1 00:00:02,042 --> 00:00:04,792 SHATNER: A priceless diamond with a deadly past. 2 00:00:04,917 --> 00:00:06,375 A picturesque lake 3 00:00:06,542 --> 00:00:09,375 that hides a ghost town. 4 00:00:09,500 --> 00:00:11,792 And a pharaoh's tomb 5 00:00:11,917 --> 00:00:13,375 that was not meant 6 00:00:13,500 --> 00:00:14,375 to be disturbed. 7 00:00:16,708 --> 00:00:17,833 Throughout recorded history, 8 00:00:17,958 --> 00:00:19,833 every major civilization 9 00:00:19,958 --> 00:00:22,708 has believed in curses 10 00:00:22,875 --> 00:00:24,667 and their power to inflict harm 11 00:00:24,792 --> 00:00:26,458 on the unsuspecting. 12 00:00:26,542 --> 00:00:28,875 Even today, many people are afraid 13 00:00:29,042 --> 00:00:32,375 of walking into a so-called cursed place 14 00:00:32,500 --> 00:00:36,208 or touching a reportedly cursed object. 15 00:00:37,375 --> 00:00:42,000 But if curses are, in fact, real, 16 00:00:42,167 --> 00:00:45,125 then what brings them into existence? 17 00:00:45,208 --> 00:00:47,292 And how are they triggered? 18 00:00:48,458 --> 00:00:52,792 Well, that is what we'll try and find out. 19 00:00:52,917 --> 00:00:55,083 ♪ ♪ 20 00:01:15,250 --> 00:01:18,167 A young boy working for a British excavation team 21 00:01:18,333 --> 00:01:21,000 led by archaeologist Howard Carter 22 00:01:21,125 --> 00:01:24,083 is riding his donkey home one night 23 00:01:24,208 --> 00:01:26,000 when suddenly the animal's hoof slips 24 00:01:26,167 --> 00:01:28,500 into a hole below the sand. 25 00:01:30,167 --> 00:01:34,000 Carter and his team later excavate the site 26 00:01:34,125 --> 00:01:36,542 and discover a mysterious chamber 27 00:01:36,667 --> 00:01:39,083 hidden deep beneath the shifting sands. 28 00:01:39,208 --> 00:01:41,708 Peering inside, they lay their eyes upon 29 00:01:41,875 --> 00:01:43,833 one of the most incredible 30 00:01:43,917 --> 00:01:46,667 archaeological finds in history. 31 00:01:46,792 --> 00:01:49,750 A massive treasure trove of gold 32 00:01:49,875 --> 00:01:52,833 and ebony artifacts, 33 00:01:52,958 --> 00:01:54,958 all laid out before another chamber 34 00:01:55,042 --> 00:01:57,625 guarded by two imposing statues 35 00:01:57,750 --> 00:01:59,667 and sealed shut 36 00:01:59,792 --> 00:02:01,583 with an intricate combination 37 00:02:01,708 --> 00:02:04,250 of rope knots and clay. 38 00:02:04,375 --> 00:02:08,750 The long-lost tomb of King Tutankhamen. 39 00:02:10,125 --> 00:02:12,417 It was absolutely a magnificent discovery, 40 00:02:12,542 --> 00:02:14,333 it made headline news all over the world, 41 00:02:14,417 --> 00:02:16,958 and really sort of captured public imagination 42 00:02:17,083 --> 00:02:18,708 at just the right time. 43 00:02:20,958 --> 00:02:22,708 Unlike most of the other tombs 44 00:02:22,875 --> 00:02:25,042 that had been discovered of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs, 45 00:02:25,208 --> 00:02:27,958 King Tut's tomb was untouched. 46 00:02:28,083 --> 00:02:29,292 It had not been plundered, 47 00:02:29,417 --> 00:02:31,292 it had not been destroyed, 48 00:02:31,375 --> 00:02:33,417 and so there was a tremendous wealth of archaeological data, 49 00:02:33,542 --> 00:02:36,792 as well as just a stunning display of artifacts. 50 00:02:36,875 --> 00:02:40,667 SHATNER: After spending nearly three months cataloging 51 00:02:40,750 --> 00:02:42,542 the more than 5,000 relics 52 00:02:42,667 --> 00:02:45,208 found within the tomb's antechamber... 53 00:02:46,708 --> 00:02:49,375 ...on February 16, 1923, 54 00:02:49,500 --> 00:02:52,417 at just after 2:00 in the afternoon, 55 00:02:52,542 --> 00:02:54,542 members of the press gathered to watch 56 00:02:54,667 --> 00:02:57,875 Howard Carter finally break the seal 57 00:02:58,042 --> 00:03:00,667 protecting King Tut's burial chamber, 58 00:03:00,750 --> 00:03:03,750 which had lain undisturbed 59 00:03:03,875 --> 00:03:06,208 for more than 3,000 years. 60 00:03:08,042 --> 00:03:10,833 NICOLAS BROWN: Carter started excavation of the burial chamber 61 00:03:10,917 --> 00:03:12,542 within Tutankhamen's tomb, 62 00:03:12,708 --> 00:03:15,333 and he found the intact burial of Tutankhamen, 63 00:03:15,500 --> 00:03:17,292 which was contained, essentially, within 64 00:03:17,417 --> 00:03:19,542 nine protective layers. 65 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:22,875 The sarcophagus is very elaborate. 66 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:24,292 It's got gold, 67 00:03:24,375 --> 00:03:25,958 it's inlaid with precious stones, 68 00:03:26,083 --> 00:03:28,000 and there's several layers of it 69 00:03:28,125 --> 00:03:30,333 before you get down to the central layer, 70 00:03:30,458 --> 00:03:33,792 which is of course the mummy of King Tutankhamen himself. 71 00:03:35,125 --> 00:03:37,583 BROWN: Once Carter began unwrapping the mummy of Tutankhamen 72 00:03:37,708 --> 00:03:40,042 and removed the funerary death mask 73 00:03:40,208 --> 00:03:41,917 and made his way through the different 74 00:03:42,042 --> 00:03:44,125 mummy bandages and the bundle itself, 75 00:03:44,208 --> 00:03:47,167 he was able to see the face of Tutankhamen, 76 00:03:47,292 --> 00:03:49,958 which hadn't been seen by any living person 77 00:03:50,042 --> 00:03:52,250 for nearly 3,500 years. 78 00:03:53,417 --> 00:03:56,875 So, in a way, the opening of the tomb of Tutankhamen 79 00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:58,333 is a kind of a resurrection. 80 00:04:17,667 --> 00:04:20,042 SHATNER: The discovery of King Tut's mummy 81 00:04:20,167 --> 00:04:22,708 launched an international media frenzy, 82 00:04:22,833 --> 00:04:26,333 making headlines in every major newspaper around the world. 83 00:04:26,458 --> 00:04:28,667 But Howard Carter and his team 84 00:04:28,792 --> 00:04:31,292 had barely begun enjoying their success 85 00:04:31,375 --> 00:04:36,292 when several strange things started happening to them. 86 00:04:37,417 --> 00:04:39,750 That evening, Howard Carter is having his dinner, 87 00:04:39,875 --> 00:04:43,125 and hears a commotion in the next room. 88 00:04:43,208 --> 00:04:44,958 Goes in, and his 89 00:04:45,042 --> 00:04:46,500 pet canary is being attacked 90 00:04:46,625 --> 00:04:50,500 inside its cage by a king cobra. 91 00:04:50,583 --> 00:04:53,500 Now, the king cobra is a symbol for the pharaoh. 92 00:04:53,667 --> 00:04:55,083 And a canary, the symbolism. 93 00:04:55,208 --> 00:04:57,417 The canary is the first to go. 94 00:04:57,542 --> 00:04:59,792 The canary is the weakest and a warning. 95 00:05:01,125 --> 00:05:03,000 After that, Lord Carnarvon, 96 00:05:03,083 --> 00:05:05,167 the financier of the whole expedition, 97 00:05:05,250 --> 00:05:08,250 was there on-site, 98 00:05:08,375 --> 00:05:11,208 and then, while they're inventorying the treasures, 99 00:05:11,375 --> 00:05:14,958 he gets a mosquito bite. 100 00:05:15,042 --> 00:05:17,917 A few days later, accidentally nicks the bump with his razor. 101 00:05:18,042 --> 00:05:20,167 The bump gets infected. 102 00:05:20,292 --> 00:05:21,375 It leads to blood poisoning, 103 00:05:21,500 --> 00:05:23,667 and he dies of it. 104 00:05:26,292 --> 00:05:27,708 A prominent British radiologist 105 00:05:27,875 --> 00:05:30,583 came out to the site to X-ray King Tut, 106 00:05:30,708 --> 00:05:32,917 and shortly after handling the mummy, 107 00:05:33,042 --> 00:05:36,458 he catches a mysterious disease that cannot be diagnosed, 108 00:05:36,583 --> 00:05:38,667 cannot be treated, and it kills him. 109 00:05:38,792 --> 00:05:42,167 SHATNER: All told, the deaths of no fewer than 110 00:05:42,250 --> 00:05:45,167 seven members of Howard Carter's expedition 111 00:05:45,333 --> 00:05:47,292 took place shortly after the reopening 112 00:05:47,417 --> 00:05:49,875 of Tutankhamen's burial chamber. 113 00:05:50,042 --> 00:05:51,875 While it was certainly possible 114 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:55,292 their untimely deaths were nothing more than coincidences, 115 00:05:55,375 --> 00:05:59,542 many believed that by disturbing King Tut's mummy, 116 00:05:59,667 --> 00:06:02,000 the archaeologists had somehow triggered 117 00:06:02,125 --> 00:06:03,958 a deadly curse. 118 00:06:07,042 --> 00:06:11,667 To the ancient Egyptians, death was not the end. 119 00:06:12,750 --> 00:06:17,083 But in order to guarantee yourself eternal life, 120 00:06:17,208 --> 00:06:18,500 you actually had to preserve 121 00:06:18,625 --> 00:06:22,208 your earthly body for the spirit 122 00:06:22,333 --> 00:06:24,333 to be able to function properly. 123 00:06:25,208 --> 00:06:26,625 The idea of a mummy curse 124 00:06:26,708 --> 00:06:28,750 is to keep those people out of the tombs. 125 00:06:29,917 --> 00:06:34,333 The Egyptians said, if you bothered these mummies, 126 00:06:34,417 --> 00:06:36,708 you would have a problem. 127 00:06:37,708 --> 00:06:39,583 And people who have discovered those tombs 128 00:06:39,708 --> 00:06:42,250 actually ended up dying weird ways. 129 00:06:42,375 --> 00:06:44,833 If that's not a curse, what would be? 130 00:07:02,042 --> 00:07:03,458 The ancient Egyptians, uh, 131 00:07:03,583 --> 00:07:06,000 prepared the body for mummification 132 00:07:06,083 --> 00:07:09,292 by removing the internal organs. 133 00:07:09,375 --> 00:07:11,083 They would remove the brain through the nose 134 00:07:11,208 --> 00:07:12,375 with a metal hook, 135 00:07:12,542 --> 00:07:14,750 and clean out all of the organs 136 00:07:14,875 --> 00:07:17,667 and put them in jars, except for the heart 137 00:07:17,792 --> 00:07:20,833 because, for them, uh, the heart was the key to the afterlife. 138 00:07:20,958 --> 00:07:24,667 JEREMIAH: And then, at that point, they'd wrap the body in linen, 139 00:07:24,833 --> 00:07:28,375 and then they'd put them in sarcophagi 140 00:07:28,500 --> 00:07:30,458 that looked like human beings, 141 00:07:30,583 --> 00:07:33,000 and they were made to resemble the deceased. 142 00:07:34,208 --> 00:07:37,417 The Egyptians thought the soul had multiple parts. 143 00:07:37,542 --> 00:07:40,042 Upon death, certain parts of the soul 144 00:07:40,167 --> 00:07:41,625 went down into the earth, 145 00:07:41,708 --> 00:07:44,083 certain parts went up into the sky, 146 00:07:44,208 --> 00:07:47,333 and then other parts remained with the actual body. 147 00:07:47,458 --> 00:07:52,167 If you want that person perpetuated for eternity, 148 00:07:52,333 --> 00:07:55,833 you need to maintain all aspects of the soul together. 149 00:07:56,833 --> 00:07:59,833 That can happen if the body is preserved. 150 00:08:01,208 --> 00:08:04,125 THOMPSON: The idea was that, at some point, you will face the gods, 151 00:08:04,208 --> 00:08:05,500 and those who are unworthy 152 00:08:05,625 --> 00:08:07,250 would be obliterated for all time. 153 00:08:07,375 --> 00:08:11,333 So these tombs were meant to be there until the day of judgment. 154 00:08:11,458 --> 00:08:13,583 You were not supposed to open these. 155 00:08:14,875 --> 00:08:17,292 SHATNER: Is it possible that the ancient Egyptians 156 00:08:17,417 --> 00:08:19,458 were able to preserve the soul of King Tut 157 00:08:19,583 --> 00:08:22,292 within his mummified remains, 158 00:08:22,375 --> 00:08:26,667 effectively keeping his spirit alive for thousands of years? 159 00:08:26,792 --> 00:08:28,333 And if so, could the pharaoh's spirit 160 00:08:28,458 --> 00:08:29,667 have unleashed a curse 161 00:08:29,792 --> 00:08:31,792 upon the men responsible for disturbing 162 00:08:31,917 --> 00:08:34,625 his sacred burial chamber? Perhaps. 163 00:08:35,667 --> 00:08:37,208 But there are some researchers 164 00:08:37,333 --> 00:08:40,333 who claim that even before King Tut's tomb was disturbed, 165 00:08:40,500 --> 00:08:44,375 there was already a pharaoh's curse in place. 166 00:08:44,542 --> 00:08:48,750 A curse that was associated not with King Tut 167 00:08:48,875 --> 00:08:52,667 but with his father Akhenaton. 168 00:08:52,833 --> 00:08:55,125 JONATHAN YOUNG: Akhenaton was controversial 169 00:08:55,250 --> 00:08:58,208 because he used his considerable power as pharaoh 170 00:08:58,375 --> 00:09:00,500 to change the religious system. 171 00:09:01,542 --> 00:09:04,333 Ancient Egypt had always been polytheistic-- 172 00:09:04,500 --> 00:09:06,500 many gods-- and then 173 00:09:06,667 --> 00:09:09,792 there is a new pharaoh with a new idea. 174 00:09:09,875 --> 00:09:13,333 Akhenaton announces there will be one god, 175 00:09:13,458 --> 00:09:15,917 they will be a monotheistic people. 176 00:09:16,833 --> 00:09:19,458 Aten, the sun god, would be 177 00:09:19,583 --> 00:09:22,375 the one divinity they all worshipped. 178 00:09:22,500 --> 00:09:23,833 The sun disc. 179 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:28,667 It shook the empire in really terrible ways. 180 00:09:31,708 --> 00:09:33,208 BROWN: Part of this religious revolution 181 00:09:33,333 --> 00:09:37,417 included purposely erasing the names of older gods, 182 00:09:37,542 --> 00:09:39,417 closing down their temples, 183 00:09:39,542 --> 00:09:41,792 erasing their names from monuments, 184 00:09:41,875 --> 00:09:44,375 and trying to obliterate these other deities 185 00:09:44,500 --> 00:09:46,333 that the Egyptians used to worship. 186 00:09:46,458 --> 00:09:48,375 SHATNER: Before the reign of Akhenaton, 187 00:09:48,542 --> 00:09:50,500 the most sacred deity of the ancient Egyptians 188 00:09:50,667 --> 00:09:55,042 was known as Amun-Ra, the chief of all Egyptian gods. 189 00:09:55,167 --> 00:09:58,625 According to legend, Amun-Ra was angered 190 00:09:58,750 --> 00:10:01,333 by Akhenaton's acts of heresy 191 00:10:01,458 --> 00:10:04,042 and took vengeance upon the pharaoh. 192 00:10:05,375 --> 00:10:06,625 For his offense, 193 00:10:06,750 --> 00:10:09,292 Akhenaton was cursed by Amun-Ra, 194 00:10:09,375 --> 00:10:11,625 a curse unique 195 00:10:11,708 --> 00:10:14,833 to religious views in Egypt. 196 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:17,458 He would be cursed after death 197 00:10:17,583 --> 00:10:19,750 to wander endlessly. 198 00:10:19,875 --> 00:10:23,000 His soul would never be reunited with his body, 199 00:10:23,125 --> 00:10:27,000 which was the point of all those funerary practices. 200 00:10:27,083 --> 00:10:31,042 He would be disconnected and dislodged forever. 201 00:10:31,167 --> 00:10:33,833 SHATNER: Was King Tut's body mummified 202 00:10:33,958 --> 00:10:36,083 and placed within a sealed burial chamber 203 00:10:36,208 --> 00:10:40,000 so that he could escape the fate of his father? 204 00:10:40,542 --> 00:10:43,500 And is that why breaking the seals 205 00:10:43,583 --> 00:10:45,167 on the tomb of King Tut 206 00:10:45,333 --> 00:10:49,000 brought a curse upon Howard Carter and his team? 207 00:10:51,292 --> 00:10:53,208 Well, it would seem 208 00:10:53,375 --> 00:10:55,500 that either these tragic deaths 209 00:10:55,583 --> 00:10:58,208 were a series of unfortunate coincidences 210 00:10:58,333 --> 00:11:01,625 or the curse of the pharaoh was all too real. 211 00:11:01,750 --> 00:11:03,458 But not every alleged curse 212 00:11:03,542 --> 00:11:05,792 originates from the spirit of the dead. 213 00:11:05,875 --> 00:11:10,000 Some are thought to be placed upon physical objects. 214 00:11:10,125 --> 00:11:12,917 For instance, there are those who believe 215 00:11:13,042 --> 00:11:15,917 that one of the most valuable gemstones in the world 216 00:11:16,042 --> 00:11:17,750 has the power 217 00:11:17,875 --> 00:11:21,167 to kill any man who touches it. 218 00:11:29,292 --> 00:11:32,458 Over one million people turn out for the funeral procession 219 00:11:32,542 --> 00:11:34,458 of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, 220 00:11:34,583 --> 00:11:36,667 otherwise known as the Queen Mother 221 00:11:36,792 --> 00:11:39,917 of Great Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. 222 00:11:40,042 --> 00:11:42,875 Atop her casket, in addition to 223 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:45,167 ceremonial flowers and her coat of arms, 224 00:11:45,292 --> 00:11:47,000 is the crown she wore 225 00:11:47,125 --> 00:11:52,375 at her husband King George VI's coronation in 1937. 226 00:11:52,500 --> 00:11:57,042 Although it is adorned with an estimated 2,800 diamonds, 227 00:11:57,208 --> 00:12:01,375 one in particular attracts more awe and fascination 228 00:12:01,500 --> 00:12:04,042 from the crowd than the rest. 229 00:12:04,167 --> 00:12:07,667 The diamond known as the Koh-i-Noor. 230 00:12:08,875 --> 00:12:11,000 That, an imperial crown, 231 00:12:11,125 --> 00:12:14,708 and at its center, in the front, 232 00:12:14,833 --> 00:12:16,542 the most famous diamond in the world-- 233 00:12:16,667 --> 00:12:18,625 the Koh-i-Noor diamond. 234 00:12:18,750 --> 00:12:21,292 The name means "Mountain of Light." 235 00:12:21,417 --> 00:12:25,667 Since 1895, it has only been worn by a woman, 236 00:12:25,792 --> 00:12:28,667 by Queen Mary, the Queen Mother's mother-in-law, 237 00:12:28,792 --> 00:12:31,250 and then by the Queen Mother herself. 238 00:12:32,208 --> 00:12:35,042 SHATNER: Measuring a massive 105 carats, 239 00:12:35,208 --> 00:12:38,792 and estimated to be worth over $1 billion, 240 00:12:38,875 --> 00:12:40,875 the Koh-i-Noor is one of 241 00:12:41,042 --> 00:12:42,833 the largest cut diamonds in the world. 242 00:12:42,958 --> 00:12:45,667 And, according to historians, 243 00:12:45,750 --> 00:12:48,125 it is also one of the most feared. 244 00:12:50,542 --> 00:12:52,000 The Koh-i-Noor diamond 245 00:12:52,125 --> 00:12:54,958 is one of the, uh, more impressive diamonds 246 00:12:55,042 --> 00:12:59,125 that have ever been unearthed in the history of humankind. 247 00:13:00,250 --> 00:13:02,000 It was unearthed somewhere in India, 248 00:13:02,125 --> 00:13:04,500 which was the main spot that diamonds were unearthed. 249 00:13:04,625 --> 00:13:06,625 But this particular diamond, 250 00:13:06,708 --> 00:13:09,208 it has a very, very long and sort of tragic 251 00:13:09,375 --> 00:13:11,125 and bloody history. 252 00:13:11,208 --> 00:13:13,167 And there are legends attached to this, 253 00:13:13,333 --> 00:13:16,667 where it is held to be accursed and bring curses 254 00:13:16,792 --> 00:13:19,167 to, especially, any man who touches this, 255 00:13:19,250 --> 00:13:21,375 which is why, even in the British royalty, 256 00:13:21,542 --> 00:13:23,667 it remains a part of the, um, 257 00:13:23,792 --> 00:13:25,917 Crown Jewels for women only. 258 00:13:27,042 --> 00:13:29,792 SHATNER: A curse on any man who touches it? 259 00:13:29,875 --> 00:13:32,167 But what could give a beautiful stone 260 00:13:32,250 --> 00:13:34,000 such a dark power? 261 00:13:34,125 --> 00:13:37,000 Many believe the answer can be found by examining 262 00:13:37,125 --> 00:13:39,000 the Koh-i-Noor's storied history, 263 00:13:39,167 --> 00:13:41,750 which, according to records, dates all the way back 264 00:13:41,875 --> 00:13:43,917 to 14th century India. 265 00:13:44,917 --> 00:13:46,583 The Koh-i-Noor really catches your eye. 266 00:13:46,708 --> 00:13:49,000 It's like a hundred-carat stone. 267 00:13:49,083 --> 00:13:52,250 But what really catches your eye is the history. 268 00:13:53,417 --> 00:13:56,417 The diamond was really first identified 269 00:13:56,542 --> 00:14:01,667 after Mughal Empire invaded what's now Northern India. 270 00:14:01,750 --> 00:14:06,125 They settled in Delhi after their conquest 271 00:14:06,250 --> 00:14:10,000 and started collecting gemstones. 272 00:14:10,125 --> 00:14:14,417 Shah Jahan became the ruler in 1626. 273 00:14:14,542 --> 00:14:17,792 He designed this throne, called the Peacock Throne, 274 00:14:17,917 --> 00:14:19,708 that was in the tradition 275 00:14:19,833 --> 00:14:22,375 of biblical throne, like King Solomon. 276 00:14:22,542 --> 00:14:24,750 It took seven years 277 00:14:24,875 --> 00:14:28,458 and cost three to four times more than it cost 278 00:14:28,542 --> 00:14:30,917 to build the Taj Mahal. 279 00:14:31,042 --> 00:14:33,417 And you can understand the immense expense 280 00:14:33,542 --> 00:14:34,917 that this took to create. 281 00:14:35,042 --> 00:14:37,167 And then at the centerpiece of this 282 00:14:37,292 --> 00:14:40,042 was the Koh-i-Noor at the very top. 283 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:48,250 SHATNER: In 1739, after 100 years of peace, 284 00:14:48,375 --> 00:14:53,000 a merciless Persian ruler named Nader Shah invaded India. 285 00:14:54,208 --> 00:14:56,667 Tens of thousands died 286 00:14:56,792 --> 00:14:59,458 in his relentless quest for power. 287 00:15:00,917 --> 00:15:02,958 Following his savage victory, 288 00:15:03,042 --> 00:15:05,083 Nader Shah seized the Koh-i-Noor 289 00:15:05,208 --> 00:15:07,750 and had it placed on his personal armband 290 00:15:07,875 --> 00:15:10,500 as a symbol of his might. 291 00:15:10,625 --> 00:15:11,875 SHOR: Nader Shah 292 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:13,417 wasn't going to keep it in the chair. 293 00:15:13,542 --> 00:15:15,500 It was going to be with him at all times. 294 00:15:15,583 --> 00:15:18,042 Now, Nader Shah 295 00:15:18,208 --> 00:15:22,000 became a very, very repressive ruler, 296 00:15:22,125 --> 00:15:24,708 and even his allies began to hate him. 297 00:15:24,833 --> 00:15:26,292 And they poisoned him. 298 00:15:27,583 --> 00:15:29,458 After Nader Shah's death, 299 00:15:29,542 --> 00:15:32,625 the diamond passed through various rulers 300 00:15:32,708 --> 00:15:34,875 who-who died in very violent ways. 301 00:15:36,292 --> 00:15:38,042 SHATNER: In the years after, 302 00:15:38,167 --> 00:15:40,833 the Koh-i-Noor would pass from one ruler to another, 303 00:15:40,917 --> 00:15:43,833 almost always drenched in the blood 304 00:15:43,958 --> 00:15:46,167 of its prior owner, 305 00:15:46,250 --> 00:15:48,375 as if the diamond itself demanded 306 00:15:48,542 --> 00:15:51,958 a mortal sacrifice in order to possess it. 307 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:56,167 Because of battles, um, 308 00:15:56,250 --> 00:15:59,125 it fell from one person to a next 309 00:15:59,250 --> 00:16:03,583 and started to build up this, um, legend 310 00:16:03,708 --> 00:16:05,958 that it had some kind of curse 311 00:16:06,083 --> 00:16:07,917 associated with it. 312 00:16:09,208 --> 00:16:12,000 Because, as soon as it was in the hands of one ruler, 313 00:16:12,125 --> 00:16:14,292 they would be killed or their kingdom 314 00:16:14,417 --> 00:16:17,208 would be lost, and it would be passed on to another. 315 00:16:18,583 --> 00:16:21,708 SHOR: Now, these rulers were wearing the Koh-I-Noor 316 00:16:21,875 --> 00:16:24,125 as the armband to be a protector. 317 00:16:24,208 --> 00:16:27,750 And this is probably where the curse legend came in 318 00:16:27,875 --> 00:16:30,083 because the diamond certainly wasn't protecting them. 319 00:16:31,208 --> 00:16:34,083 COLLINS: And then, in the 19th century, 320 00:16:34,208 --> 00:16:36,542 when the British were in India, 321 00:16:36,708 --> 00:16:39,875 it fell into the hands of the British Army, 322 00:16:40,042 --> 00:16:43,875 and it was said that from that point onwards, 323 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:46,167 that no male 324 00:16:46,292 --> 00:16:49,792 should ever wear this diamond. 325 00:16:50,917 --> 00:16:54,292 SHATNER: Is the supposed curse of the Koh-i-Noor diamond 326 00:16:54,417 --> 00:16:57,500 merely the stuff of folklore and legend? 327 00:16:57,625 --> 00:16:59,500 Or is there any scientific evidence 328 00:16:59,625 --> 00:17:03,250 to prove that its deadly reputation is justified? 329 00:17:04,625 --> 00:17:07,333 So, diamonds are really good at taking heat away 330 00:17:07,500 --> 00:17:10,083 from a source and transmitting it elsewhere. 331 00:17:10,208 --> 00:17:12,958 And if you've never held a large diamond in your life 332 00:17:13,042 --> 00:17:15,167 and if you've first encountered the stone 333 00:17:15,250 --> 00:17:16,500 and you're putting it on your chest 334 00:17:16,583 --> 00:17:19,000 or on a necklace, it would feel much colder 335 00:17:19,083 --> 00:17:20,667 than anything that you'd have 336 00:17:20,792 --> 00:17:23,292 because the heat is being sucked out of your skin 337 00:17:23,375 --> 00:17:25,083 and transmitted through this diamond. 338 00:17:26,208 --> 00:17:28,250 It could be one reason why somebody might feel like 339 00:17:28,375 --> 00:17:30,500 the stone has got some magical properties 340 00:17:30,625 --> 00:17:32,000 or why it might be cursed. 341 00:17:33,375 --> 00:17:37,375 COLLINS: As long as we believe that something bad will happen, 342 00:17:37,500 --> 00:17:41,792 if a male heir actually uses this or wears it, 343 00:17:41,875 --> 00:17:45,250 then I think that it needs to be taken seriously. 344 00:17:46,208 --> 00:17:48,125 So, very clearly, 345 00:17:48,250 --> 00:17:51,458 no British king will ever wear it. 346 00:17:53,833 --> 00:17:56,750 Some may scoff at the idea that a cursed diamond 347 00:17:56,875 --> 00:17:57,917 can bring about death. 348 00:17:58,042 --> 00:17:59,583 But then again, 349 00:17:59,708 --> 00:18:03,333 I suspect that we probably won't see a British king 350 00:18:03,458 --> 00:18:07,000 wearing the Koh-i-Noor anytime soon. 351 00:18:07,167 --> 00:18:09,583 Truth is that there are many curses 352 00:18:09,708 --> 00:18:11,875 around the world that are still acknowledged 353 00:18:12,042 --> 00:18:13,833 and feared. 354 00:18:13,917 --> 00:18:17,625 Like the curse that is said to plague a lake in New Jersey, 355 00:18:17,708 --> 00:18:20,750 where numerous boaters and swimmers have vanished 356 00:18:20,875 --> 00:18:30,833 without a trace. 357 00:18:33,292 --> 00:18:35,208 SHATNER: Nestled beside the sleepy suburbs 358 00:18:35,333 --> 00:18:37,000 of Clinton Township 359 00:18:37,125 --> 00:18:40,250 lies Round Valley Reservoir. 360 00:18:41,500 --> 00:18:44,375 First formed in 1960 as a primary water source, 361 00:18:44,500 --> 00:18:47,292 this man-made lake is beloved by locals 362 00:18:47,375 --> 00:18:50,167 for its great fishing and scenic views. 363 00:18:50,292 --> 00:18:54,708 But many believe this idyllic watering hole 364 00:18:54,875 --> 00:18:58,792 conceals a deadly secret. 365 00:19:01,917 --> 00:19:03,500 For more than 40 years, 366 00:19:03,667 --> 00:19:07,833 people have been disappearing in Round Valley Reservoir. 367 00:19:07,958 --> 00:19:11,542 And not just a few. 368 00:19:12,542 --> 00:19:15,000 More than two dozen men have been lost 369 00:19:15,125 --> 00:19:17,042 beneath these placid waters, 370 00:19:17,167 --> 00:19:19,208 never to be seen again. 371 00:19:20,250 --> 00:19:22,542 Locals do believe that this lake is cursed, 372 00:19:22,667 --> 00:19:26,292 and it's easy to understand why with so many tragic deaths 373 00:19:26,375 --> 00:19:28,542 surrounding it in just about 40 years. 374 00:19:30,667 --> 00:19:33,250 And while I can't be sure if it's cursed, 375 00:19:33,375 --> 00:19:36,750 there's always one thing that's given me the chills. 376 00:19:36,875 --> 00:19:38,792 I heard someone say that 377 00:19:38,875 --> 00:19:41,833 when one body is found at Round Valley Reservoir, 378 00:19:41,917 --> 00:19:45,167 another quickly replaces it. 379 00:19:46,542 --> 00:19:48,792 We don't even know for sure how many bodies there really are. 380 00:19:48,917 --> 00:19:52,417 (indistinct radio chatter) 381 00:19:52,542 --> 00:19:54,750 HILL: When I worked in news, 382 00:19:54,875 --> 00:19:57,792 I would hear the police scanner crackle to life 383 00:19:57,917 --> 00:20:00,042 with "Round Valley," 384 00:20:00,208 --> 00:20:01,875 "fishermen," "trouble," 385 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:03,083 "boater," 386 00:20:03,208 --> 00:20:04,750 somebody has gone under the water. 387 00:20:04,875 --> 00:20:07,667 It's a creepy, horrible feeling when you hear this, 388 00:20:07,750 --> 00:20:10,125 because you know 389 00:20:10,250 --> 00:20:11,958 that 90% of the time, this is not 390 00:20:12,083 --> 00:20:13,583 going to end well. 391 00:20:17,125 --> 00:20:20,083 I can't explain why these people 392 00:20:20,208 --> 00:20:22,000 at the bottom of the lake haven't been found, 393 00:20:22,125 --> 00:20:24,500 especially after searching for them 394 00:20:24,667 --> 00:20:27,292 with such a degree of intensity. 395 00:20:27,417 --> 00:20:31,667 Even after bringing in cadaver-sniffing dogs, 396 00:20:31,833 --> 00:20:33,417 using sonar technology, 397 00:20:33,542 --> 00:20:36,167 and submarines to crawl the lake, 398 00:20:36,250 --> 00:20:38,500 there was no sign. It's almost as if 399 00:20:38,625 --> 00:20:41,375 some of these people disappeared without a trace. 400 00:20:41,542 --> 00:20:43,333 And an interesting thing, 401 00:20:43,417 --> 00:20:46,042 if you're looking for bones in Round Valley, 402 00:20:46,167 --> 00:20:48,667 is that you aren't necessarily going to 403 00:20:48,750 --> 00:20:52,125 find a fisherman who disappeared 13 years ago. 404 00:20:52,208 --> 00:20:55,417 You may find a bone that was in the ground 405 00:20:55,542 --> 00:20:58,625 long before Round Valley became a reservoir. 406 00:21:00,625 --> 00:21:03,042 SHATNER: Bones from a time 407 00:21:03,208 --> 00:21:05,667 before Round Valley became a reservoir? 408 00:21:06,708 --> 00:21:08,458 There are some who believe that these bones 409 00:21:08,583 --> 00:21:10,417 may have been the very reason 410 00:21:10,542 --> 00:21:14,042 the bodies of those who have disappeared here 411 00:21:14,167 --> 00:21:16,333 have never been found, 412 00:21:16,458 --> 00:21:19,208 and that the lake's refusal 413 00:21:19,333 --> 00:21:21,167 to give up its victims 414 00:21:21,333 --> 00:21:24,292 is actually an act of revenge. 415 00:21:26,458 --> 00:21:28,792 There was a town here once. 416 00:21:28,875 --> 00:21:31,125 For centuries, 417 00:21:31,208 --> 00:21:33,333 people put down roots in this valley. 418 00:21:33,458 --> 00:21:36,333 It was very fertile and rich farmland. 419 00:21:36,458 --> 00:21:37,417 There were thousands of acres, 420 00:21:37,542 --> 00:21:40,083 and people grew their own food. 421 00:21:40,208 --> 00:21:42,167 They raised their animals. 422 00:21:42,250 --> 00:21:43,500 Then, in the 1950s, 423 00:21:43,583 --> 00:21:45,792 there was a drought in New Jersey. 424 00:21:47,250 --> 00:21:48,833 And they needed a source of water 425 00:21:48,917 --> 00:21:50,500 for, predominantly, Newark 426 00:21:50,583 --> 00:21:52,667 but the surrounding area as well, 427 00:21:52,792 --> 00:21:55,458 and so they had to fill in somewhere, 428 00:21:55,542 --> 00:21:58,083 and Round Valley, they believed, was the best choice. 429 00:21:59,375 --> 00:22:01,333 People were opposed to the reservoir being built. 430 00:22:01,458 --> 00:22:03,250 It was a small farming community, 431 00:22:03,375 --> 00:22:04,667 very close-knit, 432 00:22:04,750 --> 00:22:08,250 and no one wanted to leave their homes. 433 00:22:08,375 --> 00:22:11,708 Most of the homes were eventually razed or moved. 434 00:22:11,833 --> 00:22:14,458 HILL: Their homes were either torn down 435 00:22:14,583 --> 00:22:17,833 or they were put on flatbeds and taken out of the valley. 436 00:22:17,917 --> 00:22:20,708 And that construction started on the reservoir. 437 00:22:20,833 --> 00:22:24,583 In the 1960s, they started filling it. 438 00:22:25,875 --> 00:22:28,333 There was a lot of bad feeling here 439 00:22:28,458 --> 00:22:31,625 when the landowners were pushed out of their valley. 440 00:22:33,083 --> 00:22:35,542 Did these ill feelings carry over? 441 00:22:35,667 --> 00:22:39,083 There are people who will say yes, they did. 442 00:22:39,208 --> 00:22:41,500 When you're at Round Valley, you feel 443 00:22:41,583 --> 00:22:44,750 the spirit of the people who came before you. 444 00:22:45,667 --> 00:22:48,000 There is a presence here 445 00:22:48,083 --> 00:22:51,375 that can make you feel a little disconcerting. 446 00:22:52,542 --> 00:22:54,500 SHATNER: The idea that any body of water, 447 00:22:54,625 --> 00:22:57,958 let alone a man-made one less than a century old, 448 00:22:58,042 --> 00:23:00,500 could somehow be imbued with a deadly curse 449 00:23:00,583 --> 00:23:04,208 seems far-fetched, to say the least. 450 00:23:04,333 --> 00:23:05,833 And yet outlandish 451 00:23:05,958 --> 00:23:09,792 and presumably irrational notions such as these 452 00:23:09,875 --> 00:23:12,500 have been held by nearly every culture 453 00:23:12,583 --> 00:23:15,375 throughout history. But why? 454 00:23:16,375 --> 00:23:17,958 We all are afraid of things 455 00:23:18,042 --> 00:23:20,333 and we would like to be able to understand them, 456 00:23:20,500 --> 00:23:23,333 if only to give a little mental illusion of control 457 00:23:23,458 --> 00:23:26,417 over things that go bump in the night. 458 00:23:27,792 --> 00:23:30,833 And so we come up with stories, and they help. 459 00:23:30,917 --> 00:23:33,917 They're entertaining and maybe they're true. 460 00:23:34,042 --> 00:23:36,708 And then they get passed down to children and grandchildren, 461 00:23:36,875 --> 00:23:39,750 and they gain authority through time. 462 00:23:39,875 --> 00:23:43,167 A curse has to be believed in order for it to have power. 463 00:23:43,292 --> 00:23:44,667 It's kind of like hypnosis. 464 00:23:44,750 --> 00:23:46,417 You have to be willing to go under hypnosis 465 00:23:46,542 --> 00:23:48,333 in order for it to actually be effective. 466 00:23:48,458 --> 00:23:50,667 So maybe these curses 467 00:23:50,792 --> 00:23:52,708 are created by us, by our imagination, 468 00:23:52,833 --> 00:23:55,500 by us trying to deal with the mystery of nature. 469 00:23:55,625 --> 00:23:57,042 It's just a game that we're playing, 470 00:23:57,208 --> 00:23:58,542 but we ascribe meaning to it. 471 00:23:58,667 --> 00:24:01,583 So, if we ascribe meaning to a curse, 472 00:24:01,708 --> 00:24:03,708 could that actually make the curse real? 473 00:24:06,167 --> 00:24:09,167 SHATNER: Although it may be human nature to blame inexplicable tragedies 474 00:24:09,333 --> 00:24:11,958 on some sort of dark force, 475 00:24:12,042 --> 00:24:13,875 according to skeptics, there's nothing 476 00:24:14,042 --> 00:24:16,167 supernatural about the disappearances 477 00:24:16,292 --> 00:24:18,333 at Round Valley Reservoir. 478 00:24:18,500 --> 00:24:21,833 They claim that these strange occurrences 479 00:24:21,917 --> 00:24:25,500 must have a perfectly rational explanation. 480 00:24:25,625 --> 00:24:28,375 Some people who live around here think it's more 481 00:24:28,542 --> 00:24:30,833 a matter of respecting your environment. 482 00:24:30,917 --> 00:24:33,958 And when the wind swirls, you can get waves 483 00:24:34,042 --> 00:24:37,708 up to three feet tall on this reservoir. 484 00:24:37,833 --> 00:24:40,625 And that's where people get in trouble. 485 00:24:40,708 --> 00:24:42,583 They're not expecting it. 486 00:24:43,667 --> 00:24:46,375 In my career, I've handled anything from, um, 487 00:24:46,500 --> 00:24:49,500 plane crashes, homicides, suicides, 488 00:24:49,625 --> 00:24:51,625 uh, you know, lost children. 489 00:24:53,083 --> 00:24:56,417 But, uh, when you're out there in a small boat 490 00:24:56,542 --> 00:24:58,500 and there's fog coming across the lake, 491 00:24:58,667 --> 00:25:00,667 it can be very eerie at times. 492 00:25:00,750 --> 00:25:02,667 You have these 40-mile-per-hour winds 493 00:25:02,750 --> 00:25:04,125 that come up out of no place. 494 00:25:05,208 --> 00:25:07,292 They only allow small boats. 495 00:25:07,417 --> 00:25:09,417 You have excessively cold water, 496 00:25:09,542 --> 00:25:11,500 which leads to hypothermia. 497 00:25:11,625 --> 00:25:12,750 I can guarantee 498 00:25:12,875 --> 00:25:14,792 probably nine out of ten people 499 00:25:14,917 --> 00:25:16,958 that are out on this lake don't wear their life preservers. 500 00:25:17,042 --> 00:25:19,750 I think it's because of those factors. 501 00:25:19,875 --> 00:25:22,500 And you know what? Just plain bad luck. 502 00:25:22,583 --> 00:25:23,750 Period. 503 00:25:25,875 --> 00:25:27,667 SHATNER: So where did the bodies of the lost men 504 00:25:27,833 --> 00:25:30,458 of Round Valley Reservoir go? 505 00:25:30,542 --> 00:25:32,792 Could it be that they're merely trapped 506 00:25:32,875 --> 00:25:34,708 somewhere deep beneath the lake's surface, 507 00:25:34,875 --> 00:25:38,042 in a place searchers haven't yet looked? 508 00:25:39,542 --> 00:25:41,500 Or are they really victims 509 00:25:41,667 --> 00:25:44,083 of a deadly curse? 510 00:25:46,042 --> 00:25:48,833 The very notion that a malevolent force 511 00:25:48,958 --> 00:25:51,250 could plague an entire lake 512 00:25:51,375 --> 00:25:55,333 is a... chilling proposition. 513 00:25:55,500 --> 00:25:59,333 But unlike this infamous body of water, 514 00:25:59,458 --> 00:26:01,250 some curses are impossible to avoid, 515 00:26:01,375 --> 00:26:03,042 including one that is thought 516 00:26:03,167 --> 00:26:06,917 to have the power to strike anyone anywhere. 517 00:26:07,917 --> 00:26:11,208 It's called the curse of Friday the 13th. 518 00:26:15,833 --> 00:26:17,000 SHATNER: At least once a year, 519 00:26:17,083 --> 00:26:20,833 all around the world, it happens. 520 00:26:22,917 --> 00:26:25,208 From the moment the new day dawns... 521 00:26:26,792 --> 00:26:29,000 ...to the 12th chime of midnight... 522 00:26:29,167 --> 00:26:30,083 (clock chimes) 523 00:26:31,708 --> 00:26:33,833 ...it is utterly unavoidable. 524 00:26:34,708 --> 00:26:36,833 No continent is safe. 525 00:26:37,833 --> 00:26:39,625 No country is spared. 526 00:26:39,708 --> 00:26:42,333 No city is immune. 527 00:26:42,417 --> 00:26:45,167 No matter where you are or what you're doing, 528 00:26:45,333 --> 00:26:48,167 there's no escaping 529 00:26:48,333 --> 00:26:51,125 Friday the 13th. 530 00:26:54,042 --> 00:26:55,667 HOLST: Well, it's actually very interesting, 531 00:26:55,750 --> 00:26:57,917 the whole idea about Friday the 13th, 532 00:26:58,042 --> 00:27:00,750 the mysteriousness, the-the fear, the dread. 533 00:27:00,875 --> 00:27:03,375 There's a natural human desire to understand things, 534 00:27:03,500 --> 00:27:04,833 to know why something happened. 535 00:27:04,958 --> 00:27:07,458 And sometimes, if the unexplainable happened 536 00:27:07,542 --> 00:27:08,875 but there was a curse involved, 537 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:11,875 you say, "Aha, I have the reason." 538 00:27:12,042 --> 00:27:13,667 We never know when they're gonna turn out to be real, 539 00:27:13,792 --> 00:27:15,667 but we have to give all of them 540 00:27:15,750 --> 00:27:17,833 a fair shot and say, "Maybe." 541 00:27:19,125 --> 00:27:21,750 SHATNER: Believe it or not, there is some statistical evidence 542 00:27:21,875 --> 00:27:25,250 which suggests that more bad things happen 543 00:27:25,375 --> 00:27:28,917 on Friday the 13th than any other day of the year. 544 00:27:30,500 --> 00:27:32,583 But is it really cursed? 545 00:27:32,708 --> 00:27:35,917 And, if so, how? 546 00:27:38,250 --> 00:27:40,458 Although it would seem that the public's awareness 547 00:27:40,542 --> 00:27:43,833 of Friday the 13th really came of age in modern times, 548 00:27:43,917 --> 00:27:47,875 as it turns out, the origin of this curse 549 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:51,042 actually dates back to the 14th century. 550 00:27:51,917 --> 00:27:53,875 It goes back, in my opinion, 551 00:27:54,042 --> 00:27:56,083 to what happened to the Knights Templar. 552 00:27:58,083 --> 00:28:02,042 So, the Knights Templar were founded in the 12th century, 553 00:28:02,167 --> 00:28:04,875 and they were the world's first combination 554 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:07,292 of warrior and monk. 555 00:28:09,917 --> 00:28:11,083 They were the guardians 556 00:28:11,208 --> 00:28:13,667 of a lot of the treasures of various kings 557 00:28:13,833 --> 00:28:15,500 and popes and monarchs, 558 00:28:15,583 --> 00:28:18,167 and because of their amazing reputation, 559 00:28:18,292 --> 00:28:21,208 they became known as the world's first international bankers. 560 00:28:22,667 --> 00:28:25,917 Friday the 13th was such a pivotal day 561 00:28:26,042 --> 00:28:27,750 in the life of the Knights Templar 562 00:28:27,875 --> 00:28:30,500 that it ended one chapter and began another. 563 00:28:30,583 --> 00:28:33,833 It literally was the day of the destruction of the order. 564 00:28:34,875 --> 00:28:36,250 And the Friday the 13th 565 00:28:36,375 --> 00:28:38,750 that was so critical to the Knights Templar 566 00:28:38,875 --> 00:28:42,333 happened on the 13th of October in 1307. 567 00:28:42,500 --> 00:28:45,833 The king of France needed money, 568 00:28:45,958 --> 00:28:49,000 but he owed money to everybody, including the Templars, 569 00:28:49,125 --> 00:28:51,500 and he decided the Knights Templar had money, 570 00:28:51,625 --> 00:28:53,708 he wanted it, so he attacked them. 571 00:28:58,375 --> 00:29:01,333 Everyone was arrested, people were thrown in jail. 572 00:29:01,417 --> 00:29:03,500 They were tortured, they were being killed. 573 00:29:03,625 --> 00:29:05,458 Then there were long trials. 574 00:29:05,542 --> 00:29:07,333 These trials were conducted 575 00:29:07,500 --> 00:29:09,458 by the Catholic Church, 576 00:29:09,542 --> 00:29:11,667 and it basically ended 577 00:29:11,792 --> 00:29:14,500 with the death of Jacques de Molay, 578 00:29:14,583 --> 00:29:16,000 the grand master. 579 00:29:18,125 --> 00:29:21,000 WHITEHEAD: Jacques de Molay was a powerful enigmatic figure, 580 00:29:21,125 --> 00:29:23,958 and so it was important for the Church 581 00:29:24,083 --> 00:29:26,583 and the Crown to execute him publicly 582 00:29:26,708 --> 00:29:29,833 to show as an example. 583 00:29:29,958 --> 00:29:31,583 And when they were burning Jacques de Molay, 584 00:29:31,708 --> 00:29:33,417 the fire was being lit, 585 00:29:33,542 --> 00:29:36,208 he cursed Pope Clement 586 00:29:36,375 --> 00:29:39,708 and also King Philip 587 00:29:39,833 --> 00:29:41,708 and said, "Within this year, 588 00:29:41,833 --> 00:29:43,375 you will die." 589 00:29:43,500 --> 00:29:45,750 And, lo and behold, they did. 590 00:29:45,875 --> 00:29:47,833 (bell tolls) 591 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:50,667 HOLST: What happened was, within 33 days, 592 00:29:50,750 --> 00:29:54,042 the Pope died of a terrible illness. 593 00:29:54,167 --> 00:29:56,167 And all of a sudden, it just seized him 594 00:29:56,292 --> 00:29:58,917 and killed him, just like that, suddenly. 595 00:29:59,042 --> 00:30:02,292 Seven months later, the king of France 596 00:30:02,417 --> 00:30:05,708 was on a hunting expedition, had a massive stroke, 597 00:30:05,875 --> 00:30:09,083 fell down dead on the ground right there. 598 00:30:12,292 --> 00:30:16,000 SHATNER: In the years since the Templars' eventual exile from Europe, 599 00:30:16,167 --> 00:30:18,208 there were many who began to believe 600 00:30:18,333 --> 00:30:21,000 that Jacques de Molay's death curse applied 601 00:30:21,125 --> 00:30:24,917 not only to his enemies but also to the very day 602 00:30:25,042 --> 00:30:27,292 that spelled the beginning of the end 603 00:30:27,375 --> 00:30:28,917 for the Knights Templar. 604 00:30:29,042 --> 00:30:33,208 The day they were arrested: Friday the 13th. 605 00:30:33,333 --> 00:30:36,833 But is it really possible that a centuries-old curse 606 00:30:36,958 --> 00:30:39,375 still has the power to cause bad luck 607 00:30:39,500 --> 00:30:42,958 after 700 years? 608 00:30:43,042 --> 00:30:45,625 There is this legend around Jacques de Molay 609 00:30:45,708 --> 00:30:49,125 that he possessed some kind of extraordinary power. 610 00:30:52,042 --> 00:30:53,333 When it comes to the Knights Templar, 611 00:30:53,417 --> 00:30:55,292 one of the things that stand out is, of course, 612 00:30:55,375 --> 00:30:58,417 they were the guardians of the Temple of Jerusalem, 613 00:30:58,542 --> 00:31:00,833 and some people believe that they may have found 614 00:31:00,958 --> 00:31:02,667 some ancient artifacts there, 615 00:31:02,792 --> 00:31:04,167 possibly the Ark of the Covenant, 616 00:31:04,292 --> 00:31:07,500 or came across some ancient knowledge 617 00:31:07,625 --> 00:31:09,792 that was, sort of, confiscated 618 00:31:09,917 --> 00:31:12,000 and held sacred from the general public. 619 00:31:12,125 --> 00:31:14,000 And so some people look on Jacques de Molay 620 00:31:14,125 --> 00:31:15,667 as some kind of a sorcerer, 621 00:31:15,750 --> 00:31:17,542 in a way, where he had this ability 622 00:31:17,667 --> 00:31:22,125 to put a curse that actually really did come into fruition. 623 00:31:23,083 --> 00:31:25,792 HOLST: When something happens, 624 00:31:25,875 --> 00:31:28,333 such as De Molay's curse, the Templar curse, 625 00:31:28,458 --> 00:31:29,958 it's entirely possible 626 00:31:30,042 --> 00:31:32,500 that this actually has reality behind it. 627 00:31:32,583 --> 00:31:36,583 It's entirely possible that just simply saying the words 628 00:31:36,708 --> 00:31:38,833 and putting it in everyone's mind 629 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:41,667 was like a common prayer between so many people, 630 00:31:41,792 --> 00:31:45,167 and the power of so many people desiring it and wanting it 631 00:31:45,250 --> 00:31:47,417 might have influenced events as they happened. 632 00:31:50,208 --> 00:31:53,167 The story of Jacques de Molay's curse 633 00:31:53,250 --> 00:31:56,750 on Friday the 13th is fascinating, 634 00:31:56,875 --> 00:31:59,083 and it raises an intriguing question. 635 00:31:59,208 --> 00:32:02,667 Can a curse actually be created by simply 636 00:32:02,792 --> 00:32:04,583 speaking it into existence? 637 00:32:05,750 --> 00:32:08,833 Perhaps a clue can be found in the ruins of a lost city 638 00:32:08,958 --> 00:32:12,167 located in the jungles of Honduras. 639 00:32:12,250 --> 00:32:14,125 A city which some believe 640 00:32:14,250 --> 00:32:18,208 would have been best left forgotten. 641 00:32:30,167 --> 00:32:31,667 SHATNER: Deep in the heart of the jungle, 642 00:32:31,833 --> 00:32:34,125 a team of American explorers, 643 00:32:34,208 --> 00:32:36,833 journalists and archaeologists make a dramatic discovery-- 644 00:32:36,958 --> 00:32:39,458 evidence of an ancient city 645 00:32:39,542 --> 00:32:43,083 that has been lost for more than 500 years. 646 00:32:44,250 --> 00:32:46,417 We were standing there on the banks of this river, 647 00:32:46,542 --> 00:32:49,125 and the archaeologist was pointing 648 00:32:49,208 --> 00:32:51,375 to this wall of jungle and saying, "Across the river, 649 00:32:51,542 --> 00:32:54,583 that's the beginning of the lost city." 650 00:32:57,208 --> 00:32:58,958 So we crossed the river 651 00:32:59,042 --> 00:33:02,500 with soldiers with machetes cutting a path for us. 652 00:33:04,417 --> 00:33:05,750 And all of a sudden, there it is, 653 00:33:05,875 --> 00:33:07,708 rising up out of the jungle. 654 00:33:07,833 --> 00:33:09,708 Just straight up, practically. 655 00:33:09,833 --> 00:33:11,667 It was the most amazing thing. 656 00:33:15,167 --> 00:33:16,333 And then what we saw 657 00:33:16,458 --> 00:33:18,875 was a cache of sacred objects 658 00:33:19,042 --> 00:33:21,792 carved out of stone that had been left 659 00:33:21,875 --> 00:33:24,625 at the time the city was abandoned. 660 00:33:24,750 --> 00:33:27,417 And this was a gigantic mystery. 661 00:33:28,458 --> 00:33:31,542 Why did these people leave all of a sudden? 662 00:33:34,875 --> 00:33:36,500 SHATNER: The expedition announced 663 00:33:36,625 --> 00:33:39,208 that they had uncovered the top level of a vast city 664 00:33:39,333 --> 00:33:43,208 which has been buried under centuries of jungle vegetation. 665 00:33:43,375 --> 00:33:45,667 Soon afterwards, many began to speculate 666 00:33:45,833 --> 00:33:48,875 as to whether the ruins were those of a legendary place 667 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:52,708 known to Hondurans as Ciudad Blanca, 668 00:33:52,833 --> 00:33:55,125 or the "White City." 669 00:33:55,208 --> 00:33:57,083 A place that was believed to have been deserted 670 00:33:57,208 --> 00:34:01,167 centuries ago because of a deadly curse. 671 00:34:02,667 --> 00:34:05,833 When we went to do our ground expedition in 2015, 672 00:34:05,958 --> 00:34:08,042 many of the local Hondurans 673 00:34:08,167 --> 00:34:10,333 and the Honduran Air Force people that were with us 674 00:34:10,500 --> 00:34:12,333 and the special forces people 675 00:34:12,458 --> 00:34:14,500 said, "Oh, yeah. My grandmother or my grandfather told me 676 00:34:14,625 --> 00:34:16,167 "all about the lost city when we were kids, 677 00:34:16,333 --> 00:34:18,208 and they said it's cursed." 678 00:34:18,333 --> 00:34:19,667 They said, "If you go there 679 00:34:19,833 --> 00:34:23,958 "and you pick any of the flowers, 680 00:34:24,042 --> 00:34:26,042 you will die. You will never come back." 681 00:34:29,542 --> 00:34:31,833 THOMPSON: In the case of the White City, 682 00:34:31,958 --> 00:34:33,875 there is a very interesting tradition 683 00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:36,167 of a Tawahka Indian 684 00:34:36,292 --> 00:34:38,167 who came to live there with them, 685 00:34:38,250 --> 00:34:41,042 uh, and they refused him shelter, chased him out. 686 00:34:41,167 --> 00:34:43,833 And in turn, he cursed the city 687 00:34:43,958 --> 00:34:45,750 and he cursed that area... 688 00:34:47,500 --> 00:34:49,792 ...so that it became, basically, 689 00:34:49,875 --> 00:34:52,167 a poisonous area to live in, 690 00:34:52,292 --> 00:34:53,625 and the people had to abandon their city and leave. 691 00:34:57,083 --> 00:34:59,292 PRESTON: You know, we heard these stories, 692 00:34:59,417 --> 00:35:01,542 but, you know, we're scientists. 693 00:35:01,667 --> 00:35:05,542 We're, uh, anthropologists, archaeologists, ethnobotanists. 694 00:35:05,708 --> 00:35:08,000 You know, we don't believe in curses. 695 00:35:08,083 --> 00:35:10,333 Or so we thought. 696 00:35:10,458 --> 00:35:15,125 But, you know, sometimes curses are based on the truth. 697 00:35:19,708 --> 00:35:22,333 ELKINS: After we completed our first ground expedition, 698 00:35:22,417 --> 00:35:25,000 everybody came back alive, nobody got injured. 699 00:35:25,125 --> 00:35:26,458 We're shaking hands, 700 00:35:26,583 --> 00:35:29,292 tipping a beer and going, "Great, we made it." 701 00:35:29,375 --> 00:35:31,000 You know, everyone survived. 702 00:35:31,125 --> 00:35:32,667 We all had hundreds of bug bites. 703 00:35:34,875 --> 00:35:38,375 Didn't think anything of them until about a month later. 704 00:35:39,792 --> 00:35:42,208 And 60% of our crew, 705 00:35:42,375 --> 00:35:45,000 including the Hondurans, they had a bug bite 706 00:35:45,083 --> 00:35:47,542 that didn't go away, it got bigger. 707 00:35:48,542 --> 00:35:51,583 Eventually it became a big open wound, 708 00:35:51,708 --> 00:35:53,250 a big open ulcer. 709 00:35:54,333 --> 00:35:56,667 A couple of the people became very, very ill. 710 00:35:56,792 --> 00:35:58,375 Two of them almost died. 711 00:35:59,542 --> 00:36:01,625 And then we had them diagnosed at NIH, and they said, 712 00:36:01,708 --> 00:36:05,167 "Yes, you have leishmaniasis, but not even just 713 00:36:05,292 --> 00:36:07,417 "regular leishmaniasis, this is an entirely new one. 714 00:36:07,542 --> 00:36:09,667 "We just did a genetic sequence, 715 00:36:09,833 --> 00:36:12,417 and it's a really virulent one we've never seen before." 716 00:36:14,833 --> 00:36:17,917 SHATNER: More commonly known as "flesh-eating disease," 717 00:36:18,042 --> 00:36:20,792 leishmaniasis is a rare parasitic disease 718 00:36:20,917 --> 00:36:24,250 that is spread by the bites of certain sand flies. 719 00:36:24,375 --> 00:36:26,042 The affliction eats away 720 00:36:26,208 --> 00:36:29,458 at the skin of the limbs, nose and mouth. 721 00:36:29,542 --> 00:36:31,458 The new strain that infected the explorers 722 00:36:31,583 --> 00:36:33,500 is particularly aggressive 723 00:36:33,583 --> 00:36:36,458 and, if not treated properly, fatal. 724 00:36:38,208 --> 00:36:41,333 But even so, a parasitic disease 725 00:36:41,417 --> 00:36:44,000 is hardly proof of an ancient curse. 726 00:36:44,167 --> 00:36:47,000 Or is it? 727 00:36:47,125 --> 00:36:49,583 WHITEHEAD: What's interesting about the legend of this curse 728 00:36:49,708 --> 00:36:52,125 is that it actually does appear to be true. 729 00:36:52,208 --> 00:36:54,750 How can we explain that hundreds of years ago 730 00:36:54,875 --> 00:36:57,917 a man left a curse saying that, forevermore, 731 00:36:58,042 --> 00:37:00,333 people will be ravaged by disease 732 00:37:00,458 --> 00:37:01,667 and all of these things, 733 00:37:01,792 --> 00:37:03,333 and then we actually see it happen? 734 00:37:04,792 --> 00:37:07,750 SHATNER: Was it merely a coincidence that the American team 735 00:37:07,875 --> 00:37:11,833 happened to contract a deadly and previously unknown disease 736 00:37:11,917 --> 00:37:13,750 at a site believed to be cursed? 737 00:37:15,833 --> 00:37:19,250 Or could the curse have been real? 738 00:37:19,375 --> 00:37:21,042 As far as journalist Doug Preston is concerned, 739 00:37:21,167 --> 00:37:23,667 the answer is obvious. 740 00:37:23,750 --> 00:37:26,042 PRESTON: I used to think that curses were just kind of silly, 741 00:37:26,167 --> 00:37:27,792 but not anymore. 742 00:37:27,875 --> 00:37:31,500 Next time I go somewhere and I'm told that it's cursed, 743 00:37:31,625 --> 00:37:34,000 I'm really going to think twice about it. 744 00:37:35,542 --> 00:37:39,125 Can the disease that infected the archaeologists 745 00:37:39,208 --> 00:37:41,125 who rediscovered the White City 746 00:37:41,208 --> 00:37:43,292 be explained by science, 747 00:37:43,417 --> 00:37:47,042 superstition, or perhaps both? 748 00:37:47,208 --> 00:37:49,625 In any case, it may have been better 749 00:37:49,708 --> 00:37:53,417 to leave these ruins undisturbed. 750 00:37:53,542 --> 00:37:56,875 The same can be said for the body of a man 751 00:37:57,000 --> 00:38:01,958 who had been frozen in ice for 5,000 years. 752 00:38:09,333 --> 00:38:12,250 SHATNER: While making their way across a snowy mountain range 753 00:38:12,375 --> 00:38:14,667 spanning the border of Italy and Austria, 754 00:38:14,750 --> 00:38:18,708 two German hikers make a gruesome discovery. 755 00:38:19,708 --> 00:38:22,833 The body of a man half-frozen in ice. 756 00:38:24,792 --> 00:38:27,000 When scientists later remove the skeleton 757 00:38:27,125 --> 00:38:28,500 from the icy ground, 758 00:38:28,583 --> 00:38:31,750 they come to a shocking realization. 759 00:38:31,875 --> 00:38:33,083 The man, 760 00:38:33,208 --> 00:38:35,167 who they nicknamed Ötzi, 761 00:38:35,292 --> 00:38:38,958 lived over 5,000 years ago. 762 00:38:40,542 --> 00:38:43,375 ALEX PRYOR: This is a really spectacular find 763 00:38:43,542 --> 00:38:46,000 because of the level of preservation here. 764 00:38:46,125 --> 00:38:48,000 Um, we have the full body preserved, 765 00:38:48,083 --> 00:38:51,667 including all of his skin, all of the internal organs, 766 00:38:51,792 --> 00:38:54,000 and all of the possessions that he was carrying at the time. 767 00:38:55,167 --> 00:38:56,792 And this, therefore, is giving us unique insights 768 00:38:56,917 --> 00:38:58,750 into this individual 769 00:38:58,875 --> 00:39:01,750 and also what life was like when he lived. 770 00:39:03,208 --> 00:39:06,917 SHATNER: The recovery of Ötzi's skeleton made headlines worldwide, 771 00:39:07,042 --> 00:39:09,500 and his bones became an object 772 00:39:09,625 --> 00:39:12,833 of intense fascination and scientific study. 773 00:39:14,042 --> 00:39:16,750 But then, unexpectedly, 774 00:39:16,875 --> 00:39:19,792 a series of bizarre deaths took place 775 00:39:19,917 --> 00:39:23,625 in the years after Ötzi's bones were recovered. 776 00:39:24,958 --> 00:39:26,833 There's something very mysterious going on here 777 00:39:26,958 --> 00:39:30,500 with this Ötzi Iceman since he was discovered. 778 00:39:31,542 --> 00:39:34,417 In the early '90s, and going into the 2000s, 779 00:39:34,542 --> 00:39:36,500 people have died who were involved 780 00:39:36,625 --> 00:39:40,417 in the discovery or the presentation of Ötzi. 781 00:39:40,542 --> 00:39:43,583 A gentleman called Rainer Henn had the privilege 782 00:39:43,708 --> 00:39:47,833 of placing Ötzi's body into a body bag at the discovery. 783 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:50,375 He died in a car crash. 784 00:39:50,500 --> 00:39:53,708 Kurt Fritz, who was involved in the transportation 785 00:39:53,875 --> 00:39:55,917 of Ötzi from one place to another, 786 00:39:56,042 --> 00:39:58,333 died in an avalanche. 787 00:39:58,458 --> 00:40:01,375 Helmut Simon, one of the discoverers of Ötzi, 788 00:40:01,500 --> 00:40:04,167 had fallen 300 feet to his death. 789 00:40:04,292 --> 00:40:06,167 Several other people have died as well. 790 00:40:07,875 --> 00:40:09,750 SHATNER: All told, seven people 791 00:40:09,875 --> 00:40:13,333 connected to the discovery of Ötzi died. 792 00:40:13,500 --> 00:40:17,000 Were their untimely deaths simply a coincidence? 793 00:40:17,125 --> 00:40:18,375 Or is it possible 794 00:40:18,500 --> 00:40:20,333 that the deaths were actually 795 00:40:20,500 --> 00:40:23,667 the consequence of disturbing Ötzi's bones, 796 00:40:23,792 --> 00:40:27,125 which had remained untouched for thousands of years? 797 00:40:27,208 --> 00:40:30,583 NEWMAN: Some people believe there may even be a curse 798 00:40:30,708 --> 00:40:34,792 associated with this man buried in the ice. 799 00:40:35,750 --> 00:40:38,625 Ötzi had these very strange tattoos, 800 00:40:38,750 --> 00:40:41,458 all these spirals and different designs. 801 00:40:41,542 --> 00:40:44,500 If he was some kind of shaman or sorcerer, 802 00:40:44,583 --> 00:40:47,792 did he place a curse over his body 803 00:40:47,917 --> 00:40:51,375 to protect him from future generations digging him up? 804 00:40:51,500 --> 00:40:53,708 It's known that it took four full days 805 00:40:53,833 --> 00:40:55,875 to excavate him from the ice, 806 00:40:56,042 --> 00:40:59,125 so there's an element of desecration of a grave. 807 00:41:00,625 --> 00:41:03,333 THOMPSON: There are many, sort of, curse stories and curse rumors 808 00:41:03,417 --> 00:41:04,792 that follow the realm of archaeology, 809 00:41:04,875 --> 00:41:07,333 because archaeology is often involving 810 00:41:07,417 --> 00:41:09,333 digging people out of their graves. 811 00:41:09,458 --> 00:41:11,208 Is that disturbing their peace, 812 00:41:11,375 --> 00:41:13,500 not allowing them to rest in peace? 813 00:41:13,667 --> 00:41:17,625 What we can see is that this does reflect 814 00:41:17,708 --> 00:41:21,667 a popular belief that maybe there is something wrong 815 00:41:21,792 --> 00:41:25,042 with handling a body in this mundane sense, 816 00:41:25,167 --> 00:41:27,833 as if it's an object to study. 817 00:41:27,958 --> 00:41:31,792 Cursed bones, cursed tombs, cursed diamonds, 818 00:41:31,875 --> 00:41:34,583 and even a cursed day on the calendar? 819 00:41:34,708 --> 00:41:37,042 It seems like there's curses everywhere we look. 820 00:41:37,167 --> 00:41:39,750 And while that may be a slight exaggeration, 821 00:41:39,875 --> 00:41:42,000 the fact is, there are plenty of reasons to believe 822 00:41:42,125 --> 00:41:44,792 that our world is filled with dark forces 823 00:41:44,875 --> 00:41:47,875 that we don't fully understand. 824 00:41:48,000 --> 00:41:52,125 So, until science can provide us with rational explanations, 825 00:41:52,250 --> 00:41:54,083 perhaps we shouldn't dismiss 826 00:41:54,208 --> 00:41:55,583 the idea that there are 827 00:41:55,708 --> 00:41:58,958 powerful curses in our world that remain... 828 00:42:00,083 --> 00:42:01,958 ...unexplained. 829 00:42:02,083 --> 00:42:04,125 CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY A+E NETWORKS