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The Legend of Werewolf Michel Verdun

Posted by Thrillvania in Haunted House Stories on August 26th, 2014

Was Frenchman Michel Verdun a werewolf, or a psychopathic murderer–or both?

Have you heard a wolf’s howl? And how do you know that’s it’s a wolf–what if it’s something very different?

In the 1500s, three men were brought to trial for murder, torture and other heinous crimes. One of these men was Michel Verdun, self-proclaimed werewolf.

During Verdun’s trial, he named two accomplices to his horrific deeds–Philibert Montot and Pierre Bourgot. Bourgot also claimed to be a werewolf. But were these confessions obtained after the men had been tortured? Verdun’s legend lives on at Thrillvania Haunted House Park–as a genuine werewolf who killed and ate men and women as he roamed the countryside.

One particular story was offered to prove his guilt and is the basis for the werewolf lore surrounding Verdun. A man came upon a vicious wolf, but managed to escape the wolf’s attack, severely wounding the beast. The man followed the bloody trail…and at its end was a wounded Michel Verdun. The man became convinced that Verdun was able to transform himself from human to wolf, and something in between. The story spread like wildfire, and Verdun was charged with lycanthropy (the ability to change from human to wolf).

Bourgot corroborated the account, and said at trial that Verdun had taken him to a Wiccan/Pagan ritual known as a Sabbat. There, Verdun initiated Bourgot, so that he could also assume wolf-form. Verdun applied an ointment to Bourgot and this magical and wicked salve transformed him into a bloodthirsty werewolf.

Convicted of lycanthropy and murder–all three men were burned at stake. Verdun’s wife was also convicted, although there was never any evidence provided that she could shape-shift like Verdun and the others. But the high court wanted to be sure.

Thrillvania Haunted House Park is located just east of Dallas, Tx. 4 Haunted Houses on 50 wooded acres. We will see you Saturday September 27, 2014 for Thrillvania’s opening day at 2330 County Road 138, in Terrell, Texas. If you just can’t wait to have the living daylights scared out of you, our friends at Cutting Edge Haunted House in Ft. Worth will be open for a sneak peek on Saturday August 30, 2014.

Friday the 13th and a Full Moon, too: It’s too horrible to imagine!

We tend to let our imaginations run wild when we’re planning new haunts here at Thrillvania Haunted House Park but even we can’t quite wrap our minds around the fact that this week we’re going to experience Friday the 13^th and a full moon all on the same night. Imagine the possibilities!

This Friday will be the only Friday the 13^th in 2014. It also happens to be the first time since October 13, 2000 that a full moon has held reign in the sky on Friday the 13^th and it won’t happen again until October 13, 2019.

We’re in for a rare treat this Friday, that’s for sure. Bad luck and weird energy will be coursing through the atmosphere for a full 24 hours. Anything might happen.

Werewolves notoriously stalk their prey by the light of the full moon. But what happens when the full moon falls on Friday the 13^th? Who experiences the worst of the heightened bad luck? Does the werewolf trip over a sidewalk crack, thus missing his mark and his monthly feast? Or does his prey, who’s already had the bad luck to become the werewolf’s next target, trip over that same crack and break his mother’s back before he becomes the werewolf’s next meal?

And what about Jason Voohees? Jason will forever be associated with Friday the 13^th, but what happens to him by the light of the full moon? Does he become even more deranged, killing not only sex-crazed, beer-soaked teenaged campers but innocent movie-goers and their lusty dates, too?

And what if the two were to meet? Imagine Jason and The Werewolf going head-to-head by the light of the full moon on Friday the 13^th. Who would survive? And who would really be the unluckiest that day – Jason, the Werewolf or YOU!

We’re going to pull out all the stops this Friday the 13^th and tempt Fate as we party under the full moon at the Friday the 13^th Event at Cutting Edge Haunted Park. Join us if you dare, and if you don’t we’ll see you this fall at Thrillvania Haunted House Park at 2330 County Road 138, in Terrell, Texas.

Counting Down the Week before Friday the 13th

Posted by Thrillvania in Haunted House Stories on June 6th, 2014
Tags: Friday the 13th

About a week before every Friday the 13^th we take a lengthy tour of Thrillvania, home to the most haunted house in Dallas, Texas. We search for anything that might attract or cause bad luck, because if it’s unlucky to have it around every other day of the year, you can bet it’s doubly bad luck to have it around on Friday the 13^th. Since we’re exactly one week out, we thought we’d share our checklist so you can be prepared, too.

Mirrors – If they’re nailed to the wall we make sure to cover them with a sheet lest we get a glimpse of the Face of Death. If they’re mirrors that can be picked up, handled and possibly broken, thus ensuring 7 years of doom, we stash them away in a locked closet for the day.

Ladders – All ladders are folded up and stashed in the shed. There’s always one daredevil in the bunch who laughs in the face of Friday the 13^th and takes a walk under a ladder if there’s one standing at the ready. One of these days we’re going to rig up a can of paint so it falls on his head!

Black cats – It’s almost impossible to rid the countryside of cats and black cats are especially difficult to catch. They’re sneaky and hard to see and they seem to disappear when you look directly at them. We do our best though, luring them into one of our outbuildings with a tasty feast of fresh tuna and seasoned chicken gizzards and plenty of warm milk.

Umbrellas – All umbrellas are stashed right along with the ladders and mirrors lest some foolhardy idiot decide he wants to open it up indoors and see what happens. We know what will happen – we don’t need proof.

Beds – While most of our cast and crew sleep in their own homes at night we do have a few beds around for… well… let’s just call them “unwary guests.” In order to ensure they have at least a few moments of good luck before they meet ~~their maker~~ the inhabitants of Thrillvania, we arrange all the beds so our “guests” are able to rise and shine on the right side of the bed.

Spiders – Like black cats, there’s very little we can do to eliminate all the spiders in our haunted park. After all, it’s a pretty big place and we specialize in creating the type of creepy environment that just seems to attract these 8-legged creepizoids. Still, though, it’s bad luck for the rest of the day if you see a spider in the morning. On Friday the 13^th we try not to peep into any dark, dusty corners until after the clock strikes noon.

The menu – On Friday the 13^th we never ever have “the foul fish” on the menu and we never ever serve anything that must be eaten with a knife and fork. Weather permitting we usually fire up the grill and barbecue some… baby back ribs, yes, that’s what we’ll call them, baby back ribs.

This year, we’ll be celebrating the day at Cutting Edge Haunted Park where they promise a Friday the 13^th Event too spectacular to miss. Join us there if you dare and remember to mark your calendars for the season opening of Thrillvania Haunted House Park at 2330 County Road 138, in Terrell, Texas.