ONLY A FOOL would believe everything they read on Wikipedia, right?

That doesn’t mean it’s not a mine of creepy and strange stories, syndromes, incidents and accidents.

Phocks.org has compiled a list of 136 of the creepiest Wikipedia articles, and we’ve distilled it down to five of our favourites. Or should that be least favourites?

So here they are, in no particular order:

The Bloop

A terrifying low-frequency, powerful underwater sound detected by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 1997.

YouTube/Asnavas

According to the Wikipedia page:

While the audio profile of the Bloop does resemble that of a living creature, the source is a mystery both because it is different from known sounds and because it was several times louder than the loudest recorded animal, the blue whale.

So is the sound produced by icequakes in large icebergs, or is it some giant creature living in those parts of the ocean where the light never reaches?

HOLD US!

The Owlman

First spotted in the mid-seventies near a church in the village of Mawnan in Cornwall, the Owlman is rumoured to be “an owl as big as a man, with pointed ears and red eyes” which flies “up into the air, revealing black pincer-like claws”.

There have been several sightings since, according to Wikipedia:

In 1995, a female tourist from Chicago wrote to the Western Morning News in Truro, claiming to have seen a “man-bird… with a ghastly face, a wide mouth, glowing eyes and pointed ears” as well as “clawed wings”

AN OWL AS BIG AS A MAN WITH FANGS AND CLAWS? ME NERVES!

List of Unusual Deaths

This Wikipedia page does exactly what it says on the tin and lists… er… unusual deaths, such as:

• In 620 BC Draco, Athenian law-maker, was smothered to death by gifts of cloaks showered upon him by appreciative citizens at a theatre on Aegina
• In 1816 Gouverneur Morris, an American statesman, died after sticking a piece of whale bone through his urinary tract to relieve a blockage
• In 1410 Martin of Aragon died from a combination of indigestion and uncontrollable laughing
• In 1955 Margo Jones, theater director, was killed by exposure to carbon tetrachloride fumes from her newly cleaned carpet

Penis Panic

Also known as Shrinking Penis or Koro, this syndrome leads a person to believe that their genitals are retracting and will disappear.

It’s believed to be connected to:

… a cultural belief or myth which plays a role in the genesis and spread of the disease in the community.

The Dyatlov Pass Accident

In 1959  nine hikers died in mysterious circumstances in the Ural Mountains.

According to Wikipedia:

Soviet investigators simply determined that “a compelling natural force” had caused the deaths… the chronology of the incident remains unclear because of the lack of survivors.

Investigators at the time determined that the hikers tore open their tent from within, departing barefoot into heavy snow and a temperature of −30 °C. Although the corpses showed no signs of struggle, two victims had fractured skulls, two had broken ribs, and one was missing her tongue.

There are numerous theories about what happened, from paranormal activity to weapons tests to an avalanche.

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