Is it the devil, demons, aliens the supernatural?

Is it people, disease, famine and despair?

Is it witchcraft and curses? Gambling, violence, war and drugs?

Is it all of these things?

Where does Evil come from? Is it man-made or otherworldly? I often wonder. When I was about eight years old in the seventies, I went with my Mother to visit a friend of hers.I believe her name was Bonnie. Her friend lived in a two bedroom apartment not far from where we lived. My brother who was about four was playing with Bonnie’s son about the same age in the living room which was open to the kitchen. Bonnie had the tea kettle heating on the stove and was getting cups from the cabinet. On her counter next to where she was standing was a book, The Exorcist.

My Mother started to ask her about the book because the movie just came out in theaters. Bonnie started to tell her all the creepy details and the tea kettle was whistling. So, Bonnie served the tea and sat down and continued telling my Mom about it. As they were talking, the book that was at the opposite end of the counter from the stove caught fire. Bonnie got up and threw the book in the sink and turned the faucet on. Luckily no damage. We were all shook up to say the least. My Mother, as graciously as possible, said it was time to go and we high tailed it out of there.

I don’t think we ever visited Bonnie again.

Not because of Bonnie, but because of the book. My Mother was terrified for week. I think that was the first time I sensed Evil or what it represented. There could have been a logical explanation, but I don’t remember there being one. I never read the book and didn’t see the movie until I was in my late teens. To this day I can’t watch it. It bothers the heck out of me. I’ve had many, many paranormal experiences. I don’t know if it is because I am an extremely sensitive person.

I had haunted dolls as a child, I was told it was my imagination. I was sleeping over my Grandmother’s house one night I was in my early twenties. I took her to bingo and we just got back. She was upset because my Uncle’s girlfriend was really nasty to her, and they happened to be at bingo. My grandmother was sitting at the edge of her bed crying because this woman would verbally torment her. As I was consoling her we heard this loud pop, it was a wooden trinket box my uncle gave her. It exploded. I don’t just mean the top flew off, I mean exploded to shreds! We both freaked out. We both slept in the living room. My Grandmother, an old Italian, recited the Rosary until the morning.

When I lived in my first home I purchased in 1996, I had regular hauntings for sixteen years while raising three kids. At first I thought it was me, then the kids noticed it, other people noticed it. I started studying the paranormal back in the late nineties. The shows started coming out a few years later. Other than being pushed down my basement stairs, it wasn’t violent. Things would be moved, lights flickered, toys would talk and move when they weren’t supposed to. We got through it. When I bought this home the haunting stopped. I did some amateur paranormal investigations and house cleanings.

The last one I did was in the Spring of 2014. It was successful. It was a young family and the two-year old daughter couldn’t sleep because of something in her room. According my client her daughter would sleep about three hours per night and not nap. She took her to the pediatrician and the daughter checked out fine. The daughter would hysterically cry and scream man and point at the closest and window. When the parents would bring her into their room she was still inconsolable. When I got there I worked my way through the house and the last room I worked on was the daughter’s room. When I was finished as I was giving advice before I left the little girl fell asleep in her Mother’s arms. My adult daughter was with me and on the way home I told her I think we solved their issues but something within myself didn’t feel right. Something was off. I got home did a house cleansing and cleansed myself. My daughter was not affected.

At my place of work, I been dealing with this woman who desperately needed mental help. The following week she was committed finally for her problems. This was in April, work seemed much better without her around but I was overworked without her there and got horrible bronchitis, it took about two months to heal and then in July she came back, three of the seven people in the office were on vacation and when this woman came back she was not better. On the second day, she was screaming at me correcting my work, a coworkers work and standing over us. She was not a boss. I was in the field before she was born. I just up and left. The evil I felt from her sent chills down my spine. I found other jobs and in saying that it was one lay-off after another. I always had steady work so this was bothersome but I always had enough money for everything so I was still grateful. I still feel like I took something with me during that last house cleansing and all kinds of awful things have happened. But I protected myself and made it this far. I have an uncanny sense of discernment more than ever. I continuously protect myself. I’ve noticed that just going out in the world to work, grocery shopping, to a restaurant and even online. You have to spiritually protect yourself in whatever faith or method works best for you.

I guess it kind of answers my question.

ABOUT LISA MCLAUGHLIN O’CONNOR

In Manchester, New Hampshire a 53 year old woman named Lisa O’Connor has had paranormal experiences off and on since she was around seven years old. From 1996 through 2012 she lived in a home with lots of paranormal activity. Around 2005 she became interested in the paranormal after having so many experiences. She started watching lots of shows on the subject and also reading. As terrifying as some of the experiences were, having three children and a husband who worked two evening jobs, she had to be strong and tough. She even did some amateur investigating. Since she moved to her new home the experiences has become infrequent. She also has more time to herself now that her children are grown. She has written a few things but would like to share her story and help people that are being haunted.

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Do I believe in theatre superstitions? Sometimes. I find myself whistling often in a theatre and haven’t had repercussions. Yet, I have found myself becoming prey to the Macbeth curse, but that’s another tale for another time.

Long story short, “Yotsuya Kaidan” was first staged in 1825 in what is modern-day Tokyo and takes place during the Edo period in Japan. The play was a hit and the theatre actually had to schedule additional performances. It didn’t take long for the play to be produced all over Japan. What people didn’t realize that there would be dire consequences coming to those who chose to produce Lady Oiwa’s tale.

A Brief Summary

There are a few variations of the story. They all have Oiwa married to a samurai named Tamiya Iemon. One night, Iemon and Oiwa’s father Samon, were in a heated argument. When Samon suggested to Iemon that he separates from Oiwa, Iemon kills the man and tells Oiwa that a stranger murdered her father. Iemon is also a man who is bad with money and ends up pawning many of their possessions. The couple ends up having a son.

Some variations of the story have Iemon becoming resentful of Oiwa, while others have him lose interest in her once her face becomes disfigured. In one version, a girl named Oume has fallen in love with Iemon and her doctor father gives Oiwa an ointment that disfigures her face and causes her hair to fall out, which results in Iemon becoming disgusted with her. Other variations have Iemon involved in the scheme. Iemon eventually tries to get a man named Takuetsu to rape Oiwa so that he can leave her on grounds of infidelity. But once Takuetsu looks at her face, he can’t go through with the plan. He shows Oiwa her face, and she becomes so horrified that she takes a sword and slits her own throat. Other versions have her dying by accident where she holds a sword and tries to evade Takuetsu, only to accidentally puncture herself. In all these versions, she curses Iemon’s name until she dies. Some versions have Lady Oiwa growing mad by herself and falling on one of Iemon’s swords, and he’s the one that finds her when he gets home.

Some versions have Oiwa’s body being discovered by a servant named Kohei. When Kohei sees Iemon overjoyed over Oiwa’s passing, he becomes suspicious. Iemon kills Kohei, nails both bodies to a door and throws it into the river. Iemon then says that Kohei and Oiwa were having an affair.

Iemon proceeds to marry Oume, but Lady Oiwa’s ghost is quick to act. On his wedding night, Iemon sees Oiwa’s face in bed with him. Iemon gets his sword and attacks. However, once he snaps out of it, he realizes that he killed his new bride. When he goes to Oume’s father (or grandfather in some versions), he kills him as well, believing to be haunted by Kohei.

Oiwa continues to stalk and torment Iemon. She even appeared in paper lanterns and cried out to him in vengeance. All of this eventually caused him to descend into madness in an isolated mountain retreat. A lot of people die. If this piques your interest, definitely check out the play. There’s a lot I left out!

The “Real” Story

The shrine in Yotsuya.

According to legend, Lady Oiwa was indeed a real person who died in 1636. She is supposedly buried in Myogyo-ji, in Sugamo, a neighborhood of Tokyo. However, there was a shrine and memorial erected in her honor near the location of her family’s home in Yotsuya. It burned down in 1879. A new shrine was erected in another location but got destroyed by the bombs of World War II. Then, a third shrine was erected at the first site in Yotsuya that you can visit today. When it comes to inspiration, there were two real-life murders that had become extremely popular at the time of Nanboku’s life. One was a samurai who had discovered that his concubine was being unfaithful. He nailed her body to a door and threw it into the Kanda River. The other murder involved two servants who killed their masters. The servants were executed that same day.

What is an Onryō?

An onryō is the vengeful spirit (typically a woman) who was wronged in life. She is usually dressed in a ceremonial white kimono (what she was likely buried in). Their vengeance is so powerful that it creates a bridge between the world of the living and the land of the dead, the Yomi. Think of Yomi as their version of hell. In contrast, there is the Takamagahara, essentially heaven. Think of these women being powerless while they were living. It is only until they die that they gain their power. In Lady Oiwa’s case, she was a victim of outside circumstances of those who wanted something for personal gain. She was an innocent. In appearance, Lady Oiwa is disfigured on her left side, with her eye drooping from the poison. Her head is usually bald on this left side from her hair falling out in clumps. It is rumored that Lady Oiwa’s onryō still haunts her home in Yotsuya, where the shrine is located. Sadako Yamamura, or Samara in the American adaptation, from “The Ring” is a nod to Lady Oiwa, in case you needed to feel more scared.

Why the Curse?

We’re all familiar with the Macbeth curse. But the curse of Lady Oiwa is more terrifying, in my opinion. Those who have worked on adaptations of Lady Oiwa’s tale have been met with misfortune like car accidents and even death. If you want to present Lady Oiwa’s story, legend says that you have to visit her grave and ask for permission. It has become a requirement in recent years because the curse is believed wholeheartedly. If you visit Lady Oiwa’s grave and you wish hard enough, your wish might come true.

The earliest film adaptation was made in 1912 and was filmed 18 more times between 1913 and 1937. Another adaptation was made in 1949 with another in 1956 and 1959. The 2006 anime adaptation was what originally caught my attention, and it goes into more details about the curse.

As someone who had an interest in the paranormal and artistic endeavors, the curse makes sense from a moral standpoint. Poor Lady Oiwa continues to be taken advantage of. When you think about it, these theatrical and film adaptations usually make some sort of profit from her story. If they don’t get permission to present her story, then it makes sense to me that she would even the score on a karmatic scale. Given her grisly circumstances in the play and (now) legend, I’d be pretty ticked off too.

Ironically, Universal Studio Singapore is featuring Lady Oiwa in their Halloween Horror Nights this year with a full haunted house dedicated to her. I find it truly fascinating. I have to wonder what Lady Oiwa thinks about this? I hope they got her permission to do so. If not, perhaps we need to keep an eye on the headlines in Singapore for the next few months.

Check out the interactive video below.

Here’s another video of the immersive experience:

Sources:

Yotsuya Kaidan and Japanese Ghosts

Oiwa

http://www.weirdwildrealm.com/f-yotsuyakaidan.html

The Tragic Tale of Lady Oiwa and Adapting the <i>Onryō</i> for a Contemporary audience

Tamiya Iemon is the Worst

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How Far Do We Go Back?

But is it possible we’re engaging with someone (or something) from even earlier in time? For example, we know the history of the Trivette Clinic from 1932 on. But what about pre-1932? What was happening on the land 100 years before? Or even 1000 years before? Why do we limit ourselves to what we can only find on websites and in the history books? Granted, this is a realm of paranormal investigating I have not engaged in yet. In fact, it’s an older thought I’ve had which was reintroduced to me at the recent Trivette Clinic investigation by one of our attendees.

I must confess that this pondering is not my own. I was first introduced to researching the layers of a haunting by none other than John Sabol. If you’re not familiar with his work, I highly recommend visiting his website and checking out his books. Their fantastic, and it has truly opened my eyes to a method that makes sense in my eyes.

Even the land you’re standing or sitting on right now as you read this blog has a history. To us, it might be just a slab of concrete or a patch of asphalt, or even just a patch of grass. But we truly don’t know what was happening on that spot over 1000 years ago.

For areas that have more paranormal activity, why limit ourselves to just the last few hundred years? What is something happened on these haunted locations centuries ago that started to attract paranormal activity in that area, and we just think the events of the standing building are responsible for the haunting?

Hitting the Books

In order to embark on this thought properly, we need to get acquainted with our knowledge of history and anthropology. I would love to see if there are correlations with trends in ancient history and a haunted location. Ideally, what if there was something, let’s say a ritual, a spell, an alien visitation 5,000 years ago, something…happened on the spot where a haunting stands today? Or, what happens when a more recent haunting or energy imprint lingers in an area where a great battle happened 155 years ago?

This goes into an area of paranormal research where the single trunk splits off into hundreds of tiny branches. But I truly believe that if we keep testing and experimenting new investigation methods, we’re going to find something that eventually sticks. That might involve digging deeper into the layers of history and see how far into the past we can go.

The post Layers of a Haunting: Why Limit Ourselves? appeared first on Association of Paranormal Study.

I love any and all things paranormal. Whether it be related to cryptozoology, hauntings, religion or ufology, if it’s anything mysterious or spooky, down the rabbit hole I will go. One thing I love most about the paranormal community is that people love to share their stories, opinions and ideas. That’s why I always jump at the chance to go to con’s, conventions, meetings and other such events. I enjoy seeing people so passionate about what they believe in that they want to stand up and tell the world.

I recently attended The Excavation of Victorian Ghosts at Bedford Springs in Pennsylvania. There were many wonderful people and presenters and I bought a couple of books that caught my attention. Among them was the book “The Ghost Studies – New Perspectives on the Origins of Paranormal Experiences” written by Brandon Massullo. Of course I immediately turn the book over to get a quick idea of the topic and it states that “this book is far more than a compilation of ghost stories. This book provides scientific explanation for paranormal occurrences that include theories to explain apparitions, hauntings and spirit communications.” It is indicated that the role of energy, electricity, emotions, bioenergetics and the environment are also covered. As someone who has always erred on the side of psychology and science in relation to the paranormal, these topics really jumped out at me.

My first thought on this book is one of gratitude. Thank you Brandon for approaching these topics in straightforward, clear-cut ways. This book could be read by a novice or seasoned investigator, the slightly curious, skeptic or believer and it will still have an impact on the reader. The first chapter touches on popular ghost theories,spiritual and pop culture views and the paranormal investigator him/herself. It provides a solid starting point for the later chapters. Electricity, EMF’s and apparitions are then discussed and even though I feel like i have a rather decent grasp on this, I was still intrigued by Massullo’s discussion of the God Helmet. There are many investigators out there that have a basic understanding of EMF but don’t understand how it affects us personally and these chapters explain this relationship in such a way that it can be understood by even the layman.

Topics like telekinesis, esp, quantum mechanics and near death experiences are just some of the topics approached in this book.

Author Brandon Massullo

While it’s easy to get sucked down the rabbit hole with any one of those topics individually, the author provides enough explanation on each to enlighten the reader but he does a great job at not weighing down the book with too much information. While this book isn’t ‘just a compilation of ghost stories’  there are plenty tales of first hand experiences presented for discussion.

What I enjoyed the most about this book, however, is the attention that Massullo spends discussing the psychology of experiences. It has always been my belief that our minds and emotions don’t get near the attention that they should in regards to evaluating paranormal experiences. I agree strongly with the author and I’m encouraged that this book is really opening the floor for that conversation. For so long paranormal experiences have been discussed as events that have happened TO you and there hasn’t been much discussion about the fact that these events may have happened BECAUSE of you.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to expand their knowledge of the paranormal. You may or may not agree with all the theories discussed but they will definitely make you think. This book is well written and opens the doors for countless areas of study and discussion and it is one that you will find yourself going back to again and again.

Order Brandon’s book on Amazon

Listen to Alex and Maeve interview Brandon Massullo on “The Wicked Domain”

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Several of our members here at Association of Paranormal Study are very interested in Irish folklore, so we thought we’d discuss the legend of the Leprechaun today!

According to Irish fables, the Leprechaun is a tiny entity that normally takes the form of a miniature version of an old man wearing either a red or green coat. They are known to be mischievous creatures that like to cobble shoes and store gold coins in pots of gold hidden at the end of rainbows. If you capture a Leprechaun, he must grant you three wishes, with the deal that he will be let go after they are granted.  The centuries-old legend makes no mention of female leprechauns, so it’s safe to deduct that they are always men.

The legend of the Leprechaun can actually be pinpointed to an 8^th century old wives tale of a water spirit.  They were known as ‘luchorpán’ and in English, translates to “small body”.  The story goes that these water spirits would merge with a household fairy to create the luchorpán’, a fairy with a love for heavy drinking.  A wife would use this legend to explain away alcohol that had gone missing from the house’s cellar.  My guess is the husband came up with this explanation after a night of drinking and it caught on!

The most persisting piece of the legend of the leprechaun though is the coveted Pot of Gold.  The story says that the Leprechauns find gold coins dropped and forgotten on the ground and store them in metal pots that are hidden at the end of rainbows.  Why a leprechaun wouldn’t want to hide it in a spot that doesn’t have an arrow pointing right at the hiding spot, I’m not sure.

Of course, the Leprechaun is much more a pop-culture phenomenon these days then a creature people are looking for.  You can find this mythical creature on cereal, as the mascot of a major college football team and of course in a series of films.  However, a firsthand account of encountering this Irish being is as recent as 1989.  A Pub landlord, P.J. O’Hare, was in Carlingford in County Louth when he heard screams from a well.  He found in there what he believes were the remains and clothing of a leprechaun and has them on display in his pub for all to see.  The town now has an annual Leprechaun hunt!

It’s easy to scoff at the legend that’s well over a thousand years because it has become much more of a cartoon character, but believe it or not, the Leprechaun is a protected species under EU law.  And Carlingford has a designated area that is official protected land for the reported 236 Leprechauns that live in Ireland today!  I hope those little guys are having a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day today!

The post The Legend of the Leprechaun appeared first on Association of Paranormal Study.

Take, for instance, the mythical Icelandic giantess (ogre) Grýla, who lives in the mountains of Iceland with her 13 (seven dwarf-esque) sons, the Yule Lads, her third husband and a large black cat named Jólakötturinn. Said to come to town with Grýla and the Yule Lads, the myth of the Jólakötturinn is worthy of a blog all to itself as it is stalks the snowy countryside to devour anyone who has not received new clothes on Christmas Eve. It is believed that farmers used this belief to maintain maximum productivity among the wool workers. The premise is simple: work hard for material gain or slack off and get eaten by a giant cat. Honestly, I’m surprised that Hollywood hasn’t snatched that story line right up. You can read through the English translation of the poem that is passed down in Icelandic heritage here: Björk – Jólakötturinn (english Translation) Lyrics | Golyr.de.

As the legend goes, Grýla, her sons and her evil cat would all go out on Christmas to each get into their own trouble. Grýla would hunt the naughty children then boil them in her cauldron and devour them. She could only capture the naughty children and if those captured repented and were truly sorry for their misdeeds then she was bound to release them. While their mother was boiling the neighborhood children, the Yule Lads were wreaking havoc and chaos throughout the town. Just like the seven dwarfs, the Yuleman each had very unique personalities and their name represented the havoc they created:

• Sheep-Cot Clod – who suckles the farmer’s yews
• Gully Gawk – who steals the foam from the buckets of cow milk
• Stubby – the short one who steals food from the frying pans
• Spoon Licker – this one is pretty self-explanatory
• Pot Scraper (Licker) – steals the unwashed pots and pans and licks them clean
• Bowl Licker – steals the bowls of food from under the Icelanders beds (not sure why they had bowls of food under their bed…)
• Door Slammer – again, pretty self-explanatory. He would keep everyone awake by stomping around and slamming doors
• Skyr Gobbler – would eat up all the yogurt or Skyr as it is called in Iceland
• Sausage Swiper – would..surprisingly enough..steal sausage
• Window Peeper – a peeping Tom that would sometimes steal the things he saw inside
• Door Sniffer – this guy had a huge nose and an insatiable appetite for stolen baked goods
• Meat Hook – would snatch up any meat that was left out and had a particular taste for smoked lamb
• Candle Beggar – would steal the highly sought after candles in town

Prior to 1746, the story of Grýla and her sons was used by parents to scare their children into behaving and the actions of the Yule Lads were a bit darker and more bloodthirsty than the version we have today. In 1746, due to the gruesomeness of the story, the Icelandic government prohibited parents from using it to terrify their children into submission so Grýla and her murderous family faded into the annals of history.

So this holiday season, while you’re snuggled in, enjoying the warmth and comfort this time of year can bring, just know that the Krampus isn’t the only monster lurking outside waiting to punish you for your transgressions. Happy Holidays!

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The answers can be chalked up to the idea that there’s more history on the east coast than the west coast. But in order to validate that assumption, we have to account for the history and the timeline of both coasts. And of course, that would require extensive research based on demographics. However, I’m fairly certain that there is probably equal amount of paranormal activity on both sides of the country. Both sides have seen war, settlements, sickness, disasters…so what is the difference?

Since I have moved here, I’ve noticed that there is a different perception of the paranormal on the east coast. It’s more accepted and embraced out here. There are more people who acknowledge their experiences and want to get it investigated. There are more haunted locations that are being capitalized by the locals. The paranormal mindset is very different out here. I’ve met more people than I can shake a stick at who openly admit that they believe in the paranormal or they’ve had experiences that they couldn’t explain. It’s rather interesting.

There is also more accessibility to history on the east coast. It seems that no matter where I turn in Raleigh or in my travels up and down this side of the country, I can visit  historical locations that have been well preserved as opposed to a site where history happened. Of course when it comes to American history like the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, there is more on the east coast. But when it comes to the birthplace of America and culture, the west coast has the upper-hand.

I don’t want this post to be a “which coast is better” sort of thing, but I am curious to know: Do you feel that one side of North America is more haunted than the other?

The post Is One Coast More Haunted Than The Other? appeared first on Association of Paranormal Study.

I know there has been debate as to whether she is a prophet or a psychic, and the differences being that a prophet gets their information from God while psychics get their information for other source (and whose to say it isn’t God giving all the information).  Anyway, while that discussion is interesting, we’ll save it for another time.  Let’s focus on Anna, as she’s depicted in the Bible.

Anna is introduced at the end of the Birth Narrative (Luke 1:1-2:40) and she arrives at the Temple where the purification of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph is taking place, traditionally 40 days after the birth of the firstborn son.  This tradition is based on the written law of the Lord and a sacrifice of a lamb, two pigeons, or two turtledoves is offered as well (Leviticus 12:2-8).

The family is first greeted by Simeon, an old man described as “righteous and devout” who was told by the Holy Spirit that he will not die until he has seen the Messiah.  Simeon takes Jesus into his arms, praises God, declares Jesus is God’s salvation and says, ““Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:28-32).  Simeon is now ready to die.  An extra note regarding Simeon, he very well may have been a priest since he held Jesus.

Anna then approaches the family, and Simeon describes her as a “prophetess” (Luke 2:29-32, 34-36).  These two individuals arrived separately, but scholars and Christians believe that divine intervention took place on this day.

Luke describes Anna as a woman who is deserving the honor that is bestowed on the elderly in the ancient Mediterranean world.

There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. – Luke 2:36-38, New International Version (NIV)

Anna, as painted by Rembrandt

Anna is the only female in the Bible described as a prophetess.  It’s rather interesting to consider that Luke mentions her tribe (Asher) as well as the name of her father (Phanuel), but not her deceased husband.  Also, her dialogue is narrated, where Simeon is directly quoted.  Anna is described as someone who never leaves the Temple, she prays and worships night and day by fasting and praying, as well as being available 24/7.  It is clear that Anna is depicted as someone who listens to God and is devout.  She recognizes the baby immediately and knows who He is.  She prays as directed and fasts often, aware that it brings results.  She is depicted as being of very advanced age of at least 84 years old.

I’ve always found Anna’s depiction in the Bible very fascinating.  She’s a prophetess, but not a psychic, but yet she possesses knowledge that no one else knew and could identify the baby Messiah.  And finally, we don’t know much about her, her family, whether she had any children before her husband passed, and her life in the Temple.

Even if you don’t believe in God, or Jesus, or the Bible…it’s worthy to take a glance at Anna and how she is portrayed in a book and religion where consulting psychics was considered as dealing with the Devil.

APS wishes everyone a blessed holiday celebration!

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There was probably no one else who loved Christmas ghost stories more than Charles Dickens.  In fact, majority of the Victorian Era brought forth a new fascination of ghosts, spirits, apparitions, and all things weird.  The rise of Spiritualism was also during this same time.  So it is to no surprise that the holiday season would have experienced a spooky twist.  Whilst in the reign of Spiritualism, by 1855 Dickens himself was a practicing mesmeric doctor, as well as a member of The Ghost Club (founded in 1862)

Dickens is most famous for his beloved novella, A Christmas Carol, first published on December 17th, 1843.  In fact, we are just a week shy of the book’s 170th birthday.  Considering the popularity of the tale of old Ebenezer Scrooge, there are seldom few who know of the moving story of a stingy old man’s change of heart after visitations from spirits, and they lessons they taught him.

Illustration by John Leech from the first edition of “A Christmas Carol”

It may be hard to fathom, but the Christmas that we know today, was not the Christmas that happened in the 19th century, especially in London.  While there were “12 days of Christmas”, seldom did people take the day off and many worked during the Christmas holiday.  Christians strictly followed the Bible, which believe it or not, didn’t condone the celebration of Christmas.  It didn’t have the Christian ties that it has today, and was often just a time for parties and sexual liberties.  The Puritans even attempted to ban Christmas during the 17th century.  But to bring the point home, the Christmas that Charles Dickens experienced was not like Christmas today.

In a sense, we can give regards to Dickens for inventing the Christmas that we know and love.  This is likely why A Christmas Carol became so popular.  While this classic tale certainly remains as Dickens’ most famous holiday work, it certainly was not the only piece of literature he wrote with spirits and the weird intertwined in the Christmas holiday. Many regard Dickens as the father of the Christmas tradition we know now.

In 1836, seven years before A Christmas Carol was written, Dickens wrote a short story for The Pickwick Papers called, The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton, and it tells the story of a man named Gabriel Grub who drinks and works on Christmas day as a caretaker and gravedigger.  He is then kidnapped by goblins and taken to an underground cave where they show him his fellow humans, including a small boy belonging to a poor family that dies.  One could say that Gabriel Grub is Scrooge and the small boy was Tiny Tim.  The goblins also beat Gabriel mercilessly, and the next morning, he is a changed man.

Cover of “The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain”

In 1848, Dickens wrote his final Christmas novella called, The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain.  Unlike its predecessor, Haunted Man was a much more grisly tale.  It tells the story of a chemist named, Redlaw.  For him, and many others, Christmas is a grim reminder of lost loves, hurts, and regrets.  He is then visited by a Phantom who offers to cancel out his hurts.  Redlaw is amazed and intrigued as to how this visitor can erase such a thing.  But Redlaw soon learns that in order to forget the past hurts, he has to let go of the treasured people who caused the hurts and regrets in the first place.  And the lesson becomes that you can not forget one without affecting the other.  It’s truly a moving tale, and if you would like to read it for free, just click on the following link: The Haunted Man.  Charles Dickens wrote several more Christmas ghost stories for The Pickwick Papers as well as other publications.

After Dickens published A Christmas Carol, he began a tradition of publishing works each Christmas after.  In 1859, Dickens wrote The Haunted House, in collaboration with several authors, for the weekly periodical All Year Round.  Once again, this was a Christmas ghost story that featured the spiritual and the weird.  There are numerous other Christmas ghost stories written by Charles Dickens that are available on the web for free and very enjoyable.

If you would like to buy a book called, Christmas Ghost Stories with A Christmas Carol, The Story of the Goblins who Stole a Sexton, The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain, and The Haunted House, you can purchase it on Amazon here for less than $15, and it qualifies for Prime shipping.

Sources/Links of Interest

• Christmas According to Dickens
• Why Did Charles Dickens Write Ghost Stories for Christmas?
• Ghoultide Greetings: The Ghost Stories of Charles Dickens
• The Victorian Web: Featuring The Haunted House

The post Charles Dickens: Making Ghosts Festive For the Holidays appeared first on Association of Paranormal Study.

You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout….not because Santa Claus will put you on the naughty list, but because you’ll get a swat from a scary incubus with claws, known as Krampus, and possibly dragged into hell in a basket.  Depending on where you live, the holidays may not be all about holiday cheer and positivity, but instead, a rather terrifying one if you weren’t a good boy or girl this year!

If you’re from Germany or Bavaria, or any Alpine region, the legend of Krampus may be a familiar one.  In fact, December 6th marks a day known as Krampusnacht (Night of Krampus), also regarded as the “night before St. Nicholas”.  To celebrate, people will have parties featuring men dressed as the holiday devil himself.  Costumes include sheepskin, claws, horns, and switches so that they can swat unsuspecting children and maybe a few ladies.   Other costumes will also include witches, devils, wild-men, and other scary get-ups while bearing torches and copious amounts of alcohol and an event called Krampuslauf (Krampus Run).  In fact, these men are encouraged to terrorize the children.  Interestingly enough, the Pennsylvania Dutch culture has a figure very similar to Krampus called, Pelsnickel or Belznickel.  So some traditions stayed after the migration from Germany to North America.

Krampus means, “claw”, and he is the darker counterpart of Saint Nicholas.  While Santa Claus will reward nice children, Krampus will swat naughty children, terrify them with his cloven hooves and monstrous tongue that would make Gene Simmons blush, and tying them to baskets with chains and taken down to hell.  If that’s not motivation to behave, I don’t know what is!

The belief and lore of Krampus is actually older than Jesus.  Krampus was born from an Alpine Pagan tradition during winter solstice that dates back to pre-Christian times.  In fact, the origin of Krampus has a performance element to it due to villagers dressing up as mythic creatures, animals, wild-men, and devils and performing in parades and plays (known as mummery).  It is believed that this was one of the early inspirations for Halloween.  And here’s another fun fact, the common figures in these rituals was Old Man Winter and a horned Goat-Man.  Sound familiar?  Santa actually has more pagan roots associated with winter solstice than our traditional Christian-themed Christmas holiday.

It’s not only the men who get to have “fun” during this season, women can also have their share as well.  Many women will wear masks and dress up as the Nordic goddess Perchta, otherwise known as Frau Perchta.

It would have been a sin to deprive you of this image of Krampus and Santa riding it SOA style.

One of my favorite parts about the Krampus tradition is the Krampus cards, holiday greeting cards with a humorous and dark twist featuring our favorite holiday devil.  These booomed in the mid-1800’s as Christmas cards became popular in Europe.  Of course there needed to be balance between the good and evil, light and dark, grim and cheerful…right?

In the last 10 years, Krampus has been featured on the series, Supernatural, and has even paid a visit to The Colbert Report.  Monte Beauchamp has played a large role in resurrecting Krampus in American culture by reintroducing the figure in his books and shedding light on the vintage art.

Here’s a video of a Krampusleuf from 2010:

If you want to learn more about Krampus, take a gander at these websites:

Krampus.com

Krampus: Devil of Christmas

10 Fun Facts About Krampus

The post Krampus: The Holiday Devil appeared first on Association of Paranormal Study.