The world is full of unanswered questions, events, and objects that defy easy explanation. Despite investigations and theories, some mysteries remain stubbornly unsolved, captivating our imaginations. Join us as we explore ten more such enigmas that continue to puzzle experts and enthusiasts alike.
10. The Child Eater of Bern
Bern, Switzerland, is famous for its beauty, but it also holds a rather unsettling secret: the Kindlifresserbrunnen, or Child Eater Fountain. This 16th-century statue shows a giant munching on a baby, with a sack of other terrified infants slung over his shoulder. It’s one of Bern’s oldest fountains, yet its true meaning remains a mystery.
Why was such a macabre statue built? Theories abound. Some suggest it’s a warning to the Jewish community of the time, pointing to the giant’s hat, which resembles a Judenhut. Others think it could be the Greek Titan Kronos, who famously ate his children. A more local legend claims the ogre is the enraged older brother of Bern’s founder, Duke Berchtold, seeking revenge by devouring the town’s children. Despite the stories, no one knows for sure.
9. The Split Moon
Imagine looking up at the moon and seeing it split in two! That’s what five monks in Canterbury, England, claimed to witness on a June evening in 1178. Gervase of Canterbury, a chronicler, vividly described the upper horn of the crescent moon dividing. He wrote of a “flaming torch” erupting from the split, spewing “fire, hot coals and sparks,” while the moon itself seemed to “writhe” and “throb like a wounded snake.”
What could have caused such a dramatic celestial event? One astronomer proposed they saw an asteroid impact forming the lunar crater Giordano Bruno. However, many astronomers disagree, as such an impact would have likely created a massive meteor shower, which wasn’t recorded. A more accepted theory is that the monks might have seen a meteor streaking across the sky, perfectly aligned with the moon from their viewpoint.
8. Nuclear Spy Device Induces Flood?
In February 2021, a devastating flood struck Raini village in the Indian Himalayas after a glacier collapsed. Over fifty people lost their lives. Officially, an avalanche triggered by the glacier was to blame. However, many locals hold a different, more alarming belief: a lost nuclear spy device “exploded,” causing the disaster.
This theory stems from a Cold War-era mission. In the 1960s, the U.S. and India reportedly collaborated to place nuclear-powered monitoring devices in the Himalayas to spy on Chinese nuclear tests. Climbers carrying one such device were caught in a blizzard on Nanda Devi mountain and had to abandon it. They never found it when they returned. While the Indian prime minister in 1978 confirmed the plan, the device’s fate remains unknown. Could it still be up there, a radioactive relic causing havoc?
7. The Clarendon Dry Pile
Imagine a battery that has been working for over 180 years! That’s the reality of the Clarendon Dry Pile, also known as the Oxford Electric Bell. Set up in 1840, this incredible device consists of two brass bells and a small clapper that swings between them, powered by an early type of battery called a dry pile. It’s estimated to have rung around 10 billion times!
The bell holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s most durable battery. Encased in molten sulfur for insulation and displayed behind two layers of glass, it still rings faintly today. The biggest mystery? No one knows exactly what its power source is made of, or why it has lasted so incredibly long. Scientists are hesitant to open it, fearing they might ruin the ongoing experiment. They’re simply waiting to see when, or if, it will finally stop.
6. What Happened to Licorice McKechnie?
Licorice McKechnie was a distinctive voice and presence in the psychedelic folk group, The Incredible String Band, even gracing the stage at Woodstock in 1969. After leaving the band in 1972 following a breakup with bandmate Robin Williamson, her life took a more enigmatic turn. She performed at a Scientology benefit in 1974, moved to California, and briefly rejoined Williamson’s new band in 1977.
After a visit to her family in Edinburgh in 1986, Licorice seemingly vanished around 1990. The last reported sighting placed her hitchhiking in the Arizona Desert in 1987. Despite unconfirmed rumors in 2019 that she was alive in California, her true whereabouts remain unknown. Theories range from a quiet, withdrawn life to more sinister possibilities linked to her past associations. Her disappearance is a lingering question mark in music history.
5. Sam the Sandown Clown
In May 1973, on the Isle of Wight, two children playing near a golf course heard a strange siren. Curious, they investigated a small bridge and encountered a bizarre figure. This being, over six feet tall with a large round head, white skin, and face paint, introduced itself through a microphone-like device: “Hello, and I am all colors, Sam.”
Sam claimed not to be human, describing himself as being “in an odd sort of way” like a ghost. He expressed fear of humans but invited the children into his metal hut. Inside, he performed a strange trick with a berry. After about half an hour, the children left. Adults later found no trace of Sam or his hut. Was “Sam the Sandown Clown” an elaborate prankster, a shared hallucination, or something else entirely? The encounter remains a peculiar local mystery.
4. Is the Holy Grail in Spain?
The Holy Grail, the legendary cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper and later to collect his blood, is one of Christianity’s most sought-after relics. Tales tell of it being hidden by Knights Templar or buried in Glastonbury, England. But could this sacred object actually be in Spain?
In the Valencia Cathedral, a small, ancient chalice is revered by many as the true Holy Grail. While the church itself doesn’t officially make this claim, the cup has compelling features. It’s made from a type of stone found only in the Holy Land, and its shape is typical of cups used in Jewish liturgical celebrations during Jesus’s time. Twice a year, it’s brought out for veneration. Could this unassuming chalice be the real artifact? The mystery endures.
3. The Strange Case of Heidi Wyrick
When eight-year-old Heidi Wyrick and her family moved to Ellerslie, Georgia, she quickly made a new friend: an elderly man named Gordy. Her parents dismissed him as imaginary until Heidi mentioned another visitor, “Con,” who appeared with a bloodied t-shirt. Their concern grew when Lisa’s sister, who moved in next door, revealed that James S. Gordy was the previous owner of their house, having died in 1974. Heidi’s description of Gordy matched his appearance.
“Con” was identified as Lon “Con” Batchelor, an uncle of a previous owner, who died in 1957 and was missing a hand – a detail Heidi also knew. For four years, Heidi interacted with these spirits. Later, a malevolent spirit appeared, and both Heidi and her father experienced unexplained scratches. A parapsychologist believed Heidi’s experiences were genuine, but a definitive explanation remains elusive. Heidi reportedly continues to see spirits as an adult.
2. The Van Heijst Lights
Pilot Christiaan van Heijst is known for his stunning aerial photography. During a 747 flight from Hong Kong to Alaska in 2014, he witnessed something truly bizarre. After hearing air traffic control discuss earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, he saw an intense flash of light shoot up from below the horizon. He photographed a faint green “earth-glow.”
About twenty minutes later, a deep red glow appeared ahead of the aircraft. As they flew closer, the lights intensified, illuminating the clouds and sky with an orange hue similar to a massive wildfire. The strange part? These powerful lights were emanating from an area over the open ocean where no land, and certainly no widespread fires, should have been. Theories include an underwater volcano, but no official explanation has ever been provided for these mysterious lights.
1. The Disappearance of Kirsa Jensen
On September 1, 1983, 14-year-old Kirsa Jensen went for a horseback ride on a local beach in Napier, New Zealand. She never came home. Her horse, Commodore, was later found wandering near the Tutaekuri River, but Kirsa was gone without a trace. This marked the beginning of one of New Zealand’s most baffling unsolved cases.
The last confirmed sighting placed Kirsa near an old World War Two gun emplacement by the river, talking to a man in a white utility vehicle. Witnesses reported seeing her with a bloody face, seemingly held by a middle-aged man. In 1985, John Russell confessed to her murder but later retracted his statement; he was never charged and died by suicide in 1992. Despite extensive searches and the involvement of psychics, Kirsa Jensen has never been found, and her case remains painfully open.
These ten mysteries are just a handful of the countless enigmas that dot our world. From strange apparitions and unexplained lights to historical puzzles and tragic disappearances, they remind us that not everything has a simple answer. The unknown continues to fascinate and perplex us, inviting speculation and wonder.
What do you think about these unsolved mysteries? Do you know of any others that keep you guessing? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
