there are 3,530,000 results). are images and accounts from Josiffe’s years-long obsession with this singing, stealing, multilingual talking mongoose (who was said to speak phrases in English, French, German, Yiddish, Spanish, Flemish, and Hebrew). That in itself is quite the testament to willpower and determination to survive anything. As the family grew fed up with the incivility, and threatened to leave, Gef calmed down. Was it an elaborate hoax? "I am a ghost in the form of a weasel, and I shall haunt you with weird noises and clanking chains." One of the more popular theories is the idea that Gef was not a real talking mongoose at all, but rather a poltergeist taking the form of one. : The Strange Tale of an Extra-special Talking Mongoose (courtesy Strange Attractor), “The slit in the matchboarding through which Gef threw a packing-case needle at Capt. There's some indication the tale originated when 13 year-old Voirrey Irving, an accomplished rabbit hunter, began saying that dead rabbits she brought home were killed by her friend, a sentient mongoose, and before long she had her parents believing the tale and spreading it to their neighbors. Although he never got to see or hear Gef for himself, Price was able to collect evidence that could corroborate the Irvings’ version of events. When Price concluded his investigation and left the island, Gef reappeared, claiming that he had taken a few days holiday. He refused to show himself to the family, and was often at times quite ill-mannered. This does sound all fine and dandy, but there was a darker, more sinister side to the animal. Tragedy on the S.S. Ourang Medan – Fact or Legend. You guessed it, he was a talking mongoose who got up to all kinds of hijinks. Tagged #unsolved mysteries #curious stories #thinking #sideways #thinking sideways. Gef even drew a self-portrait for the family. As James would later describe, what started as a “tap, tap, tap at night” within their walls developed into an ongoing conversation with this astute, and often snide, “man-weasel” who had decided to make their isolated home his own abode. Hyperallergic is a forum for serious, playful, and radical thinking about art in the world today. Richard welcomes a TV producer and author to discuss one of the strangest cases in paranormal history: A talking mongoose that terrorized a family living on an isolated farm on the Isle of … I could kill you all, but I won’t” — and proclaim godlike talents — “I’ll split the atom! If the Irvings were sane and unable to profit, or uninterested in profiting, off of Gef, then, such logic runs, a talking mongoose is suddenly the most reasonable answer. The Irvings left the farmhouse, and Gef, in 1937. It’s highly likely that what would happen now, happened then. He became a member of the family itself. : The Strange Tale of an Extra-special Talking Mongoose (courtesy Strange Attractor), Photograph from Gef! In his spare time he enjoys astronomy and Xboxing. Subject: Gef, the Talking Mongoose. Gef the Talking Mongoose) can now be told. 19-27. : The Strange Tale of an Extra-Special Talking Mongoose by Christopher Josiffe is out now from Strange Attractor. He could be violent — “You don’t know what damage or harm I could do if I were roused. A family on the Isle of Man, in 1931, found that they had a rather strange house guest who called himself Gef. The animal eventually identified itself as Gef and was first discovered by the Irving family in September 1931. Once when Margaret asked him about her husband’s long absence, Gef responded: “I don’t know. Gef on Gef "I am an earthbound spirit." Gef the Talking Monster, also known as the Dalby Spook or simply Gef, was an extremely bizarre and amazing animal-like spirit which was claimed to inhabit a farmhouse owned by the Irving family known as Cashen's Gap near the hamlet of Dalby on the Isle of Man. Become a member today », “Harry Price commissioned artist George Scott to draw a sketch of Gef, based on the Irvings’ descriptions of him. We use cookies to make the site easier to use. On both sides of the Atlantic however, two early stories about real extraordinary animals emerged a generation or two ago. Georgia Guidestones: Who Paid for It and Why? Price arrived on the island in the summer of 1935. Yet as Colin Dickey wrote in his article on Gef! On an American farm, there was Mike the headless chicken. Voirrey Irving was twelve and thirteen years old at the time of the notoriety. In September 1931, the Irving family, consisting of James, Margaret and a 13-year-old daughter named Voirrey, claimed they heard persistent scratching, rustling, and vocal noises behind their farmhouse’s wooden wall panels that variously resembled a ferret, a dog or a baby. It was not a successful farm; James “Jim” Irving, an educated man, had previously been a traveling salesman, and although the farm was his retirement project, it was proving insufficient to support his wife, Margaret, and their daughter, Voirrey. I am a freak. Manx born and bred, self-confessed cooking addict and food snob. He was a talking mongoose who lived on the Island of Man. Famed parapsychologists such as Harry Price learned about Gef and began an investigation. During his investigation, Price took care to avoid supporting or condemning the Irvings reports, trusting that facts would speak for themselves. So what exactly was the Dalby Spook? Allison C. Meier is a former staff writer for Hyperallergic. HARRIS, Melvin. I am the eighth wonder of the world!” Gef himself was unsure of his form, or powers, sometimes claiming to have magical abilities, or clairvoyance, which required some form of invisible technology. A sample of fur, which analysis concluded that it was dog hair, most likely from Mona, the family dog. 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The Irvings' farm was located at Cashen's Gap near the hamlet of Dalby on the Isle of Man.The story was given extensive coverage by the tabloid press in Britain in the early 1930s. Originally from Oklahoma, she has been covering visual culture and overlooked history for print... Yet to a reporter in 1932, James assured: “There are no spooks here.” The journalist with the Daily Dispatch in Manchester, which was Gef’s first appearance in the mainland press, wrote: Had I heard a weasel speak? A convenient excuse as in the build-up Price’s arrival, Gef let his feelings be known. But on being shown the sketch, Gef strongly objected, saying: ‘That ain’t me! “The Mongoose That Talked & Lost For Words” In Peter Brookesmith (ed) _Open Files_. : The Strange Tale of an Extra-special Talking Mongoose (courtesy Strange Attractor), Alleged photograph of Gef, showing him “in distinctly cat-like form” (December 1935) from Gef! The Irvings lived on a farmstead on top of a hill in Dalby. Isle of Man News article heralding Chistopher Josiffe's imminent book on Gef (Christopher wrote the FT Gef cover story of a few years ago.) While he’s frequently referred to as a “mongoose,” he was initially called the “Dalby Spook” (referring to his geographic location on the Isle of Man). He sang songs – a personal favorite being Carolina Moon, recited texts, and mimicked other animals and sounds brought to him or simply overheard. Cover of Gef! His widow and daughter sold the farm and left for mainland England. I am a freak. The farm was home to 60-yr-old Jim Irving, his wife Margaret, and their 12-yr old daughter Voirrey. According to reports, Gef did much more than talk. Photographs of the camera-shy Gef appear alternately cat and squirrel-like, always obscured, and his own attempt at a self-portrait is barely more than a scrawl. Claiming to be a mongoose from India that was born in 1852 in India, the voice called itself Gef and always claimed it was a flesh and blood creature. : The Strange Tale of an Extra-special Talking Mongoose (courtesy Strange Attractor). In a nation long fascinated by the supernatural, the case of Gef the talking mongoose stands out as one of the most bizarre in British paranormal history. Coming straight from the Mongoose’s mouth itself, the Dalby Spook was a name given to a mongoose that had managed to master the art of speech. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Gef also mentioned he was a mongoose born on June 7th, 1852 in Delhi, India. Historic Mysteries is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. The Irving family themselves appear in these photographs, neatly dressed and apparently sane, posed in front of their remote home. 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