Obscure Occurrences : The Lead Masks of Vintém Hill
In the South-East regions of Rio de Janeiro sits Niteroi, a thriving municipality. Back in the 60s, it was an under-developed, poverty-stricken town, suffering the drawbacks of rapid industrialization which would later enable its notable growth. It had also played host to "The Lead Mask of Vintem Hill", one of the most uncanny mysteries in modern history.
Discovery
However, the atmosphere of Vintem Hill was
distinctly different from the grounds below. Here, Jorge De Costa Alves, an
eighteen-year-old resident, was flying his kite, running through the long grass
and cheering with delight. The high altitude offered cool and refreshing wind
coming in off the bay, forming perfect circumstances for the kite’s uplift. As
he ran around the lush slopes tugging on the trailing long string, he noticed a
stench of decay before discovering a dark heap that stood out from its
surroundings. The ground around the odd mass had been peppered with various
items of clothing.
At first, he assumed that someone had dumped
their deplorable clothes on the hillside. However, upon venturing closer, he
found the decomposing bodies of two men, buried under thick layers of clothes.
He immediately rushed down the hill to fetch the police. Unfortunately, the
authorities were not able to reach the bodies until the following day, due to
failing light and difficult terrain.
Investigation
The next morning, several police officers and
firemen arrived on the hillside, where they were greeted by a strangely odd
scene. Partially covered by the long grass, lay the corpses of two men in their
30s, clothed in matching formal suits and raincoats. Next to them lay an empty
water bottle and a package containing two wet towels. The most peculiar thing
about them was that both men were wearing small lead masks over their eyes,
which seemingly appeared to have been crudely cut from sheet metal. There were
no signs of violence or struggle and the men carried very little money or
valuables on them.
In the pockets of the men’s raincoats, police found
a number of receipts along with a notebook which contained a list of
alphanumerical codes and a set of instructions which read, “16:30 be at the
specified location, 18:30 ingest capsules, after the effect protect metals
await signal mask.” The authorities were baffled by these findings, but with
the help of a pair of driving licenses, they were soon able to identify the unfortunate
pair as thirty-four-year-old Miguel Jose Viana and thirty-two-year-old Manoel Pereira
de Cruz, two electrical technicians from Campos dos Goytacazes.
Shortly after the discovery, the decaying
bodies were sent to the local coroner’s office for an autopsy, but citing the
other cases at the time, they were not examined until a number of weeks later. By
this stage, their internal organs had decomposed to the point where it was
impossible to determine the circumstances of their death. Thus, Authorities
concentrated their efforts on trying to understand the movements and intentions
of Da Cruz and Viana, hoping that it would shed some light on the peculiarity.
Police spoke to a number of witnesses in
Niteroi, who claimed to have seen the men in the days leading up to their unanticipated
deaths, following which they were able to establish a timeline of events. Da
Cruz and Viana had travelled by bus from Campos to Niteroi on the 17th
of August 1966, carrying enough money to purchase a used car. The purpose of
the large sum is uncertain, but it is widely assumed that they were interested
in purchasing electronic parts for their business.
The men had arrived in Niteroi at 2:30 pm that
afternoon following which they had purchased their raincoats from a local shop.
Soon afterwards, they walked to a bar further up the street, where one of
them ordered a bottle of water. In line with the accounts of the bar waitress, both
men seemed to be agitated. Viana, in particular, had glanced nervously around
the establishment, checking his watch every few minutes. The last time they were
seen alive, they were riding in the back of a jeep driven by two unknown men,
heading towards an unknown location. What happened from that point onward has
remained a mystery ever since, and the questions surrounding their deaths are
still prevalent.
Theories
As with any bizarre and inexplicable death, the
case gave rise to a torrent of speculation, especially from those within the paranormal
community.
A Supernatural Explanation
Brazil has been a hotbed for strange events,
so it comes as no surprise that a supernatural angle has been applied to the
story. In line with this theory, da Cruz and Viana were not merely average electronic
repairmen. They were highly trained technicians who had engineered a device to
conduit communication with extra-terrestrial beings. The communications had
eventually made it possible for them to meet these beings, with arrangements
made on Vintem Hill.
Both men had been given a specific set of
instructions and when they followed them, it is speculated that their
consciousness moved out of their physical bodies and into some form of
extra-terrestrial afterlife.
Although it sounds unbelievable, investigators
have discovered other aspects which connect the story with the supernatural
realm. Reputable local newspapers reported the account of Gracinda Barbosa. The
elderly local resident claimed having seen a bright orange spheroid-shaped UFO
hovering over Vintem Hill on the twilight of the 17th of August, the
same evening that da Cruz and Viana went up there. Furthermore, Elcio Gomes, a
close friend of the two men, stated that the three of them were all part of “The
Spiritual Scientists”, a local Fortean group.
In line with his statement, they had built a
device in their backyard two months prior to their death. The device allegedly
facilitated communication with alien life forms, but it exploded shortly
afterwards. To further corroborate the theory, many have postulated that the
alphanumeric codes found in the notebook of the men were encrypted messages received
through the device, which held the instructions given to them.
“16:30 be at the specified location. 18:30
ingest capsules, after the effect protect metals await signal mask.” This is exactly how the instructions were written down. If speculative punctuation
is incorporated, the meaning becomes a little more comprehendible. “16:30 be at
the specified location. 18:30 ingest capsules, after the effect, protect metals.
Await signal. Mask.” What the capsules were or how the unfortunate pair had
come by them is unknown, thus making it difficult to determine their supposed
effect.
The protect metals line seems a little more
cryptic, but as no valuables were found on either man, some have speculated
that they were being instructed to remove their valuables. Finally, whatever
signal they were supposed to look out for is also a mystery, but the word “Mask”
seemingly refers to the small lead cut-outs which covered their eyes. With no
see-through holes or stems to hook onto the ears, the masks had no practical functionality.
However, the design of the masks suggests that
they were intended to briefly protect the eyes from an intense light emanating
from a blindingly bright source. This light source could have been a UFO.
Although this theory might seem plausible in
the eye of an open-minded believer, the likelihood of it being the explanation
is scarce. The alphanumeric codes found in the notebook of the men were nothing
more than part numbers of electronic components and thus, had no relevance to
the investigation. Moreover, claims of UFO sightings had been made only by one
person, and sightings of UFOs have been reported invariably in the aftermath of
an inexplicable event.
Killed by Earthlings
Many theorize that the deaths of the men have
a rational explanation. They believe that the men were simply duped into coming
into the hill, where they were robbed of their belongings. It had been
suggested that they were targeted by a group of criminals led by Theresa, the
leader of “The Spiritual Scientists.”
Seeing them as naïve and easy prey, this group
probably cultivated de Cruz and Viana’s trust over a period, promising to put
them in contact with extra-terrestrials or to allow them to partake in
spiritual enlightenment. They then provided them with the capsules and unusual
instructions, just to ensure them that they were going to experience the
extraordinary.
Those capsules were more than likely a form of
poison and once the two men died from it, they collected the money and
valuables before fleeing. The fact that the huge sum of money in their possession
had never been found, further corroborates the theory. However, this theory is nothing
but speculation, as it has never been officially verified by the police.
Drug Overdose
The members of “The Spiritual Scientists” believed
that psychedelics opened the human mind to a wider range of frequencies and thus,
served as a useful tool for establishing contact with extra-terrestrial beings.
The two men, who were heavily indoctrinated by the pseudoscientific group,
could have accidentally ingested a fatal dose of these drugs in their attempts
to connect with the out-worldly beings.
Alternatively, the two men could have consciously
overdosed themselves. The indoctrination could have pushed them to the edges of
delusion, making them believe that they were the chosen ones, and inducing the
motive of suicide via psychedelic overdose.
However, this theory loses its footing when
the motive behind bringing the huge sum of money to Niteroi is taken into consideration.
Furthermore, the lack of evidence to ascertain the ingestion of the fatal dose
makes the theory inconclusive.
Conclusion
As intelligent as da Cruz and Viana may have
been, their belonging to a group calling themselves “Spiritual Scientists”
demonstrates their desire in believing in the supernatural. As proven time and
again, beliefs are often strong enough to defy and override simple logic,
making them difficult for an individual to let go of. Their never-ending
pursuit of higher intelligence could have caused them to suspend their critical
thoughts, which could have otherwise saved them.
Whatever the cause of their death, we sincerely hope that the souls of the two intelligent men rest in peace.
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