Moon Mausoleum
An online magazine about the paranormal, haunted and macabre. We collect the ghost stories from all around the world as well as review horror and gothic media.
Despite no seemingly root in reality as the ghost story is told today, the legends about the three kings that are haunting the Three Kings Chapel in Goa keep being told and they are said to come out at night when no one is supposed to stay.
Despite no seemingly root in reality as the ghost story is told today, the legends about the three kings that are haunting the Three Kings Chapel in Goa keep being told and they are said to come out at night when no one is supposed to stay.
The Three Kings Chapel on top of Cuelium hill shines white against the blue sky of Goa. The old church is also known as the Church of Our Lady of Remedies and is found in South Goa in India. The allegedly haunted church has long been associated with ghost sightings, supernatural activities, and unexplained occurrences.
Read more: Check out all of the ghost stories from India
The church’s dark past is riddled with tales of Portuguese invaders, brutal battles, and tragic deaths that have left their mark on the very foundation of the building. The locals believe that the spirits of the fallen soldiers and innocent civilians still haunt the Three Kings Chapel making it one of the most haunted places in Goa.
The Three Kings Chapel was built in the 16th century by the Portuguese in the village of Cansaulim on top of a hill called Cuelim over the coconut trees below. The Portuguese invaded Goa in 1510 and defeated the Bijapur Sultanate. Portuguese rule lasted for about 450 years, and heavily influenced Goan culture, cuisine, and architecture.
The Three Kings Chapel’s original name is apparently Remedios Saibini Church or Our Lady of Remedies. It was built in 1599 by Fr Gonzalo Carvalho S.J. During this time the Portuguese Empire ruled Goa.
Why the name was changed is uncertain though. The Three Kings Chapel refers to the three wise men in the bible that visited Baby Jesus in his crib. Every year the Christians celebrate the Feast of the Three Kings on the 6th of January that marks the end of Christmas, especially for the Spanish and Portuguese.
There are many legends connected to this The Three Kings Chapel that are said to be the source of the legends and ghost stories coming from there. One being that there once were three Portuguese kings that were fighting for power in the area, or in some cases prince brothers that all fought to be the single ruling king.
One of the Kings invited the other two for dinner once and claimed he wanted to find a peaceful solution to their quarrels. When the dinner party arrived though, he poisoned their food and declared himself king after they died.
His plan backfired though when his brother’s supporters found out what he had done though and he was aware about the repercussions. Fearing the wrath of the other two kings supporters though, he drank the poison as well and died along with them.
Together they were all buried in the cemetery of the Three Kings Chapel. It is said that their spirits still roam around in the graveyard on top of the hill, still governing their kingdom they wanted so much and died for.
People visiting the hill the Three Kings Chapel sits on claim to have seen something ghostly in the dark, and felt something they describe like a strong presence.
Read more: Check out more ghost stories from cemeteries around the world
The locals advise to not visit the haunted church late at night, as the story goes you will never be seen again. Some say that they only say this to keep lovers away from this secluded place though.
There is also the legend of a tree that is outside of the church. When you leave, you must never look back at it. People are also said to get sick or if they are not baptized when visiting and so on.
As history goes, we do know where the Portuguese king was throughout the times, and it wasn’t in Goa. So who was supposedly quarreling by the Three Kings Chapel? Some speculate that the legend could be of a more local power struggle when the Portuguese claimed the land. Throughout the times though, the local warlords became more royal for the story’s effect.
In some sources they call the King that poisoned his brothers, King Holger Alvunge, but as it is a Scandinavian sounding name, it has most likely no base in reality. But even in old days in the Goa governance, they usually kept records, and there have been no leaders with the name of Holger Alvunge.
There are also claims of lights coming from the haunted church that are like a ghost procession for the kings in the dead of the night, gliding around the church and coming down the hill. But that may very be during the Three Kings festival where people parade to the top throwing coins. After they usually stay back a couple with light to collect them.
The Haunted Three Kings Chapel is not Haunted.
Three Kings Church, Cansaulim (Goa) – Haunted Places of Goa – Holidify
IS THE THREE KINGS CHAPEL REALLY A HAUNTED PLACE IN GOA? – That Goan Girl
