The postmodern condition

 

Credit: Alex_LG

This is the "opposition", apparently. 

German transgender far-right extremist arrested in Czech Republic

Alpine demons (part 2)

 

Here´s the Slav connection, folks. 

Is there some connection between the Krampus traditions and Slav traditions, perhaps about the Devil?

Yes — there are clear historical and thematic connections between the Alpine Krampus traditions and various Slavic wintertime devil or demon traditions, especially in the areas where Germanic and Slavic cultures have overlapped for centuries (Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, northern Italy, Czech lands, Slovakia, and parts of Poland).

These connections are not identical origins, but rather mutual influence in a shared cultural zone where winter demon lore is very old.

Below is a structured explanation.

---

🐐 1. Geographical Overlap: Where the Traditions Meet

Krampus is strongest in:

• Austria (especially Tyrol, Salzburg, Styria)

• Bavaria

• South Tyrol

• Northern Italy (Trentino)

• Slovenia ← important overlap zone

• Northern Croatia

• Carinthia (Austria, with a Slovene minority)

In these areas, Alpine and Slavic folklore have interpenetrated for centuries. Many customs simply flow across linguistic boundaries.

Thus, Krampus shares motifs with Slavic winter demons, devils, chasing figures, and masked processions.

---

😈 2. Slavic Devil Figures Similar to Krampus

Across Slavic folklore, wintertime is full of demonic, horned, or beast-like figures who:

• appear during Advent or Christmas

• punish or frighten children

• accompany saintly figures

• carry chains or rods

• are hairy or beastly

• sometimes abduct the naughty

This makes them functionally analogous to Krampus.

Key examples:

---

🇸🇮 Slovenia: “Parkelj” / “Parkeljni”

This is almost the same figure as Krampus, and scholars view them as two names for variants of the same tradition.

• Horned, shaggy, demonic

• Accompany Saint Nicholas (Miklavž)

• Carry chains, bells, birch rods

• Frighten children

• Appear on 5 December

The word Parkelj is sometimes linked to:

• perk- (Slavic root for devil)

• or the German Perchten

This is the strongest Slavic connection.

---

🇭🇷 Croatia (especially Zagorje and northern Croatia)

Figures similar to Krampus are called:

• Krampus (loan from German)

• Krampuslauf traditions

• Djed Mraz’s devils (in some older areas)

• Krampusi (plural)

Catholics in northern Croatia adopted the Alpine Nicholas + demon pairing directly.

---

🇨🇿 🇸🇰 Czech and Slovak Traditions: Čert (Devil)

In Czech and Slovak folklore:

• Čert (“devil”) accompanies Saint Nicholas during Mikuláš festivities.

• He is blackened, horned, shaggy, with chains.

• He threatens to take naughty children in a sack.

• A benevolent angel accompanies Nicholas too.

This three-figure setup (Nicholas + Angel + Devil) is extremely close to the Krampus–Nicholas pair.

Čert is not identical to Krampus, but the functional role is almost the same.

---

🇵🇱 Poland

In southern Poland:

• Nicholas is accompanied by “diabły” (devils) in Christmas folk processions.

• They wear horned masks, furs, and chains.

• They test children’s behavior.

• They sometimes chase people.

In old Polish folklore, winter devils were part of the Dziady (ancestral) and Kolęda processions, which merged with Christian feast days.

---

🇺🇦 🇷🇺 🇧🇾 East Slavic Masquerades

While not directly linked to Krampus, East Slavic winter rituals include:

• horned goat demons

• devils who chase villagers

• “koza” (the goat spirit)

• masked beast figures

These belong to the same pre-Christian winter-cycle demonology.

---

🔥 3. Shared Indo-European Themes

Many Alpine and Slavic winter demons share:

• the goat symbolism (linked to fertility gods and liminal spirits)

• horns, furs, and wildness

• the winter solstice as a time when the dead or demons roam

• the threat of carrying away the naughty or impure

• ritualized inversion and chaos

These point to a broader Indo-European winter-spirit complex, not a simple borrowing in one direction.

The Christian framework (Saint Nicholas + demon) got mapped onto older winter rites across Europe.

---

📚 4. Did Slavic Devil Lore Influence Krampus?

Yes — in border regions.
Especially in Slovenia, Croatia, Carinthia, and South Tyrol, Krampus evolved in a cultural zone where:

• Slavic devils (čerti, parkeljni)

• Germanic Perchten

• Alpine Wild Men

• Christian Nicholas pageants

all interacted.

However:

• The core Krampus-Shint Nicholas pairing seems to have rooted mainly in German-speaking Alpine areas.

• It then spread into Slavic areas, where it merged with pre-existing devil folklore.

• But Slavic winter devils may have, in turn, reinforced and enriched the Krampus figure.

It’s a two-way osmosis, not a one-way borrowing.

---

🧩 5. So What Is the Relationship?

Short version:

The Krampus tradition is Alpine-Germanic in structure, but it blends seamlessly with Slavic devil traditions in regions where the cultures overlap. Slavic winter devils (čert, parkelj, diabły) play the same role and likely reinforced or shaped Krampus in border regions.

---

⭐ Summary

• Yes, Krampus has connections with Slavic folklore.

• In Slovenia, the Parkelj = practically Krampus.

• Across Czech, Slovak, Croatian, and Polish regions, winter devils accompany Nicholas just like Krampus does.

• These traditions come from pre-Christian winter spirits that Christianity “domesticated” by tying them to Saint Nicholas.

• Germanic and Slavic traditions blended in a shared Alpine cultural space for centuries.

---

A scandal in Bohemia

 

The Why Files goes full Halloween in this episode, which actually is quite good and interesting. Yes, it´s about Codex Gigas (The Devil´s Bible) and various tall tales associated with it. IF THEY ARE TALL TALES, THAT IS, MUH-HAH-HAH-HAH. 

Yes, there will be a Slovak

 

Based Slovak?

I´m old enough to remember when the Czechs (or at least their much-vaunted intelligtentzia) accused Slovaks of being democratically unreliable rubes who always voted for pro-Russian right-wing populists in general elections. 

Look who just won the Czech general elections...

Yes, it´s a pro-Russian right-wing populist. *And he actually is an ethnic Slovak*. You can´t make this up. Nor is it the first time he wins.

Welcome to the rube club, ye Prominenten und Intelligenten! Not to mention Dissidenten.

Populist party wins Czech parliamentary elections 

LARP-ing initiation?

ChatGPT seems to have a lot of information about ISKCON a.k.a. the Hare Krishna movement, perhaps suggesting a strong interest in this topic among the user-base? 

I´ve been watching some YouTube videos of ISKCON initiations. They seem strangely informal. Is that a correct impression?

Yes — compared to many traditional Hindu dīkṣā (initiation) ceremonies, ISKCON’s public initiations can look surprisingly casual, and that’s not an accident.

Here’s why your impression might be correct:

---

1. Historical Roots

• ISKCON (founded 1966) emerged in the counterculture era of the US. Its founder, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, adapted Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava rituals to a Western audience with little background in Sanskrit liturgy or caste-based purity rules.

• While the underlying mantras and samskāra ideas are traditional, the format was simplified — fewer Sanskrit recitations, less priestly exclusivity, more emphasis on accessibility.

---

2. Ceremony Structure

A typical ISKCON initiation (harināma-dīkṣā or brahminical initiation) often involves:

• A lecture or talk by the guru.

• The candidate reciting the four regulative principles and promising to chant 16 rounds daily.

• The giving of a spiritual name and chanting on beads.

• Simple fire sacrifice (yajña), sometimes with congregational singing in the background.

Compared to, say, a Smārta, Śrī Vaiṣṇava, or orthodox Gauḍīya dīkṣā, there’s:

• Less elaborate Vedic chanting.

• No long sequences of purificatory baths, homas, or offerings.

• More audience interaction, music, and even light joking.

---

3. Cultural Tone

ISKCON values personal relationship with the guru and communal joy over highly formal temple etiquette.

• The mood is often celebratory, like a family event.

• Prabhupāda himself allowed initiations to be held in living rooms, parks, or storefront temples.

• Many Western disciples found ornate ritual intimidating or alienating, so a warm, informal tone was encouraged.

---

4. Theological Justification

In ISKCON’s Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava theology:

• The essence of initiation is the guru imparting the Holy Name and the disciple taking vows.

• External form is secondary; sincerity and adherence to the vows are paramount.

• Formality is seen as potentially empty if the heart isn’t involved.

---

So yes — it’s not just you. ISKCON initiations are informal by Hindu standards, but intentionally so, to match their missionary, egalitarian, and cross-cultural approach.

If you like, I can compare an ISKCON initiation and a traditional Gauḍīya dīkṣā side-by-side, so you can see exactly what’s been streamlined or changed.

Yes, please.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of ISKCON initiation versus traditional Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava dīkṣā:

Aspect	ISKCON Initiation	Traditional Gauḍīya Dīkṣā
Setting	Temple hall, home, park, or informal gathering.	Temple, sacred riverbank, or ashram; highly ritualized.
Language	Mostly English (or local language); Sanskrit limited to chanting mantras.	Sanskrit and Bengali recitations dominate; Vedic formulas used.
Guru-Disciple Interaction	Informal, conversational; guru may speak personally with each disciple.	Formal obeisances and ritualized instructions; structured positioning and gestures.
Vows	Four regulative principles, 16 rounds of chanting per day, devotional life.	Similar, but often with additional traditional observances like special fasting, temple services, and sometimes regional duties.
Name-Giving	Spiritual name is given by the guru, sometimes in a simple announcement.	Name-giving is accompanied by elaborate ritual, mantras, and sometimes a fire sacrifice (homa).
Fire Ritual / Homa	Optional or symbolic; often a small fire with singing or chanting.	Essential component; elaborate offerings into sacred fire while chanting prescribed mantras.
Music / Singing	Kirtan is central; congregational singing encourages devotion.	Kirtan may be included, but emphasis is often on precise chanting and ritual correctness.
Formality / Dress	Casual robes or dhoti; minimal ceremony.	Traditional attire, strict observance of ritual purity; guru and disciple follow formal protocol.
Accessibility	Open to anyone, regardless of caste or prior knowledge.	Traditionally restricted by social context; requires prior study and sometimes family/lineage approval.
Duration	Often under an hour; can be as short as 15–20 minutes.	Can last several hours or even a full day, with multiple ritual steps.

---

Key Differences

1. Formality vs. accessibility – ISKCON prioritizes devotion and comprehension over precise ritual performance.

2. Cultural adaptation – Simplified for Western audiences who may be unfamiliar with Sanskrit and long ceremonies.

3. Focus on communal joy – Singing, kirtan, and participation are emphasized rather than strictly performing Vedic rites.

4. Essence over form – ISKCON stresses taking the vows and chanting the Holy Name as the real transformative act.

---

If you want, I can make a timeline showing how ISKCON gradually simplified traditional Gauḍīya initiation ceremonies for Western disciples, showing which parts were shortened, adapted, or omitted entirely. This makes the historical evolution clear.

Haunted by infrasound (part 1)

 

Here we go! More skepticisim from ChatGPT. 

Can you tell me more about the effects of infrasound on humans and human perception?

Absolutely — infrasound is one of the most fascinating and eerie natural phenomena that can influence human perception, emotion, and even hallucination.

---

🔊 What Is Infrasound?

• Infrasound refers to sound waves below 20 Hz, beneath the range of human hearing.

• Though we can’t consciously hear infrasound, our bodies can detect it, especially through pressure-sensitive organs like the inner ear, chest cavity, and gut.

• Sources can be natural (earthquakes, volcanoes, ocean waves, wind through caves) or man-made (engines, fans, HVAC systems, industrial machinery).

---

🧠 Effects of Infrasound on Humans

Research has shown that exposure to infrasound can cause a range of psychological and physical effects, especially in specific frequency bands and intensities:

😨 1. Feelings of Unease or Anxiety

• People often report a sense of dread, panic, or being watched.

• Even short exposure (e.g., in experiments or near turbines) can cause unexplained fear or discomfort.

This is sometimes called the "haunted house effect" — infrasound in old buildings or tunnels may explain ghost sightings.

---

👁️ 2. Visual Distortions and Hallucinations

• At ~18.9 Hz, infrasound can cause the eyeball to vibrate slightly — possibly producing blurred vision, shadowy movements, or phantom shapes.

• This may explain apparitions seen in caves, catacombs, or old castles where low-frequency resonances occur.

British researcher Vic Tandy discovered this in the 1990s while working in a lab where people reported ghosts — later traced to an infrasound-emitting fan.

---

💓 3. Physical Sensations

• Chest pressure, nausea, dizziness, headaches, and even minor trembling can result from strong infrasound.

• Some people feel heart palpitations or difficulty breathing when exposed.

---

💤 4. Sleep Disturbance and Disorientation

• Continuous infrasound (even at low levels) can disrupt sleep cycles, increase stress hormones, and impair cognitive focus.

• Can feel like a form of low-grade sensory torture — deeply unsettling even when the source is unknown.

---

🧪 5. Mood Alteration and Emotional Impact

• Studies suggest infrasound might influence emotion regulation by stimulating the amygdala or triggering fight-or-flight responses.

• Even during controlled concerts with added infrasound (like one experiment in the UK), audiences reported:

  • Sudden sadness

  • Chills

  • Nervousness

  • A “sense of presence”

---

🗿 Infrasound in Sacred and Haunted Locations

Many traditional “mystical” or “haunted” sites may coincidentally amplify or resonate with low-frequency sound:

• Caves, cathedrals, megaliths, tunnels, wind-swept valleys

• Wind interacting with specific geological features can create standing waves of infrasound

• Ancient sites like Stonehenge or Newgrange may have been selected for acoustic properties that enhance altered states of mind

---

🧬 Sensitivity and Variation

• Not everyone is equally sensitive — around 20–30% of people are particularly responsive to infrasound.

• Those with anxiety, migraine sensitivity, or high auditory sensitivity may be more vulnerable.

---

🧠 Summary

Effect	Description
Anxiety/Dread	Feeling of being watched or impending doom
Visual disturbances	Shadowy shapes, flickers, “presence” hallucinations
Physical symptoms	Nausea, chest pressure, headache, heart flutter
Sleep disruption	Restlessness, fatigue, vivid or disturbing dreams
Emotional shifts	Sudden sadness, nervousness, even euphoria or awe

---

In short: Infrasound can create natural “paranormal” experiences — and might explain legends of ghosts, spirits, and fairies in certain environments, especially caves, old buildings, or misty forests.

Would you like examples of locations where infrasound is suspected to play a role in folklore or hauntings?

Yes, please.

Here are some famous locations and legends where infrasound is believed to contribute to paranormal experiences, feelings of dread, or hallucinations. Many of these sites are associated with ghosts, spirits, fairies, or mysterious presences — and infrasound offers a compelling natural explanation.

---

🏰 1. The Edinburgh Vaults (Scotland)

• What: A series of underground chambers beneath Edinburgh, used historically for storage, slums, and illicit activities.

• Claims: People report ghostly presences, sudden fear, pressure in the chest, and shadowy figures.

• Infrasound Link: The structure contains long stone corridors and narrow arches that can trap low-frequency sound waves (from above-ground traffic, air movement, or natural resonance).

---

🗿 2. Stonehenge (England)

• What: Ancient Neolithic monument in Wiltshire, linked to solstice rituals and mystical energies.

• Claims: Feelings of euphoria, awe, altered time perception; some report a sense of being watched or guided.

• Infrasound Link: Acoustic modeling shows that the stones amplify low-frequency vibrations, possibly enhancing altered states during rituals, especially when wind blows across the plain.

---

🕳️ 3. Sedlec Ossuary (Czech Republic)

• What: A small chapel decorated with bones, built on consecrated ground with thousands of burials.

• Claims: Ghostly voices, cold spots, dread, a “presence” felt during quiet times.

• Infrasound Link: Subterranean spaces like crypts naturally trap infrasound, which can be generated by wind, footsteps, or even barometric pressure changes.

---

🧚 4. Fairy Glen (Isle of Skye, Scotland)

• What: A landscape of cone-shaped hills and spiral rock formations.

• Claims: Many locals and visitors report a sense of timelessness, light-headedness, or “otherworldly presence.” Traditionally linked with fairies.

• Infrasound Link: The glen’s wind and topography could generate natural infrasound vibrations, subtly affecting perception.

---

🔦 5. Wookey Hole Caves (Somerset, England)

• What: A system of limestone caves associated with legends of witches and fairies.

• Claims: Cold breezes, feelings of unease, and ghost sightings; legend says a witch was turned to stone inside.

• Infrasound Link: Air moving through narrow cave passages can produce natural resonant frequencies, including infrasound, especially during changes in barometric pressure.

---

🕍 6. The “Haunted Room” at Hampton Court Palace (England)

• What: One of King Henry VIII’s residences; visitors often report chilling sensations and ghostly encounters in certain rooms.

• Claims: Feelings of being watched, dizziness, and spectral visions.

• Infrasound Link: Research has suggested that old ventilation systems, pipes, and architectural acoustics could be generating infrasound in some rooms.

---

🌋 7. Mount Shasta (California, USA)

• What: Volcanic mountain tied to legends of Lemurians, UFOs, and spirit beings.

• Claims: Visions, altered states, and mystical experiences in caves or on the slopes.

• Infrasound Link: Volcanic geology and geothermal activity can generate infrasound. Add thin air, solitude, and magnetism, and you have a perfect storm for hallucination and spiritual interpretation.

---

🌫️ 8. Marshy Wetlands and Will-o’-the-Wisps

• What: Swampy areas where travelers historically reported floating lights and mysterious figures.

• Claims: Fairy lights, leading travelers astray; feelings of enchantment or dread.

• Infrasound Link: Marshes can produce phosphine gas, but also amplify wind-generated infrasound. The low vibrations + visual effects = classic “supernatural” territory.

---

👻 Summary

These locations share key features:

Common Features	Effects Experienced
Enclosed stone/underground structures	Pressure, dread, “presence”
Windy or resonant terrain	Hallucinations, audio illusions
Natural caves and wetlands	Disorientation, fairy/ghost sightings
Ritual or sacred settings	Altered consciousness, awe, visions

---

If you're interested, I can also show you how modern haunted house designers intentionally use infrasound to make environments feel "haunted" — and how it's being tested in scientific studies of paranormal claims. Would you like to dive into that?

Too many notes, Mozart!

 

Look what I found on the interwebs... 

Swedish vampire

 

"Secrets of the Dead: Field of Vampires" is a somewhat macabre documentary about vampire panics in 17th and 18th century Central Europe. It centers on recent archeological excavations of a burial field outside the obscure village of Pien in Poland. Many graves were found to be disturbed in an apparent attempt to hinder the dead from rising again as vampires. 

The film-makers have decided to concentrate on an unknown female nicknamed Zosia, who seems to have died a natural death at the age of 18. She was buried with a padlock attached to her foot, a superstitious attempt to keep her "good soul" from leaving the body. If it would do so, its evil double would take over! For some reason, the grave was opened at a later date and the padlock found to be broken. To stop Zosia from rising again as a vampire, a scythe was placed over her neck, presumably to behead her if she ever tried. The remains buried in some of the other graves were treated even worse. For instance, a dead child had gotten half of its body removed. 

The archeologists speculate that Zosia may have suffered from seizures when alive, which would have marked her out from "normal" people. Somewhat surprisingly, she must have been rich. Analysis of her teeth suggests that she wasn´t a local, and may actually have been Swedish. During the 17th century, Swedish troops invaded Poland and attacked Torun (the largest town in the area where Pien is located). Could *this* explain why Zosia was suspected of being a vampire? A wealthy woman from an enemy nation who behaves strangely. We sense a mixture of envy, hatred and fear.  

However, since at least one third of the graves at the "vampire field" had been disturbed, something else was surely going on. Perhaps some kind of mass hysteria or should we call it vampire panic? The docu mentions a very bizarre case from 18th century Moravia of just such an occurence. In 1755, corpses were dug up and put on trial (!) in the small village of Svobodné Hermanice (Frei Hermersdorf). Found guilty, the corpses were then taken to a nearby forest and burned. Perhaps vampire scares had something to do with life becoming harsher during the Little Ice Age and the increasingly more deadly wars during the Early Modern Period? This was also the high tide of the witch-burnings.

"Secrets of the Dead: Field of Vampires" ends with a Swedish forensic expert reconstructing the face of Zosia, which for some reason becomes very emotional to the Polish archeologists. Personally, I just shook the head at the "human condition" while watching this. For isn´t that what vampires really are? A kind of de-humanized humans. And a very human superstition...             

Pan-slavist oil?

 

- Why am I so lonely?
I used to rule the world! 

The real problem isn´t "Czechia" (apparently the new name for the Czech Republic in English). Try India. Or China. 

That being said...it *is* interesting that the Czechs still buy most of their oil from Russia, given the fact that their present administration claims to be pro-Western. 

Reminds me of how Vaclav Klaus pretended to be a Milton Friedman-inspired neo-liberal...only to heavily subsidize the Czech economy and establish friendly ties with guess who...yepp, a somewhat younger version of citizen Putin in the Kremlin. 

The traditional anti-German geopolitics of the Czechs always had a pronounced pro-Russian tilt, and here we go again, it seems...

NATO ally spending five times more on Russian energy than Ukraine aid

Rasifiering

 

Tobias Hübinette har gjort en intressant upptäckt...

Invandringskritiska partier har allt oftare ledare med invandrarbakgrund

Populistisk gryning?

 

Hur många röster fick nationalister och populister i EU-valen? Från Hübinettes blogg. Vad som inte framgår är förändringar sedan tidigare val, samt valdeltagandet. 

Sedan kan man ju ifrågasätta Hübinettes definitioner i vissa fall. Varför kallar han slovakiska Smer eller tjeckiska CSSD för "höger"? Smer är snarast vänsterpopulister, CSSD är socialdemokrater. Visst, CSSD har anklagats för att vara pro-ryska, men i så fall är det tjeckiska kommunistpartiet rimligtvis också "högerradikala" enligt denna definition! Och om Smer är med på listan, varför är inte slovakiska Hlas det också? Hlas är en klon av Smer. 

Och varför är ungerska Jobbik med på listan? De är höger, visst, men de är mot Orbán. Och så vidare. Om CSSD är med för att de är pro-ryska, borde Jobbik således inte vara med eftersom de är anti-ryska...

That being said...still an interesting contribution.  

Valresultat för de högerpopulistiska och högerradikala partierna