The Wine God

Join the Bacchanal

Kukeri

Kukeri is a traditional Bulgarian ritual to scare away evil spirits, with costumed men performing the ritual. The costumes cover most of the body and include decorated wooden masks of animals (sometimes double-faced) and large bells attached to the belt. Around New Year and before Lent, the kukeri walk and dance through the village to scare evil spirits away with the costumes and the sound of the bells, as well as to provide a good harvest, health, and happiness to the village during the year. 

sources: 1, 2

Some call me Hermes

Thomas Gandharas, also known as "the Black Bandit", came from Akri Elassonas, became an outlaw in July 1918, was a partner of Georgios Velonis and having deserted the army, was planning to kill a landowner who had raped his wife.

 
A little later, Gandharas and Velonis were caught and on July 21st 1919 the court martial of Larissa sentenced them to 14 years imprisonment. On November 21st 1921 Thomas Gandharas escaped from the prison of Larissa and a year later a bounty was given for his head. Thomas Gandharas had a brother who was also a bandit, Georgios Gandharas, who was killed in February 1920 in Koumaria Elassonas, in a conflict with a pursuit squad. With him, the Bandit Manatsas was also lost.

One night, the outlaw Gandharas wore his foustanela (greek kilt) and his silver tsaprazia (greek male jewelery) and went secretly to the home of the famous photographer from Trikala, Athanasios Manthos. He descended quietly from the roof, came in and woke Manthos to come photograph him with his bandit gang, because he understood that their end was near.

Thomas Gandharas was killed on August 5th 1923. He was killed in Oxia of Deskati Grevenon, near Mavreli, by the mavrelite hunter Georgios Siakavaras, who participated in the pursuit squad that hunted him. Gandharas' head was cut, was transferred to Gerakari and then exposed to public view in Kalambaka on August 6th 1923, as an example to all.

Thomas Gandharas left a son and two daughters, Eleni and Vasiliki. He had time to give Eleni, as an infant, to be guarded by the mayor of Kalambaka, Rammides. The two women met for the first time in 1998.

Rat King

"Rat kings are phenomena said to arise when a number of rats become intertwined at their tails, which become stuck together with blood, dirt, ice, excrement or simply knotted. The animals reputedly grow together while joined at the tails. The numbers of rats that are joined together can vary, but naturally rat kings formed from a larger number of rats are rarer. The phenomenon is particularly associated with Germany, where the majority of instances have been reported. Historically, there are various superstitions surrounding rat kings, and they were often seen as an extremely bad omen, particularly associated with plagues."

Family

Papa Ghede & Mama Lola

Chasseurs de Skins

These young men refused the brand of victimisation through the technique of cracking nazi skulls. And here I am, unable to stop thinking how hot they look.

Pat's Komodo Dragon

Where'd You Get Those Peepers?

Tilikum, the man-killer

Tilikum is from Iceland.
He, like many other captives in the Spectacle, is given drugs to cope with the unbearable strain of losing one's freedom.
He is masturbated using a warmed cow's vagina, detached from its owner, to collect whale semen which in the eyes of his captors appears as hills of money.
He has been robbed of his freedom, his dignity and even his body.
He has killed three people and will probably kill more if he gets the chance.
I say good for him.