Tag Archives: 1300s

Ukategorisert

The All Saint Day Hauntings at Château de Blandy-les-Tours

Leave a comment
Advertisements

Step back in time and visit the historic Château de Blandy-les-Tours which is said to be one of the many haunted castles in France. It is said that the castle is especially busy on All Saint Day were the dead are walking the halls.

Nestled in the Loire Valley, France’s Château de Blandy-les-Tours is a true gem of history famous for its towers. Dating back to the 13th to 14th century, this castle is full of charm and allure, with intricate details and stunning architecture. Tour the grounds and explore its fascinating history to uncover its secrets with our guide.

The fortified Château de Blandy-les-Tours that stands today was a keep built for the Hundred Year War and was home to some of the most prominent families in France before it fell into obscurity for years. 

Merovingian Necropolis Cemetery

Before it was a castle, it used to be a cemetery for one of the most powerful rulers of Europe during their time. Which maybe can help explain why Château de Blandy-les-Tours is considered to be one of France’s most haunted places. 

The Merovingian dynasty was the ruling family of the Franks from the middle of the 5th century until 751. By 509 they had united all the Franks and northern Gaulish Romans under their rule The 7th-century Chronicle of Fredegar implies that the Merovingians were descended from a sea-beast called a quinotaur:

It is said that while Chlodio was staying at the seaside with his wife one summer, his wife went into the sea at midday to bathe, and a beast of Neptune rather like a Quinotaur found her. In the event she was made pregnant, either by the beast or by her husband, and she gave birth to a son called Merovech, from whom the kings of the Franks have subsequently been called Merovingians.

In the past, this tale was regarded as an authentic piece of Germanic mythology and was often taken as evidence that the Merovingian kingship was sacral and the royal dynasty of supernatural origin. 

Exploring the Inside of the Château de Blandy-les-Tours

Visitors to the Château de Blandy-les-Tours can explore its vast corridors, halls, and chambers that they spent years restoring from 1992 to 2007 when they opened the Château for the public again. Wander through rooms filled with centuries-old artifacts and furniture that tell stories of past inhabitants where you can enjoy open-air cinema nights, circus shows and concerts. 

Discover grand fireplaces decorating lush salons, wooden ceilings from the fifteenth century in its numerous bedrooms, as well as other hidden gems revealed by a team of archaeologists that have been working for years to restore the castle’s structure.

All Saint Day Haunting

All saints day is also known as All Hallows Day, a prelude to the modern Halloween we celebrate today. It’s a Christian day to celebrate and honor all the saints of the church and usually celebrated on November 1st. In France it is known as La Toussaint and usually flowers like chrysanthemums or wreaths are placed on tombs and graves. 

All Saint Day Haunting: November 1st is All Saint Day and is supposedly when the Château de Blandy-les-Tours is most haunted if we are to believe local lore.

One of the château’s most interesting stories is that it may be haunted on this holy day. There have been reports of strange noises, shadows, and ghostly figure sightings throughout its history. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, this castle definitely has a mysterious and fascinating past!

This Château has a peculiar haunting as it isn’t necessarily connected to one specific ghost. It is said that on All Saint Day the hallways of the Château de Blandy-les-Tours are taken over by ghosts and spirits trapped inside. You can hear them screaming and rattling their chains the entire night. 

The Murderous Ghost Lord

One ghost we have a certain amount of control over is the ghost of a feudal lord from the 10th or 11th century. He is said to walk around with a dagger wearing a bloody shroud walking from room to room in the Château de Blandy-les-Tours, perhaps looking for another victim as he was quite notorious for his crimes when he was alive? It is said that when he was alive, he used to be a murderer, and forever cursed to haunt his castle in his afterlife. 

More like this

Newest Posts

References

Featured Image: P.poschadel Wikimedia

https://www.chateau-blandy.fr/fr/history

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merovingian_dynasty

Ukategorisert

The Haunted Halls of Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral

Leave a comment
Advertisements

Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris has been a site of intrigue and mystery for centuries— its haunted halls filled with stories that spark the imagination with ghosts on the roof and an ironworker that sold his soul to the Devil.

The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris has captivated visitors for centuries with its stunning architecture, stirring religious artifacts, and gripping tales of mystery. People come to hear the bells ring to remind us about the hunchback of Notre Dame and see the frightening gargoyles along the roof.

Rumors of hauntings have further cemented the cathedral’s reputation as a supernatural hot-spot, leaving its visitors to ponder whether these rumors are just urban legends or based on fact.

History of the Notre Dame Cathedral

Noted by visitors from all across the world, the Notre Dame Cathedral’s captivating architecture has inspired many throughout the ages. Built of limestone and characterized by its two towers flanking its main entrance, it has stood tall for centuries as a testament to Gothic style. Its intricate carvings, majestic details, and mesmerizing sculptures carve a path for learning about the history that lies within its walls and contributes more to the speculation of paranormal activity.

From its construction in 1163 to its destruction by fire in 2019, the iconic cathedral has served as a beacon of faith for thousands of years and amassed tales that might never be fully unraveled. 

The Devil and the Ironworker

One of the most enduring tales of hauntings in Notre Dame is that of a mysterious ironworker who sold his soul to the devil in exchange for mastery over his craft. According to legend, the best ironworker, Biscornet was commissioned by the church to create the metal for the cathedrals door at the inauguration in 1345. 

The work was too much and he was in danger of not being done in time. But at the inauguration the metal work was done, there was only one problem. No matter how hard they tried, they were unable to open the door. 

Read also: The Bell Tower Goddess of Beijing

When they went to Biscornet to ask him about it, they found him hanged with a note warning them to spay holy water on the door to make them open. 

It was then believed that the ironworker had made a pact with the devil and sold his soul to get the work done in time for the opening day. 

The Women on the Notre Dame Roof

The creepy story about the demonic front door is not the only legend about the old cathedral. According to legend, there are also spotted some ghosts as well.

Two female ghosts haunt the roof of Notre-Dame cathedral were they can be seen between the grey gargoyles and gothic carved stone. Apparently you can see them walking on the cathedrals roof before either jumping off the roof or disappearing as soon as you see them. 

More like this

Newest Posts

References

Ukategorisert

The Ghosts Of the Haunted Himeji Castle In Japan

5 Comments
Advertisements

Explore the supernatural stories of Japan’s Magnificent Haunted Himeji Castle and find out why this iconic castle is said to be haunted by both monsters from the Japanese Folklore and tragic ghosts from the castle’s history.

Himeji Castle (姫路城) in Japan is widely known for its grandeur and beauty and one of the countries most recognizable landmark, and a perfect place to watch the cherry blossoms in the spring. 

Himeji Castle may also be known as one of the nation’s most haunted places. Mysterious fog, strange shadows, and eerie sounds have been reported by many who have visited this iconic fortress and legend has it that ghosts appear often here.

Read more: Ghost Stories from all over Japan both new and old.

The History of Himeji Castle

Himeji Castle in the Hyōgo Prefecture was first built in 1333 by Akamatsu Norimura as a fort on top of the hill, however a more grand version of the castle was created by Toyota Hideyoshi in 1581 and is today Japan’s largest castle. 

Over time, the Himeji Castle has undergone many renovations and changes to become the majestic structure it stands as today with 83 rooms and has stood almost intact even after wars like the bombing of Himeji in WW2 og natural disasters like the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995. 

The Himeji Castle is known as Hakuro-jō or Shirasagi-jō, meaning the White Heron Castle because of the white color and architecture meant to look like a bird taking flight. 

Himeji Castle: (姫路城, Himeji-jō) is a hilltop Japanese castle complex situated in the city of Himeji which is located in Japan. The castle is regarded as the finest surviving example of prototypical Japanese castle architecture, comprising a network of 83 rooms with advanced defensive systems from the feudal period. The castle is frequently known as Hakuro-jō or Shirasagi-jō (“White Egret Castle” or “White Heron Castle”) because of its brilliant white exterior and supposed resemblance to a bird taking flight. It is also remembered as one of the more haunted places in the country.

The roof tiles of the main tower of Himeji Castle is filled with traditional Kawara ceramic tiles that according to local lore hold mystical powers. The tiles are decorated by Onigawaras, ocra shaped tiles witting at the end of the ridges. These creatures are said to repel evil spirits and protect the castle. Question is, have they really repelled all evil spirits inside?

Many theories point to a long history of secrets and tragedies throughout its lifetime, leading some to believe that it is home to the restless spirits of the past that even the magic tiles are unable to repel.

Ghost Stories in Japan

Legends have been surrounding the maze-like construction of Himeji Castle ever since it was built, often told in summer during the Japanese holiday Obon where they celebrate the spirit of the dead. One of the most famous stories about this castle tells of a “White Lady” who appears on a moonlit night, wearing white kimono as if she were a bride. 

Read more about: Ghosts in Japan

This is linked to one of the most famous ghost stories in Japan called Banshū Sarayashiki  (播州皿屋敷), or The Dish Mansion in Harima Province that have a version of it set to Himeji Castle. A famous Kabuki play that was put on the big stages to bring out fear in the hot summer months when ghost stories theatre was all the rage.

Okiku was a servant that was falsely accused of losing one of the ten valuable plates of her lord’s family. The Samurai master she worked for was angry at her for rejecting him and he hid away the plates to trick her into becoming his lover. She refused again, even if he said he would overlook her mistake of losing one of his valuable plates

Banchō Sarayashiki: The print depicts the ghost of Okiku appearing by the well in which her master, Aoyama Tessan, murdered her. From the Thirty-six Ghosts series by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 1890.

Enraged, he threw her down a well where she died. In some version, she threw herself down the well to escape the torment from her master. In either cases, she died in that well. Perhaps quickly, hitting the stone walls, perhaps slowly, drowning in the dark water.

It is said she became an onryō, a vengeful spirit, back for revenge of those who wronged her. The ghost of Okiku tormented her murderer every night, rising from the well and coming up to the mansion again, making him go insane in the end. Okiku was still counting the nine plates, one by one. Only reaching nine everytime, then making a terrible shriek when she again missed the tenth plate.

Read the full story of Banchō Sarayashiki and Okiku: Here

The Haunted Okiku Well

Even though the play is set on several castles, there is but one well that claims to be Okiku’s well that are still haunted and most likely the inspiration of Sadako Yamamura coming out from the well in all white with her dark long hair.

Today there is a well that you can find on the castle of Himeji Castle grounds they say is from the ghost story of Banshū Sarayashiki. And people have reported about spotting poor Okiku as she rises from the well to count her plates. 

The Castle Monster of Himeji Castle

Although there is no hard evidence to prove that this mystical tale is true, the Himeji Castle still evokes a sense of mystery with its hidden passages and dark courtyards. Other supernatural legends often tell of mysterious lights in the night sky, strange noises echoing through the castle’s corridors, or ghostly figures watching over visitors from atop the castle walls.

These stories paint an eerie picture of the enigmatic Haunted Himeji Castle, making it one of Japan’s most intriguing tourist spots for those interested in ghosts and legends.

One of these mysterious creatures thought to dwell inside of the castle walls is a mixture of Japanese folklore and modern ghost stories. This is the tale of what is know known as the Castle Monster, or the Legend of Osakabehime.

The Legend of Osakabehime

The story of Osakabehime (刑部姫) is set at Himeji Castle. Osakabehime is a figure in Japanese folklore as yōkai, a class of supernatural entities and spirits. According to this legend she lives in the castle tower and only shows up once a year to the lord of the castle to tell him about the fate of the castle. 

Osakabehime is said to hate people and hides away in the castle corners and is thought to be an old kitsune. She is also said to be an illegitimate child of Princess Inoe (717-775) the empress consort of Emperor Konin of Japan who was deposed in 772 after she was accused of witchcraft. There are also theories that she is the spirit of the courtesans that Emperor Fushimi loved. 

First, the figure of Osakabehime had no assigned gender and was in the earlier legends like in the Shokokuhyakumonogatari (諸国百物語) from 1677, she was just referred to as The Castle Monster.

Today Osakabehime is mostly considered to be a woman in her 30s, wearing  a ceremonial twelve-layered kimono called The jūnihitoe (十二単) and can read human minds and control animals in many of her appearances in classic literature.

The Monster Osakabehime in the Castle: The jūnihitoe the Osakabehime is said to be wearing is a style of formal court dress first worn in the Heian period by noble women and ladies-in-waiting at the Japanese Imperial Court. Her it is worn by Empress Kōjun (Nagako) at the enthronement ceremony 1928.

A Kabuki play is based on Osakabehime story and is considered as one of the Shin-Kabuki Jūhachiban, a set of eighteen of the best kabuki plays.

Haunted Stories and the Unexplained Phenomena at Himeji Castle

So, perhaps the Himeji Castle have something more than romantic cherry blossom images to give to visitors of this old castle. Some of the most prominent haunted stories connected to Himeji Castle include eerie noises such as groans and murmurs, mysterious figures appearing in photos, and sudden drops in temperature throughout certain parts of the castle. You know, classical haunted castle stuff.

Some visitors even swear that they have seen the spirit of Osakabehime gliding along the castle walls in her unmistakable attire, or they have heard the desperate counting of the servant Okiku as she is trying to find the last dish she is missing. Such unexplained phenomena continue to draw curious travelers every year to look for more than beautiful cherry blossoms falling.

More like this

Newest Posts

References

Osakabehime – Wikipedia

Magic and Ghosts: A Short, Odd History of Himeji Castle – Travelogues from Remote Lands

Ukategorisert

The Bride Missing her Ring Finger in Venice

1 Comment
Advertisements

Killed because of love, the would be bride now walks in the Castello district of Venice, missing her ring finger and her loved one. 

In Campo St. Piero in Castello area of Venice, there is a young woman dressed as a bride walking up and down the streets. It is nothing novel about a bride in Venice as it is quite the romantic place, but for this particular bride you need to take a closer look at something other than her beautiful dress. 

The bride walking the streets in Campo St. Piero is missing a finger, which according to legend was cut off before the wedding. This bride is known as Tosca, once a beautiful but poor girl from Treviso. She was engaged to marry a very wealthy nobleman who was much older than her. It wasn’t love, it was safety. 

She fell in love though, but not with her betrothed. It was with a young hunter and together they escaped to Venice to live out their love. But the love they had, would not last, as the nobleman followed them there and ended it all. 

Toscas betrhothed killed her lover and cut off her finger, swearing that if he couldn’t have her, then no one could. But he could never have her either as she died shortly after. 

On the 22nd of September in 1379 in Campo St. Piero, she took her own life to escape her loveless marriage. But she would never leave Venice, as she came back as a ghost to haunt the place were she tought she would be free to live with her lover. 

Coincidentally, it was her ring finger as well and she is looking for her ring finger, still dressed, walking up and down the Castello district as a bride she never got the chance to become.

Advertisements

More like this

Newest Posts

References

Venice Legends and Ghosts