There's something about a good mystery story. Particularly if it's a true-life one.
I don't know, maybe it's the fact that in an era where it seems that someone has an answer to everthing, and technology can reach across boundaries of space, time, and size, that there are still some secrets remaining to be discovered.
When the experts and gadgets fail to uncover the truth, well, doesn't that mean that your guess and mine are just as valid?
I suspect there's something in us all, too, that likes the fact that we could be the Indiana Jones figure who stumbles across the long lost treasure or is the holder of the missing clue. Like the incredible (and extremely valuable) Amber Room of the Catherine Palace, one of several of the homes of the Tsar of Russia. Stolen by the Nazis in 1941, the pieces of this stunning work of beauty have disappeared with barely a trace since 1945. Or the staircase that theoretically couldn't be built in a Santa Fe chapel, but which an elderly carpenter with only the most basic of tools constructed without payment before vanishing as mysteriously as he had arrived.
These stories, and others like them, give me a delicious tingle. As do tales of not only the Mary Celeste but also those of a more recent ship named the Baychimo, abandoned in 1931 and continuing to sail, without a soul on board, for an amazing 38 years (and perhaps she is still afloat even now). Or the lost squadron of Navy bombers in 1945 whose flight instruments mysteriously failed and who were never seen again.
This is just a sampling of some of the most intriguing mysteries that history has to offer us, and which have been gathered together and re-told in compelling detail. As to my source, well, I won't keep you in suspense about that. After all, it's fair to say that the writer who goes by the name of dc64 is one of my own favourites, and I love the work she produces for Squidoo.
As I write this, I have come across my own not-so-hidden clue that her fascinating article Mysterious and Amazing History had a mention here way back in 2008. Given that Debra has added so many strange and wonderful tales to it, and this blog has many new readers, I couldn't resist introducing it to a new audience today.
So, if you enjoy a mystery as much as I do, prepare to be caught up by Debra's stories of "weird history". Oh, and let me know which one intrigued you the most!
You are right, Nickie, that there is nothing like a mystery. I love that dc64 collected all of these amazing stories into one page. It would be no fun if everything in life could be solved right away. A little mystery makes life interesting.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this lens last year and enjoyed it even more this time around. Love to read about mysteries that just can't be explained away. Great find!
ReplyDeleteAhh, yes, love the work of dc64. She's been listed here quite a few times. Today's review is absolutely wonderful, Nicki. The spiral staircase at the Loretto Chapel has fascinated me ever since I learned about it. Would love to check that out. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I always love the Bermuda Triangle stories but it was really interesting to read the others as well.
ReplyDeleteWow, thanks everyone. That was actually the first lens I ever made, and I really appreciate everyone saying such kind things about it. It was fun writing and researching it. Part of my Baychimo story actually made it onto a Wikipedia article, unfortunately, they referenced a blog which referenced me...oh well. It's still really cool.
ReplyDelete