More than 125 Feet of Sharp, Solid Steel Swords Will be Swallowed at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditoriums Worldwide Saturday

Sword Swallowers Association and Ripley’s Believe It or Not!  bring the art of sword swallowing to the forefront on World Sword Swallowers Day

ORLANDO, Fla. (Feb. 22, 2010) – More than 25 sword swallowers performed shows at more than a dozen Ripley Believe It or Not! Odditoriums worldwide in four countries at 2:27 p.m. on February 27 (2/27), in celebration of the Fourth Annual World Sword Swallowers Day.

World Sword Swallowers Day was founded by the Sword Swallowers Association International (SSAI) and is co-sponsored by Ripley’s Believe It or Not! locations around the world, including the original Ripley’s museum in St. Augustine, Florida, where Will Rotten and the famous Rotten Brothers will perform beginning at 1:45 p.m. with fire-eating and knife-throwing stunts in addition to the sword swallow finale.
Will and Wally Rotten will appear earlier in the day on First Coast News “Good Morning Jacksonville” program on the NBC-TV affiliate in Jacksonville.  Many media outlets are expected to attend the event, which begins at roughly 1:45 p.m. Saturday in the Castle Warden’s courtyard at the Ripley’s museum in St. Augustine.

Watch the Videos Morning News  -  Radio Station  -  Ripley’s Museum

Highlights at other Believe It or Not! locations during the day will include:

• Red Stewart will attempt to swallow a world record 52 swords at one time in Atlantic City.
• Travis Fessler will swallow a sword with his mouth full of live cockroaches in Gatlinburg.
• George the Giant, the world’s tallest sword swallower, will attempt to swallow a giant 33-inch long sword in Hollywood.

About Sword Swallowing:

The art of sword swallowing began more than 4,000 years ago in India, and requires the practitioner to use mind-over-matter techniques to control the body and repress natural reflexes to insert solid steel blades from 15 to 25 inches down the esophagus and into the stomach. With the demise of the traveling circus sideshow over the past several decades, there are currently less than a few dozen full-time professional sword swallowers actively performing the deadly art around the world today.

Hurry, Fertility Statues here only till February 22, 2010!

Background
In 1993 Ripley Entertainment acquired two African fertility statues, little knowing that they would become the all-time most popular Ripley museum exhibit. Initially they stood like sentinels in the Orlando world headquarters, an interesting conversation piece for sure, but nothing more. Then, unexplainably there seemed to be a population explosion going on in the Ripley office. First it was the receptionist, the woman who sat nearest them who became pregnant, then others who either by fault or desire touched the statues, found themselves in a maternal way.  Thirteen months later (Dec. 1995) when the Wall Street Journal ran an article about the Ripley birth phenomena – 13 pregnancies in 13 months – suddenly the statues were national news.

Where have they been?
From 1996 through mid-2001, the statues were sent to every Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museum in the world, sometimes more than once. Millions visited the statues FREE OF CHARGE, touched them and prayed for fertility. Wherever they traveled, hopeful women touched and rubbed them in the hopes that they would become pregnant. In 2001, they returned to the Orlando corporate office where they were put on display in a private room where hundreds visited them each year.

What is a Fertility Statue?
They are carved wooden statues used for ceremonial purposes. They are used in rituals and are considered a fertility omen. According to African tribal legend, to assure a couple’s fertility the statues are to be placed on either side of a doorway leading into a bed room chamber. If a woman (or her spouse) touches either of the statues as they enter the room, they (or their significant other as the case may be) will soon get pregnant.

What is the origin of Ripley’s Fertility Statues?
In 1993, Ripley’s acquired them, not knowing how popular they would become. The Baule people of the West African nation of Cote D’Ivoire (The Ivory Coast) hand carved the statues with primitive tools from heavy durable ebony wood – sometime during the 1930s.
What do they look like?
The male and female statues, a matched pair, stand five feet tall and weigh more than 70 pounds each. The man, a king, holds a short sword in one hand and a mango, a common African symbol of fertility, in the other. The woman, his wife and queen, is holding a newborn infant.

Where do you touch them?
The African legend does not specify where one should touch the statues to assure fertility, and for many women it does not seem to matter. Most women, however, concentrate their efforts on the queen’s baby.

Does it cost to visit or touch them?
Ripley has never charged and never plans to charge anyone to visit the statues.

Does Ripley really believe these statues work?
The statues have no known powers and we at Ripley’s cannot endorse them as an answer for pregnancy. We cannot guarantee that by touching them you will become pregnant, and in fact we recommend that you not depend on them and that you research and discuss with your doctor all other proven methods of fertility.

But so many women have become pregnant, they must work.
It is true  more than 2,000 women that we know of have become pregnant after touching the statues, but how and why is a mystery wrapped in faith and coincidence, not science.

Why would Ripley promote the statues if they themselves don’t believe in them?
Demand. For the six years the statues were “off the road” and in the Orlando corporate headquarters, we received dozens of calls each week wanting to know where the statues were and how a person could go about visiting them. They are the most popular exhibit in our 90-year history and we thought it was time to present them to the general public again. And while Ripley cannot endorse or guarantee success and admits there is no known power, the statues have obviously worked for more than 2,000 women.  Faith is a wonderful thing!

Where is the Fertility Statue tour going?
It opened at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square in New York City on Aug. 26, 2008  and from there went to Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museums in Grand Prairie, Texas and closed out the year in Williamsburg, Va. In 2009, they spend a month each in Orlando, Myrtle Beach, Wisconsin Dells, San Francisco and Hollywood, then head to London and will spend the rest of the year in Europe.

Why can’t you give us more names and photos of “success” stories?
Fertility and pregnancy is a very private and personal thing for most and nearly everyone who has reported success to us don’t want their names released, for various reasons. The ladies we are offering up to the media have approved us using their names and have agreed to talk with the press.

Current release and downloadable photos are available at: www.ripleys.com/fertility

Casa de Sueños

St. Augustine has some of the most charming Bed and Breakfasts!

One of my favorites is the Casa de Suenos (House of Dreams) is in a great location  central to everything in St. Augustine

This lovely b&b has 5 beautiful rooms, each with their own individual touches. The rooms and the house are comfortable and clean.

The owner, Kathleen was an amazing hostess and provides very special touches in each room which makes this place perfect for couples.  For instance, you get complimentary sherry in your room, comfortable bath robes, and my favorite – bubble bath and candles for around the jacuzzi tub to set the perfect mood!  Each room also has a private porch or balcony.

The food is amazing!  You have to try this place.