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The Walled Up Man’s Echoes at Sendlinger Tor

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From within the old city gate, Sendlinger Tor in Munich, it is said that the voice of the ghost is haunting its remains. If you listen carefully, it is said the laments of the man walled up inside of the gate lingers. 

As part of the old city wall around Munich, The Sendlinger Tor (translated: Sendling Gate) is a city gate at the southern extremity of the historic old town area of Munich. It served as a fortification for defence and is one of Munich’s three remaining gothic town gates. Separating the old city from the Isar suburb, it lies at the southern end of Sendlinger Strasse. 

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In addition to being a remnant of a medieval city, it is also said to be still housing a medieval ghost of a man that could perhaps still be inside the city walls.

Sendlinger Tor: It is first mentioned in 1319, but likely existed earlier. The gate and defensive structure, originally consisting only of the central tower characteristic of Munich’s city gates, was  expanded around 1420 with the addition of two flanking towers, necessitated by the completion of the outer city wall. In 1318, the Sendlinger Gate was also first documented as the starting point for the route to Italy .

The Walled up Thief of Munich

In medieval times, absolute quiet reigned in Munich. No citizen was allowed to be outside after nightfall. This must have been in the early 1300s or onwards, when the second city wall which Sendlinger Tor was one of the four town gates was built. 

At that time, a wealthy patrician lived in the city. A money-grubbing man, he tirelessly plotted how he could increase his wealth even further. 

Access to the Sendlinger Tor via a footbridge, perhaps around 1775?

A band of robbers, eager to enter the city, discovered that this morally unstable man was a member of the city council. They bought him for an exorbitant amount of gold coins: he was to steal the key to the Sendlinger Gate and hand it over to the robbers, so that they could enter the city and rob the citizens.

So he stole the key to the Sendlinger Gate to join forces with a wicked fellow. The thief could enter the city at night and rob the citizens. He would then share the loot with the patrician. But the rich man was seen meeting with the bandit and reported to the magistrates. As punishment for his depravity, he was walled up alive in the Sendlinger Gate, the so-called Faust Tower. 

The Faust Tower: The Faust Tower between Sendlinger Tor and Heyturm was unique ; it stood on the inside of the wall as a small round tower with a stone conical roof, resting on a column. The date of construction of the small tower is unknown. It can already be seen on Jakob Sandtner’s model of Munich, but it is not mentioned by name until the 19th century.

The name Fausttürmchen (Little Fist Tower) derives from the finial that adorned the top of the conical roof. After severe weathering, its shape resembled a raised, clenched fist in the 19th century. It had a stone on top that looked like a fist. 

However, there is also a legend that the fist was intentionally placed there as a warning after the treacherous townsman was walled up alive. This stone glowed brightly between midnight and 1 a.m. whenever the executioner had put an innocent person to death. 

Even today, one can hear the patrician’s wailing and lamenting at night from the south tower of the Sendlinger Gate.” It is said that even today, if you press your ear against the stone wall at the Sendlinger Tor, you can still hear the traitor’s lamentations.

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References:

Gruselgeschichten aus München: An diesen 14 Orten soll es spuken 

Das Gespenst vom Alten Peter bringt die Pest | Abendzeitung München 

Fausttürmchen – Wikipedia 

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The Church of San Giuseppe: A Sacred Place Where Rain Still Falls

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In the woodlands on the Hill of the Dead, the Sanctuary of Somazzo or Church of San Giuseppe has been the place of a strange pilgrimage for ages. According to legend, praying to the three girls said to be entombed alive in the church is said to bring rain in times of drought. 

Near the Swiss-Italian border outside Brusata, in Novazzano, where the lush greenery of Ticino meets the rustic charm of Lombardy, stands the Church of San Giuseppe in Somazzo, also known as the Sanctuary of Somazzo, or even the Sanctuary of the Dead. The church on top of the Hill of the Dead in the middle of the woods is a serene yet haunting sanctuary with a story as mysterious as the mists that often gather around its spire. 

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The current religious building was constructed by expanding a previous oratory dedicated to San Cassiano, whose existence is attested as early as the 15th century where the oldest historical mention dates back to 1423. In the 17th to the 20th century, hermits used to settle around the sanctuary. In a visit from the bishop in 1671, the building was called “Oratorio delle Anime Purganti” and indicated a dedication to the souls in purgatory.

To the unassuming visitor, the Sanctuary of Somazzo may appear as just another picturesque rural church, but local legend speaks of a chilling sacrifice and a miraculous legacy tied to its stones.

Source

A Haunting Legend of Three Girls

According to oral tradition passed down, the Church of San Giuseppe hides a tragic and unsettling secret. The tradition comes to life during times of drought.

Long ago, during a time of religious fervor and superstition, three young girls were said to have been walled up alive on the north side of the Uggiate sanctuary because they resisted a lord who wanted to abuse them or because they wanted to keep the women’s fidelity to their husbands.. “To keep faith with the husband,” is written on the sanctuary wall.

Legend has it that a kiln worker from Riva San Vitale who was passing by heard their cries and helped them by offering them water with his hat through holes in the wall. As thanks they gave a prophecy: “When you are thirsty, come to us and we will quench your thirst.”

Miracles on the Hill of the Dead

The phenomenon has persisted well into modern times. Farmers and devout villagers from both sides of the border make their way to the hilltop Sanctuary of Somazzo during particularly dry seasons, holding onto hope, and often, walking away in awe when the skies open shortly after.

Rather than fading into obscurity, the legend grew. Over time, locals began to believe that these girls, martyred in silence, had been granted a unique and powerful gift: the ability to bring rain. In times of prolonged drought people began to climb the hill to San Giuseppe, praying to the spirits of the girls for relief. “Nem a tö l’acqua a Ügiaa,” they say in Riva.

A particularly memorable edition of the procession in Mendrisiotto was held in 1976. On that occasion, the faithful of Riva walked to the sanctuary at the height of a long drought. Their initiative was followed by several days of heavy rain. It rained so much that “the lake rose and the firefighters worked for weeks to empty our cellars.” as the river overflowed. 

As one who actually attended one a couple of the processions said: “I don’t believe it, but I can confirm,” an elderly man reports, “out of four processions I’ve attended, it rained four times.”

A Place of Faith and Mystery at the Sanctuary of Somazzo

The Church of San Giuseppe, humble in its architecture and quiet in demeanor, has become a spiritual focal point for those who believe in the intertwined powers of nature, sacrifice, and the divine. While no historical records confirm the story of the three girls walled up in the walls of the Sanctuary of Somazzo, the power of the tale endures. 

There are however the supposed relics of the three girls still kept at the sanctuary of the dead, dedicated to the people in purgatory.

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References:

La leggenda e la profezia In processione per l’acqua

Il piccolo valico che apre solo due volte l’anno (una per San Giuseppe) 

Santuario di Somazzo – Wikipedia

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The Ghosts of the Sinful Nuns Haunting Bern

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Once, the city of Bern was filled with nuns working and living inside of the city walls. According to ghost stories though, some of them remained, even after the Reformation that closed their convents down. And those stories tell about them being guilty of terrible things with terrible ends. 

In the winding alleys and cloistered ruins of Bern, ghosts drift beneath the vaulted ceilings of forgotten convents. Long before the Protestant Reformation swept through Bern in the early 16th century, the city throbbed with the sacred heartbeat of Catholic ritual. Monasteries, nunneries, and chapels dotted the cityscape, and pious women in black habits tended to the sick, the poor, and the orphaned. Some were devout and willing. Others were not.

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By November 1523, the tides had turned. Under pressure from reformist leaders, the Bernese city council ordered that the words of the Bible be preached directly—without the filter of Rome. Within months, the convents were abandoned. The once-sacred cloisters stood silent. But silence is not absence. And in Bern, some souls remained behind… trapped.

The Walled-Up Nun

One of the ghost stories that were told about the Bernese nuns was one left behind, still inside of her old convent walls, and it is said that even in death, her face cries out.

It was an ordinary day when a man, strolling past a decaying monastery wall near the heart of Bern, caught sight of something horrifying. The story doesn’t really specify which building this happened in. It is also a story that is said to have happened before 1919, as it was printed in a collection of ghost stories that year. 

Behind a narrow, crumbling window he claimed to have seen a face. Pale, pleading, trapped. He rushed into the building, but the room was empty. The very spot where she had stared down was bare stone and shadow. No sound. No warmth. No sign of life.

Haunted by the vision, he returned the next night. That’s when he heard it. A cacophony from beyond the walls: roars, thuds, the pounding of fists or perhaps hooves. Amidst the fury, a woman’s voice wept and moaned, begging for deliverance. He screamed for help. Together with another man, he began tapping along the walls until one section gave a hollow response. Stone by stone, they tore it open.

And there she was.

A skeleton, upright, impossibly intact, as though caught in her final scream. Her black robes hung in rags from brittle bones. A rosary was knotted in her clenched, skeletal hands. Her skull tilted ever so slightly toward the light, toward freedom that was denied.

She had been walled up alive. Whether for punishment, penance, or cruelty, no one knows. But her agony never left the stone.

The Dancing Beguines Around Christmas

On quiet, moonlit nights near the Nydeggbrücke, those with the rare gift of second sight may glimpse something truly otherworldly. Seven small lights rise from the river’s dark waters and begin to swirl and twirl, chasing one another in joyful abandon above the gentle current. This is from the collected ghost stories by Hedwig Correvon.

Beguines: Although they are called Beguines, were they really this? The Beguines were Christian lay religious orders that were active in Western Europe, particularly in the Low Countries, in the 13th–16th centuries. Their members lived in semi-monastic communities but did not take formal religious vows. Although they promised not to marry “as long as they lived as Beguines”, to quote an early Rule of Life, they were free to leave at any time. Beguines were part of a larger spiritual revival movement of the 13th century that stressed imitation of Jesus’ life through voluntary poverty, care of the poor and sick, and religious devotion.

These are no ordinary flames; they are the spirits of the Beguines, young women once cloistered in the monastery at Klösterlistutz against their will. According to legend, their restless souls are granted a fleeting moment of freedom each Christmas to dance above the river they were once forbidden to cross. As the clock at Nydegg Church strikes midnight, their ghostly game ends in a soft sigh and as they vanish, they are leaving only ripples on the water and a chill in the air.

The Sinful Nuns of the Old City Hall

There are also those claiming that a group of nuns have been haunting the area around the old cityhall at Rathaus for ages. Towards Schipfe, there is an iron door to the town halls, said to be so rusty that no one can open it. This is at least how it was described in 1919 in a collection of ghost stories from Bern. 

At night, it opened however and a group of nuns dressed in all black comes out, walking to the fountain. It is said that without saying anything they start to throw the small and dead bodies of children they have drowned in the well.

The Faithless Nun and Her Black Cat

Just beyond the medieval city’s old west gate lies Bubenbergraine, possibly an old name and most likely referring to the area now known as Bubenbergplatz in Bern. The Bubenbergplatz is a plaza in the Old City of Bern, the medieval city center. It is part of the area outside the third city walls. This is where the Holy Spirit Convent once stood, a place of quiet devotion, cloistered halls, and whispered transgressions. Though the convent was dissolved in the Reformation, not all its residents departed.

For over a century, a sleek, spectral black cat has haunted a house built on those same grounds. By day it hides in old cupboards or among the pergolas that once shielded nuns from worldly eyes. But at night, it stalks doorways and dreams.

One man, returning late, found the feline watching him. When he tried to shoo it, the cat’s eyes flashed like twin embers. Its body swelled to monstrous proportions. The man fell on the spot, unconscious. He died days later in inexplicable agony.

“The faithless nun beat him,” the old Bernese muttered. She had betrayed her vows in life—perhaps with men, perhaps with ambition. Whatever her sins, her punishment is eternal. She walks now in feline guise, dooming any who mock her presence.

She is not the only one.

The Poisoner of Bubenbergrain

Not all ghosts haunting the area called Bubenbergrain in the collection of ghost stories from Bern from 1919 were nuns though. Some spirits haunt out of guilt. Others out of pleasure.

On quiet, silver-drenched nights in Bubenbergrain, a woman appears on the terrace of her former home. Her face is still beautiful, adorned with the yellow Schwefelhütchen cap once worn by Bernese noblewomen. Moonlight glints on the gold chains of her ancient costume.

She stands at the very spot where she once mixed the poison meant for her husband and son, both of whom had discovered her betrayal when she had an affair. Both of whom now lie in Bernese soil. Though the years have passed, her spirit lingers. Those who have seen her say she never moves, never speaks, only watches.

Sacred Walls, Damned Souls

These are not sweet legends to comfort children. They are warning signs carved into Bern’s foundation. Once, these streets rang with the chants of nuns, the bells of convent towers, the echo of whispered prayers. But beneath those hymns lay darker stories of forced vows, secret lovers, silent punishments. And when the Reformation scattered the living, the dead stayed behind.

Ghostly cats now wander where piety once walked. Eyes shine from beneath doorsteps. Shadows rustle across crumbling convent walls. Some say they hear weeping at night from the stones of the Heiliggeistkirche, once the chapel of the Holy Spirit Convent. Others avoid Bubenbergraine entirely after sundown.

If you walk Bern’s Old Town, take heed. What looks like a cat may not be. What seems like a whisper may be a cry. And what appears to be a ruin may, in truth, still house the cloistered sins of centuries.

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References:

Märchenstiftung – Die eingemauerte Nonne (The Walled-Up Nun)

Märchenstiftung – Die treulose Nonne (The Faithless Nun)

Märchenstiftung – Die Giftmischerin (The Poisoner)

Wikipedia – Heiliggeistkirche (Bern)

P. Keckeis & M. Waibel, Legends of Switzerland, Bern, Zurich, 1986.

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The Haunted Corvin Castle: A Journey Through Romania’s Dark History

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Is Corvin Castle in Romania haunted by something? Perhaps the ghost of Vlad the Impaler? As one of the biggest castles in Europe it also houses a whole load of ghost stories. Who is hiding in the shadows?

Are you ready to embark on a spine-chilling journey through Romania’s dark history? Join me as we explore the haunted Corvin Castle, a place that has been the subject of countless legends, myths, and tales of horror. Built in the 15th century and considered as one of the Seven Wonders of Romania, this Gothic fortress has witnessed centuries of bloodshed, torture, and tragedy. 

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But the ghosts of the past still linger within its walls and as one of Europe’s biggest and old castles overlooking the Ziasti River, it’s bound to have a ghost story or two. 

Corvin Castle: The majestic Corvin Castle, a Gothic fortress steeped in history and legends, located in Hunedoara, Romania. Holding back the Ottoman army for years, it is filled with ghosts and the castle is believed to be some of the most haunted places in Romania. And that is saying something.

History of Corvin Castle

Corvin Castle, also known as Hunyadi Castle, is a Gothic-Renaissance fortress located in the town of Hunedoara, Romania. It was built on top of an old Roman camp in 1446 by John Hunyadi, a Hungarian military leader, and served as a strategic stronghold against the Ottoman Empire. He was a Voivode of Transylvania, the highest ranking official during the 12th and 16th century. Back then, it was a part of the Kingdom of Hungary, a monarchy that existed for nearly a millennium. Over the centuries, the castle has been expanded and renovated by various owners, including the Corvin family, who gave it its current name.

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Despite its impressive architecture and historical significance, the castle is best known for its dark and twisted past. It has been the site of numerous battles, sieges, and executions, and has been home to some of the most infamous figures in history. 

On 13 April 1854, Corvin Castle was struck by lightning, severely damaged and abandoned until 1869.

The Legend of the Raven: Some historians think John Hunyadi was the illegitimate son of King Sigimund of Luxemburg and an Elizabeth. To protect everyone, this was kept secret. Sigimund gave Elizabeth a gold ring for their son. When John grew up, Elizabeth gave him the ring. One day at lunch, John took off the ring, and a raven tried to steal it. John killed the raven with a bow and arrow and got the ring back. Later, he told the king (possibly his father) this story. Impressed, the king chose a raven with a gold ring for the Hunyadi family crest. The family liked this symbol, which stood for wisdom and longevity, and adopted the name Corvin, from the Latin word “Corvus” meaning Raven. It’s also said that Elizabeth used a raven to send a letter to Matthias when he and his brother were imprisoned, which is why the raven was the symbol of the Hungarian postal service for over a hundred years. The family also had a property called Raven’s Rock.

Dark Tales and Legends of Corvin Castle

The legends surrounding Corvin Castle are as numerous as they are chilling. One of the most famous tales involves Vlad the Impaler, who was imprisoned in the castle’s dungeon for seven years by John Hunyadi. According to legend, Vlad was kept in a small, dark cell and tortured mercilessly by his captors. This is what inspired him to impale his enemies, as it was what he did to the rats he ate alive in his cell. Some say that his ghost still haunts the castle’s halls to this day, seeking revenge against those who wronged him.

Vlad the Impaler: A historical depiction of Vlad the Impaler’s brutal methods of torture and execution, reflecting the dark history of Corvin Castle. Woodcut from the title page of a 1499 pamphlet published by Markus Ayrer in Nuremberg. It depicts Vlad III “the Impaler” (identified as Dracole wayde = Draculea voivode) dining among the impaled corpses of his victims.

If he really was is uncertain and most likely it’s a tall tale, but many of the tour guides of the castle show his holding cell they say he stayed in. Many say that he was imprisoned in 1462, but seeing that John Hunyadi was already dead by then, it carves a dent in the truth of the story. What has been said though, is that Bram Stoker was inspired by the castle, although he apparently had no idea about the Vlad the Impaler connection when he wrote Dracula. 

Haunted sightings and experiences at in the Capistrano Tower

Over the years, there have been numerous reports of paranormal activity at Corvin Castle. Visitors have reported seeing ghostly apparitions, hearing strange noises, and feeling cold spots throughout the castle. Some have even claimed to have been physically touched or pushed by unseen forces.

One such legend talks about a monk haunting the Capistrano Tower. The Capistrano Tower, one of the most significant parts of the construction, was a circular tower and this was used as a prison like many of the other towers of Corvin castle, named of the Franciscan monk, John of Capistrano.

The Towers of Corvin Castle: The towers of the castle was known to be used as prison cells. This is also what fuels the haunted rumors about something not being quite right in one of them. Could the ghost of a monk be haunting one of the towers?

He was said to have been sentenced to death because he was spying on a nobleman in the council room. As punishment he was entombed alive in the brick wall of the tower and slowly died of starvation. To this day it is said his ghost is there, spying on those venturing into his tower. 

Exploring the castle’s architecture and hidden rooms

Despite its dark history, Corvin Castle is a marvel of Gothic architecture and design. From its towering walls and turrets to its ornate carvings and frescoes, the castle is a testament to the skill and craftsmanship of its builders.

One of the most interesting features of the castle is its hidden rooms and secret passages. These were often used by the castle’s inhabitants to escape during times of siege or to hide valuable treasures. Some of the most famous hidden rooms include the Knight’s Hall, which was used to store weapons and armor, and the secret room of John Hunyadi, which was used as a private study and meditation space.

One time though, some tourists got locked in the Corbin Castle after it closed for the day. Some say that they bribed the security guard to let them stay overnight. When the castle opened the next day, they were found, bruised, beaten and terrified. They were unable to explain what had happened to them, but claimed that some unseen force had tortured them throughout the night. 

The torture chamber and its gruesome history

One of the most chilling places in Corvin Castle is the torture chamber, where prisoners were subjected to horrific acts of violence and torture. The chamber is located in the castle’s basement and features a variety of torture devices, including the rack designed to tear a victim in half, the iron maiden that was a spiked iron chamber the prisoner had to sit in, and the Spanish Donkey were the victim was places on a triangle with pointed edges between the legs where the prisoner eventually split in half.

There was also a bear pit that prisoners were thrown into alive to be eaten by the creatures residing there. No wonder that the castle is filled with ghosts. 

The Bottomless Well

Another famous tale involves the castle’s well, which is said to be bottomless and connected to the underworld. Legend has it that the well was dug by three Turkish prisoners who were promised their freedom if they could complete the task of digging after water. However, once they finished digging after ten to fifteen hard labored years, they were thrown into the well and left to die. 

The Well: What will you find at the bottom of the well? The gateway to hell or the skulls of some Turkish prisoners? Source: Stanisław Ludwiński/Flickr

Some say that he held them there, laughed in their face and kept them in the basement until they died. Some think that it was Hunyadi who promised them their freedom, but died while they were working. The one telling them to get back into their cell was his wife, Elizabeth. One of the prisoners allegedly wrote on the wall: You now have water, but no soul/heart. With this, he cursed the castle forever. 

Some say that they were beheaded and hteir skulls thrown into the well, still there to this day. It’s said that their ghosts can still be heard crying out for help from the depths of the well.

Is Corvin Castle really haunted?

While there’s no scientific proof that Corvin Castle is haunted, there’s no denying the countless reports of paranormal activity and ghostly sightings that have been recorded over the years. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, there’s no denying the eerie feeling that permeates the castle’s walls.

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Stories

One Summer Night by Ambrose Bierce

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The fact that Henry Armstrong was buried did not seem to him to prove that he was dead: he had always been a hard man to convince. That he really was buried, the testimony of his senses compelled him to admit. His posture — flat upon his back, with his hands crossed upon his stomach and tied with something that he easily broke without profitably altering the situation — the strict confinement of his entire person, the black darkness and profound silence, made a body of evidence impossible to controvert and he accepted it without cavil.

     But dead — no; he was only very, very ill. He had, withal, the invalid’s apathy and did not greatly concern himself about the uncommon fate that had been allotted to him. No philosopher was he — just a plain, commonplace person gifted, for the time being, with a pathological indifference: the organ that he feared consequences with was torpid. So, with no particular apprehension for his immediate future, he fell asleep and all was peace with Henry Armstrong.

     But something was going on overhead. It was a dark summer night, shot through with infrequent shimmers of lightning silently firing a cloud lying low in the west and portending a storm. These brief, stammering illuminations brought out with ghastly distinctness the monuments and headstones of the cemetery and seemed to set them dancing. It was not a night in which any credible witness was likely to be straying about a cemetery, so the three men who were there, digging into the grave of Henry Armstrong, felt reasonably secure.

     Two of them were young students from a medical college a few miles away; the third was a gigantic negro known as Jess. For many years Jess had been employed about the cemetery as a man-of-all-work and it was his favourite pleasantry that he knew ‘every soul in the place.’ From the nature of what he was now doing it was inferable that the place was not so populous as its register may have shown it to be.

     Outside the wall, at the part of the grounds farthest from the public road, were a horse and a light wagon, waiting.

     The work of excavation was not difficult: the earth with which the grave had been loosely filled a few hours before offered little resistance and was soon thrown out. Removal of the casket from its box was less easy, but it was taken out, for it was a perquisite of Jess, who carefully unscrewed the cover and laid it aside, exposing the body in black trousers and white shirt. At that instant the air sprang to flame, a cracking shock of thunder shook the stunned world and Henry Armstrong tranquilly sat up. With inarticulate cries the men fled in terror, each in a different direction. For nothing on earth could two of them have been persuaded to return. But Jess was of another breed.

     In the grey of the morning the two students, pallid and haggard from anxiety and with the terror of their adventure still beating tumultuously in their blood, met at the medical college.

     ‘You saw it?’ cried one.

     ‘God! yes — what are we to do?’

     They went around to the rear of the building, where they saw a horse, attached to a light wagon, hitched to a gatepost near the door of the dissecting-room. Mechanically they entered the room. On a bench in the obscurity sat the negro Jess. He rose, grinning, all eyes and teeth.

     ‘I’m waiting for my pay,’ he said.

     Stretched naked on a long table lay the body of Henry Armstrong, the head defiled with blood and clay from a blow with a spade.

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St. Katherine’s Abbey and Hauntings of the Black Hag

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In the ruins of an old Abbey in Ireland, the locals claim they can still hear the dying screams of a woman that was buried alive, as well as feel the dark forces from the Black Hag that were practicing dark magic in the St. Katherine’s Abbey.

In the picturesque landscapes of County Limerick, Ireland, amidst the serene countryside, lies a silent witness to centuries of history, both sacred and macabre — St. Katherine’s Abbey as it is officially consecrated as. 

The ruins of the once Augustinian abbey are known under many names though like Monasternagalliaghduff or Mainistir na gCailleach Dubh. It is also called the Abbey of St Catherine de O’Conyl or simply Old Abbey.

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

There are several legends from this place and it is said to be haunted to this day as the dark magic that once were cast still lingers.

The Timeless Convent of Monasternagalliaghduff

Dating back to the 13th century, the Abbey of the Black Hag is a weathered and abandoned convent that has witnessed the passage of time, preserving within its ancient stones the stories of the faithful, the echoes of prayer, and the secrets of its enigmatic past.

Read More: Check out more of haunted abbey’s like the Wessobrunn Abbey’s Ghosts, The History and Legends of the Haunted Abbaye De Mortemer, Dracula and Ghost Nuns in Whitby Abbey

St. Katherine’s Abbey is one of the earliest recorded nunneries in Ireland and was probably in operation until the 1500s until the Dissolution of the Monasteries during the Reformation in Ireland, or perhaps before this.

Monasternagalliaghduff: Only the few ruins are left fro the old abbey in the open field, now covered in grass. Many legends are tied to this place, and some claim St. Katherine’s Abbey is still haunted by them. //Source: JohnArmagh/wikimedia

The Countess Buried Alive in St. Katherine’s Abbey

But it is not the passage of time or the hallowed echoes of devotion that have etched St. Katherine’s Abbey into the annals of Irish folklore. Instead, it is the eerie legends and ghosts said to haunt the abbey, casting an ominous shadow over the abbey’s ruins no matter how much the sun is shining.

One of the legends comes from Countess Fitzgerald. She was the wife of The Earl of Desmond that had a bloody feud against the Butler family that was the Earls of Ormond during the 15th century. 

The Fitzgeral were attacked and the Earl was going to get his wife to safety. She was shot in the thigh by an arrow and throughout the night, she lost so much blood and the Earl thought she had died when they reached the abbey. 

She was buried underneath the altar of the abbey before he quickly rode on. But the nuns started to hear terrible screams coming from the grave during the night. In the end they chose to open the grave, but it was too late and they found the Countess dead, but with broken fingers and torn out nails. She had been buried alive and she had tried to claw her way out. 

Read Also: The Buried Alive Ghosts of Château de Trécesson in the Enchanted Forest, The Mausoleum of Rufina Cambacérès at Recoleta Cemetery — Buried Alive or The Mistletoe Bough – The Bride in the Chest

It is believed that she never found peace through and that she is still waiting for her husband to save her, still trying to claw her way out from her grave. 

The Tale of the Black Hag St. Katherine’s Abbey

As local lore has it, the last head nun or abbess of St. Katherine’s Abbey possessed knowledge of the dark arts and wielded them with terrifying skill. The Black Hag or the Black Nun as she was known as was actually a witch and Satanist according to the legends. 

Her mastery of these forbidden arts cast a long shadow of fear over the locals. Whispers of her malevolent practices spread like wildfire, shrouding the abbey in a sinister reputation.

Read More: Check out all of the stories about Witches at the MoonMausoleum.

According to the legends, the Black Nun wanted power, and to get it she sold her soul to get it. She was said to look gaunt with a skeletal figure wearing her all black robes. Even her face was said to darken, either from ashes or her dark magic. 

The Black Hag’s Cell

In the present day, the room within the abbey’s south end that once served as the abbess’s quarters has become infamous as the Black Hag’s Cell. It is in this chamber that the alleged witch’s spirit is said to linger, her spectral presence a chilling reminder of the darker chapters of the abbey’s history.

The Black Hag: Was she a witch? Did she practice dark arts? Or perhaps she was just the victim of terrible rumours? Was she real at all? One of the enduring legends from the former abbey is that of the Black Nun, or Black Hag, that were said to be the abbess of the abbey and a practitioner of the black arts.

It was in this cell that she performed Black Magic and worshiped Satan. Other nuns fled from the abbey according to legend when they found out what their abbess was up to, and she was left in the darkness. What happened to this supposed witch is uncertain.

The darkest rumor about the Black Nun is that she also sacrificed children during her dark rituals, taken from the nearby villagers, and there actually have been found bones of children on the grounds.

A Wicked End of the Black Hag

Where these legends come from though is uncertain. There certainly came some stories to justify the dissolutions of the nunneries in Ireland when the old Catholicism was seen as something filled with superstition and possible dark magic. 

Also, tales about single women living secluded have always had a trail of witch rumors following them. Because what in the world are unmarried single women up to if not worshiping Satan?

Haunting Echoes coming from the Old Abbey Ruins

Locals who live in the vicinity of St. Katherine’s Abbey speak in hushed tones of nights disturbed by blood-curdling screams that pierce the darkness. These ghostly wails, they claim, are the anguished cries of the Black Hag herself, echoing through the lonely hours of the night.

Or perhaps it is from the ghost of Countess Fitzgerald, who is still trying to let people know that she is alive, replaying her final hours trapped in the coffin. 

The Ruins of St. Katherine’s Abbey

As the moon cast an ethereal glow upon the ancient ruins of St. Katherine’s Abbey, the whispers of the past faded into the night. The haunting echoes of the Black Hag’s chilling cries and the anguished screams of Countess Fitzgerald began to dissipate, carried away by the gentle breeze.

And the Black Hag, a figure shrouded in mystery and fear, gradually faded into the realm of folklore. Her malevolence became a distant memory, forever entwined with the legends of the abbey.

The ruins of St. Katherine’s Abbey, now bathed in the light of a new day visitors wandered through the weathered stones, admiring the beauty of the landscape and contemplating the rich history that had unfolded within those crumbling walls.

As the sun set on St. Katherine’s Abbey, casting a golden hue over the landscape, a sense of tranquility and closure settled upon the abbey grounds. The tales of the Black Hag and the buried Countess became mere echoes, floating in the winds of time. Or do they?

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References:

IN THE ABBEY OF THE BLACK HAG – DARK EMERALD TALES 

Monasternagalliaghduff – Wikipedia 

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The Buried Alive Ghosts of Château de Trécesson in the Enchanted Forest

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Château de Trécesson, the ancient castle in Brittany has more than one ghost haunting the place. Perhaps it’s not too strange to be haunted by the mysterious Dames Blanches when the location of the castle is in an enchanted forest.

Château de Trécesson is an ancient castle tucked away in the French countryside that has been the source of fascination and speculation among locals for centuries. 

The castle in Brittany has a mysterious past and its origin is lost in the mists of time, replete with tales of hauntings and supernatural phenomena, has attracted visitors far and wide hoping to get a glimpse into its paranormal secrets.

History of Château de Trécesson?

Château de Trécesson is an ancient castle situated in the French countryside, and it dates all the way back to 810 AD. The castle is built on the foot of the Buttes de Tiot and has stood for more than two millennia and endured the passing of time, but its rich history and ghostly lore still remain a mystery.

It’s rumored to be haunted by ghosts, and visitors have reported having odd experiences while visiting the castle grounds.

Legends and Ghost stories of Château de Trécesson?

There are many rumors and tales about Château de Trécesson that have been passed down through generations. One of them is of several guests at the castle that have seen a group of ghosts playing cards. Who the winner will be in the eternal game they are playing or what game of cards they have been on for ages are uncertain. 

There is also talk of an unknown monk wandering nearby close to the meadow by the castle and on the roadside leading up to it. He is sometimes described as headless. Perhaps not so surprising as the Château de Trécesson is built in the The Enchanted Forest of Brocéliande, a place of wonder and supernatural in every tree stem.

The Enchanted Forest of Brocéliande

The Castle is close to a part of the mythological forest known as Brocéliande. The real forest connected to this is the The Paimpont Forest. It is located around the village of Paimpont in Brittany. 

It contains the castles Château de Comper and Château de Trécesson as well as the Forges of Paimpont, a national historic site. It has been associated with the forest of Brocéliande and many locations from Arthurian legend, including the Val sans retour, the tomb of Merlin, and the fountain of Barenton as well as The Lady of the Lake. 

Dames Blanches French Folklore

There’s also a long-standing local legend involving the castle’s ‘Dames Blanches’, or ‘White Ladies’. According to folklore, these female ghosts are said to inhabit the castle and torment its inhabitants with misfortune, calamity, and sometimes even death in many stories in French folklore.

This castle has also been said to have one of these Lady’s in white or Dames Blanches in residence from the time the castle was in the hands of Monsieur de Trécesson. 

People tell stories of hearing strange whispers in the walls, feeling cold chills running through the rooms, and seeing shadowy figures of beautiful women in a muddy white dress with a flower crown roaming around in the night air.

It is said it was her brothers who murdered her in 1750 that buried her alive on her wedding day as they felt they had accepted a wedding that dishonored the family. 

The whole event was spotted by a couple of poachers that saw the carriage with the woman was out in the woods and the men started digging the grave they sealed her in before driving away. Why they didn’t have the decency to kill her before burying her is unclear. 

The poachers found the courage to tell the people in the nearby village about it, and they came for her rescue. They were too late and she died, but didn’t really leave. It is said she is seen close to the castle, and floating on the waters still wearing her wedding dress. 

Her name or where she came from was never discovered. 

The Heartbroken Lovers

Another popular tale tells of two lovers being separated due to their families’ objections. The man was forced by his father to go fight in the crusade of 1249. He was killed in battle and his young wife died of grief only a few months after the news reached her. 

The spirit of the two lovers have been spotted replaying their final farewell scene close to the castle’s gateway. 

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References

Brittany’s Most Haunted Castles

The Castle of Trécesson – Tourist Office of Brocéliande (Brittany, France)

Château de Trécesson – Broceliande Castle

Château de Trécesson – Wikipedia 

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The Lady in White in Zitadelle Spandau

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An old fortress of protection turned into a prison of a mistress who died and started haunting Zitadelle Spandau where she met her end. And the ghost of the mistress Anna Sydow are said to haunt both the place and the family who caused her death. 

One of the best preserved Renaissance military structures in Europe is the citadel in today’s Berlin, in German called Zitadelle Spandau. It was built in 1559 on top of another fort and designed to protect the Spandau town which is now a part of modern day Berlin. 

Many castles in Germany have stories about a certain Lady in White haunting it, and in Spandau Citadel there is the ghost of Anna Sydow. 

Anna Sydow was the mistress of the Brandenburg Elector Joachim II. Joachim II was a part of the Hohenzollern who has been rumored to be plagued by the ghosts of a Lady in White. Anna Sydow is just one of the many rumored to be at least one of them. 

Read more about the curse of the House of Hohenzollern: Here

Anna Sydow: Portrait of the mistress Anna Sydow who are believed to be the Lady in White that haunts Zitadelle Spandau after she was imprisoned by the son of her lover.

In 1549, the wife of Elector Joachim II suffered an accident which left her walking on crutches. She fell down the floor and impaled herself on a couple of antlers that hung in the room below. Something that the elector thought ruined the marriage and the enjoyment of hunting. He chose then to take a mistress and he chose Anna Sydow. 

During her life as his mistress, Anna Sydow bore him two children and lived in the Grunewald Hunting Lodge for two decades and is also said to haunt the grounds of that place. This was also the place where the wife of Joachim II got impaled and ended up on crutches. 

Imprisoned in Zitadelle Spandau

Johann Georg was the heir and son to Joachim II, and had explicitly promised his father on numerous occasions that he would spare and protect Anna Sydow after he died. But when the elector died in 1571, she was imprisoned in the Zitadelle Spandau until her death in 1575. 

The Zitadelle Spandau was often used to house prisoners of the state for a long time, and Anna Sydow was one of the first. She was arrested under false pretenses though and saw no trial. Although the arrest was unjust, she at least didn’t end up being executed like many others of his fathers old court did. Or according to some of the legends, she was actually murdered.

In any case, Johann Georg felt haunted by her after her death. On January 1st in 1598, Johann Georg saw the specter of a Lady in White that he thought had to be Anna Sydow and died eight days later. 

In 1709, there was a skeleton of a woman found buried inside of the Zitadelle Spandau during renovation, and everyone thought it had to belong to the Lady in White that was plaguing the fortress as well as the Hohenzollern family. They gave her a proper burial in hopes of ending the hauntings, but according to reports, there is still something haunting within the Zitadelle Spandau walls. 

Immured in the Hunting Lodge

There is also this rumor that it wasn’t in the fortress Anna Sydow met her end but in the Grunewald Hunting Lodge. So she is thought to haunt both places as well as members of the Hohenzollern family.

It is a legend that she was immured alive in the small spiral staircase in the western corner wing. Since then she has been haunting the castle around midnight. 

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Featured Image Wikimedia

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The Finnish Maiden of Olavinlinna Castle

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Buried alive inside the castle walls, the Finnish Maiden immured still haunts this medieval building of Olavinlinna Castle. 

This is the castle built in the northernmost place in the world in the 15th century. In the heart of the Finnish lake region in the south east, it used to be on the frontline of the unstable border of Sweden and Russia. The Olavinlinna castle is built on a small island overlooking the dark waters surrounding it. 

The Castle of Knights and War

Since it was built in 1475, the Olavinlinna castle was in the frontline of the territorial dispute between Sweden and Russia as Finland for many years was fought over. It was placed strategically to protect the important Savo region and saw many sieges, battles and wars over the years. It held up the defenses for a long time, all up until 1714 when the Russians took over the castle at last and held it until 1917. 

A castle designed for war, it was named after St Olaf, the Norwegian king and saint for all knights. And throughout the years, the castle saw enough bloodshed and death for eternity. 

High on a rock, whose castled shade
Darken’d the lake below,
In ancient strength majestic stood
The towers of Arlinkow.

Donica – A Ballad Poem by Robert Southey (were Olavinlinna castle was the inspiration)

The stories of the castle are plentiful with legends of Finnish water spirits Vetehinen living in the black water surrounding the castle. Although not malicious by nature, dangerous as they are said to drown people when bored. There are also tales of the ghost of a black ram that escaped being dinner at a feast roams the castle. But most famously, there is the story of the Finnish Maiden that was immured inside the Olavinlinna castle walls. 

The Finnish Maiden

The Finnish Maiden is not only a local legend from the castle. The image of the Finnish Maiden is also used as a personification of the country itself. Often a barefoot young woman in her mid twenties with braided blonde hair, blue eyes and wearing a white or blue national costume. And in paintings she is either depicted as victorious with her fist raised, or as in the painting Attack, where she is attacked by an Russian eagle. And this image is quite fitting for this local legend. 

The Finnish Maiden: In the painting, the Russian doubleheaded eagle is attacking the maiden symbolizing Finland, tearing a law book. Immediately after the painting was finalized, it became the symbol of protest against russification, spreading throughout Finland in thousands of prints. (Painted around 1899)
Photo: Edvard Isto (1856-1905)

Buried Alive Inside the Walls

The most famous story about the Olavinlinna castle is the tragic story about the Finnish maiden that is said to be buried inside the castle walls. She was, according to legend, the daughter of the Lord of the castle at a time when the threat from Russia was ever present and the castle was at the line of defense from the Russian forces. 

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Amidst all of this, she had fallen in love with a Russian soldier and trusted that he would do her no harm. But she should never have done so, as she was betrayed. When opening the castle gate for him, he brought more soldiers with him to attack the castle from the inside. They managed to beat the Russian soldiers and the treacherous lover was killed in the attack. But the tragedy didn’t end there. The maiden was also punished for her foolishness. 

She was condemned to death for treason and buried alive in a wall in the courtyard. Immurement or live entombment was a form of capital punishment, especially in legends and folklore. When used as a method of execution, the condemned dies from starvation or dehydration and it is often a slow and excruciating process.  

The Rowan Tree

Soon after, a Rowan tree sprung in the yard with white flowers blooming from the branches, a symbol of the maiden’s innocence. The tree also had red berries growing from it, red as her blood. 

There is no longer a tree in the Olavinlinna courtyard,and its existence is no way to prove. Neither is the story. What is true is the story of the maiden is not so deeply engraved in the local folklore and the Olavinlinna castle legend it has become one. 

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References

https://www.kansallismuseo.fi/en/olavinlinna/tarinoita

youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB2OH3gxzRU 

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O-shizu, Hitobashira — The Human Sacrifice of Maruoka Castle

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Chosen as Hitobashira, a human sacrifice to ensure the construction of Maruoka Castle, O-shizu were promised a bright future for her children. But when the promise were not honoured, her ghost came back to haunt the castle grounds.

The Maruoka Castle (丸岡城) is sometimes called the Mist Castle (霞ヶ城), because according to legend, there will be a protective mist around the castle whenever an enemy is close to hide it. It stands on the top of a hill protected ramparts as well as a pentagonal-shaped moat and perhaps it is the spirit of the human sacrifice entombed in the castle’s foundation that keeps it hidden in the mist? 

The Maruoka Castle is one of the oldest castles in Japan, sometimes called one of the twelve original castles and is located in the Fukui Prefecture and built at the end of the Sengoku period around 1576 by Shibata Katsutoyo. According to the legend, it was built with a human sacrifice to ensure its endurance.

Hitobashira — Human Sacrifices Entombed in Buildings

The act of a human sacrifice to be a pillar of a building can be seen throughout the world. In Asia, it was especially done to appease the deities and for protection. In Japan, the practice is known as Hitobashira (人柱), meaning human pillar and has been used since the 500 AD at least. 

As well as the spiritual belief it was believed that large constructions like castles, dams and bridges would destroy the feng shui of the land because of the moving of the soil. Because of this, the buildings would then be in danger of all sorts of disasters, both natural as well as man made disasters. The cultural practice of Hitobashira was done then to protect against evil spirits, natural disasters and to make the buildings strong. 

It wasn’t necessarily people that were forced to become the human pillars. Some actually chose this path for various reasons. The word Hitobashira can actually be linked to becoming a God as well. Hito is related to the word, kami, which means God in the Shinto tradition. Bashira can be a term used when being enshrined in an important way. So that the sacrifice would actually be more connected to the gods. 

But then again, there were also more earthly reasons to choose to become a Hitobashira. Poverty for one, as is the case with the Hitobashira that are under the grounds of the Maruoka Castle. 

The Human Pillars of Maruoka Castle

When they were building the Maruoka Castle, they kept running into problems that they couldn’t seem to find a solution to. The stone walls kept collapsing no matter how many times they tried to set it up and they were running out of ideas. Then a vassal suggested that they should have a hitobashira, a human sacrifice. 

The choice fell on O-shizu, a one-eyed woman with two children to feed. O-shizu agreed to be the sacrifice on one condition, that one of her children would be made a samurai. She was a poor woman and this way she could ensure a safer future for her children. 

O-shizu was then buried under the pillars of the Maruoka Castle, one stone on top of the other as she was slowly being crushed to death. It is said she was stoically standing there as the builders slowly killed her, fully knowing her children would be better off. After the sacrifice were done, the walls didn’t budge and the building of the rest of the castle continued without further problems. 

But Shibata Katsutoyo, the one building the castle didn’t follow through on his promise of making her son into a samurai, she came back to haunt Maruoka Castle. Her spirit became resentful and she was the cause of the moat overflowing every spring by the rain.  They called the rain that overflowed the moats the ‘Tears of O-shizu’.

To appease the spirit they erected a tomb to sooth her spirit and we today have a handed down poem about her haunting:

“The rain which falls when the season of cutting algae comes Is the rain reminiscent of the tears of the poor O-shizu’s sorrow”

The Maruoka Castle Today

Today we probably would say that the Maruoka Castle had a problem in its design, not because of the deities. And had it had a more stable way of construction, a hitobashira would probably not have been needed. But again, the castle is still standing to this day, so who is to say, really?

Cherry Blossom Festival: Today the Maruoka Castle is known for being a good place to watch the cherry blossoms every spring more than one of the hitobashira buildings.

Today when the mist is clearing and the castle is visible, there are cherry blossoms blooming in the spring. The castle grounds is a part of Kasumigajo Park and is well known for its 400 cherry blossom trees. There is an annual cherry blossom festival during the first three weeks of April. And in the evenings, there are over 3000 paper lanterns lit up in the dark. 

Perhaps this is appeasing the ghost of O-shizu enough to not overflow the moat with her tears anymore?

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References

Featured Image: baku13/Wikimedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitobashira

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