An Investigation into the "Hat Phantom Incident" in the Second Year of the Tianxi Reign In 1018, the second year of the Tianxi reign, rumors of a "hat phantom" spread across the Northern Song Dynasty. Recorded in official historical documents including History of the Song Dynasty · Records of Five Elements, Continued Zizhi Tongjian Long Draft, and Compiled Administrative Records of the Song Dynasty, this is a documented mass abnormal rumor incident in the Song Dynasty. The incident began in the fifth lunar month. Zhang Min, military governor of Heyang, submitted a memorial to the imperial court, reporting prevailing rumors in Henan Prefecture, the western capital. Local residents claimed that an object shaped like a hat appeared at night, flying in the air and entering people’s houses. It would sometimes transform into a dog or wolf and cause minor injuries. As the rumors spread, widespread panic arose in Luoyang. Residents closed their doors early at night, stayed indoors together, and some held weapons to guard against the unknown object. Wang Sizong, governor of the western capital, failed to report the situation in a timely manner or take intervention measures, allowing the incident to escalate. Soon afterwards, the rumors spread to Kaifeng, the eastern capital. After reaching the capital, the rumors evolved, claiming that the hat phantom could eat people. Public unrest grew in Kaifeng. Ordinary people gathered at night and made noise until dawn. The rumors heavily affected military barracks, unsettling soldiers and undermining military morale, posing potential risks to urban security and defense. As the situation worsened, the imperial court intervened. Emperor Zhenzong of the Song issued multiple orders. First, he dispatched censors to the western capital to investigate local officials for delayed reports and inadequate responses, holding them administratively accountable. Second, reward regulations were introduced to encourage reports against those creating rumors and disturbing the public, in order to trace the source of the unrest. Third, imperial prayer rituals were held to stabilize public sentiment. Fourth, Lü Yijian and Zhou Huazheng were assigned to preside over interrogations and investigate suspects. The authorities later detained a monk named Tianshang, along with sorcerers Gai Gai and Zhang Gang. According to the investigation results, the three were charged with practicing heretical arts, spreading abnormal remarks, and inciting public panic. The principal culprits were executed, and related personnel were exiled to curb the spread of rumors. During the same period, rumors also reached Yingtian Prefecture, the southern capital. Wang Zeng, the local governor, adopted neutral control measures. He kept city gates open normally, imposed no restrictions on nighttime travel, and discouraged organized public defense. Daily life remained stable, and large-scale panic did not occur. The rumors subsided naturally. No definitive conclusion about the identity of the hat phantom exists based on surviving historical records. Three parallel hypotheses, none supported by conclusive evidence, have been proposed. The first attributes the phenomenon to natural anomalies, such as ball lightning, low-altitude clouds or nocturnal birds misobserved at night in concentrated sightings. The second regards it as mass psychological behavior, in which basic sights were distorted through repeated circulation and amplified due to limited cognitive standards at that time, forming collective panic. The third draws comparisons with unidentified flying objects based on recorded shapes and movement patterns. This is a modern extended interpretation not mentioned in original historical texts. submitted by /u/Low-Career3769 [link] [comments]