‘Our Town’s Libraries’ Which I Drew For The @nytimes Recently… Speaking Of Libraries, I Have

Enrique of Malacca

Circumnavigating the world is no easy feat, especially when the world’s geography was so uncertain in the past. And while the world celebrates Magellan’s effort and success, Malaysians take pride in its success in honour of an entirely different person, known simply as Enrique of Malacca or Henry the Black.

Statue of Enrique in the Maritime Museum of Malacca, Malacca City, Malaysia. Photo obtained from Wikipedia.

A voyager of Malay descent, Enrique met Magellan when the Portuguese conquered Malacca in 1511, putting Enrique under Magellan’s workforce as his slave. In 1519, Enrique was enlisted in Magellan’s fleet to set sail around the Earth primarily due to his ability to speak the Malay language (which was the lingua franca of the region at the time). He accompanied Magellan throughout the expedition until the Battle of Mactan and Magellan’s death, after which he left the Magellan expedition on 1st May 1521 with the presumed intention of heading back to his homeland.

The route taken by the Magellan expedition, with milestones highlighted. From Cebu, had Enrique returned back to his home in Malacca, he would have been the first person to circumnavigate the Earth. Photo obtained from Wikipedia

Though there are no concrete records of Enrique after he left the expedition, there lies the possibility that he may have been the first person to circumnavigate the globe instead of the Magellan expedition. In order to claim the title, Enrique would have to reach his homeland which is considered HIS starting point instead of going back to Spain before September 1522, which is when the Magellan expedition entered Spain through Sanlúcar de Barrameda, their starting point when they first started the journey. However, as no record ever made light of this matter, it is currently unknown whether Enrique ever did make his way back to his homeland or lost his way somewhere.

Cebu island in the Philippines. The last place where Enrique was recorded alive after he left the Magellan expedition. Photo from Wikipedia.

While the truth of Enrique’s fate may present itself in the future, it is still a national pride that a native of Malaysia from Malacca managed to be a part of one of the most historical maritime expeditions of the early 1500s.

The Columbus Dispatch

For first time in 45 years, endangered American burying beetle found in Ohio

When she saw the plump orange-and-black insect crawling on the rotting rat corpse, Andrea Malek didn't know whether to cry, laugh or scream

In 2019, wildlife researcher Andrea Malek discovered evidence that the critically endangered American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) may have successfully bred itself in the wild, providing a future where these elusive beetles may once again become a part of the native American ecosystem.

An American burying beetle (N. americanus). Critically endangered though the possibility of species re-establishment now seems brighter. Photo credit to The Columbus Dispatch.

Once common throughout the United States and Canada, it is believed that N. americanus dwindled in population due loss of appropriately sized food sources, light pollution, and competition from larger scavengers among other things.

A pair of mating beetles are about to be placed in their makeshift home where they will feed, mate, and produce new offspring, all on top of a warm cozy carcass. Photo credit to the Columbus Dispatch.

To re-establish the American burying beetle population, breeding programs at The Wilds in Muskingum County, Ohio were initiated with new populations released every summer. However, none seem to have survived the winter period, until now.

Click on the link above to read more about these fantastic beetles and the breeding program maintained by The Wilds and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Wildlife division.

Zombie setting where the undead are drawn towards unhygienic scents, so survivors constantly bathe to avoid being eaten.

Zombies are docile when adorned with flowers.

Settlements overgrown with herbs and flora.

Barely any banditry; everyone is focused on farming and gathering.

Different human factions and towns named after flowers like Lilies, Orchids, Roses, etc.

Instead of immediately killing an infected survivor, they’re given special funeral rites - the zombie is covered with flowers to keep them calm, and  allowed to walk out from the settlement to join the hordes.

Book Review: Strange and Paranormal Tales of Malacca by Dennis de Witt

Title: Strange and Paranormal Tales from Malacca

Author: Dennis de Witt

ISBN: 9789671668610

For locals and interested international readers, De Witt's compilation offers a unique insight into the type of magical fantasy and monstrous wonders that exists in Malacca and its surrounding areas. From rock-throwing poltergeists to sea monsters and even mystical old men with the power to stop vehicles from working, De Witt weaves short tales around each subject, enough to inspire awe and curiosity in the readers. The entire book is broken down into three categories:

1421 - 1824 (Malacca Malay Sultanate and the Portuguese and Dutch Colonization Era)

1825 - 1956 (British Colonization Era)

1957 - 2019 (Post-Independent Malacca and the Modern Era)

I will admit that some entries looked much too short and a question kept nagging at the back of my mind: Where's the rest?! Fortunately, as a historian, De Witt keeps a meticulous record of his findings and supplicates each entry with a list of references for further reading. Most of it is newspaper clippings but a few of them are interesting for future reads like Malay Magic by Walter Skeat and The Were-Tiger by Sir Hugh Cliffords.

Overall, this book is a good stepping stone into the world of Malay folklore, particularly Malaccan folktales. Some stories are strange, others have a dash of the paranormal, and some just make you want to find out more.

Happy Hauntings!

Le Manoir du Diable (1896)

Considered the earliest horror film ever made, Le Manoir du Diable, French for House of the Devil, is an 1896 silent film by George Méliès about two wandering cavaliers and how the Devil played tricks on them.

Far from being terror-inducing, the entire 3-minute short film (quite ambitious at the time) was actually a comic sketch meant to evoke laughter and amusement from its audience, rather than fear. It was presumed lost until the late 1980s when a copy was found again and restored by the New Zealand Film Archives.

Pengabdi Setan (2017)

Pengabdi Setan, also known as Satan's Slave, is an Indonesian horror movie written and directed by Joko Anwar who also worked on other Indonesian horror films such as Perempuan Tanah Jahanam (Woman of the Damned Land aka Impetigore, 2019) and Ratu Ilmu Hitam (The Queen of Black Magic, 2019).

In the film, the matriarch who fell ill more than 3 years ago passed away under mysterious circumstances, setting a chain of horrific motions haunting her children Rini (Tara Basro), Tony (Endy Arfian), Bondi (Nasar Anuz), and Ian (Muhammad Adhiyat). Set in the early 1980s, Joko Anwar sets the mood with dim lighting and plot twists, evoking a building sense of suspense that climaxes into a horrific peak involving fertility cults and zombified pocongs.

Aside from the riveting storyline and awesome cast and crew, one thing that stuck with me is the soundtrack. Throughout the entire movie, snippets of Kelam Malam, performed by The Spouse and introduced as the matriarch's hit song early in the film, further set the mood playing throughout the movie with its haunting melody and suggestive lyrics.

The easter egg ending features Darminah who, for those who don't know, appeared in the 1980 version of Pengabdi Setan making this movie a remake, though some suggest it is also a prequel given that the 2017 setting was 1981 while the 1980 setting was 1982. Regardless, the seductive ending scene set against Diwajahmu Kulihat Bulan by Sam Saimun also set the mood for the sequel which we will see soon this year in 2022.

Happy Hauntings!

"Ah, September! You are the doorway to the season that awakens my soul... but I must confess that I love you only because you are a prelude to my beloved October." 🍁🎃🌙

- Peggy Toney Horton

Suitable for inducting future children of the night into the horror genre, for horror fans new and old, this film is an essential viewing featuring horror icon Bela Lugosi in the titular role of Dracula.

Overall, this film has quite the suspenseful cinematographic atmosphere though it can feel a bit stiff and disconnected at times. Some of my favorite scenes involve Dracula getting out of his coffin under his creepy crypt or when the camera focuses on his eyes when he compels his victims. Honestly, Lugosi brings out the Stranger Danger!!! bell warnings every time he appears on the screen.

Aside from Bela Lugosi, I personally felt that Dwight Frye and Edward Van Sloan, who played Renfield and Dr. Van Helsing respectively, really stole the show with their acting especially Frye when portraying Renfield's madness. Sloan really brings out Dr. Van Helsing's confidence in dealing with Dracula with his arsenal of crosses and wolfsbane.

The entire movie is roughly over an hour so it's a good pick for a quick horror sesh and as I've said before, due to the lack of blood and at most, suggestive biting from Dracula himself, the movie can be a good introduction to young minds ready to be warped into the horror genre.

Happy Hauntings!

Beware All Who Enter

Here lies the passage to the dead. Or living. On undecided. Honestly, no pressure except the one you put on yourselves.

Hello, my name is Fisher (pseudonym, obviously!) and this is my personal blog. I'll mostly write or reblog about:

Horror stuff such as book reviews and movie or tv suggestions but mostly book reviews.

Paranormal shit from your haunted hollows to curious cryptids and demonic denizens

Beetles and cats cause these two are my favorite animals

Art pieces here and there. Links will be given. If I forgot to credit, please let me know.

Generally anything green. Aesthetics, fashion, nature photos, you name it. If it's green, it's in.

There will be a number of posts on Malaysian culture (Guess where I'm from?) and Islamic anecdotes sprinkled in as well.

Contents are generally posted on Thursdays after 7pm. Please keep any and all messages civil. Notice how I only use one profanity in this post. That's all. Explore safely and happy hauntings.