The "Mystery Noises" in Moodus

When I arrived in Moodus, Connecticut in early-May 2022, I was surprised when a friend texted me an article from the New England Historical Society. The piece was titled “The Mysterious Moodus Noises of Connecticut,” and recounted the history of strange, unexplained noises that occur around the village of Moodus.

The Moodus Noises

I read the article at once. I couldn't believe that I had stumbled upon a place renowned for strange activity. According to the article:

The Wangunk Indians had told the colonists of the fearful noises that they tried to appease. In fact, the Indians called the land around Mt. Tom “Machemoodus,” meaning place of bad noises. The settlers shortened the name to Moodus, now a village in East Haddam.

Once Puritans moved to the area in the early-1700s, they heard the noises, too. And they, too, attributed the sounds to a supernatural source. The superstitious Puritans believed God was angry with them for their sins. Meanwhile, the local Indians believed their creator was making the noises out of anger that the white settlers had introduced their god to the area.

Most believe shallow earthquakes cause the Moodus noises. But who can say for sure?

Other Strange Sounds

After my arrival in Moodus, I thought about the strange sounds (though I did not hear any noises for myself) and reflected on the “mystery boom” phenomenon. Strange booms and noises have always been around, but over the last decade, the intensity of these noises is increasing and they seem to cover a broader area than before.

I also thought of the “unaccountable artillery” that Virginia-born Meriwether Lewis wrote about. Lewis, of course, is best known for his role in the Lewis and Clark Expedition. On his westward trek, he wrote about mysterious noises in the Rocky Mountains that he and his party encountered. In his writings, Lewis said on June 13, 1805, he:

…repeatedly witnessed a nois [sic] which proceeds from a direction a little to the N. of West as loud and resembling precisely the discharge of a piece of ordinance of 6 pounds at the distance of three miles. I was informed of it by the men several times before I paid any attention to it, thinking it was thunder most probably which they had mistaken. At length, walking in the plains the other day I heard this noise very distinctly. It was perfectly calm, clear, and not a cloud to be seen.

Lewis said, “I am at a loss to account for this phenomenon.” He is not alone!

If you would like to read about the fascinating places I visit in my travels, consider checking out my Detours Into the Paranormal series of books.  

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