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!

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.