Human Leopard Societies and the Politics of the Taboo – Preview

In the introduction to The Mystery of the Sherman Ranch: Horror or Hoax, I mentioned the notable parallels between the Native American legends of Skinwalkers and certain secret societies indigenous to West Africa. Sensationalized accounts of the mysterious events documented in George Knapp’s 2005 book Hunt for the Skinwalker have brought international fame to an aspect of Navajo culture that… Read More »Human Leopard Societies and the Politics of the Taboo – Preview

On Black Swans

For over a thousand years Europeans took for granted that black swans were mythological beings, like unicorns and mermaids. The Roman poet Juvenal wrote in his Satires that the ideal wife was “rara avis in terris nigroque simillima cygno” or, “a rare bird on earth, like a black swan.” Black swans were assumed not to exist because no one had… Read More »On Black Swans

Satanic Panic at the Disco

Moral panics are nothing new. Collective anxieties over periods of social instability manifest a primal desire to either propitiate, or punish, whatever is causing the ill fortunes. The Biblical ritual of the Scapegoat placed the sins of the tribe upon a sacrificial animal that was driven into the wilderness. Ironically, in the modern era the scapegoat became a human sacrifice.… Read More »Satanic Panic at the Disco

On Witch Hunts: A History of Gender, Politics, & Labor – Preview

Few phrases in the English language evoke the unique horror associated with the words “witch hunt” in any context. That specific form of religious persecution has become synonymous with injustice, so much so that notorious criminals will routinely invoke the words when deflecting questions about legitimate charges. The historical phenomena of witch hunts peaked between the 16th and 17th Centuries… Read More »On Witch Hunts: A History of Gender, Politics, & Labor – Preview