Weekend Weird: Mothman in Chicago, bears in Vlad’s castle, and more

Some human remains get lost, some are stolen, some get used in cocktails.

Today is the 7th anniversary of Cult of Weird! Seven years…what the hell have I been doing with my life? While I try to fend off the existential dread, here is this week’s roundup of weird news, science, archaeology, and more. Of particular interest is the latest expedition to the uninhabited island of Nikumaroro to find the remains of Amelia Earhart, this time with bone-sniffing dogs.

Also, the search for Fenn’s treasure leads to death, Mothman flying around Chicago, and let’s not forget the medieval sword unearthed from a peat bog in Poland. Oh, and NASA wants to probe Uranus….

Cult of Weird shares it’s birthday with Pink Flamingo Day

Someone stole the mummified human toe used to make the Yukon’s famous Sourtoe Cocktail

Stolen brain of St. John Bosco found in kettle

New expedition will use forensic dogs to find the bones of Amelia Earhart

The search for Fenn’s Treasure claims another victim

Newly discovered diaries document cannibalism during the Nazi siege of Leningrad

Why are people seeing flying humanoids over Chicago?

A historical sighting of a minotaur-like creature in Virginia

ZOZO demon: Real or fake?

Michael Phelps to race a great white during Shark Week

Cats domesticated themselves, because they do whatever they want

NASA wants to probe Uranus in search of gas

The Mummy Returns: Egyptian dignitary’s face and brain reconstructed

A bear and her cubs have taken over Vlad the Impaler’s castle

Dried lizard penis being sold online as India tantric root

Trove of Nazi artifacts found in hidden room of Buenos Aires home

Did Hitler’s obsession with the occult lose him the war?

Iowa’s “cemetery in the middle of the road” hit by rogue driver

Curiosity rover photographed from Mars orbit

Bigfoot crossing signs go up in Round Rock, Texas

14th century medieval sword found in peat bog

Beginning of the end: Celebrating the Pagan Summer Solstice

Hamelin hasn’t forgotten the children lost to the Pied Piper over 700 years ago

Viewers terrified by hellish footage of underwater monster

Thousands of witches cast a spell to bind Donald Trump

Stephen Hawking calls for a return to the moon as Earth’s clock runs out

Cult of Weird Collection

I recently picked up this vintage Replogle Moon Globe from my friends over at Kadywumpus Antiques & Oddities. Replogle is the largest manufacturer of globes, and their 1960s moon globes are particularly interesting. They show the moon’s major topographical features, as well as the locations of the Apollo moon landings. However, since the moon is tidally locked to the Earth and we always see the same side, no one knew what the far side of the moon looked like. Because of this, early moon globes had a large blank area on the back where Replogle printed their logo.

These blank areas weren’t able to be filled in until Russian probes captured the first photos of the Moon’s dark side, Luna-3 in 1959 and Zond-3 in 1965. Moon globes from at least 1966 still lack the details gleaned from those photos, so I’m not sure when the Russian photos were made public.

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This week’s featured WEIRD BOOK

The Empire of Death explores crypts, catacombs, and other macabre masterpieces around the world in 260 morbidly full color photos from the Paris catacombs, Sedlec ossuary, the Capuchin crypts, and more.
Buy it now on Amazon

Stay safe out there this weekend, folks.