Why are masks creepy?
Well, the face is a very important part of the body - its how we read someones emotions,
sometimes their thoughts and even their intentions - that can be very important if their intentions
are bad - so maybe thats why its so unerving when we cant see a persons face.
I think this is a question for after the video - for now, I need to hurry up and get right
into insanely terrifying masks that hold some pretty dark secrets - my name is Danny Burke
and this is the Top 10 Scary Masks That Should Never Be Removed.
Starting off at number 10 we have the False Face[a].
The False Face society is an ancient tradition within the Iroquois.
They were a medicinal group who wore these carved wooden masks.
The masks are used in healing rituals and heres the thing - if you are cured by a member
of the false face society - you then have to join them.
The designs of the mask usually involves the eyes being deep set and accented by metal.
The noses are always bent and crooked buu the other features can vary.
Many of the masks are painted red and black and have pouches of tobacco tied onto the
hair above their foreheads.
It is believed that because the trees that that the masks are carved from are alive,
the masks are also alive.
Next up at number 9 we have The Splatter Mask[b].
The battlefields of WW1 were hellish - to say the least.
It was also the first major war that saw the use of tanks - these metal death machines
were even unsafe to the people who used them.
The British and French tank gunners were given these masks to protect them from shrapnel
while looking through the view ports - they were called Splatter masks - presumably to
stop your face from being splattered.
The eye covers were metal, the mask was leather and there was also a chain metal skirt to
cover the mouth and chin - and apparently - they did the job.
These gunners were at risk of something called -spallIng- … this was where the energy from
the tanks gun being fire sends a shockwave into the surrounding metal which can cause
fragments of metal to ping around inside the tank and cause serious damage.
Its a good mask for the job - but that doesnt make it any less creepy …
Next up at number 8 we have The Plague Doctor[c].
Im sure youll have seen this one somewhere.
The plague doctor was someone who treated the bubonic plague.
They were instantly recognisable by their mask.
A plague doctor was hired by towns to come and treat the infected people.
Their methods were - questionable, at least by modern medical standards.
They used bloodletting or other remedies such as putting frogs or leeches onto visible infected
areas of the body.
Lets talk about the mask though.
Why did it look like that?
Well, it was designed to protected them from the putrid air that was thought to be responsible
for the spreading of the plague.
The mask was also filled with with aromatic items - such as herbs, straw or spices - to
try and counter the so called -bad air- of the plague.
Either way, there methods were not very effective, if at all, and their masks have inspired horror
stories ever since …
Moving on to number 7 we have the Witchs Bridle[d].
This mask was an instrument of punishment in Europe for hundreds of years, first appearing
in Scotland in the 16th century.
It was essentially an iron muzzle in an iron framework that enclosed a persons whole head.
There was even a metal plate that would go into the mouth and hold their tongue in place
so that they couldn't speak.
In some really horrific examples, the plate would also contain a spike that would cause
wounds on the tongue - a further incentive to not speak.
It was believed that only through pain and suffering could a person achieve innocence
after a crime was committed.
The mask was often given to people whos crime was related to talking - sort of an eye for
an eye type punishment.
Moving on to number 6 now we have Baby Gas Mask[e].
In 1938, with Europe on the brink of WW2 - the British government gave everyone, including
babies, a gas mask to protect them incase Germany dropped poison gas bombs on Britain.
Look how creepy the baby ones were though.
They were intended for children up to two years old.
The parents would place them in so that they could see through the visor.
The fabric below would then wrap around the babys body and their legs would dangle below.
The mask featured a filter on its side to absorb poisonous gas.
There was also a rubber tube with a handle which could be pumped to push air into the
mask.
The government went round giving parents lessons on how to use these things but as you might
imagine - they werent too keen to put their babies in this airtight chamber.
In fact, during tests, they found that babies fell asleep or became unnaturally still inside
the masks.
Scary on the outside, scary on the inside.
Moving on to number 5 we have The Man In The Iron Mask[f].
Thats the name given to an unidentified prisoner who was held in Frances Bastilles prison in
1669.
He was held there for 34 years and nobody knew who he was or why he was there - and
heres the kicker - nobody ever saw his face because it was hidden by a mask iron.
Legend has it that he was the illegitimate brother of Louis the 14th.
He died on November 19th 1703 and was buried the next day.
He was registered under the name of Marchioly and his age was simply given as - about 45.
There have been many theories about who he was, why he was there and especially why he
had to wear the infamous iron mask.
Moving on to number 4 we have King Tuts Mask[g].
Some of you may have heard me talk about this guy before - ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun
who reigned Egypt over 3000 years ago.
He died at the age of 18 or 19, giving him the nickname of -The Boy King- … his death
mask is probably one of the most famous images in the world, not just from Egypt.
That face is the same as his when he ruled Egypt thousands of years ago.
He's wearing a head cloth, the royal insignia of a cobra and a vulture.
It was also made up of two layers of high karat gold and made up part of a larger treasure
that was found in Tutankhamuns tomb.
An inscription on the wall of the tomb read -Death shall come on swift wings to him who
disturbs the peace of the King- … well, in 1925, the mask was removed from the tomb
and placed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo where it remains to this day.
If you read up on the Curse of the Pharos - youll know that there have been stories
of people dying who were connected to the removal of Tutankhamuns treasure - and that
includes in famous death mask …
Next up at number 3 we have Krampus Masks[h].
Every year in Austria, you can find hundreds of people running through the streets of towns
and cities dressed as Krampus - he's essentially Santas evil twin - and he looks horrifying.
In folklore, this half goat half demon seeks out bad kids and gives them punishments for
their behaviour.
Austrians take to it so much that there are entire businesses set up to hand craft Krampus
masks for people to wear - tailor made to their head size.
Woodcarvers can expect to make about 100 of these a year - and each one is as unique as
the next.
The only thing they have in common is that theyre all desinged to scare the living daylights
of kids so that they don't mibehave in the coming year.
Once all the masks are ready, its not uncommon to see hundreds of people running through
the streets of a place like Salzburg - all wearing these disturbing Krampus masks …
Coming in at number 2 now we have Aztec Masks[i].
You only have to look at these to know why theyve been talked about for centuries.
For the Aztec people of central America, the art form of creating masks was an ancient
and sacred religious practice.
They were often made for display though and not to be worn - thats why youll often see
masks with no eye holes or masks placed on stones or even skulls.
If they were to be worn, it would usually be part of a ritual - sometimes as a death
mask.
They were made from all sorts of material - black stone, wood or obsidian - but there
are some gruesome tails of Aztec warriors actually removing the face of their dead enemies
to offer up to their temple as a mask.
Thats pretty intense.
And finally at number 1 we have The Day of the Dead Masks[j].
The Day of the Dead is a famous 3 day celebration in Mexico that combines indigenous Aztec rituals
with modern Catholicism - it starts on Halloween when it is believed that the spirts of dead
children return to Earth.
As part of the festivities, many people wear wooden skull masks called calacas.
They then dance in honor of their deceased relatives.
You may also see wooden skulls with similar skull depictions being placed on altars and
dedicated to the dead.
These skulls are made out of sugar and often have the names of the dead person of their
forehard.
Afterwards, they are eaten by a relative or friend - a happy reminder of the good times
with that departed family member.
Although these masks look scary - they symbolise a resistance to death - and a belief that
death is not the end …
Alright guys thats all the masks I have for you in this video - we could do other mask
videos though too?
I feel like creepy masks are such a huge topic that weve never really touched on.
Maybe we can ranked the scariest movie masks of all time?
Ill let you guys figure it out in the comments section and speaking of that, lets have a
quick look at one of your comments from a previous video!
On my mysteries solved by reddit part 2 video, Kile Smith said -weird, I just watched part
1, seconds before this one was uploaded.
You should do top ten places where gravity is non existent- … amazing!
Thats actually really random that you watched the first part right before because the first
video was from aaaaages ago - make sure you guys all watch both if you havent already.
As for your suggestions - I like the sound of that - places where gravity is non existent
- I was thinking of doing a video like that for quite a while but I wasnt sure how to
do it - I do know there are places on Earth where gravity is slightly stronger or weaker
- Im gonna look into it and make it if I can!
Queen B also said -Yes yes Im a big Danny Burke fan … I think he should host an actual
TV show- … wow, can you imagine me with my own TV show - what would I even do?
Seriously - I have no idea what Id do with my own tv show … thats probably why Ill
never have one … Ill let you guys come up with some ideas because now I think its time
to go … thanks as always for watching guys, my name is Danny Burke and Ill see you all
in the next video!