After a servant ended in an ice cold watery grave, Lough Cutra Castle in Ireland is said to be haunted by his presence and is called Cheeky Murray.
The history of Lough Cutra Castle and Estate dates back to ancient times, possibly as early as 866 AD. The castle’s serene surroundings have witnessed the passage of influential figures like Ireland’s patron saint, Saint Patrick, and Saint Colman MacDuagh, who is commemorated by the nearby Kilmacduagh round tower.
Christianity left its mark on the estate, with remnants of churches, cells, and monasteries scattered across the immediate grounds. These holy sites harken back to the introduction of Christianity to the region.
The hills surrounding Lough Cutra bear the scars of tribal conflicts between the Firbolgs and the Tuatha De Danann, two ancient Irish tribes. These conflicts persisted through the Danish invasion, with the ruined church of Beagh as a solemn reminder of the turmoil that once engulfed the area.
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In 1678, Sir Roger O’Shaughnessy inherited the lands around Lough Cutra but faced upheaval during a revolution that led to the seizure of Gort lands. These lands were later presented to Thomas Prendergast, who planted numerous fruit trees on the islands within the lake. The land dispute continued, eventually culminating in a resolution in 1753.
Lough Cutra Castle: The 3rd Lord Gort was ruined by the Famine, when he refused to collect any rents and gave large sums of money to charity, with the result that the estate was bankrupted and sold up by the Encumbered Estates Court in 1851. The castle was bought back post World War II, by the 7th Viscount Gort. It was restored by the family. photo from ca. 1860-1883.
In the 1920s, the Gough family moved out of the castle due to the escalating maintenance costs. During World War II, the Irish army occupied the castle and the estate.
Over the years, ownership of Lough Cutra Castle shifted, with various renovations and refurbishments taking place. In 2003, significant roof restoration work was completed on the castle. Further restoration and rebuilding projects occurred in gate lodges and courtyards.
The Mystery of the Haunting
Amidst the historical grandeur of Lough Cutra Castle lies a tale of the supernatural. Whispers of ghostly apparitions and eerie phenomena have haunted the corridors of the castle for a long time. From inexplicable sounds to shadowy figures, some believe that the castle’s long history may have left behind more than memories.
The ghost supposedly haunting the castle is that of a former servant. Murray was working at the castle when he one winter was crossing a frozen lake. The ice was too thin and he fell through and was trapped under it.
He was rescued from the icy waters and brought to the castle, but died in one of the rooms not long after. After his death, strange things started to happen and they decided to seal the room off because of this.
Many years later, they were doing some renovations to the castle and wanted to use the room as a bathroom. When they opened it, it was like the ghost of Murray was set free somehow as they once again started to experience strange things like they had before sealing it off.
He is said to be quite flirtatious and when people have spotted him, it is often ladies that complain about him touching them inappropriately, like pinching their bottom. Because of this he has been known as Cheeky Murray.
The Haunted Legacy of Lough Cutra Castle
As Lough Cutra Castle continues to stand proudly on the shores of its picturesque lake, its legends, both historical and supernatural, endure, inviting us to explore the enigmatic past that lingers within its walls.
Read More: Check out all of the Haunted Castles from around the world
Though the presence of Cheeky Murray, the mischievous ghostly servant, lingers within the castle’s walls, the restoration and renovations have brought new life to the ancient structure. The room where Murray’s spirit was trapped has been reopened, and its enigmatic aura remains, inviting visitors to witness the supernatural wonders that abound.
As the sun sets over the serene lake, casting a mesmerizing reflection upon the castle’s facade, the whispers of the past mingle with the laughter and the footsteps of present-day guests. The enchanting legends of Lough Cutra Castle continue to intrigue and captivate, drawing in those who seek a glimpse into the hidden depths of history.
The Spanish legend of El Coco frightened children and was used by parents to make their children go to sleep. But what really was behind the horrible legend about the child devouring monster that would come for you?
Go to sleep child, go to sleep now, the coconut is coming and it will eat you
Many Spanish parents spook their children by cautioning them about El Coco, a Boogeyman monster who snatches children away if they misbehave or refuse to sleep. It has also been associated with a horrible crime that was like a manifestation of the old legend.
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Parents warn their children of El Coco using the popular rhyme, “Duermete niño, duermete ya, que viene El Coco y te comerá.” (“Sleep child, sleep now, or else Coco will come and eat you.”
Origins and Cultural Variations of the El Coco Legend
The legend of El Coco has its roots in Galician Spanish and Portuguese folklore, but it has spread to various countries and cultures around the world, each with their own unique variations.
In Spain, El Coco is often depicted as a dark, shadowy figure lurking in the night. Some say that he appears on moonless nights and puts lying children in a sack and turns them into soap.
Other cultures have their own versions of the legend, such as the Bogeyman in English-speaking countries and the Sack Man in France.
El Coco: Francisco de Goya illustrated, Que viene el coco (Here Comes the Bogey-Man), published 1799.
The origins of the legend can be traced back to the 17th century when the first lullabies were written down, where parents would use stories of monsters and boogeymen to frighten their children into behaving. These cautionary tales served as a way to instill discipline and obedience in children, as they believed that the threat of El Coco would keep them in line.
Over time, the legend evolved and became deeply ingrained in the collective consciousness of various cultures. And with time, the tale of Coco spread to Latin America that also put their own touch on the legend.
Terrifying Tales and Encounters with El Coco
Throughout history, there have been numerous chilling tales and alleged encounters with El Coco. These stories have been passed down from generation to generation, fueling the fear and fascination surrounding the legend. One such tale recounts the story of a young boy who was abducted by El Coco and never seen again. The boy’s parents claimed to have seen a dark figure with glowing eyes and a black cloth bag lurking outside their home on the night of the abduction.
Perhaps the most terrifying thing about this is that it is well in with a horrible real crime that happened to a child.
The Real El Coco Francisco Ortega
A real person that has been associated with El Coco was Francisco Ortega. In 1910 he lived in Gador in Spain with no family, alone in his house. He had tuberculosis and was near death.
At the time there was no cure for tuberculosis, but Ortega didn’t want to die. He went to a healer called Francisco Leona that also practices black magic. He told Ortega he needed the blood of a child and 3000 reais to pay the healer.
They kidnapped a seven year old named Bernando from his house and put him in a sack. Leon cut the child’s heart out with a knife and crushed his head with a rock. They drank his blood, put his heart in a jar and used his body to make a medical paste.
Leona got rid of the body with the help of Julio. But Julio didn’t receive any payments so he went to the police and turned them in. They were all arrested and sentenced to death.
The Goodnight Story El Coco
The legend of El Coco is a haunting tale that has been passed down through generations, instilling fear and fascination in children and adults alike. Its origins in Spanish folklore have spread to various cultures, each with their own unique variations of the legend. Throughout history, there have been terrifying tales and alleged encounters with El Coco, fueling the fear and intrigue surrounding the creature.
Renvyle House was said to be haunted long before the poet Yeats stepped into the hotel and decided to hold a seance. What they experienced staying there though almost sounded as fantastical as one of his stories and today it bears the fascinating history of modern spiritualism and occult seances.
Midnight has come and the great Christ Church bell And many a lesser bell sound through the room; And it is All Souls’ Night. And two long glasses brimmed with muscatel Five bubble upon the table. A ghost may come; For it is a ghost’s right, His element is so fine Being sharpened by his death, – W. B. Yeats, “All Souls’ Night”
Amidst the picturesque landscapes of Galway in Ireland, Renvyle House stands as a charming rural hotel today, exuding warmth and hospitality. But it hasn’t always been like this, and there is a dark story of the occult ricocheting in the many rooms.
Read More: Check out all of the ghost stories from Ireland
Within its inviting walls, guests, including renowned Irish poet and spiritualist William Butler Yeats, have encountered spine-tingling encounters with the supernatural, and who knows, perhaps even summoned some?
Renvyle House, a low, sprawling gray structure on Ireland’s western coast, boasts a storied history marked by construction, destruction, and rebirth. It has withstood the tumultuous shifts in Ireland’s fate, serving as a testament to the nation’s enduring spirit.
A Hotel with an Eventful Past
Originally, this site was inhabited by the formidable Gaelic clan of Donal O’Flaherty since the 12th century. In 1689, the Blakes, one of the 14 Tribes of Galway, acquired 2,000 acres of O’Flaherty land and eventually took up residence in 1822. They transformed the modest thatched cabin into a grander dwelling.
Major renovations, including the addition of a shipwreck-sourced timber extension and a slate roof, took place under Henry Blake’s ownership. In 1883, his widow, Caroline Johanna, converted it into the area’s first hotel, opening its doors to guests seeking Connemara’s natural beauty.
In 1923, during the Irish Civil War, the IRA set the house ablaze, erasing the structure along with Gogarty’s priceless library. Surgeon, poet, and statesman Oliver St. John Gogarty, who had acquired the property in 1917, embarked on its reconstruction in the late 1920s.
The new design reflected the aesthetic of that era, restoring Renvyle House as a hotel. It was during his stewardship that the first eerie tales of spectral encounters began to surface as his guests often included those with a keen interest in the paranormal.
A Haunting Presence at Renvyle House
Oliver St. John Gogarty: Owner of Renvyle House and a writer. He served as the inspiration for Buck Mulligan in James Joyce’s novel Ulysses and often entertained his literary friends at his house.
Even before Yeats came for a visit, the Renvyle House was said to have had a haunted reputation about it. Servants working at the Renvyle House often spoke in hushed whispers of unsettling “presences” that seemed to lurk within the shadows of the home. Bedsheets would inexplicably take flight from their resting places, doors would open and close with no human hand to guide them, and the atmosphere was charged with an otherworldly energy.
One night, the owner himself, the writer Oliver St. John Gogarty experienced something he claimed had to have been something paranormal. In the middle of the night he was jolted from slumber by a haunting disturbance. As the midnight hour approached, he was roused by the sound of heavy footsteps in the hallway outside his room coming closer and closer.
Gogarty lit a candle and ventured out to confront the source of the disturbance. Perhaps it was a guest, maybe a servant walking in the night? Yet, as he stepped into the corridor, a chilling gust extinguished the flame he was carrying. In that moment, he described an inexplicable heaviness in his limbs, as though “exercising with rubber ropes.” The spectral presence had vanished, leaving him in solitude in the pitch dark.
The Arrival of William Butler Yeats
The supernatural activity at Renvyle House reached its zenith when Gogarty’s close friend, the renowned poet William Butler Yeats, and his wife, Georgia, came to stay. Yeats grew up in Sligo, a part of Ireland known for its hauntings and fantastical fairy tales that blended into the locals’ everyday life.
Yeats believed that when you spoke of a dead man you conjured his ghost, and together with his wife that acted as a medium for them, they had a habit of chasing ghosts and exploring the afterlife.
Together, they embarked on a journey into the realm of the paranormal. The couple was highly interested in the occult, as it was both new and fashionable in that area, and they took part in many seances.
One evening, while gathered in the library, the Yeatses and their companions were startled by the creaking of the library door, which slowly swung open of its own volition. Fear swept through the room, yet Yeats, resolute and unyielding, raised his hand and boldly declared, “Leave it alone, it will go away, as it came.” Remarkably, the door obeyed, slamming shut with an unsettling finality.
The Yeats Couple: At the age of 25, Georgie Hyde-Lees received a marriage proposal from the 52-year-old poet W.B. Yeats. This proposal came shortly after Yeats had been rejected by Iseult Gonne, whom he had loved for a long time. Surprisingly, Georgie accepted Yeats’ proposal, and the two were married just three weeks later. During their honeymoon, Georgie began automatic writing, a practice that greatly intrigued Yeats and eventually led to the creation of “A Vision,” which played a significant role in their marriage. Within a year of their marriage, Yeats found Georgie’s name insufferable and began calling her George instead.
The Yeatses decided to delve deeper into the mysteries of Renvyle House through automatic writing, a popular way of communicating with spirits in that era. In a séance, they hoped to unlock the secrets of the house’s restless spirits with a seance.
There was in particular one room Yeats claimed to get in contact with an entity that said he didn’t like when strangers came to the house.
His wife told about seeing a red-haired, pallid-faced boy of about fourteen. “He had the solemn pallor of a tragedy beyond the endurance of a child,” recalled Georgia Yeats. They learned that this melancholic figure belonged to the Blake family, the original proprietors of the house.
A Catholic Exorcise
According to the gathered people in the room there was one of them that had just converted to catholicism named Evan Morgan. He felt confident in his abilities to perform an exorcism in the room of the ghosts that resided in there.
Spiritualism: Spiritualism is a belief system that holds spirits can communicate with the living through a medium. The term was first recorded in 1796 and was associated with 18th-century spiritualist Emanuel Swedenborg. It has evolved to encompass various meanings. In a broad sense, spiritualism includes beliefs in a vital life force within living beings, supernatural or divine entities, and the idea that spirits of the deceased continue to exist after death and can interact with the living.
According to them, he was thrown to the ground by a thick fog and had to get help to get to safety. When he calmed down he claimed to have encountered the same young man that grabbed his throat and threw him down.
The Rest of the Ghost Haunting the hotel
This ghost from the seance is not the only ghost that is said to have been recognised though. Some claim that there are children haunting some of the rooms, and apparently one man haunting the hotel strangled himself.
According to those who have stayed there there is a female ghosts known as Old Mrs. Gogarty that have been seen in the hotel
There is also a man that is all dressed in tweed reported to haunt the place and is known to appear in room 27. There have also been complaints about him watching women in their rooms when they are putting on makeup. When some psychics visited in 1965, they claimed that the ghost had to be that of Yeats himself, and this theory has been passed around as fact ever since.
A Fiery End, and Lingering Spirits
Despite its fiery end at the hands of the IRA, Renvyle House rose from the ashes, rebuilt and resolute. However, the passage of time has not dissuaded the restless spirits from roaming its corridors. To this day, guests and staff have reported uncanny encounters and inexplicable phenomena within these historic walls.
Renvyle House remains not only a haven of hospitality but also a portal into the enigmatic world of the supernatural, where the echoes of the past continue to whisper their secrets.
A trail of ghost children passing the road, the sight of a shining woman in the middle of the road are just some of the strange tales about the haunted stretch of road close to a military base in Andalucía.
Over the course of 19 years people claimed to see strange apparition on the stretch of road from Seville to Moron de la Frontera in Andalucía. It was built to connect the towns of Arahal, Utrera, Montellano and the Moron air base and strange things are said to happen here in the dead of the night.
Read more: Check out all of our ghost stories from Spain
There is not only one ghost story connected to this place, but several. And the ghost stories told about this place is not even the strangest thing told about this stretch of road.
The Ghost of Children Crossing the Road
Some of the strange apparition seen along this road is what appears to be the ghosts of school children.
Drivers along this road saw lines of children wearing what looked like school uniforms as they were crossing the road while holding hands before they suddenly vanished into thin air.
This was told by 4 young people in a car when one night 20 years ago a man jumped out from the ditch and stopped the traffic in the middle of the night by standing in the middle of the road to let the ghost children pass.
Read more: Check out all of our ghost stories from Haunted Roads all around the world.
A line of children, boys and girls holding hands dressed in their school uniforms appeared. They crossed the road and disappeared without a trace.
If there have been a particular accident involving young school children that ended their life in a car accident is unclear. However, the legend about the ghost children crossing the road had been told for years now and has cemented itself as a part of the road lore.
There has been talk that it used to be a rural school in the place a long time ago, but what happened to it, no one really knows.
The Shining Woman in the Middle of the Road
Another ghost legend told about the place is what appears like the ghost of a woman. She is said to be appearing in the middle of the road who shines so bright that they first think she is some sort of traffic signal.
One of the witnesses of this strange thing was seen by Pedro Luque and his wife when they came driving on this road. It was dark and winter and when they approached what they thought was a traffic signal, they realized it was a woman.
He described her as at least 50 years old tall and skinny, with a serious look on her face like she was scared.
They didn’t stop for her, but when they passed her on the road and looked in the rearview mirror, she was gone.
Whether this is some sort of classical vanishing hitchhiker story is likely, but it could also pass as some of the more strange rumors going on about this road.
UFO’s and Humanoid Figures Close to the Military Base
As mentioned earlier, ghost stories are far from the strangest things people talk about when talking about this road. There have also been talks about seeing UFOs and other otherworldly things here.
Even the military have taken action to investigate the strange things that seemingly keep happening here.
A fair point about the strange things happening around these parts have been attributed to the proximity to the military base, especially since it is close to the base of the secretive Spanish air force in Moron.
Bonfires to ward off evil and leaving food for the ghost; the Celtic pagan celebration of Samhain slowly morphed into what is now the modern Halloween with the Trick or Treat, horror movies and costume parties. But how was the celebration done in the olden days, really?
Samhain, pronounced “sow-win”, is a festival that originated in ancient Celtic culture throughout Europe, and is the precursor to the modern Halloween. Celebrated on the night of October 31st, Samhain marks the end of the harvest season and the onset of winter, a time traditionally associated with darkness and death. The Celts believed that during this liminal period, the veil between the living and the dead was at its thinnest, allowing spirits to return to the world of the living.
But what happened to this ancient celebration, and just how much of the modern Halloween tradition is really rooted in the pagan holiday?
Samhain Bonfire: Neo pagans celebrating Samhain in Ireland.// Source: Wikimedia
The Ancient Celtic Context of Samhain
The festival of Samhain was not merely a celebration; it was a deeply spiritual time for the Celts, who inhabited regions that are now part of Ireland, Scotland since pagan times. It was at least a part of the Gaelic Celts. Although something similar would be celebrated by the Brittonic Celts in Wales as Calan Gaeaf.
The Celtic people were a big and diverse group of people settled throughout Europe in the Iron and Bronze age, as far as Turkey at one time. In the 3rd century BC they were more or less absorbed into the Roman Empire, and most of the remains of the Celtic culture exists in the northernmost parts of Europe in the west.
Ancient records indicate that Samhain was one of the four major Gaelic festivals, alongside Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnasadh. These festivals were pivotal in marking the changing seasons and agricultural cycles, providing a connection to the earth and the spirits that inhabited it.
Some believe that this was the Celtic New Years, but it is a much disputed theory. Samhain signified the beginning of the darker half of the year, end of the harvest, a time to reflect on the past year and prepare for the hardships of winter. According to the Celtic calendar, the Celtic days started and ended on sunsets, so that the evening of 31. October to 1. November.
This day was believed to have the veil between our world and the Otherworld be extra thin and the portals or the sídhe were open. We were much closer to the supernatural beings called aos sí and ghosts than the rest of the year. And in contrast to its summer counterpart, Beltane which was a feast for the living, this was supposed to be a feast for the dead.
Although the festival itself was not recorded in detail until the modern era, the way history remembers it is from the fragments of the living culture and traditions still alive today.
Samhain Human Sacrifices
It is often considered a rather sinister holiday, but just how dark could the Samhain celebration be? In pagan times, Samhain is believed to be connected to the Irish Crom Cruach who was given human sacrifice and was some sort of fertility God or a solar deity. It was claimed that a first born child had to be sacrificed at the stone idol in Magh Slécht, today the plains around the south-eastern part of the Parish of Templeport.
Also the people of Nemed had to give two-thirds of their children, corn and milt to the Fomori monsters. The Nemed people were thought to be a third group of Irish settlers from the Caspian Sea, before dying of the plague and the Fomorians.
Fomorians: There are many variants of the scary tales about the Fomorians. They were often considered sea creatures, even pirates as the threat from the vikings came from the sea. Here is John Duncan’s interpretation of the sea gods of Irish mythology.
How much of the Nemed people that are true though, is up for debate. But their dark and grim legends certainly fit right into the mystical and dark Halloween legends where evil is at play.
Samhain Monsters
It wasn’t only the Fomori monster that was connected with Samhain. It was everything. The Pukah that receives the harvest from the field, the headless ghost of The Lady Gwyn in her white dress chasing the children. There is also the Dullahan, small imps or headless men on their red eyed horses carrying their heads, a deadly omen.
The Headless Horseman: A staple of Halloween lore, even today. The story of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving really cemented it in American culture, like many of the Scottish and Irish stories did.
The Sluagh or the fairies were also said to kidnap people on Samhain, transporting them to the Otherworld they perhaps never would escape from.
The Otherworld: In many fairytales there is a story about people being spirited away by the fairies to the Otherworld. The Otherworld is usually called Annwn in Welsh mythology and Avalon in Arthurian legend. In Irish mythology it’s called Tír na nÓg, Mag Mell and Emain Ablach. Here from The ‘Land of the Ever Young’ depicted by Arthur Rackham in Irish Fairy Tales (1920).
As the pagan religion passed over to the Christian one, the monsters we saw changed. From fairies and pagan creatures, the devil, witches and other demons took their place. One could perhaps wonder in our more secular societies, how the Halloween costume tradition still reflects the monsters lurking in the dark.
The Samhain Bonfires Warding off Evil
The Celts honored their ancestors and the spirits of the dead by lighting bonfires, often known as Samghnagans. They were believed to provide protection and guidance. In ancient Celtic times with the druid priest in holy places, and later in the local communities. Through the middle ages, the fires were lit up closer to the farms to protect them and their harvest.
In Ireland there are many places that are still linked to Samhain, you have the Cave of Oweynagat in Country Roscommon where a being from the Otherworld would come from and host the festivities. The Hill of Ward in County Meath was also a place where people gathered to light the bonfires. The Mound of the Hostages at Tara Hill in County Wexford is a 5,000-year-old Neolithic passage tomb. There, the rising sun illuminates the inner chamber at both Samhain and Imbolc. These were often the places the Celts would gather to light up their bonfires.
Bonfires: Neopagans celebrating Samhain as they have tried to recreate the bonfire traditions that were more important in pagan times.
These special fires with special protective and cleansing power as the sun itself, and were a focal point for gatherings, where communities would come together to celebrate, feast, and partake in rituals designed to appease both the living and the dead.
Today, the act of lighting up fires isn’t connected to the Samhain celebrations as it used to. Instead the Jack-o-lantern tradition can perhaps be seen as the modern version to keep the evil at bay with the help of light.
The bonfires were also used for divination, like the 18th-century tradition in Ochtertyre in Scotland. A ring of stones were laid around the fire and people ran around the fire with a torch. The stones were checked on the next day, and if some of them were misplaced, the person it represented would die the following year. This particular divination you also find in the Welsh Celtic, Calan Gaeaf. This is a later interpetation of divination by the bonfire that perhaps have traces dating back to the pagan Celts.
Among the customs observed during Samhain were various divination practices intended to foretell the future, often with nuts and apples. The Celts would engage in scrying with different practices, and nights like Samhain with the veil between the two worlds thinning was a perfect time it.
In the beginning it was most likely the priests or designated seers that did it in religious ceremonies to gain insight from the pagan Gods. Most likely heavily on different drugs and herbs.
Throughout the years it became a more common thing that people did among themselves, perhaps mostly for fun. This practice was especially prevalent among the young, who sought knowledge about potential suitors and marriage prospects in the coming year.
Mirror Magic: Many types of fortune telling persisted up until recent years, or perhaps even practice today. Many of them was about young women and girls trying to foretell their future husband.
Guising for the Fairies
Another thing the Celts most likely did was the guising and mumming that eventually would turn into the modern Trick or Treat. They would dress up, most likely as the aos sí or the pagan Gods and go door to door, often performing or singing for food and drink.
Food and drink offerings played a crucial role during Samhain. Some documents say that they drank for six days in some places. Families would leave out treats and meals to appease the wandering spirits, ensuring that their ancestors were satisfied and would protect the home.
This was often called dumb supper, where dumb in this context means in silence and often in connection in that women ate certain types of food to fortell their husbands.
This tradition probably stems from the fact that the spirits and the aos sí were remnants from the pagan God and revered as such. Some left windows and doors to let their ancestors enter their home for the night, some shut it to keep the spirits out. It was also customary for people to wear costumes made of animal skins or disguises to confuse the spirits, preventing them from causing harm.
The Transformation into Halloween
With the arrival of Christianity in the Celtic lands, many traditional pagan celebrations began to intertwine with Christian beliefs already in 609, by Pope Boniface IV. To replace the pagan festival, the Church moved All Saints’ Day from May to November 1st, followed by All Souls’ Day on November 2nd in the 9th century by Pope Gregory. The night before All Saints’ Day, known as All Hallows’ Eve, retained much of the Samhain traditions, including bonfires and the practice of wearing costumes.
As these Christian holidays spread, so did the customs associated with Samhain. The name “Halloween” is derived from “All Hallows’ Eve,” marking the transition from a pagan to a Christian celebration. The idea of honoring the dead was preserved, albeit within a different context. Some could even argue that the Samhain traditions we know of today were also inspired by the All Saint’s Day.
The Influence of Irish and Scottish Immigration
In the 19th century, Irish and Scottish immigrants brought their customs to North America, further evolving Samhain into what we now recognize as Halloween.
As the years passed, Halloween became more secular, and the emphasis shifted from honoring the dead to celebrating with costumes, parties, and playful spookiness. Carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns, initially a practice using turnips in Ireland, became popular in America due to the abundance of pumpkins. The bright orange fruits symbolized harvest and autumn while also echoing the ancient practice of lighting fires to ward off spirits.
But is this really just a dead holiday today, has it been swallowed completely by Halloween? As the highly commercialized and secular holiday took form, another branch of Samhain took form in the 19th and 20th century. Celtic Neopagans and Wiccans have taken Samhain as their own, trying to celebrate it as a religious holiday instead.
Halloween is a far cry from its Samhain origins, having transformed into a celebration of fun, fright, and community. Yet, the echoes of its ancient past linger in the traditions of dressing up, honoring the dead, and embracing the supernatural and reminding us that the veil between our world and the other, can be very thin.
Before the modern Halloween came back to the British Isles, there were celebrations like the Welsh Calan Gaeaf. The first day of winter. The night before this day was when the veil was thinnest and the spirits roamed the land.
Home, home, at once The tailless black sow shall snatch the last one. – Welsh rhyme from Nos Calan Gaeaf
As the winds of autumn grow colder and the days shorter, the people of Wales prepare for Calan Gaeaf, a festival steeped in ancient tradition and eerie folklore. Celebrated on the night of October 31st, this Celtic holiday marks the transition into winter—when the veil between the living and the dead thins, allowing spirits to walk freely among the living.
Much like its more famous counterpart, Halloween, Calan Gaeaf is a time when ghostly apparitions and supernatural forces are said to roam the earth. But in Wales, the night is uniquely filled with tales of terrifying spirits, haunted crossroads, and ominous signs of death. It’s a night where even the bravest avoid stepping outside after dark.
The Origins of Calan Gaeaf Festivities
Harvest: The Calan Gaeaf is a harvest festival as well, and things like apple bobbing and telling fortune of apple skin were some of the activities.
Calan Gaeaf, translating to “the first day of winter” in Welsh, has roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. For the Celts, this night represented the end of the harvest season and the start of the dark half of the year, when the world was gripped by cold and the dead returned to walk among the living. Or is it really a tradition for all Celts? There are those who claim there really is no evidence that Samhain was ever celebrated in Wales, making some think it is more a Gaelic custom rather than Celtic.
But how far does this celebration date back though? The word, Galan or Calan is actually from the latin, calends “first day of winter.”
What is Celtic though is the dating of the day. The night before the day is called the Nos Galan Gaef, and this is when the spirits from the otherworld, or Annwn, are said to come out to play. The Celts counted the days to begin on the evening before, not the morning off.
The same term is in the Cornish language called Kalan Gwav, or Allantide as it is mostly called now. In Breton language in modern day France it is called Kalan Goañv.
Wales, with its rich Celtic heritage, embraced these ancient beliefs, and Calan Gaeaf became a night filled with both celebration and fear. Fires were lit in villages to keep the malevolent spirits at bay, and families gathered indoors to share stories of ghosts and ghouls, all while keeping a wary eye on the night outside.
The Haunting Presence of Hwch Ddu Gwta
Among the many eerie figures associated with Calan Gaeaf, none is more feared than Hwch Ddu Gwta, a fearsome black sow with no tail. Legend says that Hwch Ddu Gwta roams the Welsh countryside on Calan Gaeaf, accompanied by a headless woman, the Y Ladi Wen, stalking those who dare to venture outside after sunset. Anyone unlucky enough to encounter this spectral beast would surely be doomed, dragged away into the darkness or even to the underworld itself.
Y Ladi Wen: The Lady in White is a Welsh legend, known as Y Ladi Wen or Y Ddynes Mewn Gwyn. She appears dressed in white, especially during Hollantide and Calan Gaeaf, and is featured in Welsh oral tradition to warn children against misbehavior. Y Ladi Wen can be seen as a scary ghost who might seek help or offer treasure. She is linked to the villages of Ogmore, Ewenny, and St Athan. In Ogmore, a spirit was said to roam until a brave man approached her, discovering a cauldron of gold under a stone in Ogmore Castle. He took some treasure but later returned for more, angering the spirit, who attacked him in revenge. He fell ill and died after confessing his greed, leading to the belief that “Y Ladi Wen’s revenge” would affect anyone who died without revealing hidden treasure. //Source: pduncaza/Deviantart
To avoid Hwch Ddu Gwta and other restless spirits, people would rush home before nightfall, locking their doors tightly. The idea of being caught outside was a terror for many, as it was believed the spirits could claim anyone out in the open on this haunted night.
Hwch Ddu Gwta a Ladi Wen heb ddim pen Hwch Ddu Gwta a gipio’r ola’ Hwch Ddu Gwta nos G’langaea Lladron yn dwad tan weu sana.
The black sow and headless white lady, Will try and catch the last to leave, Thieves abound knitting stockings, Beware the tail-less black sow on winter’s eve.
A game played by the bonfire was also that one of the men would wear a pig skin and chase the children to keep the fear and legend alive.
Divination and Dark Omens During Nos Galan Gaeaf
Aside from the lurking spirits, Calan Gaeaf is a night filled with ancient customs and rituals. One of the most unnerving traditions was a form of divination—an attempt to peer into the future and learn of one’s fate, particularly regarding death. People would gather around bonfires (coelcerth) and throw stones into the flames, each person marking their stone with a special symbol or name. After the fire had burned down, the stones were retrieved. It was said that anyone whose stone was missing in the morning would die before the next Calan Gaeaf. You could also see the people who would die if you ran around the church three times and peered into the keyhole of the church door.
Another dark tradition involved staring into a mirror at midnight on Calan Gaeaf, with the belief that the face of your future spouse—or, chillingly, a skull—would appear behind you. If you saw the skull, you would never marry, and die within a year.
Boys would cut ten leaves of ivy, throw one away and put the rest under the pillow. This would help them see the future, and if they touched the ivy, they would see witches, or gwrachod, as they slept. The men would also dress in women’s clothing mimicking the Gwrachod and go from door to door for treats. This was thought to repel the evil spirits.
The girls grew roses in hoops they could go through. They then cut the rose and put it under their pillows to see their future. Peeled apple skin was also thrown over the shoulders to spell the first letter of the future husband.
Bonfire Night: Central to the Nos Calan Gaeaf is the bonfire, or the coelcerth as it is in Welsh.
The Modern Halloween Celebration in Wales
Though today, many of these old customs have faded, the fear of spirits abroad on Calan Gaeaf still lingers in the corners of Welsh folklore. The old ways of celebrating seem like it’s being swallowed by the highly commercialized American Halloween.
On this eerie night, even the skeptics can’t help but feel a shiver down their spine as the wind howls through the hills and the night closes in. After all, as the old tales warn—if you’re out too late on Calan Gaeaf, you might just find yourself face-to-face with something that doesn’t belong in this world.
So when October 31st comes around in Wales, beware of wandering too far from home. Hwch Ddu Gwta might be watching, and the spirits may be closer than you think.
On the place were the grand Palau Guell now stands, there used to be a more humble building of rental homes known as the Ave Maria House. People passing by would make the cross for safety as the house was also known as the House of Fear and believed to be haunted.
Spain is home to many old houses, some of which are said to be haunted. From tales of ghostly apparitions, strange noises and unexplained phenomena, these stories have been passed down through generations. In this article we will explore one such haunted house in Spain and uncover its mysteries.
Read more: Check out all of our ghost stories from Spain
Prepare to be captivated by the spine-chilling tales that surround the enigmatic Ave Maria House in Barcelona. Nestled within the labyrinthine streets of this ancient city the place became known for its ghostly legends and eerie happenings.
Before it was built a huge palace was built on the site, there used to be a much humbler building. The now No. 5 house on Nou de la Rambla in Barcelona used to be called The House of the Ave Maria, or more sinister, The House of Fear. Back then it used to stand many rented homes there.
The House of Fear
Locals and passersby would share spine-chilling tales of the unnerving sounds emanating from within its walls. As night fell, lamentations and loud banging would echo through the house, sending shivers down the spines of anyone who dared to venture close. The clanking of chains added to the eerie atmosphere, instilling a sense of dread and fascination in those who crossed its path.
Read more: Check out all of our ghost stories set in Haunted Houses from around the world.
The Ave Maria House became a place of legend, where superstition and fear intertwined. To protect themselves from the malevolent forces believed to haunt the house, people passing by would instinctively make the sign of the Cross and recite a Hail Mary prayer. These rituals provided a sense of solace in the face of the unknown, offering some semblance of protection against the supernatural forces that seemed to lurk within.
The haunting tales surrounding the Ave Maria House captured the imagination of locals and visitors alike, fueling curiosity and the desire to uncover the truth behind the enigma. What lay behind those walls? Who or what was responsible for the eerie happenings that sent shivers down the spines of anyone who encountered the house? The answers remained elusive, shrouded in the depths of history and the realm of the paranormal.
The Exorcism of the Ave Maria House
In an attempt to rid the Ave Maria House of its hauntings, an exorcist was called upon to confront the malevolent forces that plagued the house. With prayers and incantations, the exorcist sought to banish the supernatural entities that held the house in their grip. The rituals and prayers continued until the paranormal activity ceased, leaving behind an eerie silence that contrasted with the previous cacophony of ghostly sounds.
Did the exorcism truly put an end to the hauntings, or did it merely suppress the supernatural forces lurking within the Ave Maria House? We don’t really know for sure as most of the homes were evicted when they started to build the palace.
Some whispered that the spirits remained, lingering in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to once again make their presence known. The mysteries surrounding the house persisted, leaving the curious and the brave to ponder the true nature of the haunting.
The House Today were Palau Guell was built on top of it
As the years passed, the Avemaria House underwent changes that further added to its mystique. Eventually, the house was torn down, making way for a new chapter in its history. A man named Eusebi Guell purchased the plot and built his Palau Guell, a magnificent mansion that still stands today that was designed by Gaudi and built from 1886-1890.
Palau Guell: On the place were the Ave Maria house once stood there now is a palace instead. It is said that the woman living in the house always felt there were something strange going on. Could it be that the haunting continued even after the building itself got knocked down? // Source: Takahiro Hayashi/Flickr
Rumors spread at the time about Eusebi Guell’s wife, Isabel Lopez de Comillas, and her uneasy relationship with the new building. She claimed to hear strange noises, reminiscent of the ghostly sounds that had once plagued the Ave Maria House. Whether these were mere coincidences or a testament to the lingering presence of the supernatural, the whispers added another layer of intrigue to the already enigmatic tale of the haunted abode.
The Enduring Allure of the Ave Maria House
While the house itself may be gone, its mysteries endure, inviting speculation and wonder. What truly happened within those haunted walls? Were the ghostly encounters mere figments of imagination, or did they hold a deeper truth? The Ave Maria House stands as a testament to the enduring allure of the supernatural, reminding us that even in the modern world, there are still mysteries that defy explanation.
As night falls and darkness once again envelopes the streets of Barcelona, the Ave Maria House whispers its secrets to those who listen. Will you be brave enough to venture into the unknown and unravel the enigma surrounding this haunted abode?
In Somerset, England, a local tradition called Punkie Night in October has many similarities with different Halloween traditions today. A procession of lanterns go through the villagers every year, searching for sweets.
It’s Punkie Night tonight It’s Punkie Night tonight Adam and Eve would not believe It’s Punkie Night tonight
As Halloween approaches with its ghosts, ghouls, and pumpkins we see in the modern age, few are aware of much older, and eerier traditions being celebrated in other places in the world. In the West Country of England, deep in the rural villages of Somerset, an old festival takes place: Punkie Night. The name has many speculations to its origin. Some say it is an old name for lantern or timber, perhaps derived from pumpkin or even the term spunky, used in Somerset to mean the ghost of a young child.
The festival has been celebrated at various sites including Castle Neroche in the Blackdown Hills, Long Sutton, Drayton, Somerset and, more commonly, at Hinton St George and the neighboring village of Lopen. It seems that the celebration used to move around the calendar a bit more, but has now mostly been celebrated as the last Thursday in October. But what is this local tradition really, and how is it connected with the Halloween celebration of today?
Jack o’lantern: The Halloween pumpkin, commonly known as a “jack-o’-lantern,” traces its origins to ancient Celtic traditions. Originally, turnips and other root vegetables were hollowed out and carved with grotesque faces to ward off evil spirits during Samhain, a festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. When Irish immigrants brought this tradition to America in the 19th century, they found that the native pumpkin, larger and easier to carve, was a perfect substitute. Over time, the pumpkin became synonymous with Halloween, symbolizing the spooky spirit of the holiday.
The Tradition of Punkie Night
The tradition of Punkie Night dates back centuries, rooted in local lore and shrouded in mystery. On this night, children and adults alike carry carved turnip or a type of beet called mangel wurzels lanterns, called “punkies,” through the streets, often wearing costumes. Today the pumpkin lantern has perhaps taken over, but there are still contest of and prizes of the best punkie.
Punkie Night Lanterns: Today we are more used to see lanterns being carved from pumpkins. But on punkie night the lanterns is carved from a beet called Mangelwurzel, were developed in the 18th century as a fodder crop for feeding livestock. // Source: Punkie Night/Facebook
The eerie glow from the hollowed-out turnips casts ghostly shadows as they sing the traditional Punkie Night song, demanding small offerings from their neighbors. Over the centuries, the tradition of Punkie Night has mellowed, becoming a quirky local celebration, with children dressed in costumes going door to door, punkie lanterns in hand, reciting their chilling rhyme:
“Punkie Night tonight, Give us a candle, give us a light, If you don’t, you’ll get a fright!”
This compares and possibly relates to the custom of Trick or Treat most known from modern Halloween celebrations in the US today. The sight of the procession is enough to make one’s skin crawl, as these turnip-faced ghouls wind their way through the villages, keeping an unsettling link to the past alive.
The History Behind Punkie Night
But Punkie Night is more than just a quaint, local celebration—it carries a dark history according to local lore. Some claim that the night is an ancient one, but is it really? The most popular legend traces its origins to a group of men from the village of Hinton St George, who ventured to a nearby fair in the neighboring village Chiselborough. This is said to have happened at the start of the 1800s. The organized way of celebrating though didn’t really happen until the first decades of the 1900s.
After a night of drinking and revelry, the husbands of the village became lost on their way home, although only a few miles away. The cold October night was dark and treacherous, the countryside devoid of light, and the men, without lanterns, found themselves wandering aimlessly, unable to get home.
Their wives, worried and frustrated, took to the streets, carving punkies out of turnips or mangelwurzels because of the windy night and setting out to find their wayward husbands. The very word Punkie is sometimes thought to be an old English word for a lantern. When the men first saw the lanterns they thought they were will o’the wisps and were scared. Some also said that they thought they were “goolies” which are the restless spirits of children who had died before they were baptized, and they reportedly fled in terror. It’s also said that the flickering lights from these punkies were the only thing that guided the men back home.
But some say there’s a more sinister side to the tale.
Cross at Hinton St. George: The start of Punkie night is often said to have started when the women of Hinton St. George lit up lanterns to guide their husband safely home. // Source: Nick Chipchase/Wikimedia
The Older Punkie Night
The custom has been seen in the last century, and the mangel-wurzel was introduced in England in the late 18th century. But it seems that the concept of Punkie night has existed long before the story of the wayward men.
According to older, whispered versions of the legend, Punkie Night marks a time when the veil between the living and the dead thins, and those lost souls who have wandered too far from the world of the living come back to find their way home as a local continuation of the Samhain celebrations. There is a similar Irish celebration called Púca Night, ‘púca’ meaning fairies or sprites with a similar tradition, so possibly the tradition comes from the same Celtic folklore.
The turnip lanterns were not just to guide the living, but also to ward off the spirits of the dead who roam the dark countryside. The sight of a “punkie” lantern, glowing in the hands of a child, is said to keep these spirits at bay—or at least confuse them into thinking they’ve found their way back to the afterlife. They were also said to be placed in the windowsill to ward off evil spirits, much like the jack-o’-lanterns of Halloween today.
So, if you find yourself in Somerset on the last Thursday of October, beware of the glowing turnips and the haunting songs that fill the night. You might just stumble upon an ancient tradition where the line between the living and the dead blurs, and the past reaches out to touch the present.
The first day of winter is called Kalan Gwav in Cornish and their version of Halloween. The celebration is called Allantide and the main focus is the big Allan Apple and trying to predict the future.
Allantide, known as “Kalan Gwav” in Cornish, is the traditional Cornish celebration of Halloween, which marks the end of summer and the beginning of winter. Cornwall is one of the Celtic nations in South West England from the Atlantic Ocean to Devon and the English Channel.
Taking place on October 31, it shares similarities with Samhain and other Celtic festivals like the Welsh Calan Gaeaf or the Hop-tu-Naa on the Isle of Man of it being a beginning of winter festival. But one thing that differs is how much they focus on the dead, the spooky, the otherworld and ghosts. Allantide is much more harvest focused than what we think of Halloween today, although it has some of the same games and customs as its more spooky counterparts.
The Christian name, Allantide or Feast of St Allan comes from the bishop of Quimper in modern day France, in the sixth century, if he ever existed at all. He is venerated in Brittany and his name lives on in this holiday, although for obscure reasons. This has also made the celebration very christian as an important part of the festival is ringing the church bells.
Apple Harvest for Allantide: The apples are said to have been brought to the British Isles by the Romans, and soon, celts cultivated them on their own. Traditionally they have been seen as a sign of love and fertility as well as symbols for the gods and goddesses of the otherworld.
The Allan Apples From Harvest
A notable feature of Allantide is the gifting of large, bright apples called “Allan apples,” which symbolize good luck for the coming winter. In this sense, this version of “Halloween”, as it were, is a much brighter version with focus on apples, harvests and predicting the future. Other Halloween versions have often had a more supernatural and spooky atmosphere with ghosts, witches and monsters coming at night.
In the days leading up to Allantide, Allan Markets were held to buy the big apples. These apples were often used in games of divination, predicting future romances or fortunes. Women would place the apples under their pillows in hopes of dreaming of their future husband.
Snap Apple: A cross with four candles were put on and Allan apples would hang down was a game they played. The goal was to catch the apples in your mouth. The hot wax from the candles was penalty when it fell down on you.
Bonfires and Jack-o-lanterns
In the past, families would light bonfires, gather together, and use various forms of divination to foresee the winter ahead. The most popular future was of course to do with your love life. If you threw walnuts into the fire you could predict how faithful your partner was.
Stories told during these gatherings often involved ancestors and spirits, emphasizing the thinning of the veil between worlds. As with the other Celtic celebration, this was the time the dead and passed loved ones were closest to the living.
Melting of metal was also a way to predict the future. They melted it down to a liquid before throwing it in cold water and reading the shape of it, showing future partners or the future husband’s job.
There were also jack-o-lanterns made, but of the local turnip growing there. Although if it had the same spooky connotation
The End of Allantide Festivities
Today, Allantide has largely merged with modern Halloween celebrations, and the traditional Allan markets are gone. But traces of its ancient customs remain alive in Cornwall, where the gifting of the apples is still a central thing to the celebration and bonfires are lit to create community.
The urban legend of Veronica Jaja is almost like the Spanish version of Bloody Mary. Say her name three times into the mirror and you will get a visit from the spirit behind the mirror. But why would you risk it as she is mostly there to take your life?
Veronica Jaja… …Veronica Jaja Veronica Jaja!
Say this name three times in a dark mirror and see what happens. Perhaps you will fall victim to the urban legend that claims to get the one that plays, dead.
Read more: Check out all of our ghost stories from Spain
This urban legend of Veronica Jaja seems to have come up pre internet in the early 20th century shares a lot in common with the Bloody Mary game and legend and is one of the Ghost in the Mirror games that is a legend about a ghost trapped inside of a mirror that can be summoned by uttering its name out loud a number of times.
According to the legend she is summoned after speaking her name 3 times into a mirror. Veronica Jaja will then appear and take your life. She comes as a dark figure and immediately starts to strangle those who summoned her, and she wont stop until she has killed them.
Those who do survive this ordeal though are said to be haunted by nightmares for their entire life.
According to the legend, there are plenty that summoned Veronica Jaja for fun, only for it to be the last thing they did. It is said that more than one have been found dead in their bedroom without sign of struggle.
The Girl who Played with the Occult
But who is this Veronica that is summoned through the mirror? There are variant legends. One of them is that Veronica was a young girl herself that god mixed up in the supernatural. She was a teenage girl that played around with something she shouldn’t have, most often it is said that was a ouija board.
Through her careless game with the occult she managed to invoke some evil spirits and the next day she was found dead. Because of her lack of respect she became trapped between the world of the living and dead and became the very thing she tried to play around with.
The Girl with the Beautiful Hair
Another version was that she was a vain girl with wonderful hair she brushed a hundred times every day. All she cared about was her hair, and she loved to stare at it in her mirror.
One day a man hid in her closet to play a prank on the girl with the beautiful hair. When she sat in front of her mirror and brushed her hair, he came out and held her mouth with a handkerchief so she wouldn’t scream. Then he cut off all of her precious hair.
She was too distraught to look at herself in the mirror without her hair after the attack. Because of her trauma she killed herself. In this version she can be summoned by looking in the mirror while brushing your hair 100 times as you summon her spirit by calling out her name three times.
Connected with a real case?
The many variations of the Veronica Jaja game can remind a lot of what happened to the real Estefanía Gutiérrez Lázaro. She was a teenage girl that was found dead in her home without an explanation in 1991 in Madrid, before the growth of the urban legend of Veronica Jaja throughout the 90s.
According to her parents they blamed it on her fondness of the occult and it was said that she had played the ouija board game not long before her death as a way to contact her friend’s boyfriend that had died in a motorbike accident.
Seeing that many variations of the urban legend started to circulate in the late 90s, it is highly likely that these two things are connected. It was made into a movie based on her death and strange circumstances around it named: Veronica.
Veronica Jaja the Witch
There is however, a long history concerning these so-called ghosts in the mirror, and there are those stories that predate the death of Estefanía Gutierrez Lázaro in the 1990s and we did have several stories about the ghost in the mirrors long before the 90s as well.
In this version her origin is much more vague and a lot older. She is sometimes called a daughter of Satan or a witch that was burned at the stakes centuries ago.
Some variations of the legend centers around a young woman named Veronica Jaja from northern Spain, who was accused of practicing dark magic and witchcraft and burnt to death for her crimes.
During the Spanish Inquisition, thousands of men and women were accused of practicing witchcraft and sorcery, like in the case of the Basque Witch Trials or the Witches of Zugarramurdi case that happened in Northern Spain. The fear of the supernatural and the unknown led to mass hysteria, with innocent individuals being persecuted and executed.
The witch trials served as a backdrop for the creation of many urban legends, including the Veronica Jaja legend. The tales of witches and their alleged powers became ingrained in the collective consciousness of the Spanish people, giving rise to stories that would be passed down through generations.
Popular Variations and Retellings of the Veronica Jaja Urban Legend
Over the years, the Veronica Jaja urban legend has evolved and taken on various forms. Different versions of the story have emerged, each with its own unique twists and turns. One popular variation of the legend tells that if you say her name 5 times it will make her more powerful and make her appearance more likely to happen.
There are also those that swear to say her name backwards or in reverse order will also help those that desperately need her.
Similar Urban Legends from Around the World
While the Veronica Jaja urban legend may be unique to Spain, similar tales can be found in different cultures around the world.
The closest one is probably the Bloody Mary legend, and this too seems to have roots to much older history, tracing back to Tudor times in Britain with the Mary Queen of Scots who were known to have burnt countless people on the stakes to earn her name. But also with this legend, there are now so many variants that sometimes even cross over with each other and it is difficult to claim what came first
In Japan, there is the legend of Hanako-san, a ghostly figure who haunts the school bathrooms. Like Veronica Jaja, Hanako-san is said to appear when summoned, bringing fear and unease to those who dare to invoke her name.
The Ghost in the Mirrors
As we come to the end of our exploration of the Veronica Jaja urban legend, one thing becomes clear – the enduring allure of urban legends. These tales of mystery and intrigue have captivated our imaginations for centuries, allowing us to escape into a world of the unknown. The Veronica Jaja legend, with its dark origins and chilling retellings, continues to fascinate and intrigue, reminding us of the power of storytelling and the human fascination with the supernatural.
So, the next time you find yourself in front of a mirror, take a moment to ponder the mysteries that lie beneath its surface. Who knows what secrets and legends may be waiting to be discovered?
An online magazine about the paranormal, haunted and macabre. We collect the ghost stories from all around the world as well as review horror and gothic media.
