Spiritualism, Superstition and the Supernatural During the First World War
War Poet Rupert Brooke died during the First World War. The mystic Aelfrida Tillyard claimed to have paranormal experiences in which she was visited by his ghost or spirit in dreams and received communications allegedly from Brook via automatic writing.
Private Cleaver Swears on Oath to Having Seen the Angels at Mons The only named witness to the Angels of Mons to come forward during the First World War was Robert Cleaver, a private in the 1st Battalion, the Cheshire Regiment. Not only did he claim to have seen the Angels, he swore an affidavit […]
A Vision of the Virgin Mary on the Eastern Front, 1914 On the eve of the Battle of Augustovo, the Russian Army was allegedly witness to a religious vision of the Virgin Mary, Baby Jesus and a huge shining cross, inspiring them to victory against the Germans. Ralph Shirley, the editor of the Occult Review, […]
Arthur Machen Claims Short Story ‘The Bowmen’ Inspired the Angels Legend The writer Arthur Machen claimed to have invented the greatest supernatural mystery of the First World War: the Angels of Mons. The problem was, nobody believed him. When World War I broke out, Welshman Arthur Machen was living in London and earning a living […]
Angels in the Trenches: Spiritualism, Superstition and the Supernatural During the First World War The mechanised slaughter of the First World War brought a sudden and concentrated interest in life after death, living in spite of death and trying to predict, or even influence, when the merciless killing would end. People asked, can one communicate […]