that this, in fact, was the special place built to receive the ultimate relic--the Ark of the Covenant? Under the protection of the powerful German emperor and the Knights Templar, it is hard to conceive of a safer location, or as Charroux points out, a more symbolic one, since Castel del Monte is located halfway from the greatest points of pilgrimage in the Mediterranean world: Santiago de Compostela in the west and Jerusalem in the east.

Conclusion

Objects of such mystical prowess often conferred legitimacy upon the wearer: the crown of Constantine hung in full view above the altar of Constantinople's Hagia Sophia church, from where it was taken many times by anyone inclined to make a bid for the Byzantine throne. The successful coup-de-etat was seen as a signof divine favor and the crown returned to its proper place.

Humanity has certainly shown a flair for imbuing physical objects with unsuspected magical or supernatural powers, but can we casually dismiss their existence as flights of fancy? Certainly some of them existed, and some of them have astonishing stories to tell.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Argentina: Another Stunning CE-3 in La Pampa

A new close encounter of the third kind (CE-3) took place in the afternoon of 20 September at a community 80 km distant from the city of Santa Rosa, capital city of La Pampa province.

The protagonist of the strange episode is the same one who was vistied by a strange being a few months ago. The intruder left a series of burns on her arms after having made contact