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The Witching Behind the Production of Practical Magic

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The cult classic Practical Magic is a movie about witches, spells and curses. But did you know that a witch actually cursed the film production when they worked on it? And did you know there is going to be a sequel about the family of witches?

The 1998 cult classic Practical Magic is not just a beloved witchy film—it also has an eerily enchanting history behind its production. Starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, the film tells the story of two witch sisters navigating love, loss, and a family curse. With an all-star cast, including Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest, Practical Magic was filmed at the height of late 90s nostalgia for magical and supernatural tales. 

Read Also: Check out all haunted stories from the USA.

One of the most memorable scenes in the film features the characters enjoying “Midnight Margaritas,” a spontaneous, tequila-fueled bonding session. Behind the scenes, the cast really did get tipsy on the cheap tequila Nicole Kidman had brought on set, leading to authentic moments of tipsy joy that made it into the final cut.

Midnight Margaritas: The booze in the Margarita was real tequila. Were the curses in the movie real as well? If we are to believe the stories, the witch consultant really did leave a curse on the whole movie.

In addition to boozy fun, Practical Magic became an unexpected sisterhood for the actresses. Though the film was directed by Griffin Dunne, a man, the female cast formed a powerful, almost mystical bond. As Kidman recalled, they synced their menstrual cycles during a full moon while filming, teasing Dunne that they might soon “turn on him.”

Musically, the film drew on the talents of self-proclaimed witch and Fleetwood Mac legend, Stevie Nicks. Nicks not only contributed her song “If You Ever Did Believe” to the film but also re-recorded her classic “Crystal,” both featuring Sheryl Crow. 

Yet, what many don’t know is that the film’s making was just as otherworldly as its plot.

Was Practical Magic a Haunted Set?

Behind the camera Practical Magic was plagued by darker forces as well as in front of it is we are to believe the rumors. 

Stories about supernatural occurrences circulated during filming from both cast and crew. Cast members reported eerie noises, especially during the climactic coven scene at the film’s end, raising suspicions that the fictional witchcraft may have stirred something real.

Read Also: Check out The Haunting of Fernhills Royal Palace Hotel in India’s Hills where another movie production encountered the supernatural.

As the director said: “It’s something I will talk about now, but at the time I would sort of deny it. I didn’t want the vibe. As the line from the movie that Aidan has [goes], “I didn’t want to give the curse any strength.” Not that I believed in it. But if you believe in it, you’re giving it strength.”

So was the movie set really haunted, or was it simply the witchy vibe of the set something to the atmosphere. The scariest thing by far was when the witch consultant they had hired cursed the entire movie, as well as the director when they didn’t give into her demands. 

The Exorcism Scene: The scene where the witches gathered for a huge spell was thought to bring with it a strange atmosphere people borderline chucked up to a paranormal one.

The Witch Consultant’s Curse

Originally brought on to help ensure the accuracy of the film’s portrayal of magic, things took a sinister turn with the witch consultant they had hired. They had hired the witch through a friend of the director put them in touch with. The friend has never stopped apologizing for the introduction because of how badly it ended, according to the director. 

Read More: Check out all stories concerning Witches

The witch was, according to the director, paid very handsomely by Warner Brothers for her consulting on spells and such. The director thought it would be fun to bring her out to Los Angeles where they were filming a lot of the movie. They wanted to put her in a nice hotel as he wanted her to meet Bullock and Kidman, who were dying to meet her. 

The Owen Sisters: Nichole Kidman and Sandra Bullock played the sisters in the movie. In the plot, the sisters are cursed as well, and any man who loves them or they love will die.

This all greatly backfired though as the witch got offended. She said to the producer in a phone call: “I’m going to put a curse on you. I’m putting a curse on this movie, and I’m putting a curse on Griffin.” 

She wanted three gross points of the profit the movie would make as well as the right to publish a Practical Magic cookbook. She also left an ominous voicemail as well to Griffith: “There is a land of curses!” and started to speak in tongue on a voicemail before threatening to sue Warner Bros as well.

Griffith brought the recording to the legal department and played the curse for them. Only halfway through they stopped the tape and wrote her a check. 

A New Age Exorcism for a New Age Movie

The threat of the curse rattled the crew, especially when tragedy struck: a crew member’s father died suddenly. Though he was elderly and already ill, many on set believed it was the witch’s doing. In response, Griffin Dunne arranged a New Age exorcism to cleanse the set. 

“It was a very simple, New Agey ceremony that was about as silly as the idea that someone would curse you over the phone,” he told Vulture when he talked about the whole ordeal. “It was mostly chants and smoke and shit like that. “I just did it to cover my bases.”

Though he admitted it was “silly,” the ritual provided some comfort, and filming continued without further incident. The incident did however inspire the creator of the movie to write one of Aidens lines: “Curses only have power when you believe them.” 

Critic Reviews and the Supernatural Vibe

Despite the fun behind-the-scenes stories, Practical Magic wasn’t initially well-received. Critics like Roger Ebert and Entertainment Weekly panned the film, calling it “muddled” and “cursed,” as if the alleged witch’s hex truly took hold of the production and made it to as badly as it did on the box office. In fact, it was the last feature film the director did for ages, and he said it certainly didn’t help his career. 

However, over the years, the film gained a cult following, embraced for its charming mix of romance, sisterhood, and spooky magic. Today the movie is considered a classis by many, a thing put on every fall to get you in the spooky October mood. 

As if continuing the magic of the original, in 2024, news broke that both Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman would return for a much-anticipated sequel. The announcement reignited fan excitement and speculation that the witchy energy from the first film might soon stir again. But the question is: how would a sequel fare if there truly is something like a curse put on the production?

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References:

Practical Magic (1998) – Trivia – IMDb

Practical Magic – Wikipedia

How ‘Practical Magic’ Pissed Off a Real-Life Witch | Vanity Fair 

Prepare a Midnight Margarita and Enjoy These 25 Secrets About Practical Magic

Cool, Shocking Facts You Never Knew About Practical Magic – Business Insider

Practical Magic Got Cursed by an Actual Witch. Is That Why It Bombed? 

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The Satanic Haunted House of Cortijo Jurado

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A string of mysterious murders of young women made the suspicion land on the people residing in the House of Cortijo Jurado. It is now believed to be haunted as it was a place for gruesome satanic rituals. 

In the Campanillas neighborhood in the outskirts of Malaga there is an old mansion from the 19th century that used to belong to the wealthy Heradia family from La Rioja. They built the house with 365 windows, one for each day.  

Read more: Check out all of our ghost stories from Spain

In later years the mansion has been called Casa Encantada (House of the Enchanted), but it is more sinister than fairy tale-like and mostly known as a satanic murder house for those interested in the paranormal. 

The Missing Women Victims of Satanic Rituals

This bourgeois 19th century English Gothic styled mansion was the location of suspected kidnappings of the local girls. In the span of over 30 years from 1890 to 1920 at least 5 young girls went missing in the area, and some of them showed up dead near a river close to the house covered in strange wounds. People thought that the wounds had to be from the satanic ritual and torture the girls went through in their final moments.  

The Unsolved Murders: There was a string of mysterious murders that happened to the women in the nearby villages. The mansion was soon tied to the crimes and people started to speculate about satanic rituals going on inside of the house. // Source: Tyk/ wikimedia

Rumours spread that those in the mansion together with the other rich families in the area had something to do with the disappeared and dead girls and that there were tunnels built under the house and chambers underneath it used for torture. Legend has it that the missing women were used for satanic rituals. 

Whether it is true or not that the family in the mansion had anything to do with it, it is actually true that many young girls disappeared in this period, they could never prove anything. Although local lore claims that the rich family used their wealth to escape justice. 

The Ghosts of Cortijo Jurado

After this, many claim to have heard strange noises coming from the Cortijo Jurado and seeing ghostly figures in the darkened windows of the first floors and in the courtyard. It was believed to be the ghosts of the missing girls and that they are still calling for help and trying to prove and show what really happened to them.  

Read more: Check out all of our ghost stories set in Haunted Houses from around the world.

In the basement there is according to the legends the torture instruments used on the girls who are allegedly buried under the house. 

They have actually found the hidden tunnels, although they are now blocked off. The testimony we have of this comes from Manuel Martin who did a dare in front of his friends to go into the tunnels in 1942 the workers of the property had found. 

He came back out white as a sheet and told about the torture machines and bones he had seen. The man kept to his words for years according to both his neighbors as well as those that have done research on it. Who really knows where they lead?

Prison During the Spanish Civil War

The house was also used as a hospital as well as a prison during the civil war were torture and executions were also a part of the every day occurrences in the building, further staining the walls with death and blood. 

The urban explorers that uncovered the hidden tunnels underneath the house then uncovered what looked like a torture room as well. Perhaps it even predated the war one may wonder. 

Plans of Renovations

The house is today abandoned and mostly in ruins, although not completely forgotten. In 2000 they tried to make a movie with the haunted mansion as a location and a backdrop, but because of weird accidents and failure of the battery and electric equipment that bothered the production, they had to give up and the movie was never completed. 

Abandoned Building: There is a long time since anyone lived in the mansion. There have been several attempts of fix the place up and turn it into a resort, although it still hasn’t happened. //Source: Nicky69es/wikimedia

In 2004 they approved plans to renovate the place into a 4 star hotel, but the plans fell through in 2015 as the economic crisis hit. 

Today you can spot the haunted mansion on the nearby motorway,  a dark spot on Costa del Sol’s bright days. 

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References:

Cortijo Jurado, haunted house in Malaga with mystery and disappearances
Cortijo Jurado – Wikipedia
The 5 most Haunted Places in Spain
The 10 most famous haunted houses in Spain — idealista
Ten paranormal places that you can actually visit in Spain

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The Murderous Werewolf of Allariz

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Spain’s first recorded serial killer was caught killing people up in the Galician mountains. His crimes were horrible in itself, but his defense was even more gruesome. According to him he was cursed to be a werewolf without his human will, and was remembered as The Werewolf of Allariz.

For centuries, the mythical creature of the werewolf has been the subject of countless tales, striking fear into the hearts of villagers and captivating the imaginations of storytellers alike. But how much of this terrifying legend is rooted in truth? 

Read more: Check out all of our ghost stories from Spain

From the dark forests of Galicia, Spain, to the eerie moonlit nights where the beast is said to roam, this hair-raising journey will leave you questioning what lies beyond our realm of understanding and has since been known as The Werewolf of Allariz. 

The Werewolf of Allariz Legend

At the cusp of the 19th century, Allariz, a small town in Orense, experienced a series of horrible crimes. The Galician forest seemed especially dark when 13 people disappeared and were found brutally murdered inside of it.

They found the man that confessed to the murders, but what was especially strange about this was his reasoning for the murderers. 

Manuel Blanco Romasanta, the murderer, told a story that no one really wanted to believe. He said when he was a teenager when someone put a curse on his family and he was turned into a werewolf every full moon. During these full moon turns, he lost all human consciousness and because of the beast in him, he killed and devoured the flesh of his victims.

Werewolves: There have been told stories about werewolves since ancient times. Some have even made it into trial. From The Book of Werewolves: Being an Account of a Terrible Superstition. — London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1865.

Romasanta is Spain’s first documented serial killer. His case was a sensation, not only because of the brutality of his crimes but also because of the werewolf claims. The legend of the Werewolf of Allariz had come to life, blurring the lines between myth and reality. Romasanta’s trial shed light on the dark underbelly of human nature and the fascination with the supernatural.

Romasanta Unusual Background

Romasanta, also known as the Tallow Man was born in 1809 in Regueiro in Ourense Province in Spain to a rather wealthy family that provided their children with education. He was one of five children in the family and at first he was thought to have been female. That is why he spent his first sex years being raised as a girl with the name Manuela. When he was six there was a doctor that rearranged his sex to male. 

So we might have a case of an intersex person, as the birth certificate said girl, but this was the 1800s, and there was not a science or wording that can confirm it as we know of it today. We do know he lived most of his life as a male though, working as a tailor and married to a woman that passed away. There is no indication of him being involved in her death. 

After her death, he left his job and started to travel, mainly to Portugal, and soon started to work as a guide through the mountain passes and deep woodlands among other things. 

In the 1840s at the time of a great famine and mass hysteria where the world was seen as a dangerous place, a man named Antonio Gomes showed up in a small village called Rebordechao. He helped with the harvest, worked as a cook, made yarn and worked as a guide to follow people safely over the thesaurus mountains. 

He was a short man with feminine features and became very friendly with the women in the town. But then strange things started to happen the next few years as women and children that had hired this man as their guide and trusted him, started to disappear. 

In reality, Antoni Gomez was actually Blanco Romasanta that lived under a disguise and was on the run for killing a man that tried to collect a depth. 

Although Romasanta kept delivering letters to the families to the disappeared, something was strange. Especially when he started selling the clothes of the disappeared in town. And a rumor started about him selling soap that was made from human fat, hence the nickname, The Tallow Man. 

He was brought to trial in 1852 and taken to Allariz where he had the strangest defense. At the time he was arrested he was carrying a lunar calendar.  

The Trial of Manuel Blanco Romasanta

The trial of Manuel Blanco Romasanta captivated the nation and brought the Werewolf of Allariz into the spotlight. As the evidence against him mounted, Romasanta’s story of being cursed by a witch and transformed into a werewolf became more and more difficult to believe.

The Werewolf of Allariz confessed to 13 murders and had this to say about his time as a werewolf:“The first time I transformed, was in the mountains of Couso. I came across two ferocious-looking wolves. I suddenly fell to the ground and began to feel convulsions, I rolled over three times, and a few seconds later I was a wolf. I was out marauding with the other two for five days, until I returned to my own body, the one you see before you today, Your Honour. The other two wolves came with me, who I thought were also wolves, changed into human form. They were from Valencia. One was called Antonio and the other Don Genaro. They too were cursed… we attacked and ate a number of people because we were hungry.” — Manuel Blanco Romasanta

The court asked The Werewolf of Allariz to transform in court, but he said that the curse had been broken as it only lasted for 13 years.

The Werewolf of Allariz: Manuel Blanco Romasanta were tried tin 1852 after killing people in the Galican mountains. His defence was that he was in fact a werewolf.

Some experts suggested that Romasanta may have been suffering from a psychological disorder, such as clinical lycanthropy, which caused him to believe he was a werewolf. Others argued that he was simply a cold-blooded killer using the werewolf myth as a cover for his crimes.

The Werewolf of Allariz ended up being acquitted for four of the murders he had confessed to as forensic science indicated that it was actually wolf attacks and not the butchering by a human as the other nine. 

He escaped the death penalty as there were people that wanted to study him and observe his claim as a werewolf and clinical lycanthropy as a psychological illness and even the Queen of Spain intervened so that they could study him. He died in prison though under mysterious circumstances only months after arriving. Some say that it was an illness, some say he was shot by a guard that wanted to see him transform. 

The legend of the Werewolf of Allariz continues to captivate audiences to this day, serving as a reminder of our fascination with the supernatural and the unknown. Werewolves have long been a staple of folklore and mythology, appearing in stories from cultures around the world.

The Myth of the Galician Werewolf

But where did the murderer take all of the werewolf lore from? The concept of a shapeshifting human was not a foreign concept in Galician folklore at all, and there were many tales and certain rules for a werewolf. 

In Galician folklore, it is a belief that the seventh son of a family can become a werewolf, or lobishome. If the child is born normal, it will be born with the image of a cross inside of his mouth. If not, he will become a werewolf. 

Read More: Check out the stories about The History and Legends of the Haunted Abbaye De Mortemer or The Haunted Black Forest of Fairy Tales for more stories about werewolves.

There are different variations to the myth, but most of them claim that during a full moon, they can’t help themselves to transform and roll in mud before starting to attack people.Every Friday the werewolf will shed his clothes and run off, visiting seven villages and taking another skin from that village.
 The Enduring Fascination with Werewolves

The Lobishomen: The Galician mythology have told stories about shape shifting people long before the Werewolf of Allariz were caught.

But what is it about these creatures that continues to capture our imaginations? Perhaps it is the idea of transformation, of a human turning into a beast under the light of the full moon. Or maybe it is the duality of their nature, the struggle between the human and the animal within.

Whatever the reason, werewolves have become an enduring part of popular culture, appearing in books, movies, and television shows. From the classic horror films of the early 20th century to the modern-day werewolf romances, these creatures continue to fascinate and terrify us.

So the next time you find yourself walking through a dark forest on a moonlit night, remember the legend of the Werewolf of Allariz and the power that stories have to both terrify and captivate. And who knows, you may just catch a glimpse of something lurking in the shadows, a creature caught between the worlds of man and beast.

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References:

Unusual Historicals: Myth & Folklore: Lobisome, the Galician Werewolf
Lycanthropy, were-wolves, and “lobo da xente” (full post)
Manuel Blanco Romasanta | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers
Manuel Blanco Romasanta – Wikipedia
Haunted Spain, stories for an All Hallows Eve – CaramelTrail

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Ghost of the Dombivli Railway Station that wants to go Home

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Some of the busiest railway stations can also be the most dangerous. Dombivli Railway Station is said to be haunted by the people that tried to make it home, but never got off the tracks.

Source

Dombivli Railway Station stands as both a vital transport hub and a chilling portal to the unknown according to the local legends. It is an old station and was built in 1886. Amidst the hustle and bustle of commuters and trains, whispers of paranormal activity linger like a haunting melody from the platforms.

Read more: Check out all of the ghost stories from India

Dombivli itself is a suburban city by the Ulhas river in Maharashtra outside of Mumbai where a lot of people are passing by. The station is also the busiest railway station on the Central line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway with five platforms and over 300 thousands of commuters daily. 

Death By Crossing the Tracks

Close by the bigger station in Dombivli you will find Kopar Rail Crossing—a seemingly innocuous intersection that belies its sinister reputation. According to local lore, this crossing has claimed the lives of many unfortunate souls. Before they built a bridge over the crossings, trespassing over the tracks claimed over hundreds of lives each year around the surrounding stations. 

Kopar Station is another stop in Dombivli city and the locals claim there is another paranormal reason for all of these deaths. According to some, there is an evil spirit around this place that lures people on the tracks. They say that they lose their consciousness and walk to the middle of the tracks without a reason to wait for the oncoming train.

Some say that the ghost is from one of these crossing incidents. Other variations say that she is waiting for the trail to arrive at the station. 

Deadly Crossing: The crossing over this train station is said to be very dangerous. Some say that the victims that were hit crossing the tracks are haunting the place. Some say that the place itself has a weird energy that draws people out on the tracks. // Source

The Crying Woman on the Platform

But back to the Dombivli Railway Station itself that are haunted by more than one ghost. There is one ghost story from this stop that are told more than the others:

One chilling account tells of a man on the trains late at night, who encountered a mysterious woman at the platform or crossing, depending on the different sources telling the story. Appearing to be in her forties or fifties in an office outfit, the woman was seen weeping inconsolably. When questioned about why she was crying and if she needed any help, she said she wanted to go home, but couldn’t.

The man returned to Dombivli Railway Station the next day with a friend, and saw the same woman crying. He tried to discuss it with his friend, but to his utter bewilderment, the friend couldn’t see the woman at all. 

The Haunting at Dombivli Railway Station

Commuters talk about not only the story about the crying woman on the platform at Dombivli Railway Station, but a sense of a strange energy seeming to stay on the overcrowded station. 

There are also said to be heard some strange and scary wailing that are echoing through the haunted station. When the haunted rumors really started circulating about Dombivli Railway Station is hard to pinpoint. The earliest sources online at least come from 2014 (at least the earlier English sources.)

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References:

https://hauntingindia.blogspot.com/2015/10/top-10-haunted-places-in-dombivli.html

Track accidents fail to curb trespassing at Kopar railway station | Mumbai news – Hindustan Times 

Dombivli – Wikipedia 

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The Ghost of Comte Arnau on his Fiery Horse

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According to this Barcelonian legend, there is the ghost of Comte Arnau that is cursed to roam the world in his afterlife because of his sins as a cruel ruler and stealing the dead body of a nun that he had seduced. 

Spain, known for its rich folklore and legends, is home to many tales of ghostly apparitions and haunted locations. Among these stories, one of the most enduring and spine-chilling is that of Comte Arnau’s ghost. According to local lore, Comte Arnau was a feudal lord in the 14th century, known for his dark deeds and sinister reputation. 

Read more: Check out all of our ghost stories from Spain

The legend of Comte Arnau has been passed down through generations in Catalan mythology and is the subject of a classic Catalan ballad from the 16th century Cançó del comte l’Arnau. According to the legend, he was a nobleman from Ripolles and only known for his cruelty. 

Those who claimed to have encountered his spectral presence describe a feeling of unease and dread, as if they are being watched by an otherworldly force. But who was Comte Arnau, and what led to his eternal damnation? 

The Remains of the Mataplana Castle

There are different theories about where the story about the Comte Arnau came from and where he resided and was a lord of. One of the theories is from the Mataplana Castle.

Mataplana Castle: The ruins of the castle were Comte Arnau was thought to live. // Source: Enric/wikimedia

Located in the heart of the Catalan Pyrenees, this medieval fortress served as the seat of power for the Arnau family according to the legends, as it was for a long time lost. 

They have found remains of a castle built in the 12th century that seems like there really was a real Romanesque castle attached to the legend. Nowadays only the chapel and the remains of the castle can be see by the naked eye but next to it underground there is a whole neighbourhood just waiting for a full excavation.

If there really was a lord like Comte Arnau there though is highly speculative. We know that in the 14th century it became the residence of Count Artau of Pallars. He was for a long time thought to be the mythic character of Count Arnau.  

Castell de Mataplana: There is only a chapel and pieces of the old wall left today. //Source: Àlex/Wikimedia

History of the Virgin Chapel and the Montgrony Sanctuary

In the heart of the Pyrenees, nestled among the rugged mountains, lies the Montgrony Sanctuary. This sacred site has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries, drawing devout worshippers and curious visitors alike. At the heart of the sanctuary stands the Virgin Chapel, a small stone building that holds a deep spiritual significance.

He was not a reliable lord and he abused his power whenever he could. For example he had promised his workers that they would get a bag of wheat for every step they built up to the Virgin Chapel and the Montgrony Sanctuary. The workers completed the steps, but the count didn’t hold his promise and didn’t pay them. 

The Dark Deeds of Comte Arnau

Comte Arnau was a man of wealth and power, ruling over his lands with an iron fist. But beneath his noble facade lay a twisted and depraved nature, driven by his insatiable desires.He was set up for an arranged marriage with a 15 year old girl he didn’t find attractive. Twice her age, he sought other women.

One of Comte Arnau’s most notorious acts was his seduction of the abbess of the Sant Joan de les Abadesses Monastery. The young abbess, innocent and naive, fell under his spell, unable to resist his advances. Their illicit affair continued in secret, until tragedy struck and she died.

It is said that during a violent storm, Comte Arnau decided to steal the body of the abbess and ride off into the night. As he galloped through the treacherous terrain, his horse lost its footing, sending both rider and corpse hurtling over the edge of a cliff. The fall was fatal, but Comte Arnau’s spirit was not released to the afterlife. Instead, he was condemned to roam the earth as a restless ghost, forever haunted by his dark deeds.

Because of his sins, his soul was damned and he was cursed to ride his horse on stormy nights for all eternity. You can see him followed by a pack of wild dogs, more like hell dogs as they spit fire through their mouths, ears and eyes. 

The Fiery Horse: The count has been known for riding on his fiery horse on stormy nights after he was condemned to wander the earth for all eternity for his crimes.

In the song the count visits his wife and daughters, riding a fiery horse after he is condemned and haunts them. He appears at the foot of a grate where she is embroidering and tries to grab her, in order to burn her and make her follow to hell. It is said that the count visited his wife every night for seven whole years. Seven years that was the time that the mourning lasted.

The Ghosts of the Lord

The story of Comte Arnau’s downfall serves as a cautionary tale, a reminder of the consequences that await those who give in to their darkest impulses. His ghostly presence in Barcelona is a constant reminder of the sins he committed and the eternal punishment he now endures.

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References:

https://web.archive.org/web/20090608194722/http://usuarios.lycos.es/allagostera/trobadors/arnau.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/20090408133543/http://usuarios.lycos.es/allagostera/trobadors/excava.htm
Comte Arnau – Wikipedia13 Barcelona Haunted Houses & Places that will creep you out

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Calcutta High Court and the Ghost Seeking Justice

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The sound of anklets is heard throughout the old building of Calcutta High Court, thought to be the ghost of a woman who is still seeking justice in her afterlife. 

In Kolkata, lies the imposing edifice of Calcutta High Court in its red colored colonial architecture. While by day it’s suppose to serve as a symbol of justice and legal proceedings, by night, whispers abound of spectral apparitions and eerie phenomena that haunt its corridors. 

Read more: Check out all of the ghost stories from India

The building was built in 1872, ten years after the court itself was established. Calcutta High Court is the oldest high court in India. Among the most chilling tales is that of the ghosts of convicts, their restless spirits lingering within the court’s walls, the story about the ghost of the woman wearing anklets is looming larger than the rest.

Calcutta High Court: With its recognizable red building, the Calcutta High Court is thought to be haunted and is said to house more than one ghost. //Source: Wikimedia

The Headless Woman Haunting Calcutta High Court

Among these tormented spirits, none are more feared than the ghost of a convict who met her fate at the gallows. Legend has it that her execution was a spectacle witnessed by scores of onlookers. In death, her presence lingers, her restless spirit haunting the very courtroom where his fate was sealed.

Witnesses who venture into Calcutta High Court after dark speak of chilling encounters with the convict’s ghost. Most stories come from those that have worked at the court for years. Some claim to have heard his disembodied cries echoing through the empty corridors, while others swear they’ve seen his phantom form lurking in the shadows. 

Perhaps most notably is the sound of her steps, as you can hear the sound of her ankle bracelets as she walks down the corridors. When they see her though, they see that she is missing her head. 

There is one story told from two people that worked at the court, Manamohan and Vajahari Paitandi. It was a winter night and they were working later than the rest. Manamohan went to the toilet that was at the end of a long and dark corridor. That is when he heard the sound of the ankle bracelets. 

When Vajahari went to find his college, he found him lying on the floor. A woman was sitting beside him, trying to wake him by splashing water in his face. It was the headless ghost and she just disappeared when Vajahari came closer. He managed to wake him and together they ran out of the place.

The Prostitute Seeking Justice

Haunted Hallways: Several of the staff members claim to have seen the ghost of the headless woman haunting the halls. //Source: Wikimedia

But who was this woman who was haunting the halls without her head? If we are to believe the stories, she was a prostitute named Nistar Raut. She wanted to start fresh and remove her name from the registered sex workers. 

She had fallen in love with Shalikhram, a businessman dealing with diamonds and wanted to marry him. The judges of the court didn’t like this though, as she was a beautiful woman. They didn’t want to lose access to her and the men tried to talk her out of it. She refused though and they turned their eye on Shalikhram. 

He too refused to listen to them and one of her former clients, a very influential man, accused the couple for a robbery and he was arrested in 1881. 

What really happened after this is a bit of a mystery. The police found Nistar’s body after a few days in the garden of her lover with her head cut off. She wore nothing except for her ankle bracelets. 

After this, it is said that her ghost is still roaming the court that denied her the life that she wanted for herself. 

The Ghost Looking for Water

But the headless woman is not the only ghost said to haunt Calcutta High Court. From the eerie sound of rattling chains to inexplicable cold drafts that chill the air, countless reports of paranormal activity have fueled the court’s reputation as a hotbed of supernatural phenomena. 

Another ghost said to roam is the 19th century poet Tapis. He had protested against the British East India Company and the oppression the Indian people faced under colonial rule. He was imprisoned and denied water and food for a long time. 

He was eventually executed after a long time without anything to drink. After his death, the rumor about him haunting the court started to spread where they said that the ghost of Tapis was searching for water. 

The Haunted Room No. 11 at Calcutta High Court

The haunting is said to happen around the whole court, but is especially concentrated inside of a particular room. Room No. 11 has over the years seen many convicts receiving the death sentence. 

Both notorious criminals and Indian revolutionaries are said to have been walked through a secret tunnel below the room to court and there are many people that claim that something paranormal is happening both inside as well as outside of the room. 

Policemen on duty don’t want to be put on guard outside of Room 11, some claiming to have seen the ghosts of prisoners sitting on the benches outside and walking in the corridors. 

So, the next time you find yourself near Calcutta High Court after dusk falls and the city sleeps, tread carefully and listen closely—for you may just hear the whispers of the convicts’ ghosts, their tales of sorrow and despair echoing through the hallowed halls of justice.

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References:

Featured Image: Paul Hamilton/Wikimedia

Ghostbusters coming to Calcutta High Court to probe haunting spirits 

The Most Haunted Places To Avoid After Midnight In Kolkata 

The ghost who loved: Tinkle of anklets from the corridors of Calcutta High Court

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Black Masses, the Devil and Witches at Mercat de Santa Caterina

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At the old marketplace in Barcelona Mercat de Santa Caterina there are stories about the devil that made an appearance after witches used to congregate on this place for black masses. 

Barcelona, a city steeped in history and rich in culture, has its fair share of haunted tales. Among the many haunted locations, Santa Caterina Haunted Market stands out as one of the most intriguing. 

Read more: Check out all of our ghost stories from Spain

The city’s turbulent past, marked by wars, plagues, and religious conflicts, has left an indelible imprint on its architecture and folklore. Barcelona’s ancient buildings and narrow streets seem to hold the secrets of a bygone era, and whispers of the past still echo through its cobblestone alleyways. From the Gothic Quarter to the Montjuïc Castle, stories of ghostly encounters and unexplained phenomena abound. This is also the case with the Santa Caterina Haunted Market that truly captures the imagination, drawing in thrill-seekers and history enthusiasts alike.

Mercat de Santa Caterina: The old traditional marked in Barcelona was once thought to be the place were witches met to hold black masses and where the devil himself made an appearance. //Source:Enric/Wikimedia

Santa Caterina Market, located in the heart of Barcelona, has a history that dates back over eight centuries. Let’s explore the significance of this market and how it became entwined with the supernatural.

The History and Significance of Mercat de Santa Caterina

This old market of Mercat de Santa Caterina dates back to 1845, but its history is even longer. It was built on top of the Convent of Santa Caterina from 1243. The Spanish government confiscated all of the church property in 1836, and the church itself was demolished only a year after. 

Mercat de Santa Caterina was the first market in Barcelona with a roof over its head. Before it got the new colorful roof it is known for today, it was a rattling one, that made violent sounds, scared children and it happened that the tile or ceramic flew off during the worst storms. People started to talk about that it was something else than the wind that made the sounds and rattling, and in these stories, even the devil himself made an appearance.

The Roof: The Santa Caterina Market is clearly visible now with its colored roof. //Source: Fred Romero/Wikimedia

Local folklore and beliefs surrounding the haunted market

The Santa Caterina Haunted Market has long been shrouded in local folklore and beliefs. Barcelona’s residents have passed down tales of supernatural occurrences and strange happenings for generations, creating a rich tapestry of ghost stories and legends. The market’s proximity to the ancient Convent of Santa Caterina only adds to its mystique, as many believe that the spirits of the nuns who once resided there still roam the halls.

Among the many haunting legends and ghost stories associated with the Santa Caterina Haunted Market, one tale stands out as particularly spine-chilling. According to local lore, the market was once the site of a black mass for witches, with the devil himself making an appearance according to numerous witnesses. 

Local lore claimed that whenever the Devil passed through Barcelona, he would make a visit to this place at midnight. It is said that during these dark ceremonies, the witches would invoke supernatural forces and perform rituals to harness their power.

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References:

El Mercat de Santa Caterina, una tormenta multicolor – Architecture Walks and Tours in Barcelona

Haunted and Mysterious Places in Barcelona | 19 Local Legends

¿Qué santo visitaba el convento que se levantó donde hoy está el mercado de Santa Caterina?

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Halloween Stories: Hop-tu-Naa and Jinny the Witch from Isle of Man

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The ancient Halloween celebration of Hop-tu-Naa on the Isle of Man has a lot of the old celtic traditions. They also sing about Jinny the Witch, a woman tried for witchcraft centuries ago.

Around the world there are many versions of celebrating the day of the dead and on the British Isles you’ll find many versions stemming from the Celtic Samhain celebrations that turned into the modern Halloween. One the remote Isle of Man, one of them is the Hop-tu-Naa.

Hop-tu-Naa is the traditional Celtic festival celebrated on the Isle of Man every October 31st, marking the beginning of winter and believed to be the oldest unbroken tradition on the island. Rooted in the ancient Gaelic festival of Samhain, Hop-tu-Naa was originally a time when people believed the veil between the living and the dead was thinnest, allowing spirits to roam. 

Hop-tu-naa turnip: Intricate designs of carved turnips have become an essential part of the celebration. //Source: Wikimedia

The Celtic Legacy on the Isle of Man

The Manx name for the holiday is Oie Houney. The Manx people is the Gaelic ethnic group from the Isle of Man that once ruled the Norse-Gaelic The Kingdom of the Isles and the Gaelic Dál Riata on the western seaboard of Scotland and north-eastern Ireland and Isle of Man is considered one of the six Celtic Kingdoms. 

The term Hop-tu-naa is from one of the songs they sing during the festival. The term is pure nonsense, and just meant to rhyme. 

Traditions of the Hop-tu-naa

As mentioned, this celebration is singing central, coming from the tradition when waist or mummers went from house to house to perform for gifts, much like the modern Trick or Treating. There is also a traditional Manx Hop-tu-Naa dance, a sort of simple processional dance. 

One of the traditional songs that children sing references Jinny the Witch, a local figure in Manx folklore, adding a unique touch of spooky folklore to the festival. According to Hampton Creer, Jinny’s real name was Joney Lowney from Braddan. She was a poor woman who used to beg her neighbors for food. According to the locals, bad luck followed those who refused her because of her proficiency in black magic. 

She was tried at Bishop’s Court for witchcraft in 1715 and 1716 where her “crime” was stopping the Ballaughton Corn Mill because she was furious about the poor quality of the grain and told the miller. After she had yelled at him, it is said that his machinery mysteriously stopped working. 

The locals thought she had cursed the mill and she was put on trial for witchcraft. She was sentenced to 14 days’ imprisonment, fined £3 and made to stand at the four market crosses dressed in sackcloth. 

In Scotland she may very well have been burn at the stake, but here she lived on for years. One of the many variations of her song goes like this:

Hop-tu-Naa
My mother’s gone away
And she won’t be back until the morning
Jinnie the Witch flew over the house
To fetch the stick to lather the mouse
Hop-tu-Naa
My mother’s gone away
And she won’t be back until the morning
Hop-tu-Naa, Traa-la-laa

Turnip Lanterns

You also had the jack-o-lanterns, or moots, a tradition of putting light inside of carved turnips for the performers and to ward off evil spirits. Although much of the tradition dates back centuries, it seems this tradition dates back to the early 1900s.

The modern version of Hop-tu-Naa has children dressing up, carrying these lanterns and going from house to house for sweets. Now the focus is on how they carve the turnips, but in the past the children would bring the stumps and batter the doors of those who didn’t want to give them money or sweets. 

There’s also a strong focus on seasonal foods, with dishes like “mrastyr,” a mixture of potatoes, parsnips, and fish, traditionally prepared for the night. Any remaining left overs were left outside for the fairies as offerings. They would also set fire to gorse to ward off bad faeries

Power of Divination on Hollantide

As with many of the first day of winter festivals from the British Isles, another central part of the celebration is divination and predicting the future for the coming year. This was because the veil between the worlds was thinnest this night. One tradition involved smoothing out fireplace ashes before bed to see the imprint of a foot in the morning—if the footprint pointed outward, it foretold death, but if inward, it indicated a birth.

Another ritual involved making a “Dumb Cake” (Soddag Valloo) in silence, with young women participating. They would bake the cake on the hearth, eat it quietly, and go to bed walking backwards, hoping to dream of their future husband, who would offer them water in the vision.

Other forms of divination included stealing and roasting a salt herring in silence or holding water and salt while listening to a neighbor’s conversation to divine a future spouse’s name. Some also thought stealing the neighbors herring would tell the future.

Today, Hop-tu-Naa is still celebrated on the Isle of Man with a mixture of ancient customs, turnip carving, and an eerie blend of folklore, continuing to connect modern Manx culture to its deep Celtic roots. The festival’s mysterious and supernatural elements, combined with its long-standing traditions, make it a hauntingly unique way to mark the arrival of winter.

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References:

Manx people – Wikipedia

Hop-tu-Naa (dance) – Wikipedia

Hop-tu-Naa – Wikipedia 

Hop-Tu-Naa: The Celtic festival celebrated every Halloween on the Isle of Man | Sky HISTORY TV Channel

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Spiorad na mBarna and Moll O’Shaughnessy Restless Spirit

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A heinous murder sent shockwaves in the small village known as Barna in Ireland. Ever since then Spiorad na mBarna or Moll O’Shaughnessy as the murderer was named, has said to be haunting the place. 

Every corner of Ireland holds its own ghostly secrets, and within the rural landscape outside Newcastle West in Co. Limerick lies one of the nation’s most chilling tales—the legend of Spiorad na mBarna, which means the Spirit of Barna in Irish or Old Barna. 

Read More: Check out all of the ghost stories from Ireland

This haunting story traces its origins back to the late 1800s, with a woman named Moll O’Shaughnessy being the real woman behind the legend of the ghost that is said to still linger in Barna. 

Moll O’Shaughnessy the Murderer

Barna, even in modern times, remains a small community where everyone knows everyone, but in the late 1800s, it was even more so. Thus, the shocking and brutal murders committed by Moll O’Shaughnessy sent shockwaves through the area. 

Moll was seen as a good natured, calm and nice mother and wife and well liked in the community. This was until she mercilessly murdered her husband and their young child in a fit of uncontrollable rage. Showing that we might never truly know a person and what they are capable of. There was no answer as to why she did it, and the villagers certainly didn’t give her much time to explain her actions.

The villagers were shocked and the community’s response to her heinous acts was equally gruesome—they sentenced her to a gruesome death, rolling her in a barrel lined with sharp and rusted nails down a hill according to some legends.

Another version says she was caught in the act and hanged. The third version of the legend claims that she died of natural causes and she was doomed to walk the grounds for eternity as penance for her crimes. 

The Restless Spirits of Spiorad na mBarna

Over the years following her execution, residents of Barna claimed to have encountered Spiorad na mBarna spirit in various forms. Sometimes, she appeared as a weeping woman, while other times, she manifested as a rabid greyhound, spreading terror throughout the surrounding areas. 

It is said that when the Spiorad na mBarna haunted the village as a hound, she would torment the farmers during harvest. When she showed up in her human form, it was said she would try to get on the horses of men passing the area after dark.

Her reign of fear culminated in yet another murder when an unfortunate rider passed under the Old Barna Bridge and emerged lifeless on the other side—victimized by the bloodthirsty Spiorad na mBarna.

Seeking Redemption:

With their community terrorized, the distressed locals called upon a holy man from the nearby Parish of Athea to exorcize the malevolent spirit that wouldn’t let the locals alive. 

According to legend, he imposed a penance on Moll’s restless soul and it is said she had to “emptying the Red Sea with a thimble full of holes”, whatever that means. 

While this act seemed to quell her murderous rage, the memory of Spiorad na mBarna still lingers in the West Limerick region. Many claim to have encountered her spirit, and the eerie details of her haunting continue to captivate and perplex.

A Face in the Stone of the Old Barna Bridge

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Perhaps the most chilling detail of this ghostly legend is etched in stone—literally. The Old Barna Bridge, still standing today, bears the image of a face—a face forever captured in a scream of terror.

What’s more, numerous witnesses attest that this eerie visage moves within the bridge’s stones. It may appear in the top right-hand stone, lower down, or even on the opposite side of the bridge. Passersby often stop to count the stones and point out the spectral face they say is the Spiorad na mBarna etched into it.

As you pass beneath the shadow of the Old Barna Bridge, the feeling of being watched may send shivers down your spine, making this chilling tale of a restless spirit one that will stay with you long after the daylight fades.

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Haunted Ireland: The terrifying tale of Spiorad Na mBarna | The Irish Post 

Old Barna | Haunted Limerick, Ireland | Spirited Isle

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The Witch Caves of Zugarramurdi

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During one of the biggest witch trials in Spain, there was one place that was thought to be more filled with witchcraft than others. In the so-called Witch Caves of Zugarramurdi in the Basque country, it was said that witches gathered for sabbaths and akellares.

The witch hunt hit Europe hard, and Spain was no different. The Inquisition in Spain was brutal and perhaps one of the darkest chapters in the history of the country. The church and its helpers took everyone that the catholic deemed inappropriate, witches, heretics alike. 

In Navarre, north in the country close to the French border, the forest of the Pyrenees grew thick and legends, strange rites and rumors of witches were especially strong there. 

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Especially in the deep darkness of the caves of Zugarramurdi the haunted legends from the past echoes throughout the walls of the cave. You can find them just 400 meters from the village through the woods. 

The Witch Caves of Zugarramurdi: These caves in Zugarramurdi in northern, Spain were long thought to be a popular place for witches to meet and conduct witchcraft and demonic sabbaths.

Inside of the 120 meters long cave that towers over 10 meters is the stream called Oblabidea that runs through it. The stream was also known as Infernuko Erreka, or the stream of hell and was a perfect place for the witches to hold their sabbats. 

The Magical and Mysterious Basque Country

Already in the 1100s, the Basque country was described as barbaric and mysterious from southern Spain’s perspective. The place was also a misty and heavily wooded terrain with few people that spoke a foreign and as they describe it, harsh sounding language. 

Belief in witches were actually quite low compared to the rest of Europe at that time, and the educated Spaniards saw witchcraft as a protestant superstition as well as something only the “uneducated” northerners believed in. Still, being accused as a witch was a very deadly thing as the people of Zugarramurdi would soon find out. 

The Tribunal of the Spanish Inquisition in Logrono received intel that there were witches and wizards in Zugarramurdi and became involved in one of the most brutal and biggest witch hunts in Spanish history with over 7000 investigated for witchcraft. 

In 1610 take came to Zugarramurdi that means the hill of elm trees to investigate the suspicions. The people of Zugarramurdi had long traditions of making creams and herbal medicine that were unknown to the rest of the country. There were also more women as the men were at sea for months on whaling boats, something that the authorities saw as unfortunate and suspicious with villagers filled with women going on about their days with the men away. 

There were also the strange things that the number of stillborns were abnormally higher than the rest of Spain. This has turned out to be because the Basques have a very high percentage of Rhesus Negative blood. Although we today have a scientific explanation on it, they used to think they were cursed. 

The Witch Trials of Zugarramurdi

It all started when a 20-year old girl came back to the town after living many years in France. For some reason she started to tell everyone that she had been one of those participating in Akelarres, or the witch sabbaths. 

Then she started to involve more people and claimed that a woman named Maria de Jureteguis had been involved as well. This is when things escalated and more and more of the locals started to accuse each other for witchcraft. 

Over 300 became involved in the investigation, almost the whole village. The witch hunters rounded up over 40 women and men that the neighbors had accused and brought them back to Logorno to await trial. 

Many of them repented and were let go in the end, but some of them were tortured for months and five died in prison. There were 7 that were burned at the stake. 

When the trial had ended all of them were dragged through the streets with no hair and big wax candles in their hands. A lot of them were wearing a tunic called sanbenitos to show people that they had sinned. Some had a rope around their necks to show they were about to be flogged. The remains of those that died were carried to the pyre and four women and two men were burned as they kept denying they were witches. 

Their names were Domingo de Subildegui, María de Echachute, Graciana Xarra, Maria Baztan de Borda, Maria de Arburu and Petri de Joangorena. Not all of them were from Zugarramurdi town, but were all condemned for participating in the witch sabbath there. 

It was the notorious Inquisitor Valle-Alvardo who came to town and rounded up everyone they thought looked and seemed out of sorts as a last effort to root out evil from Navarre in what became known as the Basque Witch Trials. 

A madness and witch fever because of what happened were getting out of hand and thousands upon thousands were accused of witchcraft all across the country. A man went back to Zugarramurdi and spent 18 months talking with them. It turned out that most of the accusations were false, but alas, for many it was already too late. 

Akelarre – the Spanish Witch Sabbath

Akelarre literally means the pasture of the he-goat in Basque, and according to the tribunal it was where the witches met up with Satan. Today the word is synonymous with Witch Sabbath in Spain. 

The Akelarre and the witch sabbath lore seems to have been the pagan remains of the rituals from before christianity. This type of female worship in groups has been done since the classical Greece times when worshiping Dionysus, perhaps even before. 

Witch Sabbaths: The painting Akelarre  from 1798, by Francisco Goya.

People over Europe were accused of these types of gatherings, but if there was actually anyone doing it is highly uncertain, even though pagan remains of the past have lasted for a much longer time in remote places than the church would have liked it to. 

Read more: Check out all of our ghost stories about: Witches

Some of the things the accused witches of Zugarramurdi werre thought to do was demonic possession, vampirism, celebrating black masses and causing storms, as well as cursing the fields and animals among other things. 

The Witches in the Caves

Why was it that there were so many accused of witchcraft right here in this quaint little village? Some of it had to do with the rumors of the caves nearby where people claimed to have seen big bonfires and pagan festivities by the locals, the witches. 

According to legend, the rest of the witches of Zugarramurdi went into hiding in some caves outside of the town after their time on trial. To get away from the town that wanted them dead and gone.  Perhaps it was to practice their rites and witchcraft in peace, far from the deadly hands of the inquisition?

The story goes that you can still hear the echoes of their magical chanting and dancing around the fires. 

Inside of it they have a throne room, where the devil himself would join the witches during the sabbath. 

The Witch Caves of Zugarramurdi Today

Today it is still an important place for the modern-day witches in Spain and they honor the reputation and the magical place of Zugarramurdi and the caves people once thought were a place for devil worship. 
The town of Zugarramurdi also established the witch museum to remember the town’s dark past and holds yearly fests in the famous cave. 

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References:

The Witches of Zugarramurdi – the scene was set!

Basque Fact of the Week: Zugarramurdi, the Town of Witches

Haunted Spain, stories for an All Hallows Eve – CaramelTrail

Ten paranormal places that you can actually visit in Spain