Francis Herman Pencovic (the man who would be "Krishna Venta") was born 100 years ago today in San Francisco, California.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
164. March 29, 1911 - March 29, 2011
Francis Herman Pencovic (the man who would be "Krishna Venta") was born 100 years ago today in San Francisco, California.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
163. Krishna Venta: Recast as martyr by Charles Manson for his ATWA cause?
[The following was written by the moderator of this blog and was originally posted at http://truthontatelabianca.com/topic/4298-marlin-marynicks-charles-manson-now-pp-137-139/]
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2010 saw the release of Charles Manson Now by registered psychiatric nurse and Manson confidante Marlin Marynick. (See http://www.charlesmansonnow.com/)
2010 saw the release of Charles Manson Now by registered psychiatric nurse and Manson confidante Marlin Marynick. (See http://www.charlesmansonnow.com/)
Pages 137 through 139 of the book are devoted to Charles Manson’s musings regarding Krishna Venta and, since Krishna Venta is a subject with which I am somewhat familiar, Cats has asked me to address the contents of these particular pages. I appreciate Cats affording me this opportunity.
For the uninformed, Krishna Venta was a self-proclaimed messiah who oversaw the WKFL Fountain of the World cult (the term used in newspapers during his lifetime) in the 1940s and 1950s. (The "WKFL," by the way, stood for Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith and Love.) He was born Francis Herman Pencovic in San Francisco, California in 1911 and – prior to declaring he was "Krishna Venta" (which he claimed meant "the Christ Everlasting") – had been a con man, a convict, and a soldier.
Venta founded the Fountain of the World in Box Canyon, California in the latter 1940s.
In his monk’s robe, and with his long hair, beard, and bare feet, he cut an unavoidable figure in the America of the Truman and Eisenhower Administrations. He was in the headlines often for everything from gestures of goodwill to failure to pay child support to his ex-wife.
Among other things, he predicted a future in America that many say is eerily reminiscent of the "Helter Skelter" prophecies ascribed to Manson and outlined by Vincent T. Bugliosi in the book of the same name. (For additional information on this topic, see http://www.icsahome.com/infoserv_articles/sutherland_shawn_krishnaventa_en0703.htm)
He was murdered on a December night in 1958 when two disgruntled ex-followers entered the Fountain compound intent on confronting their former master and accomplishing one of two things: either extracting from him an admission that he was a mere moral; or ending his life. (Among one of the men’s final words was the statement, "Dear God, give us this night freedom or death...We have dedicated our lives to this mission and whatever may come, this may be our last night in the world. We are making this tape so people may know our motives...Krishna Venta] isn’t what he claims to be. He doesn’t practice what he preaches...") To better advance their cause, these two carried with them to the Fountain a bundle of dynamite. Their "mission" ended in an explosion that killed both of them, along with Krishna Venta and seven of his disciples. (For a listing of those who died in this explosion, see http://krishnaventa.blogspot.com/2008/12/43-in-memoriam.html)
In the latter 1960s (a decade after Krishna Venta’s death), Charles Manson and the so-called "Manson Family" spent a number of their days at the Fountain. And more than one source cites to Manson’s supposed interest in seizing the Fountain property for the Family’s use. (See Jerry LeBlanc & Ivor Davis' 5 to Die, Ed Sanders' The Family, Paul Watkins' My Life with Charles Manson, and the 1973 documentary Manson. See also:
http://krishnaventa.blogspot.com/2009/04/121-1973-manson-documentary-more.html;
http://krishnaventa.blogspot.com/2008/12/47-paul-watkins-deceased-member-of.html; and
http://krishnaventa.blogspot.com/2008/11/25-5-to-die-by-jerry-le-blanc-and-ivor.html).
For the uninformed, Krishna Venta was a self-proclaimed messiah who oversaw the WKFL Fountain of the World cult (the term used in newspapers during his lifetime) in the 1940s and 1950s. (The "WKFL," by the way, stood for Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith and Love.) He was born Francis Herman Pencovic in San Francisco, California in 1911 and – prior to declaring he was "Krishna Venta" (which he claimed meant "the Christ Everlasting") – had been a con man, a convict, and a soldier.
Venta founded the Fountain of the World in Box Canyon, California in the latter 1940s.
In his monk’s robe, and with his long hair, beard, and bare feet, he cut an unavoidable figure in the America of the Truman and Eisenhower Administrations. He was in the headlines often for everything from gestures of goodwill to failure to pay child support to his ex-wife.
Among other things, he predicted a future in America that many say is eerily reminiscent of the "Helter Skelter" prophecies ascribed to Manson and outlined by Vincent T. Bugliosi in the book of the same name. (For additional information on this topic, see http://www.icsahome.com/infoserv_articles/sutherland_shawn_krishnaventa_en0703.htm)
He was murdered on a December night in 1958 when two disgruntled ex-followers entered the Fountain compound intent on confronting their former master and accomplishing one of two things: either extracting from him an admission that he was a mere moral; or ending his life. (Among one of the men’s final words was the statement, "Dear God, give us this night freedom or death...We have dedicated our lives to this mission and whatever may come, this may be our last night in the world. We are making this tape so people may know our motives...Krishna Venta] isn’t what he claims to be. He doesn’t practice what he preaches...") To better advance their cause, these two carried with them to the Fountain a bundle of dynamite. Their "mission" ended in an explosion that killed both of them, along with Krishna Venta and seven of his disciples. (For a listing of those who died in this explosion, see http://krishnaventa.blogspot.com/2008/12/43-in-memoriam.html)
In the latter 1960s (a decade after Krishna Venta’s death), Charles Manson and the so-called "Manson Family" spent a number of their days at the Fountain. And more than one source cites to Manson’s supposed interest in seizing the Fountain property for the Family’s use. (See Jerry LeBlanc & Ivor Davis' 5 to Die, Ed Sanders' The Family, Paul Watkins' My Life with Charles Manson, and the 1973 documentary Manson. See also:
http://krishnaventa.blogspot.com/2009/04/121-1973-manson-documentary-more.html;
http://krishnaventa.blogspot.com/2008/12/47-paul-watkins-deceased-member-of.html; and
http://krishnaventa.blogspot.com/2008/11/25-5-to-die-by-jerry-le-blanc-and-ivor.html).
Whether or not the claims regarding his endeavors to take over the Fountain are true, Manson does offer one interesting meditation on Page 139 of Marynick’s book when he states, "So when I ended up over there at that area [at the Fountain of the World in Box Canyon], with all his [Krishna Venta’s] women thinking what the hell am I doing here? You know it’s like the spirit of everything had brought me there..."
What Manson did or did not learn about Krishna Venta during his tenure at the Fountain of the World is the great unknown. But Manson has mentioned Krishna Venta numerous times and via various venues in the past 25 years. However, most of Manson’s decrees regarding Krishna Venta are at minimum uninformed.
As early as August 1986, when he released an open letter to President Ronald Reagan, Manson has contended that, "Krishna Venta blew himself up in 1949 at the Fountain of the Word in Box Canyon, California, when the Feather River Project cut his fountain’s water off." (See Siege: The Collected Writings of James Mason, Storm Books, 1992, p. 430)
These facts are in error, but Manson has repeated them (and other misinformation about Krishna Venta) with regularity. For example, in a 1989 interview with television personality Geraldo Rivera, Manson proclaimed, "Krishna Venta died in Box Canyon in 1949…when I was in reform school." As well, his assertion that Krishna Venta and some of his followers committed suicide in protest against the Feather River Project can be heard on the 1995 audio compact disc Manson Speaks and in numerous YouTube files. And most recently, in Marlin Marynick’s book, Manson again insists:
What Manson did or did not learn about Krishna Venta during his tenure at the Fountain of the World is the great unknown. But Manson has mentioned Krishna Venta numerous times and via various venues in the past 25 years. However, most of Manson’s decrees regarding Krishna Venta are at minimum uninformed.
As early as August 1986, when he released an open letter to President Ronald Reagan, Manson has contended that, "Krishna Venta blew himself up in 1949 at the Fountain of the Word in Box Canyon, California, when the Feather River Project cut his fountain’s water off." (See Siege: The Collected Writings of James Mason, Storm Books, 1992, p. 430)
These facts are in error, but Manson has repeated them (and other misinformation about Krishna Venta) with regularity. For example, in a 1989 interview with television personality Geraldo Rivera, Manson proclaimed, "Krishna Venta died in Box Canyon in 1949…when I was in reform school." As well, his assertion that Krishna Venta and some of his followers committed suicide in protest against the Feather River Project can be heard on the 1995 audio compact disc Manson Speaks and in numerous YouTube files. And most recently, in Marlin Marynick’s book, Manson again insists:
...Krishna Venta blew himself up in the [F]ountain of the [W]orld in Box Canyon, California. Krishna had a cult and they were based on the water and there was the Feather River project that just started...And Krishna seen it because he had a big fountain in his cult area and when it dried up it stopped, and he said, well, you can’t buy and sell the water…[and Krishna Venta] sacrificed his life and the life of nine women. I think it was nine, maybe it was fifteen, but what he did when his fountain turned off, he put dynamite under his house and blew everybody up...
Precisely where he obtained his information regarding Krishna Venta remains a mystery, but Manson’s contentions about him are clearly in error:
*Krishna Venta (a married man and the father of eight children) did not commit suicide, although he was the victim of a suicide bombing;
* The Fountain, which was in the middle of Box Canyon, was not "based on the water";
* According the Fountain members whom I have interviewed, there was no fountain on the Fountain’s property;
* Krishna Venta died in 1958, not 1949, as Manson has asserted; and
* Manson was not in reform school when Venta died but was instead a 24-year-old divorced man living in California who may or may not have been pimping.
Manson is presumably aware that his version of events has been challenged; on Page 139 of Marynick’s book he offers:
Manson is presumably aware that his version of events has been challenged; on Page 139 of Marynick’s book he offers:
...the people that pick up the mess they don’t tell the truth. In other words they lie. Them guys didn’t die the way they said they did. No way in hell are you going to convince me that those people [who died at the Fountain of the World] laid in that fire and they didn’t jump up and say ouch or run or do anything. That’s bullshit. That was all put up. Yeah, that was the FBI, that was the system trying to get around for what we’d already done. I was in reform school when Krishna came on TV, that he had blown himself up with all his women, but you know as a child, I wasn’t impressed. That was just another movie.
In regard to this comment (specifically Manson’s "No way in hell are you going to convince me that those people laid in that fire and they didn’t jump up and say ouch or run or do anything"), having seen both the photographic evidence and documents compiled by authorities during the various investigations conducted following the explosion, it is safe to presume that the ten individuals who died in the December 1958 blast were killed instantly and were more than likely never even aware of what hit them.
Ultimately, it is a question of whether the information Manson presents regarding Krishna Venta is what he has actually heard over the years versus whether he knowingly presents erroneous information about the man in an attempt to reinvent and misappropriate him for his ecological crusade.
Ultimately, it is a question of whether the information Manson presents regarding Krishna Venta is what he has actually heard over the years versus whether he knowingly presents erroneous information about the man in an attempt to reinvent and misappropriate him for his ecological crusade.
And if it is a case of the latter, what is Manson’s true knowledge regarding Krishna Venta and the Fountain of the World?
These are the questions that this author deems the most interesting in the Manson/Venta equation. They are, however, also more than likely ones that will never be answered.
Monday, February 7, 2011
162. www.krishna-venta.com is no more
This entry is to acknowledge that http://www.krishna-venta.com/, a website which served as a photographic record of the WKFL Fountain of the World, and which was overseen by a former Fountain member, has apparently gone dark.
Update: The content of the above-referenced website appears to have moved to http://www.stargatethetwins.com/
Update: The content of the above-referenced website appears to have moved to http://www.stargatethetwins.com/
Friday, December 10, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
159. Krishna Venta in Times Square, 1954
In the foreground that's Krishna Venta and Asaiah Bates. This group's moderator recently purchased the original of this photo.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
158. Manson again with Fountain misinformation...
Again, we have Charles Manson with the erroneous Fountain of the World story - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNtlJEFLiBk
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
157. More sloppy history...
As I've said before, I am not a Krishna Venta apologist, but I do detest sloppy history.
For a couple of weeks now, I've fought the urge to respond to a post entitled "Krishna Venta v. Charles Manson" from http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:y0BkZN93AYUJ:themansonfamily.tumblr.com/post/1364239872/krishna-venta-vs-charles-manson-since-both+%22krishna+venta%22+%2B+%22devil's+hole%22+%2B+%22charles+manson%22&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us. However, since silence can sometimes be construed as an endorsement, I've opted to rebut some of what's offered. Before I begin, though, let me acknowledge that I do respect the fact that this individual admits, "I am not a Krishna Venta aficionado, so hopefully my information on him is correct."
Unfortunately, much of this individual's information is incorrect. In fact, this person's web entry is an example of someone rubber-stamping the gossip and myth that's been handed down over the years and calling it history. In the interest of time, I'll address just a few random points:
* This person offers that Krishna Venta's "[f]avorite swimming hole" was Devil's Hole. Meanwhile, I have never seen anything documenting that Krishna Venta ever went swimming in his life...in Devil's Hole or otherwise.
* They also say that the criteria for membership in joining the WKFL Fountain of the World consisted of one handing "over all your worldly possessions." Granted, this is true. However, what must not be forgotten is that the majority of the people who joined the Fountain actually possessed nothing whatsoever and were more of a financial liability than anything else.
* The language "all [members of the Fountain] assumed aliases" is irresponsible; the term "alias" implies that these individuals were hiding from the law. The Pope no longer goes by his given name. So, then, is "Benedict" an "alias"?
* Under "run-ins with the law," Krishna Venta (in his Francis Pencovic days) was never charged with violation of the Mann Act; he was investigated in that regard but never charged. As well, regarding the purported "threatening" letter to President Roosevelt, the letter has been lost to time, so it's impossible to know just what Pencovic did (not) say in it. Based upon surviving documents, though, it seems Pencovic wrote a letter to Franklin Roosevelt in which he offered the President his opinions on what course FDR needed to take. (Remember - this was long before the advent of email, etc., and a President receving "advice" from a citizen was apparently somewhat of a rarity.) Consequently, Pencovic was interviewed by the Secret Service and summarily dismissed as a "crank."
* Finally, the "several suspicious murders surrounding the Fountain of the World" is likewise irresponsible. This is no doubt in reference to the Medina murder - see http://krishnaventa.blogspot.com/2009/01/60-people-v-medina-1974.html - and the American Indian Movement murder - see http://krishnaventa.blogspot.com/2009/01/61-skyhorse-and-mohawk.html - both of which happened on Fountain property a decade or more after Krishna Venta was already dead. Fountain of the World members, though, were not responsible for these murders. Instead, a handful of non-members who used the Fountain as a flop house were apparently the murdering types. In this regard, see http://krishnaventa.blogspot.com/2009/01/63-propinquity.html, where I write:
The lesson to be learned...is not that the Fountain intentionally served as a haven or as a "hideout" (to quote Dan Blackburn) for criminal types such as Medina, Townsend, Manson, Skyhorse, Mohawk, et al., or that Fountain members gravitated towards such individuals. Instead, Medina, et al. seemingly sought the isolation found in the most rural of locations, and the Fountain (having sought to build their California outpost on property that, in terms of real estate value, offered the most land for the least money) had the misfortune of having erected a "utopia" located directly in the cross hairs of outlaw country! Too bad that, at least in its latter days, Fountain leadership was so trusting and quick to believe everyone who visited the Fountain had only the best of intentions...
Sunday, October 24, 2010
156. Manson gets it wrong again...
Charles Manson gets his facts about Krishna Venta wrong repeatedly.
At http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=Na6SsffEja0&feature=related, one will find a September 22, 2010 audio recording by Manson in which he once again offers apocryphal history. At 2:35 minutes into this file, Manson says:
A long time ago, like in 1948, they had a guy called Krishna Venta who had a cult called Fountain of the World over in a place called Box Canyon...and his fountain turned off, and he [Krishna Venta] got all his girls together and put dynamite underneath the house and he blew the whole thing up in protest about the water...We [presumably the Manson Family] stood around the site where he blew himself up.
See also:
http://krishnaventa.blogspot.com/2009/02/87-manson-weighs-in.html
http://krishnaventa.blogspot.com/2010/04/147-another-youtube-video.html
http://krishnaventa.blogspot.com/2008/12/39-charles-manson-mentions-krishna.htmlThursday, October 21, 2010
154. Photograph of Krishna Venta taken during child support dispute
Left to right: Sister Ruth Venta (w/ purse); Sister Nekona (Neva Booth); Sister Jane Shanafelt (w/ eyeglasses), Brother Samuel; Brother Asaiah Bates; and Krishna Venta. In the forefront is Leila Ruth Venta.This group's moderator recently purchased the original of this photo.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
153. Strange Horizons
The 1967 book Strange Horizons is billed as a collection of, "Astonishing, true stories about supernormal people and events that defy belief - and mystify science" from Borderline magazine.
According to the back cover of the book, the reader should be prepared to, "Visit the startling world of the fantastic, the unreal, where terrifying dreams come true, where mediums, seers, poltergeists, ghosts, witches and other extraordinary psychic talents practice their occult powers!"
Among the stories included in the book are James Harvey's essay regarding Krishna Venta. For more information on Harvey's essay, see:
http://krishnaventa.blogspot.com/2008/11/more-on-this-article-in-my-next-blog.html
http://krishnaventa.blogspot.com/2008/11/krishna-venta-and-fountain-of-world-by.html
http://krishnaventa.blogspot.com/2008/11/11-this-authors-problems-with-harvey.html
http://krishnaventa.blogspot.com/2008/11/28-harvey-article-artwork.html
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
152. Moderator article published in The Jonestown Report
"Prophetic Charisma By Len Oakes - A Brief Overview"
The Jonestown Report
October 05, 2010, Volume 12
The Department of Religious Studies at San Diego State University:
Alternative Considerations of Jonestown and Peoples Temple
http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/AboutJonestown/JonestownReport/Volume12/Sutherland.htm
The Jonestown Report
October 05, 2010, Volume 12
The Department of Religious Studies at San Diego State University:
Alternative Considerations of Jonestown and Peoples Temple
http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/AboutJonestown/JonestownReport/Volume12/Sutherland.htm
151. From "Manson Case File"
The website http://mansoncasefile.co.cc/cults/Fountain%20of%20the%20World/ includes a previously available essay by the moderator of "My Search for Krishna Venta," as well as an entry from this blog regarding the book 5 to Die.
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