Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Footnotes for historians
I suppose I should have posted this on March 8, but what the heck, here we go anyway. Make of this information whatever ye wish.
Utah was one of the first territories in the United States were women got the right to vote. The year was 1870. The reason? The patriarchal Mormon regime wanted a better image and knew that all Mormon women would vote for the (male) Mormon candidates.
The micro-nation of San Marino had the only Communist-dominated government in Western Europe from 1945 to 1957. It was overthrown in 1957 during the so-called Fatti di Rovereta. Peculiar fact: women didn´t get the right to vote until seven years *after* the Communists had been overthrown by the Christian Democrats?!
When the president met the aliens
Kirsan Ilyumzhinov is the former "president" of Kalmykia, a territory northwest of the Caspian Sea. Kalmykia is a "republic" within the Russian Federation. It´s the only area geographically located in Europe where a majority of the population (the Mongolian Kalmyks) practice Buddhism, specifically the Geluk sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Ilyumzhinov is also the former president of the World Chess Federation and a succesful businessman (or "oligarch").
Oh, and he claims to have met space aliens...
In 1997, Ilyumzhinov was taken on board a UFO while staying in Moscow. I assume he is the highest-ranking politician (or perhaps only politician?) claiming to have met beings from another planet. Despite this, the interview linked above is surprisingly bland and uninteresting. Ilyumzhinov sometimes sounds like a classical contactee: the aliens stand for peace, love and understanding blah-blah. We aren´t yet ready for contact. You know the drift. He also references all the usual alternative ideas and tropes: Atlantis, Egyptian pyramids, quantum physics, Baba Vanga, "NASA knows the truth", and so on. The former Kalmyk leader strongly suggests that both the United States and the Soviet Union stopped going to the Moon fearing the aliens.
However, Ilyumzhinov says very little concrete about his own conversation with the aliens. They evidently had a very large spaceship with hundreds of astronauts, all dressed in such a way that Ilyumzhinov didn´t see their faces. He saw a fiery planet (or sun?) from the UFO window. An energy source? At one point, he says that the aliens invented chess?!
Fun fact: the main interview is taped in Tirana, Albania. The former Kalmykian president sits in front of two large Albanian flags, while the American UFO enthusiast who interviews him sits in front of two equally large Bektashi flags?! (The Bektashi are a somewhat peculiar Muslim group in Albania.)
The above is based on the first hour of the interview. The whole thing is two hours. So maybe I missed the disclosure in the second half, LOL. But I doubt it.
Monday, March 9, 2026
Visionary
A long interview / conversation with Graham Hancock. It´s from late 2024, but somehow I managed to miss it until now. It does contain some surprising information. For instance, Hancock talks about his life before becoming interested in Atlantis and the Lost Civilization. He also reveals that he and his wife Santha had dinner with Zahi Hawass?! Oookay...
Most of the interview deals with topics which will be familiar to Hancock fans (or opponents, for that matter): the Ark of the Covenant in Ethiopia, Alternative Egypt, and the connection between spirituality and psychedelic drugs. And yes, he also discusses UFOs and aliens at one point.
Actually a quite good summary of Hancock´s speculations. For the record, I´m skeptical to the brick-and-mortar Lost Civilization claims, but more open to the idea that alternate states of consciousness gives us a sneak peak into the Otherworld...
The fairy deer (part 2)
Part two of my conversation with ChatGPT about fairy deer...
Yes, please.
Yes—roe deer in particular have a somewhat different symbolism from the larger red deer in European folklore, especially in northern and central Europe. Their smaller size, solitary habits, and elusive behavior gave them a more subtle and mysterious meaning.
Below are some of the main themes.
1. Roe deer as “forest spirits”
The roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) lives mostly in woodland edges and dense forests. Because it appears suddenly and disappears quickly, many European traditions associated it with forest spirits or hidden presences.
In Germanic folklore, roe deer were sometimes thought to be animals belonging to woodland beings such as:
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Frau Holle
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Perchta
In some tales these beings were said to ride or herd deer through forests.
Thus encountering roe deer unexpectedly could be interpreted as a sign that the forest is inhabited by unseen powers.
2. A gentler counterpart to the stag
Large red deer stags in European mythology often symbolize:
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kingship
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virility
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heroic pursuit.
They appear in epic legends and hunting stories.
Roe deer, by contrast, often symbolize:
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quietness
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gentleness
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secrecy
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the hidden life of the forest.
Because of this difference, roe deer were sometimes seen as creatures of the threshold between wild nature and cultivated land.
3. Associations with fairy lore
In some northern European folk traditions, deer—especially small or white ones—were thought to be connected with fairies.
The deer could be:
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animals belonging to the fair folk
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enchanted humans
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guides into fairy realms.
The way roe deer appear silently and vanish into the woods matches many descriptions of fairy encounters.
4. Protective symbolism
In parts of rural Europe, seeing deer near fields was sometimes interpreted as a good sign:
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the land is fertile
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nature is in balance
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the forest spirits are benevolent.
Because roe deer feed at forest edges, they often appeared briefly in farmland and then disappeared.
5. The symbolism of three animals
Seeing three deer together could be interpreted symbolically in several traditions.
In European folklore, the number three often represents:
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harmony or balance
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the presence of fate
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a moment of significance.
In Christian symbolism it might evoke the Trinity, while in older folklore it could suggest three spirits or guardians.
So a sudden appearance of three deer could traditionally be perceived as an auspicious or meaningful sign—though folk interpretations varied widely.
6. Psychological interpretation
Modern symbolic interpretations sometimes see deer as representing:
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intuition
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sensitivity
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awareness of subtle things.
Roe deer especially embody alertness and delicacy, since they are extremely attentive to their surroundings.
Thus their sudden appearance might symbolize a moment of heightened perception.
✅ In summary
In European folklore, roe deer often symbolize:
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the hidden life of forests
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quiet or benevolent nature spirits
-
liminal encounters at the edge between human land and wilderness.
Their sudden appearance and disappearance—especially in small groups—naturally gave rise to the feeling that something mysterious or meaningful had occurred, even though such interpretations were never fixed or universal.
If you want, there is also a very interesting Indo-European mythological pattern involving deer that may connect Celtic, Germanic, and even Vedic symbolism. It suggests deer were once associated with a very ancient “solar” or “dawn” myth cycle.
The fairy deer (part 1)
So I saw three roe deer in Suburbia a few days ago. So I just had to ask ChatGPT about it. This is part one. I also asked Gemini, but *that* system sounds drunk as a skunk these days, so I´ll spare you that particular conversation...
Do deer (or roe deer) have any meaning in European mythology and folklore? For instance, if three roe deer appear unexpectedly on a field and then "disappear" into the forest, what could that signify?
Yes. Deer (including roe deer) have rich symbolism in European folklore and mythology. Because they are shy, graceful animals that appear suddenly and vanish into forests, they often function as liminal or otherworldly creatures—beings connected with forests, spirits, and transitions between worlds.
If three roe deer suddenly appear and disappear into the forest, several traditional symbolic interpretations could exist depending on the cultural context.
1. Messengers from the Otherworld
In many Celtic and northern European traditions, deer are associated with the boundary between the human world and the spirit world.
For example, in Celtic mythology deer are linked with forest deities such as:
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Cernunnos
They often act as guides leading humans into the Otherworld (fairy realms or sacred forests).
Seeing deer appear suddenly and vanish could traditionally be interpreted as:
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a momentary opening of the boundary between worlds
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a summons to follow or pay attention.
Many fairy legends begin with someone encountering a mysterious deer.
2. Sacred or divine animals
In various European traditions deer are connected with divine figures.
Examples include:
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Artemis
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Diana
Deer were sacred animals to these goddesses.
In Christian Europe, deer became symbols of spiritual longing and divine guidance, partly influenced by Psalm imagery (“As the deer longs for streams of water…”).
Thus an unexpected appearance might symbolically represent:
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divine presence
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spiritual guidance.
3. Deer as psychopomps or guides
In medieval and folktale traditions, deer sometimes act as guides to hidden places or spiritual revelations.
Famous legends include saints encountering miraculous deer, such as:
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Saint Hubert
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Saint Eustace
In these stories, a stag leads the hunter to a transformative spiritual encounter.
4. The symbolic meaning of the number three
The number three is deeply symbolic in European folklore:
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completeness
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spiritual harmony
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fate or destiny.
Examples include:
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three fates
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three wishes
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three trials in fairy tales.
Seeing three animals together might traditionally suggest:
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a significant or fated moment
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a symbolic pattern rather than coincidence.
5. Folk beliefs about deer appearing suddenly
In rural European folklore, sudden deer encounters sometimes carried meanings such as:
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a good omen
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a sign that the forest spirits are present
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a reminder to respect nature.
Because deer are quiet and easily startled, their sudden disappearance reinforces the sense of mystery or enchantment.
6. Modern symbolic interpretation
From a psychological or symbolic perspective (for example in Jungian interpretations), deer often represent:
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sensitivity and intuition
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innocence
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connection with the natural world.
An unexpected appearance might symbolize a moment of heightened awareness or transition.
✅ In summary
In European folklore, deer often symbolize:
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messengers from the Otherworld
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sacred animals connected with divine or spiritual forces
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guides leading toward transformation.
The appearance of three deer could traditionally suggest a symbolically significant or fated moment, though interpretations vary widely depending on cultural background.
If you're interested, I can also explain something particularly intriguing: roe deer specifically have a slightly different symbolism in northern European folklore compared with red deer, and the differences are quite revealing about how people viewed forests and spirits.
Silver Alert
This is probably a nothing-burger, but it´s making waves on-line as we speak. "General who knew all the UFO secrets mysteriously missing". Even a Swedish tabloid has entered the fray. Obviously a tie-in to Trump´s UFO/UAP disclosure statement.
FBI joins search for missing retired Air Force general with ties to UFO-linked military base
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