Visitors to a Portland park were left shocked when they saw strange signs saying Ouija boards were banned in the area, but officials have confirmed the signs are nothing more than a bizarre prank.
Signs were posted outside the bathroom at Fernhill Park, one of the largest parks in Northeast Portland, over the weekend.
A Ouija board is a way to communicate with spirits and the dead, but many consider the boards to be a Satanic practice or believe it can lead to demonic possession.
The sign, which claimed to have been issued by the Multnomah County Parks Department, read: ‘DUE TO RECENT EVENTS, OUIJA BOARDS ARE NO LONGER PERMITTED IN FERNHILL PARK.’
But a Portland Parks and Recreation spokesperson has since revealed that the signs were not put up by any city officials.
The signs hanging outside the toilets last weekend at Fernhill Park
“Fernhill Park is in our portfolio at Portland Parks & Recreation (the city of Portland’s parks office), and the Multnomah County Parks Department does not exist,” Mark Ross told DailyMail.com.
He also said he only found out about the poster when a local TV station saw an advertisement for it on Reddit.
“I have no idea who put them up, but if they haven’t been put up yet, our maintenance staff will probably take them down tomorrow.”
He added: ‘Ouija do you think people can be dumb around here?’
Before it was revealed to be just a hoax, one person took to Reddit and posted a photo of the sign and asked, “What happened?”
A Ouija board has letters from the Latin alphabet and numbers.
Another person on the social platform further indulged in supernatural and paranormal activities.
“I’m guessing someone used it in the park recently and inadvertently created a portal to the underworld that allowed a demon to enter the earthly plane,” they wrote.
“It happens all the time: people get scared over nothing.”
A person walking their dog told the outlet that there was…I’ve definitely never seen anyone play Ouija in the bathroom,’ while another chimed in:‘Only dogs, children and sports.’
Ouija historian Robert Murch said: Smithsonian Magazine that the Ouija board’s origins lie in the 19th century American obsession with spiritualism and the belief, he said, that the dead can communicate with the living.
Since he began his research into the board’s history in 1992, he has been surprised that no one knew where the Ouija board came from, as, he explained, the board “inspires both fear and awe in American culture.”
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