Simulacra!

Here is the definition of the word, courtesy of Wikipedia, if you are unfamiliar with the term: “A simulacrum (plural: simulacra, from Latin: simulacrum, which means “likeness, similarity”) is a representation or imitation of a person or thing. The word was first recorded in the English language in the late 16th century, used to describe a representation, such as a statue or a painting, especially of a god. By the late 19th century, it had gathered a secondary association of inferiority: an image without the substance or qualities of the original.”

My familiarity with the term comes from reading FORTEAN TIMES, the grand magazine of all things strange and unexplained. Therein, simulacra is used primarily in reference to naturally occurring phenomena that bear a striking resemblance to something else. Here are a couple of examples of simulacra:

The Face in the Cliffside at the Steamer Point Nature Reserve near Avon Beach, Christchurch (England, not New Zealand). Some say this face looks like Han Solo when he was frozen in carbonite. I concur.

And the Frozen Angel of Hocking Hills, Ohio. (Pictured above.) Some gorgeous photography there, in addition to the Angel.

Obviously most simulacra is just coincidental. It just happens to look like a face, or a body, or whatever. There are those rare instances, though, where the resemblance is so uncanny that it almost defies rational explanation. Could there be some outside force at play, the so-called “Cosmic Trickster” having a little fun? I’d like to think so.

By TheCheezman

WAYNE MILLER is the owner and creative director of EVIL CHEEZ PRODUCTIONS, specializing in theatrical performances and haunted attractions. He has written, produced, and directed (and occasionally acted in) over two dozen plays, most of them in the Horror and True Crime genres. He obtained a doctorate in Occult Studies from Miskatonic University and is an active paranormal investigator. Is frequently told he resembles Anton Lavey. And Ming the Merciless. Denn die totden reiten schnell!

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