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The Haunting of Maiden Tower and the Mysterious Lady’s Finger

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As a beacon to guide ships safely to Drogheda port, the Maiden Tower at Mornington Beach bears its own histories. It is said that once a woman threw herself from the tower when she thought that her lover had died in the war. 

Perched upon the southern bank at the River Boyne’s mouth in Ireland, two old structures stand sentinel over the waters—an eerie duo that has borne witness to centuries of maritime history. The Maiden Tower, the 60 ft tower on Mornington Beach. The Tower dates all the way back to the 16th century, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The Lady’s Finger is a solitary stone pillar.

Read More: Check out all of the ghost stories from Ireland

These two maritime markers served as vital navigational aids for ships venturing into the River Boyne prior to the construction in 1765. The mariners of yore depended on the sight of these structures to safely navigate the river’s winding course.

The Maiden Tower: Looking out from the beach, the tower stands as a beacon for passing ships. There are many legends about this tower, one of them is that it is haunted. On foggy nights, people claim to see a young woman, still waiting for her lover. // Source: Wikimedia

The Waiting Maiden

Amidst the tower’s ancient stones, echoes of folklore and legend resound. One tale tells of a faithful lady who, eagerly awaiting her husband’s return from the war. Before leaving, the woman made her lover promise he would return on a ship with white sails if he lived, and if he did not, the ship would have black sails.

When he finally returned, the sails were black and the woman thought he was dead. Overwhelmed with grief tragically plunged from the tower.Turned out though, that the black sail was either a mistake, or her man had used it to surprise her in a twist.

Lady’s Finger:Wikimedia

When he saw what had happened, he too jumped from the tower to join her in the afterlife.

It is said that ever after, people have seen the ghost of the maiden, standing at the top of the tower, still waiting for the ship to tell that her lover really did survive. 

The Lady’s Finger, a 13ft high obelisk, was said to have been erected in the memory of the tragic maiden that threw herself from the tower. Reportedly the term “Lady’s Finger” was given and the maiden never received a wedding ring.

The Spinning Lady in the Maiden Tower

But amidst the historical accounts and maritime tales, one enigmatic figure remains—a mysterious old woman who, in 1819, took up residence atop the tower. On a Spring morning in 1819 the fishing community of the little village were surprised to see smoke rising from the top of the tower and found the old hermit woman in the tower.

Spinning yarn under a makeshift sail roof, she wove herself into the tapestry of local folklore, earning the moniker ‘the lady of the tower.’ The villagers gave her food daily and looked at her like a holy woman.

As the severe winter of 1821 gripped the land, she left the tower’s solitude to a medical institution, passing away shortly thereafter. She was buried in an unmarked pauper’s grave and no one found out who she was.

The Enduring Mystery of the Maiden Tower

Public access to the tower persisted until the mid-1990s, when a metal grill sealed the raised doorway, safeguarding it from vandalism. In 2003, the metal grill was removed, and the tower suffered desecration. To thwart further intrusions, a solid metal door was erected, barring entry.

The Maiden Tower and the Lady’s Finger, steadfast guardians of the River Boyne, continue to cast their spectral presence over the waters, bearing witness to centuries of maritime history and enigmatic tales that linger on the whispering winds of time.

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References:

The Maiden Tower, Mornington 

Mornington, County Meath – Wikipedia 

Maydenhayes Inspiration | The Maiden Tower & The Lady’s Finger 

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The Haunted Calahorra Tower in Elche

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In Elche, Spain there is the notorious Calahorra Tower that has long been believed to be haunted by mysterious ghosts. Under the tower there is a hidden passageway were the people that have lived in the tower throughout times have been certain to have been haunted. 

From its strategic position on the banks of the Vinalopó River to its remarkable architectural features, the Calahorra Tower has witnessed centuries of triumphs, struggles, and cultural transformations.  From the ancient Iberians to the Roman Empire and the Moorish rule, each chapter of history has left its mark on this remarkable structure. 

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

The first sign of the tower appeared as far back as the 12th century.Its strategic location made it a vital stronghold, guarding the city of Elche against potential invasions. The tower’s construction reflects the military architecture of the period, with its solid stone walls and defensive battlements. As you approach the tower, you can’t help but feel a sense of awe and wonder at the centuries of history it has witnessed.

Torre de le Calahorra: The Tower of La Calahorra rises up at the south of the Roman bridge, the far end from the city centre. It is a fortified gate originally built by the Moors. In the 18th century it was used as a prison and in the 19th century it was a girls school. It currently houses the Museo Vivo de Al-Andaluz.

But the historical significance of Calahorra Tower extends far beyond its military and religious roles. Over the centuries, it has served as a witness to Elche’s cultural transformations. The tower stands as a testament to the blending of different cultures, from the Roman Empire to the Moorish rule and the subsequent Christian reconquest. Each of these periods has left its mark on the architecture and cultural fabric of Elche, and the Calahorra Tower stands as a tangible reminder of this rich tapestry of history.

One of the most striking features of the Calahorra Tower is its rooftop terrace. From here, you can enjoy panoramic views of Elche and the surrounding countryside. It’s easy to imagine the soldiers who once stood guard on these battlements, scanning the horizon for any signs of danger. As you take in the breathtaking views, you can’t help but feel a connection to the past and the people who once called this tower home.

The Tower as a Mysterious Masonic Lodge

One of the strange uses the place has had except from prison, barracks and confinement during the plague is as the headquarter of a Masonic Lodge. The Masonic lodge of the Order of the Grand Orient of Spain is decorated with Egyptian motifs in the tower. It showed life and death as well as for ceremonies and different rituals. 

Legends and Mysteries Surrounding Calahorra Tower

No historical landmark would be complete without its fair share of legends and mysteries, and the Calahorra Tower is no exception. Over the centuries, numerous stories have been passed down, adding to the allure and intrigue of this remarkable structure. 

One of the most enduring legends surrounding the Calahorra Tower is that it is haunted. According to local folklore, the spirits of past inhabitants still wander its halls, unable to find peace. There is for example a passageway from the dungeons that leads out to the sea and many of those who have stayed there claim to have experienced something paranormal there. The last person who lived in the tower also claimed to have encountered a headless ghost.

Visitors have reported hearing strange noises, feeling cold spots, and even witnessing ghostly apparitions. There are especially talks about hearing footsteps and the sound of children on the second floor. 

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References:

La Torre de la Calahorra en Elche o la aparición de la Asunción a un pirata berberisco
Misterios de la Calahorra – VisitElche
Pasamos la noche en la torre de la Calahorra pese a las advertencias – Cuarto milenio

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The Haunting in Pasir Ris Park

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On the foundation of old land with a lot of history, a new park was built called Pasir Ris Park. But the haunted legends of ghost and vampiric creatures surrounding the mangrove forest followed into the modern day busy Singapore. 

The park of Pasir Ris is a fairly new park, built first in the late 80s the reports of strange occurrences started trickling in. And in the following year the park expanded as well as the legends surrounding it. 

The surrounding area that connects the entrances to the popular jogging routes of Pasir Ris Park is Sungei Api Api, a river known to be a place filled with murders and suicides from old times. It was also believed this was the place black magic was practiced in the olden days because of the thick forest. 

The Bird Tower in Pasir Ris Park

There are many spots the local deems as haunted. One of these hot spots, or cold spots if you will, is the Bird Tower in Pasir Ris Park. Located a bit away from the beach in the mangrove forest, it is not necessarily something that you see at once. During the day it looks like a cute and peaceful tower that was built for peaceful birdwatching in the area. But at night the atmosphere changes and the experiences people have seen or experienced themselves have made it so that it is known as the ‘suicide tower’, and apparently it is haunted. 

The Pasir Ris Park: Beautiful in the day, the park turns into something more sinister according to legend at night. //Photo: Cattan2011:Flickr

One of these urban legends that is the most told, and perhaps that started the rumours is the one about the boy with the third eye that died from falling down the tower. The third eye is something that in some lores makes you able to see ghosts according to folklore. The story goes that decades ago he was hanging out in the Pasir Ris Park with his friends and played around.

He spotted something at the tower that was not of this world and told his friends about it. Was it a ghost? The boy along with his friends agreed to come back at night on their bike for further explorations about the strange things he saw. 

They were all resting at the bottom of the tower, but suddenly, the boy with the third eye stood up and ran up the stairs, climbing to the top of the tower and — jumped. The fall turned out to be deadly.

Some of the friends ran to get help while the rest stayed back and watched over their friend as he was slowly dying. Right before he died of the fall, he told them about a feeling of being pushed from the tower. According to him it was an entity that forcefully made him fall. And according to the story he died on his way to the hospital. 

From then on it has been known as the suicide tower, as there have actually been several incidents of people taking their life there. 

The Vampiric Pontianak

In recent times there have also been more reports on two women standing at the top of the tower. According to some, it is possible pontianaks, a malayan and indonesian folklore vampiric ghost of a female who is a deadly creature, which is also been rumoured to roam the area in Pasir Ris Park. 

They are also the ones rumoured to haunt the areas around the beach, where the trees grow tall and thick. The Pontianak (Malayan), or the Kuntilanak (Indonesian), shows up in mythology and folklore in different shapes. Both in the form of a pregnant woman unable to give birth or as a vengeful female spirit with a vampiric touch. Signs like a baby crying or a scent of the plumeria flower or a decaying corpse warns she is around. She is using her appearance as a beautiful woman to lure men, killing them with her long fingernails by removing their organs. 

Check out more stories about the Pontianak here:

The Ghost on the Bench

The fear of ghosts and pontianaks was the thing locals and visitors alike have when hearing stories like a female runner told of when she herself experienced something she could only explain as paranormal. She went for a jog along the place where sightings of the paranormal sort has been reported and came back a believer.

The Viral Ghost: A female jogger took this photo in Pasir Ris Park on a nightly run, experiencing strange and seemingly paranormal things. This went viral when she published it on her facebook back in June 2021. Could this be an example of what haunts the park at night? // Photo: Source

On one of her runs in Pasir Ris Park, she encountered something that looked like a woman sitting on one of the benches in the park. There was something off about her, just sitting there by herself at night in the dark. The strangest thing about her was that it looked like she had no legs when the runner looked more closely.

A lot could explain this strange sight she managed to take a picture of in Pasir Ris Park that night. It might have just been a woman resting on a bench with her legs pulled up. But this was only one of the things she experienced that night in the park.

As the jogger ran past the strange looking woman, she later heard someone or something calling out her name. Problem was there was no one there, especially not one that knew her name.

However the woman managed to snap a photo and the picture fueled the fire about and many had their own theories and experiences about what lived inside of Pasir Ris Park.

These are just some of the occurrences that have been reported in this brand new and modern park. And even in a modernised place like Singapore, the old legends and lores of old times keep on having its place in this country.

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References

https://www.wegonative.com/article/4685/most-haunted-places-singapore

https://goodyfeed.com/spooky-reason-why-the-pasir-ris-tower-is-known-as-the-suicide-tower/

https://www.timeout.com/singapore/things-to-do/the-most-creepiest-and-haunted-places-in-singapore

https://mothership.sg/2021/06/pasir-ris-park-ghost/