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Historical Mysteries

PostPosted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 2:14 am
by JT
One of my hobbies is to read about and 'research' (just already published sources. I'm too cheap to do any real original research) historical mysteries. For example, one that I have recently returned to is the 'Lost Colony' of Roanoke. That was a failed English settlement in the Americas (modern day outer banks of North Carolina USA) in the 1580's. The mystery is the fate of that small colony. They went missing. Any one else have any historical mysteries that are of interest?

Re: Historical Mysteries

PostPosted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 5:45 am
by Patrick
Amelia Earhart.

Re: Historical Mysteries

PostPosted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 7:25 pm
by Ariel
The Marie Celeste

Re: Historical Mysteries

PostPosted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 10:57 pm
by Moon-Crane
Not sure it really counts as it's more a legend, but amongst all the rubbish spoken/written about it, I'm still intrigued by the stories relating to Atlantis. In more 'real' terms anything to do with ancient constructions - Stonehenge, Easter Island statues, Sphinx/Great Pyramid and the other, lost, Wonders Of the Ancient World, etc.

In terms of 'modern' English history, the identity of Jack The Ripper' is still one of the biggest mysteries and subject to much speculation. I doubt we'll ever know for certain, but there are some interesting theories and seemingly compelling, if circumstantial, evidence for certain suspects.

JT wrote:One of my hobbies is to read about and 'research' (just already published sources. I'm too cheap to do any real original research) historical mysteries. For example, one that I have recently returned to is the 'Lost Colony' of Roanoke. That was a failed English settlement in the Americas (modern day outer banks of North Carolina USA) in the 1580's. The mystery is the fate of that small colony. They went missing. Any one else have any historical mysteries that are of interest?


Didn't know of that one. What's your favourite/most likely explanation for their fates?

Re: Historical Mysteries

PostPosted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 11:08 pm
by JT
Patrick wrote:Amelia Earhart.


Thats a good one. Do you have any opinion on her fate?

Re: Historical Mysteries

PostPosted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 12:04 am
by JT
Moon-Crane wrote:
In terms of 'modern' English history, the identity of Jack The Ripper' is still one of the biggest mysteries and subject to much speculation. I doubt we'll ever know for certain, but there are some interesting theories and seemingly compelling, if circumstantial, evidence for certain suspects.


Uncaught serial killers are always a good one. I've done some reading on the Jack the Ripper case. Real cold one though. Another one that I've done quite a lot of reading on is the Zodiac Killer (San Fransisco in the late 60's/early 70's).

JT wrote:One of my hobbies is to read about and 'research' (just already published sources. I'm too cheap to do any real original research) historical mysteries. For example, one that I have recently returned to is the 'Lost Colony' of Roanoke. That was a failed English settlement in the Americas (modern day outer banks of North Carolina USA) in the 1580's. The mystery is the fate of that small colony. They went missing. Any one else have any historical mysteries that are of interest?


Moon-Crane wrote:Didn't know of that one. What's your favourite/most likely explanation for their fates?


The colony was planted in 1585. The leader of the colony sailed back to England for more supplies. He was delayed three years in returning however. When he arrived the fort was abandoned (no sign of violence), with the only clue to their fate being the word "Croatoan" carved into a post of the fort and "Cro" carved into a nearby tree. Before he had left the colony, John White had instructed them that if anything happened to them, they should carve a Maltese cross on a tree nearby, indicating that their disappearance had been forced. As there was no cross, White took this to mean they had moved to "Croatoan Island" (now known as Hatteras Island), but he was unable to conduct a search. A massive storm was forming and his men refused to go any farther. The Croatoans were an indian tribe that inhabited an island a bit south of Roanoke island where the fort was. The colonists had earlier established friendly relations with them. I have read elsewhere that the colonists were also instructed to carve the destination into the tree also if they moved. I don't know if that is actually true or not. If so, then I think the answer is easy. If not, I think it is still a likely explanation, that being they simply moved down to live amongst the Croatoan indians. The indians were of course better at living off the land and if friendly to them it would be an obvious decision for the colonists, who were waiting a long time for resupply. There were even reports through the centuries of blue or grey eyed indians in the area (Eastern North Carolina). And Indians had an oral tradition describing some white ancestry. Check it out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roanoke_Colony

Re: Historical Mysteries

PostPosted: Fri Jun 28, 2013 12:57 am
by Moon-Crane
JT wrote:
Moon-Crane wrote:In terms of 'modern' English history, the identity of Jack The Ripper' is still one of the biggest mysteries and subject to much speculation. I doubt we'll ever know for certain, but there are some interesting theories and seemingly compelling, if circumstantial, evidence for certain suspects.


Uncaught serial killers are always a good one. I've done some reading on the Jack the Ripper case. Real cold one though. Another one that I've done quite a lot of reading on is the Zodiac Killer (San Fransisco in the late 60's/early 70's).

Ah yes, I read up on the Zodiac Killer several years ago (i believe David Fincher, or someone similar, had made a film about the case at the time). Quite a brutal and taunting character? Do they ever still attempt to decrypt some of the coded messages that were received and never cracked? I know it was re-opened those few years back, but i have no idea if it's been closed once again.

JT wrote:
JT wrote:One of my hobbies is to read about and 'research' (just already published sources. I'm too cheap to do any real original research) historical mysteries. For example, one that I have recently returned to is the 'Lost Colony' of Roanoke. That was a failed English settlement in the Americas (modern day outer banks of North Carolina USA) in the 1580's. The mystery is the fate of that small colony. They went missing. Any one else have any historical mysteries that are of interest?


Moon-Crane wrote:Didn't know of that one. What's your favourite/most likely explanation for their fates?


The colony was planted in 1585. The leader of the colony sailed back to England for more supplies. He was delayed three years in returning however. When he arrived the fort was abandoned (no sign of violence), with the only clue to their fate being the word "Croatoan" carved into a post of the fort and "Cro" carved into a nearby tree. Before he had left the colony, John White had instructed them that if anything happened to them, they should carve a Maltese cross on a tree nearby, indicating that their disappearance had been forced. As there was no cross, White took this to mean they had moved to "Croatoan Island" (now known as Hatteras Island), but he was unable to conduct a search. A massive storm was forming and his men refused to go any farther. The Croatoans were an indian tribe that inhabited an island a bit south of Roanoke island where the fort was. The colonists had earlier established friendly relations with them. I have read elsewhere that the colonists were also instructed to carve the destination into the tree also if they moved. I don't know if that is actually true or not. If so, then I think the answer is easy. If not, I think it is still a likely explanation, that being they simply moved down to live amongst the Croatoan indians. The indians were of course better at living off the land and if friendly to them it would be an obvious decision for the colonists, who were waiting a long time for resupply. There were even reports through the centuries of blue or grey eyed indians in the area (Eastern North Carolina). And Indians had an oral tradition describing some white ancestry. Check it out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roanoke_Colony

I had a look at the wiki page after you;d initially posted about it. Intriguing indeed.

Re: Historical Mysteries

PostPosted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 9:23 am
by Wezzo
These mostly have generally accepted answers/explanations but they're still fun to ponder

Hinterkaifeck http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinterkaifeck

On the evening of March 31, 1922, the six inhabitants of the farm were killed with a pickaxe. The murder is still unsolved. The six victims were the farmer Andreas Gruber (63) and his wife Cäzilia (72); their widowed daughter Viktoria Gabriel (35) and her two children, Cäzilia (7) and Josef (2); and the maid Maria Baumgartner. The two-year-old Josef was rumoured to be the son of Viktoria and her father Andreas, who had an incestuous relationship.


The McStay family http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/26/justi ... appearance

Next week marks the third anniversary of the disappearance of Joseph McStay, 43; his wife, Summer, 46; and their two young children, Gianni, 7, and Joseph Mateo, who would be 6 this month.
February 4, 2010 was the last day anyone saw the family or heard from them. When police entered their Southern California house more than 10 days later, they found eggs on the kitchen counter and bowls of popcorn in the living room. Their two dogs were also in the home. But not a single trace of the McStays.
Did they voluntarily leave? Are they in Mexico? Are they in danger? Are they dead?
Despite hundreds of tips and several high-profile television reports and interviews, no one has a clue.


(although there's a bit of confirmation here http://www.cbs8.com/story/21921195/loca ... -in-mexico)

and of course http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taman_Shud_Case

unsolved case of an unidentified man found dead at 6:30 a.m., 1 December 1948, on Somerton beach in Adelaide, South Australia. It is named for a phrase, tamam shud, meaning "ended" or "finished", on a scrap of the final page of The Rubaiyat, found in the hidden pocket of the man's trousers.

Re: Historical Mysteries

PostPosted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 12:10 pm
by Patrick
Maybe he meant that he had finished the book. :D