houska castle pit exploration houska castle pit exploration

[1] It is one of the best preserved castles of the period. The castle is perched on a rock and encircled by mountains, forests, and wetlands. [4], Houska Castle, and most specifically the chapel, was constructed over a large hole in the ground that is a "gateway to Hell", which is allegedly so deep that no one could see the bottom of it. The Legend of the Unfathomable Waters. Eventually, equipment fails at the pressure and heat at about 12 kilometers. Houska Castle LOCATION: CZECH REPUBLIC Residing in the northern region of Bohemia, Houska Castle seems to be something out of a horror story. Tales are told of swimmers pulled to their doom by whirlpools or some other underwater force. Houska Castle, known locally as the Gates to Hell in the Czech Republic it is thought to be one of the most haunted locations in the world. The castle is built upon a fabled bottomless pit from which winged creatures and half-man-half-beasts allegedly exited. Indiana State University Folklore Archives. Bottomless Lakes are the result of karst features, sinkholes that are perpetually filled with water because they extend below the water table. The audiotape of the voices may have come from a horror movie. These claims date back to the castle's construction in the late 1200s, describing unearthly horrors emerging from the pit and wreaking havoc on the local population. They are named for the deep blue color and their depth may actually be difficult to discern as they are connected to carbonate solution cavities and fissures that extend below sea level. Houska was built by Pemysl Otakar II as a remarkable royal castle, but was soon sold to a noble family, which continued to own in until after WWI. As Bohemian chronicler Vclav Hjek detailed in his Czech Chronicle in 1541, the first known structure at the site was a small wooden fort in the ninth century. No one had managed to sound the bottom because it was part of an extensive cave system that continued under the mountain. The president of koda Auto would have to abandon it during World War II, however, when the Nazis invaded and took control of the fortress. Their research into the paranormal was at times both extreme and desperate, and with a reputation such as Houska Castles, it wasnt long before the Nazis decided to take it for themselves and put the local theories to the test. The bottomless pit or abyss is mentioned in Revelation 9 in the Bible. The chapel is appropriately dedicated to Saint Michael, who protects against the forces of darkness. The castle was built as a fortification to shield the world from the forces of a demonic nature, but more specifically, its the chapel within the castle that covers the supposed gateway to Hell. According to folklore, Houska Castle was constructed over a large hole in the ground which was known as The Gateway to Hell. It was described in 1888 as a bowl-shaped feature with a dark pool in the center said to be unfathomable. The location is about 30 miles north of Prague. For several hours now, seven people have been driving together in one car to a place that is the dream of most paranormal investigators in the Czech Republic. There are many names that describe this curious castle. To fall into the pit is symbolic of the descent into hell and damnation. New light on contested identity of medieval skeleton found at Prague Castle Date: August 22, 2019 Source: University of Bristol Summary: Used as a propaganda tool by the Nazis and Soviets during . Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Tourists may visit the chapel with fading frescoes and murals "including pictures of demon-like figures and animal-like beings". When the hole gets blocked it may temporarily hold water until the plug comes loose and the hole drains. Unreliable citations may be challenged or deleted. Get notified of the best best booming posts weekly. Legends and Romances of Brittany. The Nazis used Houska Castle as a magical artifact depository of sorts. Ottokar II of Bohemia not only sealed the gateway to Hell with stone plates but ordered a chapel built above it. Allegedly, SS leader Heinrich Himmler feared his extensive library of occultist manuscripts would be destroyed as the war increasingly threatened Berlin. One night a nearby castle is annihilated by a massive iron monster armed with a terrible cannon. The bottomlessness of the various pits, lakes and bogs worldwide is not physically accurate but the concept of the unknown abyss is an essential feature of a mythological and enchanted landscape. Though the location may initially seem somewhat strategic as it is situated at the top of a cliff overlooking the Czech countryside, there are no sources of water, no kitchen, and the building stood vacant for years after its construction. Nestled away deep in the Czech countryside, Houska Castle was built near the top of a cliff around one hour from the city of Prague. It revealed a seemingly endless abyss that villagers deemed an entrance to Hell. The famous well to hell hoax came with a soundtrack of voices of the damned. Carolina Bays, Mima Mounds, Submarine Canyons and Other Topographical Phenomena: A Catalog of Geological Anomalies. In the 1930s, the Nazis conducted experiments in the castle of the occult variety. Located roughly 50 miles north of Prague, Houska Castle is an imposing 13th century gothic Mansion that looms over the Czech countryside. Flagstaff, Arizonas Bottomless Pit is a karst feature. Houska Castle did trade hands between various nobles and aristocrats in later centuries, however. A century later, Josef imonek, president of koda Auto, purchased the castle for himself. And this castle was built in 1271, and the reason they built this castle in this location was to try to conceal a bottomless pit which many believed to be a gateway to hell or an entrance to the underworld. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'inquisitivewonder_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_1',162,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-inquisitivewonder_com-medrectangle-3-0'); If youre lucky enough to observe Houska Castle from the outside, youll notice some quite peculiar additions. The castle was founded by Czech king Pemysl Otakar I in the 13th century. That is usually more fiction than reality. houska castle pit explorationbulgarian beauty standards. houska castle pit explorationdr phil what happened to colin. Caerlaverock Castle and its 800 years of Scottish history. Houska Castle is a Czech clifftop castle shrouded in dark myths and legends. Objects thrown into the hole arent recovered. Houska, or more specifically, it's chapel, was built over a bizarre hole in the ground that was not only said to be bottomless but was also said to be a literal portal to Hell. The most famous of all the legends is that the castle was built as a defense against a bottomless pit in the ground, known as the Gateway to Hell. Legend has it that half-animal, half-human creatures used to crawl out from the pit at night, and those black-winged creatures used to attack locals and drag them down into the hole. The green-blue color from algae makes the pools look tranquil and ultra-deep. The Swedish Commander at the time, Oronto, was known to be a cruel man, who gave his men specific orders to plunder everything they could, as well as giving them free reigns to practice rape as sport. For hundreds of years, the property was passed between different members of the aristocracy. We find many legends of bottomless lakes associated with a resident monster. Prisoners were lowered into the crevasse to see what was down there and were promised release if they exited safely. Houska Castle, Czech Republic By Deb Daniel Jansonsin Ghosts and Hauntings, Haunted Locations Approximately 47km from Prague, sits a large and menacing structure called the Houska Castle. Houska Castle, located in Czech Republic, is a castle that was built over a hole so deep, that nobody could see the bottom. The area in which the castle was built isnt all that strategic. [6][4], During World War II, the Wehrmacht occupied the castle until 1945. Himmler allegedly feared his trove of blasphemous materials would be destroyed in the war, but was something even more sinister afoot? These features are called cenotes and are not uncommon. Next page Houska Castle welcomes thousands of visitors every year to showcase . [7], The pit in the lower levels of the castle is said to be a gateway to hell. Person, H.A. Said to conceal a portal to hell. Exaggerated legends say that one who made it out was aged 30 years after only being in the hole for a short while. Standard admission is 135. Loch Morar, southwest of Ness, reaches 1017 feet. Natives thought the lake was bottomless because the bodies of those who drowned were not always recovered. Notable features include a predominantly gothic. The Houska Castle Bottomless Pit, the gate of the hell. You can visit this location during the kosher tours with Kosher River Cruise to the gems of Central Europe! Supposedly, the bodies were never recovered. The only thing we do know is that there were the bodies of three Nazi soldiers buried on the grounds. Swimmers were warned that an icy cold swell or sucking whirlpool would imperil them. Then we'll return to the fascinating case of Doris Bither, who was the real woman behind the character of Carla Moran in the 1982 horror film The Entity . They are used as a handy disposal method, a perfect death trap, and sometimes, for the villains demise in a dramatic last scene. As of 2020, it was owned by his descendants. Lets check out the legends of bottomless holes. It is said that underneath the castle is a bottomless pit filled with demons. Falling into Mels Hole.Skeptoid Podcast. A staff writer for All Thats Interesting, Marco Margaritoff has also published work at outlets including People, VICE, and Complex, covering everything from film to finance to technology. They acquired their name when local herdsmen could not discern the bottom via ropes. Houska Castle has been open to the public since 1999. The Houska Castle Bottomless Pit, the gate of the hell . This instilled villagers with so much mortal fear that two local hunters assassinated him. It lies about 47 km (29 mi) north of Prague. This folklore was also the basis for the Doctor Who graphic novel Herald of Madness (2019), which is set at Houska Castle and was first published in Doctor Who Magazine 535539. The Life and Travels of French Mesmerist Baron Jules Du Potet de Sennevoy, The Headless Earl of Holy Trinity Church, Goodramgate York, The Science and Prophecies of Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac, Couple Claims CCTV In Their Home Shows The Ghost of A Deceased Tenant, 1490: When a Meteorite Killed 10,000 People in the Chinese City of Ching-yang, Ancient Tomb Discovered Under Notre Dame Cathedral. American Imago , 4: 1, 20-31. . Bottomless Lakes State Park in New Mexico is over 1600 acres of land with eight lakes available to visitors. jolene_fleur/InstagramThe castle's chapel was dedicated to Archangel Michael. It was built in the early part of the 13 th century, believed to be on the order of Ottokar II of Bohemia. To the famous castle from the middle of the 13th century, with the name: Houska. Houska Castle is an early Gothic castle, 47 kilometres north of Prague, in Czechia. Blue holes in a more geological context are karst features documented for over 100 years. If you search for bottomless hole on the internet, youll find this crazy story incorporating the usual tropes with modern supernatural ideas. Two huntsmen were keen to take the locals up on their offer, and managed to shoot him through a window. [8][unreliable source?] Lake birds may not be common because of the high cliffs surrounding the water making the lake feel very enclosed and isolated. The most famous blue hole of New Jersey is in Winslow, one of many pools that appear in the sandy Pine Barrens coastal plains. Now this carving of what looks like a plaited loaf of bread on a pedestal in the castle makes sense, but I don't know if it's original. In Lyminster, people tried to find the bottom of the local hole by tying the six bell ropes of the church together. Its highly likely this was a glacial feature but without a detailed location, I cant tell. Skeletal remains of Nazis were purportedly found in the courtyard of Houska Castle. Legend has it that prisoners who were facing the gallows were offered full pardons, but only if they agreed to be lowered into the bottomless hole and report on what they saw. A truly bottomless hole would go through the earth and come out the other side an impossibility to create and a physical conundrum in terms of falling into it. According to Castles Today, some believe they needed to secure the 13,000-manuscript library of SS leader Heinrich Himmler, who was obsessed with the occult and believed that its power would help the Nazis rule the world. Another person who claimed to know its location, a man who called himself by the assumed name Red Elk also never demonstrated any genuine evidence of the hole even though he said he had visited it for decades. He succeeded in measuring the depth himself at 102 feet. Its a dangerous feature. So why was this random fortress built? When he told them the paranormal tales were nonsense but the real hole was a typical mine shaft, they ignored him. The lake that has no bottom. Michel Meurger wrote about the tradition of lake monsters in Europe and North America. Rocky Creek Medieval Decor Castle Houska was built not as a defense castle, nor a royal residence - but rather to cover up the exit from the "pit of hell" - an endless hole in the ground which is believed to be under the floor of the chapel room.