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Spiritism and the Religion of Spirit Communication

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Spiritism or Kardecism is a philosophy and religion of spirit communication. After being inspired by the Spiritualist movement, the French Allan Kardec developed the loose movement of seances, mediums and communicating with the dead into something people still practice today. 

There is a debate about whether or not we should call the spiritism movement a religion or not, but it certainly was a movement together with Spiritualism that impacted the western world and how they view death, the afterlife and ghosts and the paranormal.

The Spiritism Movement was started by the French author and teacher Allan Kardec and is also called Kardecist spiritism or Kardecism. A simple way of explaining the difference between Spiritualism that grew in popularity in North America was that Spiritism was mainly in Europe and although much alike was much more organized and had a stricter doctrine. Today, the word spiritism is used for most of the religious and doctrines believing that the spirits go on after the body dies. 

He believed in physical reality and that alongside that, there was another spirit world. This world, he believed, could be accessed through mediums and that spirits exist separately from human bodies. 

Most of the practice of Spiritism is around the mediumship and communicating with the dead. It can manifest in automatic writing or drawing among other psychographic ways. 

Read More: Spiritualism and the Occult: Automatic Writing and When Ghosts Slide Into Your DMs 

The spiritists also believe in reincarnation and that the spirit is constantly trying to achieve intellectual and moral perfection. 

The Spiritism Movement as we know it today started in Europe in the 1850s, but soon spread, becoming very popular in the USA, Brazil and in the French colonies. 

Allan Kardec and the Founding of Spiritism

Allan Kardec’s real name was Léon-Dénizarth-Hippolyte Rivail and was really the one that organized the loose movement in Europe to a path with a certain doctrine and way of thinking. He was born in 1804 in Lyon in France and studied in Switzerland. When coming back to Paris he purchased a school for boys in 1928 and was a teacher.

Read More: Check out the story of the haunted Paris’ Haunted Père Lachaise Cemetery, were Kardec is buried.

He was in his 50s when he became interested in séances and started researching them and compiling the consistent things the mediums talked about into a philosophy he called Spiritism. The name Allan Kardec was a name picked out by a spirit called Truth. 

Table Tipping and Communicating with the Dead

A very popular pastime in Europe at the time was animal magnetism, mesmerising and what would eventually be called Table Tipping. This was equally seen as pure fun as well as a séance. Although a skeptic at first, Kardec became interested in the phenomenon and started to explore it as well. 

Table Tipping: Table levitates during Palladino’s séance at home of astronomer Camille Flammarion, France, 25 November 1898. There are two women seated at the table. Palladino sits at the far short end.

Kardec studied the phenomenon and concluded in The Book on Mediums that some communications were caused by an outside intelligence, as the message contained information that was not known to the group.

Read More: Table Turning: When Spirits Spill the Tea Through Furniture

Skeptics and those exposing the truth behind the table turning chucks it up to the ideomotor effect, not ghosts trying to communicate through furniture. The movement experienced in the seances was due to involuntary and unconscious muscular reactions. This scientific explanation was published in the Medical Times and Gazette in 1853, but that didn’t stop its popularity or people believing in it, it only made the hoaxes more elaborate. 

Spiritualism and the Fox Sisters

In addition to European dabbling in the occult already, Kardec became increasingly more interested in Spiritualism from the USA. It was a popular movement that had started with communication with the dead’s spirits. This movement is often connected with the popularity of Margaret and Catherine Fox who kicked off the Spiritualism movement in the USA with their table rapping. 

The Fox sisters: Kate (1838–92), Leah (1814–90) and Margaret (or Maggie) (1836–93). They were famous mediums in Rochester, New York. Taken around 1852

Since childhood they had been famous ever since they communicated with spirits in 1848 with the spirit haunting their home in New York. They later came to Europe to hold public séances.

Read More: The Spiritualist Movement: The Fox Sisters Who Started a Ghostly Revolution as a Prank

Allan Kardec was definitely directly inspired by this, but narrowed the belief system down to one doctrine. For example, Spiritualists do not necessarily believe in reincarnation but this part was important for the Spiritists. He worked to distance himself from fortune-tellers, mediums and magicians from the movement of the time, many of those often ending in trouble when discovered as a fraud.

The Spiritist Codification

Kardec’s first of five foundational Spiritist texts was 1857’s The Spirits’ Book. More than a book on ghosts, it’s a collection of philosophical questions Kardec asked mediums around in Europe. This was also an effort to bridge both religion, science and philosophy to one thing that he himself called a “Positive Faith”. More books followed and collectively, they are called the Spiritist Codification. 

Spiritists believe all humans are spirits, and the body is only a temporary vessel. After you die, the spirit crosses into the spirit world where it resided around the same time it was alive last before being reincarnated. 

It also adheres a lot to the Christian belief in one god as well as the rules science dictates. When Kardec developed his idea, it was definitely through the lens of a christian. Spiritists often cite biblical events to make their claim of how spirits exist, like how Moses consulted the dead, how Saul heard the spirit of Samuel. 

After Kardec died in 1869, medium and writer Léon Denis who had met Kardec many times, continued with his legacy and furthered its popularity. 

Backlash Against the Movement of Spiritism

Although the Spiritism Movement became popular and came from a place of Christianity, it wasn’t without controversy. Critics saw the movement as evil and devil worship. Many of the mediums were also accused of being frauds and charlatans, profiting on people’s grief and fear of the afterworld. 

Read More: Spiritualism and the Occult: The History of Ectoplasm and Gooey Ghosts

In Europe, this type of mediating and communication with spirits have been prosecuted since the middle ages, mostly because it was seen as blasphemous behavior. British witchcraft laws used against mediums were not repealed until the 1950s when the last woman was convicted for witchcraft.

Helen Duncan: Born in Scotland in 1898. In 1926 Duncan claimed to have developed her mediumistic powers. She was around 29 years old at the time. But long before that she had scared her fellow pupils at with her dire prophecies and hysterical behavior. Eventually, Duncan claimed to be able to produced fully-formed physical materialization of spirits by emitting them as ectoplasm through her mouth.

Also scientists attacked the movement, calling it madness, hysteria and fanciful without root in science and the real world. The Roman church condemned it, Brazil even banned it. Counter-movement to expose mediums, like Harry Houdini did for years, started as well. 

What Happened to Spiritism?

Freud: Although said to not believe in the paranormal, Freud once wrote: “Though I am a man of science, I cannot dismiss the idea that ghosts might embody our suppressed desires and unfulfilled wishes.”

With so much hype and popularity that only seemed to be growing at the turn of the century, it begs the question of why Spiritism isn’t a bigger movement today as before. The answer to that might be as boring as timing. 

Two big factors happened at the time that fought against the Spiritism Movement of Spiritualism. One of them was the discipline of psychology that started to take hold of people, especially modern and well read people in Europe. The very same group that a couple of decades ago would probably have turned to Spiritism or some sort of Spiritualism.

Sigmund Freud, who denied all existence of ghosts, was a leading voice going forward, and although some of the earlier psychologists played around with the idea of a spirit world, their voices weren’t strong enough. Although his official stance on ghosts have been to not believe in them, he had some interesting musings and discussions of the concept of ghosts and the supernatural.

The other thing happening in Europe at the time was World War 1 and had a big impact on culture. The war and fear of war stopped a lot of new ideas and thinking that flourished in more peaceful times. Who knows how the movement would have progressed if not for the European wars that century?

Were are the Spiritists Today?

But did Spiritism completely die? Through French colonialism the texts and ideas spread to the colonies in the 19th century to the mid-20th century, especially in Vietnam. Here, the movement and idea was crucial for the Cao Dai religion that started in Vietnam in 1926. The age-old traditions was a mix of Asian divination and mediumship from Vietnamese folk religion with ancestor worship, Confucianism, occult practices from Taoism, theories of karma and rebirth from Buddhism.

Caodaism: Cao Dai monks inside Cao Dai Holy See, Tây Ninh, Vietnam. Priests are dressed in red, blue and yellow, followers in white. The full name of the religion is Đại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ (大道三期普度) ‘The Great Faith for the Third Universal Redemption’.

French Spiritists Mediums travelled to Saigon, which today is Ho Chi Minh City and interacted with the Cao Dai mediums. They then began to mix with the new traditions of European Spiritism with the old. Some of them even claimed they had been visited by the spirit of Kardec. 

In addition to the French Colonies, the Spiritism Movement spread to Latin America as well, where it had a big impact on Brazil, even though they banned it in 1890. Today it is the third most popular religion in Brazil. 

The mediums also channel spirits for healing purposes and in Brazil they had around 13000 Spiritists centers that are a sort of physical or mental aid facility in 2022. This can be various ways, often a “laying of hands” much like they do with Reiki to heal energy.

Laying of the Hand: In Christian churches, chirotony or “Laying of the Hand”, is used as both a symbolic and formal method of invoking the Holy Spirit primarily during baptisms and confirmations, healing services, blessings, and ordination of priests, ministers, elders, deacons, and other church officers.

Although the Spiritism Movement didn’t have the hold of people as it used to, there are definitely still practitioners today throughout the world. Today, the International Spiritist Council claim that they have over 13 million followers in 36 countries.

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References:

Allan Kardec – Wikipedia

Séance | Spiritualism, Mediumship & Clairvoyance | Britannica

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The Philip Experiment: The Spirit Created by Scientists

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After a long experiment, a made up spirit started to haunt a group’s seances. What really happened during the Philip experiment, and what does it tell us about what lengths humans go to believe in ghosts?

Sitting in a traditional seance with dimmed lights around a table, a group of people tried to make contact with the dead. They started to feel a presence, the table was vibrating and a chilling breeze entered the room. A spirit was present and answered with knocks and unexplainable echoes. 

The spirit was Philip Aylesfor. He was born in 1624 in England and was once a nobleman with military ties to Oliver Cromwell, knighted when he was 16 and worked as a spy for Charles II during the English Civil War. He gave many details of his life like that he was married to a cold, loveless woman called Dorothea and had a tragic affair with a beautiful Romani woman named Margo that he met when riding on his estate. His wife discovered the affair, accused Margo of witchcraft, and had her burned at the stake. Overcome with guilt and grief, Philip committed suicide in 1654

The seance that went for about a year was a success, everyone felt and heard the spirit. At one point the table tilted on a single leg and moved across the room without anyone touching it, getting it all on audio and tape. There was only one problem. Every part of this story was fabricated. Philip Aylesford had never existed. His life was purely a creation of the group trying to conjure it. And yet, they all ended up believing it.

In the world of the paranormal, most hauntings involve spirits of the dead lingering in our realm. But what if a ghost wasn’t the remnant of a once-living person? What if it was something else entirely—something born not from tragedy, but from pure human imagination? Enter the Philip Experiment, a groundbreaking 1970s parapsychology study that sought to prove that ghosts might not be spirits at all, but products of human thought. 

The Philip Experiment: A group gathered for seances to conjure up a spirit they had made up. In the end they all experienced stuff most people would call a poltergeist haunting.

The Birth of Philip: A Ghost Without a Past

The Philip Experiment was conducted from September in 1972 by the Toronto Society for Psychical Research (TSPR), led by Dr. A.R.G. Owen, a mathematician and psychologist. The group aimed to explore the idea that paranormal phenomena, particularly ghostly activity, might not be caused by spirits of the dead, but rather by the human mind’s ability to create and project entities into reality—a concept known as thought-form manifestation or tulpas in Tibetan mysticism.

Philip Aylesford: A drawing made of the spirit by the Owen Group.

To test this theory, they created an entirely fictional ghost named Philip Aylesford. With Philip’s “history” in place, the team—eight participants, including Dr. Owen’s wife—began conducting séances without much result in the beginning. It started out first as informal meetings where they discussed his history and life, but not much paranormal was reported on by the group that called themselves the Owen Group.

They drew a picture of him and even went to England where he “lived” and took pictures. The other people in the group were unnamed but included a formerly chaired MENSA woman, a bookkeeper, a sociology student, a housewife, an accountant and an industrial designer. What they all had in common was that they were all members of the TSPR.

Then they changed tactics and created an atmosphere in a dimly lit room, just as one would when attempting to contact a real ghost. The whole experiments and their experiences started to shift. They focused on Philip’s story, visualized him, and called out to him, asking for signs of his presence.

One night, as they continued their séance, the table suddenly shook. Knocking sounds echoed in the room. At first, the group thought it was a coincidence or subconscious movement. But the phenomena intensified.

Through a system of knocks (one for “yes,” two for “no”), Philip started answering questions. When asked about his past, he responded in ways that aligned with the fictional backstory they had written. However, whenever the group asked something outside of his “history,” Philip could not answer, reinforcing the idea that his existence was completely dependent on their belief in him.

The Paranormal Activity Escalates

As The Philip Experiment progressed, the manifestations became eerier after it had gone on for a couple of months. Philip didn’t just communicate through knocks—he moved the table, made lights flicker, and even created cold spots in the room. Witnesses reported that the table would tilt, slide, and even levitate. Some claimed they heard whispers and faint laughter, though no voice was ever recorded.

At one point they had to take a break from their meetings as some of the members in the group claimed to experience strange things in their homes. They even had the seance in front of a live audience of 50 people where a lot of presence was felt, and experiences, but the televised documentation was unable to give further proof of haunting. 

Watch the televised seance they did here.

Despite all this, Philip never appeared as a ghostly figure, nor did he provide any information beyond what the participants had imagined. He was a true creation of their minds, responding only to what they had already established about him.

What Did the Philip Experiment Prove?

The Philip Experiment left researchers with unsettling conclusions. If a group of people could “create” a ghost through belief and focus alone, what does that say about the nature of hauntings? Were all ghostly encounters just the subconscious mind manifesting phenomena? Could poltergeists and spirits actually be projections of human thought?

The experiment also drew connections to psychokinesis (mind over matter)—the idea that focused human intention can physically influence the world. If the group could make a table levitate just by believing in Philip, was it possible that hauntings stemmed from emotional energy rather than actual spirits? Do we want to believe in ghosts so bad that the mind will create them for us?

The Legacy of the Philip Experiment

The Philip Experiment: The Owen’s wrote a book about their experiences. Read it here.

The experiment remains one of the most famous studies in parapsychology, inspiring further research into tulpas and the power of collective consciousness. While skeptics argue that the table movements were a result of ideomotor effects (unconscious muscle movements), believers point out that the level of activity was far beyond typical séance trickery and that the ghost of Philip was perhaps the start of it, but a true spirit really did appear. 

Although it created a lot of debate, it also created a lot of criticism in that the experience would be hard to recreate to show more consistent results.

The Philip Experiment was later repeated with different groups, creating new fictional spirits like Lilith, a French Canadian spy, Sebastian,a medieval alchemist and Axel who was said to be from the future. In each case, similar phenomena occurred, suggesting that the power of belief plays a significant role in paranormal experiences. 

The Philip Experiment forces us to ask a terrifying question: What if ghosts don’t haunt us? What if we haunt ourselves? If human minds can conjure spirits from thin air, it means the line between reality and imagination is disturbingly thin. It also raises the possibility that some hauntings might be self-created manifestations of guilt, trauma, or fear.

So next time you hear a whisper in the dark, feel a tap on your shoulder, or watch an object move on its own—ask yourself: Is something there? Or are you making it real?

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References:

Philip experiment – Wikipedia

https://www.liveabout.com/how-to-create-a-ghost-2594058

The Philip Experiment — Astonishing Legends 

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The Ghostly Clergyman of Bubendorf: A Restless Spirit at the Rectory

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The spirit of a former priest was said to haunt his rectory in Bubendorf, outside of Basel in Switzerland. Question remaining, is his spirit still lingering inside of the centuries old walls?

In the Basel countryside, nestled between rolling hills and quiet woods, lies the village of Bubendorf, a picturesque place where time seems to slow. It is also said to be a haunted place. It has been in this village for over 500 years and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. 

Read more: Check out all ghost stories from Switzerland

But behind the tranquil façades of this historic community lurks one of the most notorious and best-documented ghost stories in the region — that of the haunted rectory at Hauptstrasse 62 and its unsettling resident: the spirit of Pastor Wilhelm Strübin.

Haunted Rectory: Evangelisch-reformiertes Pfarrhaus in Bubendorf.

The Pastor Who Loved His Fields More Than His Flock

Wilhelm Strübin, who passed away in 1795, served as the local clergyman in Bubendorf for many years. However, he was not remembered fondly by his congregation. By all accounts, Strübin had a greater passion for his fields and agricultural affairs than for the spiritual well-being of his parishioners. Complaints mounted over his growing neglect and indifference, eventually leading the church authorities to appoint an assistant to share his duties — a quiet but public humiliation for the wayward priest.

His worldly attachments, so tightly clung to in life, would apparently prevent him from finding rest in death. It’s said of one of the Strübins that he was so stingy during his lifetime that he paid more attention to his horse than to his flock. He even brought his horse to his deathbed. Legend has it that you can now hear him leading it up the stairs as a ghost.

A Rectory Besieged by Restless Spirits

After Strübin’s passing, the once quiet rectory gained a grim reputation. Strange disturbances plagued the house, and the ominous activity only seemed to intensify over time. The most unsettling and well-documented reports come from the Schölly family, who resided in the rectory from 1884 to 1926.

The wife of the parish priest, Clara Schölly-Werdenberg, kept a diary that would become a chilling record of nightly torments. She described with unsettling precision the strange phenomena that disrupted their home:

“Often at night, we would hear footsteps on the stairs, then the sound of an object rolling down the stairs. Then we were often awakened by knocking on our bedroom door, often several times in one night.”

It is said that she often laid in bed when she heard the ghosts rumbling around in their house. She prayed with them until they went away. Her daughter also supposedly saw the ghosts haunting their home. One day she was taking the laundry outside, her daughter said: “Look, someone is helping!” No one else was with them at the time.

On one particularly unnerving evening, Clara recounts lighting a nightlight to calm her nerves. But the spirit would not be deterred.

“The first night, I was awakened by a bump, and lo and behold, the nightlight was extinguished and a box of matches was ablaze next to my pillow.”

The implication was clear: something — or someone — did not appreciate the attempt to pierce the darkness.

The Tithe Books and the Waning of the Haunting

As the disturbances wore on, the family sought answers. Eventually, during renovations and a thorough cleaning of the aging building, a secret compartment was discovered within the rectory walls. Inside lay Pastor Strübin’s old tithe books — meticulously kept records of agricultural dues and parish contributions, a lasting testament to the man’s material obsessions.

These dusty ledgers, so long hidden away, were removed from the house. And with their removal, so too did the worst of the haunting reportedly begin to subside.

Whether it was the spirit of Strübin, unwilling to part with his earthly possessions, or a more symbolic unburdening of the house’s troubled past, locals to this day believe that the discovery of those tithe books marked a turning point in the rectory’s haunted history.

The Restless Past Still Echoes

Those who have lived in the alleged haunted house like Josef Handschin and Christoph Monsch had said that they never experienced something spooky. Although the people living before Monsch, claimed that it was. The Pastor Rolf Schlatter who has office in the old rectory also claim to have heard strange noises around midnight. 

Bubendorf. // Source: Roland Zumbuehl/Wikimedia

Though quieter now, the Bubendorf rectory remains a place of whispered unease. The haunted story is remembered particularly through Fanny Moser’s book: Ghosts: False Belief or True Belief from 1950 with a foreword by Jung. Visitors have claimed to hear faint footsteps on the old staircases, and locals swear that on certain mist-shrouded nights, a shadowy figure can be glimpsed standing by the house, gazing longingly out over the fields.

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References:

Von Geistern, die durch Fluchen verschwinden | Basler Zeitung

Huhuuuh! – Sieben Spukhäuser in der Region | TagesWoche

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The Haunting of the Scarborough Castle Ruins and the Foggy South Bay Beach

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Covered in fog, the Scarborough Castle looms over the South Bay Beach in the English seaside town. Countless ghosts like the beheaded Earl, weeping women and prisoners of war are said to be drawn to these sandy beaches in the cover of darkness. 

Scarborough Beach, with its golden sands and the rhythmic lull of the North Sea, is a cherished destination for many in North Yorkshire, England.Scarborough is a place where history is not confined to books but lives on through stories whispered on the wind. Writers like Susann Hill grew up here and she spoke a lot about how the town influenced her eerie stories like The Woman in Black. After the horror movie St. Maud came out, it was also put on a list of a horror movie road trip through England together with Culzean Castle from The Wicker Man and Westminster Bridge from 28 Days Later. 

But if we are to believe the legends, the Scarborough South Bay Beach and the rest of the town are actually haunted. From the haunted halls of the Grand Hotel to the ancient stones of St. Mary’s Church, shipwrecked ships in the bay and the ruins of the old castle, the town is filled with tales of the supernatural.

The Woman in Pink and the Murder of Lydia Bell

Among the most enduring legends is that of the Woman in Pink haunting the beach and various other locations in the city. There are many variations. One of them speaks of a veiled figure, draped in a pink nightgown-like dress, seen wandering the shoreline during foggy nights. She is seen wandering the beach, clutching a baby in her arms. The child is said to be covered with a white shail.

Who was this woman? Some locals said that it is the ghost of a woman who threw her child to its death. 

Another famous legend of the Pink Lady connects her to the murder of Lydia Bell in 1804. Although, her name was actually Eleanor, named from her paternal grandmother. She was a teenager and daughter of a York confectioner, Joseph. In the evening she slipped out from her room and went to meet up with a soldier stationed there. In some versions of the tale it was her married lover. Witnesses saw her walking away with someone, but a positive identification was never made.

What really happened that night has been retold mostly in legends. They say she tried to scream out into the foggy night, but it was drowned by the sound of a foghorn. After she died she was thrown off a cliff. She wasn’t discovered until the next morning when some fishermen happened upon her. She was found a few miles down the coast with severe trauma and attempted rape was assumed. Her murderer was never caught, although a soldier was arrested and later acquitted. According to the ghost stories he didn’t confess his crimes until years later on his deathbed, but that is only in the stories. 

Now she is haunting the beach and various other places in the town, like the house she was staying in when she was in town, said to be Bell Mansion or the Georgian House on St. Nicholas Street, which it is also known as. She is often said to appear in a pink, sometimes a red dress, looking like just another person among the crowd, running down the beach towards the Spa before vanishing into thin air. Some say that you can still hear her faint screams between the humming of the foghorns on foggy nights. 

How true was this story about Lydia Bell though? Or was it Elanor? With several names and dates, there are not many actual crimes to cross check with and easy to get mixed up. The earliest appearance as a ghost story seems to be in Jack Hallam’s book Ghost of the North from 1976, although the story is said to have been known a long time before this. 

The Woman in Black

Now, although the legend of The Woman in Pink is one of the most well known stories for the locals, the world probably knows Scarborough as the haunting ground for The Woman in Black. And although it’s not just like the book, there are certainly legends of a darkly clad ghost wandering the beach as well as other places in the town. 

Some say that there is the ghost of a woman in a black veil haunting the area. It is said that her name was Helen Hywater and was waiting for her sailor lover. He was to return to Scarborough within 300 days to marry her. When he never came, she took her life on day 300 and has been haunting the place on foggy nights since then. 

This legend doesn’t have many sources though and one of the online sources comes from ghosthunter Anne Roehampton. This story is also connected to the Grand Hotel, where some claim that she took her life in one of the rooms and that her spirit roams the corridors still. Some think that this story partly influenced Susann Hill when crafting the Woman in Black. 

The Woman in Black: The 1983 Gothic horror novel by English writer Susan Hill, is about a mysterious spectre that haunts a small English town. A television film based on it, also called The Woman in Black, was produced in 1989, with a screenplay by Nigel Kneale. In 2012, another film adaption was released starring Daniel Radcliffe. The story has definitely shaped the ghost stories told in Scarborough today.

There are also said to be a witch without a name haunting the area. The most famous witch accusations was that of Anne Hunnam or Marchant, although no records says that she was actually sentenced to death for it. She is said to be haunting a footpath, wearing a dishevelled dark and hooded cloak. Her sinister cackling following the people trespassing her domain. 

Ghostly Soldiers: Echoes of Ancient Battles

Scarborough’s history is steeped in conflict, from Viking invasions to civil wars. It’s said that the spirits of long-dead soldiers still patrol the beach, their forms glimpsed through the fog, clad in antiquated armor. These apparitions are silent, their faces obscured, marching eternally along the sands they once defended.

After the English Civil War the castle was used as a prison and military barracks until the end of World War 1. Many perished behind its walls, but haunt the premise in their afterlife. Near the remnants of a Roman signal station by the castle, visitors have reported sightings of a solitary Roman soldier, standing guard as he did centuries ago.

Scarborough Castle: A Fortress of Phantoms

Overlooking the beach stands Scarborough Castle, a sentinel of stone with a history as turbulent as the seas below. Today, most of the 3500 years old castle lies in ruins, and many believe the haunting feeling of the beach it was built nearby comes from the ruins. 

Read More: Check out all haunted castles

The castle is reputedly haunted by several spirits and those spirits seem to wander freely from the castle walls down to the beach. 

Piers Gaveston was the son of a Gascon knight and is said to haunt the castle as well as the beach of Scarborough. Through his friendship with King Edward II, he became a favorite and the Earl of Cornwall. This favouritism made him deeply unpopular with the royal court, and when he was appointed regent in the king’s absence, it was enough for them. Gaveston met a grisly end in 1312 when he was sent to the castle for his safety by the king. But it was in vain and he was taken prisoner from here by the Earls of Lancaster, Hereford and Arunde and later beheaded in Blacklow Hill.

His headless ghost is said to roam the castle grounds, a restless soul seeking justice. He is also said to lure people to the edge and try to push visitors off the castle walls. 

Another tale exclusively from the castle tells of a woman who, in a fit of despair, threw something over the castle wall before leaping to her death because her soldier she was seeing left her for someone else. Her spirit, consumed by grief, is believed to haunt the ruins, her cries echoing through the night, among with all the other ghosts looming in the foggy bay. 

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References:

The ‘haunted’ Yorkshire beach that was used in a horror movie – YorkshireLive

Is Scarborough Haunted? Haunted places and ghost stories.

We live on the UK’s most ‘HAUNTED’ beach with ‘unruly ghosts roaming the shore’ – but it’s hiding a secret | The Sun

The ‘haunted’ Yorkshire beach that’s worth a spooky Halloween drive from Manchester

Ghost-hunting in Scarborough

Scarborough’s haunted history: Share your ghost stories and spooky sightings around the town for our ‘Coastbusters’ series this Halloween

Scarborough’s haunted history: Share your ghost stories and spooky sightings around the town for our ‘Coastbusters’ series this Halloween 

The Black Widow – Dark Tales Around Scarborough | The Abroad Guide

Scarborough Ghost Trail

The Pink Lady Of Scarborough | The Forteana Forums

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The Burned Man of Shoreham Beach Haunting the Seaside Town

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In the seaside town in England, Shoreham by Sea, there seems to be a lingering specter on the beach. Ever since the second world war, there have been tales about the ghost of a burned man haunting the stretch of land by the shore. 

Shoreham Beach in 1986, a group of teenagers from the private school was having an end of term celebration. One of the boys looked up and saw a figure close to the water. His hair burned, covered in shadow and ash. Before they could react, the figure charged towards them, screaming. The teenager fled from the beach, suddenly filled with the stench of rotting meat, melted plastic and burnt skin. They had just encountered the burned man of Shoreham beach, and they were certainly not the only ones. 

By day, Shoreham Beach in West Sussex is a tranquil stretch of coastline, its pebbled shores and gentle surf offering a quiet respite from the bustle of nearby Brighton. But when the clock strikes midnight and the seaside air in the sleepy Shoreham-by-sea  thickens with mist and the mood shifts. Along the beach, the old footbridge, and the narrow, dimly-lit streets of Shoreham’s High Street, a restless, agonized spirit is said to roam — a tortured phantom known only as The Burned Man.

An Apparition Born of War

Unlike many of England’s older hauntings, this spectral tale has a known starting point: the 1940s. The era of the Second World War left deep scars across the British Isles, and Shoreham was no exception and many believed this was the place the Germans would enter if the country was invaded. 37 air raids hit Shoreham and Southwick during the war and killed at least 17 people. Eight of them were locals. The worst death toll occurred on 21st October 1940 when a bomb landed by the Shoreham Shipping Company and killed five persons including a 17 year old Home Guard George Earthey, Arthur Laker a firefighter and John Hoad all from Shoreham.

Locals believe The Burned Man may have been a victim of those turbulent years — whether a soldier, an unlucky civilian caught in a bombing raid, or someone consumed in a fire now lost to record.

What makes this legend particularly unnerving is the remarkable consistency of the eyewitness accounts. From the war years through to modern times, people walking alone after midnight have reported nearly identical, chilling encounters.

The Dreaded Sequence of Events

Those who’ve crossed paths with The Burned Man describe an oppressive stillness in the air, as if time itself hesitates. Footsteps echo a little too loudly on deserted streets. The glow from streetlamps seems to dim.

Next comes the smell — an unmistakable, stomach-churning stench of burned flesh and charred fabric. Witnesses say it begins faintly but quickly envelops them, leaving no escape.

And then, without warning, he appears.

A gaunt, blackened figure, arms flailing wildly as though still consumed by invisible flames, his face a grotesque mask of pain. From his cracked, charred lips come moaning, demented cries of agony — sounds that witnesses claim linger in the ears long after the phantom vanishes.

Reports note that sightings only occur between midnight and 2:00 AM, always in isolation, and most commonly near the beach’s edge, along the old town’s High Street, and near the historic footbridge.

Though wartime Shoreham has long since faded into memory, The Burned Man remains, his tormented soul trapped between the old streets and the restless tides. Some still claim to catch the scent of burned meat on particularly foggy nights, an ominous sign that The Burned Man walks again.

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References:

The Burned Man – Shoreham Ghost | British Paranormal

https://paranormaldatabase.com/sussex/suspages/sussdata.php?pageNum_paradata=16&totalRows_paradata=427

Shoreham-by-Sea – Wikipedia

Shoreham’s War – shorehambysea.com 

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Ghostly Sailors of Sandwood Bay: Scotland’s Haunted Shoreline

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Coming from the dark waters in what has been called the shipwreck grave of Scotland, ghosts are said to linger on the beach of Sandwood Bay, far away from any civilization. 

Tucked away along the rugged, windswept northwest coast of Scotland, far from the reach of city lights and modern noise, lies Sandwood Bay in Sutherland, a stretch of sand and sea so hauntingly beautiful it feels untouched by time. The beach is considered to be one of the cleanest and most unspoilt beaches in the whole of mainland Britain.

Isolated by towering cliffs and miles of moorland far away from any roads, this remote paradise in Sutherland has long lured travelers, artists, and adventurers with its lonely splendor. But those who linger past sundown whisper of more than waves and starlight — for at Sandwood Bay, the spirits of the drowned are said to walk.

Sandwood Bay: On the rocky beach in Scotland it is said ghosts from the wrecked ships over the years are haunting the shore. // source: Peter Bond / Beach at Sandwood Bay / CC BY-SA 2.0

A Shoreline Stained with Shipwrecks

For centuries, the treacherous waters off Sandwood Bay claimed the lives of countless sailors around the dangerous Cape Wrath. The name likely derived from the norse Sandvatn, meaning sand water. Legends speak of galleons lost to storms, fishing boats swallowed by hungry waves, Viking boats wrecked, and merchant vessels dashed against hidden rocks before the lighthouse was built in 1828.

The most enduring tale involves a Spanish galleon from the Armada, said to have been wrecked along the bay’s sandy embrace in the shadowy days of empire. Local folklore claims its cursed treasure still lies beneath the silt and surf, forever guarded by the spirits of those who perished alongside it.

Ghostly Fishermen and Wandering Sailors

The earliest documented ghost sightings at Sandwood Bay date back to the 1940s, when solitary visitors and locals reported seeing two fishermen collecting driftwood along the shore. These figures, pale and weathered, would cry out to any who approached:

“All on this beach is mine — begone!”

Eyewitnesses said the men vanished if challenged, dissolving into the mist as though they’d never been there. Some insist they are the remnants of wrecked sailors still staking claim to the land their bodies washed upon, calling out if you try to take the driftwood or other things from the beach. There have also been reports about a group of people, crying into their hands as they wander the beach, but vanishing if spoken to. 

Water Horses Haunting the Beach: Another story told about the beach is the sounds of hooves running over the beach when no one is there. Could it be something from more ancient times? Water horse is a mythical creature, such as the Ceffyl Dŵr, Capaill Uisce, and kelpie? The water horse has often become a basic description of other lake monsters such as the Nessie. Loch Morar is reputedly home to “Morag”, a lake monster that has been portrayed as a water horse. Or perhaps it is an each-uisge, a supernatural water horse found in the Scottish Highlands, has been described as “perhaps the fiercest and most dangerous of all the water-horses”.

The Knock at Sandwood Bay Cottage

A short distance from the sands, nestled amid rolling dunes, stands Sandwood Bay Cottage, an old crofter’s home steeped in ghost stories of its own close to Loch Sandwood. Today it’s abandoned and roofless. On stormy nights, when the wind howls like a chorus of lost voices, it’s said a phantom sailor knocks at the door. Legend suggests this may be a lone survivor of the fabled Spanish galleon, cursed to wander the earth in search of shelter and the treasure he swore to guard.

Residents and travelers who’ve stayed at the cottage have reported strange rapping at windows, wet footprints appearing on dry floors, and the unmistakable scent of saltwater and seaweed drifting through tightly shuttered rooms. 

Sandwood Bay Cottage: The abandoned Sandwood Bay Cottage, a remnant of the region’s ghostly tales and maritime history. // Source

Some accounts even claim to have glimpsed a sodden figure standing at the edge of the bay, watching the cottage with hollow, mournful eyes. Perhaps the worst are the stories about the crouching sound of heavy boots outside before the bearded face of a sailor is looking at you through the window. 

Was it a ghost, or was it simply the local hermit James MacRory-Smith who lived close to the beach for 32 years until he died in 1999? He retreated to the bay after his wife died in a horrible car accident.

Mermaids and Myths of the Deep

Sandwood Bay’s eerie reputation isn’t reserved for restless sailors. The waters here also hum with older legends of selkies and mermaids — sea creatures said to lure men to their deaths with song and beauty. Fishermen have long spoken of beautiful, unearthly women seen sunning themselves on the rocks before vanishing into the surf. Could these beings have played a hand in the bay’s tragic maritime history, claiming sailors for their own beneath the waves?

Kelpie: Kelpies have the ability to transform themselves into non-equine forms, and can take on the outward appearance of human figures, in which guise they may betray themselves by the presence of water weeds in their hair.

A story from a local called Alexander (Sandy) Gunn told that he went on a walk around Sandwood Bay in January 1900 with his dog when he saw one. Apparently, the creature had long golden hair and piercing blue/green eyes. 

He was ridiculed by the others, but never changed a word about his story of the 7 feet long creature he had seen on the beach until he died in 1944. And more stories about these sea creatures kept popping up, both after and long before in old history.

A Place Where the Dead Walk

Today, Sandwood Bay remains one of Britain’s most remote and untamed beaches, accessible only by foot over miles of heather-clad moorland. Hikers and campers who brave the long journey often report an unnerving sense of being watched, especially as dusk settles over the beach. Cold spots, distant voices, and ghostly apparitions are said to linger, particularly around the old shipwreck sites still half-buried in the sand.

Magical Stones: Ancient stone circles scattered across the lush green landscape near Sandwood Bay, hinting at centuries of history and folklore. // Source: Brian MacLennan / Ancient Ruin above Sandwood Bay / CC BY-SA 2.0

Whether you believe in the vengeful spirits of drowned sailors or see these tales as a product of isolation and wind-whipped imagination, one thing is certain: Sandwood Bay’s haunted past lives on in every crashing wave and shifting shadow.

So, if you should ever find yourself on that lonely Scottish shore as darkness falls, listen closely to the wind. You might just hear the long-lost cries of shipwrecked souls — still laying claim to Sandwood Bay.

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Porta do Alén, The Portal to Another Dimension

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At the top of a mountain in Northern Spain, there is a supposed gate to the underworld or possibly another dimension. The legend of Porta do Alén and its strange structure continues to be known as the Door to Beyond.  

North in Spain on the highest peak of the mountain Serra do Cando there is a strange dolmen construction that looks a lot like a door. The locals have named it Porta do Alén, or the gate to the underworld. According to the legends about this strange place, the Porta do Alén connects our world to the world of spirits.

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

Who raised this strange structure, all the way to the top of a mountain, and when did it happen? No one really knows the origin of this mysterious place, but the locals in the region have used it as an altar of all sorts for centuries. 

Legends and Folklore Surrounding Porta do Alén

Porta do Alén, also known as the “Door to the Beyond,” has a rich tapestry of legends and folklore woven into its history. Even its origin is disputed, but it is believed that it is most likely human made. 

According to local tales, the portal was created by ancient Celtic druids as a passage to the spirit realm. We can find altars, shrines and ancient burials scattered around in Galicia as a reminder of its past. 

The Secrets of The Ancient Carnac Stones

Often called France’s Stonehenge, The Carnac Stones in Brittany have puzzled people for millennials as to why they were built. Some ancient burial rites? Perhaps it’s like the legends say and are soldiers turned into stone? 

It is said that on certain nights, the veil between the worlds becomes thin, allowing spirits to cross over into our realm through Porta do Alén. These supernatural entities are believed to roam the surrounding area, leaving behind traces of their presence.

The legends surrounding Porta do Alén have also inspired numerous ghost stories and tales of paranormal encounters. The writer Manel Loureiro based his novel, La Puerta on the strange happenings found close to the rocks. 

The Supernatural and Spiritual Beliefs Associated with Porta do Alén

Porta do Alén has long been associated with supernatural and spiritual beliefs, attracting individuals who seek a deeper understanding of the metaphysical. Many believe that the portal serves as a gateway to parallel dimensions or otherworldly realms. This notion is supported by countless accounts of strange occurrences and unexplained phenomena reported by those who have visited the site.

For those interested in the occult and esoteric practices, Porta do Alén has become a site of pilgrimage. Spiritual seekers and practitioners of various mystical traditions gather here to perform rituals, meditate, and connect with the energies they believe exist beyond the portal. Whether it’s communing with spirits, seeking inner enlightenment, or simply immersing oneself in the mysterious atmosphere, Porta do Alén offers a unique space for exploration 

Santa Compaña the Spanish Wild Hunt

These strange rocks on the top of the mountain have often been connected to legends about the Wild Hunt. The Santa Compaña, or the holy company is the Spanish version of the Wild Hunt found in most European mythologies. The common belief is that a procession of the dead wander through the empty path to the small villages at midnight in white cloaks. 

It is said that the living person leading the procession doesn’t remember what happened the night before, but is each night compelled to go wandering as if in a trance in the midnight hours as a curse. It is said that it is especially on two nights were the chances of meeting the procession is higher than other. That is on San Juan (23 to 24 June) and Todos los Santos (October 31 to November 1).

Santa Compaña: This Spanish version of the Wild Hunt have strong ties with the Porta do Alén and the rest of Galicia in Northern Spain.//Source: The Holy Company of Camilo Díaz Baliño (1919)

It might be inspired by the celtic of norse wild hunt, but here, the procession is usually led by a person of the church. Even if the souls are not always seen, the scent of the wax candles they carry are smelled in the breeze. 

According to the legend, the Santa Compana enters our world and looks for its victims to take with them back to the underworld.

The Ritual by the Stones

Another legend says the place was a place for a huge ritual in ancient times to send evil spirits through the door and back to the underworld. 

According to this legend the evil spirits are still waiting right on the other side of the door, ready to be released to our world. This is why the local superstition says to never walk through the gate, as you might get some of the spirits with you on the other side. 

The locals and visitors hiking Serra do Cando leave different offerings at the place like food, small objects, plants and notes asking for good luck at the door to the underworld. 

There is a particular ritual where if someone wants to speak with the souls of the deceased, they will have to go through the door from north to south. They will give an offering like bread, flower or a lighted candle. Then they have to remain quiet and the wind will grant the answers you seek.

If you don’t follow all of the rules you will lose your voice or health as a punishment. To finish off with the ritual you have to pass through the door again so not to be trapped in the beyond. 

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References:

El Monte Seixo y su vía de entrada al más allá en A Lama (Pontevedra)
Ten paranormal places that you can actually visit in Spain

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The 100 Ghost Stories in Dragsholm Castle in Denmark

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Said to house over a hundred ghosts, Dragsholm Castle in Denmark is said to be one of the most haunted in the country. A prison for both traitors of country and heart, there are many lingering in the now modern hotel rooms. 

Dragsholm Castle is a stunning 800-year-old fortress that has played host to royalty, nobility, and even prisoners in the picturesque Danish countryside of Zealand. But beneath its grandeur and beauty lies a dark and chilling secret. For centuries, the castle has been haunted by ghosts and spirits, with tales of mysterious apparitions and unexplained occurrences leaving visitors trembling with fear. 

From the headless ghost of a former nobleman to the restless spirits of prisoners who died in the castle’s dungeons, Dragsholm Castle is a fascinating yet terrifying place that has captured the imagination of many. 

Dragsholm Castle: An 800-year-old fortress in Denmark, surrounded by lush greenery and a serene waterway, known for its haunting history.

The Bloody History of Dragsholm Castle

Dragsholm Castle has a long and fascinating history, dating back to 1215 when it was first built as a fortification. The name Drag, comes from draugh and is the narrow strip of land  Over the years, it has been modified and expanded to become the magnificent castle that we see today. Originally, the castle was owned by the powerful Bishop of Roskilde, but it was later taken over by noble families who used it as their residence. It was actually the oldest secular building in Denmark.

Read more: Check out all ghost stories from haunted castles around the world

During a war known as The Count’s Feud in the 1530’s, it was the only castle in Zealand to remain standing. It also lived through all of the wars between Sweden and Denmark

View of the Danish Countryside: A scenic view of the lush landscape surrounding Dragsholm Castle, showcasing the tranquility of the Danish countryside. // Source: Wiki

During the 16th and 17th centuries, Dragsholm Castle was used as a prison for nobility who had fallen out of favor with the Danish monarchy. Many of these prisoners were held in the castle’s dungeons, where they were subjected to horrific conditions and died from disease, starvation, and torture.

Ghost Stories From Dragsholm Castle

It is no surprise that a castle with such a dark history is believed to be haunted. There have been countless reports of ghostly sightings and unexplained phenomena at Dragsholm Castle over the years, making it one of Denmark’s most famous haunted locations.

Dragsholm Castle has turned into a hotel and restaurant today, and many of their guests experience strange things. Water taps turn on in the night, mirrors and pictures on the walls starts swinging. The castle is said to be home to over 100 ghosts, each with their own terrifying story.

The Bishop Ghost in the Tower

It is said that one of the last Bishop of Roskilde haunts one of Dragsholm Castle’s towers. According to the stories Joachim Rønnow was imprisoned in these when the castle was seized by the Danish king in the reformation. Today, they have turned into hotel rooms. 

Guests staying at the tower claim to have heard the moaning of the bishop as well as wailing sounds from the hallways on the second floor. Still haunting the place he once owned. 

Joachim Rønnow: 1500-1542 was a Danish Bishop, last of the Catholics Bishops in Roskilde. He was captured with other bishops and he died in prison. Although the legend says he died in Dragsholm Slot, it was also said he died in Københavns Castle, May 1, 1542. history claim that his first year of imprisonment was at Dragsholm, then at Københavns castle, Kronborg and in the end, Visby. In 1533, the Danish theologian Hans Tausen was convicted of blasphemy, and this caused an oproar in the Protestant city of Copenhagen. The scene shows Tausen defending Joachim Rønnow, bishop of Zealand, against the mob.

The Ghost of the Mad Squire Ejer Brockenhuus

One of the King’s confidants when alive, Brockenhuus was set for a comfortable life. In the end he blew it with the kind and ended up in prison because of his incestuous affairs. He enjoyed blowing up dynamite by setting pipes on fire and abused his servants, raped and killed his sister. He may or may not have also impregnated her and had an affair with his brother in law’s widow. In church he invited people to his funeral before he jumped out from the coffin in front of the horrified spectators.

The Noble Broockenhuus Family Crest

He is known as the Mad Squire because he went mad as time went by in the prison. In the end he was only able to cry out bitter and hurtful words and held his own council and dialog no one could follow. Still to this day it is said you can hear him rambling in the corridors close to where his cell used to be. 

The Mummified Ghost of the Earl of Bothwell

Another ghost said to haunt the castle is James Hepburn, also known as the 4th Earl of Bothwell and perhaps best known as the third husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. 

In his lifetime, he was engaged to a Danish-Norwegian woman called Anne Rustung. When he went back to Scotland though, he was planning to marry Mary, Queen of Scots, but brought Anne’s dowry with him. He was accused of murdering Lord Darnley, the second husband of the Scottish Queen and captured in Bergen port in Norway, then a Danish territory. The humiliation was big for Anne and her father tracked the Earl down and punished him by imprisoning him. He was chained to a pillar and left to die and died at 44 years old. 

His mummified body is kept close by at Faarevejle Church and is believed to haunt the castle. He is also seen entering the castle in a horse drawn carriage through the courtyard, although there hasn’t been horses on the site in years. 

The White Lady of Dragsholm Castle

One of the most famous ghosts at Dragsholm Castle is the White Lady and no European castle is complete without its own version. Legend has it that she was a beautiful noblewoman who fell in love with a commoner who worked at the castle, although she was betrothed to another noble family. Most English sources would have you think her name was Celina Bolves for some reason, but there are no Bolves nobles in Denmark.

Her name was actually Celestine Mariann de Bayonne Gyldenstierne, daughter of Mogens Gyldenstierne. She had fell in love with a man working in the stables and fell pregnant around 1550. She was already promised to another noble family and her father was furious when he found out. He told her to go to Slesvig to have the child in secret and threw her a going away party. This was the last time anyone saw her.

She never went to Slesvig. Her father drugged her wine with opium and locked her away in one of the castle’s towers. She was never seen again, and it is believed that she died of starvation and despair as it is said they built a wall around her and chained to the wall, she was left to starve. 

But is the story true? Mogens Gyldenstierne was certainly a real man, and is said to have around 20 kids, although this daughter is not really mentioned anywhere, and neither is it said she entombed someone either.

Can the lady in white then be Magurite Dåe as some sources claim? She was a noble woman in the 1600 and fell in love with Count Maurice Lejonhuvud who was weak of syphilis. Her father forbade her to marry him. Defiant, she threw herself into a dance at a ball at Dragsholm Castle they attended in 1641. The dance was so intense, her tuberculosis lungs couldn’t handle and she fell dead on the floor. Now she is said to seek out young men that look like her count.

This story became popular in 1912 when the plumbing of the castle got an upgrade. They were adding a toilet in the room and removed some of the bricks. Behind the wall a skeleton was discovered. No matter who the Lady in White is said to be, there truly was a skeleton of a real human hidden in the castle walls.

Her ghosts are said to wander the castle’s halls, wearing a white dress and carrying a candle. Many visitors claim to have seen her ghostly figure, and some have even reported feeling a cold breeze or hearing her soft footsteps. When the castle turned into a hotel, many men woke up in their room to find the ghost of the lady in white looking at them at the end of their bed.

The Grey Lady of Dragsholm Castle

Another famous ghost at Dragsholm Castle is the Grey Lady. There are some conflicting stories about who she was, especially when looking at English sources and Danish sources. Many English sources tell that she was a former maid said to be very beautiful who worked at the castle during the 19th century. According to legend, had a toothache and got help from the master of the castle. He did relieve her pain for a while, but the infection caused her death. When she died a little later, she came back as the castle’s protector and is seen at night, guarding the castle, still cheerful as she was in life. 

However when looking at the Danish sources, they tell a different story. Here she gets a name, Louise Katrine Jensdatter. She was from a poor family and started as a maid at the castle. She was caught stealing silver and thought she would be punished. The Housekeeper took pity on the poor girl and gave her a new chance and responsibility. Louise rose to the occasion and worked hard at the castle for many years.

She was working as the Housekeeper at the castle when the Swedish attacked in 1659. She had to watch the Swedish soldier kill her little children and husband in the courtyard after raping her. She is said to have died soon after, either from fright or in the fire that consumed the castle after the attack.

People working in the castle can still feel her presence, especially when something goes wrong and she is there to remind the staff the proper way to take care of the castle.

Paranormal Activity at Dragsholm Castle

Despite its age and the many ghost stories associated with it, Dragsholm Castle remains a popular tourist destination. It is to this day the Bøtteger family who owns it and uses it as a luxury hotel. 

Source: Wiki

Visitors come from all over the world to experience the castle’s haunting atmosphere and to try and catch a glimpse of its ghostly inhabitants. Over the years, there have been many reports of paranormal activity at the castle, including strange noises, unexplained movements of objects, and even sightings of ghostly figures. Many paranormal investigators have visited the castle to try and capture evidence of these ghostly occurrences, and some believe that the castle is one of the most haunted locations in Europe.

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Dragsholm Castle is a fascinating and terrifying place that has captured the imagination of many. Its haunting beauty and dark history make it one of Denmark’s most famous landmarks, and its ghostly legends continue to intrigue and terrify visitors to this day. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, there is no denying the eerie atmosphere that permeates the castle’s walls.

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Norske slott er fulle av spøkelser | historienet.no

I seng med spøkelser

Mogens Gyldenstierne – Wikipedia, den frie encyklopædihttps://nyheder.tv2.dk/samfund/2014-12-01-dragsholms-dramatiske-historie-hjemsoegt-besat-og-braendt

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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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The True Story of The Chinnery Backseat Driver Ghost

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The Chinnery Backseat Driver ghost is now a famous photo used to prove that ghosts exists. but does it? What was the story behind the photo at the time, and what do the experts say about it today?

The Chinnery Backseat Driver ghost, or the backseat ghost, is a picture that has become quite popular on lists of pictures proving the existence of ghosts. This intriguing image not only captures the attention of paranormal enthusiasts but also raises numerous questions about its authenticity and the narrative surrounding it. But what is the true story behind the now famous picture?

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Many believe it to be a chilling reminder of the past, while others are skeptical, suggesting that it could be a simple case of double exposure or a cleverly staged scene. This has sparked debates among both believers and skeptics, igniting curiosity about the origins of the photograph, the circumstances in which it was taken, and the identity of the spectral figure appearing in the backseat.

The Story Behind the Picture

March 22, 1959, 44 year old Mrs. Mable Chinnery from in Ipswich in Suffolk, England packed up their car and took off to visit Mable’s mother at the cemetery with her husband, Jim. When they arrived, Mr. Chinnery stayed in the Hillman Minx car as his wife went to the grave of her mother.

Mable had just gotten a new camera, some saying it was an Eastman-Kodak Brownie. She had brought it on her trip to take some pictures of her mother’s gravestone who had died a week prior. After taking several photos, Mrs. Chinnery saw that she had one picture left. So, she pointed the camera at her husband in the car and took the picture.

When they got the film developed though, she saw it was more than her gravestone Mrs. Chinnery had taken a picture off. Sitting in the backseat of the car was the clear image of a person. When Mrs. Chinnery showed the pictures to her friends they pointed out the figure in the backseat saying: “But there’s your mother in the back!”

According to Jim, she loved sitting in the back of the car. One of the final things she had told them before she died was: “you’ll never come to any harm ’cause I’ll still be with you.”

Investigating The Chinnery Backseat Driver

The photo has since gone through rigorous tests by professional photo analysts. This includes Skeptics who did a deep dive into this picture not too long ago. According to the experts that were examining the picture, the figure in the photo is not a reflection or a double exposure. Perhaps a bit of controversial take on a ghost photo. This comes from an article about the photo claiming because the door’s upright wouldn’t block off part of her face. And she can’t be a reflection in the window, either, according to them. So what can she be? And is a double exposure impossible?

According to many photographer, the camera she was using, could easily have taken a double exposure by mistake. These skeptics suggested that whatever was in the photo wasn’t a ghost, but rather the mind making familiar patterns out of light and shadow. Some also think the most likely scenario is that Mrs. Chinnery took a photo of her mother in an armchair shortly before the old woman died. 

What Mrs. Chinnery ended up believing about the picture is never mentioned, neither is the further haunting from her mother. This together with all the possible explanations for the image distortion makes it difficult to come up with a single simple answer of what happened the day they snapped The Chinnery Backseat Driver.

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