Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 349
April 18, 2018
Ramses II: The Mummy Who Had To Get A Passport
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Believe it or not, in 1976 Pharaoh Ramses II was issued an Egyptian passport for passage to France nearly three millennia after his death.
Ramses II, a king in ancient Egypt, was immensely popular and considered by many to be the most powerful Pharaoh to have lived. The son of Seti I, Ramses was named Prince Regent when he was 14 years old and is believed to have taken the throne before reaching 20.
The young Pharaoh led numerous military campaigns, besting pirates, conquering empires abroad, and squashing rebellions at home. His military prowess stuffed the state coffers allowing him to build enormous monuments and vast tombs for himself.
The pyramids had been built 1,500 years before Ramses’s time. Instead of focusing on the construction of a single great monument, he had buildings all up and down the Nile River constructed in his honor. Most Pharaoh’s had their statues carved shallowly into stone, making it easy for successors to destroy or remake them in their own image. He instead instructed his masons to carve his likeness deeply into the stone, giving his statues a unique and lasting style.
He was responsible for the construction of the Abu Simbel temple and the Ramesseum—an enormous mortuary temple. Among his more notable monuments are a tomb for his lover Nefertari and a colossal statue weighing over 100 tons.
Abu Simbel
Burial and Tomb
Ramses II was originally buried in a grand tomb in the Valley of the Kings, but was subsequently moved many times by priests who feared looters. He spent as little as three days in some places, and the priests recorded their actions on the wrappings on his body. Despite his resplendent wealth and power in life, his sarcophagus was lost to history, and by the time of his rediscovery, he was in deteriorating condition.
It was his poor condition that prompted Egyptian authorities to seek help preserving him in the mid-1970s. They found their experts in France and reluctantly decided to transport the 3,000-year-old mummy to Paris.
In order to leave the country, however, even a three-millennia-old king has to follow the rules. Egypt required anyone leaving the country, living or dead, to have the proper papers. Ramses II was issued a passport. Seemingly the first mummy to receive one, Ramses had his occupation listed as “King (deceased).” The government didn’t want him to get a passport for publicity, but believed it would afford them legal protections to ensure his safe return. Countless artifacts and mummies have been plundered and stolen from Egypt, and museums in Europe didn’t always respect Egyptian claims.
The study in Paris showed that Ramses stood five feet seven inches tall and had red hair. They found battle wounds, arthritis, and a tooth abscess. After his procedure, he was promptly returned to Egypt without any legal trouble.
April 17, 2018
Marilyn Monroe’s Ring From “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
In 2016, we purchased the iconic dress Marilyn Monroe wore during her performance of “Happy Birthday” for President John F. Kennedy. At $4.81 million, it is the most expensive dress ever purchased at auction.
Since the dress is on tour, however, we decided to look into the Ripley’s vault for another piece of Marilyn history for this episode of Ripley’s Rarities.
This ring was worn on screen by Marilyn Monroe in the 1953 classic, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Though she is the titular blonde of the film, she actually played support to the movie’s brunette, Jane Russell.
The ring has a teardrop center-piece with a cut that creates a 7-pointed star within, and is surrounded by a ring of smaller features.
Despite being paid substantially less than her co-star, the character of Lorelei Lee helped cement Monroe as the blonde bombshell she’s known for today. The movie, which revolves heavily around diamonds and jewelry, also saw the famed performance of “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.” Executives initially wanted Monroe’s singing to be re-dubbed, but director Howard Hawks insisted her voice was perfect—though some high notes were recorded by Marni Nixon.
This song, which has become inseparable from the persona of Marilyn, is often performed by impersonators today, but the studio originally had something much more risqué in mind for the choreography. They wanted to dress Monroe in nothing but black bands of velvet and rhinestones, turning her into a woman-shaped necklace. Studio execs canned the idea fearing it would be too revealing.
The ring is one of many of Marilyn Monroe’s personal effects in our collection. Spread across our many odditoriums you can see her hair, sleepwear, stockings, slippers, shoes, letters, purse, scarf, makeup, hat, bikini, cardigan, stole, a number of dresses, and even her driver’s license!
Source: Marilyn Monroe’s Ring From “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”
April 16, 2018
How Shaolin Monks Obtain Their Superpowers
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Shaolin monks can perform incredible feats of mental and physical prowess that appear impossible. They balance precariously for hours in a crouching position on wooden posts buried in the ground. They bang their heads against each other to harden their skulls and repeatedly strike vessels of water and other objects to develop palm strength. They run up and down stone stairways on all fours without getting tired. They hang upside down and do headstands for long periods of time.
These monks carry out these exercises seemingly with ease. While many of their extraordinary acts seem like stunts, they’re not. These monks spend many hours a day honing their skills. It takes practice, training, and mental discipline to carry out these incredible feats of strength.
Some Monks Can Dry Wet Sheets Using Their Minds
A Harvard study confirmed that Tibetan monks can actually raise their body temperatures with their minds. Known as g-tummo meditators, these individuals are able to dry wet sheets that are wrapped around their cold, naked bodies. It is worth noting that few possess this rare skill. Only a handful of monasteries in the Chinese provinces of Qinghai and Sichuan practice this type of meditation.
Dr. Benson, the Director Emeritus of the Benson-Henry Institute and Mind Body Medicine Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, carried out his research in the 1980s. He determined that finger and toe temperatures increased due to vasodilation, which involves widening of the blood vessels to reduce blood pressure.
The monks also utilize what is known as “Forceful Breath” and “Gentle Breath” meditation to warm their bodies. The former increases body heat, while the latter maintains it. Follow-up studies support Benson’s conclusions.
Other Monks Can Throw Needles Through Glass
Have you seen the video of a monk flinging a needle through a sheet of glass and popping a balloon on the other side? Most of the glass stays intact except for a tiny hole. It doesn’t seem possible, yet the balloon clearly bursts.
The key to this exercise is striking the glass directly with the needle’s point at a quick speed and as close to a 90-degree angle as possible. While it’s not easy to accomplish, with a lot of practice it can be done. The type and thickness of the glass is also important. Some varieties of glass are created so they’re difficult to break (don’t try this with a car windshield, for example). However, a 1/8-inch plate glass is not too difficult for the monks to force a hole into. The tiny needle’s momentum punctures just one section of the glass and not the whole piece.
Extremely Sharp Objects (& An Electric Drill) Don’t Break The Skin Of One Monk
A Shaolin monk named Zhao Rui trained his body to withstand extremely sharp objects. The skin on his temple doesn’t crack when someone uses a power drill against it. He can also bend an iron bar against his throat and lie unharmed on top of metal spikes.
How does he withstand such physical pain and torture?
Shaolin monks may enter the monastery as young as the age of three. Their days are long and filled with extreme mental (chan) and physical (quan) training. They learn how to control an energy force known as “chi” through meditation. It takes discipline and awareness to embody this concept.
The monks use Qi Gong and a special method of breathing with the lower abdomen to transform their bodies into armor. This allows them to withstand powerful blows, including those from dangerous—and sometimes sharp—objects. By cultivating their inner calmness, they are able to ward off mental, physical, and emotional stress. They also use Qi Gong to ward off injury.
Meditation helps with pain. Breathing and relaxation are known to combat discomfort. To take one’s mind away from the source of pain, an individual may focus his or her mind on other parts of the body.
While Shaolin monks seem to achieve the impossible, they have simply developed their minds and bodies in ways that allow them to perform extraordinary feats of mental and physical strength by tapping into their internal energy and through physical conditioning.
By Noelle Talmon, contributor for Ripleys.com.
April 15, 2018
April 14, 2018
April 13, 2018
Mummified Monkey Found In Minnesota Mall
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
[April 8-14th, 2018] A car travels starts its travel through time, a baby is born four years after their parents’ death, and a mysterious mummified monkey is found in the air ducts of a Minnesota mall.
Time Traveling Car
One lucky person in the state of Chihuahua in Mexico was likely ecstatic to hear they had won a brand new car in a raffle. Unfortunately, he won’t get to use the car for 50 years. The organizers of the annual “El IV Reencuentro Ojonaguense” festival decided to make the car into a time capsule before releasing it to the winner. The car was lowered into a concrete vault under the town square, just waiting to be driven in 2068.
Mary River Turtle Endangered
We’ve featured the Mary River turtle in a number of our books, entranced by the green locks of algae captured by photographer Chris Van Wyk. Unfortunately, the punk turtle has just been added to the Zoological Society of London’s endangered species list. The turtle, only found in Queensland, Australia, has unique finger-like growths under its chin and has the ability to breathe through its genitals.
Born 4 Years After Parent’s Death
A couple who died in 2013 left no children behind at the time, but their bereaved parents just welcomed their children’s baby to the world four years after their untimely demise. According to a report by the BBC, the couple had left behind embryos frozen in liquid nitrogen at the Nanjing hospital. After a completely unprecedented legal battle, Tiantian was born with no living parents.
The Spider Burger
A burger restaurant in North Carolina has decided to top its burgers with tarantulas. Alongside toppings like cheese, lettuce, and tomato, lurks an eight-legged arachnid. After personally trying dried spider for ourselves in Ripley’s Guide to Non-Perishables, we have to recommend the crisp crunch of a pickle—only if legitimate—or an onion. Believe it or not, diners actually have to win a raffle for the pleasure of eating the spider-topped burger.
Martha did it yesterday, Randall did it today, and now it’s David D’s turn to give it a shot!
David D. ticket # 907656 give us a call and claim your tarantula burger.
That Time Britain Thought Spaghetti Grew On Trees
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
In 1957, the completely legitimate and credible BBC new program, “Panorama,” pulled an April Fools joke for the ages. They ran a short special on the Swiss spaghetti farmer, explaining the careful process of cultivating and harvesting pasta.
The public bought the lie completely, but to be fair to them, people in the United Kingdom were not all that familiar with pasta in the 1950s. The reverberations of rationing during World War II could still be felt at the local grocery store while the whole of Europe continued to rebuild. Olive oil, for example, still hadn’t even made their way into most people’s diets, and was primarily sold in chemist’s shops as an aide for removing ear wax.
Couple a relative ignorance of Italian cuisine with the reputation of “Panorama” for providing reliable news, and it’s no wonder people didn’t know any better. According to editors of the segment, the whole plan hinged on the voice-over provided by Richard Dimbleby—a broadcaster and news anchor highly respected by the public. The story’s producers were even afraid to ask him to come in on the stunt, but after reading the script he loved the idea.
By the 1960s, immigration was on the rise, eventually bringing exotic dishes like spaghetti and meatballs to Britain, and putting an end to the spaghetti harvest prank.
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