Field Research Update
Hello everyone, Archivist, Education + Outreach Coordinator, and Field Researcher Neil Daigle Orians here with an exciting announcement regarding the newly formed Field Research arm of the Luscinia Historical Society.
Sarah Chou, Chou, acrylic and marker on Duralar with rice paper. 1972. Research and analysis by Kara Yeomans. The “Terrifying Pink Thing” is depicted here as a Chou – a Peking Opera clown. Said to communicate through art, poetry, and visions, its form seemed dependent upon individual interpretation – as in the case of Sarah Chou, who encountered it while listening to The Drunken Concubine.
Object # EN.SC.C72
Collaborative Archival Assistant Kara Yeomans recently unearthed some exciting new research hidden within the Enosi Archives whose implications shatter our current view of the Rosenungetüm phenomenon. In her research, Kara found the work and diaries of Sarah Chou, a Pink Acolyte Union member from the 1970s. Chou’s description of the Rosenungetüm, alongside research connected to the 3rd Pink Acolyte Imogen Naughton, suggests that what the PAU refers to by many names may indeed be a shape-shifting creature.
Unlike other depictions of a furry pink beast, Chou’s version is based on a Peking Opera clown (a Chou), — in this case, its face resembles traditional Chinese dragons. According to Yeomans, this implies the creature may change its general shape and visage according to the cultural and ethnic backgrounds of the viewer. Similar phenomena has been reported around the world since the late 19th century, yet these claims have been mostly dismissed due to lacking the same features as the creature originally described by Marco di Gatti.
With this new insight in mind, we have begun to reexamine some of these reports and intend to investigate them. Beginning this summer, I will be traveling to various sites across the country, including New England, the Rockies, and the Plains States to collect objects and conduct field research based on them.
Endeeyoh, sketch of the “Terrifying Pink Thing” upon their first meeting c. 2021, ink on paper. This version, drawn by the current leader of the Pink Acolyte Union, is more reminiscent to its original descriptions, yet this version’s pig-like snout does stand out compared to earlier depictions.
Object # EN.END.TPT21
During these travels, I will be collecting various pieces of previously reported evidence, including analog audio/video tapes, as well as doing my own field research. I will be able to digitize and post them upon returning, so long as the decades-old technology holds out. Incidents in New Haven, Utah, the Dakotas, and Yellowstone are included in this trip, with more to come in the near future.
Look forward to seeing more in the near future!
-Neil Daigle Orians
Archivist, Education + Outreach Coordinator, and Field Researcher
