Today is Edgar Allan Poe's birthday! Happy Birthday Mr. Poe!And staying true to the mystery, thrill and intrigue that surrounds this wonderful writer and his iconic works...is a real life mystery that appears to have vanished today. For you see, there has been a mysterious, unidentified figure who has shown up every year since 1949 on Mr. Poe's birthday, to place 3 roses and a half bottle of Cognac upon his grave in Baltimore, Maryland. This person became known as the "Poe Toaster", yet his identity was never made public. For 60 years this individual/s has shown up in the wee hours of the morning on January 19th, to perform this ritual toast to the late writer. However sadly today....he did not show. And a small group of followers who held vigil at the church yard in hopes of viewing the long standing ritual, were disappointed this morning as they speculated the various reasons the mystery man failed to materialize.
Even Poe's death was veiled in mystery and speculation. Reports say that he was found delirious in the streets, in dire condition and wearing clothes that were not his own. He was taken to the hospital where he died several days later. Rumors say that his final words were, "Lord help my poor soul." The exact cause of death has been lost to time however, as all of Poe's medical records and even death certificate have been lost. But cerebral inflammation, epilepsy, syphilis, cholera and even suicide have been thrown out as possible causes of his death.
And although Poe's mortal existence here has since long ended, there are stories that his ghost still resides at the last bar he was seen drinking at before his death. The bar now known as "The Horse You Came In On" in Fells Point, Baltimore, boasts that the ghost they affectionately call 'Edgar', haunts the rooms above.
So today I make a toast to the great Edgar Allan Poe, to the 'Toaster' who never showed and to the intrigue of mystery itself!
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9 comments:
maybe he did'nt show up because people were waiting for him. seems to like being anonymous. maybe some of the folks waiting could have left an offering instead.
Did not know this story, thanks for sharing. Very interesting....and a bit sad.
Cheers!
Hi Jeanine! I was thinking the same thing...maybe he/she didn't want to be seen. Of course it could have been that they were old, incapacitated or passed on even. Some rumors said that the church itself had started the tradition to increase its notoriety, but if that had been true then I don't think they would have just stopped all of a sudden. And yes...another true Poe fan should have left the offering to keep the tradition alive.
And yeah FQ...I agree that it was a bit sad! :o(
WOW! Neat story! I didn't know about the Poe grave visitor.
As for Poe's death, I read an article a few years back that made a pretty strong case that he actually died of rabies! He had been bitten by a rat a few months before, and his behaviour is actually consistent with someone in the last stages of the disease!
Since 1949? That's 60 years--how old could this person be? So maybe he has died. Unless he has a son carrying on the tradition.
I knew about the story, but didn't know the date. This could be a sad ending.
Actually Gill, your are right, rabies was also on that list I had read but I failed to list it and a few others. But I didn't know about the rat bite. Rabies does seem highly likely then considering his crazy behavior at the time he entered the hospital.
And yes Stephanie...the 60 year thing raises some questions. If the person was 20 when they started doing it, then 60 years later, they'd be 80. So it is likely that they are no longer able due to death or illness. Or that time span could have been filled by more than one person as has also been speculated. But I agree, that it's still sad. If I lived there...I'd continue the tradition myself! :o)
wow...i love fells point and have been to the horse you came in on but never knew that about poe!!!
Yes, it seems to me, if he was a man when he started this yearly vigil, and has been doing it for 60 years, death could be a very real possibility. Which is sad unto itself.
This was fascinating. Thank you!
What an interesting story! I knew that it was Poe's Birthday, and the speculations about how he died, but not about someone leaving a memorial every year.
I love the mystery in not knowing who it was, and perhaps because of the years marching on, they could no longer pay tribute. It would be nice if someone would pick up the tradition, but only one. The gap of a year, then the new mysterious person only adds to the mystic of the whole story.
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