The Book of the Damned
Encyclopedia
The Book of the Damned was the first published nonfiction work of the author Charles Fort
(first edition 1919). Dealing with various types of anomalous phenomena including UFOs, strange falls
of both organic and inorganic materials from the sky, odd weather patterns, the possible existence of creatures generally held to be mythological, disappearances of people under strange circumstances, and many other phenomena, the book is historically considered to be the first written in the specific field of anomalistics
.
The title of the book referred to what he termed the "damned" data - data which had been damned, or excluded, by modern science
because of its not conforming to accepted guidelines. The way Fort saw it, mainstream
scientists are trend followers who believe in what is accepted and popular, and never really look for a truth that may be contrary to what they believe. He also compared the close-mindedness of many scientists to that of religious fundamentalists, implying that the supposed "battle" between science and religion
is just a smokescreen for the fact that, in his view, science is, in essence, simply a de facto religion. This is a theme that Fort would develop more heavily in his later works, New Lands
and Lo!
particularly.
Fort was one of the first major writers to deal extensively with paranormal
phenomena (see parapsychology
), and in that aspect at least, The Book of the Damned should be considered an important work. It should be viewed as a formulative work, perhaps understandably, as it is his first major book. Though Fort's uniquely acerbic writing style is already in evidence, and there are plenty of interesting phenomena to read about, Fort's theories (as such) are only beginning to be developed.
The first few chapters of the book deal largely with explaining Fort's thesis (as mentioned above). As a particular instance, he cites the strange glowing in the sky worldwide, which supposedly resulted due to the 1883 eruption of the volcano Krakatoa
. Fort shows that such phenomenon had in fact preceded the eruption by several months, and suggests that the scientists, who had been puzzled by the phenomenon initially, used Krakatoa as a convenient explanation to something that they could not previously explain.
While Fort has a particular interest in strange "falls" - focusing quite a bit of the book on the falls of fish, frogs, and various unidentifiable materials - he does not focus exclusively on this category. He also has chapters discussing the findings of "thunderstones
", which supposedly fell from the sky during lightning storms; a discussion of evidence for the existence of giants
(huge oversized axes too big for any person to use) and fairies (so-called "fairy crosses" and "coffins"); a brief chapter on poltergeist
phenomena; the disappearances of many people (including the supposed disappearance of several hundred people in a shelter during the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake
; he also briefly mentions the famous case of the Mary Celeste
, which he would detail much more in his later Lo!); a rather long section on a number of purported UFO sightings (this book was written well before 1947, Kenneth Arnold
, and the start of the modern UFO craze); and sums up with a mention of the famous "Devil's Footprints
" mystery in England in 1855, also citing a number of similar cases.
- i.e., kind of a stationary "sea" where all things on Earth that are lost mysteriously turn up in, and occasionally rain back down on Earth. (He would develop this idea in much more detail in his later books.) Though Fort himself apparently does not really believe this explanation, he (at least in this book) does not purport to explain the phenomena as a whole, simply stating the facts as they are, and leaving the reader to make their own conclusions.
Due to this lack of explanation for the phenomena he presents, some skeptics and critics, particularly Martin Gardner
, have attacked Fort as simply a destructive critic (or "crank
") presenting negative claims with no positive accounts.
, and because it has fallen into the public domain
, can also be found in Dover Publications
' The Complete Works of Charles Fort, which contains all of his books on this subject. The book has also been made available in audio format at Librivox, and a pdf and audio version can be downloaded on the website www.archive.org.
Charles Fort
Charles Hoy Fort was an American writer and researcher into anomalous phenomena. Today, the terms Fortean and Forteana are used to characterize various such phenomena. Fort's books sold well and are still in print today.-Biography:Charles Hoy Fort was born in 1874 in Albany, New York, of Dutch...
(first edition 1919). Dealing with various types of anomalous phenomena including UFOs, strange falls
Raining animals
Raining animals is a rare meteorological phenomenon in which flightless animals "rain" from the sky. Such occurrences have been reported from many countries throughout history. One hypothesis offered to explain this phenomenon is that strong winds traveling over water sometimes pick up creatures...
of both organic and inorganic materials from the sky, odd weather patterns, the possible existence of creatures generally held to be mythological, disappearances of people under strange circumstances, and many other phenomena, the book is historically considered to be the first written in the specific field of anomalistics
Anomalistics
Anomalistics is the use of scientific methods to evaluate anomalies , with the aim of finding a rational explanation. The term itself was coined in 1973 by Drew University anthropologist Roger W...
.
Overview and Fort's thesis
- "A procession of the damned.
- By the damned, I mean the excluded.
- We shall have a procession of data that Science has excluded."
- - opening lines of The Book of the Damned
The title of the book referred to what he termed the "damned" data - data which had been damned, or excluded, by modern science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
because of its not conforming to accepted guidelines. The way Fort saw it, mainstream
Mainstream
Mainstream is, generally, the common current thought of the majority. However, the mainstream is far from cohesive; rather the concept is often considered a cultural construct....
scientists are trend followers who believe in what is accepted and popular, and never really look for a truth that may be contrary to what they believe. He also compared the close-mindedness of many scientists to that of religious fundamentalists, implying that the supposed "battle" between science and religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
is just a smokescreen for the fact that, in his view, science is, in essence, simply a de facto religion. This is a theme that Fort would develop more heavily in his later works, New Lands
New Lands
New Lands was the second nonfiction book of the author Charles Fort, written in 1925. It deals primarily with astronomical anomalies.Fort expands in this book on his theory about the Super-Sargasso Sea - a place where earthly things supposedly materialize in order to rain down on Earth - as well...
and Lo!
Lo!
Lo! was the third published nonfiction work of the author Charles Fort . In it he details a wide range of unusual phenomena. In the final chapter of the book he proposes a new cosmology that the earth is stationary in space and surrounded by a solid shell which is "....
particularly.
Fort was one of the first major writers to deal extensively with paranormal
Paranormal
Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...
phenomena (see parapsychology
Parapsychology
The term parapsychology was coined in or around 1889 by philosopher Max Dessoir, and originates from para meaning "alongside", and psychology. The term was adopted by J.B. Rhine in the 1930s as a replacement for the term psychical research...
), and in that aspect at least, The Book of the Damned should be considered an important work. It should be viewed as a formulative work, perhaps understandably, as it is his first major book. Though Fort's uniquely acerbic writing style is already in evidence, and there are plenty of interesting phenomena to read about, Fort's theories (as such) are only beginning to be developed.
Content
Krakatoa
Krakatoa is a volcanic island made of a'a lava in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. The name is used for the island group, the main island , and the volcano as a whole. The island exploded in 1883, killing approximately 40,000 people, although some estimates...
. Fort shows that such phenomenon had in fact preceded the eruption by several months, and suggests that the scientists, who had been puzzled by the phenomenon initially, used Krakatoa as a convenient explanation to something that they could not previously explain.
While Fort has a particular interest in strange "falls" - focusing quite a bit of the book on the falls of fish, frogs, and various unidentifiable materials - he does not focus exclusively on this category. He also has chapters discussing the findings of "thunderstones
Thunderstone (folklore)
Throughout Europe, Asia, Polynesia, in fact in almost all parts of the world where their use had been forgotten, flint arrowheads and axes turned up by the farmer's plow are considered to have fallen from the sky, are often thought to be thunderbolts and are called "Thunderstones".It was not until...
", which supposedly fell from the sky during lightning storms; a discussion of evidence for the existence of giants
Giant (mythology)
The mythology and legends of many different cultures include monsters of human appearance but prodigious size and strength. "Giant" is the English word commonly used for such beings, derived from one of the most famed examples: the gigantes of Greek mythology.In various Indo-European mythologies,...
(huge oversized axes too big for any person to use) and fairies (so-called "fairy crosses" and "coffins"); a brief chapter on poltergeist
Poltergeist
A poltergeist is a paranormal phenomenon which consists of events alluding to the manifestation of an imperceptible entity. Such manifestation typically includes inanimate objects moving or being thrown about, sentient noises and, on some occasions, physical attacks on those witnessing the...
phenomena; the disappearances of many people (including the supposed disappearance of several hundred people in a shelter during the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake
1755 Lisbon earthquake
The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon Earthquake, was a megathrust earthquake that took place on Saturday 1 November 1755, at around 9:40 in the morning. The earthquake was followed by fires and a tsunami, which almost totally destroyed Lisbon in the Kingdom of Portugal, and...
; he also briefly mentions the famous case of the Mary Celeste
Mary Celeste
The Mary Celeste was an American brigantine merchant ship famous for having been discovered on 4 December 1872, in the Atlantic Ocean unmanned and apparently abandoned , despite the fact that the weather was fine and her crew had been experienced and able...
, which he would detail much more in his later Lo!); a rather long section on a number of purported UFO sightings (this book was written well before 1947, Kenneth Arnold
Kenneth Arnold
Kenneth A. Arnold was an American aviator and businessman. He is best-known for making what is generally considered the first widely reported unidentified flying object sighting in the United States, after claiming to have seen nine unusual objects flying in a chain near Mount Rainier, Washington...
, and the start of the modern UFO craze); and sums up with a mention of the famous "Devil's Footprints
The Devil's Footprints
The Devil's Footprints is a name given to a phenomenon that occurred in February 1855 around the Exe Estuary in South Devon, England. After a heavy snowfall, trails of hoof-like marks appeared overnight in the snow covering a total distance of some 40 to 100 miles...
" mystery in England in 1855, also citing a number of similar cases.
Fort's theory and criticism
Fort's explanation for the above "falls" and UFO sightings is that of the Super-Sargasso SeaSuper-Sargasso Sea
The Super-Sargasso is the dimension into which lost things go, whose existence was proposed by Charles Hoy Fort, writer and researcher into anomalous phenomena. It may be thought of as the spontaneous, anomalous teleportation of an object into another dimension...
- i.e., kind of a stationary "sea" where all things on Earth that are lost mysteriously turn up in, and occasionally rain back down on Earth. (He would develop this idea in much more detail in his later books.) Though Fort himself apparently does not really believe this explanation, he (at least in this book) does not purport to explain the phenomena as a whole, simply stating the facts as they are, and leaving the reader to make their own conclusions.
Due to this lack of explanation for the phenomena he presents, some skeptics and critics, particularly Martin Gardner
Martin Gardner
Martin Gardner was an American mathematics and science writer specializing in recreational mathematics, but with interests encompassing micromagic, stage magic, literature , philosophy, scientific skepticism, and religion...
, have attacked Fort as simply a destructive critic (or "crank
Crank (person)
"Crank" is a pejorative term used for a person who unshakably holds a belief that most of his or her contemporaries consider to be false. A "cranky" belief is so wildly at variance with commonly accepted belief as to be ludicrous...
") presenting negative claims with no positive accounts.
Availability
The Book of the Damned is available in paperback from Tarcher, Prometheus BooksPrometheus Books
Prometheus Books is a publishing company founded in August 1969 by Paul Kurtz, who also founded the Council for Secular Humanism and co-founded the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. He is currently the chairman of all three organizations. Prometheus Books publishes a range of books, including many...
, and because it has fallen into the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
, can also be found in Dover Publications
Dover Publications
Dover Publications is an American book publisher founded in 1941 by Hayward Cirker and his wife, Blanche. It publishes primarily reissues, books no longer published by their original publishers. These are often, but not always, books in the public domain. The original published editions may be...
' The Complete Works of Charles Fort, which contains all of his books on this subject. The book has also been made available in audio format at Librivox, and a pdf and audio version can be downloaded on the website www.archive.org.
External links
- Project Gutenberg page with various free downloadable formats
- Edited and annotated version
- First volume of the book on sacred-texts.com
- www.forteans.com, homepage of the International Fortean Organisation (INFOInfoInfo is a common shortening of information.It may also refer to:* .info, a generic top-level domain* info:, a URI scheme for information assets with identifiers in public namespaces* .info , a computer magazine...
)