The Bell Witch, also known as the Bell Witch Haunting, is a famous American folklore tale that has been passed down through generations. It is based on a series of paranormal events that allegedly occurred in rural Tennessee in the early 19th century. According to the legend, the haunting began in 1817 when John Bell, a farmer from Adams, Tennessee, and his family started experiencing strange occurrences on their property. The disturbances started with unexplained noises such as knocking on doors and walls, scratching sounds, and whispering voices. As time went on, the phenomena became more intense and menacing. The Bell family soon realized that the source of these disturbances was a malevolent entity that would later become known as the Bell Witch.
Instead, they end up in water, where they enter the food chain and sometimes animals' noses. The YouTube video of a marine biologist wrestling a plastic straw from a sea turtle's bleeding nose galvanized many advocates. The video has been viewed more than 30 million times.
We do not know conclusively how long the straw had remained in the sea turtle s nostril or how it came to be there in the first place but we can provide some basic conjectures. Fast-forward centuries, and the first straw-as-we-know-it came from a man named Marvin Stone, who, in the late 1800s, didn t like that his natural rye grass straw was disintegrating into his mint julep.
The Bell family soon realized that the source of these disturbances was a malevolent entity that would later become known as the Bell Witch. She was described as a disembodied spirit with a vengeful nature and the ability to communicate with the living. The Bell Witch was said to have targeted John Bell and his daughter Betsy in particular, tormenting them both physically and psychologically.
The history of drinking straws: ancient beer slurper, erotic object, ocean polluter
Our plastic pollution pandemic has a new poster child: the straw.
Buoyed by a disturbing viral video of a researcher prying a plastic straw from a sea turtle's nose, the utensil rose to topple the plastic bag and six-pack can holder as the item currently ruining the world. These straws are used once and often wind up on beaches, contributing to the voluminous amount of floating plastic in our oceans and waterways. And while they do break up, they never break down — they live forever, often cracking into tiny pieces that can be eaten by the fish we catch. If you eat wild fish, you probably eat plastic.
This reckoning is driving efforts across the country to regulate straw use, including in St. Petersburg. But not everyone is on board. Some see laws like that as the worst kind of bureaucrats-gone-wild overreach. For the disabled, the straw can be a necessity. Others see the issue as a waste of the environmental movement's time — by weight, straws account for an insignificant amount of ocean pollution. Meanwhile, those who do want to eradicate straws see banning them as an effective reminder that plastics have despoiled the world.
How did we get here in the first place?
History shows that before straws became lines in sand, they were about cultivating community. And once, straws were synonymous with mankind's greatest social invention: beer.
Sumerians, a Mesopotamian civilization in what is now Iraq, used straws to drink beer brewed in large vats. The Sumerians brewed their beer in the same vats from which they drank, and spent barley and oats and other by-products from the fermentation process would float to the top. Straws allowed those who indulged to drink the pure liquid from the bottom.
The vats, too big and heavy to lift and pass, sat on the floor. With long straws, friends and family could relax and enjoy the beverage comfortably.
That's what straws did: They made room for others.
"It's a communal activity," said William B. Hafford, a research associate at the Penn Museum who specializes in the Near East.
That tradition has endured. Take classic mid-20th century images of teens sharing a malt at the soda shop.
However, straws were also a tool for demarcation in Mesopotamia, something to differentiate classes. Those who could afford to would adorn their straws, made mostly of reeds, in metals or stones — those decorations are what last, Hafford said. In one instance, Queen Puabi of Ur was buried with a 4.5-foot-long straw wrapped in gold foil. The straw, sticking from a silver pot when it was found in the 1920s, was long gone, but the foil remained. Archaeologists believe her survivors left it in her tomb so she could use her straw in the afterlife.
The incidents reported during the haunting were varied and bizarre. It is said that the Bell Witch was capable of speaking in many voices, predicting future events, and inflicting physical harm. She would often engage in conversations with family members and visitors, proclaiming her hatred for John Bell and her mission to cause him harm. Word of the haunting quickly spread, attracting curious visitors from far and wide. Many came to witness the supernatural occurrences for themselves, making the Bell farm a popular and eerie destination. The events even caught the attention of prominent figures of the time, such as future president Andrew Jackson, who planned to confront the entity. The Bell Witch haunting persisted for several years, causing the Bell family great distress and eventually leading to the death of John Bell. According to accounts, he succumbed to an unknown illness, with some attributing his demise to the witch's influence. It is said that the entity's presence vanished immediately after his passing, leaving behind a haunted legacy that would continue to captivate generations. The story of the Bell Witch remains a prominent part of Tennessee folklore and has been the subject of numerous books, films, and documentaries. Despite the many theories and explanations put forward over the years, the true nature of the events at the Bell farm remains a mystery. To this day, the Bell Witch continues to be a fascinating and chilling tale that adds to the rich tapestry of American hauntings and ghost tales..
Reviews for "The Legend of the Bell Witch: From Folklore to Films"
1. Jennifer - 1 star
I was really disappointed with "The Bell Witch: An American Haunting". The movie lacked a compelling storyline and failed to deliver any scares. The acting felt forced and unconvincing, which made it difficult to connect with the characters. The pacing was also quite slow, and I found myself losing interest halfway through. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this film to anyone looking for a thrilling horror experience.
2. Mark - 2 stars
"The Bell Witch: An American Haunting" had potential, but it fell flat for me. The movie had some creepy moments, but they were overshadowed by confusing plot points and lackluster execution. The characters were underdeveloped, making it hard to invest in their struggles. Additionally, the film seemed to rely heavily on jump scares, which became predictable and lost their impact. I was left feeling unsatisfied and wishing for a more captivating horror film.
3. Sarah - 2.5 stars
I had high hopes for "The Bell Witch: An American Haunting", but it didn't meet my expectations. The story had potential to be intriguing, but it felt disjointed and poorly executed. The scares were predictable, and the movie relied too heavily on clichés. The performances were average at best, making it difficult to fully immerse myself in the film. Overall, it lacked originality and failed to deliver the chills I was hoping for.