Cursed Self-Rocking Cradle

Lynchburg, Virginia

According to local lore, a wooden cradle was borrowed by a Lynchburg preacher in 1839. He discovered to his surprise that whenever he spoke the word "Beelzebub" (or, in some accounts, "Geoffrey") the cradle would rock itself. This went on for about a month, and the phenomenon was witnessed by hundreds of Lynchburg citizens, who apparently stopped by to take a peek.

The cradle was given back to its original owner (another preacher) who stored it in his attic. His great-great-great-grandchildren donated it to the local museum in 2021, which added new rockers to the cradle, the originals having been lost. Without these key -- perhaps cursed -- parts, the cradle no longer rocks, no matter what name you call it.

What happened to the newborns rocked in this cradle? The second preacher's baby died, and the first preacher's baby had to be locked away in a lunatic asylum!