It might just give you a slight sense of unease, it might be total WTF nonsense, or it might have a more… well, let’s say intense effect.
Such is the unpredictable nature of the video clip entitled “Mereana Mordegard Glesgorv.”
The origins of this mystery can be traced back to April 19, 2008, when a video by this name was first posted to YouTube by a user known only as erwilzei. Almost immediately, multiple versions of the clip began to surface, all of which contained only slight variations on the original.
The first upload was nothing more than 20 seconds of a red-tinted still image showing a serious-looking man with dark hair and eyes and an intense gaze, against a background that resembles ominous storm clouds. The final 2 seconds contain a different photo of the same man, this time with a decidedly demonic appearance, and a slight smile on his face:
Now comes the creepy part.
Rumors began to circulate among social media that the clip is only part of a longer video from a different user, clocking in at a total of 2 minutes. The content of the longer version is never described… but several reports soon came forward claiming that the original was pulled down after hundreds of users allegedly killed or mutilated themselves after watching it.
One account says that YouTube’s offices in San Bruno, CA were inundated with packages from viewers who watched the video… packages which contained human eyeballs.
Only one YouTube staffer was reported to have watched the original footage, and he apparently began screaming uncontrollably after watching just 45 seconds of the clip. He has since been on heavy medication, and has no recollection whatsoever of what he saw.
To date, the original poster’s ID has never been discovered, and the video has been the subject of multiple theories, stories and spinoffs — which have been circulating for years among the Reddit and 4chan communities, the Unexplained Mysteries forum, Yahoo Q&A and Wiki Answers.
Russia’s coverage of the mystery video took a slightly different turn; the most popular theory among Russian creepypasta forums (or the equivalent) suggests that the original video was an experimental project devised by the US Secret Service.
With that said, it’s now spoiler time… maybe.
In Russia, someone finally came forward with what seemed to be the definitive solution to the mystery… which, sadly, is not nearly as interesting as the stories that grew up around it. Sorry to bust your bubble.
It would seem the man in the Glesgorv video is very likely Byron Cortez — a digital marketing coordinator whose photo was used by the late filmmaker Hillman Curtis for a video project.
As you can see, the image is a pretty good match.
But that hasn’t stopped imaginative folks from perpetuating the myth in many new incarnations — which range from childish pranks to unsettling variations much scarier than the original.
This one, for example, purports to show the entire 2-minute video… and even knowing the truth behind the myth, it’s pretty damn spooky.
Categorised in: Paranormal
This post was written by Nadia Vella