# Brainstorming Horror, Literary, and Scientific Exhibits for Oddities Museum Haunt



## BlueFrog (Oct 20, 2009)

HF's own LadySherry has revitalized my enthusiasm for this year's display by putting me on the path of creating "The Museum of Oddities and Natural Wonders," based very loosely on Barnum's American Museum. I need to stock this museum with objects and placards related to, well, anything that even loosely fits with Halloween. I'm especially interested in suggestions related to iconic horror stories, but almost anything that will make an educated person smile in recognition works. 

For example:


Urn containing the cremains of Dr. Victor Frankenstein (maybe his lightning rod too)
Van Helsing's vampire hunting kit, including the stake used to slay Dracula. 
Hair sample from a wolf-man (or perhaps a wolf grandma?)
Conch shell used as a communications device by feral British children discovered on an isolated island during WWII. This may be grouped in the same display case as the skull of a feral hog believed to have been worshipped by these children.
Linen wrappings from a reanimated mummy
Monkey's paw 
Schrödinger's cat (I plan to have wicked fun with this one)
Chainsaw used in a bloody massacre in Texas
Robe, scepter, and crown worn by a rat king
Mid-transformation werewolf skull
Rare Kafka beetle found in Prague
Empty Chianti bottle and copy of "Wound Man" owned by Hannibal Lecter

I have an enormous mass of props I can use, and anything I don't have I can probably make or buy. I particularly need backstories for a witch's cauldron and wand that have nothing to do with the Potterverse or Salem. Surprise me with your creativity. What objects should this museum contain? The only stipulation is that the objects must relate to fictional events, so no Lizzie Borden aze or Gacy clown paintings. Other than that, the sky's the limit!


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

I posted a banner design for you under a thread I started for "Carnival - Circus Banners" in the Party Idea area.


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## lizzyborden (Sep 17, 2009)

Have you ever seen "House of 1000 Corpses?" If not, check out Captain Spaulding's little store and Murder Ride for things definitely unusual.


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## Spats (Sep 21, 2006)

Items from famous stories and such being your focus (which I like), I have a few thoughts.

First concerning Van Helsing's kit - in the original novel, a stake was not used on the Count, but two knives, belonging to Jonathan Harker and Quincy Morris. They killed him together. Harker sheared through his throat (decapitation) with a Kukri knife while Morris plunged his Bowie knife into the Count's heart, at which point he crumbled into dust. Dracula fans will know this, so just a heads up.

Poe had some good stuff you could use. A bust of Pallas Athena discovered in the house of a raving widower, or a hand-cut raven's feather used to write the poem by the same. The trowel used to wall someone up, either from the Black Cat or the Cask of Amontillado. An heirloom from the House of Usher, such as a set of silverware, a mirror, a doorknob, candlesticks, a decanter, etc.
Orange hairs or an old straight razor found in Paris, France during the Rue Morgue murders (Murders in the Rue Morgue).

Lovecraft naturally provides museum-quality props. There's the Necronomicon (which everyone tries to do as skin-covered with a face, but that is a trope from the second and third Evil Dead films, not Lovecraft) but there were other old grimoires mentioned by him like Pnakotic Fragments (likely tablets with alien cunieform), Der Vermis Mysterii, etc. These were invented by other authors, friends of Lovecraft, and he used them with their blessings in his work.
There are Cthulhu idols, either made of stone found in Louisiana, or small wooden totems found in the Arctic used by Inuit tribes, the Cthulhu bas-relief tablet in clay made by the artist in the story "The Call of Cthulhu".
There is weird gold jewelry provided by the Deep Ones in Innsmouth, the Hound talisman from the cannibal cults of Leng, or a copy of The King in Yellow, a play that is rumored to drive whole civilizations mad.

Stephen King has some goodies. A strip of bloodstained seat lining from a destroyed 1958 Plymouth Fury (Christine). You'll need to google and see if what sort of material was used for lining the seats of that particular model. I imagine it would be easy enough to find scraps of similar material in any auto junkyard.
Acidic webbing collected from Bridgton, Maine after the Arrowhead Project Incident (The Mist).
A barglass etched with the logo of the Overlook Hotel (The Shining). Glass etching is easy, and a logo would be easy enough to design.
Unusual soil sample from a Micmac burial site near Ludlow, Maine (Pet Semetery)


As for the cauldron? "Thought to be the first example of a cast iron pot ever found in Europe, specifically dated to the early medieval period between the 8th and 11th centuries. During this period, iron cast containers are essentially absent from the historic record, since most iron objects were formed in the forge by hand. Mold casting would not be used for finished items larger than small findings or tools until the 16th century - thus making this item a true historic mystery. Found in a large cavern near Brodie, Scotland, just outside of Forres, within a few yards of the so-called "MacBeth's Hillock", It appears to have been used for either disposal of refuse or ritual purposes and not the preparation of food, as scapings taken from the interior indicate."


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## BR1MSTON3 (Jul 31, 2010)

This would be cool in that kind of setting;

http://pinterest.com/pin/213991419766228161/


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## pumpkinking30 (Aug 27, 2012)

Do you have a _Ripley's Believe it or Not_ near by? A visit to one of those always gives me inspiration. You could also check out this article on Doombuggies.com that tells about an idea for a "Museum of the Weird" that Walt Disney and the Imagineers had for the Haunted Mansion when it was still planned as a walk-through attraction. There are a few concepts pictures, but nothing finished, since this idea was ultimately thrown out when it became a ride. (this site also has a wealth of other cool Haunted Mansion stuff as well, but that's off topic)


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## The Auditor (Apr 2, 2006)

Spats said:


> First concerning Van Helsing's kit - in the original novel, a stake was not used on the Count, but two knives, belonging to Jonathan Harker and Quincy Morris. They killed him together. Harker sheared through his throat (decapitation) with a Kukri knife while Morris plunged his Bowie knife into the Count's heart, at which point he crumbled into dust. Dracula fans will know this, so just a heads up.[/QUOTE}
> 
> Kukris are easy to find and cheap.
> 
> ...


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## BlueFrog (Oct 20, 2009)

*LizzyBorden*, having never seen House of 1000 Corpses it was completely off my radar for this haunt, but it sounds like it will be a fertile source of objects. Thanks for drawing my attention to it.

*BR1MSTON3*, what a great skull! I will definitely have to consider scheduling time to sculpt something like that.

*Spats* - WOW! What a terrific list of pointers for objects, some of which have "why the heck didn't I think of that!" written all over them. I may eventually forgive myself for not remembering how Dracula was killed in the novel, but I will forever hang my head in shame for not thinking of a Necronomicon and other treasures from the Lovecraft ouevre. I'm such a huge Lovecraft fan but for some reason his work didn't even cross my mind. Ditto Poe, for that matter. Bad, bad, bad me. Good thing I have smart, educated fellow haunters to call upon!

And the cauldron backstory? I tip my hat and join in on The Auditor's round of applause. That is all kinds of brilliant.

*pumpkinking30*, again, "why didn't I think of that?" re: Ripley's Museum. I didn't know any of that Haunted Mansion information and now I'm very intrigued. Thanks!

ETA: I'm also going to include a plague doctor costume and "The Picture of Dorian Grey" because... well, I need them.


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## Spats (Sep 21, 2006)

Glad to be of help. I had fun thinking up that stuff. Seriously, what ghoul worth his gizzards doesn't dream of filling a Museum of the Macabre with creepy collectables?

On the cauldron, I had to admit, I scratched my head on that one for a bit, remembering and then discarding all the accused witches in Europe and North America, as well as most of the fairy tale witches, when it hit me - if you're going to have a famous cauldron, why not the the original 'double, double, boil and trouble"? 

You have a fantastic idea for a theme, almost like a secret government warehouse of nightmares. I may have to start filling my house with little horrors from the history of human imagination.

Oh, and yes, Dorian's portrait is one of the top five horror artifacts of all time - try to make that happen.

Finally, if you love quality Lovecraft props made by fellow madmen like yourself, and want inspiration as well as some serious tutorials, you'll want to bookmark this site- http://propnomicon.blogspot.com/


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## BlueFrog (Oct 20, 2009)

I am officially stealing the title "Museum of the Macabre" for my display. So much simpler, cleaner, and accurate than what I had before. Thanks! 

Glad you like this theme, because you've come up with some terrific ideas for it. I am truly, madly, and deeply in love with Propnomicon already. I forsee many hours spent poring over those entries. So many beautiful Lovecraftian items.


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## Pumpkinhead625 (Oct 12, 2009)

Perhaps you could draw on some local legends:

>Bigfoot
>The Chupacabra
>The Florida Skunk Ape
>The Jersey Devil
>The Goatman of Maryland

And here are a few ideas from some less-than-iconic movies:
"The Relic" - maybe a mutated dermestid beetle, about the size of a brick (the early stages of the monster's development)
"The Blob" -possibly some sort of a see-through cryogenic chamber with a frozen piece of the blob in it.
"Blair Witch Project" -maybe one of those stick figures 









"It's Alive" -perhaps a large jar with the Davis' monster fetus baby in formaldehyde


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## RCIAG (Jul 19, 2010)

Well if you're going Barnum you gotta include a Fiji Mermaid.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiji_mermaid



> The Fiji mermaid came into Barnum's possession via his Boston counterpart Moses Kimball, who brought it down to Barnum in late spring of 1842. On June 18, Barnum and Kimball entered into a written agreement to exploit this "curiosity supposed to be a mermaid." Kimball would remain the creature's sole owner and Barnum would lease it for $12.50 a week. Barnum christened his artifact "The Feejee Mermaid". In Barnum's exhibit, the creature was allegedly caught in 1842 by a "Dr. J. Griffin." Griffin was actually Levi Lyman, one of Barnum's close associates.[citation needed]
> Though many people believed Barnum's claim, the Fiji mermaid was actually the torso and head of a baby monkey sewn to the back half of a fish and covered in papier-mâché.


This isn't Barnum's, his was lost in a fire, but it's a good representation of one.


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## Stringy_Jack (Oct 28, 2011)

This is such a cool idea, I might have to do a small one in my garage.


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## pumpkinking30 (Aug 27, 2012)

Hey, I just got back from the Animal Kingdom park at Disney. I know it has nothing to do with Halloween, and isn't creepy in any way, but I wanted to send you these pictures I took of some of their scientific animal displays. I thought they might give you some ideas on setting up the scenes and and artifacts you create and on giving your area a "working research museum" feel if you want to go that direction with it. Hope they help.








































You could also use this idea to do "educational" black-board presentation props of various creatures/ oddities in your museum. It would be a good way to fill in walls and blank spaces. Also a good way to create a drop-down hatch for an actor to spring out of a wall.


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## Frankie's Girl (Aug 27, 2007)

LOVE oddities and have started amassing my own collection as well. 

You simply must check out Dave Lowe's blog site. He crafts sets and props professionally, and also happens to be a Halloween nut like the rest of us on here.
http://davelowe.blogspot.com/

Scroll down and look on the right side for his "prop cabinet of curiosities" section. There are TONS of ideas there. Some of my faves:

Sleepy Hollow Horseshoe

Invisible Man Specimen Jar

Captain Hook's Hand




I've made all three of these:
http://imakeprojects.com/Projects/halloween-jars/


I also have a couple that I made out of found objects: 

Sweeny Todd Razor

Poison Puffer Fish

Mad Scientist's Beating Heart

There are tons of cool things you could make with references to literature and horror. Did you see the movie "Cabin In The Woods?" They had a scene where the kids were in the basement messing with a ton of old junk... that just happened to be connected to horror icons. All you have to do is think about items/props that will remind you of a key thing in the movie or story, and write up a label that references it if it's not 100% clear what it is supposed to be. I find things in thrift shops that would work, or else it would be really fun to build them.


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## pumpkinking30 (Aug 27, 2012)

Thanks Frankie's Girl. Dave Lowe's site has a ton of cool ideas. Now I'm going to have to try some of these myself.


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## BlueFrog (Oct 20, 2009)

*pumpkinking30*, thanks so much for those terrific reference photos! I see several good ideas, especially those blackboards, I never would have thought of those but they're perfect.

*Frankie's Ghoul*, thank you for the reminder about Dave Lowe's site. I'd been to his site in the distant past but don't ever remember the wunderkammer section. Also, mad love for your Sweeney Todd razor! That's one I was hoping to include in my display and you've done it perfectly. 

More fun reading and propping ahead, yay!


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## Kelloween (Jun 8, 2012)

check out this site..its great

http://www.pandorasparlor.com/ ..maybe some ideas!


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## pumpkinking30 (Aug 27, 2012)

Looking at Dave Lowe's projects gave me another idea that you could use. You could have a top hat and old scalpel (with fake dried blood if you wish) in a case with the label "Found in an alleyway by Scotland yard detectives in the Whitechapel District, London, England-1889." This would be an effective and pretty cheap prop to assemble. 
Also, check out the link to the Syfy Channel's "Haunted Collector" site. It has some photos of objects that he has removed from various places that might be haunted. It might give you some more ideas.


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## Minshe (Jul 7, 2011)

try googling images for the Mutter Museum in Philly--it is a museum of medical history with all kinds of strange medical devices, abnormal human bodies, etc and the way it is all displayed may give you some ideas. Here's the link http://www.google.com/search?q=mutt...nj0QG3oYCICQ&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAQ&biw=1274&bih=823

Also The Island of Dr. Moreau (book and movie) with half/animal, half human creatures might be a good subject. Someone mentioned Poe, but I don't think they mentioned The Masque of the Red Death. I can't remember all the posts right now, but something to do with Mummies might be good. Indiana Jones movies also had a lot of artifacts--jewel, crystal skull, still beating heart that was pulled out, ark of the covenant. melting faces, nazi items, that medallion that was burned into the one Nazi's hand--etc. Nice idea for a theme.


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

Many people have called my Haunted House a "Museum". I have the house mostly filled with my own creations and ideas, which are strange , humorous to many. If some feel my art is a bit too strange, this just makes me one of the interactive "exhibits" as I am the person who created most of the tour here.(So I Must be scary?)
By being more of a "Museum" it could open your door to more families and kids, as long as the displays were not too gruesome.
We are open almost every night of the year and weekend afternoons in the non-winter months, which all also helps us be more Family and kid-friendly.
Ravens Grin Inn-Mount Carroll. Illinois.


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## LadySherry (Oct 4, 2011)

I am already looking for things at garage sales and thrift stores that I can use next year. Absorbing all the ideas on this thread.


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## Atomic Mystery Monster (Jul 29, 2003)

Propnomicon and Propping Up The Mythos have more ideas for Lovecraft-inspired haunt props, like bottled Deep Ones. Alternately, the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society has free printable props and "Essential Saltes" props for sale that might be of use to you.

Want a Hellraiser puzzlebox for your museum? There's a great papercraft version available here.

If you want a cast of a Bigfoot track, this track how-to and this casting how-to should be of great use to you. Those who want tracks with "dermal ridges" and other interesting features should definitely go here.

The Monsterlist has great tutorials for mummies, demon and vampire skulls, and paintings with glowing eyes/that bleed/etc.

A replica of Freddy Krueger's glove can be labeled as evidence from the "Springwood Slasher" case.

If you want to include a Godzilla reference, either a homemade Oxygen Destroyer or a fake trilobite labeled as having been found in a gigantic footprint on Odo Island would fit the bill nicely.

An old steamer trunk and some "Puppet Master" figures could be labeled as having been the property of Andre Toulon.

A man-eating plant prop can be labelled as having come from a cutting from a plant once found in a skid row store called "Mushnik's Flower Shop" in New York. If you don't want to build one, there are several preexisting props available out there.

A taxidermied werewolf head prop could also be a neat touch. 

If you have an actor to spare, you could have a display consisting of a cage (whose occupant has clearly broken out of) along with a placard explaining what was in the cage. While visitors are busy reading the placard, that's when your helper (dressed as the escaped beast) attacks from behind...


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## BlueFrog (Oct 20, 2009)

*AMM* those are some well-thought out recommendations and the links are super helpful. Thanks so much!


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## Screaming Demons (Sep 15, 2008)

Look at this site: http://blacklightfright.com/gallery.html

He is a member here but I don't think he's posted in a while.


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## ondeko (Oct 14, 2008)

I just skimmed most of the posts so forgive me if any of this was already mentioned. Think about making a mandrake root. Do a google image search and you should get one of the medieval illustrations of what they thought it looked like. Robert E Howard [creator of Conan the Barbarian] had a pulp hero named Solomon Kane who had a voodoo staff he used to fight the supernatural. a collection of gypsy amulets to protect against the evil eye, werewolves, vampires, etc. Queen Elizabeth 1 had a court astrologer/alchemist/sorcerer named John Dee. I'm sure you could come up with artifacts of his. As was previously mentioned, Lovecraft has a ton of stuff in his stories and you could have other artifacts from his Mad Arab. In the same vein as the Fiji mermaid you could make a basilisk, a dwarf dragon, and faires/pixies, or the skeletons of these things. Oh!! Canopic jars for holding the organ of mummies.


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## BlueFrog (Oct 20, 2009)

As always, many thanks for all these killer recommendations! This haunt was supposed to be a relatively small, simple affair but these ideas are waaaay too good not to incorporate and I can see the display growing by the second.

The more I thought about it, the more I think the museum needs themed exhibits as would happen at a real museum: "Infamouse Cannibals". "The History of Witchcraft and Wizardry." "Occult Occupations". "The Beautiful Dead" and the like. Given how awesome the suggestions have been so far, I'm crossing my fingers that the creativity continues and you all come up with terrific titles. 

Have at it!


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## Atomic Mystery Monster (Jul 29, 2003)

Although I don't have many ideas for themed exhibits (aside from "Unsolved Mysteries of History" and "Aliens Among Us?"), I do have some more ideas for individual exhibits:

A Xenomorph egg and facehugger recovered from Gunnison, Colorado.

Spring-Heeled Jack's boots, on loan from the Black Museum of Scotland Yard.

A Phantasm sphere recovered from a funeral home in a ghost town.

The Cronos Device, recovered from an antiques store in Vera Cruz.

A Tiki idol donated by one Professor Whitehead...


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## Atomic Mystery Monster (Jul 29, 2003)

This could be presented as a piece of evidence from the Woodsboro murders in a "Murderers and Maniacs" exhibit.

This could be presented as "A red mask found in the ruins of the castellated abbey of Prince Prospero. Said mask is believed to have been worn during masquerade ball held by the prince in an ill-fated attempt to escape a plague ravaging the land."

"This peculiar mask was found on a skeleton that was discovered during renovations on the Paris Opera House." Come to think of it, you could easily have a "Famous Masks" exhibit...

A clay bust or hand could be presented as being found in the attic of the Old New Synagogue and is speculated to be all that remains of the legendary Golem of Prague.

If you want to represent the Creature from the Black Lagoon in your museum and have a lot of money to spare, this prop should be of great interest to you. Alternately, you can try making one of your own out of clay. This has some display suggestions for such a prop. 

This vintage pressbook page has a great idea for creating an easy baby sea serpent display, complete with suggested display text. If small black catfish are unavailable in your area, you can try using a freshwater eel instead. I also suggest labeling it as being on loan from the private collection of Dr. Lao.

You could recreate these props and present them as being from the files of the late Dr. Carrington, recovered from an arctic research outpost in 1951. You could display them as part of an "Aliens Among Us" exhibit featuring xenomorph specimens, the boots of Spring-Heeled Jack and an alien in a jar. Come to think of it, a recreation of a pod from "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" would be pretty cool, too...

This site has plenty of easy-to-make props, including some quick 'n dirty Necronomicon pages. This vintage picture of a Hodag might also come in handy.


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## BlueFrog (Oct 20, 2009)

These are more fantastic ideas! I'm madly in love with the idea of Spring Heeled Jack's boots, and am giving AMM massive bonus points for thinking up ideas for props I already own (the red metallic mask and the Phantom mask - I own a truly terrifying number of masquerade masks and am always looking for anexcuse to use 'em!) 

____________


I'm always impressed by the creativity displayed on this forum but everyone who has responded has just blown me away. Please keep the ideas folowing! At this rate, my quick & easy display might turn out to be my best yet!


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## Junit (Sep 1, 2008)

What about a hand of glory? Kind of non-fiction though... I mean it's not one particular thing like lizzie borden's axe would be... You could expand and do a whole display of Gallows wares, hand of glory, candle made from the fat of a hanged man.


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## BlueFrog (Oct 20, 2009)

*Junit*, thanks so much for your input. I already planned to incorporate a hand of glory. They may exist, sort of, but I think of them more as mystical objects than real ones, and there's certainly no tie to any real world crime that I'm aware of. 

More importantly, I had totally forgotten about the hanged man candle, which will be super simple and a GREAT addition. In fact, you've got me going on a gallows-themed exhibit.. I have a super scary noose made from old rope, and a piece of bloodied, tattered clothing can be something related to a famous character that was sold by the executioner. I keep vaguely remembering something about the soil from under the gallows supposedly having mystical powers but I can't quite recall the details. Anyone care to jog my memory? 

I'm also thinking a few chandelier crystals "from the Paris opera house" will go well with the OG's mask  

I love this theme so much, and all the moreso because ofthe creativity that everyone has generously shared with me. THANK YOU!!


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## ondeko (Oct 14, 2008)

BlueFrog said:


> *I keep vaguely remembering something about the soil from under the gallows supposedly having mystical powers but I can't quite recall the details. Anyone care to jog my memory?
> *


*

Mandrake roots, which are supposed to have magic powers, were believed to grow under trees where men were hanged. I didn't see any other myths about gallows soil, but it doesn't mean you can't make something up.*


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## BlueFrog (Oct 20, 2009)

ondeko said:


> Mandrake roots, which are supposed to have magic powers, were believed to grow under trees where men were hanged.


That may very well have been what I was thinking about. Researching soil myths on the web certainly turns up some interesting results, doesn't it? Everything from gardening to abhorrent political beliefs to fascinating myths about gibbet trees. 



ondeko said:


> I didn't see any other myths about gallows soil, but it doesn't mean you can't make something up.


I like the way you think.


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## ondeko (Oct 14, 2008)

While looking for something else I ran across this webpage with some mandrake myths that might be useful for your collection of oddities.

http://http://futurefarmers.com/ebotanical/bulletin/the-mandrake/


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## BlueFrog (Oct 20, 2009)

*ondeko*, I tip my hat to you for finding that little gem. I'd never heard most of those particular myths. The link to the Fairy Tale Channel also looks insanely useful. Thanks!


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## ondeko (Oct 14, 2008)

I have no idea how much of it is "real" folklore, but it looked like the kind of stuff you want.


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