Also similar to the Anneliese Michel case, Judas Iscariot was also one of the possessing spirits of Anna Ecklund. Riesinger once again performed an exorcism on Ecklund, per his biography on the Capuchin Order website, and it was this exorcism that put Ecklund's case on the map. Write a Review . Her once soft voice often sank into a guttural growl capable of creating impossible sounds. However, this was not to continue. If this information is correct, the true identity of Emma Schmidt, as per records found on Ancestry.com, may be Hulda Emma Schmidt, born July 3, 1882 in Thurgau, Switzerland to Jacob and Anna Schmidt, who subsequently emigrated to Wisconsin in 1884. She immediately refused food that had been blessed and could sense when holy water had been sprinkled ahead of time, hissing in aversion. 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. 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. There has only been one book published about it, titled:Begone Satan! After Christine Taylor accused her increasingly erratic and socially distant husband of adultery with their church group leader during a meeting, Taylor lashed out at both his wife and his alleged mistress. A few days after the claim, Father Steiger crashed his car into the railing of the bridge. She is finally out on her own in a beautiful space in Santa Clara. Yelp. Father Steiger agreed to perform the exorcism at his parish, St Josephs Parish, in Earling, Iowa, which was more private and secluded. ", Jason Rhode of Cryptic Rock was more favorable, opining in their review that "Ultimately, The Exorcism of Anna Ecklund is interesting since it is based on a true story, flows evenly, and has a solid soundtrack. [13] The exorcism was reportedly violent, with Ecklund levitating, howling, and hanging from the frame of the doorway. Written in the 1930s by Carl Vogl, it was only translated into English by Celestine Kapsner in 1973, and it was only with this translation that the story surrounding Anna Ecklund received wide attention. All rights reserved. Emma Schmidt is the suspected real name of Anna, which was only changed to protect her identity after the first exorcism. In 1928, Anna sought the help of Father Riesinger again. Ecklund's case is considered by theology and paranormal scholars to be one of the most abundantly documented cases of possession in the 20th century, including a profile in a 1936 issue of Time magazine. An autopsy declared her death was the result of emaciation, malnutrition and starvation at the hands of her priests and her family, who had, during the exorcisms, discontinued consultations with doctors. Bishop Josef Stangl (May 1959) who approved the exorcism, ordering total secrecy. Anna is extremely knowledgeable and experienced- she has been doing facials for a very long time! 2016. i'll link a read if you guys wanna know more about it. Add photo. In the aftermath, he was arrested by the police as he walked naked beside the road, covered in blood. In the meantime, she stopped taking her epilepsy meds. With so many movies about exorcisms, it is interesting that it took until 2016 for Ecklund's story to be filmed. She spoke in English, German and Latin, claiming to be multiple entities including Beelzebub, Judas, as well as Annas father and aunt Mina. Historic Mysteries is an Amazon Associate and earns from qualifying purchases. Ecklunds father, Jacob, had a reputation as an alcoholic and a womanizer. 1896: Anna Eklund SHUTTERSTOCK Anna Ecklund was not her real name, but it's the one people associate with this classic case of demonic possession, thanks to the 2016 horror film, The Exorcism of Anna Ecklund. Instead of focusing on any particular time period of history, we explore anything about the past that helps our readers understand the world they live in today. It got so bad that she began to feel unable to enter the church being held back by an interior hidden power. Her identity was kept secret. When the schools priests arrived, she became increasingly erratic and angry before confessing to making a pact with the Devil, who then possessed her. So, Father Riesinger sought the help of a St Josephs Parish priest, Father Joseph Steiger. She was born in 1882 in Marathon, Wisconsin. Anna also began howling very loudly like a wild beast. The cause of death was starvation. 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. And as more and more people read Begone, Satan! Related: Possessed: The Real-Life Exorcism of Roland Doe. She particularly abhorred the Perron matriarch, harassing and eventually possessing her. Available at: https://www.rd.com/list/real-life-exorcisms/, Dark Histories. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. After feeling convinced she was being attacked by a demon, Julia reached out to a local priest who, in turn, reached out to Gallagher to put the woman through psychiatric treatment. He was picked up by police after wandering the neighborhood streets, soaked in blood. Related: 6 Modern-Day Cases of Demonic Hauntings. Annas life, however, was only peaceful for a short while. Nikola Budanovic is a freelance journalist who has worked for various media outlets such as Vice, War History Online,The Vintage News, Taste of Cinema,etc. Anna refused all food and drink from the convent. THE TRUTH ABOUT THE EXORCISM OF ANNA ECKLUND. [14] The exorcism was reportedly so grueling, and Ecklund's behavior so violent, that several nuns in the Franciscan order asked to be relocated to a different convent. Together with his wife, Christine, Taylor became a member of the Christian Fellowship Group in the early 1970s, with whom they practicedBible studies, attended prayer meetings, and exchanged worship experiences. As the exorcism progressed, Anna's behavior also changed. By her account, the first exorcism had failed because Jacob and Mina had continued to poison her food with cursed spices. Anna Ecklund, whose real name might have been Emma Schmidt, was born on March 23rd, 1882. The Smurl familys case was both highly publicized and heavily scrutinized, discredited by paranormal professionals and clergy who claimed on several occasions that nothing unusual was happening at the residence. is based on the real life the story of Anneliese Michel and addresses the question of whether or not are demonic possessions real. She began to produce an impossible amount of urine and feces in addition to the vomit. Once faced with a team of Jesuit exorcists, the boy showed similar behavior as the other two entries on the list. According to Wisconsin birth records, both of Schmidt's parents were German immigrants. Relatives living near here are thought to have prevailed upon the Reverend Joseph Steiger, pastor of St. Josephs church, to bring the woman to Earling from an eastern city for the ritual, which suggests Emma Schmidt was from the US East Coast and not Wisconsin. Following a full night of exhaustive exorcism sessions, the priests claimed they had pulled upwards of 40 demons from Taylor but that several remained inside him when they sent him home. The movie is based on a true story that stretches back to the late 1800s to the early 1900s. Anna Ecklund stood upright on her bed and collapsed, screaming at the top of her lungs. A local church got involved to help and contacted Father Theophilus Riesinger. Agartha: Is this subterranean civilization described in ancient texts real? See hours. Search instead in. 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. The Devils Lair: Five Modern Cases of Demonic Hauntings and Possessions, The Devils Playthings: 5 Notorious Cases of Violent Poltergeist Hauntings, 13 People Describe Their Eeriest Experiences with Shadow People, Featured photo: Occult Museum; Additional photos: St. Joseph Catholic Church / Facebook; Alchetron. Whatever it was, if we see her life very closely, we can understand that it was the time when Annas life reached a climax to normalize everything in her life. Nearly 70 exorcisms were performed in secrecy under the order of the church. This site uses cookies to improve user experience. Instead, they claimed their West Pittston, Pennsylvania double-block home had been taken over by a poltergeist. He also managed to injure the priests several times, and spoke in a guttural voice, symptomatic of people believed to be possessed. The exorcism lives in in pop culture as well. After 23 days, the exorcism was over, and the evil was gone. 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. 2020. Ecklund supposedly claimed that she felt uneasy when entering churches, according toTime, and had "unspeakable sexual thoughts." In so doing, the reverend at the story's center, Theophilus Riesinger, also became Americas foremost exorcists, with a 1936 Time article labeling him a potent and mystic exorcist of demons.. Photo by Junior Rennie CC BY SA 4.0. The Exorcism of Anna Ecklund is a 2016 British horror film written and directed by Andrew Jones. However, she noted that she had been possessed at the command of her father, Jacob, and his mistress, Mina, with the help of Lucifer himself. Iscariot was there to lead Anna to commit suicide. Anna went on to lead a quiet life. This Story Was First Published on Occult Museum. Allegedly, when the exorcism was over, a sulfuric odor could be sensed in the room. The Ural Relief Map: Strange white slabs scrawled with some unknown language! Related: 8 Paranormal Books You Havent Read Yet but Should. 2023 Getty Images. The devil will try his utmost to foil our plans. However, their fears that at least three demons insanity, murder, and violence were still left inside him were realised that very morning. Filming took place in Mumbles, Wales. 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 spirits sinister voices now dogged her every step, pressing her to commit terrible acts. In 1928, Anna Ecklund again found herself unable to pray or go to church, much less receive the sacraments that connected Ecklund to her faith. Related: 9 Real-Life Cases of Exorcism and Demonic Possession. While some elements of Anne Ecklund story were used to portray exorcism in Fridkiens supernatural horror, the true character on which the Exorcist book franchise was an unknown man referred to as Ronald Doe. Julia was eventually exorcised, a process during which she allegedly spewed threats, levitated, exhibited super strength, and changed the temperature of the room. The statue of Saint Philip of Agira with the Gospel in his left hand, the symbol of the exorcists, in the May celebrations in his honor at Limina, Sicily. Thus, Ecklund stopped attending church. Although Berkowitz has gone back and forth, sometimes sticking with the possession story, sometimes recanting it, he, to this day, believes that his crimes were part of an epic struggle between God and the Devil. In 1928, Anna Ecklund again found herself unable to pray or go to church, much less receive the sacraments that connected Ecklund to her faith. Anna was a devout Catholic and went to church regularly. Even in Earling, there is a legend that demonic claw marks permanently mar a door in the local convent, the last evidence of an epic battle between good and evil. They could hardly be blamed, as Annas transformation continued. Summarize this article for a 10 years old. At the same time, the demons inside of Anna began to physically change and distort her body. By continuing to browse, you accept the use of cookies and other technologies. Unwilling to let its prey loose, the evil launches an assault against the priests. This Emma Schmidt was one of nine children, and died June 23, 1964 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. You Might Also . Dark Histories is also available as a longer audio podcast, available from:Itunes: http://apple.co/2gmEaZNGoogle Play: http://bit.ly/2yp9q0MTwitter: twitter.. Join Facebook to connect with Anna Eklund and others you may know. There, they began the preparations for the woman's exorcism. One event that sealed the deal for the Yale-educated medical professional was when, during a phone call with Julias priest, he heard one of the demonic voices that had come from her mouth except she was nowhere near a phone. In 1912, the Capuchin priest Theophilus Riesinger performed an exorcism on her. It was in the Midwest that Father Riesinger first encountered Anna Ecklund. [3][8] Ecklund also began to take part in "unspeakable sexual acts. Anna grew up in Marathon, Wisconsin and her parents were German immigrants. By this time, it had been 23 days. His family reported to the local priest that strange things such as objects moving on their own accord were happening around the house. The boy was around 14-years-old at the time. I would have been surprised if everything had gone smoothly. This article about a 2010s horror film is a stub. To confirm if Anna was not faking the attacks, Father Riesinger sprayed her with fake holy water. In many ways, Ecklund and Roland Doe (also known by another alias, "Robbie Mannheim") had similar experiences with possession, including the fact that both were cataloged and published by priests. Dont know actually what happened to her, maybe she was psychologically ill or maybe she was really possessed by evil demons. Secretly, she met with two priests who arranged for exorcism rites to be conducted. He was also against the Catholic Church. It soon attracted media attention, includingTimemagazine. Your email address will not be published. 656. r/horror. This article related to a British film of the 2010s is a stub. Born in . Anna's demonic possession was reportedly the result of a curse, put on the devout Catholic in 1908 by her caretakers: her father and her aunt, Mina. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Between August and December in 1928, intense sessions of exorcism were performed on her demon-possessed body. Related: 6 Demonic Possession Movies and Shows You Can Stream Now. In 1906, in South Africa, an orphan girl was reported to her schoolmaster as exhibiting strange behavior. COPYRIGHT UNSOLVED MYSTERIES & PARANORMAL ACTIVITIES, 2017-2018. During the exorcism, Anna dislodged herself from the bed, floated in the air and landed high above the rooms door. Annas father sought revenge because Anna had refused a sexual relationship with him when he was alive. In 1970, the fits returned and she reportedly began to see devil-like creatures. [3], Film critic Samantha McLaren of Scream was critical of the movie, writing that "Clocking in at just seventy-five minutes, at least fifteen of which were eaten up by long and boring opening and closing credits and even more by its endless padding scenes, The Exorcism of Anna Ecklund barely feels like a film at all. The plot is based on the alleged true story of Anna Ecklund . 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