10. Pianist

A pianist playing the piano

There’s a reason that Billy Joel named his popular song “Piano Man” instead of “The Pianist.” While the profession is admired, with concert pianists filling halls worldwide, the name for someone who plays a piano can be easily misunderstood. If not, there would be no such joke as the one about the genie and the tiny piano player.

9. Angina

A diagram of the heart

Professional humor writers (and The American Heart Association) will tell you: nothing is funny about a heart attack… unless Redd Foxx is faking one, or unless you say the medical term for the chest pain that indicates a heart attack, angina. Add to that the medical term for a heart attack, myocardial infarction, and generations of students have giggled over their biology books while reading the section about coronary health.

8. Clematis

Clematis

Despite the suggestive-sounding name, if your gardener asks you what you’d like him to do with your clematis, he is not propositioning you. He is referring to one of 300 species within the buttercup family. The climbing vines have flowers in a variety of shapes and colors and, depending on the exact species, can flourish in spring, summer or fall. Their common name, Traveler’s Joy, may also make the naughty-minded snicker, but at least it doesn’t sound like a part of the female anatomy.

7. Organism

An Astrolithium, a marine microorganism, by David Patterson, micro*scope for National Geographic

All living creatures on earth are organisms, from single-celled microorganisms to horses, elephants, and humans. Even plants are organisms, which means it’s safe to say that everybody, everywhere loves an organism. And as long as you keep that important third syllable in there, you can even use that sentence in front of your grandmother!

6. Coccyx

A diagram of the lower part of the spinal colum , showing the coccyx

It’s bad enough injuring your tailbone: falling in a straight-up seated position can result in a very painful, slow recovery. If you’re unfortunate enough to have this happen to you, not only can look forward to months of sitting on a donut pillow, but then you also have the additional discomfort of telling people you have a pain in your coccyx. No wonder most people just say “tailbone.”

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10. David Blaine

Nowadays, David Blaine seems to be more interested in suicide missions than in performing the kind of street magic that made his name. He’s lived in a water tank for a week, hung upside down over Wollman Rink in Central Park and electrocuted himself for 72 hours. The very fact that he lives on despite these stunts is a kind of magic in itself, but it was the simple tricks he performed on the street that really gave him the edge over other magicians. Forget attention-seeking razzle-dazzle and millionaire sponsored stunts, the act of flipping a card through a shop window left passers-by speechless. Get back to what you’re good at, David!

9. Harry Blackstone, Sr

If you were wondering where the cliches of magic came from, you need to look to the pioneering magicians of the 1920s and 30s, who first performed tricks like sawing a woman in half. One of these early magicians was Harry Blackstone, Sr, who performed mainly silently, to the accompaniment of an orchestra. His signature tricks included the “Dancing Handkerchief”, the “Floating Lightbulb” and the “Vanishing Birdcage”. The latter involved disappearing a canary and is said to have delighted the children in the audience, although if 2006 film “The Prestige” is to be believed, it mainly resulted in a lot of dead canaries. Birdicide aside, Harry Blackstone Sr was a highly influential and revered magician, whose legacy was passed on to his son Harry Blackstone Jr.

8. Siegfried and Roy

Magic acts occupy a long spectrum, from the overblown theatrical illusions to pared-down street magic. Siegfried and Roy sit firmly on one end of that spectrum. Their act included glittery costumes, dramatic music and famously, live white tigers. Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn met in 1959 while working on a cruise ship, and the fortuitous presence of a cheetah on board (smuggled on by Roy) inspired them to combine wild animals and Siegfried’s magic in an unprecedented display of zoological razzle-dazzle. Eventually, the act was given a residency at The Mirage Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, and they were the most popular show in Vegas for the 13 years they performed there.

Sadly, in 2003 Roy was bitten by one of their tigers  – Montecore – which effectively ended their careers. Although the act was not aggressive, it was a huge risk for the hotel and they closed the show. Siegfried and Roy – and Montecore – reunited for a farewell show in 2009 but are unlikely to perform again.

 7. Derren Brown

A world away from the glitz of Siegfried & Roy, Derren Brown is a softly-spoken, intense illusionist from the UK who has a series of macabre and impressive feats to his name. He has predicted the results of the lottery, conducted a nationwide seance and convinced someone into assassinating comedian Stephen Fry. His brand of magic is certainly dark and he describes himself as a “mentalist” i.e someone who is more concerned with influencing others’ thoughts than doing visual tricks. The results are equally astonishing, but give you the uneasy impression that someone is trying to get into the edge of your mind…

6. David Devant

The first President of the Magic Circle was both modest and self-assured – when young magicians boasted about how many tricks they knew, he replied that he knew only a few dozen, but he was able to perform them very well. His magic was, at the time, criticized for being too showy and lacking mystique, but his witty stage act paved the way for magician-entertainers for years to come. His repertoire included “Magic Kettle” where he produced, on demand, any type of alcohol the audience asked for. He was also influential in early cinema, being one of the first to purchase a theatrograph, showing it first in London in 1896. His legacy is clear in the world of magic, but also in the world of music where the indie band David Devant and his Spirit Wife bear his name.

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10. Hanakapiai Beach, Hawaii

One criticism you can’t throw at this beach is that it covers up how dangerous it is. A sign leading to the beach shows a tally of how many visitors have died there, with space for more. The problem is the currents – with no reef separating the beach from the open ocean, riptides can drag even good swimmers out to sea with no option of returning. The beach is also a hike away from any help, so don’t expect a fully-trained lifeguard on hand if you do get into trouble. A guide to Kaua’i island says that most deaths are out-of-state visitors who don’t understand the tides. The sign seems pretty straightforward, I think.

On the upside, it’s meant to be beautiful. Just don’t go into the water.

9. Gansbaai, South Africa

Another beautiful spot, with miles of white sand and dramatic cliffs. So beautiful in fact, that you’d think working for the Gansbaai Tourist Office would be a breeze. It has all these features, and it’s also the Great White Shark capital of the world. Who wouldn’t want to visit?

Well, people who are afraid of sharks for one. Maybe it’s just me, but selling a beach as being the Shark Capital of the World is a bit like selling a restaurant as being Cockroach HQ. Just look at this terrifying photo of a shark stalking a kayak, taken at Gansbaai – doesn’t it make your blood run a little bit cold? It’s been said that the photo has been faked, but the photographer denies this and also says that sharks don’t attack kayaks. So that’s a bit reassuring, but I’m still not rushing to visit.

8. Southern Mindanao Islands, Philippines

What happens when you venture “off the grid”? Well, book a trip to some of the more remote islands of the Philippines and you might find out. Away from the tourist destinations like Siargao, you might think there are exciting new places to discover and you’d be right, but not exciting in a good way. The southern end of the Mindanao Islands are frequented by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, who have been in a state of “All Out War” with President Estrada since 2000. In that time in one province, 45% of residents have reported their homes being destroyed, while 16% have known of witnesses to crimes being killed. So, your survival chances as a Western tourist? Depends whether the MILF are in need of a hostage that week or not…

Oh, and there are pirates about as well. Again, in a tourist-kidnapping sense. Still, lovely beaches…

 7. Darwin, Australia

Not one beach in specific, but dipping your toes in the waters anywhere near this Northern Australian city would require a nerve of steel. Delights in and around Darwin Harbor include box jellyfish, crocodiles and …more sharks! The jellyfish tend to only be a problem between October and May, but the salt-water crocodiles are visitors to Darwin all year round. One source reports that 4 crocodiles a week are caught in the harbor.

In case this is all sounding too enticing, bear in mind that a 2011 report into the state of Darwin’s beaches found higher-than-average levels of bacteria in the water. Australia has many beautiful and clean beaches to visit, with less chance of being eaten or stung…visit those instead!

6. Kilauea, Hawaii

One of the chief things you need in a beach vacation is heat. Lying on the beach when it’s chilly is just disappointing, really. So in some ways, visiting a beach on top of an active volcano is perfect. But there’s an obvious downside, in the form of the risk of death. But if you don’t much care about such things, Kilauea beach in Hawaii is worth a visit. The volcano has been constantly erupting since January 3rd 1983, so there’s little chance of catching it on an “off” day and it’s a beautiful natural phenomenon…from a distance.

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10. Escot Gardens Maze (UK)

Created in 2004, this maze consists of over 4,000 beech trees as well as flying bridges and switch gates that change the route as you go along. It was designed by Adrian Fisher, who has planned over 600 mazes worldwide as well as writing puzzles for British newspapers.

It’s part of the Escot estate in East Devon, which also contains a manor house and a nature reserve. So, as well as getting lost in a maze you can meet wild boar and beavers. As long as you find your way out, that is…

9. Mirror Labyrinth at Glacier Garden (Switzerland)

Also known as Gletschergarten, this labyrinth in Lucerne, Switzerland was modeled after the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain, which is famous for its ornate architecture. It contains 90 mirrors and visitors have to walk with their hands in front of them in case they walk into one of them. It was created in 1896 for the National Exhibition in Geneva and it moved to Lucerne 3 years later.

The mirror maze is part of a bigger attraction built around a set of glacial potholes, which used to be the base of a glacier. So, there’s a natural phenomenon to visit as well as the manmade maze of mirrors. And apparently a pen of rabbits as well…

8. Ashcombe Maze (Australia)

Set on the Mornington Penisula, near Melbourne Ashcombe has not one but 3 different mazes – the hedge maze (above), which is the oldest one in the Southern Hemisphere, the lavender labyrinth and the rose maze. The hedge maze was planted in the 1970s, with over 1000 cypress trees and comprises the South Maze, the Centre Garden and the North Maze. Each bit if the maze has a different layout, so it’s easy to get lost. As the website says “any tricks you worked out while making your way through the first part, mean absolutely nothing in the other.”

Then there’s the circular rose maze, with 1200 rose bushes and the lavender labyrinth which has a floating pathway through 4000 lavender plants. It’s a sensory treat to wander through the scented plants and there are woodland gardens to visit too. Worth a visit if you’re ever in Melbourne.

7. Cow in the Field (Germany)

Now, this isn’t particularly complicated as mazes go, but deserves its place for sheer ingenuity. It’s a maze cut into the shape of a cow’s stomach and it appeared in a field in Marienfelde, Germany. It was created by the Federal Institute of Risk Assessment, which studies the risks caused to the environment by chemicals and modern living. It aimed to explain how a cow digests food and raise awareness of healthy eating. I’m not entirely sure how it does that, but it’s certainly an interesting tourist attraction. In case that hasn’t satisfied your appetite for cow-themed mazes, there’s another one cut into a field near Holt in the UK.

6. Hampton Court Maze (UK)

Dating from 1700, this was described as “the most famous Maze in the history of the world, and immeasurably the one most visited” by Ernest Law in 1926. It still remains popular and is a unusual trapezoid shape, with inbuilt speakers projecting 1000 sounds from a sound installation called “Trance”. There are even benches in the center of the maze, which make subtle noises when sat on.

Hampton Court Palace sits near the Thames, on the outskirts of London. It was a favorite of Henry VIII’s but it was a much later king – William III – who commissioned the maze. It was designed by George London and Henry Wise and was originally planted with hornbeam. Some say that Cardinal Wolsey also had a maze on the site, during Henry VIII’s time but there is no trace of this left.

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10. Hell, Michigan

The sign for the U.S. Weather Bureau at Hell, Michigan

Perhaps of no surprise to many, Hell, Michigan, may owe its name to the founder of a whiskey distillery. To be more specific, the town was founded by a man named George Reeves, who purchased a sawmill on a creek now called Hell Creek, subsequently building a gristmill and distillery, as well as a combined store and tavern. On top of that, he built a sulky racetrack (a lightweight cart pulled by dogs or horses). He was also rumored to have once sunk barrels of whiskey to the bottom of the millpond while under inspection from federal tax collectors. Drinking, gambling and tax evasion!

Competing theories exist as to the original source of the name. One is that German travelers were overheard exclaiming, “So schön hell!” (“So beautifully bright!”) while stepping out of a stagecoach on a sunny afternoon. The other is that, when Michigan became a state, Reeves was asked what he thought of the town he’d helped settle, and he declared, “I don’t care. You can name it Hell for all I care.” Another theory is that the early explorers gave it the name because of being plagued by mosquitoes and bogged down in wetlands. Whatever reason is true, whenever it’s below freezing in the small town, there are bound to be plenty of jokes about “Hell freezing over.”

9. Surprise, Arizona

The Rangers’ and Royals’ complex in Surprise, Arizona

When Flora Mae Statler founded Surprise, Arizona, in 1938, she gave it the name because she said she “would be surprised if the town every amounted to much. At that time, the town consisted of just a few houses and a gas station. A one-mile-square parcel was divided to make inexpensive housing for agricultural workers. Thanks to further development and the arrival of thousands of retirees in the 1990s and 2000s to the resort-like community of Sun City Grand, the city, which is close to Phoenix, is one of the most rapidly growing in the state. Surprise is the spring training home for both the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers. If she saw the city today, Statler would definitely be surprised.

8. Tightwad, Missouri

The often-photographed Tightwad Bank sign

With a name like Tightwad, Missouri, there was bound to be a colorful origin story. Sure enough, the name is said to stem from an argument between a shopkeeper and a customer — who was also a postman — when the customer accused the shopkeeper of cheating him by charging an extra 50 cents for either a watermelon, or as some accounts say, a rooster. It’s interesting that the town would take its name from an argument over money involving a postman, since many towns only get official names when the necessity arises to deliver mail properly. Regardless of the truth of that story, the village (population 64) attracts plenty of visitors, who love to photograph the Tightwad Bank, which no doubt keeps careful track of customers’ money.

7. Burnt Corn, Alabama

The general store/post office in Burnt Corn, Alabama

A number of towns are named for food items. Just about any sort of fruit, vegetable and farm animal has probably had a town named after it somewhere in the U.S. What elevates this town to a place on this list is the addition of the unexpected adjective “burnt.” The town of Burnt Corn, Alabama, earned its name from one of several possible scenarios. One, from white settlers burning the corn planted by the Creek Indians to clear land for their homesteads. Two, from the Creek Indians burning the corn cribs of white settlers to drive them from the land. Three, from an ailing Creek Indian, who was left behind by his companions with enough corn to supply him and then, when he recovered enough to move on, burned the remaining corn in a bonfire, which other travelers then found. A fourth story involves, again, the Creek Indians burning the corn of a specific settler, James Cornells, who owned a trading house and later settled on the spring where the corn had burnt. Seems like, somehow or another, burnt corn had something to do with it.

6. Rabbit Hash, Kentucky

General store in Rabbit Hash, Kentucky, with the former canine mayor.

According to local legend, the miniscule town of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky, was named after a dish the town was known for in the early 19th century. Steamboats navigating the Ohio River would stop there for a dish of the delicacy. The story goes that, in 1831, a pirate ship docked and entered the town, burning all the buildings and killing everyone. The next steamboat to stop saw only the sign “Rabbit Hash,” which was mistaken for the name of the town. In actuality, the town name was likely not adopted until required by the post office, in order to differentiate the hamlet’s initial name of Carlton from a town named Carrollton several miles down river. These days, regardless of the name’s true origin, the village (which boasts only a couple dozen residents) is better known for having elected two dog mayors, which was the subject of a documentary, “Rabbit Hash, Kentucky: Center of the Universe.”

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10. HMS Belmarsh

HM, or ‘her Majesties’ Prison Belmarsh is a ‘category A’ men’s prison located in Greenwich, South East London. Though only active as a high security prison since 1991, the facility has grown famous in the UK as well as further afield. Housing some of Britain’s most notorious and revered criminals during its two decades, Belmarsh’s current population stands around the 1,000 mark. As well gaining a reputation for housing such notorious offenders as Charles Bronson and Ronnie Biggs, Belmarsh is also noted for its previous reputation as the ‘British Guantanamo’, due to its use for the detainment of untried ‘terror charge’ prisoners in the early 2000’s following 9/11.

9. Terre Haute Federal Correction Complex

Located in the city of Terra Haute in Vigo County, Western Indiana, this facility first opened in 1940. Covering all three security classifications, high, medium and minimum, the complex is all-male and comprises of two separate facilities. Namely, the Federal Correction Institution (FCI), Terra Haute and the United States Penitentiary, Terre Haute, each facility serves a quite separate function.  The former is a medium security branch intended for the holding of inmates in need of particular monitoring whilst the latter is predominantly home to death row inmates. The combined population of the facilities which comprise the Terre Haute complex is around 3,000.

8. Tadmor Military Prison

Originally constructed as a barracks by the French Mandate forces in the early 20^th century, today Tadmor Military Prison is one of the most renowned facilities of its kind on the face of our planet. Located approximately 200 kilometres north east of the Syrian capital Damascus, Tadmor made a name for itself in the decades following its first use as an incarceration facility as a result of typically harsh conditions, as well as leniency with the likes of human rights, torture and even execution. Though closed in 2001 following a string of political and religious atrocities, Tadmor was reopened in 2011 to facilitate the detainment of prisoners linked to the ‘Arab Spring’.

7. Camp Delta

Camp Delta is the name given to the detainment centre at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Notorious world over for its uses in the incarceration of prolific figures carrying a high terror risk, as well as those apprehended in current war zones, the camp has gained an international reputation (rather unfortunately) as one of the most symbolic institutions of our times. Constructed during the spring of 2002, Camp Delta is divided, much like any other US prison, into several facilities intended for inmates of certain need or categorization. Due to its location on international soil, Camp Delta has played host to some rather questionable occurrences involving the human rights of its prisoners, but that’s another story for another day.

6. ADX Florence

Opening in 1994, United State Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility (ADX) is located to the south of Florence, Colorado. Carrying the status of a ‘supermax’, or super maximum security prison, ADX Florence is a rather well known place, having become known colloquially as the ‘Alcatraz of the Rockies’. Housing some 439 male prisoners, the facility is home to those deemed too dangerous for detainment in the countries other high security prisons, making this a very tight ship indeed. There are some six levels of security within ADX Florence, all of which are pretty severe and see most inmates contained separately at all times. The prisoners populating the facility range in terms of crimes committed, and whilst there are a number of notable international and domestic ‘terrorists’ detained within, the prison also hosts numerous prolific organized crime gang members and Mafioso’s.

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10. Africanized Bee

Known colloquially as ‘Killer Bees’, Africanized Bees are (unsurprisingly) feared by many people. A hybrid breed of European (Italian and Iberian) Bee breeds as well as larger African Honey Bees, the breed caused pandemonium across the US in the early nineties as the spread from the south northwards wreaking havoc on, well, pretty much anything that annoyed them really. Inflicting far more misery upon their fellow bees than on humans, these particularly confrontational insects have become known for the genocide of existing European breeds. Considered dangerous due to their fondness of swarming, a good few people die as a result of their activity each year.

9. Tsetse Fly

Also known as tik-tik flies, the Tsetse is a breed of insect capable of mass human death. Annually, it is estimated that they cause as many as 300,000 human deaths each year, most typically through their prize ability to successfully spread infectious and detrimental diseases. The most common such disease is Trypanosomiasis, or sleeping sickness. This parasitic condition can affect human beings as well as animals, and acts to aggressively attack first the lymph system, and later the central nervous system itself. Tsetse flies are indigenous primarily to the African continent, and as a result this is where they cause the most death to humans.

8. Cone Snail

Despite being miniscule in stature, relatively harmless in looks and belonging to the quite placid sounding Coninae  family of aquatic molluscs, the Cone Snail can do a hell of a lot of damage if rubbed the wrong way, literally. Possessing a reservoir of rather volatile toxins, most commonly used in the stunning and consuming of prey (usually small fish), the Cone Snail is capable of firing a harpoon-like barb at impressive velocity in pretty much any direction. Though attacks on humans are rare, they have been known to cause the untimely deaths of a scuba-diver or two in their native Pacific Ocean. Essentially contaminating human blood to the point of reflexive rejection (loads and loads of regurgitation and diarrhoea, basically) the toxins possessed by the Cone Snail cause almost instantaneous reaction. Add to the aforementioned nausea, headache, weakness, seizures respiratory failure and even coma, as well as the fact that you’re likely to be bobbing about helplessly in the ocean when this goes down, and you get a pretty good idea of just how these tiny molluscs are capable of causing death.

7. Stone Fish

Continuing on the theme of unsuspecting barbarous and toxic sea-creatures, the Stone Fish would likely get on very well with the Cone Snail. In fact, it’s even possible the two have met, as the Stone Fish too enjoys the warm coastal areas of the Indo-Pacific. Though lacking an ability to project its venomous barbs directly towards its intended target, the Stone Fish does possess a couple of separate, yet equally impressive skills- namely camouflage and habitat transition. With the ridiculous ability to blend in to its surroundings with ease, the creature’s already tricky-to-distinguish profile is enhanced even further. On top of this, the Stone Fish may leave the water, taking up a role as a miscellaneous rock on a beach for a period of up to 24-hours. If stood on, the fish uses the victims own wait to leak nasty venom directly into the bloodstream- often causing crippling pain and sometimes even fatality.

6. Black Mamba

Far from being the only snake with a gift for causing pain, suffering and eventually death, the Black Mamba just may be the most notorious. Named so as a result of the black interior of its mouth, this creature is native to Eastern Africa and can range in size from 8ft to 10ft long. One of four snakes categorised as ‘mambas’, the Black Mamba is the second largest venomous snake in the world, behind only the King Cobra. Delivering its incapacitating venom with both ferocity and speed, most who encounter the creature’s wrong side are dead within a matter of minutes.

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10. Iran Hostage Crisis

For those born in the 1990’s, it may (or may not) come as a surprise to learn that there have always been issues between the Middle East and the United States of America. The Iran Hostage Crisis was a key feature of the pre-First Gulf War relations between these two areas of the world, and saw the unlawful detainment of some 90 people in the US Embassy, Tehran- for over a year. Following the disposition of the Western approved Iranian leader, Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlevi, by a revolutionary Islamic Government in the initial months of 1979, many Iranian students overran the US Embassy in their nation’s capital city later in the year, in response to their disgraced former leader being granted aid by the West. The situation soured and resulted in several deaths, as well as several very powerful men losing their jobs. It eventually ended in January 1981, after 444 days.

9. Patty Hearst

The story of Patty Hearst and her use as a hostage is one both compelling and outright entertaining. The daughter of a wealthy Californian media mogul, Patty was kidnapped in 1974 by the self-styled ‘Symbionese Liberation Army’. Held hostage for a short time whilst the SLA conducted negotiations with the 19-year-old Patty’s family, she is said to have been kept in close confinement, as well as sexually assaulted and brainwashed. Her kidnapper’s wishes of re-appropriating the wealth of their home state by demanding Patty’s father supply the poor of California with food though fulfilled, were carried out to a sub par level according to the SLA. Not like it mattered anyway, by this point Patty had announced herself as a fully-fledged supporter and member of their ranks and for the next couple of years participated in their anti-establishment activities. Patty’s case is considered to a prominent example of Stockholm syndrome.

8. Moscow Theatre Hostage Crisis

One of two cases on this list to include confrontation between two well-known belligerents in recent decades, Chechnya and Russia. This is an example of an extremely precise and brutally dealt with hostage situation. Also known as the Nord-Ost siege, the Moscow Theater Hostage Crisis began on October 23^rd 2002, when between 40 and 50 armed Chechen rebels stormed a busy Moscow theater  claiming over 800 hostages in the process. After a very brief two days of negotiations the Russians minds were made up, and Spetsnaz troops entered the building, after pumping its ventilation systems full of disabling gas first, of course. All of the insurgents were killed, along with most of the innocent hostages.

7. Roy Hallums

One of several hostage victims of the recent Iraq War, Roy Hallums is an American contractor who, on November 1^st 2004, was kidnapped by Iraqi militants after a troop of around 20 gunmen stormed the compound in which he was based. Captured alongside a Philippine colleague, as well as a Nepalese one and three native Iraqis, Hallums soon found himself the only one left un-liberated. Despite various international pressure movements and publicized pleas, Hallums remained in captivity until September 2005. His release coming as a result of a US Army Delta Force raid on the farmhouse just south of Baghdad wherein he was being kept.

6. Air France 8969

In the midst of the Algerian Civil War (1991-2002), the militant Islamic opposition (GIA) to the French Algerian government hijacked an Air France flight destined for Paris. Taking the aircraft by first gaining unquestioned armed access disguised as policemen, the insurgents soon took control of the craft and eventually mastered its take off from Algiers some 39 hours after initially boarding. Though their initial aim was to head for Paris, insufficient fuel supplies resulted in a stop off in Marseilles. Once on the runway here, and collaborative French/Algerian Special Forces group successfully raided the aircraft, killing each of the four militants and causing no further death. In total, three passengers died over the course of the hijacking.

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10. Znojmo Catacombs, Czech Republic

Worldwide, many places have been distinguished as catacombs even though they lack the first and foremost qualification: dead, interred bodies. The Znojmo Catacombs in the Czech Republic represents these posers, but these underground passages share an interesting history nonetheless. They were mostly built during the late middle ages (14th and 15thcenturies). The primary purpose of these underground mazes was to provide a safe haven from invaders. At times, these subterranean safe havens were self-sustainable for months on end. Fresh water wells and ample storage meant the city’s residents could outlast even the longest calamities.

9. Catacombs of London

Most of London’s catacombs can be traced to the Victorian era, back when Jack the Ripper first haunted nightmares and fictional, sleuthing characters such as Sherlock Holmes began solving crimes. Gas lamps were as common as railways, and the Industrial Revolution was in full swing. The premiere catacomb locations are the West Norwood and Kensal Green cemeteries. These grounds are famous for their Gothic and Victorian architecture and historical significance. Although devoid of interred corpses, another area of interest for spelunkers is the Camden catacombs that run underneath the Camden Market.

8. l’Ossuaire Municipal, Paris

Paris always has an answer for anything London does, and when it comes to catacombs they have over compensated once again. During the same period as London’s catacombs were built so too were holes being dug under Paris for disposing of the dead. Catacombs proved a cheap way for the lower class to lay their dead to rest. The bones of over six million decorate the walls of the main ossuary. The place is usually open for tourism when it isn’t being vandalized (the ossuary was closed in 2009 for such a reason). Have a look inside. Like London, there are many tunnels of different origins (with or without human remains) that fully constitute the “Catacombs of Paris”.  One could spend days fully exploring the world below this modern metropolis.

7. Monastery of San Francisco, Lima

Construction of the Church and Monastery of San Francisco was completed in 1774. Over one hundred years in the making, the structures withstood many earthquakes only to be damaged by a quake in 1970. The complex baroque architectural style of the grounds dates to 1600, and emanates a special grandeur that has helped earn the monastery a place as a world renowned site of historical importance. The grounds house catacombs that acted as Lima’s first cemetery. The tunnels below were used for burials until 1803, and have been frequented since by pilgrims and tourists amazed by the skeletal patterns along the walls. Intermingling are the bones of an estimated 70,000 burials that are thought to have happened here. The catacombs were lost for a period of time only to be excavated in 1943.

6. Rabat Catacombs, Malta

Off the southern tip of Italy, in the middle of the mythical Mediterranean Sea, lies the island archipelago that makes up the nation of Malta. On this Island, the village Rabat is home to a sprawling labyrinth of tunnels and tombs. A small settlement of around 7,000 people, Rabat shares a patch of land that used to be a full-on Roman city. Much of the Roman influence that has been preserved can be found underground. St. Paul’s and St. Agatha’s catacombs offer two nearby stops for tomb tourists. The type of burials found in St. Paul’s catacombs indicate the complexes date at least as far back to the 4th century. Only a small fraction of the catacombs are open to the public, but this doesn’t mean you can’t get an early Roman Christian experience while enjoying the twists and turns of the bleak corridors.

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10. Substance Abuse

Referring to an exposure to elicit substances whilst in their mother’s womb as well as later in life, it is widely believed that children who grow up in an environment which advocates such abuse are not only more likely to suffer from the onset of particular mental conditions, but from substance dependence themselves later in life. Whether sustained alcohol intake acts to affect the growth and natural development of an unborn child, or the heroin addiction of an infant’s parents ensures that they are emotionally destabilised for good, FBI statistics suggest that around 70% of serial killers experience problems linked with substance abuse early on in life.

9. Sexual Abuse

Not many people would argue with the perspective that the people we become in adulthood largely, though perhaps not wholly, depends on the nature of our upbringing. Whilst substance abuse can act to hinder the psyche of a child through isolation, negligence and physical abuse, the matter of sexual abuse is very different. Whilst the term may suggest it, sexual abuse in this setting does not solely refer to direct physical abuse. Though such abuse is unfortunately common, it is not the only sexually themed form of childhood torment likely to influence a future killer. Acts of humiliation in relation to the likes of masturbation, the witnessing of the abuse of parents or close relatives, or just about anything else that prohibits healthy growth in relation to this most sensitive and natural of human functions can all have adverse effects.

8. Loneliness

Whilst loneliness and isolation may be considered natural amongst grown-ups, they are states which can be extremely detrimental to the rounded development of a child. The ability, or lack thereof, to forge meaningful relationships with other people is often what sets serial killers apart from their societal neighbours. It is widely believed that most serial killers grow up in environments that are unstable as a result of warring family members. This home life then transfers to other areas of their life, such as school, and soon they find themselves friendless and at the mercy of playground bully’s. Resentment and disregard for others and their feelings comes next, followed by the fulfilment of hateful urge and fantasy.

7. Animal Abuse

It is believed that a great deal of serial killers, in fact 99% of them, complete childhood apprenticeships in their trade upon animals. As violent fantasies and tendencies develop within the increasingly warped mind of a troubled child, they are likely to seek appropriate animals as necessary targets upon which to vent their torturous desires. What’s more, due to the typically dysfunctional settings in which children performing such acts grow up in, their behaviour is likely to go largely un-noticed.

6. Trouble With Employment

Opinions tend to vary more-so with regards to this characteristic than with any others on the list. Whilst FBI research maintains that serial killers need not be considered to have any specific troubles when it comes to the world of work and holding down a job, there is countless research which suggests they do. Presumably, this characteristic stems from the fact that social and academic exclusion during education leads to a disregard for the institutions importance rather early on in life. Under qualified for more professionally orientated roles, serial killers are then left with more menial unskilled societal roles.

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