Virgin Mary in Pancakes and Trees

We've got a pareidolia double feature. First up is an image of the Virgin Mary that some claim to see in a sycamore tree that was burned in the recent Southern California fires. The tree is located off the Sierra Highway in Los Angeles County. KNBC reports:

Believers have left flowers and other offerings in front of the tree, turning it into a makeshift altar. Some also have left notes, hoping to be blessed after seeing the vision.


Second up is a Jesus and Mary Pancake (which sounds kind of like a rock group) which Marilyn Smith recently sold on eBay for $338. In her description of the item, Smith writes:

This is a spiritual, unusual and unique pancake that we believe to be holy and depicts what looks to be Jesus and Mary. My brother said it looks more like Moses and Elijah. What is your guess?? It was created on November 5th by accident along with a batch of pancakes for breakfast. With no suspicions of any figures being in it, my mother flipped it over to do the other side and discovered that these are obviously religious figures dressed in the early desert garb that would have been worn at that time in Jeruselem.


(Thanks, Cranky Media Guy)

Pareidolia Religion

Posted on Fri Nov 16, 2007



Comments

Well the top one looks more like the Grim Reaper or one of those cloaked figures from LOTR. The bottom one, well it's just some blobs isn't really. The one on the right looks more like Charlie Brown, including his zig-zag t-shirt.
Posted by mr royale  on  Fri Nov 16, 2007  at  01:55 AM
Americans see Jesuses and Marys on pancakes in Germany it's usually pope Ratzinger who typically appears on fried meat like Schnitzel or Rump-Steak.
Maybe there will Buddhas on a sushi soon and Wishnus in chicken curry.

I am thinking of starting a business of wire grid frames with stencils of relegios appearances 😊. So, everybody can have Jesus, Mary, Pope, Buddha or whatsoever on his meal at a BBQ.
Posted by predator  on  Fri Nov 16, 2007  at  02:17 AM
These things are just plain "STUPID".
Posted by George  on  Fri Nov 16, 2007  at  04:41 AM
How come Saint Joseph never appears? I guess he isn't important enough.
Posted by Jk  on  Fri Nov 16, 2007  at  04:46 AM
The bottom one looks like Penn and Teller to me.
Posted by Lukesed  on  Fri Nov 16, 2007  at  06:04 AM
I agree with Mr Royale, the top one is definitely Death. His left hand is outstretched to touch you while his right hand appears to be holding a bonsai tree.
Posted by Charybdis  on  Fri Nov 16, 2007  at  08:11 AM
Ok, the first one is clearly a Dark Lord of the Sith - making Jesus just one of many plausible candidates.

Commenters on another site are currently locked in fevered dispute over the pancake: is it His Noodliness the FSM (PBUH) or is it Futurama's Slurms Mackenzie? 'Tis one or t'other, and a schism rides upon it...
Posted by outeast  on  Fri Nov 16, 2007  at  08:15 AM
The pancake has an image of a Bactrian camel in a sitting position, with its head out of the picture to the right.

The tree trunk is, of course, Emmitt Kelly wearing a hooded robe.

However, all of this pales in comparison to seeing Josef Ratzinger, a.k.a. Pope Benedict, on a fried rump steak. I want to meet the discoverer of that miracle. :lol:

Predator, there are already vendors of utensils for putting religious images on food. For example, Archie McPhee and company sells an iron for branding the Virgin Mary's picture onto pieces of toast.
Posted by Gary Cooper  on  Fri Nov 16, 2007  at  01:07 PM
That musical group you said it "sounded like the name of" is actually named "The Jesus and Mary Chain" (I'd guess in reference to the rosary).

Secondly, to me, that tree looks more like a hooded figure from a horror movie holding a severed head in what would be IT'S right hand.

And last of all, the pancakes look as though an ATTEMPT was made by the cook to "create" the image by applying batter to the grill in the desired shape of the image they wanted to produce FIRST, THEN pouring the remainder of the pancake batter on the grill just a bit later... My mom used to do that when I was a kid. Before we got up for breakfast, she'd do the "cartoon" pancakes first, and then wake us all up when the rest were done. The cartoon pancake always went on the top of the stack.

In light of all the hoaxed "religious" images being sold on Ebay these days, you'd think the "market" would realise they're all a bunch of fakes, and the demand would dry up... Obviously not, so I'm going to work to create the most awesome "chance" appearance of of ALL the religious figures appearing together and IN HARMONY in one SINGLE food item... Anybody got any suggestions as to what may be a hot seller???
Posted by Christopher  on  Fri Nov 16, 2007  at  05:35 PM
I would buy The Jesus and Mary Pancake's music. Good hard rock name.

I've seen bands with much, much worse names right enough. "That Ubiquitous Smile" being the stupidest :lol:
Posted by Renquist  on  Fri Nov 16, 2007  at  09:02 PM
"The pancake has an image of a Bactrian camel in a sitting position"

Exactly, and if you look REAL close you can see a naked young woman hidden in the picture of the camel!
Posted by eovti  on  Sat Nov 17, 2007  at  01:59 AM
There's also a darker image of an upside-down Barney the Dinosaur embedded in the camel (Barney's feet are on either side of the right hump).
Posted by Big Gary  on  Sat Nov 17, 2007  at  08:55 AM
The top one is actually the King in Yellow (except the color is hard to see). The bottom one is Laurel and Hardy.
Posted by Christophe Thill  on  Mon Nov 19, 2007  at  08:38 AM
I read that the currator of the Museum of Hoaxes purchased the pancake during an onlie auction. .. and on recieving the holy flapjack, what does one do with it? will it be sealed in a plexiglas box and be on display for paying viewers? Or consumed entirely so that the blessing is full-filled?
I dont get it. what happens to the trees and potato chips and billboards and markings on all other assorted objects that seem to show jesus or mary?...that is, after the buzz dies down. If the claiments dont sell and no ones buying..
You dont see or hear about the vatican stepping in and saying that the pancake belongs to them. What if there was a Vatican-Jesus/Mary image cover up, like the U.S. government supposevly does with UFO sightings or crashes. No because UFO's may also be Top secret military testings. Whats a pancake have to do with religion?
Posted by Diogenes  on  Mon Nov 19, 2007  at  02:36 PM
Holy pancake, a virgin tree!
Posted by Gutza  on  Wed Nov 21, 2007  at  07:42 AM
This is one of the most stupid phenomena there is...anyone saw the Mary-grilled-cheese-sandwich-woman getting it as a tattoo in Miami Ink?Looked like vomit.
Posted by Cecilia L  on  Tue Dec 04, 2007  at  01:01 AM
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