The controversial episode of a Wisconsin womans possession and exorcism has since become the most prominent and publicized exorcism cases in American history. The longer they chased that hope, the closer to evil Riesinger, Steiger, and the sisters found themselves. Anna didnt react. Tiffany Ceri was brought on to play the titular character of Anna Ecklund. Anna Ecklund (Emma Schmidt) died on July 23, 1941 at age 59 (? Your email address will not be published. The story of Anne Ecklund and her alleged demonic possession starts in 1912, and continues for several decades. Mina was widely believed to be the lover of Annas father, as well as a witch who used spelled herbs in Ecklunds food to put her under the demons spell. [7] She reportedly began exhibiting signs of possession during her adolescence, demonstrating revulsion of holy objects, "disturbed" thoughts, and inability to enter churches. During the 1940s, a series of exorcisms were conducted on an anonymous boy, whose identity was hidden behind the pseudonyms Ronald Doe and Robbie Mannheim. Father Joseph Stieger of Earling, Iowa, a friend of Riesinger, suggested the exorcism be undertaken at a convent owned by the Franciscan Sisters in Earling. Riesingers journey was not easy. 268. The first session of the exorcism began the next day. On one occasion, her body even expanded to twice its normal size, causing the sisters in the room to wince in fear of the woman bursting. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. When she was 16, a head trauma caused her to develop temporal lobe epilepsy. Anna Ecklund was raised as an ordinary Catholic girl (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto) Jacob Ecklund had reportedly attempted to begin an incestuous relationship with his daughter in her early teens. Her case was so well known that it served as the basis for a Time profile of the priest in charge of her exorcism, Father Theophilus Riesinger. The paranormal investigative duo Ed and Lorraine Warren were brought in and after evaluating the Perrons situation, declared that there had been quite a few insidious things that occurred in the home and around the property that cast a dark cloud over the entire place. The real life Anna Ecklund is also known in some documentations of the case as Emma Schmidt. Historic Mysteries provides captivating articles on archaeology, history, and unexplained mysteries. Plot Summary The spirits sinister voices now dogged her every step, pressing her to commit terrible acts. According to Wisconsin birth records, both of Schmidt's parents were German immigrants. Not only did her head swell and elongate, but her face became so disfigured that few recognized the humble woman who had arrived at the convent. Popular Culture, Religion and Society. She began to scream and when commanded by the priest to stop, she responded in various languages. Search instead in Creative? Interestingly, Anna Ecklund is not likely to have been her original name. The real girl was born in 1882, and her name is unknown. Praised be Jesus Christ. And then the demons freed her. But suddenly she was able to dislodge herself from the bed and threw herself high up against a wall. The spirits' sinister voices now dogged her every step, pressing her to commit terrible acts. Between August and December in 1928, intense sessions of exorcism were performed on her demon-possessed body. On June 18th, 1912, when Anna was thirty years old, Father Riesinger performed an exorcism on her. Emma Schmidt is the suspected real name of Anna, which was only changed to protect her identity after the first exorcism. She returned to her normal self and was free from demonic possessions. But Gallagher ruled out mental illness after seeing his patient enter trance-like states and finding items flying off the shelves in his office, Julia speaking in tongues and sharing details about his life that she couldnt know. 2009-2021 Historic Mysteries. He was also against the Catholic Church. . There, they began the preparations for the woman's exorcism. [13] Her head, lips, and face reportedly swelled, and she also was able to speak in multiple languages unknown to her. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. [3] Ecklund was taken to the convent on August 17, 1928, and reportedly exhibited numerous symptoms, including falling into fits of rage over food that had been sprinkled with holy water, and hissing like a cat. As Riesinger began speaking the rites, Annas eyes fell shut and she appeared as if sedated. Anna became convinced that her problems came from the torment that she experienced from her abusive father and her aunt, Mina. Maybe the movie itself, like so many other bad horror movies, needs to be exorcised from people's minds. Anna became very violent when confronted with sacred and holy objects. The nuns reported her hissing, throwing food that had been blessed, speaking in foreign tongues, and even levitating at one point. The Exorcism of Earling: the true story of Anna Ecklund. Related: 6 Paranormal Cases Investigated by Ed and Lorraine Warren That We Cant Stop Talking About. Her body distorted through expansion and contraction, and she screamed at the people present, telling them information that she could not know in various voices. The Exorcist: Father Theophilus Riesinger and the Possession of Anna Ecklund. At the exorcism, there was Father Riesinger and Father Steiger, a couple of nuns and a housekeeper. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Still to this day the validity of the account is debated. in the May celebrations in his honor at Limina, Sicily. Where is the Body of the Legendary King Gorm of Denmark. She was born in 1882 in Marathon, Wisconsin. For Businesses. A dramatization of the exorcism in "The Exorcism of Anna Ecklund". From the beginning of her life, Anna Ecklund saw only the worst faces around her, the final phase of which ended with the last three sessions of the exorcism performed on her. Although only intended to illustrate Satans power to seminary students, the story of a 1928 exorcism quickly spread to Catholic and secular publications alike. Available at: https://diabolicalconfusions.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/the-entire-case-history-of-anna-ecklund-americas-most-famous-case-of-possession/#more-233, Hushed up History. Riesinger's stature grew. The plot is based on the alleged true story of Anna Ecklund. However, this was not to continue. 2023 Getty Images. In 1912, the Capuchin priest Theophilus Riesinger performed an exorcism on her. In the year between 1976 and 1977, Berkowitz would terrorize the residents of the citys five boroughs murdering six and wounding seven, a violent spree he attributed to Papa Sam, a mysterious, evil figure Berkowitz referenced in the letters he left at his crime scenes. In this Video I will tell you about the real story behind this Film that took place in Amer. All rights reserved. The unsolved locked room murder of Joe Elwell, 1920, Cryptic lost Canaanite language decoded on Rosetta Stone-like tablets. Photo by Junior Rennie CC BY SA 4.0. Get notified of the best best booming posts weekly. Add photo. Berkowitz claimed in his prison diaries that the animal was possessed by a 6,000-year-old man named Sam, an alcoholic who consumed human blood. I have been invited to various conferences to present my research and have had success in this. Both she and her Catholic family attributed her condition to demonic possession, and beginning at 22, she underwent an intense 10 months of Catholic exorcism rites. Anna also responded to the priests actions with vitriol, foaming at the mouth whenever Riesinger spoke Latin blessings. Reyes House Cleaning in Anna, reviews by real people. The unsuccessful exorcism was done in an attempt to stop the demons alleged attacks on the family, which included loud banging, foul-smelling odors, shaken mattresses, physical and sexual assaults on one member of the family, others being pushed down stairs, and even their dog being thrown into the wall. At the age of twenty, he joined the Capuchins, an order of Franciscans monks founded in the 16th century. Anna refused all food and drink from the convent. Sign up for The Lineup's newsletter, and get our eeriest investigations delivered straight to your inbox. Contrary to other stories on this list, Michael Taylors exorcism caused him to turn to murder. I have also began social media outreach for a local historical research group. After the family became overwhelmed by weird occurrences, including odd noises, furniture moving by itself, and objects levitating when Roland was around, they reached out to their Lutheran pastor who, after monitoring Roland's behavior, declared that he should see a Catholic priest. Berkowitz also claimed that the spirit locked him in the attic and commanded him to kill through the dog. Cited as the most documented case of exorcism ever, this case was also a major influence on the 1973 horror film The Exorcist, directed by William Friedkin. 2021. Anna Ecklund stood upright on her bed and collapsed, screaming at the top of her lungs. Springer, Cham. Save. Praised be Jesus Christ! A few days after the claim, Father Steiger crashed his car into the railing of the bridge. She is proficient in all kinds of facials, including my favorites: Hydra . 51 Anna Eklund Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images All News Archival Browse 51 anna eklund stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. After arriving home, Michael Taylor murdered his wife as well as the family dog in a gruesome manner. Related: Possessed: The Real-Life Exorcism of Roland Doe. Anna arrived in Earling on August 18th, 1928. Born in 1952 in Leiblfing, West Germany, Anneliese was raised in a Roman Catholic family. The last session of the exorcism lasted until December 23rd. The local vicar and other ministers of the Fellowship then conducted an ad hoc exorcism upon him, claiming they had invoked and cast out at least forty demons, including those of incest, bestiality, blasphemy, and lewdness, during a ceremony which lasted all night. It was widely reported at the time of Annas first exorcism that Mina was a witch, who would put cursed herbs in Annas food and placed curses on her. Together, they decided to bring Anna to an isolated convent in Earling, run by the Franciscan Sisters to ensure privacy and protection. An exorcism was performed by two priests which lasted the entire day. https://www.rd.com/list/real-life-exorcisms/, https://www.darkhistories.com/the-exorcism-of-anna-ecklund/, https://www.grunge.com/219954/the-truth-about-the-exorcism-of-anna-ecklund/, https://diabolicalconfusions.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/the-entire-case-history-of-anna-ecklund-americas-most-famous-case-of-possession/#more-233, https://husheduphistory.com/post/619278048738607104/the-evil-and-exorcism-of-emma-schmidt, https://emadion.it/en/paranormal/exorcisms/the-exorcism-of-earling-the-true-story-of-anna-ecklund/, https://the-line-up.com/the-exorcist-father-theophilus-riesinger-and-possession-of-anna-ecklund, https://medium.com/exploring-history/the-most-terrifying-and-spectacular-exorcism-in-history-76587b507164. The devil will try his utmost to foil our plans. Her face twisted, her eyes and lips swelled to huge proportions, and her stomach became hard. The cause of death was starvation. The case of Clara Germana Cele takes us all the way to a mission school in Umzinto, South Africa. "Exists (2014)" is a found footage horror film about a group of friends in the remote Texas woods being stalked by an angry Bigfoot. What Happened to the Crew of the Casie What are Ley Lines? The woman known as Emma Schmidt, more well-known by her pseudonym Anna Ecklund, was born in 1882 in in Wisconsin, of the United States, to German immigrants. From super strength and speaking in tongues to levitation, here are nine real exorcism stories and cases of demonic possession. Between August and December in 1928, intense sessions of exorcism were performed on her demon-possessed body. Scientists agree that the practice is based on superstition and that the people who claim to be possessed may actually be suffering from mental illnesses, or in fact just faking it. Another exorcism was allegedly performed, this time lasting two days, before she was freed of the demon. Between August and December in 1928 . Hell!. She also gained knowledge of other languages, supposedly levitated up to five feet off the ground, exhibited superhuman strength, and relayed personal information about others she shouldnt have been able to know all trademarks of possession. The Exorcism of Anna Ecklund 2016 Not Rated 1 h 19 m IMDb RATING 2.5 /10 1.1K YOUR RATING Rate Horror A Priest and a Vatican investigator take a possessed housewife to a convent to perform an Exorcism. Theophilus had the sisters drag Anna from the wall and into the bed, restraining her even as she made inhuman howls that would last through the end of the first session on August 26. Like the last entry on the list, Clara also spoke foreign tongues, was reportedly clairvoyant, revealing secrets of people she never knew, levitated, and shunned holy objects. Anna was able to go back to her life as a devout Catholic. [15][16] Ecklund was believed to be possessed by Judas Iscariot, as well as Jacob, her own father, who had cursed her with the help of his lover, her aunt Mina, for refusing his incestuous sexual advances during her adolescence. She started speaking and understanding Latin, Hebrew, Italian and Polish languages. Anna grew up in Marathon, Wisconsin and her parents were German immigrants. Thus, Ecklund stopped attending church. Days went by, and Ecklund was not getting better. Then, she spoke in a clear voice, for the first time in many months. The Exorcism of Anna Ecklund Photo Credit: North Bank Entertainment Often said to include speaking in tongues and strange guttural voices, levitating and clinging to bedroom walls, disturbed thoughts and revulsion of holy objects and sacred spaces, Ecklund's possession spanned several decades beginning in 1912 when she was just 14 years old. Even as she slept she muttered in unsettling tongues, blaspheming God and verbally assaulting anyone in the room. Reverend Steiger lived out a full life. Interestingly, Anna Ecklund is not likely to have been her original name. While the real story sounds suitably horrific, the movie version though didn't fare that well. Little is known for certain about her early life. 12 Real-Life Exorcisms That Actually Happened. On December 23, 1928, the final session began. But this time, Father Riesinger wanted to perform the exorcism in secrecy. Anna was tied to an iron bed and held down by the strongest nuns in the convent. Then, as they officially began the rite of exorcism, she allegedly ripped through her restraints, leapt into the air, and clung to the wall above the rooms door. Father Carl Vogl penned an account of Annas possession in a pamphlet, published in 1936, called Begone Satan: A Soul Stirring Account of Diabolical Possession in Iowa. 1.2K. Iowa. Anna also began howling very loudly like a wild beast. He performed his first exorcism on her soon after arriving in 1912, and it was deemed a success. This Emma Schmidt was one of nine children, and died June 23, 1964 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Messages written on his skin, guttural voices, and extreme strength were noted in one priests diary before the young boy was eventually freed of the malicious spirit with no memory of the incident. Anna Ecklund, the Levitating Girl. Jumpstart your reading habit by signing up here https://lionessrue.medium.com/membership. Described as a charming and engaging woman, Julia was the queen of a satanic cult. "[4] The reviewer for HorrorNews.net was also critical, negatively comparing it to The Exorcist and stating that viewers should "Pass on this timid and tiresome film that adds nothing to the possession genre and go watch the original The Exorcist again. The Exorcism of Anna Ecklund (2016) - Photo Gallery - IMDb The Exorcism of Anna Ecklund (2016) Photo Gallery 10 photos Add Image 10 photos Trailers and Videos See 1 video Storyline A Priest and a Vatican investigator take a possessed housewife to a convent to perform an Exorcism. Riesinger well knew the stakes and the potential trouble an exorcism could cause. After the three sessions, she was very weak and heavily malnourished. Inspired by the magic of Love! Anna experienced horrific symptoms, vomiting bile and tobacco-infused liquid. Riesinger contended that the demons had redoubled their efforts. Secretly, she met with two priests who arranged for exorcism rites to be conducted. Caligulas stunning 2,000-year-old sapphire ring tells of a dramatic love story, Evidence of a 14,000-year-old settlement found in western Canada, Archaeologists locate earliest known North American settlement, 2,400-year-old baskets still filled with fruit found in the submerged Egyptian city, 9,000-year-old site near Jerusalem is the Big Bang of prehistory settlement, Oldest stone tools ever found were not made by human hands, study suggests, Mysterious skeleton revealed to be that of unusual lady anchoress of York Barbican. To confirm if Anna was not faking the attacks, Father Riesinger sprayed her with fake holy water. Privacy and protection here https: //diabolicalconfusions.wordpress.com/2011/04/05/the-entire-case-history-of-anna-ecklund-americas-most-famous-case-of-possession/ # more-233, Hushed up history years old, Father Riesinger her., but you can opt-out if you wish priests who arranged for exorcism rites be. 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