Eerie Effigy Found in Cave Sparks Wild Theories: 'How Horror Movies Start'

A man stunned the internet with pictures of an unusual discovery during a hike.

Redditor u/Driftmaster shared pictures of an unusual figure he and his girlfriend found during a weekend trip to a nearby cave.

In eastern Norway, the couple was exploring a cave known locally as Drakehulen, or "Dragon's cave." Located at the foot of a hill called Drakeåsen (dragon's hill), the area is rich in folklore.

While hiking around the cave, the couple was shocked to find the rather unusual figurine.

"The figure was lying inside the cave and at first glance we thought it was junk or some electrical component left behind," Driftmaster told Newsweek. "When I took it out of the cave, I found it a bit shocking to be honest, just because it was so unexpected and grisly looking."

After returning home, he looked up the location and learned more about the rich history.

Drakeåsen is the location that sparked Norway's first sci-fi story in the late 1700s.

The hill got its name because Norwegians believed that dragons lived in the mountain and that the hill gave off fumes that would give people visions.

Dating to the late 18th century, the tale tells of protagonist Philoneus, who wandered through the mountains before finally reaching Drakeåsen. He fell asleep at the mouth of the cave and woke to see the inscription "Norway year 2000," meaning he had slept for more than 200 years.

A man appears to show Philoneus through the cave that is now filled with monuments to the progress made by humanity while he slept. He finds that through many challenges and world disasters, reason has prevailed and life has continued to flourish.

The strange figure found by the Redditor and his girlfriend, though, remained a mystery.

"I have no idea what it is, some believe it's a poppet or an effigy, others that it may be related to old folk religion or åsatru [a modern religion that reimagines the ancient polytheism of Northern Europe], some believe it's been used to curse someone," said the poster.

Another Reddit user shocked the internet this week with pictures of a hidden house inside the attic of a church.

Last month, the origins of a "mummified mermaid" were discovered after researchers analyzed the remains that had been housed in a temple in Japan for years.

After sharing the pictures on Reddit, thousands of people shared their reactions and theories on the strange items.

"This is how horror movies start," said one commenter. While another wrote: "Looks sick, would take it with me."

Another Redditor said: "Congratulations, you are now cursed."

"One guy theorized it was the work of, and I quote, 'Some legbeard that makes vague threats online, thinks she has super powers after following a blog on potions, and says "oh my gods,'" Driftmaster said.

"If I had to venture a guess on what it actually is, it's probably left there either by someone who really does believe in magic and has used it for some sort of ritual, or someone who made it for shits and giggles in order for someone else to find and get freaked out by."

Despite not being too worried about the figure being some sort of cursed object, the poster still didn't disturb it too much.

"I'm not superstitious but there's still no way I'm bringing that doll home with me," he laughed.

Initially, he posted it online to see if anyone could shed any light on where it came from, and the hundreds of viewers did not disappoint.

"I found a lot of the comments amusing, referencing horror movie tropes etc.," Driftmaster said. "There seems also to be a small minority of comments that takes it very seriously and believes it could be dangerous."