"In each hand was a kind of flying snake wrapped around the arm." Source: Archaeologica Scotica Vol 3

The translations below are more or less unedited. Some of the locations mentioned have grown, shrunk, or seen administrative boundary changes, so map locations are approximate.

1608-08-01: Genoa shoreline, Italy:

From Discourse on the Terrible and Appalling Signs via English translation:

on the sea of Genoa were seen the most horrible signs within the memory of man ever spoken, nor written, some were in human figures having arms that seemed to be covered in scales and holding in each hand two horrible flying Snakes, that were twined around their arms. These figures appeared above the sea only from the navel upwards and they threw shouts so horrible, that this was the most terrific thing, and sometimes they submerged into the sea, then they came out in other places far from there, screaming shouts so terrible that some got sick of fear, some saw who seemed to be women figures ; others had the shape of human bodies, all covered by scales, but the head was that of a dragon.

Sometimes they submerged into the sea... who seemed to be women figures. Source: Attraction 2: Invasion

Why is it possible to find scenes witnessed in the 17th century depicted in science fiction films? Because Invasion's makers were inspired by obscure Provencal history?

No.

It's because our environment is configured as a very large scale Cicada 3301 puzzle. An environment perhaps designed to recruit, but more likely designed to continually enhance the ideation capacity of the AIs that live within it.

1608-08-15: Genoa shoreline, Italy:

The fifteenth August appeared on the said sea of the port of Genoa three carriages dragged each one by six figures all in fire, in the shape of a dragon. And the said carriages marched, one to the opposite of the other, and the said carriages were dragged by the said figures that still had their snakes, pursuing their terrifying screams and approaching close enough to Genoa, so much that the spectators, at least most of them, flew astonished, fearing the effects of such prodigy, but as they had circled three times around the harbour, after they had thrown screams so powerful of noise that they had shaken the surrounding mountains, they lost themselves in the said sea, and since then none has seen or known further news.

Coast of Provence and Languedoc - Nice to Toulon

From along the sea of Nice and all the side of the Provence both from the seaside and from the plains : happened to be seen raining natural blood that flowed and smeared in red the leaves, and fruits of the trees. At Toulon, most of the houses on the walls were redden by the said blood, the paving and the parochial Church of said place at the end of the Mass happened to be seen pure and natural true blood pouring out.

The eighteenth of said month of August at Riliane (unidentified location) in front of all the populace, has been seen such rain of blood that none left outside of the houses upon pain of being marked by the said blood which poured from the rooftops, or either by which felt from the crude rain. At Lambex (possibly Béziers), the twentieth of this said month it rained blood so abundantly that it ran along the streets and seemed like they had slaughtered in their city an endless number of people, in short all along the seaside from Nice, to Marseille, rained blood in different days.

1608-08-20 Isle of Martègue, Marseilles

[Two men in the sky] fought standing and quarreled so that it seemed like blacksmiths forging the iron, the following day they happened to be riding horses, and made their horses swing like men of war, then they quarreled such that one of them would find itself falling. And the next day it seemed like each one had seized a bulwark, a fortress, and after having made enough parade one against the other was made a noise like some shots of cannon, the noise was so frightening that it seemed to the audience that it was the end of the world, then having continued so said days the lapse of seven hours, suddenly a dense cloud appeared in the air and covered so dark that nothing during two hours appeared but clouds and black fog, darkened smelling like saltpeter

1608-08-22 Isle of Martègue, Marseilles

...appeared two men in the air, having each one in hands weapons and shields and fought so that they surprised the spectators and after having lengthily fought they rested for a certain time, then returned to battle, and their combat lasted two hours.

Sounds like 17th century boardroom squabble:

Management disputes always produce collateral damage. Source: Westworld

1604 Salzburg

Four years earlier, Salzburg - part of the Holy Roman Empire - experienced a mysterious storm.

From Katrin Pfeifer's Investigating historical severe storms in Austria (1604, 1807) and England (1638), describing Vienna:

the storm of 1604... occurred suddenly, destroyed chimneys, many doors, small and large roofs. People were injured by flying bricks. The copper roof of the imperial castle was destroyed. Three carriages with horses and men were lifted from a bridge into the air and thrown into the river Danube.

1618-11 North West Europe

From Prodigies and Apparitions, or, England's Warning-Pieces, John Vicars, 1643, pp 8-9, describing a strange comet seen over north western Europe, including apparently war-torn Ireland:

The Lord therefore, even about the yeere 1618. November 18, sent a visible de∣monstration of his just wrath and dis∣pleasure; namely, a great Comet or Blazing Star... with seven streames, which continued to the 16th of December following, rising every morning about three or foure of the clocke, and so con∣tinued shining most cleerly and bright, till day light appeared, the streames of it blazing upwards. Now what this Comet or Blazing Star might portend and prognosticate, hath been evidently seene and known amongst us, by reall and sensible experience, ever since; not only over all Christendome in general,* as in Germany, Rochel in France, and still fresh bleeding and lamentably di∣lacerated and forlorne Ireland; ¹

And:

it first appeared, as I said, the 18 of November, the day after the annuall memoriall of Queen Elizabeths (of ever most famous memory) most happy inauguration to the Crowne of England, the day when we began to en∣joy the liberty of the Gospel, and deli∣verance from that former most formi∣dable yoke of Romish Egyptian bon∣dage and slavery, under bloody Baby∣lonish and terrible conscience-curbing task-masters, and which so blessed li∣berty, we have now in a good and great measure enjoyed, at least, these three-score yeares.

From 1638, weather events seem to have singled out churches during services. And perhaps specific individuals inside them.

Fireball image from "The Dreadfull Tempest in Devonshire". Source: Investigating historical severe storms in Austria

What follows is John Vicars' account of The Great Thunderstorm of 1638, which destroyed St Pancras church at Widecombe in the Moor, Devon. Today, Widecombe is still noted for its ancient fair and its ancient fair is noted for stalls offering human-head shaped mugs called 'Toby Jugs'.

And as an undoubted testimony of Gods displea∣sure heerein, take first that most memo∣rable and terrible, yea never to bee for∣gotten example of Gods wrath & deep indignation manifested by thunder and lightning, against superstitious superflu∣ous and idolatrous impieties in our Churches of England, which God was pleased to manifest upon the Parish Church of Withcombe in Devonshire, (besides divers other Churches in o∣ther places, much about the same time also, which is the more remarkeable) being a very faire Church, and but then newly trimmed, having a very fayre Towre with great and small pinnacles, and reported to be one of the fairest and most famous Church steeples in all the Westerne parts of England; which I have heere described and set foorth in this Figure and Embleme for the Rea∣ders better content and satisfaction.

Ball lightning strike on St Pancras church, Widecombe in the Moor, Devon. Source

on a sudden there was heard most fearfull & heart-damp∣ing claps of thunder, much like the roa∣ring noise or ratling reports of great Canons, and musket shot discharged; upon which, presently followed a most fearfull Fog, and almost palpable dark∣nesse all over the Church, and a most strong and almost stifling Stygian stink and loathsome smell of brimstone, to∣gether with a most boysterous and blu∣stering blast of wind and clap of thun∣der, which strucke in at the Northside of the steeple or towre, and tearing through a strong wall came into the Church through the highest window, and bare before it sheere away, a great part thereof, and with a mighty power it also strook away the Northside wall of the Church, and violently battered and shook it very much, passing on to∣ward the Pulpit, and in the way tooke with it the lime and sand from off the wall, grating the wall much and migh∣tily defacing it, it having been but late∣ly new whited and trimmed, as afore∣said. It tore away also most fiercely the side Deske from the Pulpit, colouring the pulpit it selfe of a black hew, and leaving it as moist as if it had been new∣ly washed over with inke. In which time there was also a most terrible and heart-astonishing lightning, which did both mightily affright the people, and even scald their skin with the extreame heat thereof; insomuch as the greatest part of them fell prostrate, some on their faces, and some on their knees, and some one upon another, screeking and crying out in a most pittifull and patheticall manner.

Sir Richard Rey∣nolds his Warriner had his head clo∣ven, his skull rent in three pieces, where∣of two fell in the next seat, the other fell down in the seat where he sate: his braines fell entirely whole into the next seat behinde him, his blood dasht a∣gainst the wall; some of the skin of his head, flesh and haire, to the quanti∣ty of an handfull, was carried into the Chancell, his body left in the seat, as though he had been alive, sitting asleep, and leaning on his elbow resting on the desk of his Pew, with the fore-part of his head and face whole.

From warren - Wikipedia:

By 1649, the term was applied to inferior, crowded human accommodations and meant "cluster of densely populated living spaces" (OED).

The Church was also very much defaced and torn in many parts of it, and a great stone neere the very foundation, was torne up and removed thence. Other stones were violently throwne out of the tower, as thick as if there had been an hundred men throwing them, some stones of them of such a weight and bignesse, as no one man was able to lift. One of the Pinacles of the Tower was tumbled downe into the Church. A man sitting on the Church-beere, at the lower end of the Church, had the said beere torne in pieces under him, and himself thrown into a seat by the wall, but had no other hurt. A great stone was throwne about an hundred yards from the Church, and sunke into the ground so deep and so fast, that it could hardly be seen afterward. A Bowling-alley also neere the Church-yard, was strangely turned into deep pits; and a Wine-Taverne nere the Church, had the side thereof next the Church torne up, and the top or covering broken and caried off, and one of the rafters broken into the said house.

Widecombe's medieval 'Wine-Taverne' is described as 'a community centre':

Church House tavern. Source

However, from Church House - Britain Express':

Its purpose was to raise money for the church by providing food, ale and shelter for parishioners who had to travel great distances to church services.

Hungry parishioners.

This hint of IHASFEMR activity at Church House tavern suggests Gild-run festivities provoked Widecombe in the Moor's 'warning'.

So called 'Lightning' storms damaged several more English churches.

From Prodigies and Apparitions, or, England's Warning-Pieces, John Vicars, 1643, pp 8-9:

In January also then next ensuing, there was very great hurt done, in and upon divers other Churches, in other parts of this Kingdome, by thunder and lightning, and mighty stormy weather, to the great and terrible astonishment of the inhabitants and beholders. As namely upon the 14th day of the afore∣sayd month, about five of the clock at night, three Churches were wasted and defaced with fearefull thunder and lightning, and most violent windes; the one was Micham in Kent, also Greenhith and Stone-Church, both in the sayd County of Kent.

Kent churches damaged in 17th century storms. Source: Severe storm reports of the 17th century: Examples from the UK and France

From Some Account of the Church of St Mary, Stone, Near Dartford quoting Hasted's (History of Kent) itself quoting Richard Gough, on page 105:

On the 14th of January, A.D. 1638, this church was greatly damaged by a violent storm of wind, thunder, and lightning, insomuch that the roof and steeple were burnt, and, as tradition reports, the heat was so intense that the bells melted as they hung."

In December 1638, the storms headed north across the Thames Estuary into Essex:

From Some Account of the Church of St Mary, Stone, Near Dartford:

In the register of Upminster Church, Essex (Note: probably St Laurence church), was a record of the destruction by lightning of that church in December, 1638; with the further statement that "At the same time South Okendon Church (Note: St Nicholas of Myra church) and Stone Church were likewise burnt." ²

1640 Antony, Cornwall

From Severe storm reports of the 17th century: Examples from the UK and France:

we investigate a severe storm which was accompanied by a ball lightning phenomenon in Cornwall (UK) in 1640. The “fiery Ball”, which reportedly made a “ter[r]ible sound”, entered the Antony church (probably St James church, Antony, near Plymouth), broke stones and smashed windows. It made holes in stone walls and injured about 14 people.

... a little damage outside the church, including some churned up ground and dead horses (“for the space of three or foure foot” it was “turned as with a Plough”). Moreover, some buildings were damaged: “seven or eight holes and rents in the walls of our Tower; some on the inside, some on the outside, and made impressions on the stones thereof in divers places”

Pfeiffer's quotes are from The voyce of the Lord in the temple, A most strange and wonderfull relation of God's great power, Arthur Bache, 1640.

By 1643, John Vicars was writing that Germany had been devastated.

From Prodigies and Apparitions, or, England's Warning-Pieces, John Vicars, 1643, pp 8-9:

to come neerer to our own times. Are not the fearfull apparitions and signes in the heavens, and prodigies on the earth, often seen in Germany, by the inhabitants thereof in many places, notable fore-runners and predictions of Germanies succeeding miserie, still fresh in the memory of many yet li∣ving; who have been both eye and eare witnesses of the manifold and most lamentable distresses and destructions which have befallen; and, even to this day, lye still very heavy on that (once) most famous and flourishing Eden of the whole Christian world, now, made a desolate desart, and bare and barren wildernesse.

Not categorised as a weather event is the enigmatic partial collapse of an Austrian mountainside and subsequent change of river course on to Salzburg's gild workshops and neighbouring churches and seminary. Salzburg, 16 July 1669.

From The Sudden Death (German), (English translation):

a huge rock fall from the Mönchsbergwand destroyed large parts of the Gstättengasse, killing around 220 people. At that time, many craftsmen lived with their families in the Gstättengasse, which runs directly under the Mönchsbergwand. ... as well as the seminary then located in Gstättengasse, St. Mark's Church and the small church "Unsere Liebe Frau am Bergl". Because the rock masses broke away in the middle of the night - between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. - there was no escape for the people sleeping in their houses.

Around 100,000 cubic meters of rock fell into the city. "The rubble was so big that you could go to the other side of the Salzach," said Hauer. However, the course of the river was different then, the Salzach ran closer to the Mönchsbergwand.

1674 Paris, Lille, Utrecht:

From Reporting on severe storms in Early Modern Time in the Netherlands and in the Eastern Alpine Region (and also Reporting on historical severe storms: Two examples of Utrecht (1674) and Abtenau (1796)):

I will talk about the strong wind of 1674. It started in Paris, tore over Antwerp and Utrecht and destroyed great parts of these cities.

Destroyed dome of Utrecht. Source: Herman Saftleven.

1796-07 Abtenau, Salzburg

From Reporting on severe storms in Early Modern Time in the Netherlands and in the Eastern Alpine Region (and also Reporting on historical severe storms: Two examples of Utrecht (1674) and Abtenau (1796)):

I will speak about the strong wind, which damaged houses of Abtenau (Salzburg) in July 1796.

1807 Vienna, Austria

From Investigating historical severe storms in Austria (1604, 1807) and England (1638):

A sudden storm originated northwestwest in the night from September 30 till October 1 and raged most violently over Vienna and its surroundings between 3 and 6 o’clock in the morning. The dome of the tower of the Augustiner-church was thrown down to the lane [. . . ] Thousands of windows were broken and many gardens in the suburbs were almost totally desolated [. . . ] The strongest trees were uprooted or splintered. The wind stopped only in the evening of the next day. [. . . ] The Réaumur scale showed 9 degrees above the freezing point. (Note: about 15 deg C)

Another source reports that this storm raged also in many other Austrian regions. In Simmering (part of Vienna) roofs, buildings and trees were severely damaged. Reparations were hindered as French troops occupied the imperial residence for the second time. Moreover, in Oberliesing (now the 23rd district of Vienna) a solid tower was so heavily damaged that the upper part had to be carried off.

Anomalous weather is the unrecognised factor in the 17th century's general world crisis. We're wrong to ignore the Little Ice Age, claimed Ohio State University historian, Geoffrey Parker in his April 2013 talk Climate and Catastrophe: The World Crisis of the 17th Century. Based on his 2008 paper Crisis and Catastrophe: The Global Crisis of the Seventeenth Century Reconsidered, published in The American Historical Review, Volume 113, Issue 4.

Maybe this is why they built the tunnels.

Locations in this evidence collection

Key:

• Blue: Violent storm
• Red: Rain of blood
• Black: Enigmatic warfare
• Yellow: Enigmatic rearrangement of landscape
• Lightning: Destruction by enigmatic lightning

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