The Ancient Olympics and Death: A Mini-Essay

     As Roberto Bosi explains, there have been a lot of legends surrounding the origins of the Olympic games in ancient Greece, with the most popular explanation coming from the fifth-century poet Pindar and the second-century historian Pausanias who both claim the competition originated with Hercules. Some modern historians, on the other hand, contend the initial games developed more as a part of funeral rites rather than merely an entertaining showcase of athletic prowess. In their beginning stages, these events were held by soldiers during military campaigns as a way to honor the bravery of their fallen brethren. Likewise, they served to boost the morale of the grieving troops and provide them with a means to release the tensions of mourning before returning to conflict. By the eighth century B.C.E., these competitions shifted away from a memorial to a celebration of athleticism, occurring every four years from 776 B.C.E. until 393 C.E. when the Roman Emperor Theodosius I banned them.[1]

Works Referenced

Bosi, Roberto. The Life and Times of Alexander the Great. New York: The Danbury Press, 1972.

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[1] Bosi, 88.

Jarred Monster Head

$20 - $25 (based on 2020 prices)

Makes one jar

 

The sightless clown mask worn by the scare-actor at the end of 2019’s haunt proved unnerving for some guests and was an aesthetic I wanted to replicate in 2020’s haunt. Using similar techniques, I fashioned a jarred monster head with a similar appearance to sit among the towers of equipment comprising the laboratory.

• One human-size plastic skull
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat black*
• One set of resin false teeth
• One 4 oz. bottle of all-purpose tacky glue*
• One yard of white fabric
• At least four tablespoons of dark roasted coffee grounds
• One pan large enough to soak the fabric
• One yard of thick, black thread
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat brown*
• One eight-inch glass jar
• One 8 oz. can of oil-based interior wood stain in Jacobean*
• One yard of white cheese cloth

1. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give the skull two even coats of black spray paint. This will provide a uniform base coat in case portions of the prop appear through the cloth.

2. Glue the fake teeth onto the skull to create a gnarled grin. For additional grime, you can use wood stain to make the teeth appear rotten.

3. Boil enough water to completely submerge the fabric 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 cloth in the coffee mixture and soak it until it reaches the color you desire. I soaked mine for eight hours (long enough to give it a slight tint) and scattered the coffee grounds over the top to add spots. Remove the cloth from the water and allow it to dry.

4. Cut the fabric into a square large enough to cover the skull (mine was 18” x 20”) and glue the fabric to the skull’s jaw to serve as an anchor. After determining where the cloth will rest over the face, sew stitches along the areas that will cover the eyes.

5. Starting at the front of the skull, glue the cloth to the prop. I found that this process works best if you move in stages: apply a layer of glue to one section, hold the fabric down until it sticks, and then repeat the process.

6. Once the glue has dried, cut an opening along the mouth to reveal the teeth and shred the edges of the fabric. How much of the grin you want to show is entirely up to you: you can trim out portions for just a few to peek through or, as I did, create a larger opening to display the entire smile.

7. Detail the facial features with a wash of brown paint, focusing on the nose and the mouth. You may want to experiment with the consistency prior to doing this: the more water you add, the fainter/lighter the wash; the less water you add, the deeper/darker the wash.

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

9. Using the procedures in step three, coffee stain the cheesecloth (for the time-pressed haunter, it might prove more efficient to stain the two together or use a bundle of off-white creepy cloth). Once the cloth has dried, ball it up and place it inside the jar’s base. You want the cloth to be noticeable after the skull has been placed on top of it, so you may need to play with its arrangement before placing the specimen on top.

10. After the cloth is situated, add the skull, positioning it so it is prominently displayed. You can embellish the prop further with specimen tags, worn labels, or a broken biohazard seal around the juncture between the jar and lid. 

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

Cardboard Character Masks

$15 - $20 (based on 2017 prices)

Makes six masks

 

In 2017, I was commissioned by an actress to create masks for her role as the Cheshire Cat in a local production of Alice in Wonderland. She wanted a series of whimsical pieces to express six emotions (anger, contempt, happiness, mischievousness, sorrow, and surprise) that she could use to display feelings throughout the play. Sadly, the items were cut apart for the actual production and only the mouths were used (it is still unclear if this was the decision of the actress or the director).

• Four sheets of cardboard (at least 12” x 24” for each sheet)
• One 8 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying latex paint in flat white*
• Two brown paper bags
• One 12” x 24” piece of brown burlap
• One 12” x 24” piece of white fabric
• One 12” x 12” piece of textured wallpaper
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat black*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat brown*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat pink*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat purple*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat red*
• One 4 oz. bottle of all-purpose tacky glue*
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat orange*
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat red*
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat yellow*
• Four buttons
• Two chenille stems (one red and one white)
• Two artificial flowers
• One yard of black yarn

1. Trace the outlines of each mask onto the cardboard and, if it helps, some of the basic facial features like eyes, mouths, and noses. You can make these items as large or small as you want, depending on how you plan to use them. Also, you can utilize alternate materials like insulation foam.

2. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give the front and back of each mask a few even coats of white paint. Although this step is optional, it will help give everything a uniform appearance and cover up any unwanted elements like writing on the cardboard.

3. Fashion skin with a variety of materials: for mischievousness and surprise, I used brown paper bags, crumbling the bag for mischievousness to create wrinkles; for contempt and sorrow, I used burlap on contempt and white cloth on sorrow, shredding strips to outline the mask’s edges; for anger, I used a textured wallpaper that looked like snakeskin; and, for happiness, I used a sponge to pat layers of pink paint, leaving the white smile untouched.

4. Detail the faces with a collection of items: for anger and surprise, cut out openings for the eyes, mouths, and noses and paint these features with blacks and reds; for contempt, sew the outlines of the eyes, mouth, and nose with yarn, accent the features with black and brown paint, and adhere to small buttons for beady eyes; for sorrow, smudge black paint around the eyes, mouth, and nose to give the mask a smoky appearance; for mischievousness, create an ombre effect by building up layers of red, orange, and yellow spray paint then paint the eyes and mouth with black; and, for happiness, outline the mouth and teeth in purple and use buttons to fashion eyes, chenille stems to create whiskers, and flowers to craft ears.

5. Attach wooden dowels to the backs of the masks for easy handling. You can also create eye slits on each mask and glue elastic bands to the backs so the character can wear them if they need both hands free.

6. The beauty of these props is their versatility. Everything, from the overall shapes to the items used for their skins, can be altered to cater the items to your haunt’s specific needs.

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

"Cormac and Mary" (A Poem)

Like much of his work, Thomas Crofton Croker tackles Irish mythology in his poem “Cormac and Mary,” telling the story of how Cormac’s eternal devotion to his beloved Mary eventually frees her from fairy entrapment.[1]

 

“She is not dead - she has no grave -

She lives beneath Lo ugh Corrib’s water;

And in the murmur of each wave

Methinks I catch the songs I taught her.”

 

Thus many an evening on the shore

Sat Cormac raving wild and lowly;

Still idly muttering o’er and o’er,

She lives, detain’d by spells unholy.

 

“Death claims her not, too fair for earth,

Her spirit lives - alien of heaven;

Nor will it know: a second birth

When sinful mortals are forgiven!

 

Cold is this rock - the wind comes chill,

And mists the gloomy waters cover;

But oh! her soul is colder still -

To lose her God - to leave her lover!”

 

The lake was in profound repose,

Yet one white wave came gently curling,

And as it reach’d the shore, arose

Dim figures - banners gay unfurling.

 

Onward they move, an airy crowd:

Through each thin form a moonlight ray shone;

While spear and helm, in pageant proud,

Appear in liquid undulation.

 

Bright barbed steeds curvetting tread

Their trackless way with antic capers;

And curtain clouds hang overhead,

Festoon’d by rainbow-colour’d vapours.

 

And when a breath of air would stir

That drapery of Heaven’s own wreathing,

Light wings of prismy gossamer

Just moved and sparkled to the breathing.

 

Nor wanting was the choral song,

Swelling in silv’ry chimes of sweetness;

To sound of which this subtile throng

Advanced in playful grace and fleetness.

 

With music’s strain, all came and went

Upon poor Cormac’s doubting vision;

Now rising in wild merriment,

Now softly fading in derision.

 

“Christ, save her soul,” he boldly cried;

And when that blessed name was spoken,

Fierce yells and fiendish shrieks replied,

And vanished all, - the spell was broken.

 

And now on Corrib’s lonely shore,

Freed by his word from power of faery,

To life, to love, restored once more,

Young Cormac welcomes back his Mary.[2] 

 

Works Referenced

 

Croker, Thomas Crofton. “Cormac and Mary.” Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland. 2nd ed. London: John Murray, 1838. 160-162. 

 

O’Hanlon, John. Legend Lays of Ireland. Dublin: John Mullany, 1870.

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[1] O’Hanlon, xix.

[2] Croker, 160-162.

Mad Scientist Chalkboards

$5 - $10 (based on 2020 prices)

Makes two boards 

 

Some props are built to fade into the background. Although they may not take center stage, they play a vital role in establishing and maintaining the haunt’s theme. These chalkboards are one of those items. Not nearly as grand as the towers of flashing equipment that dominated the laboratory, they were a necessary element in selling the fantasy to the guests.

• One 20” x 30” foam board
• 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 metallic silver*
• One 2 oz. bottle of chalkboard paint*
• One 4 oz. bottle of all-purpose tacky glue*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat white*
• Two feet of steel wire

1. Trim one-inch strips from all four sides of the board to form a border and, on a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give each one an even coat of silver spray paint. Although I used a metallic color to match other props in the haunt, you can use an alternate hue to correspond with your haunt’s color scheme.

2. To add a uniform level of age and distress, dust the borders with a light coat of black and brown spray paint. You can also apply a flecking of black paint and smears of brown to enhance the weathered appearance.

3. Give the board two even coats of chalkboard paint, allowing each coat to fully dry between applications. If you do not plan to use chalk to write on the boards, a coat or two of black spray paint will also work.

4. Glue the borders to the board. To assist in this process, consider marking their backs during step one to note which side the strips belong to.

5. Use chalk to fill the board with a bevy of diagrams, equations, formulas, and notes. What you write depends on the theme of your haunt: you can write out chemical bonds and measurements for a more scientific look or draw charts of the human body and lists of anatomical terms for a more medical appearance. If you want more permanency, use white paint to create these entries.

6. To hang the boards on the wall, create a hanging loop with steel wire, cutting it into a twelve-inch section, folding it in half, twisting both strands together, and gluing it to the back of the board.

7. The prop can be left fairly plain or embellished even further with sticky notes or ripped-out pages of books taped to it. You can also glue an insect or two crawling across its surface or smear it with bloody handprints. 

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