A Widespread Belief

However, we’re talking about something different…and taller. Stemming from Icelandic and Faroese folklore, the huldufólk are mythical beings that are sometimes synonymous with elves. They live outdoors, and they make their home in the rocks and cliffs of Iceland. They also dress in 19th-century clothing. This is an invisible society of human-like creatures. In 2006, a study on the belief of the huldufólk revealed that 32% of Icelanders believe in the possibility that these human-like creatures exist while 24% believe that their existence is likely or a certainty. Before going further, note that Iceland consists of large volcanic rock formations. Springs and geysers are often boiling, and there is sparse greenery in the area. So, rocks aren’t an uncommon thing for the region.

Construction & Protests

In the 1930s, road construction commenced in Kópavogur, Iceland. But they had to cut through a hill in order to continue. The hill is Alfholl or Elf Hill Road. But there was a problem; machinery kept breaking down as it tried to cut through the rock. The construction company ran out of funding. Plans to revisit construction started not only in the 1940s but also in the 1980s. Construction crews ran into the same problem. Eventually, the plans to cut through the hill were abandoned. The new plan was to build the road AROUND Alfholl instead of through it. Many believe that elven magic was afoot.

In 1982, over one hundred Icelanders protested a NATO base while demanding an inspection of the area for any elf dwellings. Construction of roads and neighborhoods revolve around rock formations that may be inhabited by elves or the huldufólk. In 2004, an aluminum company had to halt construction of a smelter due to having to hire a government official to inspect the area for elven dwellings and ruins.

In 2013, a large road was under construction on the Alftanes Penninsula to connect the island to a small town near Reykjavik. However, there was a 12-foot high rock, weighing 70 tons, that was blocking the progress of the construction project. However, the construction crew couldn’t just destroy the rock and move the pieces to the side. It turned into quite a dispute that took two years to resolve.

The government actually had a crane move the massive rock in two pieces to a safe location. According to campaigners and Iceland’s Supreme Court, the rock is an “elf church”, or a structure that is a place of worship by the huldufólk. A seer by the name of Ragnhildur Jonsdottir spoke for a pact between elves and men.

In short, Icelanders take this belief very seriously. You can see more examples here on how Icelanders have constructed homes, apartments, and even entire towns around these rocks.

The Legend

All good myths, legends, and folklore have an origin story. They are the very fabric of what our modern society believes in today. Writings about these hidden people go back to the 18th and 19th centuries. When it comes to elves, we typically think that elf folklore came from the Vikings. When they were pillaging, invading, taking over, etc. there was also a community to invade. But there are theories that suggest that when the Vikings arrived in Iceland, there wasn’t much of a population. So, the elves had to fill in that gap.

But what about the huldufólk? There’s a legend that has their origins going back to the times of Adam and Eve. Apparently, Eve had several children. One day, God came to visit and had asked to see all of the children. Eve wasn’t finished bathing the children, so she only showed God the clean ones and hid the dirty ones. When God asked if there were any more children, Eve said no. But, since we know that the Biblical God is all-knowing and all-seeing, He found out about the children and made them invisible. This was all done under the guise, “What man hides from God, thus God hides from man.” The invisible children went off to live in the great outdoors in the hills and moors.

You could say that we came from the children that Eve showed God and the huldufólk descended from the children that were hidden.

There are dates associated with the huldufólk activity as well. On New Year’s Eve, it is believed that the huldufólk move to new locations. There is also Midsummer’s Night when the huldufólk will give you gifts and money if you stand at a crossroads late at night. But, you don’t want to accept these gifts because it means certain misfortune will come your way.

A Spirit Without a Body

This is where my paranormal researcher-self gets excited. I had already begun making connections between ghosts and the huldufólk when I ran into this other origin story:

A man had been traveling and found a farm that he had never seen before. He knocked on the door and an old woman answers the door. The man asks to stay the night and the woman obliges and introduces him to her two beautiful daughters. The man (boldly) asks the woman if one of the daughters could keep him company for the night, and again, the woman says yes. Don’t worry, the woman wasn’t willingly letting her daughter sleep with a stranger.

Anyway, the man goes to bed and one of the daughters lays beside him. He tries to embrace her, but his hand passes through her body. She has no physical form.

When the man asks the daughter why this happened, she said that the Devil and his army revolted against heaven a long time ago. Those who supported the devil were driven into darkness. The ones who neither opposed or supported the devil were sent to earth to live. She explains that she is a spirit without a body and can be seen in her human form when she chooses to.

So, what if ghosts are living people without a physical body to touch? Or, what if the huldufólk are people who are in an alternate dimension and our interactions with them are purely random and by chance? I sometimes wonder if instead of reverting to the belief in ghosts and the afterlife, the Icelandic folks instead believed in having encounters with the huldufólk.

Apparently, the huldufólk live life just like humans. They have societies, politics, communities, relationships…basically living life exactly the same as we do. Larissa Kyzer has a wonderful list of stories of the huldufólk as well as legends associated with them.

Sources

BBC: Iceland’s ‘elf church’ rock moved to end road row

Hidden People: They’re Just Like Us…Kind Of

The Truth Behind Iceland’s Obsession with Elves

Why So Many Icelanders Still Believe in Invisible Elves

The post Huldufólk: The Hidden People of Iceland appeared first on Association of Paranormal Study.

We all know about the infamous Salem witch trials between 1692 and 1693. Over 200 people were accused and 19 people were found guilty by hanging. Giles Corey was crushed to death. Society learned a hard lesson after the witch trials. You would think that this lesson would have resonated around the world two centuries later.

The Cost of Blind Belief

Superstitions and belief in the unknown can sometimes act as a crutch for those who don’t know how to explain the circumstances in their life. If someone experiences the loss of their entire family, perhaps it’s due to a curse. If someone loses their money and ends up desolate, perhaps it’s because of karma or some sort of retribution from a just God. If someone’s personality dramatically changes, then maybe it’s because they’re possessed, or they’ve been replaced. While we like to think that this is an outdated scenario, it continues to happen each day. The hardest thing to accept is that things happen without any specific reason or explanation…they just happen. While faith and blind belief can be relatively harmless, it can have deadly consequences should the wrong person dive into a superstition head first.

Roots of a Fairy Tale

Our story takes place in 1895, but the roots of the story go back for centuries. In Ireland, the belief in fairies was prominent. Even the most well-versed, book-read person believed in the superstition of fairies. What is truly fascinating is that Christianity coexisted with these beliefs. Fairies were as real as God. Fairies were perceived to be mischievous and were known to take human babies and replace them with a changeling. The changeling was often an older fairy, and would cause a lot of issues with its new family. If you had a baby that was actually a changeling, there were peculiar traits to look out for; amusement from silly things, constantly crying, or even jumping, dancing, etc. when it thought it was alone. Fairies would also take adults as well and replace them with changelings. Often, if a person was happy and personable one day, and then depressed and/or melancholy the next day, then it was believed that the person was replaced by a changeling.

A Modern Woman in the Wrong Time

In the story of Bridget Cleary, she was a modern woman who fell victim to superstitious belief by a society that didn’t know how to accept her. Bridget was truly ahead of her time. She was self-sustaining, independent, and was ambitious. She was born in 1869 and married Michael Cleary in 1887. Michael was nine years her senior and worked as a cooper. That means that he made wooden containers like barrels, caskets, buckets, vats, etc. She lived in Ballyvadlea, Ireland with her parents after she got married. Michael stayed in Clonmel. While the couple were apart, this is when Bridget became a modern woman. At first, she was selling eggs and chickens to her neighbors. Then, she obtained a Singer sewing machine and became a dressmaker and milliner. For her time, she was a professional woman who didn’t need a man to take care of her. After Bridget’s mother died, Michael and she became responsible for her father, Patrick Boland. Because her father was a laborer in his youth, he was entitled to one of the best houses for laborers. In turn, Bridget and Michael also lived in this house. What is interesting to note is that the house was believed to have been built upon a fairy ringfort.

According to an article on Mental Floss, Bridget herself had a personal interest in fairies, and was known to take detours on her delivery routes to areas that were known to be riddled with fairies. After making a delivery to her father’s cousin, Jack Dunne, on March 4th, 1895, Bridget fell ill. Keep in mind that it was also rather cold, there was snow on the ground, and Bridget had walked around two or three miles. According to the story, she couldn’t get warm and eventually fell ill. She said she had a “pain in her head” and was shivering. Her father ended up calling on Dr. Crean to check on her, but he couldn’t visit until the following Wednesday. Michael had also called on the doctor twice. When the doctor did tend to Bridget, he diagnosed her with “nervous excitement and slight bronchitis.” He hadn’t seen anything that concerned him or make him think her illness was fatal. He never saw her alive again. Some accounts will disagree with this assessment. It is believed today that Bridget may have been suffering from pneumonia or tuberculosis.

Ignoring Facts

You would have thought that Dr. Crean’s diagnosis would be enough to calm any concerns or fears that Michael had. Not quite. Michael was convinced that his wife had been replaced by a changeling or was possessed by a fairy. Father Ryan was called to the house to perform last rites in the event her illness took a turn for the worse. Unfortunately, Jack Dunne, Bridget’s uncle, perpetuated and encouraged Michael’s belief that she had been overtaken by fairies and she was “no longer Bridget.” With Father Ryan performing last rites, it made Michael hysterical and Jack encouraged him to act before he lost Bridget forever.

This is where Bridget’s nightmare began.

Validating a Harmful Belief

Bridget’s family visited a “fairy doctor” by the name of Denis Ganey, who gave them medicinal herbs to help exorcise the fairy out of Bridget, or at least get the changeling to reveal itself so that the real Bridget could be returned. The mixture had to be boiled with “new milk”, which is the milk a cow produces after the birth of a calf. Michael forced the mixture down Bridget’s throat while she was pinned down by Jack and three of her cousins. They also threw urine on her while shouting things like, “Are you Bridget Boland, wife of Michael Cleary, in the name of God?” and “Take it you witch or I’ll kill you!” She was also held over the grate of a fire, which was a known belief to drive out fairies. Neighbors and onlookers outside heard Bridget’s agonizing screams, but were too scared to intervene.

The following night, midnight on Thursday, the ritual was done and Michael was happy. Unfortunately, Bridget was said to be wild and deranged. Wouldn’t you feel similar after going through that? A priest was brought in to banish any “evil spirits” that were left after Bridget’s ordeal. On Friday, March 15th, Bridget seemed to be feeling better. She got dressed as usual and even had tea with her loved ones at their house. But when she requested milk, Michael became suspicious again, Milk was a favorite beverage for fairies. He then forced her to eat three pieces of bread with jam while saying her name. She ate two pieces, and hesitated when eating the third.

Michael lost it.

He threw Bridget to the ground, kneed her in the chest, stuffed the third piece of bread and jam down her throat, and tore off her clothes down to her undergarments. He then threw lamp oil on her and said, “She’s not my wife. You’ll soon see her go up the chimney.” He hit her head against the floor and set her on fire. He even poured more lamp oil on her to make the flames more intense. There is some conflicting info over what came first, the oil, or the fire. But what matters is that Bridget was burned alive for no reason. She was only 26-years old at the time of her death. She and Michael had no children.

Bridget’s family was horrified and begged Michael to put out the flames. They were soon locked in a bedroom with Bridget’s smoldering corpse and Michael left the house for an hour. When he returned, he threatened Bridget’s cousin with a knife and made him help him bury Bridget’s body. Her body was built in a shallow grave and the family was sworn to secrecy.

But that didn’t last long.

Secrets Don’t Stay Buried

The next morning, Michael and Jack Dunne went to Drangan Church. Believe it or not, after encouraging Michael to take action against his “possessed wife”, Jack ratted him out to the priest and told him that Michael burned his wife. Michael had requested to go to confession while crying and tearing his hair out. Some accounts include Michael talking to the priest about what happened. Either way, the priest reported Michael and Jack to the local authorities. The police searched and found Bridget’s body in the shallow grave. Her head was in a sack, and she was wearing nothing but black stockings and a gold earring.

What is truly tragic in all of this was that Michael believed that his wife would eventually return. He waited on the ringfort for days, believing that Bridget would come in riding on a white horse. He believed he would free her from her rope bounds and she “would be his forever.”

Michael and nine members of Bridget’s family were arrested, along with the “fairy doctor”, Denis Ganey. The judge had ruled out murder because the charged were acting out of genuine belief. After a two-day trial, Michael was found guilty of manslaughter and imprisonment. Jack Dunne, Patrick Boland, and four of Bridget’s cousins were also found guilty. Michael threw Jack under the bus saying that he would never have attacked Bridget had he not told him that she was a fairy. Jack served three years in prison. Michael was released in 1910 and fled to Montreal.

Final Thoughts

What is interesting is that this case was used as an example against Irish Home Rule. The idea was how could people who still believed in fairies and spirits be trusted enough to govern themselves? There were also rumors that Bridget may have been having an affair. Given that she had lived apart from her husband for a while, it is only natural that these rumors would start. I personally think this was a case of domestic violence and Michael used the common folklore of the area as a way to validate taking Bridget’s life.

How could Michael believe something so strongly that he ended up murdering his own wife? In a case study from 2006 by the Irish Journal of Medical Science, it was concluded that Michael may have been suffering from Capgras syndrome, which is when a person believes that someone close to them is an imposter. Given that there was mythological belief in this concept, and Michael also dealing with the loss of his father, he may have suffered a psychotic break which led him to his actions.

This is a case where someone who was mentally ill received validations and encouragement for his disillusions, and Bridget lost her life because of it.

Sources

New York Times – The Fairy Defense

The Burning of Bridget Cleary: Psychiatric aspects of a tragic tale

Mental Floss – The Bizarre Death of Bridget Cleary – The Irish “Fairy Wife”

Irish Central – Bridget Cleary: The Last Witch Burned in Ireland

Library Ireland – Bridget Cleary Burned to Death

Fire, Fairies, & Folklore

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For Raleigh natives, this might be a local urban legend that is common knowledge. While I’ve been in Raleigh for about six years now, I’m still learning about new things about this city. I’m always up to hearing interesting ghost stories, especially local stories. Majority of cities around the world has some sort of local myth or legend. Some of the most popular ones include the ghostly hitchhiker, a woman in white, and a crybaby bridge. Have you noticed that almost every town has a crybaby bridge legend? Well, in Raleigh’s case, it’s Crybaby Lane. I first read about it on Candid Slice, and thankfully the author, Heather Leah, had done a LOT of research and gave me a lot of resources to use when researching this legend.

The Legend

I’ve heard numerous opinions on Crybaby Lane. I’ve even had a local told me that the story was completely made up in order to create some sort of local ghost story. For those of you who are unfamiliar, here is the premise of the legend. A Catholic orphanage burned down in 1958 because some escapees from Dorthea Dix started lighting things on fire. According to legend, several children lost their lives either from the flames or the escaped mental patients. It’s a rather gory legend that puts mental health patients in a bad light. Today, if you visit the site, you’ll hear ghostly cries of the children as they scream to be saved. People who live near the orphanage claim to smell sulfur even though nothing is on fire. There is also a legend of a gatekeeper who protects the entrance to Crybaby Lane.

The first odd thing I noticed with Crybaby Lane is that no one could agree on the location. Besides Pattison’s information, the most common thing I hear is that it is near Dorthea Dix, it’s by Dix, it’s near Dix, it’s AT Dix…the list goes on. I’ve read countless stories of people who wandered around the area and couldn’t find the site. This was worrisome for the orphanage’s existence because usually there is some local who will know where the orphanage was. From my understanding, the buildings were torn down in the 1970s, which isn’t that long ago. Given that modern day record-keeping has improved tremendously for data from the past century, why was finding Crybaby Lane so confusing? Thankfully, I ran into Heather Leah’s article about Crybaby Lane, and all of her work gave me the shortcut I needed to really dive deep into this legend.

The History

The Catholic orphanage was founded by Father Thomas Price. He bought the land off of Western Boulevard in the 1890s and built a chapel there. After seeing children suffering because of their families’ poverty, he opened an orphanage in 1898/1899 with his sister, Sister Mary Agnes Price, called the Catholic Orphanage of Nazareth. As many as 250 children lived there during the Great Depression. Not all of the children there had deceased parents, most were there because their parents could no longer afford to take care of them. The orphanage closed in the 1970s. There are some discrepancies when it comes to the year. One website says that the orphanage was founded in 1898, and then the seminary followed in 1902. Apparently, there was a reunion in 1982 where 200 people gathered, and many were old enough to talk about the babies that were left at the orphanage during the Great Depression. I was really excited to find a blog where former residents of the orphanage shared their old photos and stories from living there. Sadly, it hasn’t been updated since 2014. But, I found a wealth of info, photos, and a glimpse of what life must have been like at the orphanage.

The Facts

I am currently still in the process of trying to find proof of the 1958 fire. I haven’t found it yet, and will update when I do. The location did have several fires that happened over the span of its existence. There was an article in the News & Observer that talked about a fire that broke out on October 29, 1905 at the orphanage. This is supported with newspaper clippings you’ll see here. The fire was so bad that a priest jumped out of windows to get to safety, and he ended up permanently crippled. There were three students who were sleeping on the fourth floor when the fire broke out, and they had no choice but to jump out the window as well. It was a 45 foot drop, enough to cause serious injuries and even death. The priests were spreading mattresses to cushion their fall. Timothy Wallace, who was 21 years old, and another student, jumped with injuries, but they survived. However, 16-year old John Gladish ended up missing the mattresses and died from his injuries the following Sunday. Gladish was the only casualty of the 1905 fire.

There was another fire in 1912 in the stables, but no one was injured or killed. There was a fire noted in 1961 after a priest was attempting to burn a wasps’ nest and burned the rectory to the ground. Unfortunately, some records of the graves at the orphanage graveyard burned with it. Father Price left Nazareth in 1911, and then died in 1919 China on an international mission trip after his appendix burst. There is a movement at the moment to get Father Price canonized and beatified, and he was inducted into the Raleigh Hall of Fame in 2018.

The Graveyard

John Gladish and others were buried at the cemetery at the orphanage. But, what is really disturbing, is that these graves are now unmarked and seemed to have totally disappeared. In the early eighties, an NCSU student by the name of Dean Ruedrich took walks through the graveyard. He found around 20 or 30 stones, with three people dying on Christmas Day. 30 years later, while Ruedrich was working on restoring and repairing Mount Hope after a tornado, visitors asked him about the Catholic orphanage graves.

Ruedrich had to compare aerial maps of Raleigh and traced the graveyard. According to him, he thinks the graveyard was at the corner of Main Campus Drive and Partners Way. Supposedly, the graves have been moved to St. Joseph’s Cemetery in New Bern, where there are 14 unmarked graves with crosses on them. For more information on these forgotten graves, check out the News & Observer article. It is a bit unsettling considered that these remains were entrusted to the Catholic Church and then forgotten.

The Land Today

The Catholic Diocese donated a portion of the land to Cardinal Gibbons High School in 1962. Then, a substantial portion of land near Dorthea Dix was bought by North Carolina State University in 1988. Today, the buildings are gone and replaced by modern buildings and the new cathedral. According to Kate Pattison of the Raleigh Public Record, the original orphanage building became the home for the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh and still stands to this day. Granted, her write up was dated back to 2009…but that is recent enough where a building could be remembered. From my understanding, the Catholic Diocese is now located in North Raleigh, about 10 minutes from where I live.

According to WRAL.com, the new Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral apparently sits on the former site. Again, first it was the office for the Catholic Diocese, now the new cathedral sits on the same site. From what I can see on Google Maps, it appears Crybaby Lane has been paved over in efforts to provide another entrance to the massive cathedral. This was later confirmed by Heather. According to Heather, there is a stone left of the orphanage, but that’s about it. Considering how much of an impact Father Price made on the area and how massive of a presence that the orphanage had, it would be ludicrous to allow this part of history to be paved over and forgotten. If you look at the satellite version of Google Maps, it hasn’t been updated yet and you can still see the old site. You can tell it’s outdated because the new cathedral isn’t on the satellite image.

Anyway, despite the confusing history about the Catholic Orphanage of Nazareth, Crybaby Lane, the haunted orphanage, whatever you want to call it, there is truly a diamond in the rough tucked away in South Raleigh that is worth researching.

Sources

Nazareth Stories: A blog run by former inhabitants of the orphanage where they shared personal stories and photos.

Candid Slice – Ghost Hunt! Crybaby Lane Sliced Open

Father Thomas Price Inducted into the Raleigh Hall of Fame

WRAL – Cathedral sits on the former site of the Catholic orphanage

News & Observer – Cemetery for Catholic orphanage, but no one knows where they are now

Legeros – Fire at the Catholic Orphanage – October 29, 1905

Raleigh Public Record – Nazareth: Orphans, Ghosts, and a Saint

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Previously, we have written about the legend of the leprechaun as well as the banshee and we have even written about selkies. To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day 2019, we’re going to talk about some of the other famous Irish myths and legends that tend to get upstaged by the leprechaun and shamrock. Please tell us about the Irish myths and legends you know about in the comments!

Cú Chulainn

Sometimes known as Cuhullin, Cú Chulainn is one of the most famous Irish legends known today. He is a mythological hero who appears in the stories of the Ulster Cycle, plus the Scottish and Manx folklore. His birth name was Sentant, but e gain the name after slaying a dangerous guard dog that belonged to Culann. Before you deiced that you don’t like him, apparently the dog was slain in self-defense. His name literally translates to ‘Culann’s Hound’. His father was the god Lugh and his mother was a mortal by the name of Deichtine. You could almost say he’s the Irish version of the Greek mythological figure, Hercules. To give you an idea of how to find his stories, look in the Ulster Cycle, which is formerly known as the Red Branch Cycle. There are four cycles of Irish mythology that comprise of sagas and heroic legends. What is interesting about Cú Chulainn is that he possessed something called a “ríastrad”, meaning whenever he fights, he turned into this battle-thirsty monster that knows neither friend or foe. He possessed superhuman strength and agility, making him useful in war. He joined his uncle’s army, the Red Branch Knights, his uncle being King Conchobar Mac Nessa.

Dagda’s Harp

The Dagda was a god who was part of the Tuatha de Dannan who had a cauldron of plenty, meaning that regardless of how many men sat with him, there would always be plenty of food. He also possessed a magic club where one end would end a man’s life, and the other end could restore life. The most famous item the Dagda possessed was a harp known as the Uaithne, called the Four-Angled Music. The Dagda could make the seasons come in the correct order as well as make people laugh or cry. Before battle, the Dagda would play the harp for his men to make their fears go away. After a day of fighting, he would play the harp to help his men forget their sorrow of losing their fellow fighters and feel the joy of victory. The Fomorians heard of this harp. And when they were preparing to fight the Tuatha de Dannan in the second Battle of Moytura, they decided to steal the harp in hopes it would help them win the battle. A few of the warriors stole the harp and hid in the cave until the battle was over. Unfortunately for the Fomorians, they lost the battle. When the Tuatha de Dannan returned from the fight, they begged Dagda to play his harp. When it couldn’t be found, Dagda, Ogman, and Lugh went to find the harp. When the three gods arrived at the cave, Dagda stretched out his arm and the harp was returned to him. When the Fomorians picked up their weapons, Lugh told Dagda to play a song. So he played a song to make them laugh. When he was done, the Fomorians picked their weapons back up. Then Dagda played a song to make them cry; same result. Finally, Dagda played a song to make the Fomorians fall asleep, and it worked. You can bet that no one stole Dagda’s harp ever again!

Changelings

In case you didn’t know, changelings are a European myth, and Ireland was no exception! Changelings are rather disturbing. They usually came from fairies, and they were the deformed children of these creatures. Since fairies prefer a more aesthetically pleasing baby, they would steal human babies and swap them out with their changelings. These changelings look like human babies, but they get pleasure out of other people’s miseries and they are emotionally void of feeling happiness for others unless they are suffering. In Irish folklore, looking at a baby with admiration, jealously, or anything that elevated the baby’s status would be dangerous. Basically putting your baby on some sort of pedestal in admiration made it more vulnerable to be kidnapped. Changelings were also believed to be old fairies who were brought into the human world to die. A way to combat changelings would be to throw it in the fire and it would jump up the chimney and the fairies would return the baby. If you shouted “God bless you” while a fairy was trying to kidnap your baby, it would abandon its plans and leave. There are even stories of fairies returning human babies and asking for their changelings back.

Giant’s Causeway

The Giant’s Causeway is very much a real place and you can visit it! It is located on the Northern coast of Ireland and it is just a few miles northeast of the town of Bushmills. The causeway has about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, and they look like they were made by a giant. Hence the legend we’re about to talk about. The columns have a hexagonal shape, and they are the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption that occurred about 50 million years ago. Isn’t Mother Nature amazing? But people back in ancient times didn’t have the knowledge of geology as we do today. As said a few times in our blogs, humans created myths and legends to explain the things that we didn’t understand. UNESCO declared the area as a World Heritage Site and the 4th greatest natural wonder in the world in the United Kingdom. Legend has it (in the Fenian Cycle) that Finn Mac Cool built the causeway as a bridge to Scotland after the giant, Benandonner, challenged him to a fight. There are a few variations of the legend, like Finn defeating Benandonner. However, my favorite is the one where Finn’s wife, Oonagh, helps him hide by disguising him as a baby. Basically, Finn realized that Benandonner was a lot bigger than expected and didn’t want to fight. When Benandonner arrives, Oonagh invites him inside while he waits for Finn. When he sees the “baby”, Benandonner freaks out because the baby is huge, which means his father must be much bigger. Then, Benandonner runs back to Scotland, destroying the bridge behind him and cutting off Ireland from Scotland.

The Blarney Stone

The Blarney Stone is considered a “must do” activity when visiting Ireland. For over 200 years, millions of people have climbed the steps of the Blarney Castle and kissed the famous stone known for giving the gift of eloquence. The stone was set in a tower in 1446. Some of the legends behind the Blarney Stone include it being Jacob’s Pillow, otherwise known as the Stone of Jacob. It was brought to Ireland by Jeremiah (the Prophet). It was renamed as the Fatal Stone and used as an oracular throne of Irish kings. It is also believed to be the deathbed pillow of St. Columba of Iona. Then the stone was taken to Ireland and its prophetic power was used for royal succession, known as the Stone of Destiny. When the Irish went to aid Robert the Bruce in 1314, part of the Blarney Stone was returned to Ireland and set in the castle where it sits today. Other legends state the Blarney Stone was stone that Moses struck and gushed water. Others believe that it was called the “Stone of Ezel” at first and brought back to Ireland from the Crusades. Finally, one last legend, is about the Lord of Blarney, Cormac Teige McCarthy, who was going to have his land taken away from Elizabeth I. He needed to travel to England to persuade her to allow him to keep his land, but he wasn’t gifted in speech. On his way, an old woman told him to kiss the famous stone, which he did. Spoiler: He did not lose his land.

Oisín and Tír na nÓg

This story is beautiful, and yet, sad. Oisín was the son of Fionn mac Cumhaill (aka Finn Mac Cool, who was portrayed as a giant in folklore). While Fionn and the Fianna were hunting over in county Kerry, a beautiful woman on a white horse approached the group. When asked for her name, she said she was Niamh, and her father was the king of Tír na nÓg. She was looking for Oisín and wanted him to return to Tír na nÓg (the land of the young) with her. While Fionn was hesitant to let his son go, in fear he would never see him again, Oisín got on the horse with Niamh and left. He ended up marring Niamh and living in Tír na nÓg for three hundred years. But he was so happy that the time felt much shorter. He eventually wanted to go back to Ireland. Niamh warned him that if he left, he shouldn’t set foot on the soil of Ireland because he would never be able to return to Tír na nÓg ever again. When Oisín returned, he was shocked over how much had changed. He then saw some men trying to move a stone, and Oisín offered to assist. But as soon as he stepped off the horse, it galloped away and Oisín turned into a frail old man. He was taken to St. Patrick, who offered him comfort and care in his final days. Oisín was saddened to hear that 300 years had passed and everyone he knew was dead. He talked about Tír na nÓg and how beautiful it was. The legend still remains relevant to this day.

Pookas

Pookas are one of the most feared creatures in Ireland. They are a type of fairy that thrive on mischief and creating havoc for humans. The word, “pooka”, comes from the Irish root word, “puca”, which means “goblin.” It is a shapeshifter that often takes the form of a dark horse. Apparently, if someone is drunk, the horse will offer them a ride home. The drunkard is essentially given the ride of its life as the Pooka gets enjoyment out of terrifying the inebriated rider. It has also been seen as a rabbit, a dog, or even an old man. They only appear at night, and they possess the gift of speech. What is interesting to note is that almost every county in Ireland has some variation of the Pooka legend. They are normally seen tearing down fences and bothering the animals. However, if they are in a bad mood, they could cause fires and call people out by name at night. If the person came out, then the Pooka carried them away. Pookas were also blamed for the numerous shipwrecks on the Irish coast under the belief that they were also messing with ships.

Queen Maedh

You could say this is where fact and fiction combine. She’s known by a few different names; Maedh, Medb, the list goes on. She was the queen of Connacht and found in the Ulster cycle of Irish mythology. If you look at pictures of her, she looks cunning, sassy, and ready to take over the world. Her father was believed to be the King of Ireland, and then became the King of Connacht, and then she took over the role from him. Her father married her off to Conchobar mac Nessa. She bore several children and had a few more husbands and bed partners after him. What is interesting about Maedh is that she was perceived to be some sort of goddess, and marriage to her meant that her husband would become the King of Ireland. She is truly one of the most famous figures in Ireland and her legacy lives on.

Children of Lir

We can’t talk about Irish myths and legends without mentioning the Children of Lir, who can be found in the Mythogical Cycle. Their legend is supposedly the inspiration for the ballet, “Swan Lake.” The children’s father was King Lir (hence the name), and their mother, Aobh, died. The children were Aodh, Fionnghuala, Fiachra and Conn. To get over his wife’s death, Lir married his wife’s sister, Aoife. At first, she loved the children. But she eventually became jealous of how much her husband loved his children. What a concept, right? In a classic move of stepmother cruelty, she took the children to Lake Derravarragh in County Westmeath and put a spell on them while they were swimming. Aoife turned the children into swans and cursed them in this form for 900 years. The children kept their ability to speak during their curse and they would often sing on the lake. They remained at Lake Derravarragh for 400 years. Then, they went to the Sea of Moyle between Ireland and Scotland for 300 more years. Then, they went to Erris in County Mayo. They then returned to their home castle. Their father was long dead and the place was in ruins. The children were heartbroken. They returned to Erris, where they met St. Mochaomhóg, who eventually broke the curse. Some credit St. Patrick as well for breaking the curse. The cursed could have been broken earlier, but they never hear the sound of a Christian bell. When the curse broke, the children became an old woman and three old men. St. Mochaomhóg baptized the group, and they passed away in peace.

The Legend of Diarmuid & Grainne

Here’s another Irish legend centering around Fin Mac Cool. The aging figure was seeking a second wife, and he fell for Grainne, who was the daughter of the King of Ireland, Cormac MacAirt. She initially agreed to the engagement, and then she met Diarmuid. They instantly fell in love. Grainne drugged the entire group during a celebration feast and told Diarmuid how she felt. However, the noble warrior didn’t want to betray his best friend, so he declined. But Grainne didn’t want to take no for an answer. So, she placed a spell on him and made him fall in love with her. The couple ended up running away together, with Finn and his men in pursuit. They would sleep in caves and basically live in hiding. Grainne eventually became pregnant with Diarmuid’s child. Eventually, a boar confront Diarmuid. A boar was the only thing that could kill the man. Protecting Grainne, who was heavily pregnant, Diarmuid was gored by the beast as he killed it with his sword. As he was dying, Finn and his men approached the couple. Grainne begged Finn to save Diarmuid by letting him drink the water from Fionn’s magical hands. Fionn refused, but eventually gave in after Oisin threatened to kill his father. But before Fionn could get the water, Diarmuid died.

What are your favorite Irish myths and legends? Share them in the comments!

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After the Duel

What a lot of people don’t know is what happened to Burr after the infamous duel that took the life of Alexander Hamilton. In short, Burr’s political career was ruined. As Hamilton’s life end, Burr’s also ended in a way. He would never be able to return to his normal life. Burr was charged with murder in the state of New York and New Jersey along with multiple other crimes, but he was never brought to trial. There was that complicated scenario where Hamilton was shot in Jersey but he died in New York, which made the charges and trial a bit complicated.

Burr ended up fleeing to South Carolina to be with his daughter and her family. He would end up going to Washington, DC and Philadelphia to serve his term as vice-president under President Thomas Jefferson. Burr obviously avoided returning to New York and New Jersey. The charges against him were eventually dropped.

After he left his term as vice president in 1805, he headed west to claim land for himself and secede from the United States. Basically, his plan was to liberate Texas and Mexico from Spain and then keep the land for himself separate from the United States. Through a variety of loopholes and conspiracies, Burr found himself being charged with treason. The charges ended up being unfounded. He ended up fleeing to Europe to avoid his creditors. He eventually returned to New York. His daughter, Theodosia, boarded a ship in South Carolina so she could head up north to be with her father. Her ship ended up being lost at sea. Burr died at the age of 80 in Staten Island, New York.

This is very much an abridged version of his biography. If anything that was mentioned piques your interest, definitely explore more! Burr clearly lived a long life, and one could say there were a few regrets. Is it possible that the ghost of Aaron Burr still roams our world?

Haunting #1: The Aaron Burr House

Going back to his duel with Hamilton, Burr ended up fleeing to New Hope, Pennsylvania and stayed in a house for a week. Why this house? Burr had friends from the Revolutionary War who lived in this house and they gave him lodging for the week. Today, it’s known as the Painted Lady. The house still stands today as a bed and breakfast as the Aaron Burr House. The house also features a small collection of dueling pistols from Burr’s era. There are reports that his ghost has been seen peering around the corners and roaming the house. His ghost has even been seeing around the town, anxiously watching his back as if he is being followed. If he likes the guests that are staying at the bed and breakfast, he will tug on their clothes to prevent them from leaving. He has also been seen going up and down the staircase and roaming about the second floor.

If these sightings are true, I do have a theory about why Burr’s presence is seen. I wouldn’t go as far to say that this is his ghost. But more likely, this is an imprint of him. You could say this is a residual haunting, or even a thoughtform. Given that Burr was likely in a high state of stress after the duel, he was likely on edge the entire time he was in New Hope. He would have been watching his back and unable to relax. Would it be possible that his energy was so high that it survived after he departed? What if the surrounding area absorbed his energy and it replays like a broken record?

Also, of all places that Burr lived, why did he choose this house? Well, this house was owned by some of his dear friends, and he likely felt some sort of safety and security behind its walls. It’s not uncommon for ghosts to return to a place where they felt safe. Not to mention, the house ended up being named after him, and I’m sure “Hamilton” brought about a new generation of people interested in his story.

Haunting #2-4: New York City

The New Hope house isn’t the only place where Burr’s ghost has been spotted. His ghost seems to make its rounds around New York City. When Burr was 77 years old, he married Eliza Jumel, one of the wealthiest widows in America. But the marriage wasn’t going to last even a year. Eliza may have married Burr for recognition. However, it was clear that Burr was in it for the money. He was quickly draining her assets and the money was disappearing. Eliza and Burr lived in the house that she and her first husband, Stephen Jumel, purchased in 1810. Today, it is known as the Morris-Jumel House, and it is now considered to be one of the oldest houses in Manhattan. The divorce ended up being finalized on the day of Aaron Burr’s death in 1836. Burr has reportedly been seen at the mansion, along with Eliza, who lived in the house until 1865 when she passed away at 90 years old. Apparently, a big desk that once belonged to Burr is still in the mansion. Again, it could be some sort of energy from the desk and not Burr himself.

Burr’s ghost has also been spotted in the West Village restaurant, One If By Land, Two If By Sea. It’s rumored that the restaurant is home to his old carriage house, but that has since been debunked since the structure was built after he passed. Perhaps just the mere mentioning of his name will get Burr to appear? Supposedly, not only has Burr been spotted at the restaurant, but also a woman who strongly resembles his daughter, Theodosia. Maybe the father-daughter duo just want to enjoy a meal? It is reported that Burr’s ghost is mainly seen in the basement of the restaurant and will trip employees as they go down the stairs. Was Burr that mischievous and petty? Who knows. I’m not an expert on the rules of the afterlife, but I’m not convinced that a ghost is required to have a personal connection with a location while they were alive in order to haunt it. Burr has also been seen roaming around the West Village in general.

One of the sadder ghost sightings of Burr include him in Battery Park by the water, specifically at the American Merchant Marine Memorial. It is speculated that this spectre is still waiting for Theodosia to arrive from South Carolina, the same trip she didn’t survive. If there is any weight to these reports, then Burr either had some powerful psychic energy that thrives to this day, or he is having a rather turbulent afterlife.

In closing, the world is wide enough for Burr to haunt as many places as he wants.

What do you think? Do you think Aaron Burr is still in unrest in the afterlife? Tell us what you think in the comments! If you enjoyed this blog, please share it with your friends and subscribe to our website!

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The Story

In August of 1971, a woman named María Gómez Cámara noticed a stain appearing on her kitchen floor. It was taking on the form of a face. Given that the kitchen floor was made of concrete, it became even more interesting when it seemed like the face was moving. Poor María did her best to scrub out the stain to no avail. Her son and husband even went at the concrete floor with a pickaxe and cemented the floor. But it came back. More faces started to appear on the floor. When the mayor heard about this, he forbade further destruction of the floor. The face was cut out from the floor and taken for further study. I want to know what those results yielded.

Rumor has it that when the floor was excavated, skeletons were found 10 feet below the surface. Some of the skeletons didn’t even have skulls. The 700-year old remains were re interred at the Catholic cemetery. Apparently these faces were also able to communicate. Atlas Obscura claimed they were psychophonies, meaning they were communicated through a medium. Were the people who were buried underneath the concrete still there?

Even when the floor was completely replaced, a new face appeared two weeks later. So, it wasn’t over. It didn’t take long for the rumor to spread around the village and eventually cross oceans. The house became known as “La Casa de las Caras”, also known as “The House of the Faces.”

Thoughtography Theory

Many paranormal investigators believe that these faces were created through thoughtographic phenomenon, meaning that these images were “burned” onto the floor through psychic means. I suppose you could say that this is what causes spirits to appear in photos. If ghosts don’t have mass to reflect light, then they might burn their image onto a photograph. But what is interesting is that in this case, the faces weren’t created by the people who were buried below the concrete, but instead, Maria herself.

I’ve done some research on this phenomenon in the past, and I just can’t get on board with it. Yes, I believe that supernatural occurrences are possible, but I honestly have to see it to believe it. It’s one thing for the mind to have the ability to move things, but it’s a whole other level when the mind can “burn” images onto photos, concrete, wood, etc.

A Hoax?

Most skeptics agree that this phenomenon is a hoax. It is believed that Maria and her husband used a special chemical agent or paint to make the faces appear. Maria died in 2004, and apparently the faces remained long after she passed. Given that the faces created such a widespread buzz that resulted in numerous tourists visiting the house, the family benefited from financial gain in this situation. Just by Easter 1972, there were hundreds of tourists, and this continued for about 30 years.

In 1971, the Spanish Ministry of the Interior took an interest in the case. They appointed specialists to analyze the concrete and found that there were questionable substances like vinegar, a brown pigmentation, and an aggressive chemical compound. Apparently, the compound could be found at drugstores. The July 1993 edition of the Journal of the Society for Psychical Research”  featured an article by Luis Ruiz-Noguez, who noted the presence of zinc, lead and chromium on the floor, which are common ingredients in paint. In the seventies, lead was a popular ingredient in paint. Others did infrared photography and found brush bristles. It’s believed that Maria’s son was the artist. Between paint and the possibility of an oxidizing chemical agent being used, we can pretty much consider this case closed.

Conclusion

Even when it is blatant that this was a hoax, there are still people who believe in the authenticity of these faces. Believe it or not, there are much more complex studies on this phenomenon that will break down the chemical compounds of the faces to really make the case for forgery. Any yet, it seems that people are ignoring the data and continue to believe in this. Videos about the Bélmez faces continue to go viral with people freaking out and checking their own concrete floors for signs of ghostly activity.

To me, people who believe in the faces NEED to believe in them. They provide some sort of hope that there is something out there much bigger than us. Some call it God, some may call it proof of the afterlife, something. It’s what you many call “faith.” Even when there has been scientific proof that maybe not all the events in the Bible happened as written, people still have faith that there is truth in the good book. Finding meaning in the simplest of things can make a difference between life and death for some people.

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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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During vacation your guard is down, you are open to new experiences, novel food, different points of interests. An event like a paranormal encounter is certainly exotic but also can be unwelcome if it is unanticipated. And depending upon the event and how it was received, can be perceived to be quite harrowing. Granted, paranormal just doesn’t happen to those who are expecting it and spooky shit can happen everywhere, anytime. But the majority of us prefer not to vacation at traditionally haunted places for our vacations: Disneyland, the Queen Mary, the Myrtles Plantation, Tombstone, the U.S.S. Hornet. The majority of the general public plan to spend time in more traditional and less spooky locations:  Grand Canyon, Los Angeles. Yellowstone, New York, Rt 66, Lake Winnipesaukee, etc. Granted, these locations have their haunted history too but that is not the primary purpose for most visitors.

These following examples cover the spectrum of surprising vacation spookiness, ranging from mystifying to malevolent. Each demonstrates that sometimes no matter what you pack and prepare for your vacation, spooky can happen anywhere and anytime!

Probably more than unsettling than a ghostly vacation encounter on land is a spooky experience at sea. Instead of leaving the mainland and all earthly cares behind, these unfortunates sailed right into the inexplicable and bizarre. These 2 creepy cruise line experiences are a reminder that regardless of the luxurious setting, nobody is safe from the paranormal.

According to the Ghost & Ghouls website, a mother and daughter were traveling on the Thomson Celebration when one of the days of their itinerary became miserable and stormy. Because it was a rainy day, they decided to spend time below deck watching a movie at the cruise ship cineplex. The duo settled down with their popcorn and drinks in one of the middle rows. They were the only ones in the theatre. However, ten minutes into the movie, 3 people walked in on their left. They walked all the down to the front and then turned around and walked back up.  Despite the fact that there were only 2 other people in the theatre, the newcomers sat right behind them-yeah, I had those kinds of people sit behind me too; they usually kick the back of my seat to boot. As soon as the trio sat down, the 2 women decided to move. When they got up, however, they noticed that there was nobody behind them. What made it so puzzling was that the late-comers would have had to pass them to leave the theatre.

Although that encounter was off-putting, it was a cake-walk compared to this next spookiness at sea.  This paranormal episode also had happened to a mother and daughter but it occurred in their cabin and was far more disquieting. It was the middle of the night and the mother woke to discover what she thought was her daughter next to her bed. She called out to the shadow but instead of responding, it just walked away. Mom quickly fell back asleep. After a few hours, they rose with the sun and were startled by the tv turning itself on. Even more distressing, while they were searching for the remote the room was overcome with the smell of brimstone.

They quickly packed their bags without showering or changing their clothes and made a bee-line to the elevator which was across from their room. On the other side of the elevator, there was a storage room which a staff member was trying to access. Mysteriously, he couldn’t get the door open. He voiced his frustration to the mother and daughter as they were waiting, “What’s going on? It’s like somebody is from the other side is holding the door!!!” The women couldn’t get into that elevator fast enough!

An unexpected paranormal adventure at sea is particularly unsettling because you are trying to get away from it all. The land, civilization, all earthly cares-even the ground itself. However, back on dry land, it still can send you through a loop, especially if you are totally innocent of the site’s haunted history. A honeymooning couple at Key West chose a quiet, unassuming B&B off the Main Drag. They wanted a place intimate and cozy with no surprises or a lot of people. Unfortunately, their assumption about a limited amount of people was not correct. Their room was oversold and they needed to be moved to another room on another floor. As they walked to their room, they encountered a painter dressed in paint-splattered white overalls and who was just about to place a drop cloth on the landing. The couple said hello but he ignored him and continued with his task. To make the situation even more uncomfortable, the smell of paint became increasingly overwhelming-even after they opened all the windows. They called the front desk and pleaded to be moved again. When the honeymooners mentioned the painter, the front desk was incredibly confused. There was no painting scheduled at this property as it was the weekend and the middle of summer.

Thankfully, the request was honored. However, while they were going to their room to retrieve their belongings, they noticed the painter was gone! To add to the confusion, it looked and smelled like he was never there! They decided to take a tour of Key West after dinner and the couple mentioned to their guide of their odd experience. Their guide’s eyes widened as they finished their tale. She explained that this experience was not just an odd event with a worker but an actual haunting! That painter was not a taciturn worker but the ghost of an employee who died 10 years ago – on that very day of their arrival!  He, unfortunately, fell down an elevator shaft and returns on the anniversary of his death.

Each witness to a paranormal event-willing or unwilling-becomes part of the story. They become an element of the tale as they recount it to others. Generally, the witness recounts a lady in white, a spectral child peering from a corner or worse, a scratch on the arm or a hissed, “Get out!”. Unfortunately, for one particular family in Australia, they not only became part of the story but their son became a casualty-with a bizarre photograph to tell part of the tale.

In 1979, 6 young boys and 1 adult male died in a horrific fire at an amusement park called Luna Park.  A fire broke out in the last car of a ride called the Ghost Train and unabated, it destroyed the entire train.  Although there were a variety of factors that led to the tragedy-low water pressure, poor staffing and training, the owner’s alleged ties to the Mob-there was no firm conclusion of why the fire got so quickly out of hand.

There are those who think that the case of the tragedy might not have been man-made but in fact came from a far more supernaturally sinister source. Sometime after the disaster, one of the mothers who lost her son was looking at pictures of the bereaved family’s last hours at the fateful park. The last picture she reviewed not only gave her pause but also chills. To the right of her late son was a disturbingly costumed individual. Upon reviewing the photo, she recalled that a costumed character did sidle up to her son while he was waiting for the Ghost Train. As she was taking several photographs, an individual with a horned headdress, animal printed cape and sarong included himself in a shot of her son. Because of the excitement of the day, the incident quickly disappeared from memory almost as quickly as it happened.

Upon further investigation with Luna Park, the mother discovered that this individual was not affiliated with the property. Their costume is not associated with any particular character, plus to compound the mystery, upon interviewing the staff, nobody recognized the figure as a busker or any someone from an outside entertainment agency.  There is a variety of online discussion whether there is an occult connection with this person or the accident but that is for another writer and another article. But what can be said is that this person was never seen before this fateful day and was never seen after.

What happened to all these vacationers may vary in terms of location and phenomena but the after effects were remarkably similar. Each of the parties felt shaken and disquieted from their experiences.  An unbidden encounter can cause anxiety, stress and other symptoms similar to PTSD, the actual term called Post-Traumatic Vacation Syndrome. The traits for those who experience profound disappointment during vacation can be just like those who have a traumatic paranormal encounter. Perhaps with these stories in mind, we should be packing holy water, iron, and sage along with the sunscreen, bathing suits and flip-flops.  After all, spooky shit can happen anywhere and anytime!

The post My Family Went on Vacation & All I Got Was This Ghost Story appeared first on Association of Paranormal Study.

We are no strangers to these magnificent forces of nature, and many of us have hurricane prep down pat. I looked up at our gorgeous blue skies this morning and wondered what it must have been like before NOAA and the complex monitoring, spaghetti models, 24-hour television, and other warnings we have. Our coastal ancestors must have been caught off guard countless times, lulled by the beauty and fresh air that is a pre-hurricane day in the fall—very literally the calm before the storm.

For some, though, they had the spirit of a young lover, now known as The Gray Man, to serve as warning of impending storms. And sure enough, The Gray Man was spotted in Pawley’s Island, SC, on Sunday, just as our modern systems were awakening to the realization that Florence was headed this way.  South Carolinians familiar with the stories know that The Gray Man means business. And as we can see, Florence is sure to make good on his word.

Residents of Pawley’s Island and neighboring towns have seen The Gray Man as a harbinger of terrible storms since the 1820s. They describe seeing him walking on the beach, looking every bit like a man in gray clothes until they approach, and he simply disappears.

The legend says that spotting him is a good thing – he is here in warning, and often, once spotted, people report their houses are spared the devastating effects of the storm. One Gray Man spotter in 1954 said even the towels hanging on her porch remained intact, in spite of widespread destruction from a storm.

An internet search will turn up several versions of who the Gray Man is, but my favorite is the love story of a young man trying to get home to his fiancé. He had been abroad for two years, and hurried to her be by her side, taking a shortcut home as a storm swept through the area. In his rush, he became mired in quicksand and never made it to her.

His love for his betrothed was so great, though, that he visited her after crossing over. She saw him walking on the beach, and then later he came to her in her dreams. But his visits left her quite heart-broken, and she became ill. Her father, the story goes, took her back to their main homestead, away from the reminders of their coastal tragedy.

The legend of their great love was born the very next day, when a devastating hurricane swept across Pawley’s Island, causing loss of life and significant destruction. The young lover’s life was spared by her heartache and her father’s concern.

Lucky for us, The Gray Man does not limit his warnings to Pawley’s Island or to the family of his beloved. He has been seen at Cape Hetaeras and along other beaches of the Carolinas, always before a major storm hits.

We can’t genuinely know his story, but I do know I would heed his warnings. And once Florence has gone and clean-up has begun, we shall toast our gray-clad friend and his great love.

Special thanks to APS Core Member KayWright for her research assistance on this piece.

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We will be investigating the Trivette Clinic on September 29th, 2018. There will be 150 paranormal investigations happening simultaneously all over the world at the same time starting at 10 pm ET. We are honored and so excited to be part of such an important event!

This year is all about giving back. Stay tuned on the APS page to find out how we will be giving back to the Trivette Clinic and what you can do to help!

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