A mongoose is a mongoose of course, of course. And no one can talk to a mongoose of course, of course. That is, unless, of course you're a thirteen-year-old girl in the Isle of Man. On this episode, Charlie tells the Legends about the strange case of Gef the Talking Mongoose!
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Sources:
Primary Sources:
Price, Harry, and R.S. Lambert. The Haunting of Cashen's Gap: A Modern "Miracle" Investigated. London: Methuen & Co., 1936.
Irving, James. Unpublished letters and notes regarding Gef (1931-1945). Manx National Heritage Library, Douglas, Isle of Man.
Fodor, Nandor. Case files on Gef the Mongoose (1935-1937). Collection of the American Society for Psychical Research, New York.
Secondary Sources:
Books:
Josiffe, Christopher. Gef! The Strange Tale of an Extra-Special Talking Mongoose. London: Strange Attractor Press, 2017.
Price, Harry. Confessions of a Ghost-Hunter. London: Putnam, 1936. (Chapter 12: "The Talking Mongoose")
Wilson, Colin. Poltergeists: A History of Violent Ghostly Phenomena. London: Llewellyn Publications, 1981.
Journal Articles:
"Proceedings of the Talking Mongoose Case." Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 34, no. 642 (December 1937): 121-135.
Bartholomew, Robert E. "Mass Delusions and Hysterias: Highlights from the Past Millennium." Skeptical Inquirer 25, no. 3 (2001): 20-25.
Newspaper Archives:
Isle of Man Times (1931-1945) - Extensive coverage of Gef phenomenon
The Times (London) - Reports on Lambert v. Levita libel case (1936)
Daily Express (1935-1937) - Sensationalized accounts of Gef
Audio/Visual Materials:
The Manx Talking Mongoose. BBC Radio 4 Documentary. First broadcast 15 March 2017.
Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose. Directed by Adam Sigal. 2023. Feature film dramatization.
Unpublished Materials:
Dennis, Captain William. Private investigation notes on Gef case (1935-1936). Held in Harry Price Collection, University of London.
Irving, Voirrey. Unpublished diary references to Gef (ca. 1931-1945). Current whereabouts unknown.
Theses/Dissertations:
McKay, Georgina. "Folklore and Forteana in Interwar Britain: The Case of Gef the Talking Mongoose." PhD diss., University of Edinburgh, 2019.
Archival Collections:
Harry Price Papers. Senate House Library, University of London.
Manx Folklore Archive. Manx National Heritage, Douglas.
Black Magic by The Amazons, https://lickd.lnk.to/JNcr0sID License ID: P3Vvw8GgqaY
Black Magic by The Amazons, https://lickd.lnk.to/JNcr0sID License ID: P3Vvw8GgqaY