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The Haunted Legends from Wailua in Hawaii

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How big can a haunted area be? Can the whole of Wailua on Kauai Island be haunted? The place certainly seems steeped in tales of Night Marchers and a procession of the dead, making their way down the river to the afterlife. 

Wailua, a place rich in ancient history and sacred sites, is not just known for its majestic heiau, or temples. The name translates to Two Waters in Hawaiian and is on the eastern side of the Kauai island. The sleeping giant, Nounou Mountain divides the coastal Wailua from the inland Wailua. 

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It’s also a land steeped in haunting legends that send shivers down the spines of locals and visitors alike. This verdant area on the island of Kauai holds tales of restless spirits, shadowy apparitions, and unexplained phenomena that have persisted for generations.

Another use for the word Wailua is often translated to ghosts, spirit or the remains of the dead, and there are many haunted legends around these parts.

Mysterious Wailua: Opaeka’s Waterfall falling into the Wailua River

Ancient Hawaiian Legends of Wailua River State Park

Around the eastern part of Kauai there is the Wailua River State Park, a place known for its historical landmarks as it was once the seat of power for the chief on the island. It has places of worship, called Heiau, refuge places known as puʻuhonua and royal birthing stones. 

The Night Marchers of Wailua River

Among the most chilling legends of Wailua are the stories of the Night Marchers—the ghosts of ancient Hawaiian warriors and chiefs. According to tradition, these spirits emerge during a certain phase of the moon, particularly on moonless nights. It is believed that the spirits of those who had recently died would journey down the Wailua River in large numbers, silently paddling their ghostly canoes under the cover of darkness. 

Read More: Hawaiian Night Marchers

The Wailua River is said to be the only navigable river in Hawaii for boats larger than a kayak. From there, they would make their way around the island to a cliff at Polihale, a sacred place where souls were said to leap into the next life.

Read More: The Haunting Legends of Polihale Beach and the Cliffs of Ha‘ele‘ele 

Warriors of Hawaii: Night Marchers of Hawaiian legend is not only ghosts and lingering people of people that have died, but have said to also be ancient warriors or manifestations of the Hawaiian gods. /Flickr/Jai Mansson

Holy Haunted Paths of Wailua Roads

Along with the river itself, there are many sacred paths close to the Wailua River also said to be a place the marchers go through. 

Many Hawaiians believe these Night Marchers still roam the land, particularly along the highway that stretches between Wailua and Lihu‘e. Witnesses describe eerie sightings of spectral processions, with ghostly figures moving in unison, their presence heralded by the sounds of drums and chanting. It is said that if you encounter the Night Marchers, you must lie face down on the ground, showing respect and avoiding eye contact, or else risk being taken with them into the spirit world.

A Highway of Hauntings

The highway connecting Wailua to Lihu‘e is notorious not only for sightings of the Night Marchers but also for a troubling number of car accidents. While law enforcement often attributes these wrecks to drunk driving, locals whisper of a more sinister cause—cursed spirits seeking vengeance or guiding those who disrespect the land to their doom. The road, it seems, is haunted by more than just reckless drivers. Some believe that the Night Marchers, in their ghostly procession, disrupt the living as they move between realms, leading to tragic accidents.

Wailua, with its breathtaking beauty and deep spiritual significance, remains a place where the past and present intertwine. The ancient spirits, it seems, are never far away, silently watching and waiting as they continue their eternal march through the island’s history. For those who visit, it’s a reminder that some stories are more than just tales—they are a part of the land itself, echoing through the ages in whispers and shadows.

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References:

Wailua, Kauai County, Hawaii – Wikipedia 

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The Mysterious Faces of Goblins Gate in Olympic National Park

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Nature can create strange shapes, and our human eye often looks for their reflections in things. In Olympic National Park, the Goblin’s Gate has made people look twice to the faces staring back from the river.

In the heart of Olympic National Park lies a place of eerie enchantment: Goblin’s Gate you can find on the Elwha River Trailhead and people passing the gate, comes back with strange stories about it. 

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It is a narrow gorge stretching 20 feet across the river. The gorge has been talked about for a lot of reasons, how it reminds people of some sort of gate from a medieval castle as well as the strange faces people have claimed to have seen there. Could this be a strange haunting or simply the eye finding faces out in the wild?

Goblins Gate: Part of the Elwha River at Goblins Gate. // Source: Elwhajeff/Wikimedia

Naming it Goblins Gate

Legend has it that early explorer Charles A. Barnes stumbled upon this gorge on the Elwha River when he was on an expedition with the Seattle Press in 1989 and 1890. This was the first successful crossing over the Olympic Mountains done by the Europeans, and they were naming many landmarks still used to this day.  

Barnes is also the one who named the place and the very name itself gives the place an eerie feeling. He described the gorge with the gushing waters like this: “…like the throat of a monster, silently sucking away the water.” And as a resembling “multitude of faces…with tortured expressions.”

The name came after witnessing haunting faces carved into the rocks at its edge, like goblins and monsters. Some speculate that maybe he had indulged a bit too much in Wild Turkey that fateful day. Some have speculated after that there is something strange about this place. 

Olympic National Park: The lower parts of Goblins Gate from the river

The Mysterious Goblin’s Gate

As the turbulent waters of the Elwha River surge through the narrow opening of the gorge, these stone faces of Goblin’s Gate appear to beckon travelers toward the abyss of Rica Canyon. 

Attempts to tame the Gate with a bridge have been met with eerie failure. The first bridge was swallowed by the river’s rage, while the second succumbed to a mysterious rot, disintegrating before it could fulfill its purpose. This type of defiance from nature that won’t be tames has also spurred a couple of legends of its own:

Could it be that unseen spirits guard the Gate, refusing passage to those who dare to cross?

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References:

National Park Ghost Stories 

Goblins Gate – Wikipedia 

Goblins Gate — Waterfall Trail 

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The Drowned Ghosts Under Howrah Bridge in Kolkata

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The Howrah Bridge is a city icon in Kolkata, but it is also said the area is haunted by those dying from falling from it as well as drowning in the river below. And on the steps of the ghats along the river, people claim to have seen the ghosts.

The Howrah Bridge, an architectural marvel spanning the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India, stands as a timeless symbol of Kolkata’s rich heritage. Commissioned in 1943 to replace a pontoon bridge, it was renamed Rabindra Setu in honor of the renowned poet Rabindranath Tagore in 1965, though it’s still commonly known as the Howrah Bridge. 

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This iconic structure in the city of joy, one of four bridges on the Hooghly River, serves as a vital link between the cities of Howrah and Kolkata, bearing witness to the ebb and flow of daily life in the bustling metropolis were people sit under to relax after a day at work at the ghat steps under the bridge

The Kusti Wrestlers Tell about Ghosts

Underneath The Howrah Bridge there are also wrestlers training  in the three thousand year old tradition of Kusti. Their Kusti akhara, where they practice, is found on a clay pit by the bridge. The dedicated wrestler comes to practice at 4:30 with prayers and exercises as it is not only a sport, but a lifestyle.

These wrestlers have stories to tell as well about the haunting allegedly going on, both under The Howrah Bridge as well as by the different ghats along the river like by the Mullick Ghat and the Zanana Ghat. 

Although a place to relax and enjoy the steady stream of the river popularly called Ganga or Kati-Ganga, the area under The Howrah Bridge is also thought to be haunted by the spirits of the people that lost their lives on the river. Some by accidents, some willing, perhaps even some unwillingly? 

The Howrah Bridge of the Drowned

Some people claim to have witnessed phantom arms reaching out from the dark waters under the bridge as if asking for help, still trying to get out from the river they drowned in. 

There are also stories passed around in the area about seeing a crying woman wearing white robes as she sobs by the river bank. It is said that those approaching the woman, trying to help her or the ghostly arm out of the water, become traumatized or perhaps worse, drown themselves.

Those wandering around the bridge and along the river below also claim to have heard the voices of women crying out and calling out their names in a ghostly tone, although no one is there. 

The Haunted Ghats Along the River

As twilight descends and the cityscape fades into darkness, the bridge’s silent sentinel watches over the Hooghly River, its towering silhouette casting long shadows upon the water below.

Where the Kusti Wrestlers have been training for a long time and where the ghosts keep haunting the river banks under The Howrah Bridge, silently raising their hands just above the dark waters. 

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References:

Featured Image: Tubaisam21/Wiki

Kusti by the Hooghly | Traditional Indian Wrestling in Kolkata – Ron Mayhew 

11 Haunted Places In Kolkata That You Should Not Visit Alone 

10 haunted places in Kolkata you MUST visit to see what a horror movie really looks like 

Top 12 Haunted Places in Kolkata That You Can Explore in 2024