The legend of the lakes includes the idea that the lakes are connected to each other and to Carlsbad Caverns (90 miles away) or the Gulf of Mexico (600 miles away) through subterranean passages. where the devil meets with his minions and a headless ghost circles the pond after being summoned by hobgoblins, where living things and buildings slip in and are forever lost, giant cracks miles deep or with lava pools, There was a legend here that parents disposed of their babies umbilical cords in this vent as a magical ritual to give the child positive qualities, a gruesome legend where a father killed his son and then also drowning himself, Hydrogen sulfide gas in the water is toxic and can cause dizziness and nausea, disorienting divers, Rich Buhler, a radio host for Christianity Today, tracked the story back to the propaganda article that was based on a made-up story, additional features attributed to Mels Hole were bizarre, When he told them the paranormal tales were nonsense but the real hole was a typical mine shaft, The physics of such a hole is quite weird, The Kola Superdeep Borehole is the deepest hole on earth at 40,230 feet. Houska Castle Was Built to Cover a Gateway to Hell - abandonedspaces.com Caerlaverock Castle and its 800 years of Scottish history. The strangest of these paintings depicts a creature with the upper body of a human woman and the lower body of a horse. Waters said he used rolls of fishing line to measure it. Vouliagmeni is a lake in Greece that was said to suck people in via a whirlpool, or they could be nabbed by the evil fairy folk living at the bottom. When the hole gets blocked it may temporarily hold water until the plug comes loose and the hole drains. Situated on a clifftop and surrounded by dark legends and unsettling accounts, the Houska castle is one of the most feared castles in the world. After World War II, the castle was returned to its rightful owners, the descendants of koda's president Josef imonek. [4] Later on, it passed to the hands of the aristocracy, frequently passing from the ownership of one to another. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Of geological interest, the area here is limestone so we could speculate that a natural karst feature was the inspiration for the hole. With World War II resulting in fierce fighting across the continent, the Nazis swept into the Czech Republic, and decided to enrich their knowledge of the occult by studying at Houska Castle. Houska Castle Czechia Nazi Occult Experiments Gateway To Hell And, I try to connect them to their geological foundations. Meurger, M. (1988). It revealed a seemingly endless abyss that villagers deemed an entrance to Hell. Giant of Odessos: Skeleton unearthed in Varna, Bulgaria, Conneaut Giants: Extensive burying ground of giant race discovered in the early 1800s. If you're looking for a one way trip to the underworld, there's no shortage of alleged "gateways to hell" hidden all over the world. Now before this castle was even built the people who lived . Ive tried using a well probe to test for depth and you start to lose that feeling of hitting bottom at about 300 feet. The supposed hole at the castle is supposedly beneath the floor of the chapel. The area in which the castle was built isnt all that strategic. These features are called cenotes and are not uncommon. Is The Houska Castle A Portal To Hell? - Paranormal Junkie Houska Castle in World War II That is, people didnt travel so their yardstick for a big hole was that one in their vicinity. These include a half-bullfrog, half-human creature, a headless horse, and an old woman traversing the grounds. The Houska Castle Bottomless Pit, the gate of the hell . Fearful of turning into these demonic entities themselves, villagers avoided the rocky entrance. Even Thoreaus famous Walden Pond was rumored to be bottomless. Caligulas stunning 2,000-year-old sapphire ring tells of a dramatic love story, Evidence of a 14,000-year-old settlement found in western Canada, Archaeologists locate earliest known North American settlement, 2,400-year-old baskets still filled with fruit found in the submerged Egyptian city, 9,000-year-old site near Jerusalem is the Big Bang of prehistory settlement, Oldest stone tools ever found were not made by human hands, study suggests, Mysterious skeleton revealed to be that of unusual lady anchoress of York Barbican. Ottokar II built this castle as an administration center. A truly bottomless hole would go through the earth and come out the other side an impossibility to create and a physical conundrum in terms of falling into it. There was a legend here that parents disposed of their babies umbilical cords in this vent as a magical ritual to give the child positive qualities. It is fabled that the hole was so deep that no one could see the bottom of it. The gateway to Hell is allegedly so deep that one can't see the bottom. Haunted? Two qualities of a lake indicated the almost certain presence of a legendary monster first, dark water, and secondly, it was deemed unfathomable. [4] From 1584 to 1590, it underwent Renaissance-style modifications, losing none of its fortress features as it looks down from a steep rocky cliff. There is nothing about Mels Hole that is genuine. Today, Houska Castle remains one of the most haunted places on Earth. He began screaming in horror and begged to be pulled back up. Legend has it that half-animal, half-human creatures used to crawl out from the pit at night, and those black-winged creatures used to attack locals and drag them down into the hole. It was filled only to be restored to its original condition the next day. Some say that many top Nazi officials, including Himmler, attended dark ceremonies at Houska Castle in which they attempted to harness the power of Hell. No modern discussion of weird bottomless holes would be complete without at least mentioning it. Wikimedia CommonsSkeletal remains of Nazis were purportedly found in the courtyard of Houska Castle. Houska Castle has been open to the public since 1999. They hoped the . It is believed that the castle was built to keep the evil in. The Legends of Houska Castle: The Castle of The Devil This has raised doubts as to the castles intended purpose, but if it wasnt built to be a fort or residence, why was it built at all? Gas release may also account for the tales of the swamp boiling and bubbling. It was originally constructed in the 13th century, between 1253 and 1278, during the reign of Ottokar II of Bohemia. Required fields are marked *. In Sompting, local lore of the 1940s described a very dangerous bottomless hole that swallowed a cart horse and all. While Houska Castle might seem like an enchanting stronghold from the outside, the secrets and legends that are told from within its walls are even more formidable. The bottomlessness of the various pits, lakes and bogs worldwide is not physically accurate but the concept of the unknown abyss is an essential feature of a mythological and enchanted landscape. Oddly, the original construction omitted stairs from the courtyard to the upper floors, and most of the structure's defenses were built facing inwards. Around the 1630s, the castle was believed to be occupied by a Swedish black magic practitioner named Oronto. Supposedly, the bodies were never recovered. Carolina Bays, Mima Mounds, Submarine Canyons and Other Topographical Phenomena: A Catalog of Geological Anomalies. Houska Castle was built during the reign of Ottokar II of Bohemia between 1253 and 1278 as an administrative hub from which the king could manage royal estates. Although not one of the largest or the most beautiful castles in the Czech Republic, with no huge parks nor the oldest chapels, Houska Castle has become a favourite destination for many adventurers and travellers alike. As of 2020, it was owned by his descendants. In 1901, English Mechanic magazine reported on a seemingly bottomless hole at 171st St in New York City. The Legend of the Unfathomable Waters. Hrad Houska Nature Hiking Adventure An old Gothic style castle that is perfectly hidden in the deep forest and riddled with mystery, come if you dare! If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. Knucker holes are springs. Besides this, it is thought to be one of the most haunted sites on Earth. Little of the above information has much credibility and may all be just tall tales. It depends on the storyteller.) The castle was not built as a residence or as a protective sanctuary, but was instead built because the hole was thought to be a gateway to hell. The term blue hole has been used to describe seemingly bottomless features of two types. But stagnant waters made us uneasy with their silence. Their geological origins are diverse. Villagers eventually tried to block the alleged "gateway to Hell" with stones, only to see the seemingly bottomless pit devour whatever they threw in refusing to be sealed. It was completely avoided by all residents in the area after dark. Houska Castle - Dark Tales Many people who have ventured into the castle have reported hearing scratching and screams from beneath the ground they walk on, especially as you get closer to where the pit lies. According to folklore, Houska Castle was constructed over a large hole in the ground which was known as The Gateway to Hell. The locals ignored the finding. The castle was built in an area of forests, swamps and mountains with no external fortifications, no source of water except for a cistern to collect rainwater,[5][dubious discuss] no kitchen, far from any trade routes, and with no occupants at its time of completion. There are famous knuckerholes at Lyminster, Lancing, Shoreham, Worthing, and other areas of the South Downs that are flat. Castle Tour It was not water-filled. The Demonic Abysse of Houska Castle 2016. The Dozmary Pool in Bodmin Moor, Cornwall was said to have an outlet to the sea which was 10.5miles (16.9 km) away. He had been so disturbed by whatever he had seen in the pit, that when he reached the surface, he was still screaming. He reigned from 1253 to 1278 and ordered the castle to be made as an administration centre for his royal estates. June 4, 2021. Episode 302 LIVE: Houska Castle and the Doris Bither Entity Haunting Legends and science of bottomless holes - SPOOKY GEOLOGY Due to groundwater extraction, these spring-fed pools may eventually shrink or dry up. While evidence is scant, some say that a Swedish mercenary and practitioner of black magic named Oronto inhabited Houska Castle in the 1600s. There are a few reasons why bottomless holes or lakes cant exist. The location was never specified, and it was never found. Houska was built by Pemysl Otakar II as a remarkable royal castle, but was soon sold to a noble family, which continued to own in until after WWI. The water conceals the ultimate depth. Houska, or more specifically, it's chapel, was built over a bizarre hole in the ground that was not only said to be bottomless but was also said to be a literal portal to Hell. A staff writer for All Thats Interesting, Marco Margaritoff has also published work at outlets including People, VICE, and Complex, covering everything from film to finance to technology. Craters forming in Siberia, in particular, look very much like a bottomless hole. The castle was originally constructed in the 13th century, between 1253 and 1278, under the reign of Ottokar II. According to the castle's official website, it was built in the 13th century as an administrative hub for the king, but Czech folklore maintains that the true purpose of its construction was to seal a gaping crack in the limestone. This makes it clear that Houska Castle was not built as a protective sanctuary or a residence. Archaeological evidence shows Celtic tribes inhabited the land far before the Middle Ages, and Slavic tribes migrated to the region in the sixth century. Gases were once emitted from this vent during past eruptions. He vanished into the darkness, before those on the surface began to hear his blood-curdling screams. Its possible that a strong current might have existed underwater at times, creating a visible swirling effect. After about 20 hrs of falling, youd reach the center of the earth, but then get stuck in the core trapped in the gravitational center. Blue holes: Definition and genesis. According to Bohemian chronicler Vclav Hjek, the first known structure near Houska Castle was a small wooden fort. Soundings in 1896 found a bottom just 20 feet below, but the legend of the pool as supernaturally deep continued. A large gash in the limestone rock opened up a "bottomless pit" sometime in the 12th century. [6] Animal-human hybrids were reported to have crawled out of it, and dark-winged, otherworldly creatures flew in its vicinity. Photo: ladabar / flickr / CC-BY-NC 2.0. Apparently, his hair had turned white and he had grown extremely wrinkled. The lake has high peat content turning the water black and the pH to around 5, so its too low for fish. Most castles have a some kind of valid purpose behind them and are built in the best interest of the people around them. . In his dreams, he had a terrifying vision, which he recorded in a letter to his friend, Edward Hindle. houska castle pit explorationbulgarian beauty standards. The Houska Castle Czech Republic Mysterious Bottomless Pit Is Gateway The listener may hear no splash or crack of a stone hitting some surface below. These legendary spots might hold healing waters or a dragon. Another person who claimed to know its location, a man who called himself by the assumed name Red Elk also never demonstrated any genuine evidence of the hole even though he said he had visited it for decades. Houska castle was built with no fortifications, no water, no kitchen, near no trade routes, and with no occupants at its time of completion. If bottomless represented the unknown, its a very small leap of thought to assume there were monsters in this abyss. This wooden structure was mentioned by Vaclav Hajek in his Czech Chronicle which was published in 1541. The remains of three Nazi soldiers are said to have been found in the courtyard. Petr David, Vladimr Soukup, Lubomr ech, Learn how and when to remove this template message, | Haunted Castles Around the World |October 10, 2017, |This castle is believed to be the entrance to the underworld |TravelBook.de |Annette Schimanski |April 24, 2020, |Discover the dark history of Houska Castle |CzechTourism 2017, |The Most Haunted Places in Prague, Czech Republic |Prague Visitor Staff | September 24, 2019, |The Scariest Places in the World |Bob Curran, |Houska Castle Blatce, Czechia |Folklore says this medieval fortress was plopped atop a portal to hell to trap the demons below |29 January 2018, |This castle is believed to be the entrance to the underworld |Travel Book |Annette Schimanski |April 24, 2020, See the castle in Czech Republic, believed to be the gateway to hell with bottomless pit, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Houska_Castle&oldid=1142138997, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing translation from Czech Wikipedia, Articles lacking reliable references from February 2023, Articles with disputed statements from February 2023, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Houska Castle is located in the eastern part of the Kokon Forest, 47 km north of Prague and about 15 km from Bezdz, another ancient iconic castle of Central Europe. Bottomless Lakes State Park in New Mexico is over 1600 acres of land with eight lakes available to visitors. The Legend of Hell's Gate at Houska Castle, page 1 - AboveTopSecret.com It is said that underneath the castle is a bottomless pit filled with demons. Houska Castle was likely built on the orders of Ottokar II of Bohemia who wanted it to serve as an administrative building where other royal properties could be managed from. According to local legend, it was meant to trap demons. These internal defences point toward the courtyard. Houska Castle is a gothic construction dating back to the late 1200s. It was built in the ninth century, before a crack in the limestone appeared which locals believed was a gateway to Hell and allowed inhuman entities to enter our world. It lies about 47km (29mi) north of Prague. The story was first published in Finland by a Pentecostal Christian journal. The castle was built in an impenetrable forest that provided no hunting opportunities nor strategic position near a border or any trade routes. Wabash Valley Visions and Voices Digital Memory Project. Case No. 7 | Houska Castle (2014) - paranormaltym.cz Workers on a drilling project in an unnamed place in Siberia sunk a hole 14.4 kilometers (8.9mi) deep before breaking through to a cavity from which they heard and recorded screaming voices and measured searing heat. Considering this claim that he measured a depth to 15 miles, we know Waters is bluffing. In other ghostly tales, a headless black horse is said to gallop through the surrounding area. No luck. Houska Castle - The Gateway To hell - The Mystic and Occult in the It had a constructed stone wall around it. Houska Castle- located in the Czech Republic, bisected by the Vltava River is one such castle that has always lured lovers of secrets. [1] It is one of the best preserved castles of the period. houska castle pit exploration apartments in port st lucie, fl The Scientific Monthly , 84: 6, 302-308. Archaeological evidence has shown that Celtic tribes inhabited the land Houska Castle stands on in antiquity. Some have water. Locals avoided the area near Houska Castle even when it lay completely abandoned. Mining created the Chuquicamata Copper Mine, in Chile at 2,790, the Kimberley Mine in South Africa at 700 and the Berkeley Pit, in Butte, Montana at 1700. Hohek's Castle was built between 1253 and 1278. Legend has it that prisoners who were facing the gallows were offered full pardons, but only if they agreed to be lowered into the bottomless hole and report on what they saw. They would logically attempt to plumb it with an available oar or long tree branch or sapling. He had been so disturbed by what he experienced in the darkness that he was sent to an insane asylum where he died two days later from unknown causes. Houska Castle - YouTube Kansas has the infamous Stull Cemetery, Greece has the Cape Matapan Caves, and Indiana had the Demon House (until Ghost Adventures' Zak Bagans tore it down), and . houska castle pit shocking incidents and folklore at czech republic the gate of hell , There are no trade routes nearby, and its engulfed by dense forests, swamps and sandstone mountains. Philbrook, S. and Burgess, F. (2017). Gateway to Hell: Inside Haunted Houska Castle - Amy's Crypt 1 / 3 513 104 104 comments Add a Comment AutoModerator Please note these rules: Please help this article by looking for better, more reliable sources. Thus, people assume it has no bottom at all. Built in the 13th century by Bohemian settlers, the layout and history of Houska Castle suggest something sinister lurks there and legend holds that it sits atop a gateway to Hell. [1] It is one of the best preserved castles of the period. The chapel in the castle was built over the bottomless well or so the locals claim and it is here that the gateway to hell is said to be located. Its a dangerous feature. The fact that this beast is using its left hand to shoot its arrow is even more unnerving, as left-handedness was associated with Satan in the Middle Ages.