by Bruce Thines

Omy-huptoo

Mutations in the DNA have been known to alter specific features of behavior. 

The lesch- Nyhan syndrome, induced by a single recessive gene which causes multi personalities and speaking in strange tongues. 

Pandora Boxx arrived at the ELK hotel in April of 1995. She arrived with a social worker who did all the talking, and supplied all the information on Pandora. Pandora was a gaunt girl with long brown hair. She had glassy eyes that looked like cats eyes that seemed to look through you. The social worker said that Pandora is a bit peculiar but harmless, and added “she shouldn’t be any problem”. I said to myself, she will fit into the Elk, most everybody is peculiar here. 

The next day Pandora came down to the community room to watch television. Emil Thin and Ferd Turde were watching a National Geographical program on Egypt. Pandora’s eyes were glued to the screen and her mouth hung open. All of a sudden she started speaking a strange language and pointing to the TV screen. Emil and Ferd looked at each other and Pandora looked at them, pointing to the TV and repeating her strange words. 

Emil came to the security office and told me what was going on. He said ‘something about that TV program really upset that girl, she was speaking a strange language. As I entered the community room Pandora was still speaking to the TV. I finally calmed her down by whispering “it’s ok, it’s ok, and its ok”and I turned the TV off, she stared at it for a while, turned, looked at me and left the room. 

Another strange thing about Pandora was the way she dressed, or did not know how to dress. Her clothes were whatever she picked up at the church, or the Salvation Army. She followed no set fashion or style, she just put on whatever she had. 

Tuesday morning I called Pandora’s Social worker Leah Yeh and told her what had happened with Pandora. She said it sounds like Glossolalia, which is a phenomenon of speaking in an unknown language, or speaking in tongues. She said she encountered this before with a client. I asked her, “is it like possession”? She was not sure, but would talk with a friend at the University. 

Leah came to the Elk the following day with a tape recorder, saying she wanted to record Pandora’s strange language. With some prompting with pictures of ancient Egypt we got Pandora to say a few words. Leah wanted her friend to listen to the words and ascertain if this was some form of language.  

The following week Leah returned with her friend Professor Zorn Pink from the Department of Ancient History of the University of Rochester. Professor’s Zorn’s specialty is Egyptian Civilization and ancient languages. Professor Zorn heard the tape that Leah brought him and confirmed it was ancient Egyptian. He wished to talk to this girl, if it could be arranged privately. 

Leah and the Professor met in my office, Professor Zorn said a few strange words to her and she replied in her language. The Professor said Panda agreed to go with him to the University to talk further. This went on for a week, either the Professor Pink or Leah would pick up Pandora, she seemed to enjoy the meetings. 

I met Leah for lunch the following week, she wanted to update me on Pandora’s progress. Boy! Did I get an ear full!  Leah told me, this is a remarkable case. It seems it was an instance of possession”. The Professor understood Pandora’s language, which is an ancient Egyptian tongue spoken around 1380 BCE. Pandora is possessed by a spirit of an Egyptian woman named Omy-huptoo who lived during 1350. She was one of the wives of the Pharaoh Amenhotep the 3^rd. The language has been carefully analyzed and translated by experts, and shown to have an intelligent application to various topics of 1350 BCE. The spirit of Omy-huptoo is in Pandora’s body. 

Leah said that Pandora would receive help through the U of R Department of Psychiatry in dealing with her problem. She said it is a difficult process separating Pandora from the other entity without damaging either.  

Bruce Thines is a Rochester author.