Witchcraft used to be everywhere. While there are still places today where the practice thrives, it’s not nearly as common as it used to be. What is still common, and surprisingly so, are objects and artifacts that claim magical properties, made by “witches” of the past and the present.

See Also: Top 10 Bizarre Coffins

While most people regard these as superstitious trinkets, others see them as genuine magical objects . . . sometimes malicious, sometimes neutral, but always fascinating—to readers here at least!

While some of these items have fallen out of favor, a few remain; some are even still made today. So, with that in mind, let’s dive into the world of witchcraft!

10 Witch Bottles

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Witch Bottle was a popular item for protecting the home from malicious witchcraft. The belief at the time was that a witch (or wizard, though they were not commonly believed to be evil) could send a spirit, be it their own or someone else’s, to terrorize a person and cause them great illness. So, how do you protect yourself against magic?

Apparently, with more magic. If you found yourself on the wrong side of a witch’s ire, you would set up this counter-magic device. The bare basics construction was really simple. You would pee in the bottle (or fill it with saltwater or wine if you’d already exhausted your daily supply) then add pins, needles, and nails, as well as some red threads and rosemary.

Once it was corked and sealed, you buried it somewhere on your property, and waited. The next time a spirit was sent to haunt you, the red thread in the bottle would draw it in, the pins and needles and nails would impale it, and the liquid would drown it. Then, if you had included rosemary, the rosemary would carry the now twice dead spirit away. As long as the bottle was buried and unbroken, your house was protected from most malicious spirits.^[1]

9 Frog Coffins

According to Finish legend, the frog coffin had many uses. Like the witch bottle, the frog coffin was often used as a counter-magical device to “reflect” evil magic back onto the caster, and as a healing charm. Unlike the witch bottle, however, frog coffins could also be a form of evil magic in and of themselves. It was also undeniably more gruesome than a witch bottle to make.

According to legend, you first had to catch a frog, as red as you could get. Then you were to carve a chunk of alder wood into a classic coffin, complete with lid. The next step varied depending on what the frog was actually for, but the final preparations invariably required that the frogs back legs be bound with red twine, and then the frog be placed on its back in the coffin. The lid was shut over the frog, and then 9 coffin nails were driven through the center of the lid from top to bottom, saving the place over the frog’s heart for last. PETA would be thrilled I’m sure.

The frog would then be buried in a church yard and a prayer said over it as you would at a human funeral (no “celebration of life” poems if you please). If all went as planned, and depending on the use you intended for the frog, you’d be saved from evil or inflict some yourself.^[2]

8 Raccoon Penis Bone

Appalachian magic is a peculiar thing patched together from several different cultures and a hefty helping of Christianity. This religious stew has led to some interesting magical practices, a personal favorite being the Raccoon Penis Bone.

When a raccoon dies, be it from old age, having been hunted, or struck by a car, the seeker of the magic bone must deflesh the animal—right down to the skeleton to retrieve the penis bone (baculum). The bone is then tossed into a boiling pot to strip off the hard to reach bits of flesh and fat. Once the bone is free of meat, it is dried. Then it’s life as a magical object begins. Among the most frequent uses is presenting it to a girl on a red ribbon (there’s that color again!) to be worn as a necklace: a declaration of love.

Other uses for it call for it to be buried under the porch of your crush’s house to make them love you, or placed between your bed and the floor to increase your libido and stamina. I believe it also helps with a stiff neck.^[3]

7Toad’s Bones

English folklore has it that, with patience, anyone can become a toad-witch (a very powerful witch with the power to cast the evil eye), but the path there is pretty disgusting and disturbing. There are two paths to toad-witchdom, and neither one is particularly pleasant. Both, however, require one particular item: a toad’s magic bones.

Option one requires you to catch a Natterjack Toad and kill it, then carry it in your bra (or jock-strap if you’re a gender-non-conforming witch) until it rots away clear through to its backbone. Once the toad is all but a skeleton, you take it to a river and hold it out over the water, whereupon Satan himself will appear and snatch you up. From that moment on, you are a toad witch, and can do all manner of black magic.

Option two was slightly less revolting, but no less gruesome. You are still required to catch and kill a Natterjack, but instead of carrying it in your bra, the toad should be buried in an ant hill (very common to find) so that the ants can strip away its flesh. When the toad is fully defleshed, you take it to a river and place each bone in the water one by one. If one of the bones floats, it is your magic bone, and its use will grant you great magical power.^[4]

6Black Cat Bone

My personal pick for worst and most horrific magical item on this list, the Black Cat Bone has a long history in both African and European black magic rituals. Having the ability to make you invisible, the black cat bone is reportedly an object of great power, but the method used to obtain it is horrific.

A black cat must be put, alive, into a pot of boiling water at exactly midnight. The cat is then boiled until all the meat falls off the bones and turns to shreds. The bones are strained from the stew, and each one in turn is placed into the mouth of the witch until the witch’s personal assistant informs them that they have become invisible.

The bone can also be used to attract a lost lover back into your arms, though I recommend against telling him the method you used to do that.^[5]

5 Gris-Gris Bags

Louisiana, particularly New Orleans, is known for witchcraft and voodoo. Among the many magical abjects made and sold there, the gris-gris, pronounced Gree Gree, is the most well known.

A gris-gris is made by taking a square of cloth and filling it with different objects. The number of ingredients varies from bag to bag, but is always either an odd number between 1 and 9, or 13. The particular ingredients also vary depending on the bags use, but common ingredients are small bones, gofer dust, colored stones, herbs, and spices.

The ingredients are laid out on the cloth square, which then has its corners drawn together to form a bag. The neck of the bag is tied shut or sometimes sewn, and the gris-gris is consecrated with salt, water, incense, and held briefly over a flame.

After that, the gris-gris is considered complete and active, and can be used for whatever it was built for, everything from luck with gambling to murder.^[6]

4 The Hand Of Glory

If you’re a fan of Harry Potter, you may already know a little about this particular object, once seen on the shelves at Borgin and Burkes. Although it seems completely made up, a number of these do exist, leftovers from mystical traditions in Europe in the 1800s or thereabouts.

A real hand of glory is made by first hanging a man for a crime, usually theft. Once he is dead, you cut off his hand, right or left, while he is still hanging. You then place the hand in a barrel filled with a mixture of salt and saltpeter (potassium nitrate), and leave it to dry. At the same time, fat from the hanged man is taken and made into a candle. When the hand is properly mummified, the candle is placed in it, turning the hand into a candle holder of sorts.

The candle, when lit, is said to put all occupants of the house in which it is lit to sleep, making it easy for the thief who holds the hand to ransack the home for valuables. The candle flame is also said to be impervious to water, only being able to be doused with blood or milk.

You won’t find one of these readily available at Walmart, but if you shop around online you might get lucky. The one pictured here is the genuine article from a museum.^[7]

3 Dried Cats

It seems like Europeans had a penchant for hiding strange objects in and around their home. Like the witch bottles, dried cats were thought to protect the home from evil, and they’re exactly what they sound like.

A cat, one of any size or color, would be killed and then posed in a way that suggests attack. The corpse was then carried to a barrel and packed in salt much like a hand of glory. When the cat was fully desiccated, it was taken out of the salt and into the house of the maker, where it would be sealed into a wall.

The cat was often also accompanied by a dried rat or bird. This ritual sacrifice and spell was thought to ward off not only witches and bad spirits, but also pests, sicknesses and bad luck. It also had the amazing ability to ward off Tinder (or Grindr) dates.

Dried cats can still be found in British homes and cottages to this day, some being found 400 years after being buried in the walls! No doubt some may have gotten there accidentally when a hasty builder wasn’t paying attention, but a number were genuinely intended for magical purposes.^[8]

2 Alder Horse

In addition to protecting their homes from witches, Europeans were concerned about the health and happiness of their horses.

When a new stable was built, a life sized horse was carved out of alder. The horse was given its own, smaller stable, and a basket to eat from. The basket would be filled with barley and mercury, and then a blanket made from the skirt of a new mother would be thrown over the horse (preferably after it had been removed from the woman). Finally, eyes would be painted on the horse using the new mother’s blood, and the entire miniature stable would be placed underground, the new stable for the real horses was built over it.

This practice was said to ensure the horses, like the alder horse, would always be warm, fed, happy and healthy.^[9]

1 Hidden Shoes

Like many other objects on this list, hidden shoes were used to deter evil, such as ghosts, demons, and witches. However, there was no special ritual for this object, you simply took your kid’s shoes and hid them in the nearest wall. According to experts, the reasoning behind this was that children were so innocent that placing their shoes in the walls created a barrier against evil.

One house, located in Western Creek, Tasmania, was found to have at least 40 shoes stashed in the walls, chimney, and attic. In addition to the shoes, there were also hats and toys said to serve the same purpose, and even a dried cat.

No records remain to tell us who lived there, but having gone to the trouble to hide so many anti-witch devices in the property, they must have been incredibly terrified . . . or incredibly cursed.^[10]

It’s 2021 and the world has changed. But the beauty of Earth’s most mysterious locations remains. These places are steeped in history and legend and make for mesmerizing photographs. Some which are easily accessible have become tourist fodder, while the ones that are harder to reach remain somewhat hidden away except for a series of images taken and posted online by a brave explorer. On this list are just some of the mysterious places around the world, some so extraordinarily stunning that it’s hard to believe the images are real.

10 Ancient Magical Spells That People Actually Believed

10 Rakotzbrücke

The enchanting Rakotzbrücke is any Instagrammer’s dream. This man-made, semi-circle bridge is located in Kromlau Park, Saxony, Germany and has been given the nickname ‘Devil’s Bridge’ because of the mythical stories surrounding it. The bridge has become widely popular over recent years because of the illusion of a perfect circle created when it reflects just the right way in the lake below, giving it a truly other-worldly look.

Legend has it that devil’s bridges such as Rakotzbrücke, were built with the help of the devil himself in exchange for the soul of the first person who crosses it. In the case of the Saxony Devil’s Bridge, the superstitious are of the opinion that humans could not have accomplished the delicate arch and therefore the devil must have been the one who built it. Devil’s bridges are characteristically constructed from stone and include masonic arches. Some believe that Rakotzbrücke becomes a portal to another world when the reflection completes the bridge’s circle and a full moon shines brightly overhead. Looking sideways while crossing through the ‘perfect circle’ will cause the devil to appear in the water where he waits for the next soul to drag with him to hell…^[1]

9 Mount Roraima

Known as the ‘floating island of Venezuela’, Mount Roraima is a flat-topped mountain (tepui) located at the point where Brazil, Venezuela and Guyana meet.
Long before anyone even thought of hiking up Mount Roraima, the Pemón Indians living nearby regarded it as an unmissable part of world history. According to legend, a great tree that bore fruits and crops for the Earth was cut down by an ancestor of the ancient Indians. The tree caused a huge flood after crashing to the ground and its trunk was the only thing left after the incident. The legend further has it that the trunk is Mount Roraima and that the rivers flowing into it are the territory of these ancient people.

Since the advent of hikers and tourists, there have also been multiple reports of UFO sightings with people reportedly having seen strange lights above Mount Roraima. Others have reported experiencing an altered state of mind while visiting the site, and even having bizarre dreams of aliens.^[2]

8 Sedona Vortices

Sacred sites dot the map worldwide. Along with some of these sites, those who are curious might also find vortexes or vortices. These are ‘special spots’ where energy is said to either enter the earth or project outwards from its plane. Some of the most well-known and hugely popular vortex sites include Glastonbury in southwestern England, Stonehenge in Wiltshire, The Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt and the Mayan Ruins in Tulum, Mexico.

America lays claim to major energy vortices in the city of Sedona, Arizona. Those who take the supposed power of vortices to heart, flock to Sedona in droves, in search of spiritual healing. The most visited site is the Airport Mesa Vortex where people are encouraged to hike the strenuous path to the top and enjoy the spectacular views while looking out for colored orbs. It is believed that the Airport Mesa Vortex is an Upflow area that enables your spirit to soar to greater levels of serenity.

The other vortices include Cathedral Rock Vortex, Bell Rock Vortex and Boynton Canyon Vortex.^[3]

7 Tianmen Mountain

Tianmen Mountain in China is regarded as a holy mountain. Its sacred reputation has been strengthened by the ‘Stairway to Heaven’ that comprises of 999 steps leading to Tianmen Cave; the world’s highest naturally formed arch. Tianmen Cave is where ‘the gods meet the mortal world’ according to Chinese legend and it attracts millions of visitors every year. It is believed that erosion caused by water and soil led to the formation of the cave.

There are six mysteries believed to surround Tianmen Mountain: the exact origin of the Tianmen Cave, a ghost picture taken of ancient religious master, Guigu, turbulent waters in the left cliff of the Tianmen Cave, treasure supposedly still buried somewhere around the mountain, the secret turning of the Tianmen Cave and the sightings of the Auspicious Unicorn within the primitive forests surrounding the mountain.^[4]

6 Devil’s Pool

Devil’s Pool in Queensland, Australia is as deadly as it is stunning. Large boulders, called the Babinda Boulders, fill the creek bed. Legend has it that a young woman named Oolana from the local Yindinji Tribe, broke her promise to stay married to a tribal elder, choosing to run away with a young warrior, Dyga, from another tribe. The couple were captured and Dyga was taken away by the elders. In her despair, Oolana threw herself into the Devil’s Pool and her sobs became the torrents rushing through it. To this day, locals believe that Oolana still haunts the pool, dragging unsuspecting men to their death.

Since 1959 there have been 19 deaths at Devil’s Pool of which 17 were men who drowned. Aboriginal locals tell the story of a young man who vanished beneath the water after kicking at a plaque that commemorates those who have died. In another story, two lovers stood together on the rock platform overlooking the pool when an errant ‘wave’ swept them both into the water. The girl survived but her male partner did not.^[5]

5 Castlerigg Stone Circle

Near Keswick in Cumbria, North West England, stands a circle of 38 Neolithic stones. The circle is thought to have been constructed as part of a megalithic tradition during the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Ages. To date there have been no extensive excavations at the site and it remains unclear what may be buried beneath the surface and perhaps between the stones.

Much like the other stone circles to be found in the UK, it is not clear exactly what the purpose of the Castlerigg stone circle was. Experts are not convinced that it was a burial site, with some believing it may have been aligned with lunar cycles.

English poet and philosopher, Samuel Coleridge, mentioned the Castlerigg circle in his writings in 1799, saying “The Mountains stand one behind the other, in orderly array, as if evoked by and attentive to the assembly of white-vested Wizards.”^[6]

4 Underwater waterfall

In the grand scheme of history, Mauritius is a relatively young island which sits on an ocean shelf that is raised over seabed level. Off the coast of the island known as Le Morne Peninsula, various shades of blue can be observed in a gradual slope that drops off into a 4000-meter deep ‘abyss.’ Because of the constant movement of sand and silt along these shaded slopes, an optical illusion of an underwater waterfall has been created.

The exact site of this illusion was once the center of a local legend. In 1835, slavery was abolished in Mauritius, and authorities were sent to a community of runaway slaves to give them the good news. Unfortunately, the slaves misinterpreted the sudden arrival of the policemen and instantly made the decision to run to the cliffs overlooking the ocean and jump into the water, committing mass suicide. This tale has been become woven into the fabric of the background story of the ‘waterfall’ with some believing that the spirits of the dead slaves are responsible for the spectacular optical illusion.^[7]

3 Skyscraper City

Even though Madagascar is the world’s fourth largest island, it still took humans 300,000 years to discover. As highlighted by the animated film, Madagascar, it is home to dozens of lemur species and more than half the world’s chameleons. It is here that you will find the Avenue of the Baobabs as well as Skyscraper City, aka the world’s largest stone forest. The ‘forest’ is made up of limestone spiky grey rocks known as Tsingy, which means ‘’walk on tiptoes.” Its origins date back to 200 million years ago when tectonic activity pushed a limestone bed upward from the bottom of a lagoon. Falling sea levels allowed the pushed-up stone plateau to become exposed and over time the ‘forest’ came into being.

There are several walkways and bridges that allow tourists to get up close to the stony wonder, without hurting their feet on the sharp rocks. And while it may seem like a completely inhospitable environment, you will find 11 different species of lemur here.^[8]

2 The Tree on the Lake

The aptly named Fairy Lake in Canada is famous for more than its glittering waters and tranquil atmosphere. Out of its still surface protrudes one end of a dead Douglas fir tree log. On top of the log grows another tiny Douglas fir tree, the log as its only source of nutrients. The little tree is in a continuous struggle to survive and this has inspired many a photographer to document it on film.

Every so often, the water of the lake rises, and covers the tree stump making the little tree look like its floating just above the surface. Tourists have taken to calling the tree the “Fairy Bonsai” and often line up in the logging road next to the lake to catch a glimpse of it.^[9]

1 Skellig Michael

Skellig Michael is an island off the coast of Kerry, Ireland which was used as a location in the filming of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The publicity did wonders for tourist numbers and by November 2015 the island had received its highest number of overseas visitors ever.

Skellig Michael, which means ‘Michael’s Rock’, is also home to a 1400-year-old preserved monastery. There are two oratories, a cemetery, and a monolithic cross on the island. Evidence shows that the island had been attacked by Vikings several times which could have caused the monks that lived in the monastery, to flee to the mainland. To ensure the further preservation of the fragile monastery, limits have recently been placed on the number of tourists allowed to visit it.^[10]

10 Fascinating Magical Traditions From Around The World

There are some animals with real superpowers that would make even Batman jealous. The amazing abilities that these creatures possess may seem like something out of a comic book, but they’re authentic.

Let’s dive in and look into the top ten magical powers attributed to animals. 

10 Lyrebirds

Lyrebirds are amazing imitators and are of two species dwelling on the ground. The Australian Lyrebirds are the genus Menura and of the family Menuridae. They’re known for their excellent ability to imitate natural and artificial sounds in the environment. 

These Australian birds are known for their ability to mimic sounds such as chainsaws, car alarms, dogs barking, and camera shutter sounds. There is a stunning beauty of the male bird’s colossal tail fanned out in the courtship display. The Lyrebird has a unique neutral color tail feathers and is one of Australia’s most famous native birds.

9 Sloths

Sloths can survive nearly any wound as they are biologically designed to fall from trees. On average, a sloth will fall from a tree once in its lifetime. They can fall from a height of 100 feet without injury. Three-toed sloths may not move fast, but they quickly recover from wounds that may kill other animals. This ability makes Sloth the focus of scientific research. When two sloths fight, it is usually because of the female mate. The purpose of the sloth fight is to knock the opponent off the tree.

Hollow Fissures in a sloth’s hair allow many different types of algae and fungi to grow, making them look green. Certain fungi living in their fur are active against bacteria, cancers, and parasites! Sloths’ hair also provides a home for entire invertebrates. Some of these invertebrates species cannot be found anywhere else on the planet. A single sloth can accommodate up to 950 moths and beetles in its fur at a time.

8 Reindeer

Reindeer have a super ability to see. Living in the Arctic Circle, they face a challenging environment. Their world has undergone a drastic change from summer to winter- from permanent sunlight for nearly two months to continuous darkness for two months. However, reindeer can cope in both environments, partly because of a unique mechanism that allows them to change their vision under different lighting conditions.

Reindeer can extend their vision to near-ultraviolet (UV), allowing them to better use UV-rich winter light. A part of the reindeer eyes called tapetum lucidum (or “cat eyes”) changes color in winter, making it possible for them to use light in dark weather. In the winter, it turns dark blue. In summer, the tapetum lucidum of reindeer is golden yellow. 

This incredible eye adaptability may have originally evolved to help reindeer improve their ability to detect winter predators. Reindeer’s unique ultraviolet-visible ability allows them to better see and avoid predation in the harsh Arctic regions. Their primary winter food source is lichens, and their main predator- wolves.

7 Cuttlefish

Cuttlefish can turn invisible, which means that they’ve some of the best camouflage skills in the animal kingdom. They can disfigure their bodies, resembling any aquatic form, to blend in with their surroundings. They do this to hide from predators. They even have colored bags on their skin so they can change color at a moment’s notice. 

Since the time of Aristotle, natural scientists have been fascinated by the unique ability of cuttlefish, squid, and octopuses to hide under their environment’s colors and texture. These mollusks control how they look with the direct action of neurons on their skin.

6 Bats

Bats have the sixth, seventh and eighth senses: echolocation, geomagnetism, and polarization. 

Bats use echolocation to find and capture prey. Their larynx can produce an ultrasonic buzzing sound that emits through their mouth or nose. As the sound travels, the sound waves bounce off and provide the bat with radar-like information about its surroundings. This can only give them a short-range perception of the surrounding environment-about 16 to 165 feet.

Bats use their geomagnetic sense as a compass to navigate long distances, such as for migration. It may be the magnetite-based receptors in the hippocampus and thalamus neurons in their brain that give bats this ability.

The recently discovered sense is polarized vision. Bats can do polarized vision or perceive the sun in the sky even when the sun is overcast or when the sun goes down. Since bats do not have the visual form of other animals that use the sun’s rays to locate, it is not clear that their physiological structure gives them this ability. Therefore, when it comes to bats, this vision is not reflected in the traditional sense. Bats use this sensation in combination with geomagnetic sensations for navigation.

5 Sea Cucumbers

Sea cucumbers can regenerate their organs. These caterpillar-like marine creatures have one of the most fascinating defense mechanisms, but they are also very rough. They contract muscles and eject some internal organs from their butt. This will trap natural enemies and emit toxic substances. Yes, they dared to kill the enemy with their butt. The excreted organs are then regenerated.

4 Hyenas

Hyenas have stomachs of iron as they can eat all kinds of animals. They eat their prey or rotting carcasses. Their jaws can even crush bones. The only things they cannot digest are hooves, horns, and hair. Everything else is on their menu. 

In eastern and southern Africa, they kill most of their food by chasing wildebeests, antelopes, and zebras. They cover 3 kilometers at a speed of 65 kilometers (40 miles) per hour. Contrary to popular belief, both healthy and weak animals are hunted. One or two hyenas may start chasing, but dozens of them may kill the animal. Researchers observed that the adult zebra mare and her two-year-old foal (total weight 370 kg) were torn apart and consumed by 35 hyenas within half an hour.

The strong jaw and wide molars allow hyenas to reach all parts of the carcass and crush the bones, which are then digested by high hydrochloric acid concentrations in the stomach. Spotted hyenas’ stomachs can hold 14.5 kg of meat.

3 Sea Turtles

Sea turtles have a geomagnetic sense. Female sea turtles have a natal home ability that is not well known but helps them to make their way back to the beach where they hatched. Leatherback Sea Turtles have a specific type of biological clock or “third eye.” Sea turtles use this ”eye” to know where to migrate, where they are in the ocean concerning their feeding grounds, and how to navigate back to the beach where they hatched.

The Leatherback Sea Turtle has a bright pink patch on its head, a pineal gland that serves as a skylight and tells the turtle about the seasons and helps its migration to places. Their ability to find their home beach and feed grounds are impressive considering the large distances they swim.

As for many migratory species, sea turtles perform this navigation by testing the Earth’s magnetic field. Researchers conclude that the process behind this capacity comes from magnetotactic bacteria. These bacteria are affected by the Earth’s magnetic fields and establish mutual relationships with host animals.

2 Peregrine Falcons

Peregrine Falcons have lightning speed. The Peregrine Falcon is the fastest animal on Earth. These falcons are called “living missiles” and are everywhere except in the polar regions and New Zealand, and can reach a diving speed of 200 miles per hour. So far, the highest measured descent speed of the Peregrine is 242 mph. When they are not hunting, the Peregrine glide at speeds of 40 to 60 miles per hour.

The prominent keel, pointed wings, stiff feathers, and excellent respiratory system contribute to the Peregrine Falcon’s speed. The large keel increases the flapping power; the sharp wing produces a streamlined wing effect, the animal’s stiff and slender feathers reduce drag. Peregrines also have a unidirectional airflow into their lungs and airbags, which keeps expanding even when exhaling. This helps it achieve the best oxygen distribution. Also, the bird’s heart rate of 600 to 900 beats per minute means that they can flap their wings up to four times per second, which improves their strength and reduces fatigue.

In addition to lightning-fast dives, this falcon enjoys the fastest visual processing speed of any animal tested. They can find prey from a kilometer away. When Peregrine Falcons dive towards prey they wrap their wings around their bodies, forming an aerodynamic tear to kill fast-moving birds and small mammals.

1 Tardigrades

The Tardigrade is our final creature with supernatural powers. These are considered the most powerful animals living on the planet because it is almost impossible to kill them. They can survive under extreme physical conditions, such as temperatures from -458°F (-272°C) to 300°F (150°C). It survives pressures up to 40,000 kPa, and extremely high radiation even under vacuum conditions. They can even survive for about 30 years without food or water.

Tardigrades can live almost anywhere. They prefer to live on the bottom of lakes, moist moss, or other damp environment sediments. They can be protected from radiation, boiling liquids, pressures up to six times the pressure of the deepest part of the ocean, or even the vacuum of space. Certain species of Tardigrades can survive in low Earth orbit for ten days when exposed to space vacuum and radiation.

Researchers have discovered that Tardigrades can continue to live when all humans are dead. Harvard University and Oxford University have studied the possibility of certain astronomical events, such as asteroids hitting the Earth, nearby supernova explosions, and gamma-ray bursts, to name a few, in the next billions of years. Then, they studied the possibility of these events destroying the hardest species on Earth. They reported in a study published online in the Journal of Scientific Reports on July 14, 2017. They reported that although this catastrophic event may wipe out humans, some Tardigrades species would survive.

In many cases, Tardigrades survive by entering a state almost similar to death called Cryptobiosis. They retract their heads and legs and curl them into a dehydrated ball called “tun.” If it is reintroduced into the water, the Tardigrade comes back to life in just a few hours. In cold temperatures, they form special channels to prevent the growth of ice crystals. When they are in the water, they also have another form of defense. When the water they live in is low in oxygen, they stretch and reduce their metabolic rate. In this state, their muscles absorb enough oxygen and water to survive.

Name a holiday when evil spirits are all around you and magic and mysticism is celebrated. Not Halloween, but Midsummer. In the Northern Hemisphere, the longest day of the year falls around June 21, when the sun’s rays are perpendicular to the Tropic of Cancer at 23°30′ North latitude.

It is called the summer solstice and has been celebrated around the world since time began.

Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream depicted the fairy world’s riot of mischief on this special night. Today, folklore still plays an important role, and sacred rituals are observed by different groups to mark the start of summer.

Welcome to the quirky world of Midsummer.

Related: 10 Unusual Festivals Around The World

10 Sankthansaften

Sankthansaften is the Danish midsummer festival named after Sankt Hans—St John the Baptist, who was born on June 24. As with Christmas Eve, the holiday is celebrated the night before on June 23 along with the summer solstice—the date of which can move due to shifting calendar days in a year.

Midsummer is welcomed by bonfires topped with an effigy of a witch called “heksedukke,” whose cloth body is stuffed with firecrackers. According to legend, when the witch doll explodes, she is set free to fly away to Mount Brocken in Germany—a legendary gathering place for witches from around the world. The bonfire tradition stems from the Middle Ages when people suspected of witchcraft were burned at the stake throughout Europe. The custom of adding a witch doll began in the 1920s.

The fires are lit at around 10 pm, and revelers sing the traditional anthem “Midsommervisen” to mark the longest day of the year, where some parts of Denmark will enjoy 18 hours of daylight.^[1]

9 Sun Dance

The Sun Dance is a sacred ritual of pain and self-sacrifice practiced by some Native American tribes. The ceremony starts at the time of the full moon closest to midsummer, when the sun is at its highest point in the sky and the sage plant—a symbol of healing—is ready to pick.

Tribes from the Great Plains, including the Lakota, Cree, and Blackfoot, spend all year preparing for the important ritual.

The theme of the Sun Dance is healing and renewal as dancers give thanks to the sun by sacrificing their own flesh in an act called “piercing.” The grueling process sees wooden skewers inserted under the skin of a dancer’s chest or shoulder blade. Rawhide cords are attached to the skewers, which are then tied to a central Sun Pole. The men dance around the pole for hours, pulling back until the flesh rips.

The tribes believe that without the Sun Dance, the earth will lose its precious connection to the universe.

Western settlers’ squeamishness at the Sun Dance caused it to be banned by the American government around 1895, although some tribes continued the practice in secret. In 1978, President Carter signed the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, ensuring that all Native American religions were protected by law.^[2]

8 Ivana-Kupala

Deep in Eastern Europe, the winters are long and harsh, so midsummer is welcomed by a celebration called Ivana-Kupala. It was initially a pagan fertility ritual named after the summer sun “Kupalo” but was later combined with the birthday of St John or “Ivan.”

Water and fertility are the main themes—Kupala morning dew is believed to have healing properties, and people bathe in outdoor waters to cleanse both body and soul. No one sleeps on Kupala night as it is said that witches and vampires lurk in the shadows, so bonfires are lit to keep them at bay. Young men show their bravery by leaping over the flames while young couples jump bonfires together to prove the strength of their relationship.

Legend has it that a magical fern will appear in the forest on Kupala night and whoever finds it first will be bestowed with good luck.^[3]

7 Da Simmer Dim

Shetland is a remote archipelago lying between the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, 230 kilometers (143 miles) north of Scotland. At 60 degrees North, its position affords the islands around 19 hours of daylight at midsummer. On the longest day of the year, the sun rises at around 4 am and sets again at 10:30 pm.

Da simmer dim is an old Shetland term that refers to twilight on the islands when the sun dips just below the horizon for a few hours at night, filling the skies with a milky white light. As the sun rises, the light changes and casts an orange glow.

Shetland is closer to Norway than mainland Scotland, and so at midsummer, early Norse settlers celebrated Baldur, the god of light. Islanders marked the day by building bonfires stacked with fish bones, straw, and seaweed—set alight with fish oil.

Young couples would follow an ancient Shetland tradition of meeting secretly as the sun went down. The lovers would pick a stalk of ribwort plantain, which grows wild on the islands. The buds were removed and then hidden, and if new buds sprouted on the plant, this was a sign that the couple was destined to marry.

Since 1982, bikers from all around the world have caught the ferry to the tiny islands to celebrate midsummer at the Simmer Dim bike rally. Around 400 bikers gather to witness the magical skies on the shortest night of the year.^[4]

6 Fairbanks, Alaska

Fairbanks is Alaska’s second-largest city and experiences a unique midsummer. At 65 degrees north latitude, the former gold rush town enjoys the Midnight Sun season from April to August—a time when the sun never fully sets. This culminates at the summer solstice on June20/21, when the sun dips no lower than 6 degrees below the horizon, and the area is plunged into near 24-hour sunlight.

“Civil twilight” is the official term for “usable daylight hours,” meaning the amount of light a pilot needs to see objects on the ground. From May 17 to July 27, Fairbanks has 70 days of 24-hour official civil twilight. On the longest day—June 21—the sun will typically set at 12:47 am and rise again at 2:59 am.

As the earth rotates, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted nearer to the sun, causing sunlight to fall at a steeper angle. The further north you venture, the more hours of daylight you will experience at the summer solstice. Alaska’s position at 315 kilometers (196 miles) south of the Arctic Circle explains this phenomenon.

Since 1906, the Alaska Goldpanners have hosted the Midnight Sun baseball game on June 21. It begins at 10:30 pm, finishing around 1:30 am, and the floodlights have never been turned on for the duration of the game.^[5]

5 Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza is an ancient Mayan site on the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, built around AD 400. By AD 600, it was a bustling city and home to thousands. However, something caused the population to vanish, and by the time Spanish explorers arrived in the 16th century, it was a ghost town.

The Mayans were fascinated by astronomy and closely followed the changing seasons when planting crops. The main pyramid at Chichen Itza comprised 365 steps in line with the days of the year and was designed as an early type of calendar—alerting the Mayans to the arrival of solstices and equinoxes.

Every year around June 21, the early morning sun filters into the north and east sides of the pyramid, leaving the south and west sides in darkness. so the structure appears to be split in half. To the Mayans, this light display was the start of summer.

Legend has it that if you clap your hands at the base of the steps, the echo will mimic the sound of the Mexican quetzal bird—a sacred Mayan symbol.^[6]

4 The Power of Trees

Most Midsummer celebrations are a way to reconnect with the earth at a time when nature is in full bloom. Many can be traced back to early pagans who regarded trees as sacred spirits with magical powers.

The Celtic people of Britain praised the oak tree as King of the Forest due to its strength and longevity. The Celtic word for oak is duir, meaning doorway. They believed the oak tree’s roots were a direct link to the underworld and the dark days of winter which lay ahead.

Druids also worshipped the oak tree due to the presence of mistletoe—a sign of healing and fertility that seemed to grow only on trees that had been struck by lightning. In fact, mistletoe is a parasitic plant that would creep out of a gap in the trunk caused by a lightning bolt.

Druids hailed the beech tree as the “Queen of the Mother of the Woods” and the source of all wisdom. In Celtic tree mythology, it was called the “tree of wishes.” If a beech branch fell, it was seen as an invitation from the wishing fairies to write on the branch and push the stick into the earth where the wish would be taken to the underworld for the Fairy Queen to read.^[7]

3 Slinningsbalet

Alesund is a municipality in Norway’s Western Fjord County, stretching across several islands and surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. This makes it the perfect location for the world’s tallest man-made bonfire.

The event, called Slinningsbalet, is held on the Saturday closest to June 23. Traditionally, bonfires have been lit all over Norway at the summer solstice—to signify the sinking flames of the sun.

Locals build a tower made from wooden crates and pallets stacked on top of each other, sometimes as high as 40 meters (131 feet). It takes up to 30 people working day and night to finish the structure, and crowds then gather to watch as volunteers climb to the top. There, they light a fuse placed inside a barrel at the highest point and carefully make their way back down as the flames take hold.

Hundreds of people arrive in boats and on foot to watch the tower burn for hours until it collapses into the ocean, marking the start of midsummer in Norway.^[8]

2 Midsommar

Midsommar in Sweden is one long party. The outdoor festival of food, drink, and dancing begins on the weekend nearest to June 21. A large green maypole “majstang” is at the center of celebrations, a custom that originated in 17th-century Germany.

Pickled herring and nypotatis—potatoes with dill—are served at picnics, followed by drinking songs and dancing around the maypole.

The holiday is a time of magic and superstition in Sweden, as folklore dictates that if a young woman picks seven different flowers in silence on midsummer eve and places them under her pillow, she will dream of her future love.

Romance is in the air—an old Swedish verse reads:^[9]

“Midsummer night is not long, but it sets many cradles to rock.”

1 Stonehenge

Stonehenge is a world-famous stone circle in Wiltshire, UK. Sarsen stones were placed in the center of a stone circle around 2500 BC to align with the movements of the sun.

On the summer solstice, if you stand in the center of the circle, the sun will spectacularly rise to the left of an upright stone known as the Heel Stone. The people of the Neolithic and Bronze Ages who built Stonehenge were farmers and herdsmen, so the changing seasons were vital to their survival.

Today, Stonehenge is a magnet for Druids and pagans who regard it as their temple, along with Wiccans and nature lovers everywhere.

The atmosphere at Stonehenge has not always been so tranquil. In June 1985, a community called the “Peace Convoy” arrived to stage a festival. Police had set up roadblocks, and when the convoy broke through them, 1,200 police officers arrived at the scene to break up the party. This became known as the Battle of the Bean Field, resulting in the largest mass arrest of civilians since World War Two.^[10]