Antique vampire-slaying kit sparks international bidding war at auction
A late 19th century vampire-slaying box kit, which sold on Thursday for £13,000 (US$15,736.49), belonged to Lord William Malcolm Hailey (1872-1969), a British peer and former administrator of British India, Hansons Auctioneers said in a news release. (Hansons Auctioneers and Valuers Ltd)
Buffy would be proud.
A vampire-slaying kit once owned by a British aristocrat sparked an international bidding war before selling for six times its estimated price, according to Hansons Auctioneers.
The late 19th century box kit, which sold on Thursday for £13,000 (US$15,736.49), belonged to Lord William Malcolm Hailey (1872-1969), a British peer and former administrator of British India, Hansons Auctioneers said in a news release.
"Whether through fear or fascination, it's interesting to know a member of the highest aristocratic social order, a man with a place in the House of Lords, acquired this item," said Charles Hanson, owner of the auction house. "It reminds us that the vampire myth affects people from all walks of life."
The box features essential items needed to ward off blood-thirsty vampires -- including crucifixes, holy water, wooden stake and mallet, rosary beads, a Gothic Bible, brass candlesticks, matching pistols and a brass powder flask.
"The task of killing a vampire was extremely serious and historical accounts suggested the need for particular methods and tools," Hanson said. "Items of religious significance, such as crucifixes and Bibles, were said to repel these monsters, hence their presence in the kit."
The eerie item attracted bidders from across the world, including France, the United States and Canada. An anonymous bidder from the United Kingdom won.
It's unclear whether the buyer will put the kit to use. But Hansons Auctioneers says: "Belief in vampires, an undead creature said to need human blood to survive, goes back hundreds of years and persists in some parts of the world today."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian army veteran charged with murder after mass shooting in Belize nightclub
A Canadian Armed Forces veteran has been charged with murder in connection to a mass shooting in Belize that left two people dead and eight others injured.
More Canadians report strong attachment to their language than to Canada: poll
A new survey finds more Canadians report a strong attachment to their primary language than to other markers of identity, including the country they call home.
B.C. actress hit in the chest by bullet in L.A. shooting last month
A B.C. performer is recovering after taking a bullet to the chest in Los Angeles last month.
Social media model arrested in Hawaii on murder charge
Law enforcement in Hawaii on Wednesday arrested social media model Courtney Clenney on a charge of second-degree murder with a deadly weapon.
Well-known Brampton, Ont. real estate agent, media personality savagely attacked outside home
A well-known real estate agent and media personality in Brampton, Ont. was viciously attacked in broad daylight in his own driveway by three men, two of whom appeared to be wielding an axe and a machete.
Saskatoon mother accused of faking death says she 'was left with no choice'
A Saskatoon mother who stands accused of faking her own death, as well as her son's, and illegally entering the U.S. is defending her actions.
Russia seemingly struggles to replenish its troops in Ukraine
As Russia continues to suffer losses in its invasion of Ukraine, now nearing its sixth month, the Kremlin has refused to announce a full-blown mobilization — a move that could be very unpopular for President Vladimir Putin. That has led instead to a covert recruitment effort that includes using prisoners to make up the manpower shortage.
Mint to unveil coin commemorating Canadian jazz legend Oscar Peterson
The Royal Canadian Mint is launching a special coin celebrating late music legend Oscar Peterson.
Dutch farmer protests and what's happening in Canada, explained
The ongoing protests in the Netherlands, by farmers opposed to their government’s plan to slash nitrogen oxide emissions by 50 per cent by 2030, have drawn attention to Canadian farmers’ concerns over an emissions reduction target set by the Canadian government. But the policies set out by the Dutch government and the Canadian government are fundamentally different, experts say.
Canada
-
More Canadians report strong attachment to their language than to Canada: poll
A new survey finds more Canadians report a strong attachment to their primary language than to other markers of identity, including the country they call home.
-
Canadian army veteran charged with murder after mass shooting in Belize nightclub
A Canadian Armed Forces veteran has been charged with murder in connection to a mass shooting in Belize that left two people dead and eight others injured.
-
Aid shipment to Afghanistan cancelled due to anti-terrorist law
Two containers of food bound for Afghanistan have been cancelled by a Canada-based aid agency because of a law banning any dealings with the Taliban.
-
Police seize handguns, drugs in alleged Ontario, U.S. criminal takedown
Police in Ontario say they have taken down a criminal network they allege trafficked cocaine and fentanyl and smuggled guns into Canada from the U.S.
-
Saskatoon mother accused of faking death says she 'was left with no choice'
A Saskatoon mother who stands accused of faking her own death, as well as her son's, and illegally entering the U.S. is defending her actions.
-
Canadian parents among least likely to take active role in protecting kids from cyberbullying: global survey
A new global study by computer security software company McAfee has found that 60 per cent of Canadian children as young as 10 have experienced some form of cyberbullying.
World
-
Donald Trump's bond with GOP deepens after primary wins, FBI search
The GOP response to the FBI's search of Donald Trump's Florida estate this week was an especially stark example of how the party is keeping Trump nearby.
-
Russia seemingly struggles to replenish its troops in Ukraine
As Russia continues to suffer losses in its invasion of Ukraine, now nearing its sixth month, the Kremlin has refused to announce a full-blown mobilization — a move that could be very unpopular for President Vladimir Putin. That has led instead to a covert recruitment effort that includes using prisoners to make up the manpower shortage.
-
Trump says he took the Fifth in New York civil investigation
Former U.S. President Donald Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination as he testified under oath Wednesday in the New York attorney general's long-running civil investigation into his business dealings.
-
Social media model arrested in Hawaii on murder charge
Law enforcement in Hawaii on Wednesday arrested social media model Courtney Clenney on a charge of second-degree murder with a deadly weapon.
-
Iranian operative charged in plot to murder former Trump adviser
An Iranian operative has been charged in a plot to murder former U.S. national security adviser John Bolton in presumed retaliation for a U.S. airstrike that killed the country's most powerful general, offering US$300,000 to 'eliminate' the Trump administration official, the Justice Department said Wednesday.
-
Blinken in Rwanda to discuss Congo tensions, human rights
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Rwanda, the last stop on his three-nation tour of Africa where he has articulated Washington's new strategy for engaging with sub-Saharan African nations as 'equal partners.'
Politics
-
Poilievre preferred among Conservatives, but Charest favoured by Canadians: poll
Ontario MP Pierre Poilievre remains the heavy favourite to be the next Conservative party leader but he trails opponent Jean Charest for support among Canadians as a whole.
-
Scientists to present 60-metre-long open letter to feds demanding raise
Hundreds of scientists and researchers are expected to gather on Parliament Hill today to call for a raise.
-
Plastics producers ask court to quash planned federal ban on single-use straws, cups
More than two dozen plastic makers are asking the Federal Court to put an end to Ottawa's plan to ban several single-use plastic items but Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says he's confident the attempt will fail.
Health
-
Doctors call for action as growing number of Canadians dying from common food preservative
Doctors are among those calling for tighter regulation of sodium nitrite as a growing number of Canadians are dying after intentionally ingesting unsafe quantities of the common food preservative in its pure form.
-
London kids to be offered polio shot after more virus found
Children ages 1-9 in London were made eligible for booster doses of a polio vaccine Wednesday after British health authorities reported finding evidence the virus has spread in multiple areas of the city but found no cases of the paralytic disease in people.
-
Nebraska woman charged with helping daughter have abortion
A Nebraska woman has been charged with helping her teenage daughter end her pregnancy at about 24 weeks after investigators obtained Facebook messages in which the two discussed using medication to induce an abortion and plans to burn the fetus afterward.
Sci-Tech
-
Scientists to present 60-metre-long open letter to feds demanding raise
Hundreds of scientists and researchers are expected to gather on Parliament Hill today to call for a raise.
-
Social media offers parents more controls. But do they help?
As concerns about social media's harmful effects on teens continue to rise, platforms from Snapchat to TikTok to Instagram are bolting on new features they say will make their services safer and more age appropriate. But the changes rarely address the elephant in the the room -- the algorithms pushing endless content that can drag anyone, not just teens, into harmful rabbit holes.
-
WhatsApp will start rolling out two big changes to all users this month
Two new features being introduced on WhatsApp, which will let you choose who can see when you're active, and to leave groups silently, will start rolling out to all WhatsApp users this month.
Entertainment
-
Mint to unveil coin commemorating Canadian jazz legend Oscar Peterson
The Royal Canadian Mint is launching a special coin celebrating late music legend Oscar Peterson.
-
-
Houshang Ebtehaj, prominent Iranian poet, dies at 94
Houshang Ebtehaj, a distinguished Iranian poet whose small but influential body of work made him a major figure in his own country and in world literature, died on Wednesday in Cologne, Germany. He was 94.
Business
-
Metro faces ongoing worker shortage, higher overtime pay to keep grocery stores open
Workers at Metro Inc. are putting in overtime to keep stores open as the company grapples with an ongoing labour crunch, the Montreal-based grocery and drugstore retailer said Wednesday.
-
World shares mostly gain after Wall Street hits 3-month highs
World shares were mixed Thursday after Wall Street benchmarks closed at three-month highs as investors cheered a report showing inflation cooled more than expected in July.
-
OCS to resume cannabis deliveries after cyberattack on logistics partner
The Ontario Cannabis Store says its distribution centre is resuming service after a cyberattack on one of its logistics partners caused the provincial pot wholesaler to halt deliveries this week.
Lifestyle
-
Beaned Little League batter rises to console upset pitcher
A Little League batter rose from a beaning to console the upset pitcher in a dramatic scene at a Little League regional tournament game Tuesday in Waco, Texas.
-
'I think we can retire': Toronto man wins $6 million in Lotto 6/49 draw
A Toronto man who’s been playing the lottery since the late '70s is set to retire after he won big in a recent Lotto 6/49 draw.
-
Meet Wyatt Sharpe, 13, journalist who's interviewed some of the biggest names in Canadian politics
At the age of 13, Wyatt Sharpe has interviewed the prime minister, a premier, party leaders and cabinet ministers -- and he's not even in high school yet.
Sports
-
'Thank you. I love all of you': Serena Williams plays final match in Canada
Serena Williams exited the National Bank Open on Wednesday night with a 6-2, 6-4 loss to Belinda Bencic.
-
Canadian tennis star Leylah Fernandez out of National Bank Open
Canada's Leylah Fernandez was eliminated from the National Bank Open following a 7-6 (4), 6-1 loss to Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia on Wednesday.
-
Toronto Maple Leafs great Borje Salming diagnosed with ALS
Former Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Borje Salming announced on Wednesday he has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Autos
-
Bolivia's 'Death Road' once haunted drivers. Now it's a wildlife haven
Bolivia's decision to open an alternate route to its historic 'Death Road' - a serpentine dirt path across the towering Andes hills known for its deadly cliffs - has led to a resurgence of wildlife in the area, according to an environmental group.
-
Some gas stations run out as prices drop across B.C.
Drivers were so eager to fill up before gas prices rise again that some stations across British Columbia ran out.
-
Pandemic fuels sports biking boom in cycling nation China
Bicycles have long been a means of transport in China and once outnumbered cars on city streets. Now cycling is increasingly also seen as a sport by an urban middle class that has benefited from China's growth into the world's second largest economy.
