Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 412
May 12, 2017
May 11, 2017
Fascinating Facts about Mother’s Day You Should Know
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
In celebration of Mother’s Day, here are some of the fascinating facts that make your mom the coolest, believe it or not!
It’s a fact; pregnancy changes the body. You can leave a lasting impression, and no we are not talking about stretch marks! Your mother carries pieces of you for decades. It is called microchimerism.
What’s microchimerism?
While you were developing in the womb, your cells blended with your mothers after it traveled through the placenta. The two cells that mixed are called immune and mesenchymal cells.
The immune cells are important because it ensures that a mother’s immune system won’t reject the fetus. Yes, we’re talking about you!
Scientists believe that mesenchymal cells play a huge part in regeneration. There is still more research to be done on what else it can do for the human body.
Voice
You’ve been in love with your mother’s voice before you were even born. A study conducted by Queen’s University in Canada showed that fetuses heart rate increased significantly compared to a voice of a stranger, even their fathers. Yikes! Sorry, dads…
You’ve named your mother
Did you know that both languages, Mandarin and Spanish use the word, mama? Not only that but “ma” is used in Punjabi, and me in Vietnamese. You see, the first thing a baby vocalizes is “ma”. It’s no wonder there’s no language barrier when talking about your mother. Now, this is what we call universal!
Mother’s Day Facts
The first Mother’s Day was celebrated in 1908. It was founded by Anna Jarvis.
President Wilson established Mother’s Day.
There are about 2 billion moms in the world.
There are about 122.5 million phone calls on Mother’s Day, making it one of the busiest phone days of the year.
There are about 152 million Mother’s Day cards sent every year.
Approximately $14 billion dollars is spent on Mother’s Day.
More people purchase fresh flowers and plants for Mother’s Day than for any other holiday except Christmas/Hanukkah.
Carnations are the most popular flowers for Mother’s Day.
Ripley’s Mothers
Without a doubt, we had to represent our fascinating Ripley moms, and may we say, it takes a whole lot of amazing to be part of this incredibly unique family!
Maria Cristerna, better known as the Vampire Woman, is a staple within our unit. Her strikingly bold aesthetic, a walking canvas might we add, is a way to showcase her freedom. The domestic violence survivor, former lawyer, and mother of four, not only modified her teeth, but implanted titanium thorns into her head. The Guadalajara native is also a tattoo artist, video jockey, and a DJ. Talk about multitalented!
María José Cristerna the Vampire Woman
Have you heard about the mule-faced woman? Grace McDaniels, an Iowa native, was born with Sturge-Weber Syndrome. The disorder caused facial deformities that ultimately won her title of “ugliest woman” in 1935. With her new title, McDaniels was able to explore the world, performing in a traveling circus that earned her a whopping $175 week! Hey, that was a heck of a lot back in the day. She took her son, Elmer, for the ride because he was her greatest treasure.
Wax Sculpture of Grace McDaniels
Let us know in the comments below what makes your mother so special. You never know, she might just be featured in Ripley’s!
Source: Fascinating Facts about Mother’s Day You Should Know
May 10, 2017
May 9, 2017
May 8, 2017
Fearless Fang Blenny Fish Finishes First
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Believe it or not, the fang blenny defends itself from attackers with a venomous bite that leaves them disabled.
How
Scientists have just discovered a huge secret that resides in the tiny fish. The venom, which is often compared to heroin, works like modern opioids, the same that are found in prescribed painkillers. The bite causes dizziness because it acts on their opioid receptors. The venom inhibits pain instead of causing it. Usually, defensive fish venom causes excruciating pain. It’s why scientists are dubbing the morphine-like sting entirely novel.
You can find the fang blenny vampire teeth on the lower jaw. Ouch
CC Anthony Romilio
Other predatory sea creatures stray far away with fishes that are infected with the venom. They are petrified of being harmed, proving how powerful that one little bite is.
The miniature aggressor uses its teeth to find only the best real estate on their section of the coral reef.
Napoleon complex much?
What’s their importance?
Ultimately, scientists would like to synthesize the venom of the fang blenny, for pain-killers. Why you ask? Simple, opioids carry a negative association. It usually leads to addiction and risks of overdose. Imagine doing away with the side effects.
Where is the fang blenny?
The fang blenny can be found in the Great Barrier Reef or even in your very own fish tank. As bottom-feeders, they like to live off reefs and are, unfortunately, under threat because of climate change.
CC: Sarah Ackerman via Wikimedia Commons
Study
A study conducted at the University of Queensland found that rats injected with the venom had a significant blood pressure decrease. It was a drastic 37 percent. Associate Professor Bryan Fry says the study should encourage others to protect nature. If the Great Barrier Reef is lost, the world could lose the possibility of creating the next amazing pain-killing drug.
Facts:
Not all fang blennies are venomous
They can only grow 10 centimeters
Popular aquarium fish
Nicknames:
Poison-fang blennies
Sabre-tooth blennies
Their diet consist of algal filaments, fish eggs, bryozoan stalks, and coral mucus
The small vampire fish will be making a big change!
Have you heard of the OG of all Vampires, Elizabeth Bathory?
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Believe it or not, the OG of vampire history starts with the most prolific serial killer, Countess Erzsébet Báthory de Ecsed, Elizabeth Bathory.
History
Better known as “The Blood Countess,” she was born from the renowned Bathory family that comes from the Kingdom of Hungary. The family is famously related to Stefan Bathory, King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Duke of Transylvania.
King Stephen Bathory Via Wikimedia Commons
At just the young age of 11, Bathory was married to Ferenc Nádasdy who took her surname when they married, giving her the full title of Countess Elizabeth Bathory Nadasdy. As a wedding gift, the Nádasdy family gave them the Csejte Castle.
Talk about aristocracy at it’s finest.
Csejte Castle CC Civertan via Wikimedia Commons
While this all might seem like a fairytale, The Countess was often left alone to care for the estate while her husband, the chief, and commander of Hungarian troops, fought in the war against the Ottomans. During her lonely stay, Bathory spent time with her aunt who practiced witchcraft and her uncle who was a devil-worshiping alchemist.
Now those are some family values.
During Bathory’s 29 year marriage to Nádasdy, they had five children, three daughters, and two sons.
Elizabeth Bathory Via Wikimedia Commons
Blood Obsession
Bathory grew bored during her husband’s absence and began inflicting cruel punishments on her staff. Remember, in this period, it was normal and encouraged to discipline your household help.
According to legend, Nádasdy enjoyed torturing and supported Bathory’s behavior by teaching her new ways to inflict pain; however, after her husband’s death, she took her torture schemes to a whole new level. She was known to used barbed lash, thick cudgel, and iron tongs. Honestly, there’s an ongoing list of her horrifying schemes, but Bathory infamously created her favorite device, a cage called the Iron Virgin. Designed after the Iron Maiden, her cage was molded like a woman with fitted blades.
This is an Iron Maiden
It all started when she conducted her cruel acts on one of her young female servants. Spots of blood landed on her, and she noticed that her skin had “tightened” and officially became obsessed with blood.
It was then she used the Iron Virgin to bathe in the blood of young female virgins. Not only that, but she relished biting chunks off the girl’s bodies.
Bathory’s obsession with her secret eternal youth began to outnumber the common girls in the village. Without hesitation, Bathory lured in young girls from other high society families, and that’s when the Hungarian king knew he had put her on trial.
You can find this Iron Maiden at Ripley’s in Orlando!
Trial
Upon arrival to the Csejte Castle, bodies of young girls were found. Some half burnt, alive, and noticeably missing chunks of flesh from their faces.
Bathory and her allies were put on trial for only 80 counts of murder, and even with all of the evidence found against her, particularly her diary where she wrote down the names of her her victims and brought the total death count to 650 girls, she was not executed. Instead, because of her royal blood, was allowed to remain in her castle, but with a catch of course.
Held in confinement, Bathory was bricked into a room that had no windows or doors. There was a small opening so food and water could be given to her. She remained sequestered until her death only three years later. Now that’s getting off easy.
Main tower CC Jacomoman78 via Wikimedia Commons
Dracula
Many believe that Bram Stroker’s Dracula was not only inspired by Romanian Prince, Vlad Dracula, the Impaler, but by The Countess herself.
Vlad the Impaler via Wikimedia Commons
Prince Vlad was never known for drinking blood, and if you pay close attention to the story of Dracula, whenever he did drink the blood, he became younger, a direct tie to Bathory’s blood obsession.
What do you think?
You can find this Vampire Kit at our Ripley’s Odditorium in Orlando!
Today
Bathory’s castle today is a ruin, but still picturesque after it’s restoration. One of the towers collapsed around the 80s, leaving the tower with the chapel and the tower where The Blood Countess lived her last three years.
Yes, the castle is open to visitors who want to get their goth on. With a couple of euros, $3.50 to be exact, can get you into unveiling the bloody history that resides inside.
Pop Culture
After 400 hundred years Elizabeth Bathory continues to haunt us even in our modern day culture. Take for example 2006’s horror movie, Stay Alive. A group of teenagers unleash the spirit of The Countess by playing a video game. If she kills you in the game, that’s the way you die in real life. From the frightful jumps to the sadistic torture, the movie hits on just about every device and technique she ever used.
And yes, if you’re thinking of Lady Gaga’s character in American Horror Story: Hotel, Countess Elizabeth, you’re right. The character is based on Bathory from everything to her torture devices to ingesting and bathing in blood.
American Horror Story: Hotel
Vampire Legends: The Untold Story of Elizabeth Bathory is the latest video game creation based off our Blood Countess. In this game, you’re a gifted, go-getter who has the natural talent to find just about anything. A Lord has sought you out to find his daughter who never returned from Bathory’s mansion.
It looks like the Blood Countess will continue to inspire more stories, games, and unspeakable terror for many years to come!
Source: Have you heard of the OG of all Vampires, Elizabeth Bathory?
May 7, 2017
May 6, 2017
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