Will-o’-the-Wisps: A Mini-Essay

    

     From the Naga fireballs of the Mekong River in Thailand to the Marfa lights along U.S. Route 67 in Texas, folklores throughout the world attest to the bizarre occurrence of will-o’-the-wisps, glowing lights ranging in color from green to white that appear at night over bogs and swamps or within fields and woods and hover mysteriously until ultimately disappearing.[1] For some, these floating orbs are spiritual or extraterrestrial entities who either benevolently guide lost travelers out of the wilderness or maliciously lead unsuspecting individuals to their deaths.[2] For instance, the devil’s bonfires of Longdendale, England, have, since the sixteenth century, been assumed to be the products of witches, who use them as a means to lure gullible individuals into entrapment for sacrifices.[3] While earlier generations turned to supernatural explications, more contemporary scholars explain the will-o’-the-wisp as a misunderstood natural phenomena. In 1898, Dr. M.A. Blunard proposed phosphuretted hydrogen caused by reactions between calcium phosphide and water produced these occurrences at sea and, since then, other scientists have presented their own hypothesis, ranging from clusters of fireflies to the luminescent fungus Panelluses stipticus.[4]

Works Referenced

Blunard, M.A. “Will-o’-the-Wisps.” English Mechanic and World of Science 1761 (1898): 433. 

Gisondi, Joe. Monster Trek: The Obsessive Search for Bigfoot. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 2016.

Jones, Richard. Haunted Britain and Ireland. New York: Barnes and Noble, 2002.

____________________
[1] Gisondi, 41-42.
[2] Gisondi, 41-42.
[3] Jones,  97-98.
[4] Blunard, 433.

Hanging Clown

$15 - $20 (based on 2019 prices) 

Makes one clown 

The final build for 2019’s twisted carnival was this hanging clown, which I repurposed to hang above the haunt’s exit to usher guests out of the display. Along with the clown doll, clown masks, and clown pumpkins, it was just one of a few clown-themed props crafted for the event, as I endeavored to stick more toward a turn-of-the-century travelling show motif rather than a clown-heavy circus. If you cannot find a hanging clown prop for this build, a hanging skeleton prop can be easily refabricated to achieve the same results.

• One three-foot hanging clown prop
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in glossy green
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in glossy orange
• One 0.64 oz. bag of pom poms in varying colors and sizes
• One to two yards of Halloween-themed ribbon
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat black*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat green*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat red*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat white*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat yellow*
• One cone-shaped party hat
• One 4 oz. bottle of all-purpose tacky glue*
  

1. Cover the nose with painter’s tape and the body with a plastic bag, leaving only the head and hands exposed. Then, on a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give the head a couple even coats of orange spray paint and the hands a few coats of green. The number of coats and colors can be altered to cater the prop to your specific needs. 

2. Modify the clown’s original outfit by gluing pom poms to the clothing. You could use one specific size and color to achieve a unified look or vary both the dimensions and hues for a more chaotic appearance. Likewise, you can apply the pom poms in a random pattern or create an intricate design. 

3. Accent the cuffs and ruff with Halloween-themed ribbon, lining both items with the fabric and gluing it in place. For visual interest, I chose to use two different patterns – one for the cuffs and one for the ruff. You, though, can use the same pattern for all three to maintain cohesiveness. 

4. Detail the skull with polychromatic paints to provide it with a clown-like appearance. Your face can be as fanciful of frightening as you choose. If you struggle with drawing, find templates online and use a pencil to lightly sketch their patterns. Once the paint has dried, outline the designs with black paint to enhance the colors. 

 5. Although I crowned the prop with a curly red wig and party hat, you can use alternative items, such as a small top hat or multicolored periwig, to adhere to your haunt’s theme. 

6. If you plan to hang the prop in a display, where it can leer menacingly downward at unsuspecting guests, create a hanging loop with black wire strong enough to support its weight and fasten it to the back (where it will remain unseen). 

7. You can give the clown further detail by adhering a bowtie, fake nose, and glasses for more whimsy or blood splatters, plastic insects, and severed body parts for a more frightening appearance.

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.

"Remember" (A Poem)

Unlike her brother Dante Gabriel, who buried and later disinterred the body of his deceased wife Elizabeth Siddal, Christina Rossetti’s dealings with death were no different than the average Victorian.[1] Due to this factor, Lorraine Janzen Kooistra explains, the writer remained relatively silent on the subject of death, only composing a limited number of works which dealt with the subject.[2] Her poem “Remember,” in turn, is just one of these few and takes a straightforward approach over the traditional sentimentalism, asserting that it is better to be forgotten than to be remembered only through the sadness of mourning.

Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you planned:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.[3]

Works Referenced

Kooistra, Lorraine Janzen. “Science and Art: Vestiges of Corpses in Pre-Raphaelite Illustrations.” Reading Victorian Illustrations, 1855-1875: Spoils of the Lumber Room. Edited by Paul Goldman and Simon Cooke. London: Routledge, 2016. 97-114.

Rossetti, Christina. “Remember.” Goblin Market and Other Poems. London: MacMillan and Company, 1862. 58.
____________________
[1] Kooistra, 97.
[2] Kooistra, 97.
[3] Rossetti, 58.

Framed Insect Specimens

$10 - $15 (based on 2018 prices)

Makes three framed specimens

For the witch den, which was part of my office’s annual decorating competition, I covered the walls in an assortment of framed specimens. To give the illusion of an eclectic collection, I created small groups of props with varying designs. For this version, I used aged copper frames and coffee-stained labels. You, though, can cater the props to your specific needs by altering the size (a subtle statement with a small, cheap frame or a dramatic impression with something more massive and ornate) or specimens (an eerie mixture of rat skulls or a bizarre cluster of bat wings).

• Three 8” x 10” frames
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in metallic copper
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in grasshopper*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in hunter green*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in olive*
• Four pieces of 8” x 11.5” copy paper (one with scientific labels printed on it and three blank)
• At least four tablespoons of black tea (e.g. Darjeeling, Earl Gary, English Breakfast, etc.)
• At least four tablespoons of dark roasted coffee grounds
• One pan large enough to soak the copy paper
• One 4 oz. bottle of all-purpose tacky glue*
• Three or four plastic insects in various sizes
• One 8 oz. can of oil-based interior wood stain in Jacobean*
  

1. Remove the backings and any glass from the frames and, on a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, apply an even coat of metallic copper spray paint. Although I only used one coat, you may want more depending on your desired coverage. Keep in mind, though, that this is the base coat and much of the copper will be covered by the green paints. 

2. Mix grasshopper and hunter green paint together to achieve and aged patina and pat it onto the frames. You could use a brush with splayed bristles, a stippling sponge, or crumpled paper towels for the application. As you do so, focus on areas where oxidization would naturally occur. 

3. To add further age and additional depth, dab olive paint onto the frames. As with step two, focus on places where continued exposure to the elements would weather the copper. Be modest with your application during this process. You do not want to overpower the other colors with this darker tone. If you choose to do so, the patina can be enhanced further with a flecking of black paint. You can do this by either quickly flicking a paintbrush or using an old toothbrush and strumming your finger across the bristles. Since this process flings paint everywhere, it’s best to perform it outside. 

4. Boil enough water to completely submerge the three sheets of blank copy paper and pour it into the pan. Add the tea. The longer you allow the tea to brew, the darker the stain will become. Likewise, greater amounts of tea will produce a richer stain. I found that a combination of English and Irish Breakfast brewed for over ten minutes produces a nice, deep brown. Submerge the paper into the tea mixture and soak it until it reaches the color you desire. I soaked mine for eight hours and scattered the loose-leaf tea over the top of the paper to add spots. Remove the paper from the water and allow it to dry. Although it can be time consuming, this process works best if you stain each sheet of paper individually. 

5. Glue the stained paper to the cardboard backings. To make it appear even more decrepit, crinkle the paper and create holes. You can use olive or vegetable oil to add further stains. I discovered that applying a small amount of oil to your index finger and patting it on the paper works well. 

6. Boil enough water to completely submerge the copy paper with scientific labels printing on it and pour it into the pan. Add the coffee. The longer you allow the coffee to brew, the darker the stain will become. Likewise, greater amounts of coffee will produce a richer stain. Submerge the paper in the coffee mixture and soak it until it reaches the color you desire. I soaked mine for eight hours and scattered the coffee grounds over the top of the paper to add spots. Remove the paper from the water and allow it to dry. I elected to stain this sheet with coffee rather than tea to give the labels a darker hue which contrasted with the tea-stained backings. You, of course, are free to just stain all four sheets with either tea or coffee to save time. 

7. After the paper dries, cut out the labels, leaving a small boarder around their edges, and roughen their surfaces with sandpaper. Once you have achieved your desired level of distress, glue the labels to the backings. 

8. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, stain the insects. I began by giving each one a light, even coat with a foam brush. After that, I applied heavy amounts of stain and patted away the excess with paper towels. You want the color to build up in the cracks and fissures. Although you may use whatever color of stain you desire, I chose Jacobean because it gives the insects an old, rotted appearance. Once you have achieved your intended look, allow the insects to dry. I let mine sit outside in the sun for three days. 

9. Center the specimens on the backings with their corresponding labels and glue them in place. For a sturdier hold, consider using superglue.

10. Attach the frames to the backings. For added support, glue the backings in place, particularly if you plan to display these in windy conditions. If the frames did not come with hanging hooks, you can add store-bought items to the back or fashion your own with steel wire. 

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.

The Crimes of John Haigh: A Mini-Essay

     A stylish dresser and fastidious groomer, John Haigh moved to London in his late twenties and began a long series of crimes in an effort to attain and maintain the wealthy lifestyle he felt was his entitlement.[1] In 1936, he met William McSwann, a wealthy owner of arcade machines, who became Haigh’s first victim: in the fall of 1944, after a night of drinking, Haigh bludgeoned McSwann to death, dissolved his corpse in acid, and disposed of the remains in a sewer.[2] To cover his trail, Haigh informed McSwann’s parents he had moved away, commenced sending them a string of forged letters supposedly penned by McSwann about his move, and, a year later, murdered the couple in the same manner as their son, posing as William and taking control of their assets.[3] In 1949, while staying at an elegant hotel in South Kensington, Haigh met the affluent sixty-nine-year-old widow Olive Durand-Deacon, who agreed to visit his workshop to discuss potential investment opportunities for his new business of utilizing acid to break down strong materials.[4] Alone in the facility, Haigh shot Durand-Deacon in the back of the head, removed her fur coat and jewelry, and dumped her body in a vat of acid. While the murder of the McSwann family drew little suspicion, the disappearance of the famed socialite aroused plenty of questions, which Haigh was first able to dismiss by claiming she had never attended their meeting; however, as his narcissism took hold, he later provided a halfhearted confession.[5] Believing the police could not convict him without a body, Haigh admitted that he had shot the affluent widow in the head, but only sludge remained.[6] As Haigh’s taunts increased, so did the evidence, with a pair of dentures concretely identified by Durand-Deacon’s dentist prompting his trial and execution in the summer of 1949.[7] While awaiting his death, Haigh relished in the attention: the press, which had followed his trial closely, labeled him “the acid-bath murderer,” an effigy of him was shown in the Chamber of Horrors at Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, and the criminal boasted from his prison cell he had killed nine people despite police evidence that it was only six.[8] 

Works Referenced

Ferllini, Roxana. Silent Witness: How Forensic Anthropology is Used to Solve the World’s Toughest Crimes. Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books, 2002.
____________________
[1] Ferllini, 40.
[2] Ferllini, 40.
[3] Ferllini, 40.
[4] Ferllini, 40.
[5] Ferllini, 40-41.
[6] Ferllini, 41.
[7] Ferllini, 41.
[8] Ferllini, 41.

Two-Headed Baby

$30 - $40 (based on 2019 prices) 

Makes one two-headed baby with one cloche 

Part of 2019’s twisted carnival theme involved Dr. Victor’s Oddity Museum, a collection of bizarre artifacts meant to resemble the curiosity exhibits customary in turn-of-the-century travelling shows. To achieve this, I crafted a bevy of familiar oddities, from mummified mermaids to shrunken heads. For this particular prop, I elected to use a plastic cloche rather than a glass version to reduce the risk of injury.

• One twelve-inch two-headed skeleton
• One plastic cloche with detachable base and handle (roughly fifteen inches tall)
• One 4 oz. bottle of wood glue
• One 4 oz. bottle of all-purpose tacky glue
• One roll of one-ply, white paper towels
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat black*
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat brown*
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in hammered bronze*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in au natural*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat black*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in grasshopper*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in hot cocoa*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in hunter green*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat gray*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat olive*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in orange spice*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in spice brown*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in surf blue*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat red*
• One 8 oz. can of oil-based interior wood stain in Jacobean*
• Two pieces of 8” x 11.5” copy paper (one with specimen labels printed on it and one blank)
• At least four tablespoons of black tea (e.g. Darjeeling, Earl Gary, English Breakfast, etc.)
• One pan large enough to soak the copy paper
  

1. Position the skeleton into your chosen pose and glue its limbs in place. If you plan to display the item under a cloche (as I did), you will want to ensure that the final arrangement fits easily within the container. To do this, it is best to temporarily position the body, place it under the cloche, and make any necessary adjustments prior to gluing.

2. Make the papier mache paste by mixing ½ cup of glue and ½ cup of water in a bowl. Try to use a sealable container. This gives you the ability to store the mixture for a day or two between applications. Also, to give the paste added support, use a combination of all-purpose glue and wood glue (stray away from school glue because it is washable and will dissolve in the water).

3. Tear the paper towels into strips and, after soaking them in paste, cover the skeleton with one or two layers, creating wrinkles to make the flesh appear rotten. If you cannot find one-ply paper towels, simply separate the plies of multi-ply sheets. To make the process more manageable, keep the strips at a reasonable size (mine were roughly two inches long and half an inch wide). Similarly, only apply a few layers at a time and allow each layer to completely dry before adding more (I did two layers during each application and let them dry for twenty-four hours). The number of layers you apply depends on how rotted you want the corpse to appear: you can apply one or two layers to just a few spots for a highly decrepit look or several thick coverings for a more mummified appearance. 

4. Once the layers have fully dried, give the skeleton a base coat of brown spray paint followed by a light dusting of black. Since you will build up detail with other colors, you want your brown to be a neutral tone that is not too light and not exceedingly dark.

5. Accent the skin with light brushings of browns, grays, greens, and reds to provide depth to the base coat. I found that working from dark to light produced the best results; however, it might prove beneficial to practice your technique on a scrap of cardboard first before applying it to the prop.

6. Complete the painting process by darkening the eyes, mouth, and any other openings with black paint. You can also mute portions of the body by lightly brushing black along their surfaces. 

7. Disassemble the cloche and, on a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, apply an even coat of hammered bronze spray paint to the base and handle. Although I only used one coat, you may want more depending on your desired coverage. Keep in mind, though, that this is the base coat and much of the bronze will be covered by the other paints.

8. Begin the aged patina by building up layers of green paint: grasshopper, hunter green, and olive. You want the metal to appear oxidized, so focus your application on the areas that would be exposed to the elements and work from dark to light. Complete the aged patina by applying a light speckling of orange spice and surf blue to the surface. You want the colors to accent the oxidization and not be too overpowering. Also, give the base and handle a flecking of black paint. You can do this by either quickly flicking a paintbrush or using an old toothbrush and strumming your finger across the bristles. Since this process flings paint everywhere, it’s best to perform it outside. 

9. Boil enough water to completely submerge the copy paper and pour it into the pan. Add the tea. The longer you allow the tea to brew, the darker the stain will become. Likewise, greater amounts of tea will produce a richer stain. I found that a combination of English and Irish Breakfast brewed for over ten minutes produces a nice, deep brown. Submerge the paper into the tea mixture and soak it until it reaches the color you desire. I soaked mine for eight hours and scattered the loose-leaf tea over the top of the paper to add spots. Remove the paper from the water and allow it to dry. Although it can be time consuming, this process works best if you stain each sheet of paper individually. 

10. Once the paper has dried, trace the outline of the base onto the blank sheet, cut it out, and glue it in place. To make the paper appear even more decrepit, crinkle it and create holes before adhering it to the base. 

11. Center the skeleton on the base and glue it in place. For a sturdier hold, consider using superglue. 

12. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, paint the cloche with the wood stain. I discovered that applying a thin coat and patting it with paper towels produces a hazed appearance. Likewise, brushing the rim with a swift downward motion creates the illusion of grime buildup.

13. Reattach the handle to the cloche and then reattach the cloche to its base. If you plan for a more permanent display, you can glue the item down.

14. Cut out the specimen label, leave a small border, and give the specimen a name. To roughen the label’s appearance, use sandpaper to fray its sides and create holes. You can also use olive or vegetable oil to add further stains to the label. Once you have achieved your desired level of distress, glue the label to the cloche.

15. The prop can be enhanced further with additional details, such as an assortment of baby paraphernalia (a pacifier or rattle) included in the cloche. I accidentally dropped the cloche while staining it, which resulted in two long cracks down the sides. Although I was initially disappointed, they provided the prop with extra character once completely assembled.

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.

“Premature Burial" (A Poem)

Best known for his poems "King Alfred" (1880) and "The Birth of Australia" (1889), Percy Russell was a noted English author who wrote both fiction and nonfiction throughout the latter half of the nineteenth century. As fears of premature burial swept Europe and the United States during this time frame, Russell, along with other authors like Seba Smith, utilized their artistic talents to voice their concerns about this growing anxiety.

To die is natural; but the living death
Of those who waken into consciousness
Though for a moment only, ay, or less
To find a coffin stifling their last breath,
Surpasses every horror underneath
The sum of Heaven, and should surely check
Haste in the living to remove the wreck
Of what was just before, the soul’s fair sheath

How many have been smothered in their shroud!
How many have sustained this awful woe!
Humanity should shudder could we know
How many cried to God in anguish loud,
Accusing those whose haste a wrong had wrought
Beyond the worst that ever devil thought.[1]

Works Referenced

Russell, Percy. “Premature Burial.” Burial Reformer 1 (1906): 33.
____________________
[1] Russell, 33.

Circus Pins

$15 - $20 (based on 2019 prices)
Makes ten pins and two balls

To give the games portion of 2019’s creepy carnival more visual interest, I made these circus pins and purposefully glued them together into clusters. My decision to do this, in turn, spawned from two factors: simplifying the setup process and alleviating any safety concerns. You, though, can bypass this step and leave the items free for more grander schemes, such as hanging them from the ceiling with fishing wire to make it appear as though a skeleton is juggling or giving them to scare-actors to wield as menacing weapons.

• One toy bowling set (ten seven-inch pins and two three-inch balls)
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat black
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat brown*
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat cream
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat brown*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat red*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat white*

1. Thoroughly wash and dry the pins. If there is any sticker residue, use rubbing alcohol to remove it (soak a paper towel in the solution, let it sit over the area for a few minutes, and wipe away the remaining glue). After cleaning the pins, you can roughen their surfaces with coarse sandpaper to help the paint adhere.

2. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give each pin three even coats of cream-colored spray paint. The number of coats, of course, depends on your desired level of coverage. Likewise, the color can be catered to fit your haunt’s needs. I chose a light cream to mimic the old-fashioned pins of turn-of-the-century travelling shows, but you can elect for more vibrant and varied hues.

3. Dust the pins with a light spritz of black and brown spray paint to add age and distress. To give the appearance of dirt, hold the cans over twelve inches away from the props’ surfaces and make quick flicking motions.

4. To enhance the level of grime, create a wash of brown paint and allow it to run down the pins. I found that creating a small puddle on the tip of the head and permitting it to naturally pour down the sides produces the best results. Also, the shade of dirt depends on your ratio of paint to water: less water will produce a darker brown; more water will yield a fainter hue.

5. Utilize red paint to write words like fun, games, ha ha, laugh, play, and win on the pins. You want the wording to be haphazard. To achieve this, exaggerate curves, create sharp points, and elongate certain aspects. You could also write letters backwards and deliberately misspell words. Keep in mind, though, that the words need to be readable, so try not to overdo your artistic flairs.

6. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give the balls an even coat of black spray paint. Akin to the pins, your coverage and the color can be modified to adhere to your haunt’s theme.

7. Use white paint to draw a skull onto each ball. You can make the faces as whimsical or frightening as you desire. You can also paint bloody symbols or cryptic messages on them for a darker motif.

8. Divide the balls and pins into clusters and glue them together. For a sturdier hold, consider using superglue. Although this step is optional, I found it much easier in the haunt’s setup to have these groupings permanently assembled, preventing guests from accidentally knocking them over and tripping on loose parts.

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.