Buzz
Despite relentless debunking, continuous investigations, and deep skepticism, there are still certain mysteries that remain unsolved. Some of these enigmas are explored in the following list.
10. The Child Eater of Bern
Switzerland is renowned as a top vacation destination, with its picturesque landscapes, enchanting castles, world-famous chocolate, and, of course, the Matterhorn. However, the country also harbors some eerie and unexplained mysteries.
In the heart of Bern, there stands a striking fountain sculpture dating back to 1546, which portrays a monstrous figure devouring a baby while carrying a sack full of three frightened infants. This ancient fountain is one of the oldest in Bern, yet the reason behind its creation remains a mystery.
As with any mystery, there are multiple theories regarding the origins of the sculpture known as The Child Eater of Bern or the Kindlifresser. One theory suggests that the giant depicted in the sculpture wears a hat resembling the Judenhut, which Jews were forced to wear at the time, possibly indicating that the sculpture was intended as a warning to the Jewish community in Bern.
Another theory proposes that the sculpture represents the Greek Titan Kronos, who devoured his own children to prevent them from taking over his throne. A different interpretation suggests that the giant is the older brother of Bern’s founder, Duke Berchtold. According to this theory, his jealousy over his younger brother's success led him to become mad and, in revenge, collect and consume the children of the town.
9. The Split Moon
On June 18, 1178, Gervase of Canterbury, the chronicler of the Abbey of Christ Church, along with four other monks, witnessed something extraordinary in the sky an hour after sunset. Gervase reported that the upper horn of the crescent moon was split in two, describing the scene in vivid detail: “From the midpoint of the division, a flaming torch sprang up, spewing out, over a considerable distance, fire, hot coals, and sparks.” He further stated that the moon “writhed, as it were in anxiety” and “throbbed like a wounded snake.”
Although the exact nature of the monks' observation remains uncertain, some astronomers speculate that they may have witnessed the asteroid impact that created the lunar crater Giordano Bruno. However, this theory is widely disputed due to the absence of any historical records of a meteor shower that would have accompanied such an event. Instead, the prevailing theory is that the monks likely observed a meteor passing in front of the moon.
8. Could a Nuclear Spy Device Have Caused a Flood?
In February 2021, a catastrophic flood struck the village of Raini in the Indian Himalayas, triggered by a glacier collapse and avalanche originating from the Nanda Devi mountain range. The disaster claimed over fifty lives in the Uttarakhand region of the Himalayas.
However, a substantial portion of Raini’s population refuses to accept the glacier collapse theory. Instead, they maintain that nuclear spy devices, hidden in the snow and rocks above their village, had “exploded” and caused the deadly flood, a belief passed down through generations.
This theory is rooted in a long-standing news report that claims the U.S. and India collaborated in the 1960s to enlist top mountain climbers to place nuclear-powered surveillance devices across the Himalayas. This was reportedly to monitor Chinese nuclear tests. According to the story, a group of Indian and American climbers ascended the mountain with the devices but were caught in a blizzard, leaving the devices behind on a “platform” as they rushed to safety. The following spring, the devices were mysteriously gone. In April 1978, Indian Prime Minister Morarji Desai confirmed that the U.S. and India had planned to plant nuclear devices on Nanda Devi, though he would not verify whether the mission was successful.
So, where are the devices now? Did they fall off the mountain during a landslide? Are they still hidden up there, causing avalanches and flooding, or did someone else secretly remove them? Could the Yetis have taken them?
7. The Clarendon Dry Pile
In 1840, an experimental electric bell called the Clarendon Dry Pile, or Oxford Electric Bell, was constructed. The setup consists of two brass bells placed beneath a dry pile, one of the earliest types of electric batteries. When the clapper, suspended between the piles, touches one bell, it becomes charged by one pile and is then repelled and attracted to the other bell.
This bell holds the Guinness World Record for being the most enduring battery in existence, having produced over 10 billion rings since its creation in 1840. The dry pile was insulated with molten sulfur when it was first established, and the bell continues to ring today, albeit barely audible due to its protection behind two layers of glass.
The mystery surrounding this bell lies in the fact that no one can explain why the dry pile has remained functional for more than 180 years. Experts hesitate to open the device, fearing they might ruin the ongoing experiment. Instead, they are waiting to see if the battery will eventually lose its charge or if the clapper will finally wear out from age.
6. What Happened to Licorice McKechnie?
When Licorice McKechnie left home as a young teenager, her primary focus was marrying her boyfriend, Bert Jansch. However, the wedding never happened. Instead, she crossed paths with musician Robin Williamson, while Jansch traveled solo to Morocco in 1963. McKechnie and Williamson also spent time in Morocco in 1966, and later recorded music and vocals for the psychedelic folk band, The Incredible String Band, which was formed by Williamson, Clive Palmer, and Mike Heron. McKechnie even performed with the band at Woodstock in August 1969.
In 1972, McKechnie left The Incredible String Band after her relationship with Williamson ended. She performed at a Scientology benefit concert in 1974 and shortly afterward relocated to California. After divorcing her second husband, musician Brian Lambert, McKechnie reunited with Williamson and his Merry Band for a performance in 1977.
In 1986, McKechnie returned to Edinburgh to visit her family, but she has not been heard from since 1990. The last known report of her came from music journalist Mark Ellen in 2000, who stated that McKechnie was last seen hitchhiking across the Arizona Desert in 1987.
5. Sam the Sandown Clown
In May 1973, two children from the small town of Sandown, located on the east coast of the Isle of Wight, were running and playing in the green hills of the Shanklin & Sandown Golf Club when they heard a strange siren-like sound coming from a nearby small bridge. Their curiosity led them straight to the bridge.
To their astonishment, a peculiar being emerged from beneath the bridge. It appeared to have been startled by the children and dropped a book it was holding into the stream below. After retrieving the book, the creature hopped away and entered a metallic structure of sorts. It soon returned, carrying a device resembling a microphone. Using it, the creature announced, 'Hello, and I am all colors, Sam.'
One of the children inquired if Sam was human, to which he denied. When asked if he was a ghost, Sam responded, 'Well, not exactly, but in a strange way, yes.' Sam expressed a fear of humans and being discovered, yet invited the children into the metal hut. Once inside, he placed a berry in his ear, lunged forward, and caught the berry in his eye socket. He lunged again, and the berry fell into his mouth.
For about half an hour, the children conversed with Sam before heading home to share their strange encounter with the golf course’s groundskeeper. The groundskeeper dismissed the story with a laugh, causing the children to wait several weeks before telling their parents. When the area was later searched by adults, no sign of Sam or his hut could be found.
The children described Sam as standing over two meters (6.5 feet) tall, with a round head that was too large for his body, very pale skin, and face painted in unusual colors. When they mentioned his clown suit, Sam quickly became known as Sam the Sandown Clown. To this day, no one else has encountered Sam, and his true nature remains a mystery—was he a creepy human in a clown costume, or a shared hallucination?
4. Is the Holy Grail in Spain?
The Holy Grail is traditionally believed to be the cup from which Jesus drank during the Last Supper, and also the vessel Joseph of Arimathea used to collect Christ’s blood after his crucifixion. It remains one of the most highly sought-after Christian relics to this day.
Despite its elusive nature, some speculate that the Grail was hidden away by the Knights Templar or that Joseph of Arimathea concealed it in Glastonbury, England, a place where it is said the waters run red.
Within the Valencia Cathedral in Spain, there exists a relic that many hold to be the Holy Grail. Every year, twice a year, a small chalice is brought out from a chapel behind the cathedral and placed in the main church. Though the church has never officially claimed this chalice as the Holy Grail, many believe it is. The chalice is carved from a stone only found in Israel, and its shape closely resembles those used in Jewish liturgical ceremonies.
Whether this chalice will ever be verified as the true Holy Grail remains an open question.
3. The Disappearance of Kirsa Jensen
On September 1, 1983, 14-year-old Kirsa Jensen from Napier, New Zealand, set out for a horseback ride at a local beach but never returned. Her horse, Commodore, was later discovered wandering near the Tutaekuri River, but Kirsa was nowhere to be found.
The last confirmed sighting of Kirsa occurred near a World War Two gun emplacement at the river mouth, where she was seen speaking to a man in a white utility vehicle. Witnesses reported seeing her with a bloody face, being held by the arms by a middle-aged European man. In 1985, John Russell confessed to the crime, but he retracted the confession shortly after. No charges were ever filed, and Russell took his own life in 1992.
Despite multiple search efforts, including those from psychics and mediums, the case remained unsolved. Kirsa was never found, and the investigation remains open.
2. The Van Heijst Lights
Christiaan van Heijst earned his pilot's license before even getting his driver's license. He later combined his passion for flying with his love of photography, capturing stunning images from the skies above.
In 2014, during a 747 flight from Hong Kong to Alaska, Van Heijst overheard air traffic controllers discussing earthquakes in San Francisco and Chile, along with a volcanic eruption in Iceland.
While still listening, he noticed a brilliant flash of light rising from the ground far off in the distance. He managed to capture several photographs of the faint green “earth-glow,” which could be seen across the Northern Hemisphere. Twenty minutes later, a strong red glow appeared ahead of the plane. As he approached, the lights intensified, illuminating the clouds and sky with a bright orange hue, similar to the glow seen during wildfires. Even more strangely, these lights were located where the ocean should have been.
Some theories suggest a volcano beneath the ocean might be the cause of these strange lights, but no official explanation has been offered as of yet.
1. The Mysterious Case of Heidi Wyrick
At the age of eight, Heidi Wyrick and her parents moved to Ellerslie, Georgia. Soon after settling in, she began talking about an elderly man named Gordy who would visit her and play in the yard. Initially, her mother, Lisa, thought Gordy was just an imaginary friend. However, Heidi later mentioned another man named Con, who showed up at the door covered in blood. Concerned that someone may have tried to abduct her daughter, Lisa shared her worries with her husband, Andrew. He searched the neighborhood for the man, but found no trace of him.
Soon after, Lisa’s sister moved into a house next door, and during a conversation, Lisa mentioned both Gordy and Con. Her sister revealed that James S. Gordy, who had owned the house Lisa’s sister had just purchased, passed away in 1974. Although Lisa had no photos of Gordy, she reached out to a family who had lived in the house before him. They verified Heidi’s description of Gordy, confirming he had worn a suit with shiny black shoes and had gray hair. As for Con, he was Uncle Lon 'Con' Batchelor, the uncle of Catherine Ledford, whose family had owned the house prior to Gordy. Con had passed away in 1957 and was missing a hand, a detail Heidi had known.
For four years, Heidi continued to see and interact with both Gordy and Con. Then, in 1993, when Lisa became pregnant, Heidi began to express fear of a new presence — a malevolent spirit. After the birth of Lisa’s baby, scratches began appearing on Heidi’s face, which prompted Lisa to point them out to Andrew. He dismissed it at first, but a few nights later, he woke up with three claw marks on his own body.
Parapsychologist Dr. William Roll confirmed that he believed Heidi had experienced genuine para-psychological phenomena, though there remains no clear explanation for them. As an adult, Heidi continues to encounter dark spirits, seeing so many that she no longer feels fear towards them.
