Free The Book of the Bizarre: Freaky Facts and Strange Stories by Varla Ventura Page B

empire. This practice was so valuable that in very early times areas were cleared of buildings and trees so as not to obscure the view of the birds' flights. The augur would perform a divination ceremony, marking off space in the sky with his staff and taking note ofthe birds' direction, speed, and song, whenever an important military or political decision was to be made.
FORTUNA REDUX
    Fortuna Redux was the Roman goddess of successful journeys and safe returns. She has been probably invoked, if only unconsciously, by every explorer who ever set foot on unknown land.
    Emperor Augustus erected an altar to Fortuna Redux after he returned from a long journey through Asia in 19 B.C. In A.D. 93 a new temple was erected by the emperor Domitian, who was forever doing battle to keep the empire together and himself on the throne.
THE EVIL EYE
    The concept of the evil eye dates back to around 3000 B.C. Mentioned in the Bible and ancient Sumerian, Assyrian, and Voudon texts, it is still prevalent in parts of Europe, Central America, and Mexico. Historical notions of the evil eye fall into two categories. The intentional category assumes that the perpetrators—such as witches, warlocks, and medicine men—purposely cast their evil eyes over their victims. But some unfortunate souls areafflicted with the evil eye without even knowing it, and the people around them must learn to avoid their wicked gazes or risk death, destruction, or despair. Two notable figures said to have been born with the evil eye were Pope Pius IX and Pope Leo XIII.
    A grilled-cheese sandwich bearing the image of the Virgin Mary was sold in 2004 for $28,000.
    Ancient Bulgarians insisted that one finish one's entire meal before leaving the dinner table. This custom supposedly encouraged the hens to sit patiently on their nests and brood.
    The ancient Romans took great stock in the wisdom of astrology. Emperor Tiberius consulted with his personal astrologer before making any key decision.
HAIL MARY
    “Marian apparition” is the fancy term for the appearance or manifestation of the Virgin Mary. Most of these apparitions appear as gleaming specters that may encourage prayer and church building, perform miraculous healings, or put people into trances. Theapparitions have often appeared around churches, such as the St. Mary's Coptic church in Zeitoun, Egypt, where there had been more than seventy appearances in a fourteen-month period, beginning in 1968. One of the appearances lasted for over seven hours and was witnessed by hundreds of people.
KEEP YOUR EARS CLOSED
    Ancient Mesopotamians believed that the gods dictated each person's life span before their birth, and that there was nothing one could do, good or bad, to extend or shorten it. At death one transformed into a spirit or ghost, and those who had experienced violent deaths would enter living beings through their ears, causing grief and illness until the spirit was exorcised—a particularly violent practice itself.
EVIL-BLASTING BEAUTY
    The ancients wore eye shadow to prevent blindness, strengthen eyesight, and offer protection. Meanwhile, eyeliner was said to keep out evil, and lipstick, to guard against evil spirits and poisonous foods, and to keep the soul from leaving the body through the breath.

4. TENDERS MURDERERS AND MALEVOLENT MALES
KILLINGLY GOOD TALES OF TERROR
    “Wild animals never kill for sport. Man is the only one to whom the torture and death of his fellow creatures is amusing in itself.” —JAMES ANTHONY FROUDE
LOCUSTA THE POISONOUS
    Those who control the cooking always have the opportunity to slip a little something extra into the stew. And the most famous fiendish cook of all was the Roman royal Locusta, who poisoned the emperor Claudius about 2,000 years ago, so that her son Nero could become emperor. Stories about what method she used vary; some say poisonous mushrooms, others say mushrooms laced with poison. Either way, she accomplished her mission.
SWEENEY TODD
    A villain appearing in