Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 214
March 14, 2020
March 13, 2020
Getting Your Hands On The Ripley’s Baby Makers
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
In case you were wondering what it’s like to be a Ripley’s employee, we’re about to give you a glimpse into one of our most important daily responsibilities. Every day, you folks slide into our direct messages, hashtags, comments, and posts with awesome questions, insights, and your own Believe It or Not! moments. But, a very large majority of your messages consist of one very unusual thing: hands.
While receiving hundreds of palm images may sound a bit odd and creepy, they all come with the same message: #RipleysBabyMaker. This unusual trend was born as a result of an iconic Ripley’s exhibit, acquired more than 25 years ago—the Legendary African Fertility Statues.
In the 1930s, West African Baulé tribesman carved statues of a man and woman from ebony wood. According to tribal legend, when these two statues were placed on either side of the doorway leading to a bedroom, they were known to ensure a couple’s fertility. If a woman, or her spouse, were to touch either statue as they enter the room, they would soon after become pregnant.
Each of the statues stand five feet high and weigh over 70 pounds each. The African legend does not specify where one should touch the statues to ensure fertility and, for many women, it hasn’t really seemed to matter. Thousands of women have testified that after trying to conceive for years, they got pregnant only after laying their hands on the legendary statues.
As for their presence in the Ripley’s collection, we first had these iconic statues on display in our headquarters lobby. But, after a few of our employees were blessed with buns in the oven, we decided to send the figures on tour for all of you to experience their magic.
From Orlando to Hollywood to Myrtle Beach, we’ve received over 2,000 stories from couples trying to conceive and successfully doing so as result of touching the statues. Now, obviously, we’re not guaranteeing that coming in contact with these figures will put a baby in your belly—but we do hear so many beautiful testimonials in which it does happen! And while our hope is that everyone can come and experience the magic of the statues in person, we know that’s not always the case. And that brings us to the hands.
Let’s go make a baby!
Have you been blessed with a Fertility Statue baby? Write to us in the comments below or on our social media to share your stories!
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Scientists Develop Bug Butter
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
This Week
[March 8-14th, 2020] Bug butter, the world’s deepest concert, tiny dinosaurs, and the rest of the week’s weird news from Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
Bug Butter
In an attempt to cut down on intensive land use by the dairy industry, a scientist at Ghent University in Belgium has come up with his own milk-butter substitute. Instead of using various vegetable oils like most butter substitutes, he’s using bugs! The bug butter is made using black soldier fly larvae. When it was baked into cakes, people didn’t mind when it was cut with 75% traditional butter, but once the cakes was half-and-half bug and cow butter, they said the taste was off.
Toilet Paper Curse
In the wake of toilet paper hoarding in Japan, one store has decided to fight malice with malice. Tired of people stealing TP from the customer restrooms, the owner decided to make a few talismans and whip a curse. After up to five rolls a day went missing, signs bearing all-seeing eyes with Kanji for hunger and evil. He hopes spirits of evil will keep his toilet paper safe.
最近、仕事場のお客様用トイレのペーパーのストックがどんどんなくなっちゃうの
March 12, 2020
A Mummy Foot Mystery From The 18th-Century B.C.
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
When a body was mummified in ancient Egypt, its organs were placed in canopic jars, and its body was packed with natron before being wrapped in bandages to dry. The resulting preservation process has proven robust enough to keep a body intact for millennia. Though the body—and its pieces—survive, the person’s identity and story are often lost to time.
Mummy feet were collected as souvenirs and keepsakes as imperialist explorers invaded Ancient Egyptian tombs and pillaged artifacts from North Africa. Human remains weren’t always given the respect their age deserved. Some mummies were unwrapped for public entertainment, and others were even used as fertilizer to grow crops.
This foot was probably cut off so that it would make for an easier curio to transport and display. Curiously, a mummy foot was the centerpiece of an 1840 gothic short story simply titled, The Mummy’s Foot. The story focuses on a collector obtaining a mummy’s foot from a curiosity shop with plans to use it as a paperweight.
While the main character of the short first describes the foot as something akin to a foot of Venus or polished bronze, he quickly realizes it is the foot of a mummy:
I was surprised at its lightness. It was not a foot of metal, but in sooth a foot of flesh, an embalmed foot, a mummy’s foot. On examining it still more closely the very grain of the skin, and the almost imperceptible lines impressed upon it by the texture of the bandages, became perceptible. The toes were slender and delicate, and terminated by perfectly formed nails, pure and transparent as agates. The great toe, slightly separated from the rest, afforded a happy contrast, in the antique style, to the position of the other toes, and lent it an aerial lightness–the grace of a bird’s foot. The sole, scarcely streaked by a few almost imperceptible cross lines, afforded evidence that it had never touched the bare ground, and had only come in contact with the finest matting of Nile rushes and the softest carpets of panther skin.
The man takes the foot home but is beset by dreams that take him across the continent to Egypt where he meets the owner of the foot, Princess Hermonthis, the daughter of a Pharaoh, who is none too happy that her foot has been stolen and used as a paperweight.
He promises to return the foot but asks for the princess’s hand in marriage in exchange. Her father, however, will have none of it, remarking that Hermonthis is nearly 30 centuries the man’s elder. Instead, she offers him a statuette. When the man awakes the next morning, it appears to have all been a dream, except the foot on his desk has been replaced by the same statuette from his dreams.
While this story was never meant to have been anything more than for entertainment, it’s quite possible that it spurred on the actions of real collectors in Europe. Our mummy foot is believed to have once belonged to a British physician in the 1800s. Dated to somewhere in the 12th or 13th dynasties, another curious possibility also exists.
CC Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
Around the same time, a region known as Armant was an important part of Egypt’s Middle Kingdom. In the ruins of the city, archaeologists have uncovered pieces of a statue, showing just the feet of the city-state’s princess. Believe It or Not!, the Greek name for Armant was Hermonthis. The feet they found are of the princess of Hermonthis!
Whether this influenced the author of the story is unknown, but the idea that Ripley’s could possess the foot of the princess seems possible, despite however much improbable. Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments below, and we’ll let you know if a statuette ever shows up in its place.
EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON!
Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!
Do Snakes Dislocate Their Jaws For Super-Sized Prey?
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
You don’t have to look far to find stories about serpents biting off more than they can chew. In August 2013, scientists documented a boa constrictor eating a howler monkey. In March 2017, an African rock python swallowed a spotted hyena. That same month, a 23-foot-long Burmese python killed and consumed a farmer whole. And a woman in Indonesia befell the same fate in June 2018. The feeding frenzy doesn’t end there. Reports also document snakes swallowing everything from adult deer to alligators and even cows.
In other words, everything’s on the menu when it comes to these slippery reptiles, no matter how large the prey. So, what enables them to gobble such large entrees? According to urban myth, the ability to dislocate their jaws. But here’s the real truth about the mechanism behind serpentine binge eating.
The “Gaping” Truth About Snake Feasts
Humans have long been fascinated by the ability of snakes to swallow enormous meals. As a result, the myth quickly developed that serpents dislocate their jaws to accommodate massive mouthfuls. After all, snakes are limited to snacks that can pass through their jaws. So, how do their mouths handle giant feasts?
The mechanism that satiates their gargantuan appetites is known as “gaping.” The result of a unique physiological adaptation, gaping allows serpents to partake in some jaw-dropping—pun intended—feats of mouth agility.
How does gaping work? Unlike mammals, the mandibles—lower jawbones—of snakes remain unfused. Instead, stretchy ligaments bind these moveable pieces of a snake’s jaw in place—until it’s time to dive into a big meal. Loosely joined at the back of the skull, their mandibles permit greater rotation than most animals. As a result, snakes can open their mouths wider than their bodies.
Of course, this ability sometimes gets them into big trouble. Few stories better illustrate this point than a grisly encounter between a 13-foot-long Burmese python and a six-foot alligator in the Florida Everglades in October 2005. After swallowing the alligator, the snake’s stomach ruptured, and both reptiles died.
“Walk” Your Food Carefully
If snakes could talk, and they stuck around to teach their offspring manners, you might hear them scold, “Walk your food carefully!” That’s because snakes “walk” prey down their gullet instead of chewing it.
But what does that mean? A snake’s head inches forward using a side-to-side motion over the body of its victim. Depending on the size of the dinner, this process can take many hours. The walking motion allows serpents to ingest their prey slowly. Backward-pointing teeth ensure the food in question can’t escape if still alive.
Because snakes don’t break down their food by chewing it as they go along, this can lead to other dangers. For example, if a snake can’t digest a meal before putrefaction sets in, it can lead to dangerous internal expansion, especially if there’s not much room to spare.
That’s why snakes such as pit vipers inject their victims with venom. This venom starts dissolving the proteins in their prey’s body immediately, turning their flesh into a gooey mass that the snake can more easily digest.
For snakes without a pit viper’s resources, they count on digestive enzymes to dissolve their meals. Because there’s virtually no mechanical breakdown, they must rely solely on a chemical one. As a result, many snakes cough up partially-digested food. These regurgitated meals have become the stuff of legend, especially when they prove large and somewhat recognizable.
By Engrid Barnett, contributor for Ripleys.com
EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON!
Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!
Source: Do Snakes Dislocate Their Jaws For Super-Sized Prey?
March 11, 2020
The Cathedral of Junk is A Backyard Curiosity
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
For over 30 years, resident of Austin, Texas, Vince Hannemann has been collecting other people’s trash and building, recreating, and refining a giant sculpture in his residential backyard. Known as the Cathedral of Junk, the local attraction is so popular, people have held birthday parties, bachelor parties, and even tied the knot at the spot!
One Man’s Trash
Hannemann started the junk mansion when he was in his mid-20s and has estimated that the structure contains around 60 tons of disposable objects, including bicycles, CDs, and other types of detritus. The framework of the structure is filled with a variety of items, from bottles and kitchen utensils to lawnmower parts and electrical castoffs. Much of the bric-a-brac is hard to identify, and the structure has been described as an “organized mess.”
There are ladders and signs that are still operational tucked amidst some of the vegetation in the yard. The sculpture has several levels, vaulted ceilings, as well as observation platforms and a “Throne Room.” There are several nooks and crannies to explore and staircases to climb. Parts of the cathedral appear to have a theme, while other sections are simply a chaotic merging of toilets, metal, and other debris.
CC Thomas Hawk via Flickr
The piece is ever-changing, so if you visit today and again a year from now, you’ll notice an evolution. Hannemann frequently adds and removes items from the sculpture, which is in a constant state of flux. While the neighbors are keenly aware of its presence, the art installation is not overtly visible from the front of Hannemann’s suburban home.
According to visitor Tony T. Garcia, “It’s larger than it first looks like. There are a number of floors and chambers within the cathedral.” He added, “One of the many attractions of Austin that keeps Austin Weird!”
Crazy Clubhouse
Twenty years ago, Hannemann started dismantling the cathedral because it had taken over his life. He removed a three-story tower but ended up using the materials to build other structures. He quickly realized that he simply couldn’t let it go.
As many as 14,000 visitors pay a small fee to see the unusual Austin attraction each year. You must call ahead and make an appointment, and Hannemann doesn’t allow more than 200-300 visitors a day.
The artist has referred to the place as his clubhouse, and he didn’t have any grand expectations when he first started building it. He simply liked piecing together old junk, and if the day ever comes when he no longer likes doing it, he’ll stop.
CC Thomas Hawk via Flickr
Hannemann doesn’t do a whole lot of garbage mining on his own because people bring things to him. Still, he’s very particular about the project, and some objects simply don’t work with the sculpture. Keep that in mind if you plan on visiting and want to declutter your house. Not everyone’s trash is his treasure.
Cathedral of Complaints
Not everyone is enamored with the Cathedral of Junk, including those in the neighboring townhouse complex. They once filed a complaint with the city, which sent engineers to check the integrity of the structure. It passed with flying colors. Hannemann’s cathedral may be an assault to the senses, but it’s rock solid. He was forced, however, to dismantle his “Pyramid of TVs,” which contained 200 boob tubes. He reused them by creating a Zen garden of TVs, and some even emit a static glow.
There’s something about the cathedral that draws people in. Visitor, Sagir P. sums it up rather well,
“It makes you feel like a kid in a big ‘I Spy’ type of book.”
By Noelle Talmon, contributor for Ripleys.com
EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON!
Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!
March 10, 2020
House Made Of Beer Cans Is Americana Incarnate
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Just off I-45, in a nondescript neighborhood in Rice Military, Houston, Texas, sits a home like no other. One that was decorated by a man who, depending on the talk you want to believe, either became bored of his retirement or put his attic stock of old beer cans to good use. Or maybe both? What resulted was The Beer Can House: a folk-art-home that guests can visit to see an incredible show of craftsmanship up close.
The Story Behind the Beer Can House
Houstonian John Milkovisch was an upholsterer for the Southern Pacific Railroad. After his retirement, he began to get a bit antsy. He was a man who always liked having something to work on, preferably jobs that allowed him to work with his hands. He started making changes to his home in 1968, which included removing the grass in his lawn and replacing it with concrete blocks. He decorated these blocks with marbles, metal, rocks, and other paraphernalia. When asked why he started down this road, he was reported to have said that he was sick of having to mow the lawn.
CC Cory Doctorow via Flickr
Milkovisch didn’t stop at the grass, however, and began creating flower boxes, fences, signs, benches, and other landscaping items out of concrete and redwood. Then, he started on “renovating” the house itself. He was a lover of beer, and therefore, found his perfect medium when he began manipulating leftover cans to create his own aluminum siding. In addition, he created garlands from can tops and pull tabs, which still create musical sounds when they catch the wind just right. And, as a totally added bonus, they actually lowered the home’s electric bill by reflecting sunlight off the house.
The mailbox at The Beer Can House./CC houtexdude via Flickr
The House That Beer Built
The house is estimated to include over 50,000 beer cans as decoration, not to mention a host of other materials. It’s easy for guests who visit to see Milkovisch’s penchant for Coors and Texas Pride among the particular beers used, but the house isn’t a total monument to imbibing. In fact, there are a number of religious signs and symbols in the decorations, as well as several sentimental testaments to John and Mary’s relationship, such as a bench that reads “John’s Spot” on one end and “Mary’s Spot” on the other.
CC Thomas Hawk via Flickr
Currently, guests are invited to visit the home Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is $5 for adults and children under 12 get in free. So, rightfully so, we say “Cheers to John!,” and the beautiful folk-art that is The Beer Can House.
By Julia Tilford, contributor for Ripleys.com
EXPLORE THE ODD IN PERSON!
Discover hundreds of strange and unusual artifacts and get hands-on with unbelievable interactives when you visit a Ripley’s Odditorium!
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