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Rathfarnham Castle and the Lingering Ghosts Haunting it

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The whole estate of Rathfarnham Castle in south Dublin is said to have its ghosts. From the antique ballroom, its icy lakes and roads leading up to it, ghosts are said to linger. 

In the suburb of Rathfarnham, this grand Elizabethan castle was built in the late 16th century for Archbishop Adam Loftus, one of Dublin’s most powerful figures and is one of the oldest surviving residences in Ireland. 

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from Ireland

Rathfarnham Castle, or Caisleán Rath Fearnáin, and its sprawling grounds have more than one ghosts said to be haunting it. 

The whole estate of Rathfarnham Castle in south Dublin is said to have its ghosts. From the antique ballroom, its icy lakes and roads leading up to it, ghosts are said to linger. The whole estate of Rathfarnham Castle in south Dublin is said to have its ghosts. From the antique ballroom, its icy lakes and roads leading up to it, ghosts are said to linger. 
Haunted Castle: Rathfarnham in County Dublin is said to be haunted by more than one ghost. // Source: PaulT/Wikimedia

The Woman in the Castle Ballroom

The first and most mysterious ghost legend of Rathfarnham Castle is that of the Ballroom ghost. It is a bit unclear when it was supposed to have originated, and who first started telling the story. 

The Ballroom: Thought to be haunted by the ghost of a woman. // Source: Johnny King.,./Wikimedia

The story goes that there were once two suitors fighting for her attention and hand. For whatever reason, they locked her away behind the panelling of the ballroom walls from the 18th century. They would have a duel and the winner would free her and take her hand. But, the two men died in the duel and no one knew the woman was trapped in the ballroom, and would remain so to this day. Now, she is haunting the ballroom, waiting for someone to find her. 

The Man Drowned in the Pond and his Dog Haunting it

The most famous legend tied to Rathfarnham Castle tells of a man who drowned in the pond nearby one bitter winter in 1840 or 41. The story was most likely first written down when the book True Irish Ghost Stories, by St. John D. Seymour and Harry L. Neligan came out in 1914. 

Visitors had gathered to skate on the frozen water, laughter and music filling the air, when the ice gave way beneath one unlucky skater. His devoted retriever leapt in after him, struggling against the freezing water in a desperate attempt to save its master. Neither survived. 

To this day, locals and visitors claim to see a ghostly dog running across the grounds at dusk or hear splashing and faint cries from the pond when the air turns cold. Some even say the phantom hound appears beside lone walkers on the road between the castle gate and Dodder Bridge.

The Murdered Boy from the Lodges

At one of the lodge gates, the spirit of a young boy is said to linger in one of the lodges according to a former lodge keeper. As with most of the Rathfarnham Castle’s legends, it is unsure when and who the legend talks about. 

The ghost seen around the lodges is believed to be a tragic victim of murder at the hands of a Romani, long ago. How long ago is not certain though, but it supposedly happened before 1914 when the book about Rathfarnham Castle’s ghostly legends were published. His restless presence is often felt by those who pass through at night, accompanied by the faint sound of sobbing or the soft patter of footsteps following close behind.

The Haunted Rathfarnham Castle

Whether it is the loyal retriever still searching for its master, or the lost child forever bound to the gate where his life was taken, Rathfarnham Castle holds tightly to its ghosts. By daylight, it stands as a proud monument to Dublin’s past and a host for cultural events. But when the sun sets and the wind sighs through the old trees, the estate becomes something else entirely and a haunting presence lingers.

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References:

True Irish Ghost Stories: Chapter V. Haunted Places | Sacred Texts Archive 

HAUNTED TALES OF RATHFARNHAM CASTLE DUBLIN IRELAND

Dublin’s Haunted Houses – Bad Bobs

Rathfarnham Castle – Wikipedia

Rathfarnham Castle | Historic Sites & Buildings | Attractions Ireland

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The Ghost of the Psychic Anne Brandfjell Haunting the old Sjømannsskolen in Oslo

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Is the ghost of Anne Brandfjell, a famous fortune teller and wise wife from Norway haunting the old Maritime school in Oslo? 

Some buildings seem to breathe with memory. Their corridors carry footsteps that no longer belong to the living, and their walls remember pain as clearly as kindness. Sjømannskolen is one such place. By daylight it appears ordinary, shaped by education and routine. By night, it reveals something older.

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The Maritim School is a four-story building that was built for the Oslo Maritim School in 1917. Although the school left the building in 1989, the name is still used for the castle-like building located at Kongsveien 30 in the Ekebergskraninga slope just above Grønlia in Oslo. Here, not all spirits are the same.

The Haunted Sjømannsskolen: The historic Sjømannsskolen in Oslo, former Maritim School, surrounded by lush greenery, reminiscent of its ghostly past. // Source: © Chell Hill

The Wise Woman from Brandfjell

Long before Sjømannskolen stood where it does today, the land belonged to Brannfjell. In the nineteenth century, a woman named Anne Brandfjell lived there. She was known for tending to those in need, caring for physical suffering and quiet despair alike. People came to her with wounds, illness, and grief, and she offered what help she could. She was also known as a wise woman, a fortune teller and healer.

Anne-Marie Andersdatter:Popularly known as Anne Brandfjeld , (born 1815 in Vardal, now Gjøvik, died 1905 in Christiania. She was thaught by Elseby Hansdatter Unsethagen and Vis-Knut from Gausdal.

In 1841, Anne-Marie came to Christiania as a maid to the goldsmith and jeweler Hermann Øiset. She had two illegitimate sons with him, who otherwise had no children from his two marriages. In 1849, Anne-Marie married the greystone mason Christen Evensen. The newlyweds settled on the Ekeberglien homestead under Ekeberg farm in Aker municipality . Ekeberglien was located at the northern end of the “Brannfjell” ridge – hence the name “Anne Brandfjeld” in the vernacular.

She once treated a man who everyone thought was dead. His heart had stopped beating, but Anne still managed to bring him back to life. Before she died, she passed down her knowledge to another young woman to continue the tradition. 

According to legend, Anne never truly left the place where she devoted her life to others.

Students and staff spoke of a calm presence moving through the hallways. Doors open softly. Footsteps are heard without urgency. Those who encounter her feel no fear. On the contrary, there is a sense of reassurance, as if someone is watching over the building with gentle intent.

Anne Brandfjell is not described as an angry spirit. She is remembered as she was in life. Caring. Protective. Unwilling to abandon those who walk the same ground she once did.

Anne Brandfjell Haunting the Halls

Those who claim to have seen her describe a woman who seems slightly out of time, her appearance quietly old fashioned. She does not speak. She does not linger. And yet her presence feels purposeful.

Many believe she continues her work, wandering the corridors to ensure that no one is truly alone.

If this were the only story Sjømannskolen held, the building might feel almost comforting after dark. But there is another place within its walls where the atmosphere changes entirely.

The Bub Below with the Darker Energy

Beneath the building lies a pub, and it is here that the stories turn darker.

Employees have reported sudden waves of discomfort while working there. Feelings of unease that arrive without warning, heavy and oppressive. Some have noticed the smell of smoke filling the air, despite no fire and no source to explain it.

Others claim to have heard music drifting through the space. Faint, distant melodies that vanish the moment someone tries to locate them. No one else hears it. No radio is playing. The sound simply fades, leaving silence behind.

Unlike the calm presence in the hallways, whatever lingers in the pub does not feel benevolent.

Actor and Medium Meeting her Ghost

One perhaps unlikely ghost hunter who visited the school once, was Mikkel Gaup, Norwegian and Sami actor most known for Pathfinder from 1987. He has also been a public person, chasing ghosts and exploring the occult, especially through Sami traditions and rituals. Mikkel Gaup came up with his concept of “Mikkelmessen” in 2009 and chose the school to have it. A large part of the focus will be on Sami culture; Sami outdoor activities, Sami crafts, food, music, film, theater and concerts.

But another thing he was going to do was to meet the ghost there. How the meeting went though, is uncertain. 

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Tør du besøke Oslos skumleste steder?

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Anne Brandfjeld

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John Mulligans and the Pub Ghost on Poolbeg Street

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A stop on the haunted pub crawl through Dublin, one of the stops would be John Mulligan’s. Stories about glass and bottles flying from the shelves has haunted the place for decades now according to the people behind the bar. 

In the midst of Dublin’s literary quarter you will find John Mulligans, or simply just Mulligan’s, a pub steeped in more than stout. The Mulligan’s on 8 Poolbeg Street has long been a water hole for journalists, poets, and dreamers seeking comfort in its Victorian embrace with no rush to move on with the times. 

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from Ireland

The old wooden bar, polished smooth by generations of hands, seems to hum with memory. Mulligans is no stranger to fame since it opened its door in 1854 on this street. Mulligan’s had already been in business on Thomas Street since 1782. Because of its proximity to the Theatre Royal, it has drawn in artists, actors and writers alike. And according to the rumors, there are some ghosts among the patrons as well. 

The Haunted Mulligan’s Pub

Immortalized by James Joyce in his short story Counterparts, the pub has become a literary landmark, its walls echoing with the voices of Dublin’s creative elite. But fame brings its shadows, and as the night deepens, it is said that the pub’s more spectral patrons emerge. 

Staff behind the bar tell of bottles flying from shelves, doors slamming without warning, and a low, rhythmic banging that rises from the cellar long after closing. A lot of the stories come from what the staff told Declan Dunne, a writer who wrote a book about the history of the bar. As he said himself to the Journal:

“One of the co-owners, Gary Cusack, said a barman saw a bottle of brandy flying off the shelf. It went quite a distance onto the sink and didn’t break. Gary also stayed above Mulligans for a period and without questions he used to hear footsteps and when he went to investigate, there was no one there.”

In the cellar, there are also rumours of a ghost seen sitting on one of the barrels as well according to employee Christy Hynes:

“He wasn’t even looking at me. He was looking straight ahead as if he was minding his own business. I just felt cold.”

As Declan Dunne wrote in his book:

“His brother, Brian, began working in the pub in the 1990s as he was studying for a law degree. He and Gary were working in the front lounge bar when Gary felt and heard a knock from beneath the cellar hatch on which they were both standing. They knew there was no one in the cellar. Gary turned to Brian to ask him if he had noticed anything. Brian had heard and felt the same rap from the hatch. They both waited a while, afraid to check the source of the noise as they laughed nervously. Eventually, Gary opened the hatch and checked the cellar. There was no one there.”

Some have even seen a ghostly figure of a man sitting atop a beer barrel in the basement, silent and watchful, as if guarding something long forgotten.

Those who linger after hours speak of a sudden chill that creeps through the air, the faint scent of tobacco, and a feeling that someone unseen is standing just behind them. Perhaps it is a former patron who could never quite leave the warmth of the pub, or maybe a remnant of the countless stories and sorrows soaked into its floors. 

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The Ghost of General Birthe of Elingaard

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Ruling her Elingaard Manor house with an iron fist, the noble Birgitte Kaas is said to haunt it in her afterlife as well. But what is the truth of her strange disappearance and whispers about a deal with the devil?

Many people speak of strange sounds and fleeting shadows in old houses. Few expect to be announced by scent alone. At Elingaard Manor in Fredrikstad, visitors have reported a heavy, sweet perfume drifting through empty rooms. 

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from Norway

It is said to belong to a woman who has been dead for more than three hundred years. And as the house now is often used for parties, weddings and gatherings, it is said you should put an extra plate, as the ghost of the house wants a seat. 

Svein Harkestad/Wikimedia

The Elindgaard Manor House

Elingaard manor is located in Onsøy outside Fredrikstad city. The site has an unknown age, but has visible cultural monuments from the Bronze Age onwards.

The buildings at Elingaard have burned several times. The first known fire was in 1645. In this great fire, all the buildings on the farm were lost, along with the household goods, movable property and archives.

Helge Høifødt/Wikimedia

The current building was built in 1749 after a major fire in 1746. In the middle of the main building is still the original basement from before the great fire in 1645. The main building had a floor area of ​​approx. 1000 square meters and two full floors. The residence was thus among the largest in all of Norway.

Elingaard is currently operated as a museum and is used as a venue for weddings and local associations. During the summer season, Elingaard is open to the public, and many locals remember coming to the manor house and be scared of the tales of the ghost said to be lingering. 

The Lady of Elingaard

Birgitte Christine Kaas Huitfeldt was born at Elingaard on 2 October 1682 to parents Stiftamtmann Hans Kaas and Sophie Amalie Bielke. Through her maternal line in the Bjelkeætten, she is a direct descendant of Mrs. Inger of Austrått. We know little about her upbringing, but she was orphaned when she was 18 years old.

She was married to a lieutenant general when she was 31 years, Henrik Jørgen Huitfeldt (1674-1751), and quickly gained a reputation for strict discipline and iron control. Among servants and locals she became known as General Birthe. 

Birgitte Christine Huitfeldt Kaas (1672-1761):Birgitte was the daughter of the nobleman and civil servant Hans Kaas. He was first county governor in Smaalenene. She was a capable poet, and her hymn translations were in use long after her death.

Kaas was a representative of the last nobility in Norway, and grew up and lived in an environment characterized by this. Nevertheless, the family struggled with poor finances. Though deeply religious and a writer of hymns, rumors followed her throughout her life. Some whispered that her piety hid darker alliances, even claims that she cooperated with the devil himself.

Whether feared or respected, she ruled Elingaard with authority, and few dared to challenge her will.

The Night She Vanished

On August 14, 1761, Birgitte Christine spent the evening at an inn, where she played a game of cards and drank a lot before taking a horse drawn carriage home in the rain. When the carriage arrived at Elingaard, it was empty. The general’s wife had vanished somewhere along the road.

Speculation spread quickly. Had the driver murdered her and hidden the body? Has something far stranger occurred? Some claimed she had been taken by darker forces, punished or claimed by something beyond human understanding.

The truth appeared more ordinary, though no less unsettling. Her body was later found and kept at the manor for three weeks before burial. When the coffin was finally removed, it was carried out through a small opening in the wall rather than a door. This old custom was meant to prevent the dead from returning to haunt their home.

A Presence That Remains

If the ritual failed, Elingaard still bears the consequence. Guests and staff have felt sudden cold drafts passing through closed rooms. Others have seen the figure of a noblewoman moving silently between the garden pavilion and the great hall. Lights switch themselves on and off during the night, and at times the organ bench is found moved into the old mortuary building without explanation.

Most unsettling of all is the perfume. Sweet, heavy, and unmistakably old fashioned, it appears without warning and lingers long after the rooms stand empty.

Elingaard Manor: Garden seen from from stairs. The queens Margrethe of Denmark and Sonja of Norway planted one each of the linden trees seen in the middle in June, 1999. // Source: Helge Høifødt/Wikimedia

Since then, many have felt her presence, including Hans Pettersen, the former manager.

“I was cleaning the main living room when I saw her out of the corner of my eye,” he says. He still doubts it, but tells of rooms on the second floor where door handles have fallen off, guests have felt a cold draft and where the lights have been turned off. A cleaner saw the organ stool being moved in the morgue in 1996. A tenant had the room filled with the smell of perfume in the middle of the night in 1997..”

Birgitte Christine’s earthly remains rest in the burial chapel at Old Onsøy Church, laid to rest with a book in one hand and a switch of twigs in the other, symbols of wisdom and strength. Yet many believe her spirit never left Elingaard.

Generalfrua still walks her estate, enforcing her presence long after death, carried on cold air and the lingering scent of authority.

Paranormal Researchers

Over the years, many ghost stories have attached themselves to the manor house. Legends about a poor girl who were run over by a car when walking home are told about, a woman in white, a scorned bride running through the manor, crying as well as a black cat coming at guests. Many stories are now, often conflated with the story of General Birthe. 

There is also a story about a headless man in a black cloak down in the garden. If he comes up to the window, he announces death.

The place has become a popular place for people to visit and try to catch a glimpse of the haunting that is supposedly going on there. One segment of her show, Lilli Bendriss, perhaps one of the country’s most well known psychics, went down to the basement. White there, the images that came to her overwhelmed her so she had to storm out of the room, not wanting to get to the bottom of it all. 

But what happened in that basement all those years ago, and what the possible connection to Birgitte was, we will probably never know. 

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References:

Her får Lilli Bendriss nok: – Visste bare at jeg måtte komme meg ut 

FLERE GJENFERD SOM OGSÅ VILLE VÆRE MED – Issuu 

Hovedbygning – KulturPunkt

https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GCQ8WM

Birgitte Christine Kaas (1682–1761) – lokalhistoriewiki.no

Ukategorisert

Loogaroo: The Shape-Shifting Vampire of Caribbean Folklore

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Hanging her skin in trees every night, the vampiric Loogaroo across the Caribbean goes out to hunt for blood to quench her thirst as well as pay her dark lord for her dark powers. 

In the islands of the Caribbean, especially within Haitian and Louisiana Creole folklore, there exists a creature whose legend has frightened generations and crossed oceans into wider ghost traditions. This being is known as the loogaroo, blending European, Indigenous and African horror across the Americas.

Unlike the European vampire that rises from the grave, the loogaroo is a living body transformed, a creature that sheds its human form at night to hunt unseen. 

Origin and Name of The Loogaroo

The term loogaroo is widely recognized in Haiti, Grenada and other French speaking parts of the Caribbean as well as Louisiana. It is derived from the French loup-garou, meaning “werewolf,” but over time the creature became distinct from its European counterpart that the settlers brought with them. 

The Loup-garou: Traditional tales about the Loup-Garou are found in French colonies and European folklore. The Loup-Garou, which literally means ‘wolf-werewolf ‘,  is believed to be a cursed man. s an individual who can shapeshift into a wolf or therianthropic hybrid wolf–humanlike creature, either voluntarily or involuntarily due to a curse or other affliction. Because of European colonisation, similar legends blended with the locals, especially in the French colonies.

The legend of the Loogaroo differs greatly from its namesake though. In the Caribbean context, the loogaroo is most often depicted as a woman with shapeshifting abilities who feeds on human life force rather than sheep or livestock.

In later adaptations of the myth, Loogahoo is a man that has been corrupted by wealth and has dealt with the Devil to keep his status. He is often disguised as a charming and well dressed man, to lure young women to their deaths. He primarily draws blood from the stomach and abdomen.

Her origin stories vary. In some, the Loogaroo is a woman who has made a pact with dark forces and is actually more of a witch-like vampiric being than the werewolf name would say. Not only does she have to feed herself to live, she also has to supply her dark lord with fresh blood. Therefore it is much closer to the Soucouyant myth, another shape-shifting and blood-sucking creature in Caribbean folklore than the werewolf myth of the Loup-garou.

The Soucoyant: The Soucouyant is a folklore character who appears as a reclusive old woman (or man) by day. By night, they strip off their wrinkled skin and put it in a mortar. In the form of a fireball, they fly across the dark sky in search of a victim. The Soucouyants can enter the home of their victim through any sized hole such as cracks and keyholes. Soucouyants suck humans’ blood from their arms, necks, legs and other soft regions while the victim sleeps, leaving black and blue marks on the body in the morning. The soucouyant practices black magic. Soucouyants trade their victims’ blood for evil powers with Bazil, the demon who resides in the silk cotton tree.

Read More: Soucouyant: The Skin-Shedding Vampire of the Caribbean

In some versions of the myth, she is cursed because of her own cruelty in life. What remains constant is that she loses her human appearance at night and becomes something that moves through the shadows, hunting under the cover of darkness.

A Skin Hanging from the Kapok Tree

By day, the Loogaroo appears as a normal woman, often described as an elderly or mysterious figure who lives on the fringes of society. At sunset the loogaroo slips out of her human skin and hangs it on a tree, in some sources specified as a silk cotton tree called the Devil Tree. 

The Silk Cotton Tree: This tree, also called Kapok Tree is one of the most feared trees in the West Indies, and thought to attract spirits and supernatural spirits. According to the folklore of Trinidad and Tobago, the Castle of the Devil is a huge C. pentandra growing deep in the forest in which Bazil, the demon of death, was imprisoned by a carpenter. Still to this day, there are problems every time someone wants to cut down these trees, because people fear what resides inside of the trees. One occurrence being when they constructed the East Coast Highway in Guyana some years ago. 

Many storytellers describe her as a floating ball of light, similar to the will-o’-the-wisp and corpse candle, or as an amorphous shape that enters houses through cracks and crevices. In some tales she retains partial human features. In others she becomes indistinct, a dark mass of movement that evades clear sight.

She is said to enter homes at night, especially where doors or windows are left open, and suck the vital force of sleepers. Some accounts claim she is biting the victim’s shoulder or neck or draws life through an unseen touch or presence. Unlike the classical vampire biting for blood, the loogaroo’s feeding is described more as an unseen siphoning of energy or breath. In some versions of the myth, the Loogaroo’s bloodlust is insatiable, and she is compelled to collect blood for the devil in exchange for her powers.

The Loogaroo is said to roam the night in search of blood, which she needs to sustain her powers. She typically preys on vulnerable people, especially children and the sick. The victims are often found weakened, ill, or pale in the morning. Some die without medical explanation. 

Protection and Ritual to Keep the Loogaroo at Bay

In cultures that believe in the loogaroo, specific practices developed to protect the community. One common method is to sprinkle grains of rice or sand around the house or on the ground outside as The Loogaroo is compelled to stop and count each grain, often losing track of time and being caught by the dawn before she can finish and she has to go back to her skin without feeding. 

Another method involves finding the Loogaroo’s skin while she is out hunting. If someone discovers her hidden skin, they can sprinkle salt or pepper on it. When the Loogaroo returns to her skin at dawn, the irritation from the salt or pepper will prevent her from re-entering it, thus weakening or even killing her.

The loogaroo is particularly obnoxious to dogs, and any person at whom apparently without cause dogs will bark furiously, or even endeavour to attack, is accounted infected with the vampire taint. It is supposed that the loogaroo will frequently molest animals of all kinds, and indeed in Trinidad and especially on the Spanish Main the horses suffer greatly from the attacks of large vampire bats. It is necessary that all the windows and ventilation holes of the stables and cattle pens should be firmly secured by wire netting to prevent the entrance of the bats, which are greatly able to harm any animal in whose flesh they manage to fasten their teeth.”

Regional Variations of the Vampiric Shapeshifting Witch

This creature has many regional variations that are so similar, they seem the same, or so different it seems like a different entity entirely. 

In Haiti, it is known as the lougawou and in the Dominican Republic it is known as the Lugarú, also known as the Galipote or Zángano. Here they are a mythical shapeshifter that is able to take the form of not just various animals, but also inanimate objects like trees or stones. It has incredible strength and is immune to bullets.  Like other versions of the legend, the Lugarú was also rumoured to be immortal, and maintained this state by prowling the night to drink the blood of children.

The Lagahoo and Rougarou: The Rougarou is a legendary creature in Cajun and Creole diaspora and a trickster in oral traditions in Métis and Francophone communities like a werewolf. In Trinidad and Tobago, a similar creature called “Lagahoo” or “La Gahoo” is more like a bloodsucking, shapeshifting sorcerer. At night, he is described as taking the appearance of a man with a coffin on his neck instead of a head, atop which are three lit candles. He carries a chain around his waist, which trails behind him, and commonly feeds on livestock. Sometimes, he is so tall his head disappears among the trees. To defeat him, he must be repeatedly struck with a stick doused in holy water and holy oils for nine days. He will then rapidly switch forms, from a savage dog, an angry bull, and stormy waves, before finally turning to mist. // Image: praline3001/Flickr

In Mauritian folklore, the Lougarou is a notorious figure mostly used to scare children, appearing during the full moon. Following Cyclone Hollanda in 1994, a form of Lougarou, known as Touni Minwi, was believed to visit women in their homes at night. This led to hysteria among the local population; many witnesses would affirm having seen frightful manifestations at night time, including apparitions of Lougarou. The Touni Minwi phenomenon led to a large mobilization of people in the capital, Port Louis, and in the village of Lallmatie.

Legacy of the Night Spirit

In modern Caribbean culture, belief in the loogaroo has faded in many urban areas, but the legend survives in rural storytelling, literature, and popular media. It even travelled back to Europe, where places with a bigger Caribbean diaspora such as Shepherd’s Bush in London had stories of the Loogaroo lurking in the dark.

Her ghost remains alive in the story, in fear, and in the quiet hours before dawn with her skin hanging from the Devil Tree. 

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References:

Loogaroo – Wikipedia 

Loogaroo – Monstropedia

Beware The Mystical Silk Cotton Tree: Haunted Caribbean 

Ceiba pentandra – Wikipedia

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The Devil’s Castle in the Aubinger Lohe and the Hidden Treasure

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Said to be the location of a hidden treasure, the old nobles from the Devil’s Castle in the Bavarian hills are said to roam the forest, still searching for it. 

The Aubinger Lohe is a green and wooden area on the western edge of the city limits of Munich, bordering to the north by the Lochhausen district. Lohe means forest or wetland, and is a part of Munich’s green belt. 

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The Aubinger Lohe with the Teufelsberg is the only natural elevation in the Munich gravel plain. With its summit height of 541 meters, it rises about 25 meters above its surroundings and is Munich’s highest hill.. It is called Teufelsberg” (Devil’s Mountain), after the now vanished Teufelsburg” (Devil’s Castle).

München, Aubinger Lohe, der kleine Moorsee in der Nähe der Moosschwaige

The Ruins of Aubinger Lohe Castle

In the south and southeast of the Aubinger Lohe, traces of settlements from Bronze Age, Celtic and Roman times have been found, as well as two Celtic hillforts. A lot of old legends linger under the trees, but perhaps the most told one is the curse of the old Aubinger Lohe Castle and the treasure that was lost. 

Read also: The Lost Castle of Hollerwiese

Deep into the woods a three-meter-deep ditch around a tree-covered hill at the northeast side. Aubinger Burgstall castle stood here in the Middle Ages. A trained eye can recognize the motte and the moat at Teufelsberg, but nothing else remains.

Source

The castle, now dubbed Teufelburg, or the Devil’s Castle, was founded in 1158 by Henry the Lion, Duke of Munich, to guard the road to Augsburg. The Lords of Aubinger were likely in the service of the Welf dukes. Aubing was first mentioned in 1010.

Image: Gras-Ober – source
Image: Gras-Ober – Source

The popular name Teufelsburg (Devil’s Castle) is post-medieval and refers to various legends of treasures hidden in the castle hill that could only be retrieved with the help of the devil. Besides the obvious possibility of ” Teufel ” (devil), a derivation from “Tuifel” (depression, pool) is also conceivable, referring to the damp area of ​​the Dachau Moor below.

In 1422, the castle was destroyed during a campaign by Duke Ludwig the Bearded shortly before the Battle of Alling and abandoned to decay and disappear. Apparently, it was a wooden structure, which is why no ruins remain.

The Ghost of Aubinger Lohe and the Cursed Treasure

There are a couple of different versions of the legend of the castle that vanished into thin air, or the treasure that is supposedly hidden away somewhere inside of the forest. 

One version claims that when the lord of the manor was slain while hunting in the Loh forests, his widow cursed both the woods and the castle as revenge. The stately castle then collapsed in on itself, along with all its treasures, and sank into the Teufelsberg. According to legend, the lady of the castle has since wandered restlessly as a white figure through the woods of the Aubinger Lohe.

Source

Wayward Cross Haunting: On the way to the so-called Aubinger Burgstall, known locally as Teufelsberg, stands a wayside cross. It has only been in this location for 13 years, but it commemorates a cross that stood elsewhere and was destroyed during the construction of the motorway tunnel. According to superstition, fiery men used to lie in wait at the former Lochhausen wayside cross after the evening prayer bells rang, ambushing anyone leaving the village’s boundaries. Only a fervent prayer, the story goes, could put an end to this hellish haunting.

Another version, it was the lord of the castle who cursed it with his dying breath as well as his wife, who is suspected was involved in his death. The castle then collapsed and sank into the Teufelsberg, along with everything inside. Legend has it that the castle contained fabulous treasures, which his wife apparently coveted. 

In both cases, a lady in white is roaming the forest, and the treasure of the cursed castle is buried somewhere under the green trees. 

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The Devil’s Footprint in Frauenkirche in Munich

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Inside one of Munich’s landmark churches, something devilish is said to be stamped on the floor. In the middle of the room, a black footprint is clearly seen, named The Devil’s Footprint, as he was said to have left it there. 

The Frauenkirche  officially the Cathedral of Our Lady, also known as Munich Cathedral is a late Gothic church building in Munich’s Old Town and is one of the landmarks of the Bavarian capital , Munich. It is also said to be full of fantastical legends and ghosts. 

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Munich’s iconic cathedral is famous not only for its twin towers but also for the mysterious “Devil’s Footprint” near the entrance. According to legend, the Devil himself left the mark after being tricked during the church’s construction. 

Legend of the Church: Several legends explain the reason for the new church’s construction. In the packed old church, a false fire alarm sounded one day. The most beautiful girl in Munich was trampled to death in the panicked rush of people fleeing the church. Duke Sigismund, in his youth, had been in love with a girl of lower social standing. She refused marriage, however, fearing she would be treated like Agnes Bernauer, who was cruelly murdered by her father-in-law, Duke Ernst, because of her low social class. Because the girl who died in the church reminded Duke Sigismund of his unhappy love and he felt her death should not have been in vain, he founded the Frauenkirche in her memory.

The Devil’s Footprint

In 1468 architect Jorg von Halspach went looking for money to build a new cathedral in Munich and ended up making a bargain with the Devil. The cathedral’s master builder had promised him a church without windows. Also, In exchange for his help, the devil was to receive the soul of the first person to enter the church.

Jörg von Halspach: (*before 1441 probably in Halsbach near Altötting ; † 6 October 1488 in Munich), also called Halsbach, Ganghofer or ‘Jörg von Polling’, was a Munich master builder and architect of the Late Gothic period. His principal work is the Frauenkirche in Munich, which was built between 1468 and 1494. For its vaulting , he traveled to Ulm and Augsburg , where he studied St. Ulrich’s Church and the cathedral. Master Jörg is buried beneath the north tower.

On February 9, 1468, Duke Sigismund and Bishop Tulbeck laid the foundation stone for the new St. Mary’s Church, and the old church was demolished in 1472. Construction progressed relatively quickly.

But when the devil inspected the work and stood where the imprint was, he saw not a single ray of light. He laughed and stamped his foot in glee until he took another step – and suddenly discovered windows hidden behind the pillars. Enraged by the master builder’s deception, he unleashed a storm to destroy the building. The storm subsided, but the devil’s wrath remains – even today, a cold wind always blows around the cathedral.

The black footprint, or Der Teufelstritt, is still there in the middle of the entrance hall, although they cover it up during church masses. Visitors often pause at the footprint, but some claim the atmosphere changes dramatically around it, with sudden chills, feelings of unease, and an overwhelming sense of being watched. Whether folklore or something more sinister, the legend continues to draw curious believers.

Source

Although the columns are not blocking the windows in real life, a huge altar used to conceal it from 1620 to 1858. The footprint itself is a reconstructed one, after the rooftop collapsed in the second world war, and was first ended in 1994. But when the original footprint was set, no one really knows. 

The Haunted Cemetery

The story of the Devill’s Footprint is not the only story from this church though. Outside of it, it used to be an old cemetery, the “Frauenfreihof,” as the cemetery by the cathedral was still called at the beginning of the 19th century. 

Back then, the cemetery was considered extremely haunted by an  eerie figure in the nightcap who made Munich residents avoid the area after dark. 

The Cemetery: Numerous epitaphs are mounted along the lower outer walls on the north, east, and south sides. They commemorate the cemetery that once surrounded the church. For hygiene reasons, the cemetery was slated for relocation, but the townspeople successfully resisted this on several occasions. However, since 1773, burials were permitted only in family plots, and the area was paved in 1800.

But then there was this merchant with his shop on Weinstraße opposite the old police station. One night, after a visit to the tavern, he wandered through the cemetery, probably on a whim fueled by beer as he used to indulge in after closing his shop.

To impress his drinking friends, he would take the route through the haunted cemetery. And as fate would have it, a white figure wearing a pointed cap sat motionless on one of the gravestones. The merchant, with enough courage-boosting alcohol in his blood, gave the apparition a resounding slap. The stranger’s cap slipped off his head, revealing a grinning skull. 

Read Also: Similar stories exists in several stories, like with The Icelandic Ghost Story of The White Cap

Now it was time for the shopkeeper to make a run for it. Arriving at his house, he thought himself safe. The ghost couldn’t get in through it because, according to old pious custom, it was marked with three crosses and the names of the Three Wise Men, bearing the effective demon-banishing incantation “C+M+B.” But the ghost is quite clever: it climbs through the window into the merchant’s bedchamber, who, quick-wittedly, throws a picture of the Madonna, the Holy Mother of God of Altötting at it. 

When he awoke the next day, the picture was hanging on his wall. The apparition vanished and was said to never appear again, but the man is henceforth known by his nickname: Schlafhaubenkramer, or “Sleepcap Merchant”.

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References:

Tour in München – Schön schaurig – Landkreis München – SZ.de

 Sagen & Geschichten – Eintrag bearbeiten 

Der Teufelstritt (The Devil’s Footprint) in Munich

Teufelstritt – Wikipedia 

Jörg von Halspach – Wikipedia 

Frauenkirche (München) – Wikipedia

Ukategorisert

The Cursed Black Cat at Promenadeplatz in Munich

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Once the house of a greedy grain speculator, the haunted house at Promenadeplatz in Munich is said to be haunted by the man in the form of a cat, as penance after a curse drove him to ruin. 

Promenadeplatz is an iconic square located in the heart of Munich. From the 15th century onwards, the city’s salt warehouses stood on the site of today’s square until they were demolished in 1778. The resulting square was initially used and named as a parade ground and was transformed into a park in 1804.

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Now, luxurious buildings stand in their place, but some say that they still carry an old haunting. On some winter nights, you can still hear the eerie cat call that frightened people hundreds of years ago.

Promenadeplatz, Munich, Germany. Date: c 1880 – c 1910.

The Cursed Ghost of Number 7

In front of number 7, now a Commerzbank, there used to be a cursed ghost haunting. A long time ago, a rich man with a cold heart used to live and after being cursed, has been haunting the square in the form of a black cat.

The story dates back to a time of famine in Munich, although just how long is debatable. He was a typical speculator, buying grain cheaply and then drastically increasing prices during times of hardship without considering anything else but himself and his riches. 

The Michael Jackson Memorial: Since 2009, the Di Lasso statue at the square has also become a pilgrimage site for Michael Jackson fans, as he used to stay in the hotel when he was visiting Munich. // Image Source: Wikimedia

As well as hoarding grain, he rented out apartments at a high price. He heartlessly evicted a day-laborer family with seven children who owed him rent, leaving them to stand on the doorstep in the winter cold. 

But in doing so, he brought a curse upon himself that would seal the fate of the “Troadkipperer,” the grain shoveler or the man who weighs the grain. The wife of the evicted cursed him and his grain when she said: “May rats, mice, and vermin destroy everything!”

Later, when he went up to the attic, he discovered masses of mice in his grain storage. So he bought himself some cats to rid himself of the problem. But for every dead mouse, ten more appeared and nothing seemed to work. The miser lost his mind as well as his fortune. In the end, he was bankrupt and had to auction off his house.

Rats and mice infested his granary, driving him first to bankruptcy, then to suicide and he hanged himself in the attic. Since then, he has haunted the area in the form of a giant black cat. 

Some say that they tried an exorcism on the ghost of the cat once. The neighbors called in an exorcist whose plan was to entice the cat into an earthen jug which he then intended to seal with wax and then sink it in the swampland of Erdinger Moos. However, before he could recite his spell, the cat jumped him from behind, causing him to fall down the stairs and break his neck.

Even today noises can sometimes be heard and a glimmer of light seen in the attic of house number 7 where it is said he used to have his house and storage. 

The Ghost Cat Prowling the Promenadeplatz

Now, how much of the story is true though? The building standing today is listed as being built in 1906, and most versions of the story tell the ghost stories from hundreds of years ago. Was the story from the time the salt warehouses stood on this square, or was it the history of the bank building, the very image of money and greed the basis of the story?

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References:

Tour in München – Schön schaurig – Landkreis München – SZ.de 

Datei:Promenadeplatz7 Muenchen-01.jpg – Wikipedia 

Schauriges München: Grusel-Tour durch die Altstadt

Dresdner Bank in München – Promenadeplatz 7 (erbaut 1907) | Baudenkmal & Architektur

What is the most haunted building in Munich? – Quora 

Ukategorisert

The Kuntilanak and the Pontianak: Vampiric Ghosts of the Banana Tree

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At the cusp of a vengeful ghost and a vampiric entity, the Kuntilanak of Indonesia, or the Pontianak as she is called in Malaysia, is after both vengeance and to devour her victims. 

In Indonesia, particularly on the islands of Java and Kalimantan, there exists one of Southeast Asia’s most haunting and widely feared spirits known as the Kuntilanak. She is said to be the restless ghost of a woman who died during childbirth or in a violent circumstance, forever trapped between life and death. In Malayan folklore where the story is also told, she is called the Pontianak. 

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from Indonesia and Malaysia

Her domain is said to be in hollow banana trees and if you smell the sweet scent of Jasmine or the frangipani flower, it might just be the ghost of a woman who died in childbirth. And she might be after your blood. 

The Woman in White of Southeast Asian

The Kuntilanak is believed to originate in the spirit of a woman who died while pregnant or during childbirth. There are different variations of the legend throughout Asia, as we will get more into later. In traditional belief, dying in such a vulnerable state without completing the life cycle left the soul restless and unanchored.

The Kuntilanak is often depicted as a long-haired woman dressed in white as an astral female spirit. In modern media, she is often portrayed as a Woman in White. Often, her dress is depicted as blood-smeared. It is also often a traditional kebaya or funeral shroud.

She lures in unsuspecting men to devour and sometimes also for some sort of revenge. Some say that the phantom is an invention of Malay wives who wanted to discourage their husbands from random sexual encounters with women that they met on the road at night. Or perhaps it acts as some sort of subconscious warning to men to leave women alone at night. 

Signs that a Kuntilanak is nearby include the sound of an infant crying and the smell of plumeria flower followed by the smell of decay.

The Vampiric Creature of the Night

Another thing the Kuntilanak spirit is depicted as, is a monstrous transformation when she has lured her prey, more like a beast or type of vampire than a ghost. 

The Kuntilanak suddenly turns and reveals that her back is hollow, much like the Sundel bolong the prostitute ghost with her large gaping hole on her back.

Another version of this figure depicts her as a woman with long, sharp fangs and fingernails that she is said to use to feed on her victims, digging them into their stomachs and devouring their organs and blood. In some versions, she is also said to have wings she can fly away with making a ke-ke-ke sound as it flies.

The Ghost in the Tree

Banana trees are by nature hollow at the center. In Javanese and Malay belief these hollows are places where spirits can dwell. The Kuntilanak is said to hide in the hollows of banana trees, emerging at night or when someone passes too close. This is why it’s advised to ask permission from the spirits and guardians before entering a jungle. Kuntilanak are also said to favor certain trees as their “dwelling places,” such as the hibiscus tree, which grows leaning to the side (popularly called “waru doyong”).

When she appears, her wail is a long, high-pitched cry that carries over fields and villages, chilling listeners with its sorrow and fury. Those who hear the cry are believed to be marked by her presence.

The legend holds that the Kuntilanak may call out a person’s name, drawing them nearer with a voice that sounds familiar, kind, or beckoning. They usually announce their presence through baby cries. It’s said that if the cry is loud, she is far away, but if it is soft, then she is nearby. It is also said that if you hear a dog/wolf howl she is far away, but if it’s whimpering, she is nearby.

According to Javanese beliefs and traditions , a kuntilanak will not harm a pregnant woman if she always carries nails, knives, and scissors with her whenever she travels. This is why scissors, needles , and knives are often placed near a baby’s crib. According to Malay beliefs as well, sharp objects like nails can ward off attacks by the Pontianak.

Kuntilanak can be subdued by plunging a sharp nail into the top of her head. Sometimes the story goes that she doesn’t die from this, but once again becomes a normal woman. Sometimes even a good wife. Although, be careful to never remove the nail ever again as she will go back to her old ways. 

The Malayan Pontianak

As mentioned, the Kuntilanak of Indonesia is also called Pontianak in Malaysia. But what exactly is the difference? There are many Malay ghost myths, remnants of old animist beliefs that have been shaped by Hindu-Buddhist cosmology and later Muslim influences. Some ghost concepts such as the female vampires pontianak and penanggal are shared throughout the region. Often these two names are conflated to one being, just in different languages. 

There are some things that are more quintessential Malayan lore though than you would find in Indonesia. The Pontianak is similar to another entity found in Malayan folklore, the Langsuir. This is a vampiric ghost of a woman who died in childbirth in Malaysia is often connected with the stories of the Pontianak where the Langsuir is the ghost of the mother who died in childbirth, and the Pontianak is the child who died in stillbirth. Modern popular culture often confuses the pontianak with its mother the lang suir. However, traditional myth is clear that the pontianak is the ghost of a dead baby and not a pregnant woman.

There are also some traditions for the Malay Pontianak that are followed. To prevent this ghost to form, as with its mother the lang suir, a needle is placed in each of the corpse’s hands and a hen’s egg under each armpit. The Pontianak is also said to locate their prey by sniffing clothes that are left out to dry, which is the reason Malay’s refuse to keep their clothes outside at night. Also whistling after night is said to draw evil spirits. 

An interesting thing is how the Pontianak stopped showing up in modern media for a long time in Malay media. Films about her had mostly stopped being produced by the 1970s and in the 1990s, the Malaysian government censored horror films. These laws were relaxed in the 2000s, which brought on another wave of films, including the feminist Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam. She once again became something shared in media and culture to this day. 

The City of Pontianak

Pontianak, capital city of Indonesia’s West Kalimantan province, shares its name with the fearsome monster. Perhaps a little confusing, the Indonesian city is given the Malayan name for it. 

Pontianak is said to have been founded in 1771 as a Malay fishing village, near a delta on the trade route of the Kapuas River. The legend of the city of Pontianak holds that the city began as an old trading station, infested with ghosts until Syarif Abdurrahman Alkadrie and his army drove them away with cannon fire. 

Read More: The City of Pontianak and the Vampiric Ghost its Named After

He also cut down all of the trees they could be hiding in, then constructed a mosque and a palace on the site. These buildings became the city and the seat of the Pontianak Sultanate. Holiday celebrations often include firing bamboo cannons to pay tribute to the Sultan.

Some claim that the vanquishing of the ancient creature in Pontianak was a metaphor about how the area entered to a place of a more modern era, ridding itself of old superstition in order to take on new ones. But old stories are hard to get rid of completely. And if they are still firing cannons, did she vanish at all?

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References:

Kuntilanak

The Indonesian Frontier Town Named for a Jungle Vampire – JSTOR Daily 

Kuntilanak – Wikipedia 

Kuntilanak – Wikipedia bahasa Indonesia, ensiklopedia bebas

(DOC) INDONESIAN GHOST KUNTILANAK IN FOLKLORE AND MASS CULTURE

Pontianak

The Indonesian Frontier Town Named for a Jungle Vampire – JSTOR Daily 

Kuntilanak – Wikipedia 

If Singapore has a lion, why should Pontianak not have a ghost? – National – The Jakarta Post

The ultimate survival guide to Malaysian superstitions and ghosts

Ghosts in Malay culture – Wikipedia

Ukategorisert

The City of Pontianak and the Vampiric Ghost its Named After

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How haunted is a city to be named after its ghosts? This is the case of the Indonesian city of Pontianak, said to have been haunted by the fearsome ghosts known as the Pontianak or the Kuntilalak ghosts, thirsting for blood and vengeance.

The seductive but bloodthirsty Kuntilanak is a popular character in Malay horror films and novels, where she typically lurks around forested areas with abundant banana or banyan fig trees, waiting for her victims she can drain dry. 

The ghost of the Kuntilanak or the Pontianak as she is known in this city, has given name to the capital of the West Kalimantan on Borneo island, as it was said the place was filled with ghosts. Not just ghosts though, bloodthirsty ghosts, lurking in the deep jungle. 

The Pontianak City Founded on a Coast of Ghosts

Pontianak, capital city of Indonesia’s West Kalimantan province, shares its name with a fearsome monster. Perhaps a little confusing, the Indonesian city is given the Malayan name for it. Throughout most of Indonesia, she goes under the name Kuntinalak. 

Pontianak is said to have been founded in 1771 by Syarif Abdurrahim, near a delta on the trade route of the Kapuas River as a fishing village, with the equator line passing through it. There does however seem to have been a more ancient civilisation living here in the late 17th century. The city is also sometimes known as Khuntien in Teochew and Hakka and was a Malay state on the western coast of Borneo in the late 18th century until 1950. 

A nobleman of Arab descent, he was given land because of the strategic importance since the river served as the main trading route for transporting goods from the interior of the island. 

The delta was also home to pirates and building a fortress against them was also an important task. It is said that when they first came by boat, they noticed many disturbances and frightening sounds coming from the thick and dark jungle that surrounded them. The disturbances were perceived as evil ghosts and they frightened the people they didn’t want to stay. 

To scare away the ghosts, Syarif Abdurrahim fired cannon to keep them at bay. The city was built on swampy ground and tropical forest subjected to regular flooding by the river, requiring buildings to be constructed on piles to keep them off the ground. He also cut down all of the trees they could be hiding in, then constructed a mosque and a palace on the site. These buildings became the city and the seat of the Pontianak Sultanate. 

It went through many hands, until it became a part of the Republic of Indonesia after the Japanese surrendered after the second world war. Because of its history and blended population, it has a culture unlike other places in Indonesia. But did they really rid themselves of the ghosts said to roam here?

The Pontinak or the Kuntinak Ghost

But what exactly is a Pontinak, or the Kuntinak that the ghost is known as in the rest of Indonesia?

The Kuntilanak is believed to originate in the spirit of a woman who died while pregnant or during childbirth. Banana trees are by nature hollow at the center and in Javanese and Malay belief these hollows are places where spirits can dwell. The Kuntilanak is said to hide in the hollows of banana trees, emerging at night or when someone passes too close to drain them of their blood and life like a vampire. This is why it’s advised to ask permission from the spirits and guardians before entering a jungle and take certain measures. 

Some people also claim that the origin of the name Pontianak comes from the Malay language, namely ponti, from the acronym for tall tree, something the place was before turning into a city. 

The Ghost as a Citizen Today in Pontianak

To this day, the story of the Pontianak is important for the city, both as history, and everyday life. There used to be annual festivals in order to commemorate the founding of the city, during which people fired the bamboo cannon and thereby symbolically evicted Kuntilanak. Almost like they still have to do it to keep her at bay.

During the New Order the annual event and the cannon disappeared. However, some citizens have set up cannon again in recent years. An annual festival is still held in Pontianak during which meriam karbit, special carbide cannons made from wooden logs, are fired to ring at the end of Ramadan.

In recent years, the people of Pontianak city stand divided over how to honor their namesake. For years, plans of raising a statue of the Pontianak were put forth. There had long been rumors and ideas about these plans, but it seemed more real when Kartius, head of the Youth, Tourism and Sports Agency in West Kalimantan. Kartius proposed the idea to build the statue, arguing that the monument would increase tourism. Towering over 300 feet, the ghost would dwarf the buildings around it.

Protests started and banners with “Community Movement to Reject Ghost Statue.” They turned up outside of the parliament building, although no official moves had been done.  Turns out, not every person was eager for the idea of their childhood nightmare turned into a tourist attraction. A poll showed 98% of residents were opposed to the idea. 

Fear to attract the ghost perhaps? 

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References:

Kuntilanak – ScienceDirect

The Indonesian Frontier Town Named for a Jungle Vampire – JSTOR Daily

Pontianak – Wikipedia

The Time a Town Was in an Uproar Over a 300-Foot Ghost Statue