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El Dip: The Catalan Vampire Hound

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In the rural mountainside in Catalonia, Spain, there have long been talk about a vampiric beast of a hound that has tormented the livestock and the unfortunate person walking outside after dark. Could this legend be the one where other iberian vampire legends sprung from? 

In the rural villages and grazing lands in Catalonia in Spain, there was a creature feared by shepherds and townsfolk alike for centuries. This being was called El Dip, a spectral dog said to stalk the night with a thirst no water could quench. Unlike ordinary ghosts or eerie shadows, El Dip was a vampiric hound, an otherworldly beast that fed on the blood of livestock and, occasionally, humans.

Read More: Check out all ghostly stories from Spain

Unlike many vampiric myths tied to undead humans, the legend of El Dip springs from a distinctly rural environment between the legends of hellhounds, werewolves and vampires. The legend is particularly significant in Pratdipon village, at the southeastern slope of the Serra de Llaberia, where some believe the village is named after the vampiric legend. 

A Vampiric Dog on the Prowl in Catalonia

Villagers described it as a black or ashen color, with eyes that gleaming in the dark. Like many other figures from Catalan myth, the hellhound is said to have a lame leg. The word is probably from the Arabic word for wolf or beast. 

At night El Dip roamed the hillsides and grasslands, drawn by the scent of grazing livestock and the heartbeats of sleeping animals. Many shepherds claimed that the creature did not merely chase farm animals as any wild predator would. Instead, it bit deep into their throats, draining life as though it were a vampire. 

For villagers whose livelihood depended on cattle, sheep, and goats, such a predator was more than superstition. Blaming an ordinary wolf or jackal did not explain the strange marks or the way some animals were found untouched except for the fatal bite.

According to the legend, sometimes, other prey than the cattle was in danger. Those foolish enough to stay too late in the village taverns, were also in danger to these vampiric beings. 

Association With the Supernatural

The legend is very old from the rugged mountain village in Baix Camp where there is ironically, very little livestock today. As mentioned, the legend has a lot of connotation to the village Pratdip. At the entrance to Pratdip there is a monument to this mythological being, but as it is depicted it has a very kind image. According to tradition, the name of the village comes from these dogs, which are said to have disappeared in the nineteenth century.

Pratdip: Llaberia Overlaps (Conca de Barberà) // Image: Source

Images of these vampire dogs already appear on the altarpiece of Santa Marina de Pratdip, from 1602. According to tradition, young single women who went on pilgrimage to the sanctuary would soon find a husband. The pilgrimage to the hermitage takes place in July.

The Santa Marina Hermitage: Located within the municipality of Pratdip , Baix Camp , about four kilometers from the town, on the Vandellòs road. In 1335 the Santa Marina district already existed and therefore, there was probably already some hermitage in this territory. The altarpiece features the emblematic figure of the dip , both on the town’s coat of arms inside the niche and on the upper part of the niche where there are two more representations. // Image: Jordi Gili/Source

El Dip also appears in another altarpiece from 1730, cut out on a gold background to replace the old one. This altarpiece is possibly the one about which the least information is available, since it was burned on July 25, 1936 by some anticlerical zealots. The only remains that are preserved are in the parish museum of the church of Pratdip, and it is a small piece. In this work of art the dips were also represented, in the form of sculpture in the lower part of the altarpiece.

The Legend Spurs other Legends

Due to his thirst for blood, the dip served to inspire Joan Perucho who, in his novel The Natural Stories (1960). The book tells the story of Onofre de Dip, a vampire with the ability to transform himself into many animals. 

The central part of the play takes place in Pratdip at the beginning of the nineteenth century, in the middle of the Carlist war, and the dip was actually an ambassador of King James who 700 years earlier had gone to the Carpathians on a diplomatic mission and had been attacked there by a noble vampire.

The Coat of arms: The Dip has become the crest for Pratdip Village.

This has perhaps also helped spur further legends about noble men turning vampires, much closer to the modern vampire in Europe. And today, there are stories from fiction books that are now considered a canon folklore tale from older times. 

Another legend from Spanish folklore about vampiric beings is the northern Spain’s Guajona or Guaxa, a vampiric witch. 

Read More: Guajona: The Blood-Thirsty Entity of Iberian Folklore and A Cautionary Tale of the Vampiric Guaxa from Asturia

Legacy of the Vampiric Hound

Today belief in el dip as a literal creature has faded, yet the legend remains a vivid part of Catalan folklore, preserved in collections of regional stories and local mémoire. It is one of the oldest tales of a vampire-like creature from Spain and looking at modern pop culture, it seems like a legend that won’t disappear completely anytime soon.

And although Pratdip is not named after the beast but is a place name of pre-Roman origin, the legend of it remains alongside other fantastical tales. Nearby is a mill, the Molí de més Amunt, where, according to legend, a treasure left behind by the French was hidden. And in the holy houses and in the hills and grazing fields where shepherds once watched through the long hours of night, the story of el dip still lingers. 

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References:

Dip (Catalan myth) – Wikipedia

Pratdip – Viquipèdia, l’enciclopèdia lliure

Pratdip – Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre

Ermita de Santa Marina – Viquipèdia, l’enciclopèdia lliure

Les històries naturals – Viquipèdia, l’enciclopèdia lliure

Ukategorisert

Guajona: The Blood-Thirsty Entity of Iberian Folklore

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Preying on the blood of the young one, the vampiric Guajona from northern Spain is said to stalk the villages and valleys in Cantabria, thirsting for blood. 

In the grim and windswept villages of northern Spain in Cantabria there walks a terrifying figure from Cantabrian mythology. Known as the Guajona or sometimes Lamia, she is a spectral entity associated with night, hunger, and death itself, an entity between a witch and vampire. 

Read More: Check out all ghostly stories and legends from Spain

Cantabria is a historic community between the Basque country, Asturias and Castile, facing the Cantabrian sea. The area is known as the lush and green part of Spain from the coast to the mountains. Its remote and mountainous region made it possible for them to preserve both their celtic and Roman paganism for a long time. And with it, their monsters as well. 

The Spanish Vampire: Guajona lore is very similar to the neighbouring Asturian mythology of Guaxa. The origin of Guajona or Guaja could be in classical Arabic وحش wahsh, meaning “beast”. Although some give a different explanation. Xulio Concepción claims it comes from the Latin: “enemy,” in turn derived from the Indo-European ghos-ti: “foreigner, guest.”

Guajona and the Face of Hunger

The Guajona is described as a pale, gaunt woman with sunken features and long, stringy hair that drapes her shoulders like tattered cloth. Her skin is pale as bone, and her eyes are often said to glow faintly in the darkness. Her hands and feet are gnarled bird legs, her face is yellow and consumed by rough and hairy warts, her eyes are tiny and bright as stars. Her aquiline nose and mouth contain a single black razor sharp tooth that extends long enough to be under her chin and used to suck blood.

What marks her above all is her appearance of starvation. She is thin to the point of grotesque, as if hunger itself has become her form.

The creature only appears at night. It is unknown where she is meant to sleep during the day although it is suspected to be hiding underground. She feeds upon the life force of those she encounters. Those who see her are said to feel a sudden cold chill, an inexplicable weakness, or a sense of unbearable dread.

The Legend of Lamia: A lot of European myths about vampiric beings can be traced back to the Ancient Greek legend of Lamia, the child-devouring monster that were also known to haunt people and suck their blood as a daimon. As well as sharing many similarities between the legend of Lilith and other ancient succubus entities.  Read more: The Beautiful Queen Lamia Who Became a Vampire Monster. // Image: Lamia (second version, 1909) by John William Waterhouse.

A Nightmare in the Night

Descriptions of her movements are unsettling. She is sometimes said to glide over the ground without making sound, appearing suddenly behind travelers on deserted roads, creeping toward sleeping homes, or waiting in the shadows of forests and village edges. Guajona invades homes without getting noticed and walks silently toward healthy young children to suck their blood in their sleep by sticking her tooth into their veins. 

Cantabrian Mythology: The indigenous mythology of Cantabria , from its earliest origins and throughout history, has become intertwined with Celtic and Roman myths , and is partly related to legends and traditions from the rest of the Cantabrian coast . Christianity in Cantabria was a very late arrival. In the  4th century , the population was still mostly pagan. Among the remnants of myths that still persist as a substratum in Cantabrian tradition is the worship of great protective deities, such as the adoration of the Sun. // Image: Source

She does not kill them, instead leaving them almost bloodless so when they wake up in the morning they will be tired, pale and discolored. Guajona also attacks adults. Some versions of the legend say she not only drains life but also spirit. Those who encounter her may fall ill in inexplicable ways, left pale and weak as though an unseen hand has taken from them something essential. In older narratives, unexplained wasting sickness, sudden death, and lifelong fatigue were all sometimes attributed to an encounter with the Guajona.

A Cautionary Tale of the Guaxa

The legend of Guajona is often told together with the legend of the Guaxa from Asturia, the neighboring region to Cantabria. In fact, most places on the northern part of the Iberian peninsula from Portugal to Spain have their version of a bloodsucking witch entity no one really knows where it comes from. Some would even claim it is the same legend, just going under different names. 

So what is the difference between the tale of Guajona and the Astorian Guaxa? The lore behind the Guaxa follows a lot of the same steps as with the Guajona. She’s described as an old woman, sneaking into people’s homes to drink their blood. She particularly loves the blood of children. 

As the Guajona she is thin, ugly covered in warts and is said to have a single sharp tooth. The Guaxa is often said to be invisible and said to be able to slip though small cracks like the chimney, and even the keyhole. 

As with many vampiric beings from southern Europe, she is associated with owls or other nocturnal birds. In Asturia, people can say “It looks like the Guaxa has swallowed you,” when people have lost a lot of weight, as the Guaxa slowly over time drained people’s lives. 

One thing that is not so often talked about with the Guajona is how to ward off or fight against the Guaxa with amulets or other rituals. 

Read More: A Cautionary Tale of the Vampiric Guaxa from Asturia

Similar creatures are found in Galician lore as well, going under the name of the Meiga Chuchona. The question is, where did the legend evolve from? Should these entities be seen as the same creature with different names, or is their geographical regions and variations enough to make them separate beings in folklore?

Origins of the Legend of the Guajona

Adriano García-Lomas, a scholar of these topics, maintains that the Guajona was invented by the folklorist Manuel Llano, based on its Asturian equivalent. This opinion is widespread and can be considered the accepted one today. At least in Cantabrian, although the Asturian lore would say it’s the other way. 

Research of the lore shows that the legends go back centuries at least. As mentioned, many of the vampiric and witch entities in Europe, especially those areas taken over by the Roman empire, have a lot of things in common with the ancient Greek Lamia. Perhaps it is all a mix from south and north? Perhaps there is something particularly frightening lingering in the misty woods in Northern Spain? 

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References:

Guajona – Wikipedia

Cantabria – Wikipedia

Mitología cántabra – Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre

Ukategorisert

A Cautionary Tale of the Vampiric Guaxa from Asturia

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Stalking the northern valleys in Spain, the vampiric Guaxa witch from Asturian legends stalks the night. Although no one is safe, the starved and thirsty monster is especially after the blood of the children. 

In the foggy landscape in Asturia in northern Spain, a vampiric figure is said to linger in the cracks of shadows, waiting for her prey. They say: “wherever a breath of air passes, the Guaxa passes .” An entity between the witch and vampire, she is after the blood of children. 

Read More: Check out all ghostly stories from Spain

Asturia, once an ancient kingdom encompassing most of northern Spain is now confined to a coastal bit overlooking the Atlantic ocean. Even so, the old languages of Asturian are still spoken in the valleys by the elderly, and the tales they have to tell are that of monsters and witches. 

The Vampiric Guaxa Witch

The Guaxa is said to be an old and thin woman-like entity, ugly and covered in warts. She is said to have a single sharp tooth she stalks her prey with. The Guaxa is not often seen at all, and is often said to be invisible, slipping through small cracks of people’s houses like the chimney, and even the keyhole. 

Because she is either invisible, or just seen at night, it is believed that she hides in caves or hollow tree trunks during the day. 

As with many vampiric beings from southern Europe, she is associated with owls or other nocturnal birds. Some also associate the Guaxa with the coruxa (owl), closely linked to witches, and thus consider the Guaxa to be a witch herself.

Curuxa the Barn Owl: The Curuxa are a nefarious omen, especially if they land over the house of an ill person as those inside will die.  It is also said that les bruxes like to shapeshift into a barn owl to fly where they see fit and sneak into forbidden places to steal. Overlapping and sharing a lot with the Northern Portuguese vampire witch Bruxa. // Image: Source

She sneaks into people’s homes in the middle of the night and feeds on them with her one sharp tooth. Children are preferred, but also young women and handsome men are in danger. She doesn’t kill them at once, nor does she transform her victims to one of her own. She slowly kills them, draining their life, bit by bit. In Asturia, people can say “It looks like the Guaxa has swallowed you,” when people have lost a lot of weight, as the Guaxa slowly over time drained people’s lives. 

Protection from the Guaxa

But how do you protect yourself from an invisible supernatural being no one can find or kill? The best thing to do is keep her at a distance. In Astorian tradition there is often talk about the cigua, a talisman of sorts in the form of an amulet. It is shaped like a closed fist in a black chiastolite stone, often known as St. Peter’s stone. 

The Black Jet Hand: Mostly, giving the finger is an obscene gesture meant to offend. In Portugal, Brazil, and some places in Spain, such as Galicia and Asturias, it is a gesture of good luck, or even wishing good luck. It is also believed to ward off evil eye and protect oneself from evil. In these countries, an amulet of a hand performing the fig sign is worn as a good luck or protective charm. In Asturias, these amulets are made from Jet, and it is usual to give them to young kids to protect them from evil eye. In Spanish these amulets are called “Higas”. In Galician language and Portuguese language they are called “Figas”, and in Asturleonese language they are called “Ciguas”.

Another option is protection rituals for people who have been attacked by a Guaxa. These individuals had to drink a preparation made from alicorn, that is actually unicorn horn, that had been macerated with pieces of deer antler and fragments of silver. 

In the case of children, they could also be given a small bag containing 10 grams of rice, which was hung around their necks with a black thread tied with nine knots.

The Guajona Vampire Witch from Cantabria

Asturia shares a lot with the other northern regions in Spain, like Galicia to the west and Cantabria to the east. In Cantabrian lore you will find another vampiric entity that looks and behaves so similar to the Guaxa that many think that this is actually the same story with different names. 

So what is the difference between the tale of the vampiric witch Guajona from Cantabria and the Astorian Guaxa?

The lore behind the Guaxa follows a lot of the same steps as with the Guajona. She’s described as an old woman, sneaking into people’s homes to drink their blood with her single sharp tooth. She is also just seen during the night, but this lore doesn’t insist on her being invisible as much. She is thought to slumber underground during the day. The word Guajona is most likely from Arabic roots meaning beast, and sometimes, this version is also called Lamia. 

The Legend of Lamia: A lot of European myths about vampiric beings can be traced back to the Ancient Greek legend of Lamia, the child-devouring monster that were also known to haunt people and suck their blood as a daimon. As well as sharing many similarities between the legend of Lilith and other ancient succubus entities.  Read more: The Beautiful Queen Lamia Who Became a Vampire Monster. // Image: Lamia (second version, 1909) by John William Waterhouse.

Similar creatures are found in Galician lore as well, going under the name of the Meiga Chuchona. As mentioned, northern Portugal also has the Bruxa legend. The question: where did the legend evolve from? Should these entities be seen as the same creature with different names, or is their geographical regions and variations enough to make them separate beings in folklore?

How old is the Legend of the Guaxa?

The Guaxa is often talked about as an old being from ancient Indo-European folklore. But exactly when did the legend of the Guaxa emerge from the shadows?

The legend of the Guaxa was first written down by Jove and Bravo in the Myths and Superstitions of Asturias from 1897. By this time, the legend had been greatly influenced by modern fears and monsters as well as Christianity. Many think that she is merely a version of the witch figure. But was there a Guaxa pre-Christian Asturia?

The word Guaxa comes from the Asturian language, guax, guax, the onomatopoeia for the sound of owls. In one of the earliest descriptive studies of the figure, Aurelio de Llano denies her belonging to the Asturian mythical pantheon, considering her nothing more than a witch, a term derived from the Latin word “striga”  or stryx, meaning a nocturnal bird).

As mentioned it is also thought that the legend of the Guaxa is branched off from the figure of Lamia from Greece as well as the vampire of Germanic legends. But how far does a legend have to exist before it becomes canon?

For example, in 1480 we know of lawsuits and accusations in the Royal Chancery of Valladolid against Teresa Prieta, a resident of Xove (Gijón), for practicing the profession of Estriga (witch) to enter other people’s houses and suck the blood “mostly of children.”

Read More: Teresa Prieto The Witch of Jove and Spain’s First Vampire Case

The Vampiric Witches of Spain

What lurks in the misty woods in northern Spain? As the fog weaves through the ancient trees, the air becomes thick with mystery and intrigue. Legends speak of elusive creatures and spirits that roam these enchanted forests, whispering secrets to those who will listen, while the rustle of leaves and the distant calls of unseen wildlife create an atmosphere teeming with life and wonder. Perhaps one of them is the blood thirsty monster of the Guaxa?

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References:

Guaxa – Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre

Guaxa – Viquipèdia, l’enciclopèdia lliure

Guaxa, la bruja bebedora de sangre

SERES MITOLÓGICOS ASTURIANOS: LA GÜAXA 

El grimorio de bestias: Guaxa

Ukategorisert

Teresa Prieto The Witch of Jove and Spain’s First Vampire Case

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Teresa Prieto, known as the Witch of Jove, has captivated the imaginations of many through the centuries as the first recorded case of a vampire in Spain that reached the court. What was she? A witch? A vampire? Or was she one of many innocent women accused of something supernatural.

Long before the vampire became a figure of Gothic fiction, the fear of blood drinking witches already haunted the villages of medieval Spain. One of the earliest recorded cases emerged in the late fifteenth century in the coastal settlements around Gijón in Asturias. There, a woman named Teresa Prieto became the center of one of the strangest accusations in Spanish history. To her neighbors she was not simply a witch. She was believed to be a creature that slipped into homes at night and drank the blood of children.

Read More: Check out all ghostly stories and legends from Spain

The case of Teresa Prieto, later known as “the Witch of Jove” or “the Vampire of Xove,” sits at the crossroads between folklore and historical reality. It reveals how medieval fears of night demons, witchcraft, and vampirism could merge into a single terrifying accusation.

Gijón City: It is the largest city and municipality by population in the autonomous community of Asturias. This is also where the first recorded vampire court case in Spain happened.

Night Visitor of the Village

In the late 1400s the area of Jove, today called Xove, was not the modern district of Gijón known today. It consisted of small scattered villages connected by narrow paths and surrounded by forests and fields. Oral traditions and superstition shaped daily life. Local healers lived on the margins of society, gathering herbs from the woods to make remedies and potions.

The Asturian Guaxa: The Guaxa is said to be an old and thin woman-like entity, ugly and covered in warts. She is said to have a single sharp tooth she stalks her prey with. She sneaks into people’s homes in the middle of the night and feeds on them with her one sharp tooth. Children are preferred, but also young women and handsome men are in danger. She doesn’t kill them at once, nor does she transform her victims to one of her own. She slowly kills them, draining their life, bit by bit. In Asturia, people can say “It looks like the Guaxa has swallowed you,” when people have lost a lot of weight, as the Guaxa slowly over time drained people’s lives. Although this is a very Asturian legend, the case of Teresa Prieto was called a Strix or Estrige.

Within this environment strange rumors began to circulate.

Parents claimed that something entered their homes during the night. The intruder moved silently while families slept and approached the beds of children. When morning came, some children were found dead. According to the stories told by villagers, the bodies bore two small marks on the neck, signs that their blood had been sucked during the night.

Fear quickly turned toward a human suspect. The villagers accused Teresa Prieto.

The Shadow of the Strix

The accusations against Prieto did not arise in isolation. At the end of the fifteenth century European folklore still carried strong beliefs in striges or strigias, monstrous female beings said to prey on infants. These creatures were described as winged women with the claws and beaks of birds of prey who drank the blood of children to use in magical brews.

Such beliefs had deep roots in classical mythology and medieval superstition. The Roman strix and the Greek lamia were both imagined as female night predators who attacked infants. In medieval Europe these creatures slowly merged with the idea of witches. A woman accused of sorcery could easily be accused of vampiric acts as well.

The Strix: The strix (plural striges or strixes), in the mythology of classical antiquity, was a bird of ill omen, the product of metamorphosis, that fed on human flesh and blood. It also referred to witches and related malevolent folkloric beings. The strix is described as a large-headed bird with transfixed eyes, rapacious beak, greyish white wings. In Romanian, strigăt means “scream” and strigoaică is the name of the Romanian feminine vampire while strigoi is the Romanian male vampire. Albanian folklore tells of the shtriga, and Slavic of the strzyga/stryha.

In the isolated communities of Asturias, the old legends were still alive. When children died unexpectedly, the ancient explanation returned. A blood drinking witch must be responsible.

Accusation and Trial

Around 1480, Teresa Prieto was formally denounced by her neighbors. She was accused of being a striga, a night witch who entered homes and drained the blood of children. The case reached the attention of the Spanish Inquisition, which opened proceedings against her.

The accusations described her as a woman who wandered through villages at night and entered houses secretly, harming Christians and sucking blood from children. In essence, the first documented case of vampirism in Spain, although the lore behind the blood sucking entity looked a little bit different than the modern version. 

She was turned in to Juan de Acebal, at the time a prosecutor and litigant who would lead the first Asturian case in the renewed Tribunal of the Inquisition, which had just been re-established in the kingdom of Castile, precisely on All Souls’ Day in 1478.

Prieto was arrested and subjected to interrogation and torture. She was bound hand and foot, twisting and turning on her back, and she was forced to drink liters of water continuously for at least an hour. Despite the ordeal she maintained her innocence and never confessed to the crimes attributed to her.

Torture: Water cure was among the forms of torture used by the Spanish Inquisition. Before pouring the water, torturers often inserted an iron prong (known as the bostezo) into a victim’s mouth to keep it open, as well as a strip of linen (known as the toca) on which the victim would choke and suffocate while swallowing the water.

The tribunal or the Bachelor Brecianos, eventually condemned her to death by hanging. There, it was ordered that she be taken “on horseback, riding a donkey, her hands and feet bound with an esparto rope around her neck,” publicly and shamefully before the townspeople, to the stone gallows where the witch or sorceress of Gijón would be hanged and her flesh burned to ashes.

Yet the case did not end in the way many witch trials did.

Escape From the Gallows

Before the sentence was carried out, Teresa Prieto appealed the verdict. As she stated in her protest, when she was arrested she was not informed of the charges or anything else; she had not been told who had denounced her; the accuser turned out to be the only witness and, aside from contradicting himself, was a personal enemy of hers, which should legally disqualify his testimony; furthermore, she had not been provided with the required legal representation, and the lieutenant corregidor had acted against her unjustly and contrary to the laws of the kingdom. She also emphasized that she had been subjected to torture without cause or reason and was summoned repeatedly without any new evidence or proof appearing. To conclude her plea, she stressed that by appearing before the court she demonstrated her good faith and should be able to atone for any possible crime.

The Court Case Files: (PARES, Portal de Archivos Españoles)

The appeal succeeded. Instead of execution she was imprisoned while the case continued. Her conduct during the proceedings appears to have influenced the authorities, and eventually the sentence was overturned.

In November of 1500 she was released from prison and allowed to return to Asturias as a free woman. Neither party was ordered to pay costs, but Teresa requested a written copy of the sentence and the return of the property and assets that had been confiscated from her.

In the end the supposed vampire of Jove was never proven to be anything more than a victim of fear and rumor.

The Birth of a Spanish Vampire Legend

Even though Teresa Prieto survived the trial, her reputation never disappeared. Folklore continued to describe her as a vampire witch who crept into houses at night to feed on children. Later historians and folklorists such as Julio Caro Baroja and Juan Uría Ríu recorded the story as one of the earliest examples of vampiric belief in Spain.

The witch of Jove belongs to a darker chapter of European folklore. She stands at the boundary between legend and historical record. A woman once accused of slipping through the night to drink the blood of children. A case where ancient fears of witches, demons, and vampires converged in the life of a single unfortunate person.

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References:

Mito y realidad de Teresa Prieto, la bruja de Jove

Un zumbido mortal. Theresa Prieto, la vampira de Jove | El Comercio: Diario de Asturias

https://citaclio.blogspot.com/2022/11/teresa-prieto-la-asturiana-condenada.html

Strix (mythology) – Wikipedia

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The Philip Experiment: The Spirit Created by Scientists

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After a long experiment, a made up spirit started to haunt a group’s seances. What really happened during the Philip experiment, and what does it tell us about what lengths humans go to believe in ghosts?

Sitting in a traditional seance with dimmed lights around a table, a group of people tried to make contact with the dead. They started to feel a presence, the table was vibrating and a chilling breeze entered the room. A spirit was present and answered with knocks and unexplainable echoes. 

The spirit was Philip Aylesfor. He was born in 1624 in England and was once a nobleman with military ties to Oliver Cromwell, knighted when he was 16 and worked as a spy for Charles II during the English Civil War. He gave many details of his life like that he was married to a cold, loveless woman called Dorothea and had a tragic affair with a beautiful Romani woman named Margo that he met when riding on his estate. His wife discovered the affair, accused Margo of witchcraft, and had her burned at the stake. Overcome with guilt and grief, Philip committed suicide in 1654

The seance that went for about a year was a success, everyone felt and heard the spirit. At one point the table tilted on a single leg and moved across the room without anyone touching it, getting it all on audio and tape. There was only one problem. Every part of this story was fabricated. Philip Aylesford had never existed. His life was purely a creation of the group trying to conjure it. And yet, they all ended up believing it.

In the world of the paranormal, most hauntings involve spirits of the dead lingering in our realm. But what if a ghost wasn’t the remnant of a once-living person? What if it was something else entirely—something born not from tragedy, but from pure human imagination? Enter the Philip Experiment, a groundbreaking 1970s parapsychology study that sought to prove that ghosts might not be spirits at all, but products of human thought. 

The Philip Experiment: A group gathered for seances to conjure up a spirit they had made up. In the end they all experienced stuff most people would call a poltergeist haunting.

The Birth of Philip: A Ghost Without a Past

The Philip Experiment was conducted from September in 1972 by the Toronto Society for Psychical Research (TSPR), led by Dr. A.R.G. Owen, a mathematician and psychologist. The group aimed to explore the idea that paranormal phenomena, particularly ghostly activity, might not be caused by spirits of the dead, but rather by the human mind’s ability to create and project entities into reality—a concept known as thought-form manifestation or tulpas in Tibetan mysticism.

Philip Aylesford: A drawing made of the spirit by the Owen Group.

To test this theory, they created an entirely fictional ghost named Philip Aylesford. With Philip’s “history” in place, the team—eight participants, including Dr. Owen’s wife—began conducting séances without much result in the beginning. It started out first as informal meetings where they discussed his history and life, but not much paranormal was reported on by the group that called themselves the Owen Group.

They drew a picture of him and even went to England where he “lived” and took pictures. The other people in the group were unnamed but included a formerly chaired MENSA woman, a bookkeeper, a sociology student, a housewife, an accountant and an industrial designer. What they all had in common was that they were all members of the TSPR.

Then they changed tactics and created an atmosphere in a dimly lit room, just as one would when attempting to contact a real ghost. The whole experiments and their experiences started to shift. They focused on Philip’s story, visualized him, and called out to him, asking for signs of his presence.

One night, as they continued their séance, the table suddenly shook. Knocking sounds echoed in the room. At first, the group thought it was a coincidence or subconscious movement. But the phenomena intensified.

Through a system of knocks (one for “yes,” two for “no”), Philip started answering questions. When asked about his past, he responded in ways that aligned with the fictional backstory they had written. However, whenever the group asked something outside of his “history,” Philip could not answer, reinforcing the idea that his existence was completely dependent on their belief in him.

The Paranormal Activity Escalates

As The Philip Experiment progressed, the manifestations became eerier after it had gone on for a couple of months. Philip didn’t just communicate through knocks—he moved the table, made lights flicker, and even created cold spots in the room. Witnesses reported that the table would tilt, slide, and even levitate. Some claimed they heard whispers and faint laughter, though no voice was ever recorded.

At one point they had to take a break from their meetings as some of the members in the group claimed to experience strange things in their homes. They even had the seance in front of a live audience of 50 people where a lot of presence was felt, and experiences, but the televised documentation was unable to give further proof of haunting. 

Watch the televised seance they did here.

Despite all this, Philip never appeared as a ghostly figure, nor did he provide any information beyond what the participants had imagined. He was a true creation of their minds, responding only to what they had already established about him.

What Did the Philip Experiment Prove?

The Philip Experiment left researchers with unsettling conclusions. If a group of people could “create” a ghost through belief and focus alone, what does that say about the nature of hauntings? Were all ghostly encounters just the subconscious mind manifesting phenomena? Could poltergeists and spirits actually be projections of human thought?

The experiment also drew connections to psychokinesis (mind over matter)—the idea that focused human intention can physically influence the world. If the group could make a table levitate just by believing in Philip, was it possible that hauntings stemmed from emotional energy rather than actual spirits? Do we want to believe in ghosts so bad that the mind will create them for us?

The Legacy of the Philip Experiment

The Philip Experiment: The Owen’s wrote a book about their experiences. Read it here.

The experiment remains one of the most famous studies in parapsychology, inspiring further research into tulpas and the power of collective consciousness. While skeptics argue that the table movements were a result of ideomotor effects (unconscious muscle movements), believers point out that the level of activity was far beyond typical séance trickery and that the ghost of Philip was perhaps the start of it, but a true spirit really did appear. 

Although it created a lot of debate, it also created a lot of criticism in that the experience would be hard to recreate to show more consistent results.

The Philip Experiment was later repeated with different groups, creating new fictional spirits like Lilith, a French Canadian spy, Sebastian,a medieval alchemist and Axel who was said to be from the future. In each case, similar phenomena occurred, suggesting that the power of belief plays a significant role in paranormal experiences. 

The Philip Experiment forces us to ask a terrifying question: What if ghosts don’t haunt us? What if we haunt ourselves? If human minds can conjure spirits from thin air, it means the line between reality and imagination is disturbingly thin. It also raises the possibility that some hauntings might be self-created manifestations of guilt, trauma, or fear.

So next time you hear a whisper in the dark, feel a tap on your shoulder, or watch an object move on its own—ask yourself: Is something there? Or are you making it real?

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References:

Philip experiment – Wikipedia

https://www.liveabout.com/how-to-create-a-ghost-2594058

The Philip Experiment — Astonishing Legends 

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Porta do Alén, The Portal to Another Dimension

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At the top of a mountain in Northern Spain, there is a supposed gate to the underworld or possibly another dimension. The legend of Porta do Alén and its strange structure continues to be known as the Door to Beyond.  

North in Spain on the highest peak of the mountain Serra do Cando there is a strange dolmen construction that looks a lot like a door. The locals have named it Porta do Alén, or the gate to the underworld. According to the legends about this strange place, the Porta do Alén connects our world to the world of spirits.

Read more: Check out all of our ghost stories from Spain

Who raised this strange structure, all the way to the top of a mountain, and when did it happen? No one really knows the origin of this mysterious place, but the locals in the region have used it as an altar of all sorts for centuries. 

Legends and Folklore Surrounding Porta do Alén

Porta do Alén, also known as the “Door to the Beyond,” has a rich tapestry of legends and folklore woven into its history. Even its origin is disputed, but it is believed that it is most likely human made. 

According to local tales, the portal was created by ancient Celtic druids as a passage to the spirit realm. We can find altars, shrines and ancient burials scattered around in Galicia as a reminder of its past. 

The Secrets of The Ancient Carnac Stones

Often called France’s Stonehenge, The Carnac Stones in Brittany have puzzled people for millennials as to why they were built. Some ancient burial rites? Perhaps it’s like the legends say and are soldiers turned into stone? 

It is said that on certain nights, the veil between the worlds becomes thin, allowing spirits to cross over into our realm through Porta do Alén. These supernatural entities are believed to roam the surrounding area, leaving behind traces of their presence.

The legends surrounding Porta do Alén have also inspired numerous ghost stories and tales of paranormal encounters. The writer Manel Loureiro based his novel, La Puerta on the strange happenings found close to the rocks. 

The Supernatural and Spiritual Beliefs Associated with Porta do Alén

Porta do Alén has long been associated with supernatural and spiritual beliefs, attracting individuals who seek a deeper understanding of the metaphysical. Many believe that the portal serves as a gateway to parallel dimensions or otherworldly realms. This notion is supported by countless accounts of strange occurrences and unexplained phenomena reported by those who have visited the site.

For those interested in the occult and esoteric practices, Porta do Alén has become a site of pilgrimage. Spiritual seekers and practitioners of various mystical traditions gather here to perform rituals, meditate, and connect with the energies they believe exist beyond the portal. Whether it’s communing with spirits, seeking inner enlightenment, or simply immersing oneself in the mysterious atmosphere, Porta do Alén offers a unique space for exploration 

Santa Compaña the Spanish Wild Hunt

These strange rocks on the top of the mountain have often been connected to legends about the Wild Hunt. The Santa Compaña, or the holy company is the Spanish version of the Wild Hunt found in most European mythologies. The common belief is that a procession of the dead wander through the empty path to the small villages at midnight in white cloaks. 

It is said that the living person leading the procession doesn’t remember what happened the night before, but is each night compelled to go wandering as if in a trance in the midnight hours as a curse. It is said that it is especially on two nights were the chances of meeting the procession is higher than other. That is on San Juan (23 to 24 June) and Todos los Santos (October 31 to November 1).

Santa Compaña: This Spanish version of the Wild Hunt have strong ties with the Porta do Alén and the rest of Galicia in Northern Spain.//Source: The Holy Company of Camilo Díaz Baliño (1919)

It might be inspired by the celtic of norse wild hunt, but here, the procession is usually led by a person of the church. Even if the souls are not always seen, the scent of the wax candles they carry are smelled in the breeze. 

According to the legend, the Santa Compana enters our world and looks for its victims to take with them back to the underworld.

The Ritual by the Stones

Another legend says the place was a place for a huge ritual in ancient times to send evil spirits through the door and back to the underworld. 

According to this legend the evil spirits are still waiting right on the other side of the door, ready to be released to our world. This is why the local superstition says to never walk through the gate, as you might get some of the spirits with you on the other side. 

The locals and visitors hiking Serra do Cando leave different offerings at the place like food, small objects, plants and notes asking for good luck at the door to the underworld. 

There is a particular ritual where if someone wants to speak with the souls of the deceased, they will have to go through the door from north to south. They will give an offering like bread, flower or a lighted candle. Then they have to remain quiet and the wind will grant the answers you seek.

If you don’t follow all of the rules you will lose your voice or health as a punishment. To finish off with the ritual you have to pass through the door again so not to be trapped in the beyond. 

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References:

El Monte Seixo y su vía de entrada al más allá en A Lama (Pontevedra)
Ten paranormal places that you can actually visit in Spain

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The Haunting of ʻIolani Palace: Echoes of Royal Spirits

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The last royal palace of the Kingdom of Hawaii, the ʻIolani Palace in Honolulu is believed to be haunted by its former royalty, still dreaming of an independent Hawaii. 

On Oʻahu in Hawaii, ʻIolani Palace stands as the last palace of the Hawaiian kingdom, its rich history and cultural heritage of Hawaii in downtown Honolulu. As the only royal palace in the United States, it is not just a symbol of the Hawaiian monarchy but also a reputedly haunted site, where the spirits of Queen Liliʻuokalani and other Native Hawaiian royalty are said to linger.

Source

The History of ʻIolani Palace

Built in 1844, ʻIolani Palace or the Hale Aliʻi ʻIolani, was the official residence of the Hawaiian Kingdom’s last two monarchs, King Kalākaua and his sister and successor, Queen Liliʻuokalani. 

The ʻIolani Palace was originally built for Victoria Kamamalu, a princess. Kamehameha III bought the place and used it as his royal residence after moving to the capital. Much of the palace we see today was built in a European way in order to make them see their Kingdom and their palace as a valid one. 

The palace witnessed both grandeur and tragedy, from lavish royal balls to the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy on January 17th in 1893 by the USA, throwing Hawaii into five years of rebellions, guerrilla warfare and assassinations. 

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from the USA

Queen Liliʻuokalani herself was imprisoned within its walls after the coup for nine months, a period marked by deep sorrow and resilience as the people behind the coup wanted to turn them into their figurehead .

The building was used as a capitol building for the provisional Government after the coup, as well as when it was a territory and state of USA until 1969. After this it was restored and opened as a museum in 1978. 

Burial Site of the Royals

The ʻIolani Palace was built close to an old funeral site known as Pohukaina Tomb said to have a great chief resting in it. This has made the belief of the land being blessed and protected by his spirit, so it was a perfect place to build a royal palace. It is also said to be built on land once a heiau Ka‘ahaimauli, a holy temple.

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Kamehameha II and Queen Kamāmalu were buried here after dying of measles, and ever since it was used as a royal burial ground and for the ruling class known as ali’i. Although, in recent times, 18 coffins were removed and moved to the Royal Mausoleum in Nu’uanu Valley. Still, there are still warning signs on the fenced in area telling people to stay away from the sacred ground. 

The Royal Burial Ground: In 1825, a Royal Mausoleum, Pohukaina Tomb, of white-washed coral block was constructed to house the remains of Kamehameha II and his consort, Queen Kamamalu. Both had died of measles while on a journey to England the year before. For the next forty years, this royal tomb and the land immediately surrounding it became the final resting place for the kings of Hawai‘i, their consorts, and important chiefs of the kingdom. In 1865, eighteen coffins were removed from this site and transferred in a torchlight procession at night to a new Royal Mausoleum in Nu`uanu Valley. // Source: Flickr: Royal Mausoleum/Cliff

Queen Liliʻuokalani Haunting the ʻIolani Palace

One of the most chilling encounters involves the sighting of a regal figure believed to be Queen Liliʻuokalani herself. Every morning at 5:30 she is seen walking over the grounds in her black dress and in the window of her bedroom on the second floor where she was imprisoned. The ghost of Queen Liliʻuokalani is seen most frequently in the palace’s Throne Room and the Queen’s Imprisonment Room, her apparition is described as a solemn presence, her face etched with a mix of sorrow and strength. 

Queen Liliʻuokalani: Lydia Liliʻu Loloku Walania Kamakaʻeha (1838 – 1917) was the only queen regnant and the last sovereign monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom, ruling from January 29, 1891, until the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom on January 17, 1893. The composer of “Aloha ʻOe” and numerous other works, she wrote her autobiography Hawaiʻi’s Story by Hawaiʻi’s Queen (1898) during her imprisonment following the overthrow.

Queen Liliʻuokalani never accepted the demands posed to her and she decided to abdicate instead. The rest of her life she lived as a private citizen and died in 1917 in Honolulu in her home known as Washington Place.

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Today, visitors and staff of ʻIolani Palace frequently report eerie experiences that suggest the presence of lingering spirits. One of the most common phenomena is the sound of ghostly piano music echoing through the grand halls. When checking the security camera though, there is no one pressing the keys at all.

Haunted Piano: This piano is said to play when no one is there but ghosts. // Source: Flickr

The piano is put in the ʻIolani Palace room known as the Blue Room. The piano is secured by bolted glass and the security guards on duty are said to not have access to the key. Even with all this protection, the guards and curators working there are still said to hear the piano songs.

The Blue Room: Said to be one of the centers of the haunting, the blue room in ‘ʻIolani Palace is said to be haunted by Queen Liliʻuokalani. // Source: Howcheng /Wikimedia

This music, often attributed to Queen Liliʻuokalani, who was an accomplished composer and musician, seems to play without any discernible source, sending chills down the spines of those who hear it as a sense of sadness. 

In her old bedroom an alarm goes off once a month even though no one has been there. In the hallways visitors keep complaining about the smell of cigarettes, when no one smokes, something the Queen loved. 

Ghost of King Kalākaua and his Queen Kapi‘olani

The last royal couple living in the ʻIolani Palace until their reign was over, is also said to haunt it. They were said to love the island’s traditional music, and if we are to believe in the rumors, they still do, even in death. 

King and Queen: Kalākaua (David Laʻamea Kamanakapuʻu Māhinulani Nālaʻiaʻehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua (1836 – 1891), was the last king and penultimate monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, from February 12, 1874, until his death in 1891. He was married to Kapiʻolani (1834 – 1899) queen and consort of Mōʻī (king) Kalākaua. When he died she became known as the Dowager Queen Kapiʻolani.

Blood relatives of the royal family, even distant ones, are said to hear loud chanting and music coming from their old bedroom upstairs. Although non-locals, strangers and tourists, hear nothing.

Other Ghosts Said to Haunt the ʻIolani Palace

According to the guards, the best time to catch sight of a ghost is around 5:30 am for some reason. Lights in the ʻIolani Palace are also known to flicker mysteriously, despite there being no electrical issues. Lights and torches wandering around appear in the window. This erratic behavior of the lights adds to the unsettling atmosphere, as if the spirits of the past are still making their presence known in the only way they can. 

There is also the issue with the burial places, with the burial site being filled up by the nobles and in the end, both chiefs and servants were buried in unmarked graves around the place, making the location filled with souls.

Haunted Basement: Source: Flickr

The basement of ʻIolani Palace is particularly rife with paranormal activity. Shadows flit about the corridors, and faint whispers can be heard, as if the walls themselves are trying to speak of the injustices and heartache witnessed within. Staff members feel uneasy in the former wine cellar and kitchen. 

The Banyan Trees in the Courtyard

When the palace opened in the 1880s, Queen Kapi‘olani planted two banyan trees on the grounds. They later grew into a whole group of trees, rumored to be haunted, holding spirits of the dead. 

Read also: Cristalina’s Haunted Banyan Tree in Saligao Village. This article goes a little more into depth about why Banyan trees are often considered to be haunted. 

There is not necessarily royalty haunting these trees though, but spirits of those who have no families to care for them and it is advised to not touch the trees.

Haunted Banyan Trees: Some of the Banyan Trees near ʻIolani Palace that are said to have a haunted energy surrounding them. // Loren Javier/Flickr

The Royal Haunting of ʻIolani Palace

As a historic site and a living museum, ʻIolani Palace continues to attract thousands of visitors each year, drawn not only by its architectural splendor and historical significance but also by its haunting reputation. For many, the chance to possibly glimpse the spirits of Hawaii’s past monarchs adds an irresistible allure to their visit, listening to the enchanting notes from the locked up piano, to the traditional Hawaiian music seeping in from the walls.

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References:

The Ghosts of Iolani Palace – Honolulu Ghost Tours

Friday Night Frights: The Ghosts Who Haunt Hawai‘i’s Historic ‘Iolani Palace

 NO.364 ‘Iolani Palace – Ghost Poppy 

https://paranormal-corner.blogspot.com/2011/12/iolani-palace-in-honolulu-hawaii-palace.html

ʻIolani Palace – Wikipedia 

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The Ghost Faces in Bélmez de la Moraleda

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A house in Bélmez de la Moraleda quickly became known as Spain’s most famous haunted house when there suddenly started to appear faces inside of it. It is still a mystery exactly what the faces come from, but many believe that it is the ghosts from the burial ground under the house. 

Welcome to the mysterious and eerie world of Bélmez de la Moraleda, Spain’s infamous haunted house. Nestled in the province of Jaén, this unassuming village hides a chilling secret that has intrigued paranormal enthusiasts for decades. 

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The story begins in 1971 when a peculiar stain appeared on the kitchen floor of the Pereira family. Little did they know that this seemingly innocuous stain would turn their lives upside down and attract visitors from all corners of the globe. Or did they? Over the years, faces of different individuals, both living and deceased, have materialized on the floor, leaving experts baffled and skeptics questioning. 

The Haunted House of Bélmez de la Moraleda

This mysterious dwelling is said to be haunted by the ghosts of the past. The locals have reported strange noises coming from the house, and some even claim to have seen apparitions walking around inside. The haunted house in Spain has become a popular tourist destination for those looking for an eerie experience. People come from all over to get a glimpse of this mysterious place and its supernatural inhabitants. Are you brave enough to take a tour of the haunted house and find out what secrets it holds?

Read more: Check out all of our ghost stories set in Haunted Houses from around the world.

In a house on Calle Real number 5 in the village Bélmez de la Moraleda, in the far corners of Andalusia, a peculiar haunting has been reported. The small and sleepy town wasn’t really that known until strange things started happening inside of this whitewashed house. The faces on the floors and walls have been a subject of fascination for paranormal enthusiasts and skeptics alike. On the floors and walls of the building, there have been reports about seeing stains that look like faces that come and go since 1971.

Faces in the House: Suddenly it appeared what looked like faces in the walls and floors of the house. The owner of the house claim it wasn’t them. // Source: Cesar Tort/Wikimedia

At first, it appeared on the kitchen floor, and they scraped it off and covered it up. But then, the face started reappearing, not only in the kitchen where it was first seen but all over the house. They did several tests and multiple theories tried to explain exactly what happened in the house, but the exact cause has yet to be confirmed. The mystery continues to baffle experts, leaving the haunted house of Bélmez de la Moraleda shrouded in enigma.

Scientific Investigations and Theories: Unraveling the Unexplained

The strange phenomena witnessed in the haunted house of Bélmez de la Moraleda have attracted the attention of scientists and researchers from around the world. Various investigations and theories have been put forth in an attempt to understand and explain the inexplicable.

One theory put forward by the newspaper El Ideal published some tests that claimed the faces were painted on with silver nitrate and chloride. This painting method was actually a fairly common method in the forties by anti-Franco activists. 

Scientific investigations have involved extensive analysis of the stains, including chemical testing and microscopic examination. Yet, these investigations have not yielded a definitive explanation for the phenomenon. The haunted house of Bélmez de la Moraleda remains an unsolved mystery, leaving room for speculation and wonder.

Built on Top of a Burial Ground

Whose faces are they, and from what reason do they appear? If science can’t give a definitive answer, can perhaps the paranormal world do?

Bélmez de la Moraleda: The town seen from above where the house with the faces is. What really happened and happens in the house will we perhaps never know. //Source: Veinticuatro de Jahén/Wikimedia

It is said that the house is built on top of an ancient cemetery and some believe that it is the ghosts of those buried underneath that are manifesting themselves as faces throughout the house. 

The cemetery from the 13th century was found in the basement under the kitchen, and they could verify the remains of human bones. 

A Haunting Experience: Visiting the House of Faces

Today, the haunted house of Bélmez de la Moraleda stands as a testament to the enduring mystery that surrounds it. The house has been opened to the public, allowing curious individuals to explore the eerie corridors and witness the faces that continue to appear.Scholars have looked at it as a fraud though from the owners, and it is reported that since the death of María Gómez Cámara in 2004, the owner of the house, the faces have been blurring, some of them not even looking like humans.

In the realm of the supernatural, Bélmez de la Moraleda has carved its place as one of Spain’s most haunted locations. Its ghostly secrets and unexplained phenomena serve as a reminder that there is still much we don’t understand about the world around us. As the years go by, the haunted house of Bélmez de la Moraleda will continue to lure in those seeking a glimpse into the unknown, forever shrouded in mystery and ghostly allure.

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References:

Caras de Bélmez – Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre
Ten paranormal places that you can actually visit in Spain
The 10 most famous haunted houses in Spain — idealista

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Unveiling the Mystery of the Haunted House of Mirrors

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After the horrible death of the daughter in the House of Mirror in the Spanish city, Cadiz, it is said that she is haunting the mirrors, still after she exposed the murderer.

This mysterious and eerie place has been the topic of many ghost stories and legends for decades. The locals believe that the spirits of the former owners still reside within the walls of this abandoned house, and anyone who dares to enter will be cursed forever. But what is the truth behind the haunted house of mirrors? Is it just a myth or a real-life haunting? 

Legend about “La Casa de los Espejos” or “The House of Mirrors”

Among the many legends that surround Cadiz, one particular tale stands out – the legend of “La Casa de los Espejos” or “The House of Mirrors” located in the old town in Cadiz right in front of the monument of Marques de comilla. According to locals, the haunted house of mirrors was once the residence of a high-ranking admiral in the navy, who lived there with his wife and beloved daughter.

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The alleged haunted house is a three storey house with huge windows in the heart of Alameda Apodaca part of town. The part of town is known for its stately houses from the 15th and 17th century. Today, they have been converted to luxury apartments with a dark legend hanging over them. 

The Admiral Family That Used to Live there

The admiral, known for his bravery and success on the seas, was often away on long voyages to far off lands. During each of his returns, he would bring his daughter a new mirror as a present, as she had developed a fascination with them. The daughter’s room soon became adorned with mirrors of all shapes and sizes that she hung around the house. The daughter’s collection grew with each passing year, and the mirrors became an integral part of her daily life. Soon the whole house was filled with different mirrors in all shapes and sizes. 

Her mother hated them though and she was growing more and more jealous of her daughter and the affection her husband showed her. Over the years the daughter became a great beauty her father loved to show off, and the mother felt old and cast aside as he only showed affection to her daughter. She started to fear that her husband loved her more than her and the resentment towards her daughter grew. 

The Jealous Mother and her Evil Plan

In the mothers eyes, it was the daughter that was in the way between her and the admiral. They started to argue more and more and their relationship was unsalvageable. She hacked out a horrible plan to get rid of her daughter so she would have her husband to herself once again. 

When the admiral was away at sea, the mother poisoned her daughter. At dinner she served her daughter a portion of poison fish, and they both went to bed. That night the daughter became violently ill, and after the poison took hold of her, she collapsed on the floor alone and died of the poison. 

Little did she know, her actions would have dire consequences. The daughter, in her untimely death, became a restless spirit, forever trapped within the mirrors of the house.

The Daughter Haunting the Mirrors

The admiral, upon his return came in with more mirrors to give to his daughter. His wife told him that his daughter had died of a sickness, and he didn’t suspect her at all. He was devastated to learn of his daughter’s tragic demise. 

One day, he heard the voice of his daughter and he was awoken by it. When he passed by one of the mirrors on the walls, he froze. He saw his daughter, and she showed him in the mirror exactly what happened. 

He went to his wife and demanded the truth from her, still having a sliver of hope that she hadn’t done it. But his worst nightmare was confirmed when she confessed to it all. Overwhelmed with grief and a desire for justice, he turned the mother into the authorities, who were able to uncover the truth behind the daughter’s murder. The mother was convicted and sentenced for her heinous crime and had to spend the rest of her days rotting away in prison. But the haunting of the house of mirrors was far from over.

The admiral was unable to stay in the house where everything had gone down and left the place and was never seen in Cadiz ever again. 

The Hauntings in the House of Mirrors

The house was abandoned and visitors would see ghosts and hear strange things. Inside, you could see the girl still haunting the mirrors. 

Before the house was being renovated recently it was for a long time just empty, and people that were interested in the supernatural came looking for it. They claimed they could hear the laments of the girl, crying over her faith and strange shadows hiding behind the curtains. 

Read more: Check out all of our ghost stories set in Haunted Houses from around the world.

With the admiral’s daughter unable to find peace in the afterlife, the house of mirrors became a hotspot for paranormal activity. Visitors to the house would report seeing apparitions, hearing strange whispers, and experiencing an overwhelming sense of unease. Those brave enough to venture inside would catch glimpses of the daughter’s ghostly figure, forever trapped within the mirrors that she once cherished.

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References:

https://www.lavozdigital.es/provincia/misterios-cadiz-conoce-historia-interior-casa-espejos-20230512112300-ntv.html?ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lavozdigital.es%2Fprovincia%2Fmisterios-cadiz-conoce-historia-interior-casa-espejos-20230512112300-ntv.html
La leyenda de «La Casa de los Espejos» – LA AZOTEA DE CÁDIZ

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Casa Varela – The Haunted Terror House in Borraxeiros

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For years the Varala family was haunted by mystic forces in their house in Borraxeiros. This poltergeist-like activity was thought to have been brought from South America on one of his travels and was slowly making them go mad in the Casa Varela. 

Are you ready to hear a creepy tale that will send shivers down your spine? There is a haunted house located in Spain that has terrified those who live there. The house is known to be haunted by the lingering ghost of a former inhabitant. 

Read more: Check out all of our ghost stories from Spain

The ghosts inside of Casa Varela has been described as being particularly malevolent and has been seen lurking in the shadows, making eerie noises, and even moving objects.

The Haunting Begins in Casa Varela

Borraxeiros in Pontevedra is one of those places that have historically been known as Deep Galicia. It is in the deepest of the forests where the population is sparse and myths and legends lurk in the shadows between the thick forest. 

Casa Varela: For 5 years the Varela family was terrorized by what they believed was a paranormal phenomenon that haunted them. // Source: Blogspot

This story lasted for 5 years filled with terror for the family that lived in this horror house called Casa Varela. It was owned by D. Manuel Varela who was a simple farmer living with his family, just trying to make ends meet on the farm. 

Read more: Check out all of our ghost stories set in Haunted Houses from around the world.

It all began one afternoon in 1916. It was May, and summer and lighter times were all ahead. But not for the Varela family whose house started to have strange things happening. Rain of stones started to drizzle and devastate the house.

Manuel Varela went to the Civil Guard to ask for their help, but they were unable to find the cause of this strange event of Casa Varela. Soon, even more strange things started to haunt the family. 

Objects in the house moved, even the furniture rose through the air and violently crashed the walls. The whole family suffered long sleepless nights and paranoia. What was going on? The spirits tugged at their clothes in the night and slapped and beat them whenever they tried to sleep.

Other harrowing experiences like the bedding being pulled off them, being chased out from the house and flour being thrown in their face, they slowly started to lose their mind, but had nowhere to go. 

In 1921 the events inside of Casa Varela stopped without an explanation and without them really having done anything. It never started again, but for the family, the things that had happened, had forever marked them. 

After 5 years of this nightmare, it was too much for Mr. Varela who ended up crazy and he started talking to himself and visiting the cemetery. The neighbors said he went there to pray because the voices in his head told him to.

Why did this happen to the family? One of the theories was that M. Varela had been living in Cuba for many years before returning to Spain. Some claim that he brought something with him home, some sort of black magic or voodoo from the island far away. 

The Haunted Terror House of Casa Varela Today

Today, there are reports of people seeing lights in the ruins of the Casa Varela as well as moving shadows and what looks like red eyes in the dark. It is said that even cows are scared to get close to the house. The Haunted Terror House of Casa Varela stands as a chilling reminder of the horrors that once plagued the Varela family, and it continues to draw the attention of thrill-seekers and paranormal enthusiasts from all over.

For those who dare to venture inside, they are met with an overwhelming sense of unease as they step through the decaying remnants of the entrance. Many who have entered the Haunted Terror House report strange occurrences and unexplained phenomena. Whispers echo through the halls, and cold drafts send shivers down your spine. Shadows dance in the corners of your vision, disappearing as soon as you turn to look. It’s as if the spirits that once tormented the Varela family still linger within these walls, eager to make their presence known.

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