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Kuchisake-onna – The Urban Legend of the Slit-Mouthed Woman

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In the dimly lit alleys in urban Japan, a woman wearing a mask is terrorizing the children walking home from late school. When she reveals her carved up mouth, it’s over. Kuchisake-onna, or The Slit-Mouthed Woman will get her revenge.

In Japan, the concept of cram school has been a thing for many decades now. Children stay out until late in the evening in these cram schools before going home in the dark. Is it really so safe? Not according to the urban legend that has been around for decades now. 

When going home in these urban and suburban areas, there is this woman that walks up to children walking alone in the evening. She is wearing a mask over her face and looks beautiful with her long black hair and pale skin. 

Kuchisake-onna: An old urban legend in Japan were a woman with her mouth carved up approaches children and asks them if they find her beautiful.

When she closes in on the children she asks them “Am I beautiful?”. Polite children will most likely say yes. It is then the true horror begins as she removes her mask, revealing her scars. Her mouth is carved up. She repeats the question:

“Am I beautiful even now?”

There is really no way of answering her right when you encounter the Slit-Mouthed Woman. If you say no, she will kill you with her knife she is carrying. If you say yes, she will slit your mouth so that they look like her. 

Who was the Kuchisake-onna ?

Kuchisake-onna (口裂け女, “Slit-Mouthed Woman”) is a malevolent figure in Japanese urban legends and folklore. The Slit-Mouthed Woman has been described as a contemporary yōkai as well as a classic example of an Onryō or a vengeful spirit.

Read about the Onryō here:

Onryō — the Vengeful Japanese Spirit

In many cultures, ghosts are put in different categories. Such is the case with Onryō (怨霊 onryō,) It basically means “vengeful spirit” or “wrathful spirit” in Japanese and is a mythological spirit of vengeance from Japanese folklore. They also have ghosts, called yurei, but these differ in the will of the ghost. As opposed to…

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There are many variations as to who Kuchisake-onna was. Was she a crazy person running around with a knife? Was she really a ghost as the urban legend suggests?

Her origin story points to more than one thing. In many variations she is a ghost, possibly from the Heian period (794 -1185). According to this version of the legend she was a wife of a samurai, but was cheating on him with another man. When her husband found out, he mutilated her and slit her mouth as punishment.

Read More: Check out all of our urban legends and ghost stories from Japan

In the 90s with the rise of medical procedures and online urban legend, the legend about the cheating wife changed to be a botched plastic surgery with the woman seeking perfection, or done by a jealous woman that mutilated her because of her beauty. 

The Manic Panic in the 70s

The story of a woman with her mouth slit can be traced back to the Edo period (1603-1867), perhaps even further. But the modern version of the legend started with a rumor from an old woman allegedly that claimed she had seen her.

Urbanization: Post War Japan saw a rapid change of urbanization. This was a perfect place for new urban legend like the one of Kuchisake-onna to be born.

The lady in question was from a farming family in the town of Yaotsu in Gifu Prefecture in Japan. According to this rumor, she once saw a woman standing in the corner of her garden. This woman had a slit mouth. 

The local newspaper printed an article about the story and the legend spread. It especially resonated with the children in the area. Six months later the legend was now a national phenomenon. When the children went to or home from cram school, they told the story about the mouth slithed woman and the legend spread. 

Children were terrified to go out alone at night and it wasn’t only the children that were worried about the legend of the Slit-Mouthed Woman. Teachers and parents arranged for patrols for their children’s safety, and in Ibaraki Prefecture, children were actually warned to stay away from people wearing masks. 

In Fukushima and Kanagawa Prefectures they took a step further with police cars being out on patrol to appease the hysteria. In June that year a 25-year old woman in Himeji City got arrested for dressing up as her as a joke, but with a kitchen knife in her hand to scare people. 

Although the hysteria around the urban legend died down the following year by the summer, possibly because the children started their summer holiday and didn’t talk about the legend on their way home from school anymore.

But the legend of the mouth slit woman had just started to snowball and in the age of the internet, the story spread not only between children at cram schools, and is today one of Japan’s most well known urban legends. 

How to survive the Encounter with the Slit-Mouth Woman

An individual can survive an encounter with Kuchisake-onna by using one of several methods. In some versions of the legend, Kuchisake-onna will leave you alone if you answer “yes” to both of her questions. However, in other versions, she will haunt you down in your home later that night and murder you in your sleep. 

There are ways of distracting her by giving or throwing money or hard candies (particularly the kind of candy known as bekko ame, made of caramelized sugar) in her direction, as Kuchisake-onna will stop to pick them up. or by saying the word “pomade” three times.

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References

Japanese Urban Legends from the “Slit-Mouthed Woman” to “Kisaragi Station” | Nippon.com

Pandemonium and Parade: Japanese Monsters and the Culture of Yokai by Michael Dylan Foster:Pandemonium and Parade: Japanese Monsters and the Culture of Yokai – Michael Dylan Foster – Google Bøker

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The Palatine Light and the Ghost Ship Behind it

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In the cold night right before the New Years, the light of a ghost ship can be seen outside the shores of Rhode Island known as The Palatine Light. The terrible fate of the wrecked ship still haunts the sea. 

Which, half in sport, in malice half,
She shows at times, with shudder or laugh,
Phantom and shadow in photograph?

For still, on many a moonless night,
From Kingston Head and from Montauk light
The spectre kindles and burns in sight.

Now low and dim, now clear and higher,
Leaps up the terrible Ghost of Fire,
Then, slowly sinking, the flames expire.
– The Palatine, John Greenleaf Whittier

The Palatine Light is something that is reported on outside of Block Island on Rhode Island in the US. It is said that on the Saturday between Christmas and New Year’s Eve you can see the lights from the ship, burning as it sails past you as a ghostly apparition. 

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The tradition of the folklore tells of a British ship with German immigrants that were on their way to Philadelphia in the 1700s. Germany at this time was ravaged by famine, war and religious persecution and many made their way towards a better future in America. Those who made it to America were known as ‘poor Palatines’. There are many variants to exactly which year this was supposed to happen, as there are many variations and different historical explanations. 

The Palatine’s Haunted Legend

The ship, known as ‘The Palatine’ came to meet its fate outside of Block Island where it wrecked. The ship had for a long time been way off course and the passengers of the ship had already, before the sinking of the ship, experienced enough hardship on the voyage to drive them mad. The crew had deserted their duties and a horrible mutiny happened onboard that left the passengers to descend into chaos. The passengers that were left were driven mad by desperation, fear and hunger. 

The people of Block Island say that the locals tried to rescue the crew and its passengers, although on mainland New England, they tell a different tale. Namely that the islanders were luring the ship towards them to steal the cargo and kill the people on board. Which is also the narrative that is told in the poem ‘The Palatine’ by John Greenleaf Whittier, which helped solidify the story to a popular legend of The Palatine Light:

Down swooped the wreckers, like birds of prey
Tearing the heart of the ship away,
And the dead had never a word to say.
And then, with ghastly shimmer and shine
Over the rocks and the seething brine,
They burned the wreck of the Palatine.
– The Palatine, John Greenleaf Whittier

Wrecking is a practice of taking the cargo from a wrecked ship, and coastal people that live in the areas where many ships go down are known as wreckers, looters of ships. In some accounts and especially in fiction, the wreckers went as far as lighting false beacons to lure the ships ashore and killing the survivors, so no tales could be told. Many people feared Block Island as they were afraid of the locals living there doing this, although there has never been any hard evidence of it.

Wreckers: Legends of islander and coastal people on purpose lured ship ashore to pillage the cargo and kill the passangers were often told and depicted in fiction. Like in Daphne du Maurier’s  Jamaica Inn, here, screenshot from the BBC adaptation of the wreckers. // photo: BBC

Both variations of the legends tell that after they had gotten the people off the ship, they set fire to the ship and it was driven out to sea. But the ship was not empty. A female passenger refused to leave the ship as it sank, and those who report seeing the Palatine Lights, claim to hear her screams from the ghost ship. 

The Wreckage of Princess Augusta

There are many ships that went down in these parts that could be the source of the legend of The Palatine Light. Many ships got off course and ended its day on the bottom of the sea this far north. One of those ships was The Princess Augusta and perhaps tells the closest story to the legend.

Like in the legend, the ship had problems onboard long before they hit the shores of Rhode Island. The water supply was contaminated and killed 200 of its passengers and half the crew, including the captain, named Captain Long. 

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It was the first mate, Andrew Brook, that took control over the ship, but a horrible storm pushed the ship of course and they ended up outside of Rhode Island. After three months of the extreme weather and no food, the state of the people on the ship was becoming desperate. Already poor, the passengers were forced to pay for the remaining rations by Brook. 

When it reached the shores of Block island it was severely damaged and leaked and finally wrecked in a snowstorm at Sandy Point in 1738. The waters around these parts are treacherous and in those times, there were at least a dozen wrecked ships every year around these parts.

Apparently Brook left all the passengers onboard and rowed to shore with the remaining crew. Although they were condemned in the public eye, they suffered no punishment for their mistreatment. 

According to the Block Islanders, they were not trying to steal the cargo at all, but help the passengers and bury the dead they could not help. It is said that they helped out all but one of the passengers in some accounts just like in the legends and a couple of the passengers actually settled down on the island, as more names of the passenger list have come to light with names. Mary Van Der Line was forgotten in all the chaos. Driven mad by her suffering and horrible voyage over the ocean, she didn’t get off the ship because she refused to leave her possessions and went down with it. 

Lights in the Sea: The islanders of Block Island have told throughout the years about ghostly lights and apparitions in the sea that are supposedly coming from the ghost ship known in the legend as The Palatine.

The fate of the ship itself is up to debate. There are some evidence suggesting that the Augusta  was repaired and sent to Philadelphia. But other accounts tell the story that sounds much closer to the legend of the ghost ship. 

The ship was seen as unsalvageable after the wreckage and pushed back into the sea to vanish. Before pushing it out, in some accounts they do actually set in on fire. There are to this day no wreck or remains of the wreck to have been found. 

The Sightings of The Palatine Light

Whether the islanders lured the ship ashore, or helped the passengers, they have countless reports about seeing the lights. One islander named  Dr. Aaron C. Willey described the light in 1811 after claiming to have seen it several times himself:

“The light looks like a blaze of fire six or seven miles from the northern part of Block Island. Sometimes it’s small, like the light from a distant window. Sometimes it’s as big as a ship and wavers like a torch.”

So perhaps, when passing through these parts in the winter time, look out to the sea. Perhaps if you look close enough, you too can see the lights of the ghost ship. 

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References

The Legend of the Ghost Ship Palatine – New England Historical Society

Shedding light on the Palatine legend | Block Island Times

The Palatine. John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892). New England: Block Island (Manisees), RI Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. 1876-79. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes. America: Vols. XXV-XXIX

Passengers of the “Princess Augusta,” (1736)

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Top Zombie TV-Series

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The zombie genre doesn’t seem to die down anytime soon as it keeps coming back with a twist or a different angle and production value. These are some of the Top Zombie TV-Series with zombies from around the world.

Zombies are everywhere in pop culture these days. From movies to television shows, video games to books, there seems to be no shortage of undead characters on our screens. Here are some of the top zombie TV-series that we’ve seen so far.

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Walking Dead (2010-2020)

The Walking Dead is an American post-apocalyptic horror drama television series developed by Frank Darabont and based on the comic book series of the same name written by Robert Kirkman and premiered on AMC on October 31, 2010. The show follows a group of survivors in Georgia, USA, living in a world overrun by flesh eating zombies they call Walkers. This is one of top zombie TV-series that really blew new life into the Zombie interests and the show lasted for 11 seasons before ending it.

Check Out: Top American Horror TV-Series

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All Of Us Are Dead | 지금 우리 학교는 (2022)

This is another top zombie TV-series for Netflix that rose to the top streaming, even more so than the hit series, Squid Games. It is an adaptation of the popular webtoon of the same name and are now one of the biggest Korean horror TV-Series. A seemingly normal day at school that ends in an international disaster as a rabid zombie outbreak starts from the schools science lab. The student quickly learn that they are all on their own and must escape so not turn to one of the living dead. This is a gory series that doesn’t shy away from blood, violence and deeply flawed human beings with a twist on the zombie lore.

NB! Confirmed for more seasons!

Check Out: Top Korean Horror TV-Series

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Santa Clara Diet (2017-2019)

This zombie series takes a comedic and every day approach to the zombie genre. Sheila and Joel are married real estate agents who live and work in Santa Clarita, California with their daughter in the peaceful suburbs. When Sheila dies, their lives take a dark turn when she turns into a zombie and needs human flesh to survive.

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The Returned | Les Revenants (2012-2015)

This French series took a new look at the zombie lore with a more haunting approach than a full fledge flesh eating one. In a small French mountain town where everyone knows each other, the dead returns as if it never happened and with no memories of how it happened. This is forcing the townsfolk to confront their difficult past as they seek to understand this phenomenon and deal with their loved ones coming back to life.

Check Out: Top European Horror TV-Series

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Kingdom | 킹덤 (2019)

The mega top zombie TV-series helped turn the tide for Korean horror TV-Series and certainly the interest in Korean zombies. A mysterious illness has befallen the king in a fictionalized version of Korea in the Joseon area. The illness of zombification is spreading throughout the kingdom and the crown prince travels out from the castle to solve the mystery behind his father’s ailment. Out there he finds a kingdom in disarray and hoards of zombies threatening the whole kingdom he was born to protect. With its two season wrapped story it looks like this is the whole of it, but with sidequel/prequel like movies like Kingdom: Ashin of the North, and the original cartoon with its specials, who is to say this a finished series?

Check Out: Top Korean Horror TV-Series

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Helix (2014-2015)

Helix is a science fiction thriller that focuses on an expedition of the Centers for Disease Control into the Arctic to investigate a potential outbreak of a disease. The team encounters a zombie-like threat, and the operator of the facility seems to know more about it than he’s letting on.

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Game Of Thrones (2011-2019)

Can we call the fantasy series about dragons, crowns and the God of light a zombie show? Yes, why not, as some of the seasons heavily focused on the threat of the North coming to Westeros. Behind the wall, the thing separating the civilized south to the wild north, an ancient threat has awakened. And while they squander about who can sit on the throne and not in the south, the people in the north and beyond the wall needs to find a way to protect all humans against these monsters.

Although the plot with the zombies came to a rather abrupt end in the last season, the zombies were a rather fresh take on the zombie genre as well as it place in the fantasy universe.

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In the Flesh (2013 – 2014)

This BBC Drama poses the question: What do we do after the Zombie Apocalypse, and how do we integrate the zombies back into the society? Four years after what they call: The Rising, the government starts to rehabilitate the zombies that goes as The Undead for reentry into society. We follow the teenager Kieren Walker as he returns to his small Lancashire village as an undead to face a hostile reception, as well as his own demons.

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Fear of the Walking Dead (2015-)

Fear of the Walking Dead started out as a spinoff of the hugely popular top zombie TV-series, The Walking Dead. But it quickly found its own fan base and vibe that differed slightly from the original. The series is set in Los Angeles, California with a new cast that battles the zombies from the first day of infection rather than to jump right in 30 days after as The Walking Days did. It follows two families who must band together to survive the undead apocalypse.

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Zombie Detective | 좀비탐정 (2020)

This Korean Drama tells the story about Kim Moo-Young (Choi Jin-Hyuk) who has been a zombie for the past 2 years. He has learned how to pass as a living human and goes to live in the city. There he starts a private detective office where he solves cases as he tries to regain his past memories as he doesn’t remember anything before becoming a zombie.

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iZombie (2015-2019)

Liv Moore is just a normal medical student and gets invited in a party on night. This party turns into a macabre zombie arena and she is infected. She wakes up from the dead and becomes a zombie and must eat human brains to maintain her humanity. This she solves better than any other zombie so far though and she goes to work in the coroner’s office to access to fresh brain. It turns out that eating a brain gives her that person’s traits and memories, and she can assist in more ways to solve the murders.

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Edinburgh Castle Ghosts and Legends

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Witches, dragons and ghosts, Edinburgh Castle are said to have it all. The sound of bagpipe and drummers can be heard without anyone playing, and those accused for witchcraft as well as prisoners of wars are said to haunt the old castle.

Although the castle as we know it today wasn’t built until the 12th century, the Castle Rock has been lived on for more than 2000 years. It is built on top of an extinct volcano formed 350 million years ago. The castle itself has been built and rebuilt over the years but you can still find traces of the castle that are over 900 years old. 

It is also the place in Britain that has been attacked most times with a record of 23 attempts to take over the castle. It has a story filled with wars, bloody battles and tortured, and is said by many to be a haunted landmark that watches over the old town. 

Edinburgh Castle: There are so many alleged ghost stories coming from Edinburgh Castle perched on Castle Rock. Among them is the Grey Lady, the missing Piper and little drummer boy. There are also ton of older legends about dragons, black hounds and ties to ancient romans and Arthurian legends. How much of it is really true?

History of Edinburgh Castle

Nine Maidens: Morgan le Fey is said to be one of the Nine Maidens in Arthurian legend. By Anthony Frederick Sandys from 1864.

The castle holds many legends to its name. According to the origin story, the first castle that was built on the hill was named The Castle of the Maidens, built as a shrine to the Nine Maidens, a mysterious and old cult of religion that can be found throughout many countries in Europe. One of these supposed Nine Maidens in Scotland are often attributed to being Morgan le Fay, a mythical figure in Arthurian legend that are said to hold magical abilities.

Even if there are no real substance to her being a real figure, the legends of fantastical magical things keeps being told around the castle grounds. Another legend from older times is the dragon. As far back as 1558 there were several reports about a dragon that was supposedly seen on one of the biggest towers at the time.

Even if there are no more reports about dragon sightings, there are still many urban legends about the castle that lives on to this day. There is also an urban legend that if students pass through the castle gates, they will never pass their exams. Many students are following this rule, and never visit the castle during their stay here, just in case.

Ghosts of the Castle and Haunted Legends

As well as fantastical rumors about dragons and mythical sorceresses, there are legends of ghosts and hauntings. Among the many haunted rumors of the castle, there are reports of the strange sound of drums and music. You can also hear the vague knocking sound you can never be sure to be the wind or something more ominous. 

People report of A sensation of being touched, pushed as well as a feeling of dread and despair can follow you when walking along the stony walls. There are also reported sightings of curious lights and flaky figures in the shadows. It is said a black dog is haunting in connection to the pet cemetery on the castle grounds as well as a man in an apron. But there are some ghostly legends more told than others:

Ghosts from the Witches Burned at the Stake on Castle Ground

One thing the castle was in the lead for was for burning more witches during the 16th century than the rest of the country. Over 300 women were tortured before being burned at the stake at Castle Hill, everything from simple peasants to noble women.

Among them, Dame Euphane MacCalzean, accused of witchcraft in the North Berwick witch trials. She was found guilty and burnt alive on 25 June 1591 on the southern slope of the Castle Hill below Edinburgh Castle.

The North Berwick Witch Trials: Dame Euphane MacCalzean was a notable figure in the North Berwick witch trials of 1590-1591, one of Scotland’s most infamous witch hunts. A well-educated woman of noble birth, she was accused of conspiring with witches to raise storms against King James VI’s ship during his return from Denmark.

Some believe the spirits of these women linger still, their pain echoing across time. if we are to believe the haunted legends, there are perhaps one or two of the accused witches that are haunting the castle.

Red More: Check out Agnes Sampson — The Wise Wife of Keith to read about another haunt from one of the victims who were convicted and killed in the North Berwick Witch Trials.

The Lone Piper Boy Playing Under the Royal Mile

Walking in the historical city of Edinburgh, the sound of bagpipes is heard on every occasion. On a random street corner, from the tourist shops, during a parade or as a part of the historical landmarks. Bagpipes are the thing, perhaps even from the ghosts of the city.

The Piper: The Bagpiper by Johann Christoph Erhard.

The most famous ghost that is said to haunt the castle is the piper that was sent down to explore some tunnels they found ran under the castle towards Holyrood Palace a couple of hundred years ago. A young and small boy that would get through the network of tunnels. 

According to the legend, the regimental piper played his pipe as he ascended down the Royal Mile, stretching through the old town from the castle. Halfway down the mile to Tron Kirk the music suddenly stopped.

A search party was sent down to investigate after the music stopped, but the piper was never found again, and they sealed the tunnel’s shut so no would could get in… or out… According to legends though, he was certainly heard. He is said to walk the royal mile to this day and the unmistakable sound of bagpipes can be heard from underground. 

So perhaps walking down the Royal Mile, the sound of the bagpipes echoing throughout the whole city might as well be from the ghost piper?

The Headless Drummer Boy

Another ghost that has been sighted on several occasions is that of a little drummer boy without a head. He was first seen in the central courtyard of the castle in 1659, a year after Charles I was beheaded. He was walking in circles, drumming his drum playing an Old Scottish war tune. When the castle servants looked closer, they saw that he didn’t have a head. It is said that he drummed all through that night and continued until the morning. 

Although he has not been seen again, he is considered a bad omen if he ever appears again. The same year he showed himself, Oliver Cromwell invaded Scotland and laid siege to the castle. Is this enough to give credit to the legend?

Even though no one has seen him since that fateful night, the servants working at the castle have throughout the years claimed to have heard his drumming in the quiet hallways of the castle from time to time. Who knows… Perhaps the next time someone sees the drummer boy, the castle will once again come under attack?

The Grey Lady Haunting the Halls of Edinburgh Castle

A mysterious lady has been reported staying in the older parts of the castle. Sometimes she is just seen wandering around in her 16th century dress and sometimes she is reported to weep. 

Janet Douglas: Lady Glamis was a noblewoman accused of witchcraft, who was executed by burning during the reign of James V of Scotland.

There are several real nobles she is thought to be: The first one is Janet Douglas or Lady Glamis. She was accused of witchcraft and burned to the stake outside the castle on July 17th in 1537 with her son watching it all. It is said that even back then, they knew that the accusations were wrong, but King James V held a grudge towards her brother and took it out on her. 

Janet also haunts Glamis Castle as The Grey Lady of Glamis, wandering through the family chapel and clock tower.

Read Also: Check out Lady Janet Douglas, Ghost of Glamis Castle to read more about Lady Janet Douglas and how she is said to haunt the Glamis Castle as well.

Others think that the Grey Lady haunting Edinburgh Castle could be the French Marie de Guise, mother of Mary Queen of Scots. She died a catholic and the Protestant nobles held her body inside the castle for nine months before returning her to France, wrapped in a cloth inside a lead coffin. She was then secretly taken to France for a proper burial in the Convent of Saint-Pierre in Reim.

The Prisoners in the Dungeon and Towers

There are also the castle dungeons where they housed criminals for centuries that are supposedly haunted. There were many wars that the castle dungeon saw: the Seven Years War, The American War of Independence and the Napoleonic Wars just to mention a few.  

According to legend, from one of these wars, the ghost of a prisoner is said to haunt the castle to this day. In 2003, construction crew members restoring the Queen Anne Tower claimed ghosts of prisoners from the Napoleonic Wars harassed them and refused to work there. Who knows what they really saw, but there are certainly rumors. The hazy blue orbs mentioned earlier are said to appear more frequent in this tower than in the rest of the castle.

But who was this prisoner? The legend tells of a prisoner who tried to escape in a wheelbarrow filled with dung that were taken out of the castle. The cart was dumped over the high castle walls and the prisoner broke his neck when he hit the rocky ground below. He now haunts the place and tries to push visitors down Castle Rock. What gives him away is the lingering smell of dung in the air. 

The Legends Living on in Edinburgh Castle

That was some of the ghosts that are said to be haunting the castle. Old places like these will have its history, and through all the bloodshed and Even today, myths surround Edinburgh Castle. Students avoid crossing its gates, fearing it may curse their exams still to this day.

But it’s the ghostly activity that chills the hearts of visitors. Phantom touches, flickering lights, and shadowy figures have been reported. The sounds of drums, faint knocking, and whispers stir something restless in the castle—perhaps spirits that will never truly leave. legends surrounding the place since the first people arrived on the rock, the place will hold its stories.

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References

The Most Haunted Places in Edinburgh’s Old Town – Dickins

Edinburgh’s most haunted locations | The Scotsman

The Headless Drummer Boy – Folklore Scotland

Edinburgh Castle Ghosts

Facts, Fiction And Urban Legends About Edinburgh Castle

Ghosts of Edinburgh Castle

The Most Haunted Place in Scotland | Ghosts of Edinburgh Castle | My Macabre Roadtrip 

Spooky sightings at Edinburgh Castle and the ghosts that are claimed to haunt the halls 

Edinburgh Castle Ghosts – Is Edinburgh Castle Haunted? – Wandering Crystal 

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Haunted Spirits at The Banshee Labyrinth Pub

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The metal bar called the Banshee Labyrinth is located in parts of the haunted underground vaults of Edinburgh. And today the place has some haunted stories to tell as well. Everything from ghost children, accused witches, irish folklore creatures and an annoying ghost in the ladies toilet, this pub houses them all.

What can be a more haunted place than a rock and metal bar located in the haunted old town of Edinburgh? Today it is a family run pub that promises a good drink and music all week.

The Banshee Labyrinth bar is located on Niddry Street it is close to the Royal Mile as well as the haunted underground of Edinburgh.

They are also catering to the more macabre with movie nights mostly showing horror movies. But are we to believe legends about this pub you can also expect a couple of ghostly guests as well. 

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The Haunted Underground Vaults

It is located near The South Bridge Vaults where several businesses, workplace and taverns were located. However, it was built on a low budget and never waterproofed. The place eventually flooded and only the poorest people stayed there, making cheap brothels and pubs flourish instead and crime and murders were not uncommon. 

It was allegedly also here the infamous serial killers Burke and Hare haunted victims to sell to the medical schools. The underground vaults have become notorious as a haunted place. 

The Wailing Banshee

Part of The Banshee Labyrinth is in one of these vaults and the name the pub has comes from the legend of a banshee haunting the place. Banshee are female spirits and creatures that are an omen of death with their terrifying screams. 

The Banshee: It is a female spirit in Irish folklore who heralds the death of a family member

Once when the pub was having some restoration work done, the workmen experienced something strange. The story is that a group of workmen heard this wailing scream of death and right after. According to some sources he also saw a woman in a gray dress who cried into her hands before lifting her head to show off her pale face with rotted teeth and no eyes. 

After this they were terrified, but it didn’t stop there. Right after the incident, one of the workers got a call about the death of one of their family members just moments later. 

There is also Molly, a six year old girl that are said to haunt the place. She is named Molly after they found a child shoe with the name written on it in one of the old bricked-up chimneys. She apparently disappeared in 1814 according to some sources. 

People also report on the ghost they have named Ole Jock, who is said to haunt the ladies toilet. He keeps slamming the doors and is even said to be the one turning the hand driers on and off. 

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The Witch Hunter

Since its heyday as a part of the criminal hotspot of the city, the people who once walked the vaults are said to have been of the more unsavory characters, and perhaps the ghosts can be seen as the same. 

Witches: More than 3000 Scottish people who were accused of witchcraft between the 16th and 17th century. Many of them were burned at the stake in Edinburgh.

One of the neighbors of the building of The Banshee Labyrinth for instance once upon the time belonged to a man named Lord Nicol Edwards. He was a lord Provost and known to be a cruel man, especially to his wife. He is also said to have had a personal dungeon under his house he used to torture accused witches before their trial. 

Many pub goers to The Banshee Labyrinth have claimed to have spotted one of these tortured women, and the story of the banshee is often linked together with these women. 

There are also stories about inside the pub with some strange things happening. Classical haunted pub things like drinks flying off the tables and crashing in the walls. So bottoms up, The Banshee Labyrinth have spirits for all, both the drinkable and haunted type. 

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The Most Haunted Places in Edinburgh’s Old Town – Dickins

The Banshee Labyrinth

Scotland’s ‘most haunted pub’ that’s home to a terrifying wailing banshee – Edinburgh Live

The ‘most haunted pub in Scotland’ where 16th-century tyrant tortured ‘witches’ – Daily Record

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The Finnish Maiden of Olavinlinna Castle

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

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

The Castle of Knights and War

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

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

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

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

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

The Finnish Maiden

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

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

Buried Alive Inside the Walls

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

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

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

The Rowan Tree

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

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

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References

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

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

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The Ghosts Within the South Bridge Vaults

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A paranormal investigator’s dream, the South Bridge Vaults in Edinburgh have been investigated for its hauntings on many occasions and many have left with a feeling of having experienced something paranormal and ghostly in the dark. 

In the late 18th century Edinburgh was a growing community with a limited space in the Old Town nicknamed Old Reeky because of the bad smell and old buildings. The city is built around seven different hills and there are five main bridges connecting the slopes and hills of the town. That is also the reason for the high rise buildings of Edinburgh were they chose to build on top of the old to utilize the uneven location of the city. 

The people of Edinburgh started to utilize the spaces under the South Bridge in the Old Town to make more room for business. The spaces within the archers under the bridge are also known as the Edinburgh Vaults or Niddry Street Vaults as well as just the South Bridge Vaults. 

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They look like a series of chambers next to each other and are actually of the 19 archers underneath the South Bridge. It was supposed to be a place with respectable businesses, but ended up becoming some of the more haunted corners of the very haunted city. 

The Cursed South Bridge

According to legend, the place was cursed already from the start. The South Bridge that was built to connect the old town with the new town was completed in 1788, and already at the opening of it the locals deemed it as cursed. 

The South Bridge: The largest arch of the bridge, seen from the Cowgate.

It was seen as a grand opening and one of the respected Judge’s wives had been selected to be the first resident to cross the bridge as she was the city’s oldest resident. However, she died before the opening. To keep their promise to the elderly woman though, they decided she after all would be the first person to cross the bridge, although it was in her coffin. 

The locals in Edinburgh were scared, now thinking that the bridge was cursed because of the unusual opening of the bridge. And looking back at all that happened on the bridge and in the vaults beneath it, perhaps it indeed was. 

In the start, the South Bridge Vaults underneath the bridge were mostly used as taverns, workshops and as storage space for merchants. However it wasn’t long before the well respected businesses started leaving the area because of the poor facilities. The building of the bridge and the vaults underneath had been constructed on a low budget and even the construction itself had been rushed. Therefore they had taken no precaution to seal the surface against water and built it with porous limestone and the place became a damp and dark place which constantly flooded. 

The Damp and Dark Underworld of the Vaults

No later than 10 years after the bridge and the vaults opened, respectable businesses like shoemakers, goldsmiths started leaving the area and those that could afford it relocated elsewhere as the murky vaults flooded and the sunlight never shone inside the South Bridge Vaults. It was a place no one wanted to be, and only those that had no other choice remained. 

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There was also a slum where the poorer people in town started to take over as the surrounding Cowgate area had developed into a slum during the industrial revolution. Crime, filth, poverty and murders were key words to explain the place as no sunlight came through.

More illicit businesses started to pop up in the area like brothels, shady pubs, gambling dents and illegal whiskey distilleries, turning the place into the red light district of the town.

The Legends of the Serial Killers Burke and Hare

A lot of horrible things happened inside these vaults during this time. Most of it, we will never know for sure. Legends however will be told. The South Bridge Vaults were where the body snatchers Burke and Hare were supposedly finding their bodies as well as killing them to sell them off to medical schools. 

The Burke and Hare murders: The serial killings were sixteen murders committed over a period of about ten months in 1828 in Edinburgh, Scotland. They were undertaken by William Burke and William Hare, who sold the corpses to Robert Knox for dissection at his anatomy lectures. Here depicted in an etching of Burke murdering Margaret Docherty (also known as Margery Campbell) by Robert Seymour.

Although this legend is often passed down as fact, there is no actual evidence that the South Bridge Vaults was the exact place they got their bodies from, although very likely. The place to find poverty struck people and those that no one would miss if they suddenly ‘disappeared’ was inside the dark and damp vaults.

The Rediscovery of the South Bridge Vaults

At one point during the 1800s, exactly when is unsure, they emptied the vaults for people and started to dump tons of rubble in the vaults, sealing them completely off and making them inaccessible for the public and were kind of forgotten for a long time. 

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It wasn’t until the 1980s the tunnels to the vaults were rediscovered by a former Scottish rugby player named Norrie Rowan when he found one of the tunnels while he was renovating his flat. He spent the rest of his days excavating the vaults and rediscovering its history to make it accessible for the public once again. 

The Ghosts of the South Bridge Vaults

There are many stories about who haunts the place today as the vaults have reopened and daily groups of tourists and paranormal investigators are taken down to the vaults to uncover the dark history. 

Many people met their tragic fate on a daily basis down there in the vaults as well as suffered from horrible tragedies that affected the entire town. Like the Great Fire of Edinburgh  that lasted for five days after it started in 1824 and took the lives of at least 13 people. There are many stories about victims that were trapped inside the chambers and suffered horrible consequences from then. Although there is no paper trail on this tale though. 

There are many tourists that claim to have captured evidence of something paranormal going on, and they even make the newspapers from time to time. The same reports comes from the paranormal investigators that go down into the vaults and come back with what they see as proof of hauntings going on. 

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Here are some of the ghosts that are said to haunt the vaults until this date and have gathered enough reports to be a part of the haunted ghost tour in Edinburgh: 

The Aristocrat

One of the first ghosts that people have reportedly seen over the years is that of the Aristocrat. He is said to be a rich gentleman with a tall black hat and a beard. He is not seen as the most angry spirit as he is known for grinning at visitors while leaning against the wall. People do have a tendency to feel uneasy in his presence though, according to those who claimed to have seen him. 

The Happy Shoemaker

There is also a room that is believed to belong to a shoemaker from that time that is said to still practice his profession as a shoemaker.

He is described as a man in his 50s and is one of the ghosts that are said to be friendly and are often seen smiling and laughing by visitors while he happily carries on with his shoemaking while wearing an apron.  

The Veiled Woman

In the room with the shoemaker known as The Room of the Cobbler, there is a meaner spirit though and is known as the veiled woman. She is believed to throw small stones at visitors as well. She is seen as a young woman dressed in black while wearing a veil in the north west corner of the Cobbler’s Room. 

Women have also reported about feeling an intense rush of grief, anger and a sudden and unexplained abdominal pain, which has left many to believe it is a woman that lost her child in a horrible way and she is still grieving. 

The Caretakers Room

In one of the chambers there are reports of a man sitting by the fireplace. He apparently looks like one of the more chill spirits in the place as well with a drink in his hand and legs stretched out. By his side he has a dog that is reported to brush up against people’s legs or sniff them. 

Little Jack

Then there is the small boy named Jack or James that are often spotted in the Wine Vault. He is mostly seen as a blonde curly boy around 6 or 8 years old, wearing a blue suit with the classic knickerbocker trousers. Some sources want to connect him to a missing child case from 1810. 

He is often playing with a red ball at times and is known to try to hold the hands of female visitors and likes to play around if there are children around. Allegedly, if he spots a person he doesn’t want to enter the South Bridge Vaults he will tuck their sleeves or coat when entering the Blair Street Corridor. 

According to the guides down in the vaults, he is afraid of one of the more well known ghosts wandering the narrow alleys and small chambers. And that is that of Mr. Boots or also known as The Watcher. 

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The Watcher

Perhaps the most well known ghost in the South Bridge Vaults is that of The Watcher. There is a theory that he was a watchman and that is the reason he is known as The Watcher. Or maybe it’s because he always looks as if watching over something.  

There are also alternative legends over the years that have tried to explain his presence, and many are also claiming him to be one of the slum landlords or even one of the body snatchers that hid his stolen bodies in the chamber known as The White Room. Today we can only speculate. 

He is also called Mr Boots because of how many people in the vaults have experienced him. They can hear loud footsteps in The White Room or in the Niddry Street Corridor which is known as the most active place in all of the vaults.

His face has never been seen as it is hidden, blacked out or he is showing himself to the public with his back. He is supposedly this tall, slim and dark figure with a long flowing coat with his long hair in a ponytail. Sometimes he wears a hat and long boots. Sometimes he carries rattling keys and his breath smells disgusting of rotten teeth and whiskey. 

People experiencing stuff within the vaults often get the feeling that he is trying to get them out from the narrow and claustrophobic spaces. Batteries on cameras die or malfunction when he’s present and he is known to push or pull people towards the exit as well as the phrase ‘Get Out’ has been heard on several occasions. 

The Stone Circle

There are also rumors about an evil demon trapped inside one of the stone circles in one of the chambers. This is were the late Wiccan High Priest, George Cameron known as The Hermit set up his temple in the 90’s. It was in one of the vaults that have historic connection to the torturing of witches somehow. 

According to him, he was trying to rid it from evil and built the stone circle which still stands today. He failed, however, to remove the evil that were supposed to be in the vaults and Cameron abandoned the room after he recommended to seal up the room to protect people from the evil within it. It is not sealed though as it is one of the stops on the tour through the vaults. 

The Experience of the Hauntings

No matter the real story of the ghosts in the South Bridge Vaults and the true horror the people living there went through, the vaults itself are an interesting walk through time and history. And perhaps if you choose to go down into the dark chambers you too will hear the same that many claim to have on recordings and etched into their memories. The eerie sound of what can sound like children yelling and crying along with hushed voices and shuffling footsteps. 

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References

Edinburgh’s most haunted locations | The Scotsman

Niddry Street Vaults Ghost Hunts,

Edinburgh’s South Bridge and Vaults

Underground Edinburgh Tour of South Bridge Vaults Review

The Watcher, The South Bridge Vaults Edinburgh’s Most Haunted

https://thelittlehouseofhorrors.com/edinburgh-vaults-south-bridge/

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The Ghost Bride at the Devil’s Curve

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On a road known as the Devil’s Curve in Colombia, the ghost of a bride has been reported on the road since the 70’s, asking passing cars for a ride. 

On the road can be a dangerous place to be, especially at night, during bad weather and at high speed. Especially when there are rumors about a ghost roaming the road that are asking you to take them with you.  

Since the 1970s, there have been reports about something that looks like the ghost all dressed in white on what is known as The Devil’s Curve or La Curva del Diablo in Puerto Colombia, a coastal town and municipality in Colombia. 

There are many tales about ghosts that asks for a ride, disoriented and alone alongside the roads.

Read More Ghost Stories About Ghost Hitchhiking

Ghosts of the Tsunami

The tsunami disaster in 2011 left large parts of Japan in ruins. And some of the people never being found, are still trying to reach home it seems.

Keep reading

The Ghost Bride at La Curva del Diablo has later been dubbed as the ghost bride as many have thought it looks like she is wearing a white wedding dress. 

She is said to be asking for a ride of the cars passing by this dangerous road. If they refused, they would later see her sitting in the back of the vehicle, even if they didn’t let her in. 

If they did let her into the car, several reports of her sitting in the backseat crying are told, but when the driver turned to check on her, she disappeared, leaving the seat wet. In some versions she smiled and left a sickening smell of rotting flowers in the air before disappearing. 

The buses passing by also report a woman that is signaling them to stop. One taxi driver named Hugo Rangel told a story of meeting her in 1993. He was scared as he knew of the ghost bride. She was covered in dirt and looked terrible. 

This tale of a female hitchhiking is a very common ghost story throughout the world. The urban legend of The Vanishing Hitchhiker comes in many variations. Considering just how many die a sudden and tragic death on the roads, there might be some truth to some of them?

Read the Urban Legend of The Vanishing Hitchhiker

The Vanishing Hitchhiker

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

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Archivo de Terror Histórico del Atlántico: Los fantasmas que aterrorizan en las carreteras – Archivo Histórico del Atlántico

La novia que asusta a conductores en el Atlántico – Barranquilla – Colombia – ELTIEMPO.COM

Las carreteras fantasmales de Colombia | Blog Autolab

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Top Japanese Horror Anime Series

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Feeling in need for some more horror in your life, but tired of the same live action series? From genuinely scary anime to fun parodies, here are some of the top Japanese Horror Anime Series out there.

One medium that makes some chilling and terrifying horror series are Anime. These are some of our favourite Japanese horror anime series, ranging from monster stories to more paranormal romance.

Attack on Titan | 進撃の巨人 (2013)

Based on Hajime Isayama’s award-winning manga, Attack on Titan or Shingeki no Kyojin, took the world by storm, anime lovers as well as those that never usually watched it.

This Japanese horror anime series follows a group of people, tasked to go outside the safe city walls. Outside of the walls, terrible giant monsters called titans lives. Humans have lived inside those very walls for centuries after almost being slaughtered and wiped out by those monsters. What makes it extra terrifying are their taste for human flesh.

The main character, Eren Yeager enlists in the Survey Corps, a military unit that dedicates their lives to battling these monster, the very monsters that killed his mother when he was very young. But when battling these monsters, the humans have to ask themselves, are there monsters among themselves as well?

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Mushi-shi | 蟲師 (2005–2006)

This anime horror story series started out as a manga from the mangaka Yuki Urushibara. This is the adaption of the award winning manga with 26 episodes based on the chapters of the manga. The episodes of the anime aired differently than what order they were published in the manga, wich says some about how episodic it all is. One episode sequel Mushishi: Hihamukage and a ten episode series called Mushishi Zoku Shou in 2014.

Ginko is a so called Mushishi, those who research the thing called Mushi. It is a mysterious entity of ‘beings’. They are removed from good and evil, but inhabits the earth by manifesting in things like plants, animals and diseases to just mention a few things they appear as. Ginko wonders about the reason behind their existence, and in doing so, perhaps finding the reason for life itself.

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Another | アナザー (2012)

This Japanese horror anime series is more of a ghost story than the other ones on the list. Another follows 15-year-old Kouichi Sakakibara transfers into class 3-3 of Yomiyama North. He is drawn to Mei, a mysterious girl in his class wearing an eyepatch no one but him seems to notice. She is in fact a ghost of a girl that died in 1972 and still haunts the school and the rest of the town that hides dark secrets.

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Vampire Knight | ヴァンパイア騎士〈ナイト〉(2008)

This gothic vampire anime is also based on a manga by the same name. It follows Yuuki Cross that guards the secret of Cross Academy: Vampires exists. She and the other member of the disciplinary committee, Zero, has to keep the students at the night class apart from the day class as well as she is struggling to uncover her memories of her past.

Vampire Knight is one of those Japanese horror anime series that leans more towards romance than straight up romance, although a bloody one.

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Mononoke | モノノ怪 (2005)

This anime horror story is a sequel to the Ayakashi: Japanese Classic Horror anthology series, were we meet Kusuriuri in the Bakano episode. He is a traveller called The Medicine Seller, a master of the occult in search of evil spirits called Mononoke to kill. But one day he encounters a spirit he cannot kill. His journey to find a way to defeat the monster, he meets Shino, a pregnant woman in an inn. There she encounters the Zashiki Warashi, the monster he is hunting down. And so the hunt begins.

For more anime horror anthology series, including Ayakashi: Japanese Classic Horror:

Anime Horror Anthology Series

If you are tired of watching the reruns and reboots of the Halloween movies, take a look at what that has been coming out from Japan the last decade. Some are considered classics, some are fairly new, they should all help you get that tingly feeling of a scare. Here are five anime horror anthology…

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Death Note | デスノート(2006)

Death Note has been adapted to what it can, be it movies, live action, musicals etc. The popularity of the manga and anime reached a global scale and is often the entrance for foreigners into the Japanese Anime medium.

The story follows the high school student, Light Yagami from the day he finds a notebook on the ground. It is a Death Note belonging to a shinigami, a god of death. Following the instructions given by the book, he figures out how he can use it to his advantage to kill any person he wants. The board shinigami that dropped it into the human realm, Ryuk wants to see what will happen and is intrigued to follow Lights quest to take over the world and rid it from what he deems evil, although well on his way to become the thing himself.

This Japanese horror anime series, although peppered with gothic and horror elements, it is more classified as a cat and mouse mystery, as the main plot follows the police force tasked to arrest Kira, Lights name he gives himself as the world ruler.

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Blood + | ブラッドプラス (2005)

This is one of those vampire series that walk the fine line of them being a sort of human or straight up monster. And two identical twins from the same mother grows up very different and gives very different answers.

The main protagonist of this Japanese horror anime series is Saya Otonashi, a seemingly ordinary girl living a mundane life with her adoptive family in Okinawa City. Except the fact that she suffers from both anemia as well as amnesia. But she is unable to escape her past and have to run away when monsters starts attacking her friends and family. Together with the organization known as Red Shield, she has to find a way to eradicate the monsters, even if it means her own blood.

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Elfen Lied | エルフェンリート (2004)

Elfen Lied is based on Lynn Okamoto’s seinen manga series of the same name and premiered while the manga was still in publication in 2004. It is especially remembered for the artistic opening inspired by Gustav Klimt’s paintings.

The Japanese horror anime series starts with Lucy, a special breed of human referred to as “Diclonius,” born with a short pair of horns and invisible telekinetic hands that lands her as a victim of inhumane scientific experimentation by the government. It begins with her escape away from the facility she has been imprisoned in. During her breakout she suffers an injury to her head, rendering her seemingly innocent and with no idea of her bloody and murderous past.

Two college students takes her in, unaware of her past. But as time passes, they realize she is not as innocent as she presented herself to be.

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Black Butler | 黒執事 (2008)

This Japanese horror anime series places itself in Victorian England to borrow some of its gothic elements perfect for a horror series. In Victorian England, the young Ciel Phantomhive is known as “the Queen’s Guard Dog,”. He works for her Majesty of taking care of the many unsettling events that occur in Victorian England. By his side he is accompanied by his always loyal butler, Sebastian Michaelis. Although young, Ciel’s past is riddled in darkness and secret tragedy. During the darkest of times he made a soul exchange with a demon for powers, that demon being his butler.

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Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu/Parasyte -the maxim- | 寄生獣 セイの格率 (2015)

This story is about how alien parasites came to earth and quickly infiltrated humanity by burrowing into the brains of vulnerable targets. 16 year old high school student Shinichi Izumi is infected by these parasites, but it fails to take over his brain, ending up in his right hand instead. Unable to relocate, the parasite, now named Migi, has no choice but to rely on Shinichi in order to stay alive.

This is one of the weirder Japanese horror anime series, even for being anime. The Chinese Ministry of Culture blacklisted Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu as well as 37 other works on June 9, 2015.

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The Ghost on Emily’s Bridge

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Once a heartbroken girl that didn’t know how to go on to a vengeful ghost. Emily who haunts Emily’s Bridge in Vermont still got claws. 

The Gold Brook Covered Bridge as it is named officially usually goes under the name Stowe Hollow Bridge or simply Emily’s Bridge. 

It is a small and single lane bridge made out of wood in the small town of Stowe in Vermont. It is a covered bridge that you can see around New England especially. 

Emily’s Bridge as it was nicknamed after a local legend was built in 1844 and the old and weathered wood of the bridge holds a heart wrenching ghost story. 

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The Legend of Emily

The Haunted Bridge: Gold Brook, Stowe Hollow or Emily’s Bridge, Stowe, Vermont// Source

According to legend there is a girl named Emily who haunts the bridge since her death in the 1850s. 

She was only a teenager when she died and had a hard life as she was from a poor family. She fell in love with a boy from a richer family who promised to marry her. However, his parents refused and they decided to elope. 

The boy told her to wait for him on that bridge at midnight and she did as she had instructed her.

But when the time went into the late night and early mornings she realized he would never come for her. She had been abandoned and had nowhere to go. In her distress she jumped from the bridge into the small brook that ran under it and died. 

The Voices in the Tunnel

According to locals, they still claim to see her ghost around midnight as she makes an appearance on Emily’s Bridge. There is no real papertrail or tangible evidence of who Emily could be or that she existed at all. 

But even so, the legend preserverce and have perhaps only grown. She is no longer the tragic girl that jumped to her death, but more of a vengeful ghost according to some of the stories. Strange voices are heard in the short tunnel that covers Emily’s Bridge and some have even said the cars have come out scratched by something that looks like claws. 

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Emily’s Bridge – Stowe, Vermont – Atlas Obscura

The Ghostly Store Behind Emily’s Covered Bridge| Stowe Country Homes

This Place in History: Emily’s Bridge