But now Annabelle is also one 157 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:41,080 that I think is a really good story because obviously we love 158 00:08:41,080 --> 00:08:42,679 some we love some cursed dolls, right? 159 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:46,320 But Annabelle also is really well known in popular culture 160 00:08:46,320 --> 00:08:47,560 because there are so many movies. 161 00:08:47,560 --> 00:08:50,600 And with the conjurings being so huge and bringing more light to 162 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:53,200 the Annabelle story, of course, she gets a lot of hype. 163 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:55,600 But yeah, that's that's little Annabelle. 164 00:08:56,760 --> 00:08:59,880 Now, side note, this isn't really a cursed doll, but I 165 00:08:59,880 --> 00:09:02,200 thought this was a really cool story when I was researching. 166 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:07,360 And it's about Okiku the doll, which is in Japan, and it's a 167 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:09,320 Japanese doll. And the story says that in the 168 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:12,840 early 1900s, Okiku the doll was said to be a gift given by a 169 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:16,960 brother to his sister, Okiku. Now, Okiku was inseparable from 170 00:09:16,960 --> 00:09:18,560 the doll. She absolutely loved it, took it 171 00:09:18,560 --> 00:09:22,000 everywhere she went. But sadly, Okiku tragically died 172 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:23,920 young. And due to burial customs, the 173 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:25,960 doll wasn't allowed to be buried with her. 174 00:09:26,680 --> 00:09:31,280 And she now resides at a monastery in Japan where her 175 00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:35,920 hair is said to keep growing. Oh, plot twist. 176 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:38,000 You know, I guess it could be cursed, right? 177 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:39,720 You know, a doll's hair that keeps growing. 178 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:42,000 I mean, there's, you know, that's definitely not normal. 179 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:44,360 But I had to throw that one in there because I was like, yeah, 180 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:45,440 we're talking about dolls a little bit. 181 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:47,720 So I thought that was a really cool story about a doll. 182 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:50,040 And, you know, there are so many dolls that are creepy, right? 183 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:52,880 But at least they look the part of being spooky. 184 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:55,120 I mean, you walk into a room full of dolls, you're like, OK, 185 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:57,880 this is this is crazy. And I even like dolls. 186 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:01,320 But what is even more scary are the curses that you would never 187 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:04,080 even think of, the objects that are stunning and beautiful to 188 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:06,200 look at. But tragedy befalls those that 189 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:09,960 adorn their bodies with these treasures and cursed jewels. 190 00:10:10,360 --> 00:10:14,160 Cursed jewels, glittering and dazzling heirlooms whose shine 191 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:17,000 comes at a price. From royal diamonds soaked in 192 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:20,320 blood, death and betrayal to rings said to summon vengeance 193 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:23,800 from ancient gods, these beautiful jewels are both cursed 194 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:26,640 and deadly. Now this first one is one that 195 00:10:26,640 --> 00:10:28,720 I've loved. It's I, as soon as I was looking 196 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:30,920 into this, I said, Oh my gosh, I didn't even realize that. 197 00:10:31,440 --> 00:10:34,320 But this one is this first one is one that I've seen pretty 198 00:10:34,320 --> 00:10:38,760 much all of my life in print and on TV, and I've even seen it in 199 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:41,360 person. Had this Smithsonian in DC with 200 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:44,040 my own eyes. And while I always thought this 201 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:47,960 stone was absolutely magnificent, I had no idea that 202 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:49,760 it had such a dark history behind it. 203 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:56,560 So the Hope Diamond Diamond insert Tim cracing diamonds from 204 00:10:56,560 --> 00:11:02,040 Congo. Oh jeez, stop me now. 205 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:07,200 So while we don't know really exactly when the Hope Diamond 206 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:11,080 was mined in India, its cursed journey started sometime in the 207 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:14,080 late 1600s when it was sold to King Louis the 14th. 208 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:18,160 However, legends of the diamond say that the renowned jewelry 209 00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:21,280 merchant Jean Baptiste Tavernier, who sold it to the 210 00:11:21,280 --> 00:11:24,720 Royals, faced an unfortunate death when his body was ripped 211 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:27,880 apart by wild dogs shortly after turning over the diamond. 212 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:31,440 And years later, the diamond found itself in the hands of 213 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:33,760 King Louis the 16th and Marie Antoinette. 214 00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:36,120 Now we all know how that story turns out. 215 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:38,760 Due to the turmoil of their rule, their reign ended in 216 00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:41,920 public beheadings and with riots and revolution, the diamond was 217 00:11:41,920 --> 00:11:45,400 stolen due to looting. Now the diamond randomly popped 218 00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:49,640 up years later when a jeweler had it in his collection, but 219 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:52,640 after he passed away and it was inherited, diamond ended up 220 00:11:52,640 --> 00:11:55,240 being sold by multiple merchants to pay off debts. 221 00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:58,480 And then more stories about the source of the real curse of the 222 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:01,480 diamond started circulating. Tales of the diamond being 223 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:03,720 stolen from a statue from a temple in India. 224 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:07,280 Tales of the original merchant being torn apart by rabid wild 225 00:12:07,280 --> 00:12:10,840 dogs and those who's touched it. Their life's blighted by this 226 00:12:10,840 --> 00:12:13,240 curse. Imminent death To those who ward 227 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:16,280 finances left in ruins, it seemed like everyone that came 228 00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:19,400 into contact with a diamond faced death or at least 229 00:12:19,400 --> 00:12:22,680 incredibly bad luck with finances, and that bad luck 230 00:12:22,680 --> 00:12:24,560 usually left them deeply in debt. 231 00:12:24,560 --> 00:12:27,680 I mean, even people who would just worn the diamond died. 232 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:31,160 There was Nicholas Bouquet who was executed shortly after 233 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:33,720 wearing the diamond, and then there was Hendrick Falls who was 234 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:36,600 said to have looted it after Louis and Marie Antoinette were 235 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:38,840 beheaded. He committed suicide. 236 00:12:39,560 --> 00:12:42,440 Jacques, a lot said to be another owner, was said to go 237 00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:45,840 mad and also commit suicide. Then it was passed on to Prince 238 00:12:45,840 --> 00:12:49,120 Ivan Kanitowski and he was killed during war by 239 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:51,880 revolutionaries. Prince Kanitowski loaned the 240 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:54,880 necklace to Lorenz Ladue, who was killed by her lover. 241 00:12:55,280 --> 00:12:58,720 And then there was a merchant by the name of Simon who supposedly 242 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:02,720 sold the diamond to a Sultan and then shortly after he sold it 243 00:13:02,720 --> 00:13:05,160 off to the Sultan. He and his family were thrown 244 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:08,480 off a steep Cliff while riding together and they all died. 245 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:11,760 There are stories of merchants who handled the ring who all met 246 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:14,960 tragic fates. Some, like drowning people who 247 00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:16,680 tried to steal the diamond, were hung. 248 00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:19,760 So once it found itself in the hands of Evelyn McLean in the 249 00:13:19,760 --> 00:13:23,360 1900s, after centuries of death and tragedy followed this 250 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:26,840 diamond, she insisted that the diamond needed blessed in a 251 00:13:26,840 --> 00:13:29,520 church to obviously rid itself of the curse. 252 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:32,960 But shortly after this blessing, even though Evelyn considered 253 00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:35,880 the blessed diamond her good luck charm, her husband actually 254 00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:37,200 left her to be with another woman. 255 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:41,000 Her nine year old son died tragically in a car accident, 256 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:44,360 and years later, her daughter even died tragically from a drug 257 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:47,200 overdose. And the kicker? 258 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:49,120 Eventually, her family business went bankrupt. 259 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:53,160 Now, after she died to pay off her debts, the diamond found 260 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:55,760 itself in the hands of Harry Winston, the renowned jeweler. 261 00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:57,480 I mean, you probably heard of Harry Winston. 262 00:13:57,480 --> 00:14:00,120 This guy's an OG. The diamond spent almost a 263 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:02,920 decade on display for people to gaze upon its beauty. 264 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:06,440 And after about 10 years of being on display, Winston 265 00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:08,320 donated a diamond to the Smithsonian. 266 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:11,200 In fact, there's kind of a funny little story about how he sent 267 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:13,880 the diamond. He sent the diamond, this, this 268 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:16,400 diamond worth like literally hundreds of millions. 269 00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:18,320 I don't even know it's, it's worth like a lot. 270 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:22,600 He sent the, he sent the diamond via regular registered mail with 271 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:26,760 postage that cost about $2.44, and he insured it for $140. 272 00:14:28,280 --> 00:14:30,920 But you can visit the Hope Diamond in Washington, DC at the 273 00:14:30,920 --> 00:14:32,560 Smithsonian. I've actually seen it. 274 00:14:32,560 --> 00:14:35,920 And I when I saw it, I had no idea that there was like this 275 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:40,880 crazy amount of like drama around this thing like crazy. 276 00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:43,960 And part of me does wonder if anyone working there has ever 277 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:45,520 felt like weird vibes coming from it. 278 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:49,280 But I will say like when it comes to gemstones, I'm a huge 279 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:52,080 mineral collector. I rock hound in my local river. 280 00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:54,320 My husband goes out there and like helps me look for Flint and 281 00:14:54,320 --> 00:14:55,920 stuff. And while I love to take pieces 282 00:14:55,920 --> 00:14:59,240 home with me that are more like abundantly found all over, there 283 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:02,040 are some regions and cultures with more of the rare mineral 284 00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:05,880 specimens that the cultures actually believe that taking the 285 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:08,720 rear minerals out of their home, it brings bad luck and you're 286 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:11,880 like not supposed to do it. So I will say that kind of like 287 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:15,280 checks out when it comes to gemstones, you know, especially 288 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:17,960 if this was something that was stolen from a, a sacred temple 289 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:19,920 in India, like of course it should be. 290 00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:23,080 It should absolutely be cursed. Now, aside from the Hope 291 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:25,200 diamond, there is another stone from India that is said to be 292 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:26,960 cursed as well. And it's the Marina Baroda. 293 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:30,360 And it's a 24 carat yellow diamond. 294 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:33,000 And it is also said to have a little curse that went along 295 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:36,960 with it that if it ever crossed oceans or seas away from where 296 00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:41,160 it was actually, like mined, it would bring bad luck to whoever 297 00:15:41,160 --> 00:15:44,160 owned it. And it was actually worn by 298 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:46,200 Marie Antoinette's mom before she passed. 299 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:49,720 And it was actually later worn by Marilyn Monroe. 300 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:52,640 So that's a little tidbit there for that stone. 301 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:55,800 And you know, when it comes down to it, there are other Chris 302 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:57,880 objects. We all know that the curse of 303 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:00,640 King Tut's tomb, right? The curse of the mummies tombs, 304 00:16:00,640 --> 00:16:03,280 that is probably one that first comes to mind for anyone. 305 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:06,520 And that is said to be a curse associated with interrupting the 306 00:16:06,520 --> 00:16:10,240 remains of Pharaohs and one that is said to bring misfortune, 307 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:12,920 illness and death. Or at least that's what Howard 308 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:15,720 Carter, the lead of the King Tut expedition, said. 309 00:16:15,840 --> 00:16:18,640 And that was back in 1922 when Howard Carter ran the 310 00:16:18,640 --> 00:16:21,800 expedition. And after opening the tomb, a 311 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:24,400 string of bad luck hit some of the members of the expedition 312 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:26,880 you had. The main financier of the 313 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:29,400 expedition had a freak accident where he was actually bitten by 314 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:31,880 a mosquito. His blood became infected, and 315 00:16:31,880 --> 00:16:33,600 he passed away a year after opening the tomb. 316 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:36,320 And there were also others on the expedition who died of blood 317 00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:38,320 poisonings, unexplained illness and fever. 318 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:41,040 There was even a weird coincidence of someone's house 319 00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:44,400 mysteriously burning down after receiving a gift where someone 320 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:45,760 gifted him something from the tomb. 321 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:48,400 And after the house was rebuilt, it actually flooded. 322 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:51,480 So there are all these weird tragic things that happened 323 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:55,240 after the tomb was excavated. Now, on the flip side of the 324 00:16:55,240 --> 00:16:57,240 curse, you know, if we're if we're trying to be like, you 325 00:16:57,240 --> 00:17:01,120 know, Agent Dana Scully, there are tomb toxins and deadly 326 00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:04,040 fungus that can definitely exist in tombs that laid undisturbed 327 00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:07,319 for over, you know, 1000 years. And getting bitten by a mosquito 328 00:17:07,319 --> 00:17:10,359 in the desert, Well, probably not unheard of to, you know, get 329 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:12,960 some kind of virus from that. But but I will say absolutely 330 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:15,760 bad luck to those getting blood poisonings and, you know, your 331 00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:17,280 house burning down and then flooding. 332 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:20,560 That sucks, but some of these things could definitely be 333 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:23,359 explainable for sure. And you know, there's also 334 00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:25,280 stories of museums with mummies said to be haunted, like the 335 00:17:25,280 --> 00:17:27,040 British Museum who has a ton of mummies. 336 00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:28,880 I think it's like over 100 mummies. 337 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:33,000 And it is also said to be very haunted, which I've been there. 338 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:36,240 I can imagine, I mean, it was creepy walking through the day 339 00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:39,400 in the British Museum, but I can only imagine at night and I want 340 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:41,360 to do an overnight there now instantly. 341 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:44,080 However, I'm personally a fan of the curse and whether the curse 342 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:47,160 is real or just, you know, a little fable to avoid grave 343 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:49,560 robbing while I'm down with either 1, I don't think that we 344 00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:52,280 should definitely be disturbing anyone's tomb, right? 345 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:57,480 Let them rest, even as cool and awesome as, you know, these 346 00:17:57,480 --> 00:18:00,440 tombs maybe. And when it comes down to curse 347 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:03,040 objects, that really just boils down to if you believe that an 348 00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:06,280 item could have supernatural properties and whether that item 349 00:18:06,280 --> 00:18:08,920 is a lucky token and repentant, you know, a good luck charm. 350 00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:12,040 If you believe that something could have positive attachments 351 00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:14,560 like bringing good luck, you know the alternative to that is 352 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:16,600 that it could also bring bad luck or be cursed. 353 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:18,840 And really it's just a conversation on if an object can 354 00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:22,720 go beyond just being an object. You know, there's crystal balls, 355 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:26,440 slabs of Obsidian that can be used as mirrors of time, or even 356 00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:28,600 minerals in certain elements have powers to heal. 357 00:18:28,920 --> 00:18:31,120 You know, for example, if you find a bit of quartz rock out 358 00:18:31,120 --> 00:18:33,560 there, you know, quartz is said to heal and help your 359 00:18:33,560 --> 00:18:35,720 well-being. And there's many other minerals 360 00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:39,080 like amethyst, malachite, fluorite, Obsidian that are said 361 00:18:39,080 --> 00:18:40,800 to have a different healing properties too. 362 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:43,120 Like jade is supposed to bring good luck. 363 00:18:43,120 --> 00:18:45,720 Black tourmaline can ward off negative energy and the list 364 00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:48,000 goes on. Now, there are other instances 365 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:50,360 of objects having some lower spiritual attachment to them 366 00:18:50,360 --> 00:18:52,160 that you know, you've got the philosopher's stone, which is 367 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:54,240 probably one of my favorite. I love that. 368 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:56,840 As above, slow below had the philosopher's stone in it that 369 00:18:56,840 --> 00:18:59,080 was so sick. You know, the philosopher's 370 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:01,720 stone is a gemstone that had the power to transmute any material 371 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:04,600 into gold in the control time. You know, you have ideas that 372 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:06,800 books or Ouija boards can conjure spirits. 373 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:09,920 You know, there's even if you're looking at something like a, you 374 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:12,520 know, an object can houses actually hold the energy and 375 00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:15,920 spirits of the past? So you know, when it comes down 376 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:18,440 to this, campers, it's all in what you believe, right? 377 00:19:18,720 --> 00:19:22,120 If you believe the objects can be cursed or whether you just 378 00:19:22,120 --> 00:19:24,920 think that there's a rational explanation, it's all in belief 379 00:19:24,920 --> 00:19:28,000 right? Now, I will say I had to round 380 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:30,720 off this this episode with movies based on cursed objects, 381 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:34,280 right? You have to So Chucky, I 382 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:37,760 mentioned Chucky earlier, You know, when it came down to the 383 00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:41,880 dolls section, you know, you've got Annabelle as well, but the 384 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:45,640 monkey, and I do believe I have a monkey behind me actually from 385 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:48,560 the movie The monkey, which I mean, that has been like such an 386 00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:52,560 iconic like horror item for so long. 387 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:55,960 Then you've got the idea of Christine, the cursed evil car, 388 00:19:55,960 --> 00:19:58,440 right? Hellraiser, the puzzle box, the 389 00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:01,720 limit configuration. Then you've got the movie The 390 00:20:01,720 --> 00:20:04,840 Oculus, which is about a cursed mirror, which was pretty cool 391 00:20:04,840 --> 00:20:06,880 too. I actually think we watched that 392 00:20:06,880 --> 00:20:10,280 like recently, didn't we? The Oculus. 393 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:11,680 Yeah, sorry, I'm talking to my husband. 394 00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:13,840 He's just sitting there. He's my support. 395 00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:15,880 Thanks, honey. And then the ring. 396 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:20,080 Obviously cursed VHS. Am I missing anything else? 397 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:22,000 Cursed. Cursed objects. 398 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:24,400 I think that's it. OK, cool. 399 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:29,440 So yeah, that's my little cursed objects little run through. 400 00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:33,120 Like I said, there are a ton of actual like gemstones that are 401 00:20:33,120 --> 00:20:35,160 said to be cursed. And you know, the Hope Diamond 402 00:20:35,160 --> 00:20:37,840 is, I've seen pictures of it and it's gorgeous and I've seen it 403 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:41,760 in in person, but I had no idea that it had like this crazy 404 00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:45,280 string of like 60 people who have died, right? 405 00:20:46,320 --> 00:20:48,960 So now when I have to go back to DC to the Smithsonian, I'm going 406 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:51,720 to have to check it out. But but yeah, other than that, I 407 00:20:51,720 --> 00:20:54,960 want to thank everybody so much for stopping by at Mothman 408 00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:57,320 Festival. I was there with Cryptic Camp, 409 00:20:57,320 --> 00:20:59,840 the little TCG I've been working on with Emilio. 410 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:03,880 I had Emilio on a couple, oh gosh, months back for an 411 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:05,800 interview. But it's like a little, our 412 00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:08,760 little Cryptid based, crypted urban legend and folklore based 413 00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:12,520 TCG game that we've been working on for the past, oh gosh, year 414 00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:15,360 or so. A little bit longer maybe, and 415 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:18,480 it was a blast. Honestly, it was such a blasting 416 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:22,920 everybody and and Mothman Festival is awesome and it was 417 00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:26,960 just honestly, even though it was hot as hell, Oh my word. 418 00:21:27,360 --> 00:21:31,080 It was honestly just seeing everybody have such a great time 419 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:33,920 and everybody bond over Mothman love. 420 00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:37,800 Oh gosh, it was awesome. So I'm so excited. 421 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:39,680 I will be at New York Comic Con next week. 422 00:21:39,680 --> 00:21:43,000 I'm so, so excited. If you're listening and you want 423 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:45,520 to come see me at New York Comic Con, I will be in cosplay 424 00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:51,040 central all week long at my booth and I probably will 425 00:21:51,040 --> 00:21:53,200 cosplay a little bit, but I think I'm going to go pretty 426 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:56,320 comfy this year. Y'all I like got this big 427 00:21:56,320 --> 00:21:59,520 beautiful wig made for me to do the Bride of Frankenstein. 428 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:02,720 And I tried that thing on and I just sat there and I was like, 429 00:22:02,720 --> 00:22:08,320 if I am in this thing for 10 hours, I am going to my neck is 430 00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:10,680 just going to, you know, it was rough. 431 00:22:11,760 --> 00:22:13,680 So I don't know if I'm going to wear the Bride of Frankenstein 432 00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:15,920 this year, y'all. But if I, if I do take some 433 00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:18,600 pictures in it, I'm going to have Wes, my dear friend who 434 00:22:18,600 --> 00:22:21,760 shoots my cosplay, the portrait Dude, come take some pictures in 435 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:25,400 the cosplay so at least I can put this beautiful wig to use 436 00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:26,840 because it is. It is stunning. 437 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:28,920 I'll have to post pictures on my Instagram. 438 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:31,920 Other than that, I hope you're having an amazing fall so far. 439 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:34,040 It is nuts that it's already October. 440 00:22:34,040 --> 00:22:37,200 Like where is time? I just feel like this, this year 441 00:22:37,200 --> 00:22:40,720 has already like flown by so much and I'm like, what is going 442 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:43,600 on? But yeah, I'm really excited. 443 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:46,600 I will have more Cryptid episodes, more interviews and a 444 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:48,440 New York Comic Con recap coming soon. 445 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:51,160 And for those of you I'll be seeing next week at New York 446 00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:55,520 Comic Con, I can't wait to see y'all spaces and also see y'all 447 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:58,160 at Cryptic Con in November. That will be the next and 448 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:00,240 probably the last event that I do this year. 449 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:02,320 But it's going to be a great time. 450 00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:05,320 It's going to be awesome. Cryptic Con is a real fun time 451 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:07,800 too. But yeah, other than that, I 452 00:23:07,800 --> 00:23:09,680 hope you all are having an amazing fall. 453 00:23:09,920 --> 00:23:13,920 Happy spooky season and until next time, take care.