We will be discussing the inspiration and likely very REAL Warehouse 13 warehouses and technology showcased in the Warehouse 13 series that ran on Syfy network from 2009 to 2014. This is going to be a fun show ;>)
Possible Real World Warehouse 13 equivalents:
There would have to be a real-world Warehouse system given that so many strange objects throughout history have either gone missing or have never been seen by the public. Objects such as UFOs, magickal objects with famous reputations, etc. Someone would have had the idea to create a place to put them.
1. Greece – Possible Greek collection of objects from Atlantis?
2. The library at Alexandria, Egypt. Thought to be burned and destroyed, but clearly there is more to the story of this library. There are indications that some of the most important parts of the library may have been moved or hidden.
3. The Vatican or sites in or near Rome: Clearly, Rome is steeped in history and likely contained or held at one time many of the artifacts of strangeness found through history. Possible sites are the Vatican Library which holds a mystique unparalleled today. And one cannot escape the idea that the library from Alexandria is now located in part or whole here.
4. Khmer empire – The Khmer were great builders, filling the landscape with monumental temples, huge reservoirs (called baray) and canals, and laying an extensive road network with all sorts of bridges -the main highways are 800 km long. The most stunning temple, Angkor Wat, is a microcosm of the Hindu universe and defies imagination as the world’s largest religious complex – covering 200 hectares; nowadays it is crowded with tourists amazed with ruins that until recently were covered by the jungle. Its construction took some 30 years and was started by one of the greatest kings, Suryavarman II, around 1122 CE.
https://www.worldhistory.org/Khmer_Empire/
https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/lost-city-khmer-empire-0012724
5. Mongolia – The first real attempt at Globalism. The question is: Did Ghengis Khan try to profit from this by pulling in the world’s knowledge to create a lasting impact and also to aquire the artifacts from around the world? Likely not. He simply didn’t have the time and didn’t have the sucessors to carry forward his work and empire.
6. Germany – Clearly Adolf Hitler had a STRONG interest in paranormal objects. In fact both sides with Britain and Germany engaged in Occult wars against the other. Interested people may want to examine Dion Fortune and her book “The Magical Battle of Britain” – https://www.amazon.com/Magical-Battle-Britain-Dion-Fortune/dp/192875421X
1936 Black Forest UFO Crash
Haunted Breastplate and castles
https://www.thelocal.de/20191023/what-are-germanys-most-haunted-castles/
WW2 Occult War
Hitler’s Occult War: The Role of the Paranormal in World War Two
Baron Rudolf von Sebottendorf and the Thule Society
Rudolf von Sebottendorf’s bust, by German sculptor Hanns Goebl. (Image source)
In 1917, the occultist Baron Rudolf von Sebottendorf met with his fellow paranormal practitioners in Vienna. They had extensively studied the teachings of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a magical order devoted to the practice of the occult. Part of their studies had impressed upon them the Order’s knowledge of Asian secret societies. Intrigued, they are said to have contacted an occult sect of Buddhist monks, inviting them to come to Germany to help enhance the knowledge of their own secret society, known as the Thule.1
The beliefs of the Thule society comprised vehement anti-Semitism and anti-Communism, which grew out of the notion of a their being a racial elite, known as the Aryan race. Beside their political stance, the Thule had a mystical side as well, with a membership that included spiritual mediums, psychics and clairvoyants of every sort. Such mediums would claim to have communicated with the Knights’ Templar, pointing to them as their holy predecessors. The Thule also had connections with many other popular “secret” societies of the age including Madame Blavatsky’s theosophical society, which was extremely widespread and also preached the mystical properties of racial elitism.
As such, when Baron Rudolf contacted the Buddhist monks, he did so with the intention of justifying the supposed holiness of Aryan race. In particular, he sought to uncover the secrets of Agartha and Shambhala, two legendary cities where the Aryans were said to have hidden their power in Ancient times.
Whilst a modern-eye may regard such beliefs with righteous disdain, it is important to recognise that this was no minor organisation. In fact, the Thule Society’s membership comprised many of the German societal elite. They were known to have hosted their meetings in luxurious settings, including the Four Seasons hotel in Bavaria. By 1919, the society had grown so large that they even launched a bid to infiltrate the Bavarian government. This failed, resulting in their subsequent suppression by the government and eventual dissolution by 1925.
Turkey
The Ark is one possible artifact that may have unique powers which is rumored to still exist in some form on Mt. Arrarat.
India
Hindu/Tibetan culture – We will cover this in a separate episode.
Russia
Filled with history from the Czars and before. We will cover this in a separate episode.
United States:
Inside Secret government warehouses:
————————————————————————————-
Possible “Private” or governmental equivalents
1. Area 51 and equivalant government facilities – These would exist throughout the world with various governments having them to try to maintain their own collections. Clearly these would be inferior to
2. “Haunted Collector” – A real-world private warehouse located at the Zaffis Paranormal Museum in Stratford, Connecticut.
John Zaffis – Note use of “artifact” in his terminolgy: According to Zaffis, an artifact itself may either be of a paranormal nature such as a religious object once used in occult rituals or a non-paranormal nature such as an antique purchased at an estate sale or garage sale. Once an artifact is deemed to be a possible source of paranormal activity, it is removed from the premises in hopes that the activity in the location being investigated will be mitigated or cease altogether. The artifact is then housed in John Zaffis’ paranormal artifact museum. – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haunted_Collector
3. The Smithsonian. – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1FAWwHg5AU
4. The British Museum.
5. The Egyptian Museum.
————————————————————————————-
How does it all work?
Questions:
1. Who would run a real-world Warehouse system?
2. What ethics would guide them? How would these overcome the ethics (and usual complete lack of ethics of governments) to run the warehouses for the best outcome for all?
3. What proof do we have that a warehouse system might exist?
————————————————————————————-
Warehouse 13 show – The past warehouses
https://warehouse13.fandom.com/wiki/The_Warehouse
Other warehouses throughout history include:
Warehouse 1 in Greece
Time Period: 336 BC – 323 BC
Macedonia – t was Alexander the Great who originally directed that a facility be designated to house and safe keep various artifacts that were collected during his war campaigns. He had just begun to establish his collection, when he succumbed to various illnesses and poisoning in 323 BC – possibly by an artifact, as the structure was built next to his residence. This lead to the building of the Library at Alexandria, and the next empire to protect the Warehouse…
Warehouse 2 in Egypt – Time Period: 323 BC – 31 BC
Location: Ptolemaic Dynasty (Valley of Alam Nafaza, Alexandria
The beginning of a golden age, Warehouse 2 flourished under the Ptolemic Rulers, acquiring many Egyptian artifacts, including the skin from the asp that killed Cleopatra. It was under these first rulers that the Warehouse established its own system of rule and control, and a group of people from all walks of life was appointed to oversee it – The Regents. The Regents were the first actual “agents” of the Warehouse, and its first collectors of artifacts. Its residence in Egypt lasted until the suicide of Cleopatra, and the conquest of Egypt by Caesar and Rome.
When Egypt was defeated and conquered by Rome, the Regents of Warehouse 2 were not given enough time to find a new location to move to in advance and transfer the artifacts, forcing them to bury it under the desert sand so as to hide and preserve the artifacts while they set out to find the home of Warehouse 3.[5]
In 2010, it was reactivated by students on a secret trip to Egypt as paid by H.G. Wells to “discover” it. Wells’ goal was to lure Warehouse 13 agents into Warehouse 2 and help her bypass the traps. Warehouse 2 required those who entered to pass three tests before they were safely inside. These tests challenged the mind, body, and soul, respectively. In the mind test, one is required to get rid of many large pegs by “jumping” them over each other until only one remains. In the body test, they must guide themselves through an obstacle course of fire and axes. Regent Benedict Valda died during this test. In the soul test, the agent has an illusion that they are in their happiest place, while in reality the floor is falling out from beneath them. Warehouse 2 attempted to form a connection with Irene Frederic, current Warehouse Caretaker, when it was reactivated. Warehouse 13 agents Pete, Myka, and Helena G. Wells were able to fully deactivate it. By unknown methods, most or all artifacts were sent to Warehouse 13 after they were buried under sand.[5]
Warehouse 3 in Western Roman Empire (Italy)
Location: Western Roman Empire[9]
Time Period: 31 BC[5] – 434 AD
The true flourishing of the Warehouse. The many rulers of the Roman Empire contributed tens of thousands of artifacts to the facility in the belief that it kept the empire safe and powerful. There may have been something to that, as they were in power for over 500 years. The sword that belonged to Marcus Aurelius that was ultimately used against him; the crucifix that belonged to Constantine the great – longest undisputed ruler of the entire Roman empire; the lyre that Nero played while Rome burned. Warehouse 3 resided in the Western Roman Empire until the rise of the Hunnic empire threatened Rome and Constantinople, and Attila the Hun appeared on the horizon.
Warehouse 4 in Hunnic Empire until the death of Attila the Hun.
Location: Hunnic Empire[11]
Time Period: 434 AD – 453 AD
Perhaps the shortest period of time the Warehouse has ever been located in a dynasty, Warehouse 4 was in Central Asia only until 453, when Attila died of a nosebleed on his wedding night. His sons vied for power, tribes rebelled, and the Warehouse moved back to the Eastern Roman, or Byzantine Empire.
Warehouse 5 in Byzantine Empire.
Location: Byzantine Empire[13]
Time Period: 453 AD – 813 AD
Once back inside the Roman Empire, the Warehouse once again begins to fill its shelves with artifacts from around the world. It lasted inside these borders until the rise of Islam and the Iconoclasm controversies, filling entire sections of the Warehouse with religious icons and paraphernalia. After the loss of most remaining Italian territories, the Warehouse moves once again – this time across the continents.
Warehouse 6 in Cambodia under the Khmer Empire.
Location: Khmer Empire (Angkor)[14]
Time Period: 813 AD – 1219 AD
In what is now Cambodia, the Warehouse located itself for over four centuries. Thousands of east Asian artifacts were collected over this period – many with ties to the reigning religions of the empire, Hinduism and Buddhism. The Warehouse was located in the city of Angkor, known to be the largest pre-industrial urban center in the world, larger than modern day New York and protected by the wealthiest and most powerful empire ever to reign in this region. It lasted here until the death of Jayavarman VII, and the Thai rebellions began, throwing the empire into a state of political instability, and necessitating a move.
Warehouse 6 introduced the Feng Shui Spiral, which is capable of reading the overwhelming emotion behind an artifact’s creation to help shelve it properly.
Warehouse 7 in the Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan.
Location: Mongol Empire (Karakorum)[16][17]
Time Period: 1219 AD – 1260 AD
Spanning from Eastern Europe across Asia, the Mongol Empire was the largest contiguous empire in the history of the world. From the rule of the great Genghis Khan until the civil wars and unrest of Kublai Khan, the Warehouse benefited from the expanse of this empire and its collections of artifacts. But soon after the split, the Warehouse once again headed towards Rome.
At some point during the usage of Warehouse 7, Genghis Khan “went to great and terrible lengths” to create the Remati Shackle, an artifact capable of creating an impenetrable shield around the Warehouse, with the intent to keep it out of the hands of his enemies. The Shackle has been worn by and exchanged between the Regents ever since.[18]
At some point during its reign, a Regent Sanctum was created in Tai Po, Hong Kong, China. It functioned as a meeting place for the Regents of the time, as well as an escape route via portal should the forcefield created by the Remati Shackle trap people inside of the Warehouse. Although the Sanctum was later decomissioned, a space for its portal remains in Warehouse 13.[19]
Several hundred years later during the reign of Warehouse 12, the Regents of the time officially decomissioned the Sanctum. When they did so, they asked Caturanga to construct a special lock so that anyone who found the Sanctum would not easily be able to infiltrate the Warehouse and bypass the forcefield. Caturanga’s lock, based on a game of chess, begins with the player in check. The player, locked in a chair, has three moves to win the game, with each move bringing a large blade closer to their head; if they do not solve the game in time, the player is killed. True to Caturanga’s philosophy of changing the rules when one does not agree to them, the way to truly win the game is to break the conventional rules of chess and move pieces in illegal ways so as to place the opposing king in check. Winning the game releases the player and opens the portal to the Warehouse. This portal opens to whatever Warehouse currently reigns, such as Warehouse 13 rather than the decomissioned location of Warehouse 7.[19]
When a version of Benedict Valda from an alternate timeline escaped to the primary timeline, he attempted to decommission Warehouse 13 and instigate Warehouse 14 in China. The agents of Warehouse 13 went to stop him by taking the Regent Sanctum portal to Hong Kong.
Warehouse 8 in Germany during the Holy Roman Empire (1260–1517).
Location: Holy Roman Empire (Berlin, Germany)[22][23]
Time Period: 1260 AD – 1517 AD
Actually encompassing Central Europe, the center of the HRE was in Germany – and so was the new home of Warehouse 8. By this time, the Regents of the Warehouse had learned over the centuries not to let its host empire to slip into decline before relocating. Signs of this decline became easier for the Regents to recognize, and so in 1517, when Martin Luther initiated what later became known as the Reformation, and after 250 years in Germany, the next move was again to the East.
Warehouse 9 in the Ottoman capital of Constantinople until the death of Suleiman the Magnificent.
Location: Ottoman Empire (likely Constantinople/Istanbul)[26]
Time Period: 1517 AD – 1566 AD
Although the actual decline of the Ottoman Empire wouldn’t be evident until the 1800s, the Warehouse was located here only during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. After his death, military and political stagnation indicated to the Regents of the time that a move would be prudent.
Warehouse 10 in Mughal Empire (India).
Location: Mughal Empire (India)[27]
Time Period: 1566 AD – 1725 AD
By the height of their power (around 1700) the Mughals controlled most of the Indian subcontinent. During its residence in India at this time, the Taj Mahal was constructed, and the original plans for the structure are located in the Vitruvius Sector of the Warehouse. As British colonialism began to take advantage of the wars of succession that happened under the rule of Shah Alaam I, another move became imminent.
Warehouse 11 in the Russian Empire under the Romanov Dynasty (the 1812 Napoleonic War with Russia was an attempt to seize control of Warehouse 11).
Location: Russian Empire (Moscow)[28]
Time Period: 1725 AD – 1830 AD
After Peter the Great consolidated the autocracy of Russia, and brought his empire into the European state system, the Regents moved the Warehouse to Moscow. For the first time, the Regents began to employ the use of agents who worked for the Warehouse, gathering artifacts and protecting the physical residence. By now, the Warehouse had grown to a very large collection, and more people were required to watch over it, and to travel the world in search of artifacts. Although Napoleon was unsuccessful in his attempt to overthrow Tsar Alexander I in 1812, the incident was enough to shake up the Regents, and after another 18 years, they decided to move the Warehouse once more – fortunately, many decades before the November uprising, and rebellion against the rule of the tsars.
Napoleon’s efforts to conquer Russia were partially fueled by a desire to take control of the Warehouse. His attempts at claiming it involved directly attacking Regents, a method that would not be repeated until Walter Sykes’ attacks in 2011.
Warehouse 12 in the United Kingdom from 1830 until 1914.
Location: British Empire (London, England)[32][33]
Time Period: 1830 AD – 1914 AD
Seeing the writing on the walls, the move to the British Empire proved to be the smartest one for the Warehouse since Alexandria. The introduction of working agents flourished under the Brits, and through the Imperialism of the British Empire, those agents were able to travel farther than ever before in their search for distant artifacts. Being at the center of the Industrial Revolution was also a boon to the Warehouse, letting it lead the way in the most state-of-the-art devices and upgrades. But then, with the assassination of Ferdinand, and the start of World War I, the next world power seemed clear.
————————————————————————————-