Monday, January 28, 2008

C2C photo...

Today at Coast to Coast, there's an interesting photo of an engraving. the sender claims it was taken 'deep in the woods by an old railroad track' in Independence, MO. The script definitely looks runic, but the characters are not very easily identifiable.

There's a possibility that the characters may just have a runic appearance, due to the tool that was used to carve them. Obviously, straight lines are easier to impress than curved. It may be a regular alphabet.

Independence Missouri has quite an occult history, and is a center of all kinds of Mormon folklore. According to legend, it is the antideluvian Garden of Eden. Independence is the headquarters of the Reorganized LDS church, sporting their odd-looking temple. It is also somewhat of a spiritual battleground, there's legends about the LDS church taking over the land at some future point, and it is supposed to be Christ's headquarters from which he will rule after the second coming. I remember people saying that when the temple gets built (it's been there for years now) the time will be close at hand, and then when 'The Church' takes over, it will be any minute for his return.

Nearby is the strange land Adam-ondi-Ahman. I have been there, and it was a very odd feeling. Kind of unsettling, both good and bad. There is a stone slab, and there's a legend it was the altar of Adam and Eve. Rather impossible, from all angles. I have a picture of myself doing a backbend on it somewhere.

Perhaps this inscription was carved by the archangel Michael himself (Adam, according to the doctrine. at least i think that's doctrine. I'm too lazy to look it up this morning, and it feels like tornado weather, so I'm unsettled. Please feel free to correct any mo-mis-info I have here--I hate that.)

Here is a link to the Adam Ondi Ahman Church Hymn...

7 comments:

Clint Gardner said...

I've heard of these runes before in other places. There is some whacky tele-vangelist that goes to town with them. Some claim, as well, that Irish settlers found the Mississippi way before Columbus. Who knows why Irish settlers would use Nordic runes. Got to love these origin stories, however.

richelle said...

Yes, the runicness seems to pop up and beg for explanation--there's the infamous Kensigton Runestone found in Minnesota, and a great, pulpy, well-written novel about it by Larry Millet--actually a Sherlock Holmes pastiche.

Now, on C2C, there's an update saying it appears to be a runic script, possibly futhark, and the word 'arthur' can be detected, although I don't see it. Actually, some of the characters seem to be a mirror image. I use the elder futhark alphabet for my handmade runes, so I'm somewhat familiar with it, and this doesn't seem to fit.

Anonymous said...

I am the one who posted the pic on C2C. We took that pic a long time ago and I had completely forgotten about it til last weekend. Me and my mom are going to go back in April and take some more pics and do some better investigating of the land around it to see if theres anything else we might have missed 20 years ago. Pretty strange stuff either way.

Unknown said...

cool brad--if you find anything and are so inclined to share, feel free to contact me and I'd love to write and article or otherwise follow up on it.

Unknown said...

That was actually RICHELLe (me) leaving that comment--looks like my son was signed in.

Anonymous said...

Yea if I find anything interesting there at all, I will definately let you know. For sure, Im going to take some better photos,as the photos they posted on Coast to Coast are tough to see(As are the original ones), they were taken long before the digital camera was invented,lol,and there was no flash on that camera either. Im also planning on taking a metal detector and shovel,just in case I can find something really interesting to share. Im actually going to be going in March now, as the weather should be warm enough. I'll keep you posted.

richelle said...

I'll be curious to hear or see anything you learn. you might also want to take some large paper and crayons to do some rubbings. Keep in touch.