Ghostly sightings of the Duke of Monmouth

On the 16th July each year it is reported that recurring sightings of the Duke of Monmouth can be seen in the woods at Horton in Dorset. The Duke was put to death at the Tower of London but his ghost is said to haunt the site of his failed rebellion, carrying his head in his hands.

Source: https://www.paranormaldatabase.com/

On this day in 1857 - The Spirits Book.

On this day - April 18th in 1857 - the famous book, regarded as the most important in the spiritist movement was published, The Spirits Book by Allan Kardec.

It is composed mainly of a collection of questions about the origin of spirits, what the afterlife entails, the concepts of good and evil and ultimately the purpose of life. The answers were provided by a group of spirits who called themselves 'The Spirit of Truth' and he communicated with them in many sessions during the 1850's.

It contains many concepts that we still grapple with today, and is still available (on Amazon would you believe it?! See link below) including do spirits pre-exist and survive physical matter, are there good and evil spirits, reincarnation and guardian 'angels'. Fascinating stuff, and groundbreaking especially for the time.

Ludlow Castle and the ghost of Marion de la Bruyere.

Ludlow Castle is a stunning and imposing ruin that sits high on a perfect vantage point overlooking the River Teme. It is thought to have been founded by Walter de Lacy after the Norman Conquest and is one of the most impressive Medieval castles in England as well as being one of the first stone castles built here.

It is a very popular tourist destination being open for most of the year, it plays host to several events in the town including Ludlow's famous food festivals and it's Medieval Fayre each November. However for those of us with an interest in the darker side of things, Ludlow Castle also has it's fair share of haunting stories, the most famous being that of Marion de la Bruyere - a favourite tale to school children in the area who were all taught it...me included as it is my home town.

She dates right back to the 12th century when she was resident in the castle, at the time there were some soldiers imprisoned there from the enemy's side, one of these was Arnold de Lys with whom she fell in love. Following his exit from the castle they continued their affair in secret as he was on the side of the enemy, she would lower a rope from the battlements for him to climb and their visits continued. However one night he purposefully left the rope hanging down so it was available to his comrades who entered the castle and murdered many of it's inhabitants.

Marion was so distraught by his betrayal she grabbed his sword and killed him with it, then overcome by grief and guilt she threw herself from the top of Pendover Tower and fell to her death.

There have been since - right up to the present day - reports of her ghost at dusk. Some say it is seen reenacting her fall to death, screams have been heard and others recount that they have seen the ghost wandering at the base of the tower, whichever way, she still seems to be present in the ruins after all this time.

Ludlow Castle at dusk.

Haunting of Hill House

Wow...we finished watching it a couple of days ago and my goodness it was good. A gripping, believable horror that completely enchanted us. I'm not a fan of the blood and guts type horror films, I don't want to see people suspended on hooks or having their fingernails pulled out, I like to exercise my mind, and this programme certainly did that! Each episode left me wanting more...hence the almost binge-watching that followed.

Everything from the writing that transformed a classic novel into a modern day setting, together with the scene settings, atmosphere, sound and lighting made this an absolute winner...I may need to watch it again if only to spot all the ghosts I missed (which add to the almost subliminal 'did I just see that' feeling) first time round.

Watch it, I recommend it!

Newspaper snippet

I just came across a little snippet I cut out of a UK newspaper last year (I think) about people's top 10 favourite spooky phenomena, thinking about writing about them all in due course although a couple of them - the origins of Stonehenge especially - are so vast a topic that I wouldn't know where to start, so many opinions, conflicting arguments etc, but fascinating nonetheless. They run as follows:

10 - Hampton Court ghosts, Surrey
9 - Highgate vampire, north London
8 - Devil's footprints, Devon
7 - Rendlesham Forest UFO, Suffolk
6 - Agatha Christie's 'missing 11 days', Harrogate, Yorkshire
5 - Suicidal Dogs at Overtoun Bridge, West Dunbartonshire
4 - Enfield Haunting, north London
3 - Beast of Bodmin Moor, Cornwall
2 - Origins of Stonehenge, Wiltshire
1 - Loch Ness Monster, Scottish Highlands

Is your favourite there? 

Doomed to Sail Forever - The Flying Dutchman.

The mysterious ghost ship The Flying Dutchman, recently brought back to fame by the Pirates of the Caribbean films is actually a long-standing nautical legend dating from around the 17th century. The name ‘Flying Dutchman’ refers to the ship’s infamous captain Hendrik van der Decken, but it has become known as the name of the vessel over time, it is a phantom ship doomed to sail the seas forever as punishment for the evil behaviour of the captain and crew. 

The Flying Dutchman has been sighted many times over the last few hundred years, usually from afar or on the horizon around the Cape of Good Hope and sometimes described as having a ghostly light around it. The ship often appears during storms and is considered an omen or portent of doom to anyone who sees it especially if they are also on board a ship. Mariners used to nail horseshoes to the masts of their vessels in an attempt to ward off the Dutchman and any bad luck associated with it. Most versions of the story behind the doomed ship tell of a horrible crime that took place on board or sometimes of a disease that infected the crew, due to the crime or illness the ship was not allowed to sail into port anywhere and was therefore condemned to sail forever. 

In one Dutch version of the tale, the ship’s captain, here known as ‘van Straaten’, was an arrogant man who claimed he could sail around the Cape of Good Hope, he said he would not retreat even if faced with a terrible storm, the ship was lost during the voyage however and the dead crew still sail the seas today. A German version of the legend says the captain, this time called van Flakenberg, engaged in a game with the devil, he subsequently lost and was condemned to a living death aboard his ship, never allowed to set foot on land again. 

The Flying Dutchman is said to have been seen as recently as 1923 at the Cape of Good Hope – the ship’s legendary home which is known for its treacherous sailing conditions, the ship was seen from land just on the horizon although many say it was simply a trick of the light. The last recorded sighting of the ship was in 1942 off the coast of Cape Town; four people saw the Dutchman sail into Table Bay... and simply vanish.

Thoughts on Paranormal Perceptions.

The world of the paranormal conjures many feelings in us, curiosity, fascination, amazement, but more often than not it is fear, and this is usually a fear of the unknown, mixed in with influences of the movies and horror stories.

There are many positive, even happy experiences within the realm of things classed as paranormal. To see a loved one in a dream, to catch a glimpse of a departed pet in the corner of your eye or small a waft of scent someone used to wear. But positive experiences often have to be hunted out from behind the easier to believe and more ‘interesting’ scary accounts.

As with many things in life, especially with a subject as diverse and personal as paranormal experiences, we are often told only the negative, scary, unsettling things. Due to the nature of paranormal happenings there is usually a factor to expand upon for effect - to set the scene, such as things happening in the dark of night or in an old, cold, damp building.

Tales of ghosts and spirits were often used as tools to keep people away from certain places or to deter children from being naughty. These almost ingrained feelings are naturally passed down to each generation - the supernatural is something scary and unpredictable and must therefore be feared. Add to this the more recent influence of Hollywood. Stories such as the Amityville Horror or The Blair Witch Project, based on ‘true’ events have been transformed into blockbuster movies by artistic licence leaving scores of people hypersensitive to strange happenings or the slightest bump in the night. This kind of movie mania isn’t just restricted to films of this type of course, a good example is the fear that 'Jaws' has struck into the hearts of those who have seen it for example. Sadly as a consequence an irrational fear of sharks the world over resulted, animals persecuted due to a horror story and a very effective theme tune.

It is a natural reaction of self-preservation of course, to fear that which we are told to be afraid of, and feelings of fear should not be ignored, but there has to be some rationality too. Fear of most things can be overcome or at least eased by learning – knowledge really is power. Research and information is the best defense against feelings of fear getting out of control. The paranormal is a vast and varied area of experience, it cannot all be frightening. By looking up positive tales of protector spirits, helpful entities and friendly ghosts for example, one can realise that nothing is all bad, and that there is so much to be gained from thinking about the paranormal in a different way.
For those who have had paranormal experiences, they may well be unsettling or confusing, but are they to be feared? Some undoubtedly will be yes, and fear is an instinct that is within us for a reason, but the paranormal as a whole need not be tarred with the same brush. Culture, media and these days social media has an undeniable impact on every aspect of our lives, but how you react to a deeply personal experience is your business and nobody else's.
Just my thoughts!

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Ghostly Pekingese.

Should you be near Land's End in Cornwall at anytime in the evenings or at night, be warned not to pet a small Pekingese dog. It is said that the body of a Chinese Princess is buried in the beach/cove area (although we are having trouble finding any detailed information) and that her grave is guarded by her little dog. Should anyone try to disturb her resting place, the phantom dog will bite them...death will come for the perpetrator before long!

The Lost Souls of Aokigahara Forest.

There are few places in the world that conjure up feelings of sorrow, pity, fear, and ultimately fascination as Aokigahara Forest in Japan. Also called the ‘Sea of Trees’, this dense woodland at the base of Mount Fuji has the unfortunate fame of being one of the most well-known places to commit suicide in the world. It is known to be haunted by the ghosts of the hundreds who have died there. 

Aokigahara Forest is the most popular place to commit suicide in the whole of Japan; in fact it is only second to the Golden Gate Bridge in the world. Since records began being taken in the 1950’s, over 500 people have taken their own lives amongst its trees, most by hanging, some by overdoses or other methods. The gruesome trend supposedly began after the publication of Seicho Matsumoto’s novel Kuroi Kaiju (Black Sea of Trees) where two of his characters commit suicide at Aokigahara, however the history of suicide predates this and the forest has had an association with death for a long time. 

Due to the high numbers of incidents, the unenviable task of an annual body search began in 1970, consisting of a small collection of police, volunteers, and a few journalists. These groups follow official and unofficial forest trails as well as going off the beaten track to recover bodies and mark the places with tape – this tape is never removed. They have found over 100 corpses per year in recent times, but who knows how many they never find? The first kilometer in is where most of the bodies are found, and some people are saved from their attempt, but those who are determined tend to walk a long way into the woods. 

These lost souls are said to haunt the forest, which is in itself a very eerie place. The densely packed trees mean that there are parts that are in continual darkness, the light blocked out by the foliage. Due to the closely growing trees there is hardly any wind and an odd absence of wildlife gives the forest a silent, foreboding atmosphere. The ghosts of people who took their own lives are likely to be troubled, unable to rest, and there have been many reports of spooky encounters.  

Due in part to its reputation, the Aokigahara Forest is a popular tourist destination as is Mount Fuji itself. People have talked of the feeling of being watched, followed and taunted by unseen entities as well as hearing sounds which can’t be explained. 

The trend of suicides at Aokigahara doesn’t seem likely to diminish any time soon. The Japanese government has tried to dissuade people by employing officials to position signs, in both Japanese and English, urging those who have gone to the woods in order to commit suicide to seek help, think of their families and not kill themselves. Whether it is due to folklore, the draw of a novel or the fame that precedes it, the lost souls of Aokigahara Forest will most likely continue to grow in number for the foreseeable future. 

Hallowe'en!

For many of us, Halloween is as much of an event as Christmas. For me, the feelings this time of year conjure up are fantastic, legends and myths abound, and stories of the past beg to be read. I love the dark, moon, colder weather and fires, all of these together make autumn, and Halloween very special.

The commercial side of Halloween is not for me though, pumpkin carving, dressing up and trick or treating luckily passed me by when I was young, and now I see Halloween has become a money-making opportunity for shops as much as Valentine's Day. I will however be doing my own celebrating, remembering the 'proper' Samhain from my pagan roots and will be indulging in lovely wintry food tomorrow night.

Happy hauntings everyone.

Hound with horns - Clacktoll, Highlands.

A ghost hound is said to chase people who use the road through the village late at night, he is said to have horns - quite rare in the legends of black dogs and shucks.

Messy Dog - Selkirk, Scottish Borders.

A grey hound is said to haunt the road between Selkirk and Langholm and has been reported at both dusk and dawn - a 'messy looking' animal the size of a normal dog, it wanders the road without making a sound.

Lych Way, Dartmoor - The Way of the Dead.

Ghostly funeral processions travelling through the Dartmoor mist have sometimes been seen along this ancient pathway. Lych Way is a track along which people used to have to carry the dead for burial at nearby Lydford where interment of the deceased was compulsory, so for people living on the far side of the Moor, this was an arduous task especially in the winter months. Things became slightly easier in the 1200's when Widecombe was permitted for use, however the ghostly site has still been reported in modern times.