Category: Nyogtha

I refuse to do something cliche llike cover the history of Hallowe’en. You want that done, I suggest buying “The Haunted History of Hallowe’en” from the History Channel. As well, this column is being written in the very early morning here on October 31, 2005, because I was in DC for four nights straight partying…

Since it’s been classic horror month here at Nyogtha, I’ve covered Vampires, Zombies, and Werewolves. I figured the next classic monster worth covering is the Mummy. But 10 months ago, I wrote a thorough essay on the reality of the Curse of King Tut vs. the fictionalized version. I don’t like the idea of reprinting…

As you’ve seen over the past two weeks, we’ve taken a look at real life examples of forms of classic monsters. I’ve introduced you to the actual scientific zombie, and also to vampyres, people who believe they are vampires in some way shape or form. Now it’s time to move on to Lon Chaney Jt’s…

This week we’re continuing our look at variations on classical monsters. Up to bat this week is rather a bizarre concept: that of Vampyres. As you’ve noticed with previous columns, there are actually people out there who consider themselves vampire hunters. On the flip side of the coin, there are also those that truly believe…

Well it’s October, the month stereotypically associated with ghosts, goblins, and other assorted spooky and creatures. So it makes sense that I use this month to talk about some of the most popular monsters in Western Culture, along with the origins and evolution. Let’s start with an old but popular favorite: ZOMBIES. However we’re not…

Welcome back for another week of Things That Should Not Be. This week, we’re kicking things off with something dead (surprise!), but this time, it’s a metaphorical dead, not a six feet under dead. Hello Alexander, Here is my question(s) Can you tell me the rise and fall of Latin from modern tongue? Where did…

Okay, I’ve been sick all week, and all of Saturday was spent revolving around my cousin’s wedding, meaning I had no down time and just got myself even sicker to the point where my voice is totally gone. So you’re getting something short and sweet from me that will still be on time, and yet…

Ugh. Writing this after a bachelor party for my cousin and on absolutely no sleep. So forgive me if it’s a little incoherent this week. Dustin Dewey wrote in two weeks ago with this letter: With the upcoming release of the movie The Exorcism Of Emily Rose, it seems ogical that you should do a…

Although I’m been doing the Inside Pulse/411mania gig for nearly 3 years now, I realize that 95% of the IP audience assumed I just showed up one day, wrote Retrograding and two years later, branched out into Folklore and Cultural Anthropology. But in fact I’ve spent eleven years now as a published folklorist (thanks to…

I’ll be honest with you. I spent this week writing three reviews for the Games section and 7 hours Sunday helping a friend mood. So this column is extra rushed. The Smurl Haunting For over a decade, an unassuming house in West Pittston, PA was haunted by a myriad of ghosts and demons, thrusting Jack…

Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed the first two weeks of the Culture section. This week we are going to cover a smattering of topics instead of 1 big one. Three straight weeks of the Civil War has rather dulled me on the concept of one big column for a bit. A Livejournal friend of mine…

Well, it’s official. Inside Pulse Culture has launched. I know I received a few emails asking “What’s going to happen now that the Daily Pulse’s are gone? What’s going to happen to Nygotha? ARE YOU GOING TO WRITE RETROGRADING AGAIN???” Well, this is the answer. Culture is going to be where you can still be…

Before I get into the actual Nyogtha of this week, I should explain what is actually going on. You’ve seen McCullar, Hevia, and Matt all say their goodbyes last week, saying they are done with their Daily Pulse columns. Well, that’s true. They are done. The Daily Pulse concept began on August 16th, 2004, where…

This week I thought I’d answer a letter from Michael Couacaud who writes, Hello Alex, It’s me again with another broad question Can you tell me more about famous battle ground sites and the folklore stories surrounding them? Which is the most famous? Michael Well Mike, pretty much EVERY battlefield has a ghost story or…

Nyogtha Volume I, Issue XXXII Tagline: Everything from the I-Ching to Count Chocula gets covered today. This week I’d thought I’d take a bunch of the emails I received over the last few months that just aren’t long enough to do a normal column with. They’re nice and short and can generally be answered with…

You know, this week I’m covering something I didn’t really think fit the theme or mood of Nyogtha. But I’ve had over a dozen requests for this, and I supposed debunking the fact for fiction made up about this subject does count. I’m talking about Scientology. Since Tom Cruise started becoming a little more “outspoken,”…

Well, I spent Saturday and Sunday rowing in the St. Paul Water Dragon festival. It was a lot of fun, and although we didn’t win, I can take comfort in the fact we were first in our division in the time trials. I’m mean, that’s something, right? So this week I thought I’d stay in…

I hope you all are having a great Fourth of July weekend. I know I am, which is why I’ve made this column a little more…streamlines than normal. I’m going to take a look at a few things in American history that even our teachers have gotten wrong due to the folklore and legends replacing…

Hello folks, and welcome to the last week in June. Hopefully you’re all going to have a 3-4 day weekend next weekend, and I’ll be here on the fourth with a special US history edition of Nyogtha geared on things you might think are true but aren’t, and vice versa. But this week? It’s the…

In the grand tradition of previous guest Nyogtha columns, such as when Christopher Moore and Mick Mercer, I pulled aside the very gracious Poppy Z Brite to join the ever growing crowd of writers other than me to stop by the Nyogtha corner of Inside Pulse. For those of you unaware of Ms. Brite, she…