At Den Nationale Scene theater in Bergen there is a ghost named Octavia that haunts the place. She is said to be a helping ghost, taking care of the staff and helping the actors remember their lines.
There is a rule somewhere that every theatre needs a ghost, even if the building is new or old. In Bergen in Norway, they have Octavia at the oldest theater in Norway, Den Nationale Scene, in the beautiful art-nouveau building that opened in 1909. But as house ghosts go, she’s not so bad to have hanging around as she is said to be very friendly.
Octavia Sperati
In the early and living days she was one of the actresses at the theater named Octavia Sperati that lived a long life as a working actress as her children did after her as well. She was born as Salmine Svendsen in Kristiansand, south in Norway, but took her middle name and married as Octavia Sperati which became her stage name as well.
Octavia Sperati was an actress who died in March 1918 in Bergen and had worked for many years at the theater in the city, dedicating her life to it and according to popular belief, she is still hanging out in the theatre, long after her death.
She is remembered for her characters of the famous playwrights like Holberg and Ibsen where she played the character of Gina Ekdal in the first production of the play The Wild Duck and one of Ibsen’s most famous plays.
Haunting at Den Nationale Scene
One of Octavia Speratis portraits still hangs in the lobby at Den Nationale Scene and is one of the things that are said to be haunted. The portrait has survived most things like multiple bombings during the second world war and fires that broke out in the theatre.
In a fire in 1983, her portrait was one of the only things intact after a fire at Den Nationale Scene. A man named Jørgen Fogge who worked there claimed to have heard her voice calling out in the flames.
There have been several sightings of her over the years, most of them claiming she is in a white dress, flying around in the corridors or sitting in her kept seat in the front, watching the plays. Someone claims to have seen her with a hat, parasol and a pink ball gown in the attic.
Before seeing her, you can hear her knocking, or her footsteps through the corridors. In some cases it is said that paintings are falling off the wall, or even the sound of her voice can be heard when the theater is quiet.
The Helpful Ghost
Although a paranormal specter, the staff, actors and audience are not particularly afraid of her, and she is rather a dearly beloved ghost. She is said to be a helpful ghost, and her only goal is to take care of the building and the staff working there as she once did.
She is particularly known for helping the actors to remember the lines and if they are stuck on them on stage, she will suddenly appear to help them.
The Ghost of Nan Tuck is the haunted legend about an accused witch from England still haunting the woods; she, according to legend, was killed by the villagers chasing her down.Now she is haunting the place she was killed on.
The parish of Buxted in southeast England looks quaint and peaceful enough today if you don’t know its bloody history. The rural parish is green with farmland and woodlands stretching out to the coast. But between the green trees, there is a haunted legend from darker times still haunting the woods.
Nan Tuck is a ghost that is said to haunt the village of Rotherfield in Buxted, England. The story goes that she was a woman who lived in the 17th or possibly 18th century and was accused of poisoning her husband.
The Witch Hunting in England
Nan Tuck was sentenced to death by hanging as the punishment for murder as well as witchcraft was in England. But before she could be executed, she escaped and fled into the woods to escape punishment. Whether she actually did murdered her husband or not is never really discussed or how the trial was. In any case, she was guilty in the public eye and fair game to all.
The public not only believed she was a murderer, but a witch on top of it. This was a time were the fear of witches was at an all time high in Europe and it is estimated that as many as 30 000 – 60 000 people were executed between the 13th to 18th century. In England there is estimated that around 500 were convicted as witches, 90 percent of them women. In England they didn’t burn the witches, but they hanged them.
Many of these deaths had no records of them, and we can see this with this story, that has no written records of it whatsoever, and solely relays on oral tales throughout times. This is what the legend of the Ghost of Nan Tuck tells us.
Nan Tuck’s Escape Into the Woods
Nan Tucks Lane: Heading through Solomon’s Wood. Named after the Ghost of Nan Tuck who was chased down this lane by the irate villagers of Buxted who believed she was a witch. // source
The whole village rallied and started to chase the wicked witch and murderer down in the woods. For days Nan Tuck evaded them by hiding in haystacks, climbing hedges and sneaking around in the woods to escape certain death.
It is said that she was attempting to take sanctuary in Buxted Parish Church known as St Margaret’s Church– according to the right of asylum, fugitives were allowed to escape punishment by touching the altar of a church if they were able to reach it – when local officials who were in pursuit forced her into the woods, and she never reached sanctuary.
Nan Tuck disappeared that night and was never seen again – alive. According to some versions of the tale she was caught up by the angry villagers and it was them who murdered her. In some versions she was killed in the woods, in others, she was taken back and they held a trial by water.
The trial by water was a highly deadly method of finding out whether or not someone was a witch by dunking them in water to see if they floated or sank. And with so many other women accused of witchcraft, she drowned during the trial, which ironically meant she was not a witch as the holy water didn’t repel her, causing her to float like a witch.
The Ghost of Nan Tucks Lane
The legend of Nan Tuck is one that has been told ever since. Sometimes the Ghost of Nan Tuck is depicted as a young woman, sometimes as an old one. It is said that her ghost can be seen wandering the woods near Rotherfield at night.
Legend holds that a circular patch of land in the woods near Nan Tucks Lane, were she supposedly tried to escape through, stays infertile and no vegetation will grow there. And the question if the Ghost of Nan Tuck really was a witch, still remains to this day.
So if you are walking down Nan Tucks Lane late at night and meet someone, perhaps hide and duck as it might very well be the Ghost of Nan Tuck coming for you.
The Nan Tucks Lane poem by Roy Carnon
Whether there really was a woman behind the legend is also a bit uncertain. But the legend of the Ghost of Nan Tuck haunting the woods has made into songs and poems, like this by Roy Carnon:
The new moon older by a memory threw this sinuous line down and round Poundsley way. Following feet that trod the centuries across the weald – deepening contoured tracks unknowing. The way imprinted to Hadlow, Framfield, Buxted, – on to Blackboys, cruciform neeting, pointing the fingerpost of death. Following feet – feet following years crushed harsh in grass; tearing the flowers wond – gaping raped petals laid cold on the lane. Congealing tar concealing blood, the shape of your agony lays still on bruised grass still on earth maimed by you fall. Tear-blurred, memory retreats beneath track-patterned clay but a Sussex lane remembers.
Uncover the hidden shadows of England’s majestic Tower of London, home to stories of more than one ghost haunting the rooms, the hallways and the prison cells from many dark parts of England’s history.
Shrouded in centuries of fear and mystery, the ancient walls of the Tower of London on the north bank of the River Thames, hide within them a plethora of ghost stories that have been passed down through generations.
From secret passageways to encounters with mysterious apparitions, visit the legendary Haunted Ghosts Tower to uncover its dark history and uncover its spine-tingling tales of beheaded royals, tortured prisoners and missing princes as well as menacing forces following the guards.
The History of the Tower of London
Since its inception in 1066, the Tower of London has served as a royal residence, prison, armory and execution site. The White Tower gave the castle its name and was built by William the Conqueror in 1078. It was a symbol of the oppression over London after the new Norman ruling class.
Over the centuries it has seen kings and queens come and go, watched prisoners be tortured and witnessed countless executions within its walls. It ended up being a symbol of royal power and one of the most secure fortresses in the country. It is not only a stronghold of history but also an enduring source of horror stories that continue to haunt us today.
The Tower of London is known for its grisly past, having been the home to many famous and infamous prisoners until 1952. These included some of England’s most treasured monarchs, such as Anne Boleyn who was beheaded on May 19th 1536 and Sir Walter Raleigh, imprisoned in 1603 by King James I.
Other more notorious prisoners held at the tower were Guy Fawkes and conspirators involved in the Gunpowder Plot, who were later hung, drawn and quartered.
Ghosts in the Tower of London
The Tower of London is reportedly one of the most haunted places in England, possibly due to its long and dark history. Ghostly figures are said to wander the dungeons, some even claiming to have seen Anne Boleyn’s headless ghost roaming its corridors.
Lady Jane Grey
One of the most recorded ghost sightings is that of Lady Jane Grey, a young girl who was crowned Queen for nine days before she was imprisoned and eventually beheaded at the ripe age of 17.
The Execution of Lady Jane Grey: An often spotted ghost in Tower of London is Lady Jane Grey. This is an oil painting by Paul Delaroche, completed in 1833, which is now in the National Gallery in London. It was enormously popular in the decades after it was painted
She was originally put as a queen to prevent the Catholic Mary Tudor from sitting on the throne. She first came to the Tower for her coronation, but was soon back as a prisoner. Mary I was ready to spare both her and her husband’s lives if they converted to catholicism. Lady Jane, a devout protestant refused. She was executed on 12 February in 1554 on Tower Green.
She is seen as a lonely ghost, wandering the battlements of the Tower. Her husband, Lord Guildford Dudley is also supposedly haunting the place. He can be seen in Beauchamp Tower, sitting in his cell and crying in the middle of the night.
Ghost of Henry VI
Henry IV was the only English monarch to have been crowned King of France as well and he inherited the Hundred Years War from his uncle. He was crowned king of England at only nine months, the youngest person to have succeeded the English throne.
This was also the start of The War of Roses, a series of civil wars and Henry VI was imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1465, reinstated as king in 1470, but then imprisoned again in 1471.
Henry VI died that year, possibly killed on orders from King Edvard IV who took his crown.
Henry VI: Depiction of Henry enthroned, from the Talbot Shrewsbury Book, 1444–45. Although the official death was that he died of melancholia, however, many think he was assassinated in The Tower of London.
Strange legends started to form around the late king after his death and he was hailed as a martyr and a saint that had done plenty of miracles. It is also said that he is one of the ghosts still haunting the tower.
It is said that he is seen at the last stroke of midnight in the Wakefield Tower, where some say he was praying when he was stabbed to death.
Margaret Pole
Margaret Plantagenet, Countess of Salisbury was a powerful woman who was one of the few of the House of Plantagenet to have survived the Wars of the Roses.
She was tried and sentenced to death to be executed whenever the king wanted. She spent two and a half years in the Tower of London as a prisoner before her execution happened in 1541.
Margaret Pole claimed her innocence until her last hour. This poem was found carved on the wall of her cell:
For traitors on the block should die; I am no traitor, no, not I! My faithfulness stands fast and so, Towards the block I shall not go! Nor make one step, as you shall see; Christ in Thy Mercy, save Thou me!
Margaret Pole: This is an Unknown woman, formerly known as Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, by unknown artist, given to the National Portrait Gallery, London in 1931. Margaret Pole led an especially bloody execution in the Tower of London.
The execution is said to have been bloody and grisly and the proud lady refused to kneel on the scaffold as that was for traitors, and she was none. The executioner had to chase her around as she tried to run and hacked her to death. She is now thought to be one of the many nobles that are haunting the Tower of London with her screams echoing on the Tower Green.
The Many Ghosts of Anne Boleyn
Many believe that the ghost of Anne Boleyn haunts the Tower of London due to her untimely demise. She married Henry VIII and altered the British church forever when she did so as the king had to divorce his original queen and wife for it. They were only married for three years though and she was unable to give him any sons. What she did though was give birth to what would be Queen Elizabeth I that would be one of the longest regents in the country.
During King Henry VIII’s reign, she was famously arrested, accused of treason and beheaded in 1536 at the Tower and has since become one of the most famous people in England’s history.
Haunted: The ghost of Anne Boleyn are said to be haunting, not only the Tower of London, but have been seen on several locations. Here is a painting depicting Anne Boleyn imprisoned in the Tower.
Anne Boleyn is supposedly a very busy ghost and she is said to haunt not only the tower but Hever Castle, Blickling Hall, Salle Church as well as Marwell Hall.
In the Tower of London she supposedly haunts the chapel of Church of St Peter ad Vincula in the tower where she is buried. She is also said to walk around the White Tower and on the Tower Green where she was held captive until her execution.
Her ghost is often spotted wearing a gray dress and walking with her head tucked under her arm—mirroring how she was killed. According to legend, if you see her apparition it means that death is soon to come.
The Mystery of the Missing Princes
One of the greatest mysteries in English history remains unsolved—the fate of the two young princes whose uncle, Richard III, had them sent to the Tower of London in 1943 where they were never seen again.
The Murder Mystery of the Tower of London: King Edward V and the Duke of York (Richard) in the Tower of London by Paul Delaroche. The theme of innocent children awaiting an uncertain fate was popular amongst 19th-century painters.
They were the sons of the late King Edward IV and were 9 and 12 years old when their father died and they were sent to the Tower of London. They grew up in great political turmoil during the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars of two branches of a family were fighting for the seat of the throne.
During their disappearance many assumed that Richard III was responsible for their murder, although this has since been disproven, or at least, bare little hard evidence to. But the most talked about theory is still that they died or were murdered pretty soon after they disappeared. To this day no one knows what happened to them, giving rise to a host of different theories about the missing princes.
Many of the paranormal activity and ghost sightings have been connected to the two missing princes, and many believe they are some of the ghosts that never left the tower at all. They are seen holding hands and wearing nightshirts in the White Tower as well as playing and giggling on the battlements.
Sir Walter Raleigh
Other ghosts that are said to haunt the Tower is that of Sir Walter Raleigh who were imprisoned in the tower once for a secret marriage and the second time for treason. The second imprisonment ended in an execution and his ghost is said to haunt the Bloody Tower where he was held.
The Ghost in the Bloody Tower: Many of the prisoners were political prisoners, often charged of being traitors. Sir Raleigh just before he was beheaded – an illustration from circa 1860.
The Ghost of Sir Walter Raleigh is also said to be seen along the battlements who is now known as Raleigh’s Walk
Arabella Stuart and the Unknown Ghosts
The Gray Lady is an unidentified ghost as well, but she is haunting the Queen’s House of the Tower and her presence is only seen by female visitors. This place is also where the ghost of Arbella Stuart is seen after she was either murdered or refused to eat at all.
Lady Arabella Stuart: She was at one time considered heir to the English and Scottish thrones, though she did not aspire to them. She died of self-inflicted starvation in the Tower of London, in 1615.
Other unnamed ghosts that have been reported on are the White Lady whose presence is made known by the smell of cheap perfume that has made visitors sick.
The Legendary Guy Fawkes
Remember, remember the Fifth of November, The Gunpowder Treason and Plot, I know of no reason Why the Gunpowder Treason Should ever be forgot.
Fawkes led the infamous Gunpowder Plot with a group of English Catholics that planned to kill the Protestant King James by blowing up the parliament. They were found out though and the plot failed and Fawke was arrested and sent to the Tower.
After torture, possible “on the rack” a famous torture instrument in the Tower, he gave in and told them all about their plan and named his accomplices as well.
Interrogated and Tortured: Guy Fawkes 1570-1606 interrogated by James I 1566-1625 and his council in the King’s bedchamber, from Illustrations of English and Scottish History Volume I (1884).
For his execution in 1606 he was dragged from the Tower to Westminster to have the last sight be the building he tried to destroy. He was the last to die and had to watch his accomplices be hanged. He begged forgiveness of the King and the state as he walked to the scaffold. He was hanged and his body parts were distributed to the four corners of the kingdom as a warning sign to others that had their mind on treason.
Guy Fawkes are also one that are said to haunt the grounds and some claim to hear his screams from where he supposedly was tortured. .
The Animal Ghosts
Can animals become ghosts? According to the lore in the Tower of London, there are plenty of them. Having exotic animals like lions, pumas, tigers and elephants were something the rich often were gifted and a popular thing to have in your home to show off your wealth and power.
The most famous animal ghost in the Tower was a grizzly bear that supposedly charged at a guard around the Jewel Room who died of a fever two days later. There have also been spotted a Black Bear near the Martin Tower in 1816.
Explore the supernatural stories of Japan’s Magnificent Haunted Himeji Castle and find out why this iconic castle is said to be haunted by both monsters from the Japanese Folklore and tragic ghosts from the castle’s history.
Himeji Castle (姫路城) in Japan is widely known for its grandeur and beauty and one of the countries most recognizable landmark, and a perfect place to watch the cherry blossoms in the spring.
Himeji Castle may also be known as one of the nation’s most haunted places. Mysterious fog, strange shadows, and eerie sounds have been reported by many who have visited this iconic fortress and legend has it that ghosts appear often here.
Read more: Ghost Stories from all over Japan both new and old.
The History of Himeji Castle
Himeji Castle in the Hyōgo Prefecture was first built in 1333 by Akamatsu Norimura as a fort on top of the hill, however a more grand version of the castle was created by Toyota Hideyoshi in 1581 and is today Japan’s largest castle.
Over time, the Himeji Castle has undergone many renovations and changes to become the majestic structure it stands as today with 83 rooms and has stood almost intact even after wars like the bombing of Himeji in WW2 og natural disasters like the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995.
The Himeji Castle is known as Hakuro-jō or Shirasagi-jō, meaning the White Heron Castle because of the white color and architecture meant to look like a bird taking flight.
Himeji Castle: (姫路城, Himeji-jō) is a hilltop Japanese castle complex situated in the city of Himeji which is located in Japan. The castle is regarded as the finest surviving example of prototypical Japanese castle architecture, comprising a network of 83 rooms with advanced defensive systems from the feudal period. The castle is frequently known as Hakuro-jō or Shirasagi-jō (“White Egret Castle” or “White Heron Castle”) because of its brilliant white exterior and supposed resemblance to a bird taking flight. It is also remembered as one of the more haunted places in the country.
The roof tiles of the main tower of Himeji Castle is filled with traditional Kawara ceramic tiles that according to local lore hold mystical powers. The tiles are decorated by Onigawaras, ocra shaped tiles witting at the end of the ridges. These creatures are said to repel evil spirits and protect the castle. Question is, have they really repelled all evil spirits inside?
Many theories point to a long history of secrets and tragedies throughout its lifetime, leading some to believe that it is home to the restless spirits of the past that even the magic tiles are unable to repel.
Ghost Stories in Japan
Legends have been surrounding the maze-like construction of Himeji Castle ever since it was built, often told in summer during the Japanese holiday Obon where they celebrate the spirit of the dead. One of the most famous stories about this castle tells of a “White Lady” who appears on a moonlit night, wearing white kimono as if she were a bride.
This is linked to one of the most famous ghost stories in Japan called Banshū Sarayashiki (播州皿屋敷), or The Dish Mansion in Harima Province that have a version of it set to Himeji Castle. A famous Kabuki play that was put on the big stages to bring out fear in the hot summer months when ghost stories theatre was all the rage.
Okiku was a servant that was falsely accused of losing one of the ten valuable plates of her lord’s family. The Samurai master she worked for was angry at her for rejecting him and he hid away the plates to trick her into becoming his lover. She refused again, even if he said he would overlook her mistake of losing one of his valuable plates
Banchō Sarayashiki: The print depicts the ghost of Okiku appearing by the well in which her master, Aoyama Tessan, murdered her.From the Thirty-six Ghosts series by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 1890.
Enraged, he threw her down a well where she died. In some version, she threw herself down the well to escape the torment from her master. In either cases, she died in that well. Perhaps quickly, hitting the stone walls, perhaps slowly, drowning in the dark water.
It is said she became an onryō, a vengeful spirit, back for revenge of those who wronged her. The ghost of Okiku tormented her murderer every night, rising from the well and coming up to the mansion again, making him go insane in the end. Okiku was still counting the nine plates, one by one. Only reaching nine everytime, then making a terrible shriek when she again missed the tenth plate.
Read the full story of Banchō Sarayashiki and Okiku: Here
The Haunted Okiku Well
Even though the play is set on several castles, there is but one well that claims to be Okiku’s well that are still haunted and most likely the inspiration of Sadako Yamamura coming out from the well in all white with her dark long hair.
Today there is a well that you can find on the castle of Himeji Castle grounds they say is from the ghost story of Banshū Sarayashiki. And people have reported about spotting poor Okiku as she rises from the well to count her plates.
The Castle Monster of Himeji Castle
Although there is no hard evidence to prove that this mystical tale is true, the Himeji Castle still evokes a sense of mystery with its hidden passages and dark courtyards. Other supernatural legends often tell of mysterious lights in the night sky, strange noises echoing through the castle’s corridors, or ghostly figures watching over visitors from atop the castle walls.
These stories paint an eerie picture of the enigmatic Haunted Himeji Castle, making it one of Japan’s most intriguing tourist spots for those interested in ghosts and legends.
One of these mysterious creatures thought to dwell inside of the castle walls is a mixture of Japanese folklore and modern ghost stories. This is the tale of what is know known as the Castle Monster, or the Legend of Osakabehime.
The Legend of Osakabehime
The story of Osakabehime (刑部姫) is set at Himeji Castle. Osakabehime is a figure in Japanese folklore as yōkai, a class of supernatural entities and spirits. According to this legend she lives in the castle tower and only shows up once a year to the lord of the castle to tell him about the fate of the castle.
Osakabehime is said to hate people and hides away in the castle corners and is thought to be an old kitsune. She is also said to be an illegitimate child of Princess Inoe (717-775) the empress consort of Emperor Konin of Japan who was deposed in 772 after she was accused of witchcraft. There are also theories that she is the spirit of the courtesans that Emperor Fushimi loved.
First, the figure of Osakabehime had no assigned gender and was in the earlier legends like in the Shokokuhyakumonogatari (諸国百物語) from 1677, she was just referred to as The Castle Monster.
Today Osakabehime is mostly considered to be a woman in her 30s, wearing a ceremonial twelve-layered kimono called The jūnihitoe (十二単) and can read human minds and control animals in many of her appearances in classic literature.
The Monster Osakabehime in the Castle: The jūnihitoe the Osakabehime is said to be wearing is a style of formal court dress first worn in the Heian period by noble women and ladies-in-waiting at the Japanese Imperial Court. Her it is worn by Empress Kōjun (Nagako) at the enthronement ceremony 1928.
A Kabuki play is based on Osakabehime story and is considered as one of the Shin-Kabuki Jūhachiban, a set of eighteen of the best kabuki plays.
Haunted Stories and the Unexplained Phenomena at Himeji Castle
So, perhaps the Himeji Castle have something more than romantic cherry blossom images to give to visitors of this old castle. Some of the most prominent haunted stories connected to Himeji Castle include eerie noises such as groans and murmurs, mysterious figures appearing in photos, and sudden drops in temperature throughout certain parts of the castle. You know, classical haunted castle stuff.
Some visitors even swear that they have seen the spirit of Osakabehime gliding along the castle walls in her unmistakable attire, or they have heard the desperate counting of the servant Okiku as she is trying to find the last dish she is missing. Such unexplained phenomena continue to draw curious travelers every year to look for more than beautiful cherry blossoms falling.
Killed because of love, the would be bride now walks in the Castello district of Venice, missing her ring finger and her loved one.
In Campo St. Piero in Castello area of Venice, there is a young woman dressed as a bride walking up and down the streets. It is nothing novel about a bride in Venice as it is quite the romantic place, but for this particular bride you need to take a closer look at something other than her beautiful dress.
The bride walking the streets in Campo St. Piero is missing a finger, which according to legend was cut off before the wedding. This bride is known as Tosca, once a beautiful but poor girl from Treviso. She was engaged to marry a very wealthy nobleman who was much older than her. It wasn’t love, it was safety.
She fell in love though, but not with her betrothed. It was with a young hunter and together they escaped to Venice to live out their love. But the love they had, would not last, as the nobleman followed them there and ended it all.
Toscas betrhothed killed her lover and cut off her finger, swearing that if he couldn’t have her, then no one could. But he could never have her either as she died shortly after.
On the 22nd of September in 1379 in Campo St. Piero, she took her own life to escape her loveless marriage. But she would never leave Venice, as she came back as a ghost to haunt the place were she tought she would be free to live with her lover.
Coincidentally, it was her ring finger as well and she is looking for her ring finger, still dressed, walking up and down the Castello district as a bride she never got the chance to become.
The Haunted Dock Street Theater has plenty of spine-tingling ghost stories to tell as America’s first theater? Find out more about the tales, secrets and legends that cloak this historic theater.
Step inside the Dock Street Theatre in the historical and haunted city of Charleston in South Carolina, perhaps one of America’s most haunted cities and you will be met by centuries of eerie legends and tales about the ghosts that haunt the building.
Visit this historic theater to discover its bone-chilling stories of unexplainable occurrences, from sightings of a spectral figure roaming the corridors to mysterious sounds emanating from unseen sources.
America’s First Theater
The building that is now the Dock Street Theater was built in 1809 in the French Quarter in downtown Charleston as a hotel where most of the ghost stories originate from and converted to a theater in 1935. It is also known as the last remaining Antebellum Hotel in Charleston.
But the original Dock Street Theatre opened all the way back in 1736 and is the oldest surviving theater of its kind in the United States and has welcomed many famous names
Dock Street Theater: The downtown theater has been used both as one of America’s first theaters as well as operating as a hotel from where the ghost stories from the place stems from.//source: Brian Stansberry//wikimedia
Along with hearing tales of ghostly sightings, you may just stumble upon additional, unexplainable phenomena while roaming the theater’s hallways.
The Ghost of Junius Booth in Dock Street Theater
Visitors, staff both on stage and off stage have several times been describing their interactions with ghostly apparitions, phantom voices and other otherworldly phenomena. From disembodied footsteps to mysterious moving shadows, these chilling recollections have been compiled over years of research and exploration of Dock Street Theatre’s many nooks and crannies.
One of the ghosts haunting the Dock Street Theater is said to be Junius Booth, the father of the assassin John Wilkes Booth who murdered Abraham Lincoln. Why he is haunting this exact theater is unknown as he wasn’t even in Charlesville when he passed away.
He did however perform at the building in the time it was a hotel called Planter’s Hotel with his theater troupe. Rumor has it that he tried to kill the hotel manager in a fit of rage, but nothing else.
Many of the ghost legends have been shaped by events that happened long ago, such as a tragic fire or some sort of terrible event that occurred within the theater itself. It’s believed that many of these past occurrences may be connected to why certain ghosts still remain there today.
The ghost that most people report on seeing in the Dock Street Theater is that of Nettie and she has her own story to tell. Most likely it was a name given to her after she was spotted as a ghost, but there are theories that her name was really Nettie Dickerson.
Nettie the Ghost lived in Charleston in the 1800’s in the time it was Planter’s Hotel, working there as a prostitute when she was alive. The hotel was a definitive go to place in terms of alcohol, parties and prostitutes as well as gambling.
The local legend is said that she was a 25 year old country girl who had moved to Charleston in the 1840s, dreaming of a city life with more exciting days than in the countryside. She was also looking for love, but at 25 she was well past her prime for marriage and not really highly sought after.
From Church Clerk to Hotel Prostitute
Before becoming a prostitute she worked as a clerk in the church, a life far from where she ended up. She was friendly with the priest and did well at her job, but in the end, she wanted more and went to the Planter’s Hotel for it.
Nettie went to the shop and bought herself the most expensive red dress to wear and to get a man in. Although she gained many customers and money at first, her lack of discretion made her lose it all just as quick. Besides, the men she went after, didn’t look at her as someone to marry. Poor and desperate, she went into a storm out on the balcony on the second floor. She started screaming, letting her bitterness of Charleston and her situation out.
The priest she got along with tried to reason with her and get her down safely. She shouted to him that he couldn’t save her, and as legend goes, she was struck by a bolt of lightning in the head and died.
It is said that to this day, you can see the ghost of Nettie, roaming in her red dress inside the Dock Street Theater.
Sitting on the railing in her red dress, the ghost waves her victims closer, urging them to jump to their death. This is the tale of the Lady in Red of Bang Pakong River.
There are plenty of folklore and local stories that have been passed down throughout the years about the Dock Street Theatre, a place old, riddled with mystery and the spectacle that a theater can give. The legends of the Dock Street Theater are a mix of fact, fiction, and personal experience and sometime you have to experience yourself.
On a big and foggy highway north of Seoul, there is an urban legend of a ghost known as the Jayuro Ghost along the road, looking like she has a pair of sunglasses on in the dark.
The Jayu Motorway, or simply Freedom Road is a big highway in South Korea connecting Seoul to Gyeonggi Province. In some parts you can even see all the way to North Korea from the motorway. The Jayuro Road has a high rate of car accidents because of frequent foggy weather and being badly lit along some parts.
Check out all of our ghost stories about haunted roads in the Moon Mausoleum.
But there is something else in the misty road to be wary of, according to many passing drivers, that claims to have encountered something that has been known as the Jayuro Ghost.
The Jayuro Road Ghost (自由路鬼神) is a very famous korean urban legend that appeared in the early 2004 or 2005 and follows in with the many local variations of the global Vanishing Hitchhiker trope we have many stories about.
The Vanishing Hitchhiker is a well known urban legend throughout the world. Here is a Moonmausoleum original writings based on the Urban Legend – The Vanishing Hitchhiker
The urban legend grew large because of several celebrities that claimed to have witnessed the Jayuro Ghost along the highway. And although the popularity of the legend ebbs and flows since the early 2000s, there are still those who speak about seeing the Jayuro Ghost when driving in the dark.
The Legend of the Woman in Sunglasses
Since it’s such a well known urban legend, there are now countless of variations of it as well. But most of them follow the same pattern.
If you drive along Jayuro Road in the middle of the night, there is supposedly a young woman in her 20s, waving to you while trying to hitchhike. It looks like the woman is wearing a long coat with large black sunglasses, and many realise who they met after they drive past her.
Urban Legend: There have been multiple things inspired by the urban legend. Here from Goedam, an anthology horror series.
To just get a glimpse and not noticing anything strange of a lonely woman by a highway is perhaps the best. Because if you look closer, you notice that she is not alive at all. When you get closer to inspect, you can clearly see it’s not sunglasses, but rather a big black hole where her eyes were supposed to be.
The Hitchhiker
One of the reports comes from a man that actually claims to have picked the Jayuro Ghost up when she tried to hitchhike.
He was driving back from a dinner party and looked away from the road for a second. When he looked up, he saw the woman standing along the highway and he nearly ran her over. It looked like she had just escaped from an accident herself. She asked him if he could give her a ride home. The man accepted and put the address in the navigation system to follow.
But before they reached the destination, the Jayuro Ghost disappeared. When he found out where the destination was, he realized that it was a cemetery.
Who was this Woman?
Can you really trace back a specific person to an urban legend? It is not for lack of trying at least. When they aired a piece on the story on a TVN show in 2007, Kim Sehwan tried to contact the ghost through a medium.
According to that story, the Jayuro Ghost was a woman in her 20s that was killed on the road in 2002 by strangulation, not far from where she is spotted. It was because of decay that she looked like she did with her dark gouged out eyes.
According to the medium relaying the story, the culprit behind her murder was arrested in 2005. Although they never really followed up with a police report on this though.
No matter who she is supposed to have been, a name has never come up. Although, stories of her along the foggy highway often does.
One of the most famous ghost stories in Korea is about the unfortunate Arang. Until she got revenge on her murderer, she kept haunting the entire town in search of the one who could help her find the truth.
Look at me, look at me, look at me As you look at a flower in the middle of winter, please look at me Although my sweetheart has arrived I cannot say a word of welcome Just opening my mouth without a word, stuffed my mouth with flap of my skirt Sound of flute played by a bachelor at the next door by the fence Sighing of a virgin at the well as she pumps water Are you better than others? Am I better than you? Who is better than whom? The best one is “gu-ri-bak-tong ji-jun” (one with power and money) — Variation of Miryang Arirang folk song
Arang (아랑) and her tragic story is one of the most well known ghost stories in Korea. She was the daughter of a magistrate (busa) working for the government in Miryang, southeast in Korea.
The legend of Arang is one of the more important stories about wongwi ( 원귀 ), spirits seeking justice by revenge. This story is from the Joseon Dynasty, sometime between 1400 to 1900 and it is said she lived in the mid 1500s.
The Death of Arang
According to the legend Arangs real name was Yun Dong-ok ( 윤동옥 /尹東玉) and had lost her mother when she was very young and basically brought up by a nanny. But her nanny was mean and hated her and wanted her punished. The nanny colluded with the servant Baekga to take her at night and rape her. But Arang resisted and he ended up stabbing her to death. Her body was taken into the woods and buried for no one to know.
In some versions, Arang is said to have gone out to have looked at the moon when a man approached her which she turned down, leading to him killing her. There are also the versions where a low ranking officer bribed her nanny to bring her to him.
Her father, the magistrate, was distraught as they all thought that she had eloped and ran off with a stranger. In shame he resigned from his position and the whole family took a backseat.
The Legend of Arang: One of the more famous ghost stories is the story about Arang and her murder. She came back from beyond to uncover the truth of what really happened the night she died.
The Revenge
But this wasn’t the last they heard of her. Whenever a new magistrate was appointed in Miryang, the spirit of Arang appeared before him and asked for his help to restore her honor and avenge her.
Problem was that the appointed magistrates were so afraid of her that they all resigned and in the end, no one wanted to take the position out of fear for the ghost haunting the place. In some versions of the legend, they died after not helping her. But that all changed when the man named Yi Sang-sa was appointed to the position.
He saw past the scary ghost and promised the spirit of Arang to avenge her so she could have justice. In some version she just tells the name of the killer, in some version, she comes back as a butterfly to mark the murderer.
In any case the murderer is found out and the young magistrate arrested Baekga and had him executed. After this, her spirit was able to move on and she no longer haunted the town.
The Aranggak Shrine
To this day there is a shrine in honor of Arang’s spirit where she is venerated and is called the Aranggak Shrine. Even the popular folk song Arirang has its own local version which is said to may or may not be about the legend of Arang.
The Shrine of Arang: In Miryang they have built a shrine to venerate her spirit. Source/Koreabyme
There are also movies and TV series inspired by the legend, like the 2006 movie, Arang and the 2012 drama series Arang and the Magistrate.
“Arang and the Magistrate” is a Korean drama that combines elements of historical romance, supernatural intrigue, and mystery. Set in the Joseon period, the story revolves around the ghostly character of Arang, who is determined to uncover the truth behind her own death. She teams up with the righteous and pragmatic Magistrate Eun Oh, who can see spirits, creating an unusual partnership. As they delve into the mysteries of Arang’s past and the corruption within the government, the drama weaves a compelling narrative filled with suspense, romance, and supernatural elements.
No matter what the meaning behind the words of the song is, her shrine is solely dedicated to her and standing on a cliff in Miryang on the Yeongnamnu pavilion, one of the important cultural treasures of Miryang, facing the Miryang River.
The Legend of Arang
In the end, the tale of Arang serves as a reminder of the power of justice and the perseverance of the human spirit, even beyond death. Through her haunting, Arang sought the truth and found an ally in the courageous magistrate, Yi Sang-sa, who helped her reveal the identity of her murderer and bring him to justice. With her revenge fulfilled, Arang’s spirit was able to find peace and move on.
As the wind whispers through the trees surrounding the Aranggak Shrine, it carries the echoes of Arang’s tale, reminding us of the importance of seeking truth, fighting for justice, and never forgetting the stories of those who went before us.
In Reykjavik, Iceland, there is a haunted house called Höfði. According to local legend it is haunted by the ghost of a woman who poisoned herself.
One of the most haunted houses in Iceland is Höfði. For the outside world it is perhaps best known for being the location where Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev met up to talk about ending the cold war in 1986. So it is a pretty well known house in political history, but there is something else living in the house at night.
For the locals the Höfði house was a well known house long before that meeting. The house in Jugendstil was built in 1909 for the French consul Jean-Paul Brillouin at Félagstún and has since been in the hands of powerful and rich people. But none of them have stayed for a very long time.
In the memoirs of one of the people living there in the early days tells that the Höfði house is haunted by a young woman. She either drowned or died by suicide, were the latter is the most often told one.
One of the people living in the house with his family was an entrepreneur as well as a poet named Einar Benediktsson. He was the one that named the house when he moved in in 1914 and had his own theory about who the ghost was.
He claimed that the ghost was of a woman named Sólborg Jónsdóttir. Benediktsson was once a judge on a famous assault case and when Sólborg Jónsdóttir heard the verdict she poisoned herself and died. According to Benediktsson, he always had to keep the lights on at night as she would appear to him during the night, still distraught over the verdict and haunt Höfði, even to this day.
Höfði house: According to the legend, the ghost haunting the house is Sólborg Jónsdóttir, a woman that may or may not were poisoned inside of it.
The haunting in the house got so bad that John Greenway that lived in the house in 1952 asked to be moved, that the house should be sold and the British consulate should move elsewhere. He was afraid of what he called: ‘Bumps in the night’, and even filed a special permission from the Foreign office to get out of there as quickly as possible.
The same year Höfði was sold back to the Icelandic government and the official statement by the Foreign Ministry was: “We do not confirm or deny that the Hofdi has a ghost.”
Take a journey through the haunted legends and myths surrounding Paris’ Eiffel Tower, thought to be haunted by the ghosts of a romance gone wrong in the city of love.
Step into the world of mysticism and supernatural entities surrounding the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris locally nicknamed La dame de fer, or Iron Lady. This popular sign of romance has many urban legends and tall tales surrounding it, everything from secret rooms, the meaning behind its shape and the history of its construction. It also has a ghost story or two.
The rumored ghostly sightings, mysterious events, and local folklore paint an intriguing picture of this famous landmark. To this day, visitors swear they’ve encountered spirits surrounding the Eiffel Tower, perpetuating its reputation as one of Paris’ most haunted sites and a full stop on the ghost tours.
The Origin of the Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower was built from 1887 to 1889 as the centerpiece to the 1889 World’s Fair to showcase a certain level of grandness and modernity. Because of its design and size it saw a lot of criticism by writers and artists in France for the design at the time and for a long time it was seen as an eyesore to the critics. But after the construction, people were amazed at the sight of the enormous tower.
For 41 years it was the tallest human made structure in the world until 1930 when the Chrysler Building in New York was made. It was only meant to stay up a few years and it was designed to be dismantled after 20 years, but it is still standing today.
Paris, the City of Love
“City of swarming, city full of dreams Where ghosts in daylight tug the stroller’s sleeve!” – Charles Baudelaire, ‘The Seven Old Men’, Part: ‘Parisian Scenes’, ‘The Flowers Of Evil
As the most visited city in the world, Paris has a mysterious air all around it. With its cobbled-stone streets and magical architecture, the city evokes romance and intrigue despite the very same picturesque cobbled stone streets that have been drenched in blood over wars, revolution and dark times.
It’s no wonder that it’s considered to be one of the most haunted cities in Europe, complete with stories and legends abounding regarding unexplained activities occurring around iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower.
At the Eiffel Tower’s restaurants it is said they get at least two proposals a day from people that seek out the romance of the place. But it is not only romance and happy proposals at the Eiffel Tower as it is also a place where many people choose to take their own lives. And sometimes there are stories about how pure love turned dark pretty quick:
The Jilted Lover at the Eiffel Tower
Of course the ghost story at the Eiffel Tower must contain romance, passion and heartache. And contrary to the dreamy and whimsical notion of the romantic city where love is true and everlasting, it tells what happens when love goes wrong and not returned. When the color red turns to eternal black.
According to local legend of the ghost story in the tower, a jilted lover who was heartbroken years ago still wanders around on the upper floors. In some versions, it is the heartbroken man who haunts the place. In other versions it is the woman who went to the tower with him to break up that is now trapped at this romantic landmark forever.
The story goes that a couple agreed to meet at the top of the Eiffel Tower sometimes in the 1920s, when the tower was younger, but already the symbol of love and Paris. The man went down on his knees and asked his beloved to marry him in front of the famous monument, but she refused.
She was there to break up with him and the shock of her rejection broke his heart and sent him into a fit of rage. He pushed his girlfriend over the railing and she fell to her death. In some versions she backed away, either in shock or pure disgust and fell over herself.
The man was never seen alive again afterward, leading some people to believe that his spirit remains behind and continues to wander the grounds of where his hopes for love perished. What happened to him? Did he also end his life then at the tower? Or did the spirit return to the place long after as he never forgot?
The story has turned into an urban legend of both the Eiffel Tower and Paris and it is hard to track down a specific time or person. Some believe that this story can be traced back to the 1920s, and many claim to have seen a woman in clothes from that area wandering up in the tower before she suddenly vanishes. Some even say you can hear her nervous giggles as she is rejecting the proposal before her horrified screams at the anniversary of her death.
The Haunted love
So there you have it, the dark side of romance and love in the heart of Paris. A reminder that not every love story has a happy ending and not all types of love are true love. And with that said, Happy Valentine.
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.
