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Lenzburg Castle: The Haunting Legends of a Swiss Hilltop Fortress

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One of the oldest castles in Switzerland is the hilltop fortress Lenzburg Castle. Said to be built on top of an old dragon lair from ancient times, it is also said to be haunting with a bell ringing for no one and the ghost of a maid by the well in the midst of the night.

High above the medieval town of Lenzburg in the Swiss canton of Aargau, Lenzburg Castle is one of the oldest and most storied hilltop fortresses in the country. Many would also consider it one of the most important castles in the country. Its thousand-year history is steeped in bloodshed, intrigue, and mystery.

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from Switzerland

From dragons and cursed maidens to bells that toll for no living hand, the haunted history of Lenzburg Castle offers a chilling glimpse into Switzerland’s darker folklore.

A Fortress Raised from Dragon’s Blood

Even before the 11th century castle was built, someone had been living there. In 1959 they found a Neolithic gravesite at the carpark as well as Roman and Alemannic traces. As with many ancient sites, the origins of Lenzburg Castle are rooted in myth. Long before it became the residence of counts and Bernese bailiffs, the hill on which it stands was said to be home to a fearsome dragon. The beast, hiding in a dark, yawning cave within the hillside, terrorized the surrounding countryside, until two courageous knights — Wolfram and Guntram — confronted and slew the creature. 

Grateful for their bravery, the people of Lenzburg awarded the knights by naming them Counts of Lenzburg and granting them the hill to build their stronghold. After the family became extinct through the male family line in 1173, the lands were shared between the houses of Kyburg, Zähringen and Hohenstaufen before the Habsburg took over the territory.

The Bell That Rings for No One

Among the castle’s most eerie features is its 12th-century bell in the courtyard of the bailiff’s office in the castle. After the Habsburgs occupied the castle in the 13th and 14th centuries, it was then used as the seat of government by the Bernese bailiffs until the 18th century.

Local legend holds that on nights of the full moon, the great bell sometimes rings out, even though no one is in the tower, and no hand is seen to pull the rope. The ghostly toll reverberates through the ancient walls and across the shadowed courtyard, waking uneasy dreams among those staying nearby.

No satisfactory explanation has ever been found for these phantom peals, though some believe they are a call from the other side, or a lament from the countless souls who once called the castle home.

Some say it comes from a legend that happened not too far from Lenzburg. A man was once said to have been found murdered on the street, but they were unable to find his killer. To catch him, they decided to break a bone from the corpse and hang it on the pull of the Lenzburg Castle bell. 

Anyone seeking justice or alms from the bailiff had to ring it. For many years, the bone had been tied like this to no avail, until one full moon night, a begging old man rang the bell and was suddenly splashed with blood, a sure sign of his guilt. He was arrested and confessed to having attacked and murdered the man in his youth.

The Sod Maid Ghost of Lenzburg Castle Haunting the Well

Among Lenzburg’s spectral inhabitants you will find the ghost of a maid haunting the castle. Today she is mostly referred to as the Sod Maid. She is said to appear each year on Corpus Christi Eve that falls at the end of May or in June. Dressed in a trailing gown and clutching a small, pale child to her breast, the sorrowful ghost wanders through the castle gardens under cover of night.

Her path is always the same: she moves toward the ancient sod well, a type of dug shaft well, now-sealed pit within the grounds, rocking and soothing the child in her arms. As the church bell strikes midnight, the woman lets out a grief-stricken cry and drops the child into the dark, watery depths. A sickening, heavy thud follows. It is said this tragic act was born of forbidden love, and that the maid, unable to bear the shame of her secret, drowned her child to keep her secret safe.

The legend claims she can only be redeemed if a pure, virgin maiden can catch her tears in a jug before they touch the ground. But when one brave girl once attempted it, the tears proved impossibly heavy, and the jug slipped from her grasp. Since then, the Sod Maid still wanders the grounds, weeping for the child she lost and the salvation forever out of reach.

A Castle Steeped in History and Shadows

Though today Lenzburg Castle offers family-friendly exhibitions and meticulously restored rooms showcasing medieval domestic life, the weight of its history lingers. The echoes of lost souls cling to its ancient stones, and visitors often report unsettling feelings in certain parts of the castle, particularly near the old well and bell tower.

It remains a place where history, myth, and ghost story intertwine — a castle raised from a dragon’s grave and watched over by a mother’s eternal sorrow. Lenzburg Castle is not just a relic of the past, but a living, breathing testament to Switzerland’s darker folklore, its legends as enduring as the mountains themselves.

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The Monte Cristo Homestead: Australia’s Most Haunted House

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What really happened within the walls at the Crawley family and their grand Monte Cristo Homestead in New South Wales? How come there were so many violent deaths, and is it true they are all haunting the house to this day?

There are many places that warrant being haunted in Australia. In the wilderness of the outback to the mysterious legends from the Aboriginals and the first Europeans sent to the country when it was a prisoner camp. However, few places are as notorious as The Monte Cristo Homestead in New South Wales, Australia is known as one of the most haunted places in the country. 

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Visitors have reported eerie experiences, including sightings of ghostly apparitions and unexplained noises. Learn more about the history of this haunted location and the spine-tingling encounters of those who have dared to visit the manor overlooking the town.

The Monte Cristo Homestead: Australia’s most haunted house, steeped in history and ghostly tales.

The History of The Monte Cristo Homestead

The Monte Cristo Homestead was built in 1885 by Christopher William Crawley, a wealthy pioneer. Originally a farmer, he and his Wiradjuri wife, Elizabeth settled close to the Railway line that opened in 1878. They opened a hotel and it was big business. They went from barely getting by to be the top of the social class in town and the wealthiest in the region. 

The Crawleys: The ghosts of Christopher and Elizabeth Crawley are believed to haunt Monte Christo Homestead.

The Victorian homestead remained in the Crawley family for over 90 years until it was purchased by Reg and Olive Ryan in 1963 for 1000£. Between the Ryan’s it was left empty for a decade with several caretakers coming and going. Although they tried to watch out for the place, the house was vandalized, the furniture stolen, and it looked like it would decay to ruins. Even the Catholic church refused it as a gift because of how ruined it was. 

Instead, the Ryans restored the homestead and opened it to the public for tours as a museum, souvenir shop and antique showcase. When they first moved into the bat-infested house, they had a couple of chairs and air mattresses, but little by little, it was restored to its former glory as the finest house in town. 

The House is a Haunted One

However, it wasn’t long before visitors began reporting strange occurrences to the Ryans and their five children, leading to the homestead’s reputation as one of the most haunted places in Australia as they advertised themselves as.

The first sign for the Ryan’s that their new forever home was haunted was one foggy evening when they came from town with supplies. Back then, the house didn’t have any electricity. When they saw light coming out from every door and window in the house they had to stop the car, thinking it was squatters that had moved in. When they got closer, the lights turned off, and when they checked the house, there was no one there.

denisbin/Flickr

They tried to explain it away, but over the years, the family noticed a lot of weird things happening they felt had to be a part of the house’s haunted history. When bringing pets, they refused to enter the property and didn’t want to stay in the house. In one of the more extreme cases, they once came home to find all of their chickens and pet parrot strangled to death as well as a litter of kittens who had been murdered. 

The Ghosts of The Monte Cristo Homestead

The Monte Cristo Homestead is said to be home to at least ten ghostly inhabitants, including the ghost of a maid who fell to her death from the balcony, a stable boy who was burned alive, and a former caretaker who is said to still roam the halls. 

denisbin/Flickr

Visitors have reported hearing footsteps, seeing apparitions, and feeling cold spots throughout the homestead. Some have even claimed to have been touched or pushed by unseen forces. Despite its spooky reputation, the Monte Cristo Homestead continues to attract visitors from all over the world since the Ryans opened the house for visitors in the 90s, who are eager to experience its ghostly inhabitants for themselves.

The Ghost of Christopher Crawley

The Monte Cristo Homestead is known for its many ghostly inhabitants, but there are a few rooms that are said to be particularly haunted. The Blue Room, where the former owner of the homestead died, is said to be the most haunted room in the house. 

According to rumours, he died from a sudden blood poisoning because his starched collar infected a boil on his neck in 1910. They seemingly looked like any other hardworking victorian couples, but rumors about mistreatment and them being cruel to their servants started spreading. 

Over the years, the children of the Ryans have always had a feeling of being watched by an elderly man.

A Night at the haunted house: For years, you could stay at Monte Cristo Homestead to have a look for yourself if there is any truth to the haunted rumors.

The Ghost of Elizabeth Crawley

Also his wife, Elizabeth is said to haunt the manor. She became a recluse after the death of her husband. During the 23 years she lived on after her husband, it was said she only showed herself twice and spent most of her time in the chapel attic. She died when she was 92 of a ruptured appendix.

She is often dubbed the Grey Lady, wearing her black lace dress, lace cap and with a stand up beaded collar and walks through the halls, still treating the house as her own, ruling it with the same strict manner as when she was alive. It is said that she doesn’t particularly like having guests.

It is said she is dressed in all black, carrying a silver cross as she comes out from the little room she converted into a chapel. 

The Children Playing

The Nursery is also said to be haunted by the ghost of a child who died. The Crawley had a 10 month old baby named Magdalena or Ethel who died when the nanny dropped her by accident down the stairs in 1917. Or was it actually on purpose as some have speculated? Visitors have reported hearing the sound of a child crying and feeling a cold presence in the room. 

There was also another young boy who fell to his death when he fell down the stairs, but not much is known. Was she even real, the little girl? The location of the children’s graves are known, and the only Ethel, a 10 month old baby in Junee, is listed with other parents. She was in fact their grand child. 

The sound of children playing in the mansion’s halls have also been reported together with the flickering lights and sudden drops in temperature. 

The Ghost of the Maid

Finally, the Servant’s Quarters are said to be haunted by the ghost of a maid who fell to her death from the balcony on the second floor. It is said that you can still see the bleach stain from when they tried to remove all of the blood. Some say that she was pregnant with Crowleys, and her death was actually a murder to cover it up. Was it actually Elizabeth who pushed her?

Visitors have reported hearing footsteps of a busy maid in the dead of night and some people claim to have seen the ghostly figure of a woman on the balcony.

The Stable Boy

Another servant thought to be haunting the estate was the stable boy named Morris. He slept on a straw mattress that was set on fire after he called in sick for work and he died from the burns. Was it Crawley who wanted to teach him a lesson, or just a spark from  a fire nearby?

To this day, it is said you can hear the dying screams from the young stable boy Morris coming from the old Carriage house. 

island home/Flickr

Howling Harold

One day, a maid died after giving birth. Harold Steel, who was the son, grew up on the estate. Why was he the illegitimate child of Crawley perhaps? The rumor is speculating about this. Some also say that the maid died much later, and kept her son hidden in the servant cottages.

The Servant Cottages: The original homestead was used as the servant quarters. //island home/Flickr

He got into a carriage accident in Junee and developed a mental illness. This caused him to become aggressive, and they had to chain him in the back of the cottage for more than thirty years. His hair became dreaded and he howled in the night, making the locals believe that it was a creature chained in the house until they put him in an asylum when the authorities discovered him.

Still to this day, some claim they can hear the howling and hissing that Harold used to make coming from the cottages in the night. 

The Caretaker

In 1961, Jack Simpson, a caretaker, was shot dead by a boy who was inspired by the movie, Psycho and had seen the movie three times before the murder. The words “Die Jack, ha ha” were carved into the shed door, where they can still be seen today. “

It is said that the caretaker has joined the rank of the ghosts, although not much is found about the murder or if it ever happened at all. 

The Enduring Haunting of The Monte Cristo Homestead

Visitors to the Monte Cristo Homestead have reported a range of spine-tingling experiences. Some have reported feeling a heavy presence in certain rooms, while others have heard unexplained noises or seen ghostly figures. Many visitors have reported feeling a sense of unease or fear while exploring the homestead. 

What happens not to the Monte Cristo Homestead though? In January 2025, the family closed down the house for visitors because of the passing of Olive Ryan. They said that the Monte Cristo Homestead would never open again on their official Facebook page. Although the the house is now moving into a new phase, many ghost tours and guides want to keep the legacy and the houses history alive together with the ghosts. 

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Ledgelawn Summer Estate and the Bridal Ghost in the Attic

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In a former summer house for the rich and wealthy in Maine, the Ledgelawn Summer Estate has long been thought to be haunted by the ghost of Mary Margaret, the jilted bride haunting the house wearing her wedding dress.

Built in 1904 in the seaside town of Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island in Maine, Ledgelawn Summer Estate was one of the original grand summer estates from the Gilded Age in the harbor for the elite that used to spend their summer here by the sea. 

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Ledgelawn Estate is a 21-room shingle-style cottage on Mount Desert Street, found close to the church. They used to call these estates for the cottages where the rich summered and it is said that this building is the most haunted one in Bar Harbor and a story all the locals know about.

Bar Harbor: On Mount Desert Island in Maine you will find Bar Harbor where the Ledgelawn Summer Estate is. There are many places in this picturesque said to be haunted.

The Haunted Ledgelawn Summer Estate

The red building built for the wealthy summer visitors in 1904 was built upon something older, equally a mystery as the supposed haunting. It is said to be haunted by the woman in white known as Mary Margaret. According to legend, she was jilted just about to get married. 

Most of the variations of the stories tell that Mary Margaret was a dark haired beauty from that time, a member of the rich and powerful Astor family, or at least related to them.

Her soon to be husband took off right before their wedding and left her alone. Mary Margaret took this so hard and went straight up to the third floor, dressed herself in her wedding dress before hanging herself from the rafters in the attic with her wedding veil.

It is said that when her family found her, her face was so bruised, they almost didn’t recognize her. Her lips curled up to a smile. She has ever since then lingered and haunted the Ledgelawn Summer Estate through the years. 

The Haunting of Mary Margaret

Although her death is said to have happened in the attic of Ledgelawn Summer Estate, she is most often seen on the third floor. Her ghost is said to be transparent and floating about, returning to the place she died again and again.

The former summer estate used to be an inn and there is a particular one story from this time that is retold. Back then, the place used to be called Ledgelawn Inn and it was said that room 326 was the place she most often appeared. 

Guests checking in or staff working there would often get an ominous and gloomy feeling before claiming to see the ghost of a woman floating at the foot at their bed or even a ghostly wedding veil was coming from the ceiling and swaying in the night. 

According to this guest, the ghost got into bed with him. Scared of what happened he tried to ignore her lying next to him and simply rolled over, petrified and didn’t dare to open his eyes. 

The Ghost of a Maid in Ledgelawn Summer Estate

Ledgelawn Summer Estate: Source

The dramatic ghost of Mary Margaret is supposedly not the only ghost said to haunt the Ledgelawn Summer Estate. Apparently there is also a former maid most often called Catherine said to be haunting the former summer house and former inn. 

It is said that she had an affair with the owner of the house at the time and became pregnant while working there. The story is often been told to have happened in the 1930s. She died after falling down the stairs in the back. If she fell or if she were pushed is up for debate and was hushed up at the time. 

In addition to the women said to haunt the Ledgelawn Summer Estate there is also a child said to haunt the cupboard he hides in. According to the stories, he drowned somewhere in Bar Harbor. 

The Truth Behind the Legends

So how true is this very specific story said to haunt the Ledgelawn Summer Estate? The historic inn was bought by a firm in 2010, ending its time as an inn. 

The story behind the house is that Ledge Lawn was built by Samuel Willard Bridgham and Fanny Shermerhorn in the beginnings of the 1900s. Fanny was related to the Astors, a family filled with money and scandals. Samuel and Fanny though were known to be kind people, didn’t have any children and other mysterious deaths happening inside of their home. 

So what about the ghost that people keep seeing? Could it just be a trick your mind plays you when staying in an old building, and a local story told for fun in a sleepy seaside town. Or could it be something that the history didn’t record or where the details and facts have become distorted over time?

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Cabra Castle and the Ghost of the Poor Servant Girl

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At the old Cabra Castle, once known as Cormey Castle, it is said that the ghost of an unfortunate servant girl is haunting it’s hall. She was brutally murdered by the castle owners when they found out she was bearing one of the heirs’ children. 

In the heart of Kingscourt, Co. Cavan, stands Cabra Castle—a place where history, beauty, and the supernatural intertwine, casting an enchanting but eerie spell close to the Dún a Rí Forest . 

Cabra Castle is given to two castles in this area. One is now only ruins, the other one is turned into a luxury hotel. The centuries-old castle has captured the imagination of travelers and ghost enthusiasts alike, earning a reputation as one of the most haunted hotels in the world, according to a chilling 2010 Trip Advisor ranking.

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Today it is a hotel as it has been since the 90s, but before that it used to be the land of the O’Reilly clan. This was until Oliver Cromwell took control in the 1600s. The original castle from before this time was destroyed and Cabra House was built on top of the ruins. The ruins of the original Cabra House, or Cabra Castle, can be seen on a slight height near the Wishing Well in what is now Dún a’ Rí Forest Park, formerly part of the Cabra Estate. 

Cabra Castle: Today the Cabra Castle is a luxury hotel. It is said to be haunted of not only one ghost though. //Source: Colette Gemmell/Wikimedia

The rebuilt castle was then called Cormy Castle and the Foster family lived there when the supposed ghost story is said to have happened. The main building was in ruins, destroyed during the Cromwellian War, however, its adjacent courtyard remained in good repair.

A Tale of Forbidden Love

In the 1780s, the castle’s owners had a son who found his heart entwined with that of a servant girl named Sarah. Who this was is not specified, but it is known that John Tomas Foster was the one that took over the castle in 1795, but died shortly after. Although he is not named in any of the stories, he is the heir around that time. If there ever worked a girl named Sarah during that time, is not found any proof of though. 

According to the legend, they managed to keep their relationship a secret for a while, but secrets have a way of unveiling themselves when the truth cannot remain hidden. Sarah’s secret was revealed when she discovered she was with child, a revelation that would prove catastrophic for her and her lover.

A Tragic End

The heir’s family, driven by property and social standing, decreed that Sarah must be silenced. In a macabre turn of events, Sarah was taken from the servants’ quarters of Cabra Castle and dragged into the nearby forest, perhaps the Dún a Rí Forest, where they murdered her and her unborn child.

Legends recount that Sarah met a gruesome end, her lifeless form hanging over a bridge in the dark heart of the forest. But it is said that her spirit did not rest, and the echoes of her tragic tale continue to haunt Cabra Castle to this day.

Sarah’s Bridge: In the Dún a Rí Forest, there is a bridge called Sarah’s Bridge, constructed in 1801, was named in memory of Sarah Mountmorris, who married into the Pratt family. Local legend, on the other hand, tells about a Sarah who had been meeting her boyfriend on the bridge for nearly three decades. One evening, he unexpectedly proposed to her, causing Sarah to fall into the river and drown. To prevent a similar tragedy, side walls were added to the bridge, making it a more secure and less risky place for romantic rendezvous. Therefore it has little to nothing with the Servant Sarah from Cabra Castle.// Source

A Crying Infant in the Night

Visitors to Cabra Castle have reported spine-chilling experiences, where the past and present intersect in eerie ways. In the stillness of the night, some claim to have heard the haunting cries of a baby—an unsettling reminder of the pain and sorrow that once unfolded here.

The courtyard rooms hold their own secrets, with numerous accounts of guests sensing an unexplained “presence” nearby. These encounters have left many with an indelible sense of the uncanny, especially in the courtyard rooms and near the Hanging Tree that is found on the ground. In some version of the story it was from this tree that she was hanged.

The Other Ghost at Cabra Castle

But the ghost of the unfortunate servant girl is not the only ghost said to haunt the old castle. One guest recounted an encounter with a man clad in the uniform of the early 20th century, striding purposefully down a corridor—a figure both mysterious and disconcerting.

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In the dark hours when the veil between worlds seems to waver, others have described hearing the unmistakable sounds of a horse and carriage. These spectral noises, they claim, herald the arrival of a phantom carriage depositing a crying infant at the castle’s steps—a haunting scene that defies explanation.

The Enchantingly Haunted Cabra Castle

The ending of Cabra Castle ghostly tale is as enigmatic as the spirits that wander its halls. While the tragic story of the servant girl’s murder leaves a lingering sense of sorrow and injustice, there is a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness.

Read More: Check out all of the Haunted Hotels around the world

Cabra Castle remains an enchanting yet haunted place, captivating those who dare to visit. Its rich history, mingled with the supernatural, creates an otherworldly experience that leaves an indelible mark on all who wander its storied grounds.

While the tale of the servant girl’s murder remains a haunting reminder of the injustices of the past, Cabra Castle, forever enigmatic and hauntingly beautiful, beckons to those who seek an experience beyond the ordinary. Step into its storied halls, and let the echoes of the past whisper their secrets to you.

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​Ghostly tales of Irish Castles – Original Irish Hotels 

Cabra Castle Hotel | Haunted Cavan, Ireland | Spirited Isle 

Take a Ghost Tour of the Romantic Castles of Ireland | Cabra… 

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Ghost Tales from Keg Mansion in Canada

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Keg Mansion, located in Toronto, Canada, has gained notoriety for its captivating and chilling tales of ghostly encounters. Steeped in history, this iconic mansion is believed to be haunted by restless spirit of a maid who met her untimely demise by hanging herself within the mansion’s walls. It is said that her tormented soul still lingers, leaving an eerie presence that can be felt by those who dare to venture into the mansion.

The Keg Mansion is a historic Toronto landmark, has been home to several mysterious tales of ghosts and hauntings since it was built in 1867. This iconic building boasts an intriguing history, spanning the 19th and 20th centuries, making it one of the most haunted places in Canada.

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from Canada

Today it is used as a restaurant known as Keg Steakhouse on Jarvis Street at Wellesley, but it used to be the home of one of the most prominent families in Toronto. But who is the one said to linger within the walls of the great mansion?

The Maid in the Attic at Keg Mansion

In the late 1800s it was owned by the Massey family, the most prominent families in Toronto. Lillian Massey was the daughter of Hart Massey. She was also the person running the mansion and named the estate Euclid Hall. Lillian Massey fell ill and she eventually died in her childhood home in 1915 and from then on the tragedies just kept on coming. 

The Keg Mansion: The building is know a steakhouse restaurant. The Keg Mansion was formerly known as “Euclid Hall” and is today thought to be haunted. // Source: Wikimedia

According to the stories, it was Lilliam Massey’s maid who went and hanged herself inside of the mansion. Apparently the maid walked up the main hall of Keg Mansion, up the stairs to the oval vestibule and she brought her own rope she made a noose she hung over the wood railing. She was found hanging above the foyer, right by the grand staircase. 

No one close to the maid, or other staff working at Keg Mansion really knows why she did it. Some claim it was out of grief because of the death of her employer, some say that she feared a big secret about her lover would come out after Lillian Massey’s death. 

Shadowy Figures Following Visitors Throughout the Home

Either way it is said that after her untimely death, people that have visited the Keg Mansion as well as the staff working there have claimed to have seen the ghost of the maid haunting the mansion she once worked and died in. According to the people that claim to have seen her, she is still hanging in the middle of the room where she died. 

Read More: Check out all of the ghost stories from Haunted Houses around the world

Reports have even been made of shadowy figures that follow visitors throughout the home and sudden bursts of unexplained energy. While some might not believe in ghosts, many who have visited Keg Mansion can attest to the fact that something definitely feels strange in the area. 

Some believe it is the ghost of Lillian Massey herself that are still watching over the home she devoted herself to. 

The Unexplainable Presence of a Little Boy in the Stairwells

The tragic tale of the hanged maid is not the only ghost story coming out from Keg Mansion though. There are also stories about what sounds and looks like the ghost of children roaming the halls. Legend has it that the ghost child or children roams the mansion’s stairwells and is particularly fond of visitors who are brave enough to make their way upstairs. 

It is said a little boy fell down the stairs and died from the fall, and his spirit has been seen forever since in Keg Mansion. Families that come to eat there have experienced their children wanting to play with the boy in the stairs only becoming terrified because even the little children notices something is wrong. 

Those who have been here say they can feel the presence when descending the stairs; however, no one has ever been able to explain just who or what it is. No matter which room someone is in at Keg Mansion, if you listen intently you can hear soft footsteps following your every move.

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I Work In a Haunted Steakhouse

This Toronto Restaurant Is Haunted By Active Ghosts And Customers Have Actually Encountered Them Before – Narcity 

Haunted Places Series: Keg Mansion | The Inspector Blog

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The Haunted Vicarage — Sweden’s most ghostly crowded house

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Even the home of the priests can’t keep the ghosts at bay. And in this house, the ghosts outnumber the living. 

Haunted: Many ghosts have been reported haunting this house throughout the years since it was built.

In the idyllic countryside of Sweden Borgvattnet is an old village deep in the forest. There are around 70 people living there, going about their business in the serene landscape of green trees. In this small village, the Borgvattnet Vicarage, a building from 1876, lies, used to house the priests connected to the local church. There are many residing in this vicarage, adding to the number of people in the small place, although not exactly living. 

More than once has the Swedish news media as well as a number of paranormal researchers found their way up to the quaint vicarage, looking like a cute inn to relax and enjoy nature as it has been open to the public since 1970. But the rooms available for rent are not necessarily just for you. The rooms are already all occupied by the ghosts, and therefore, it has earned the name of Sweden’s most haunted house. 

The Ghost Priest

The story was first only whispered among the priests living there as well as inside the church of Sweden. But one priest would break the silence and make it the most famous place in the country at the time. 

When the priest Erik Lindgren came as the new priest of his area, he came alone. The furniture was still something he was waiting for to settle into the old vicarage that was to be his own home. Therefore he was surprised and a bit scared when he started hearing stuff from the second floor. It sounded like heavy objects being dragged across the floor. When checking he found the second floor to be empty. There was no furniture there, and there was no one in the house but him. Or so he thought in the beginning, but it was only the start of the paranormal hauntings he was about to experience, living in this house. 

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Although it was not something that had been spoken about publicly before the haunting of the house was well known within the church. In 1947 that was about to change as a journalist heard about the haunting of the vicarage. He got the priest, Erik Lindgren to tell about his experiences and an article was published on the matter. The curiosity was overwhelming from the public and Lindgren himself had to block his phone in the end because of all the journalists trying to get to him to talk about the paranormal occurrences. 

Lindgren was meticulous and noted down every strange encounter in detail he experienced. But the list got so long that he stopped when he just accepted this was just a part of his everyday life. There were a lot of different activities going on in the lonely house. Everything from light turning off and on, invisible figures “crashing” into him making it hard to work and always giving him a feeling of someone watching him, never giving him a moment’s peace. From the second floor where he had the first day of the house heard heavy stuff being dragged over the floor, footsteps when there was no one there was constantly heard. 

The worst experience though, was on this particular day when he was sitting in his rockin chair, reading a book in 1945. The chair started to rock harder and harder so violently that he fell on the floor. When he sat down again, it happened once more, making it hard to stay seated. He felt a force from behind, going through him. His legs started to shake and he lost footing, falling on the ground. After this interview, the chair got famous and in the 60s, it turned up on one of Sweden’s entertainment shows before being bought back to the vicarage in the 80s. 

Some of the spotted ghosts:

So many encounters of different kinds have been reported. Shadow of a man passing by, the sound of footsteps coming to the front door and music playing out of nowhere. Some of the ghosts though, have a bit more story to them. 

The Gray Lady

More and more priests started coming forward with their stories. Like the priest Rudolf Tängdén who was also sitting in the great hall reading in 1930. Suddenly a gray clothed lady appears in the corner of the room. She walks towards him, taking small slow steps before changing direction, turns and walks into the office. He followed, but found nothing when he entered. 

The Crying Ladies

Ghosts in the Rooms: The rooms in the vicarage each carry their own ghost legend. What makes this particular house so haunted?

In the house there is a room called ‘the cryers room’. It’s been called that since the notary for the church, Inga Flodin stayed there on a business trip in 1941. She stayed in that very room and was awoken during the night. She finds three figures sitting on the couch, watching her intently. She turns on the lights, but nothing changes, they are still sitting there, staring. Flodin pinches her arm as well as letting her alarm clock ring to check if she really is awake. But, yes, she is. She notices that they all look incredibly sad, wearing a black, a purple and a gray dress. One of them is knitting. The woman in the gray dress looks particularly sad with red circles under her eyes. In a staring deadlock, Flodin can not do anything but stare back, petrified as well as curious and confused about what is going on. However, eventually she falls asleep. 

The Maid’s Baby

In the pink room there are those claiming to hear the sound of cries of a baby, even baby figures have been spotted around on the property. Story goes that at the end of the 1800s, an unmarried maid gave birth out of marriage. There were also rumours that the father was the priest in the house at the time. The maid was then locked up to the birth of the child that never grew up. Most likely the child was killed and buried on the north side of the house, outside the pink room. Now both the maid and the baby wander the house.

The Dead Priest Wife

One of the first documented sightings of ghostly activity came from the priest Nils at the start of the 1900s. Nils had grown up in the house as the priest’s son before he himself became the priest. Through the years he experienced stuff in the house he was sure was his mothers doing. Like the time when he watched all the clothes on the clothesline being ripped from the line. 

His mother was Martha and died young giving birth to Nils. His father, Per, didn’t take the death of his beloved wife well. It was a cold spring and the ground was still too hard for the body to be buried. Therefore it was stored in the house as Per simply couldn’t be parted from his beloved. And it might have been a bit too long. In any case, several of the guests have also seen shadows and shapes, pulling their clothes, sitting in the bed, in none other than in the yellow room, the same room where Märta died.

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Sveriges Mest Hemsökta Hus – Historia & Fakta

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Minxiong Ghost Mansion

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Minxiong haunted house, otherwise known as the Liu Mansion is located In the Taiwanese countryside and the old baroque mansion left abandoned and decayed by weather and time. And after being abandoned by the owners, rumours of ghosts started to be told and the mansion is one of the well known haunted places around.

On the serene countryside of Taiwan, amidst rice fields and forest, a mansion is left abandoned between the Banyan trees that have soon claimed the mansion as its own. The majestic red brick building must have been beautiful when first built, but now, it only holds the mysterious charm that old ruins have with its secrets and signs of the passing of time. 

The Baroque styled house, also known as the old Lui Family Mansion (劉家古宅民雄鬼屋) is located in Chiayi, southwestern Taiwan. It’s a hot and humid climate, but the story surrounding this house is a chilling one. The Minxiong Mansion is an eerie place, so forlorn, but famous as it is considered Taiwan’s most famous haunted place. A fact especially seen during ghost month were visitors flock to the site to catch a glimt of something paranormal going on in the quiet countryside.

Read More: Check out the rest of our ghost stories in haunted houses and mansions here.

The Haunted Minxiong Mansion

So what is it about the house that make people claim it is haunted one? A lot of factors have contributed to its rumour of Minxiong Mansion being haunted. Firstly, It’s located along a road with a graveyard close on either side. This has made drivers vary about driving pass for a long time.

The house is also today in a constant state of decay as no one is really paying any attention to it, and the old and dangerous ruins of the house turns out to be a perfect setting one. Then finally, there is the local legend about the house being haunted and cursed from the start. According to this one legend, the one who built it placed some sort of a charm or spell in the house in secret, making everyone living there hear strange noises, footsteps and unexplainable sounds.  Who built it though and why it was cursed never really makes it into this particular legend though.

Read Also: Check out more haunted abandoned places like Yongma Land Abandoned Theme Park and Hauntingly Beelitz-Heilstätten Hospital

So who used to live there when it was first built? The three storey house was built in 1929 by Liu Rongyu (劉溶裕), a local businessman and landowner. The baroque architecture the house was built in was very in style with the wealthy merchants in Taiwan at that time.

Liu Rongyu had seven children and wanted somewhere peaceful and quiet to enjoy the countryside and the grandchildren that would follow. But not long after the building was complete, the mansion was completely abandoned, and the owners never came back in the 1950s. And so, the legends about it being haunted started creeping into the once beautiful family mansion.

The Maid in the Haunted Well

Local legends have a lot to say about the reasons the family left Minxiong haunted house. Was it just because of the remote location? The building was so far from everything and an inconvenient place to commute back and forth from work that maybe the family would rather relocate to the city? Or is it something about the story that has been told about the maid? 

The Haunted Well: The allegedly haunted well that can still be found on the property of Minxiong haunted house. It reminds a lot of the ghost story of Okiku who was also a maid that drowned herself in the well on the estate.// Photo: Koala0090, source.

One of the legends about the place, we find a more disturbing reason for the abrupt escape from the mansion. In the surrounding garden from the house there is an old well sealed shut that no longer is filled with water. And from this particular well, the legends of this house seeps through the cracks of the dried up well.

It is said one of the maids of the house had an affair with the man of the Minxiong Mansion. When the story came out, she ended up jumping to her death in the well that can be found outside.

Some versions of the story tell that the wife found out about the affair and tormented the maid, both mentally and in some accounts even physically, until she couldn’t take it anymore and ended her life by drowning herself in the well. But the story didn’t end with the tragic death of the young maid though, and the maid came back for revenge against the masters of the house. As a spirit she returned to torment the family who had tormented her. Every night her ghost terrorized the family until they packed up their things and left to never return. 

In the following years the visitors coming at night to the abandoned building were also haunted. And so many have been rumoured to be struck by bad luck or even illness, taking their life as the vengeful ghost still haunts the grounds. Especially the soldiers of more than one army have been allegedly chased away by the ghost. 

For more ghosts haunting the wells, check out some of our other stories in the MoonMausoleum:

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Banchō Sarayashiki — the Ghost of Okiku

The tale of Banchō Sarayashiki (番町皿屋敷, The Dish Mansion at Banchō) is a well known Japanese ghost story (kaidan). It was popularized in the kabuki theater tradition, and lives on in popular culture and folklore alike.

Keep reading

The Japanese Army Massacre in Minxiong

The story of the maid has been said to be nothing but gossip and false lies several times, and the Liu family themselves are tired to hear about the strange stories surrounding their old family home. But the following strange happenings after the family left the Minxiong Mansion helps keep the story of the alleged curse of the house. 

During the time the Minxiong haunted house was built and the family lived there, the island of Taiwan was under Japanese rule (1895-1945) that could factor into the story. During this time business flourished after the Japanese built up the city of Chiayi after a devastating earthquake in 1906. At the time, this was the fourth biggest city in all of Taiwan. Perhaps that was not the case after the Japanese left and could that be some of the reasons that the Liu family eventually left the Chiayi countryside?

The more rational explanation would perhaps be that the Liu family simply relocated themselves for business reasons by moving downtown in Chiayi City, something that the family itself have expressed on multiple occasions although it doesn’t fit well with the rumours of the Minxiong Mansion being haunted.  

There also has been stories about the Japanese army opening gunfire around Minxiong haunted house for no apparent reason when the Japanese army temporarily stayed there, ending in killing innocent soldiers in the crossfires. Who or what did they think they saw in the dark and remote old mansion? The story about the killed soldiers in the mansion have not been verified as a historical fact, and is more told as an anecdote. Verified or not, several holes in the walls from what appears to be from gunfire can be seen still to this day, making one wonder who and why they were fired. 

The Strange Deaths of KMT Soldiers

A few years later after the Japanese army also left the mansion was occupied by the KMT (Kuomintang of China) the Chinese nationalist party of Taiwan, which in fact is officially known as Republic of China (ROC) came into power in 1949. By this time, parts of the Minxiong haunted house had already been damaged during bomb raids by the American army during the second world war and the interior of the house had been stripped away to build the nearby schools. You could say that the place already looked a little haunted.

Some soldiers from the KMT were stationed at the house in 1949. At this time there was no electricity and the Minxiong Mansion and the grounds around were completely left in darkness during night time, something the soldiers themselves refused to endure. There were several complaints from the KMT soldiers about seeing a ghost floating outside their window, demanding they had to put up electricity to fight the darkness they thought surrounded them in the house. 

Minxiong Haunted Mansion: Entrance to the Old Liu Family Mansion still have visitors, although no one have lived there for ages. Now, it seems to belong to nature and the wild. It is now mainly visitors that are in search for the paranormal and to try to spook each other that visits.// Source/Flickr

Here, a string of deaths started to give fire to the haunted house rumours. According to the rumours of the deaths it was either that the KMT soldiers residing there got sick and died or on other accounts, thought to be suicides. All of this made the mansion get a reputation as haunted.

But also here, we have some counter intelligence that tells another story and although not haunted it is a tragic one. According to the other version many of the soldiers stationed there suffered badly from homesickness to their mainland China that in turn drove them to kill themselves on this foreign land so far from home. 

Minxiong Haunted House Movie From 2022

In 2022, it was even made a movie about the place and based on the urban legends surrounding the mansion called Minxiong Haunted House (民雄鬼屋). It didn’t really do so well in the box office, but it certainly renewed the interest for the old haunted ghost mansion.

The story is set to the Minxiong Mansion where a mother goes looking for her daughter who goes missing inside the old mansion. They go there during the Qingming Festival to visits the tomb at Chiayi Minxiong Cemetery when her daughter disappears. And on her search for her daughter, she ends up encountering the ghosts within the mansion and has to deal with a haunting past as well.

Minxiong Haunted House: Poster from the 2022 movie called Minxiong Haunted House about the Liu Mansion. The movie is based on the many legends and myths that the ghost mansion has acquired over the years it has been left abandoned. Photo: Disney+

Hauntings During Ghost Month

The story of the Minxiong Mansion continues to inspire and attract visitors, especially during ghost month when people flock to try to see a ghost or two at the old Lui Family Mansion that never seems to rid itself of its haunted reputation.

Read more: The Obon Celebration – The Ghost Festival is around the same time and is also based on the traditions during ghost month.

Ghost Month: Traditionally, that ghosts haunt the island of Taiwan for the entire seventh lunar month, known as Ghost Month. The first day is marked by opening the gate of a temple, symbolizing the gates of hell. On the twelfth day, lamps on the main altar are lit. On the thirteenth day, a procession of lanterns is held. On the fourteenth day, a parade is held for releasing water lanterns. Incense, food and spirit paper money are offered to the spirits to deter them from visiting homes. During the month, people avoid surgery, buying cars, swimming, moving house, marrying, whistling and going out or taking pictures after dark. It is also important that addresses are not revealed to the ghosts.//Photo: mahe haroutinian on Pexels.com

Every year, especially in the seventh month of the lunar calendar, or Ghost Month, the Minxiong haunted house gets plenty of visitors. The floors of the house have long collapsed, and the red bricked walls has started to crumble, soon it will perhaps disappear completely.

Any plans to restore the haunted and decaying house have long been rejected by the Liu family as they want nothing to do with it anymore. The Minxiong Mansion will soon be taken by the forest and swallowed whole, unable to reveal the truth of what actually happened at the manor.

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References

18 Creepy Haunted House Stories – True Ghost Stories 

Abandoned Taiwan: The Old Liu Family Mansion at Minxiong 

Liu mansion in Chiayi voted top haunted house 

Minxiong Haunted House | A Thrill Seeking Adventure

興中村 

Minxiong Haunted House 民雄鬼屋

民雄鬼屋 

【古蹟探索】台灣四大鬼屋之首–民雄鬼屋名列亞洲十大鬼屋的民雄劉家古宅追追追| 貓大爺| 鳴人堂

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The Grey Lady of Stavern at Hotel Wassilioff

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On the fortess island outside of Stavern in Norway as well as one of the rooms at the historic Hotel Wassilioff, it is said that the ghost of The Grey Lady of Stavern is haunting, calling the name of her former lover that left her.

 “Peter!

……..Peeeeter!”

The wailing screams echoes through the corridors of hotel Wassilioff in Stavern, Norway in the dead of night. But when people peek their head out to look, there is no one there. The same can be heard at the coastal fortress on the Citadell island were a shadowy figure has been spotted. The same echo of a voice calling after the same person. Peter.

Stavern is a quaint and picturesque summer town in east of Norway by the coast. Several make it their vacation place during the summer times with the cute medieval architecture and history and the white beaches. But during the night, the old and not so pretty side of the seaside town start to appear through the cracks.

The Quiet Seaside City: Stavern is a popular summer destination as it is right by the beautiful coast of Eastern Norway. View on Skagerrak from Stavern, Norway//Source: wikimedia

The old seaside city is filled with ghost stories about drowned sailors and lost shipwrecks next to happy summer days by the shore, picking seashells and taking a swim.The most famous ghost story is the tragic tale of the Grey Lady of Stavern or Den Grå Damen in Norwegian.

The haunting allegedly happens at the historic Hotel Wassilioff right by the seaside just around the corner from the stature of Tordenskiold. The hotel today was founded in 1844, around a century after this tragic event is said to have happened. If it used to operate as a hotel before this though, is unclear.

Read More: All of the ghost stories from Haunted Hotels across the world

But who was the Grey Lady of Stavern when she was alive, and who was this Peter, that she keeps calling for, even in the afterlife?

The Maid Elise and Tordenskiold the National Hero

The Grey Lady of Stavern was supposedly a maid named Elise fell in love with the sea hero Peter Wessel (1690-1720), he is better known in Scandinavian circles as Tordenskiold, a very well known figure in Norwegian history, although the myths about him sometimes overshadowed the truth.

Tordenskiold: A Norwegian war hero at sea, it is believed that the ghost is calling out his name after he left the Grey Lady of Stavern.

A true patriot and a war hero that fought many battles for Denmark-Norway against Sweden. Tordenskiold is even mentioned in the national anthem they still sing today and his monument is standing in Stavern. However this is not the whole story as he was grealy showed in a much better light than reality. For one, he had economic interests in the slave trade and worked on a slave ship when he was a teenager. He was also a notorious womanizer that left many women in a deep predicament.

Elise on the other hand was only eighteen years old when she met Tordenskiold and fell for his charm. When people started calling her Elise is unclear though, as there is no last name and there are many variations to the legend. In some version of the story she was already engaged with a lieutenant named Heber, making her relationship with Tordenskiold even more dramatic.

As the story of the Grey Lady of Stavern goes, he seduced the young maid and brought her to room 216 on the coastal hotel, now called Hotel Wassilioff, or at least whatever establishment there was there at the time in the early 1700s.

Tordenskiold didn’t really come from Stavern, but lived there for a period when he worked for the navy. They were stationed in a commander’s building that are still standing today, and the ships used in the sea battles often passed by the Stavern and the fortress there was an important base.

Their romance was however short lived and superficial. When Elise became pregnant, he abandoned her in Stavern and sailed his way to glory. He died however shortly after, only 30 years old in a duel.

The Well at Citadell Island

As said, the Hotel Wassilioff didn’t open until 1844, long after this story takes place, and the narrative that they spent any time there is slim, as what the building was used to before that is unclear. But the original legend about the Grey Lady of Stavern doesn’t even mention the hotel, but it does mention the fortress on the small island just outside of the city.

Read Also: Does the concept of haunted islands seem intriguing to you? Read our ghost stories set on Haunted Islands from all over the world.

Right across the harbour of Stavern city there is a military fort built to protect from the Swedes during the Scanian War. You can see it from the windows of Hotel Wassilioff. It leads over to the small island, connected to the mainland. Today it’s only a tourist attraction, as well as Elise’s final resting place.

Citadell Island: The place Elise is said to have gone to drown herself and haunts, roaming the old fortress.//Photo credit: Jørn Tore Røed / visitvestfold.com/flickr

According to the legend, Elise was desperate, despaired and abandoned and went out to this island. Full of grief and with no hope she was driven to suicide and drowned herself out on Citadell island in a well there and rose from the dead as Grey Lady of Stavern.

Elise probably did what she did to escape the place she was trapped in. But perhaps she didn’t intend to be roaming along the fortress and in the hotel corridors, looking for the man leaving her for the rest of eternity.

Read Also: Banchō Sarayashiki — the Ghost of Okiku who also was drowned in a well.

Whether this was true is unclear, but the drowning in the well is also connected to Heber, who had many tragic legends around himself, even outside the legend of Grey Lady of Stavern. One was that he killed his fiance because he suspected a relationship with Tordenskiold another about his widow who drowned herself in the well because she had too many kids and no pension on October 11th in 1746.

The Grey Lady of Stavern at the Haunted Hotel

Back to Hotel Wassilioff, the place most people claim to have seen the Grey Lady of Stavern, even though the historic reasoning for this is weak. How do they know that it is the Grey Lady of Stavern haunting the rooms and corridors of the hotel?

Guests at the hotel can wake up to nightly callings from the maid, screaming the name of the lover who left her in a situation so dire she couldn’t live with it. As mention, it is especially outside or inside the room 216 her desperate wailing has been heard.

In addition to the nightly terror of a woman screaming there are reports of something moving over the floor inside of the room, like there is furniture that being moved around even if there is no one checked into it.

When the hotel management were asked about the alleged haunting, they confirmed that there was something going on and had this to say about it:

“One guest asked in the end to be given another room, that is how creepy it was with all the sounds,” hotel management tells to a national newspaper when they interviewed about the legend of the Grey Lady of Stavern.

The Woman in Grey in the Realm of Fables

The legend of the Grey Lady of Stavern has today many variants and it is difficult to differentiate the original legend from the many plays and writings about it. Perhaps the best known version of it from a summer play Klar til å Vende (Ready to Turn) by Herman Wildenvey from 1938. He explained the ghost haunting the place like this:

“She still lives in the realms of fables, sometimes seen by the naked eye here, a woman clad in grey.”

Read Also: There are many stories about ghost dressed in grey. Some of the ghost stories featuring these Ladies in Grey are: Hvítárnes — The Haunted Hut on Iceland, Janet Douglas in Edinburgh Castle Ghosts and Legends or the Lady in Grey at The Haunted Vicarage — Sweden’s most ghostly crowded house.

If her name really was Elise, if she really were jilted by the war hero or drowned herself, the ghost story about the Grey Lady of Stavern continues to cast a shadow on the bright summer nights. Gliding along the fortress on the island, calling out and looking for the one who tricked her, tourist thinking they will enjoy the blue sea can observe Grey Lady of Stavern as a slim grey figure that never found rest. A weeping woman in a grey dress.

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Historien | Hotel Wassilioff

Den grå dame i Stavern – Wikipedia 

Citadellet

Jakten på Den grå dame – VG