The Ghosts and Folklore Society!
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Original post by RarestPepe
Interesting, I'm in!
OP, do you go ghost hunting? I was interested in going for a while ..
Also I see you're an atheist, how can you reconcile atheism with believing in the supernatural ?
OP, do you go ghost hunting? I was interested in going for a while ..
Also I see you're an atheist, how can you reconcile atheism with believing in the supernatural ?
Awesome! So far I've only been to one location with the hope of experiencing something paranormal (The Station Hotel, Dudley, which I will write about soon).
You're right, I'm atheist, so I'm skeptical about the paranormal, but I still have a huge interest in it! I created this thread because of my interest, not necessarily because I believe in it
Original post by DeathGuardElite
Just announcing my desire to lurk here
I'm glad you're finding my thread interesting! Are there any particular topics you'd like me to write about?
Original post by Leviathan1741
You're right, I'm atheist, so I'm skeptical about the paranormal, but I still have a huge interest in it! I created this thread because of my interest, not necessarily because I believe in it
Alright, me too I'm not convinced yet of the existence of folklore entities like fairies or what not, I do believe in ghosts tho .. Had quite a few paranormal experiences until now, I'll maybe make a list later and write them all down
Original post by RarestPepe
Alright, me too I'm not convinced yet of the existence of folklore entities like fairies or what not, I do believe in ghosts tho .. Had quite a few paranormal experiences until now, I'll maybe make a list later and write them all down
Ahh okay, yeah I haven't experienced anything paranormal as yet (although lots of people in my family have), so I am remaining skeptical for now
Ghosts From Around the World
Despite being integral to English folklore and culture, ghosts can be found all over the world in various forms. Below are just a few examples:
Banshees are ancient Irish family hauntings. They take the form of a wailing woman whose screams and cries are heard prior to the death of a family member.
Ghouls are Arabian ghosts which haunt burial sites. They appear in human-like form with hideous faces, and are believed to steal and feed on corpses.
Kelpies are Scottish water hauntings which take the form of horses. Kelpies come out of the water and lure unsuspecting humans onto their backs, whereupon they return to the water and drown them.
Liekkio is a Finnish spectre which appears as a dancing flame wherever a death is imminent. Liekkio lights are thought to be the spirits of children who have been buried in unmarked graves.
Lorelei is a female ghost native to Germany. She appears as a very beautiful young woman sitting on top of a large rock in the River Rhine. She sings an enchanting melody which causes sailors to lose their sense of direction and crash their boats into the rocks below her.
Mumiai is an Indian poltergeist which is known for attacking objects and throwing people. It focuses its attention on people who are lazy or who have criminal tendencies.
The Yellow Man is a ghost found only in France, which appears as a yellow glowing figure with red marks upon its throat. The appearance of the Yellow Man warns that France will come under threat in the near future.
Tokoloshes are South African water spirits, which appear in the form of a hairy black shape and can become invisible by drinking water. Tokoloshes are malevolent spirits who will harm humans if provoked, and can even cause death.
Despite being integral to English folklore and culture, ghosts can be found all over the world in various forms. Below are just a few examples:
Banshees are ancient Irish family hauntings. They take the form of a wailing woman whose screams and cries are heard prior to the death of a family member.
Ghouls are Arabian ghosts which haunt burial sites. They appear in human-like form with hideous faces, and are believed to steal and feed on corpses.
Kelpies are Scottish water hauntings which take the form of horses. Kelpies come out of the water and lure unsuspecting humans onto their backs, whereupon they return to the water and drown them.
Liekkio is a Finnish spectre which appears as a dancing flame wherever a death is imminent. Liekkio lights are thought to be the spirits of children who have been buried in unmarked graves.
Lorelei is a female ghost native to Germany. She appears as a very beautiful young woman sitting on top of a large rock in the River Rhine. She sings an enchanting melody which causes sailors to lose their sense of direction and crash their boats into the rocks below her.
Mumiai is an Indian poltergeist which is known for attacking objects and throwing people. It focuses its attention on people who are lazy or who have criminal tendencies.
The Yellow Man is a ghost found only in France, which appears as a yellow glowing figure with red marks upon its throat. The appearance of the Yellow Man warns that France will come under threat in the near future.
Tokoloshes are South African water spirits, which appear in the form of a hairy black shape and can become invisible by drinking water. Tokoloshes are malevolent spirits who will harm humans if provoked, and can even cause death.
Original post by Leviathan1741
I'm glad you're finding my thread interesting! Are there any particular topics you'd like me to write about?
I joined the group too, i find everything interesting when it comes to the occult or the dead or spirits.
Original post by DeathGuardElite
I joined the group too, i find everything interesting when it comes to the occult or the dead or spirits.
Thank you! I try to post about one ghost/folklore topic every day, hopefully you will find them interesting
Can urban myths be discussed here, or is it ghost stories and traditional folk stories only?
Original post by Eternalflames
Can urban myths be discussed here, or is it ghost stories and traditional folk stories only?
Nope, urban myths can be discussed too!
Original post by Leviathan1741
Thank you! I try to post about one ghost/folklore topic every day, hopefully you will find them interesting
Hopefully i will, i actually own a book of the myths and forklore of Britain its a book from the 70s i believe.
Original post by DeathGuardElite
Hopefully i will, i actually own a book of the myths and forklore of Britain its a book from the 70s i believe.
I have one on the myths and folklore of Britain as well, I'm not sure where it is now though
Original post by Leviathan1741
I have one on the myths and folklore of Britain as well, I'm not sure where it is now though
mine is in one of my many book piles, not sure which one though but it is in one
Hebridean Folklore
The Inner and Outer Hebrides of Scotland are made up of many large and small islands, many of which are isolated and uninhabited. With their rugged landscapes and generally small populations, it’s no wonder that lots of myths and legends concerning the islands and surrounding waters have developed over time.
Water spirits
The kelpie is a water spirit believed to inhabit the lochs and pools of Scotland and the Hebrides. Kelpies usually take the form of horses; however they can also appear as humans. If a human approaches the water in a loch, the kelpie will come out of the water and entice them onto its back. Once the human has mounted the kelpie, it will go back into the water of the loch and drown them.
Storm kelpies, also known as Blue Men of the Minch, are water spirits which are said to inhabit the stretch of water between the northern Inner and Outer Hebrides from the Scottish mainland (The Minch). These water spirits take the form of human-like, blue coloured creatures which possess the ability to create storms at will. Storm kelpies are able to speak, and will challenge passing sailors to repeat two lines of poetry. If they fail, the storm kelpies will attempt to destroy the boat and drown the sailor.
Lake monsters
The loch monsters of the Hebrides have been said to take a number of forms, with the most common being that of a large serpent or eel. Other loch monsters are much more unusual, such as the Searrach Uisge of Loch Suainaval. This monster was said to resemble a capsized boat, and the people living around the loch made offerings of lambs once a year to ensure that the monster would not harm them.
Will-o’-the-wisp
Various reports of will-o’-the-wisp have come from the small town of Sandwick, Shetland Islands, further north of the Hebrides. A will-o’-the-wisp takes the form of one or more bright flickering lights floating above the ground, usually above marshes or swamps. The will-o’-the-wisp at Sandwick is thought to signal the impending death of a local, and is believed by some to be the spirit of an Irish merchant who was robbed and murdered in the area.
Cù Sìth
Cù Sìth phantoms have been reported in many parts of Scotland, including the Hebrides. One example is the Cù Sìth which haunts Luskentyre, Harris. The Cù Sìth at Luskentyre is said to be the size of a border collie, with a small head and no eyes, and leaves large footprints in the sand, which suddenly stop halfway across the beach for no apparent reason.
The Inner and Outer Hebrides of Scotland are made up of many large and small islands, many of which are isolated and uninhabited. With their rugged landscapes and generally small populations, it’s no wonder that lots of myths and legends concerning the islands and surrounding waters have developed over time.
Water spirits
The kelpie is a water spirit believed to inhabit the lochs and pools of Scotland and the Hebrides. Kelpies usually take the form of horses; however they can also appear as humans. If a human approaches the water in a loch, the kelpie will come out of the water and entice them onto its back. Once the human has mounted the kelpie, it will go back into the water of the loch and drown them.
Storm kelpies, also known as Blue Men of the Minch, are water spirits which are said to inhabit the stretch of water between the northern Inner and Outer Hebrides from the Scottish mainland (The Minch). These water spirits take the form of human-like, blue coloured creatures which possess the ability to create storms at will. Storm kelpies are able to speak, and will challenge passing sailors to repeat two lines of poetry. If they fail, the storm kelpies will attempt to destroy the boat and drown the sailor.
Lake monsters
The loch monsters of the Hebrides have been said to take a number of forms, with the most common being that of a large serpent or eel. Other loch monsters are much more unusual, such as the Searrach Uisge of Loch Suainaval. This monster was said to resemble a capsized boat, and the people living around the loch made offerings of lambs once a year to ensure that the monster would not harm them.
Will-o’-the-wisp
Various reports of will-o’-the-wisp have come from the small town of Sandwick, Shetland Islands, further north of the Hebrides. A will-o’-the-wisp takes the form of one or more bright flickering lights floating above the ground, usually above marshes or swamps. The will-o’-the-wisp at Sandwick is thought to signal the impending death of a local, and is believed by some to be the spirit of an Irish merchant who was robbed and murdered in the area.
Cù Sìth
Cù Sìth phantoms have been reported in many parts of Scotland, including the Hebrides. One example is the Cù Sìth which haunts Luskentyre, Harris. The Cù Sìth at Luskentyre is said to be the size of a border collie, with a small head and no eyes, and leaves large footprints in the sand, which suddenly stop halfway across the beach for no apparent reason.
I watched an interesting documentary a little while ago called The Nightmare that explored the basis for sleep paralysis and the hallucinations that arise from it across different cultures. It was actually really interesting, apparently some cultures believe in a being called The Hag, which is an entity that targets individuals while they're sleeping and is conjured by occult means. Apparently there have been several documented instances of people who have died inexplicably during the night, which is put down to the work of these sort of 'sleep entities' frightening people to death. Bit morbid but it was a pretty interesting. I don't suffer from sleep paralysis myself, but I have a friend who does, and I always found his explanations of it unsettling.
Original post by Kanairee
I watched an interesting documentary a little while ago called The Nightmare that explored the basis for sleep paralysis and the hallucinations that arise from it across different cultures. It was actually really interesting, apparently some cultures believe in a being called The Hag, which is an entity that targets individuals while they're sleeping and is conjured by occult means. Apparently there have been several documented instances of people who have died inexplicably during the night, which is put down to the work of these sort of 'sleep entities' frightening people to death. Bit morbid but it was a pretty interesting. I don't suffer from sleep paralysis myself, but I have a friend who does, and I always found his explanations of it unsettling.
That sounds really interesting! In German and Scandinavian folklore there is an evil spirit called mara, which sits on people's chests as they sleep and brings them nightmares, which is kind of similar to the hag
@Leviathan1741 Just snooping around reddit for an interesting ghost story...
Original post by homeland.lsw
@Leviathan1741 Just snooping around reddit for an interesting ghost story...
Let us know if you find one
Curses
A curse is an expressed wish that misfortune will fall upon one or more people, and may include illness, injury, and even death.
A good example of a curse is that of the Chained Oak Tree of Alton Towers, which affected the Talbot family. One evening, while the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury was on his way home, an old woman approached him and asked him for a coin. The Earl cruelly dismissed her and turned her away. Before she left, the woman said to the Earl “Each time a branch falls from the oak tree by the entrance, a member of your family will also fall and die”. The Earl, who was highly superstitious, then had all of the branches of the oak tree chained in an attempt to stop them from falling. Legend has it that despite efforts to chain the tree, each time a branch from the oak tree fell, a member of the family also died.
In addition to people, curses can also be placed on objects. A famous example of a cursed object is Busby’s stoop chair. The chair was cursed by murderer Thomas Busby before his execution by hanging in Yorkshire. He cursed it so that anyone who sat in it would die, and several deaths have since been linked with the chair. The chair is currently kept in the Thirsk Museum, hanging from the ceiling, so that people are no longer able to accidentally sit in it.
A curse is an expressed wish that misfortune will fall upon one or more people, and may include illness, injury, and even death.
A good example of a curse is that of the Chained Oak Tree of Alton Towers, which affected the Talbot family. One evening, while the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury was on his way home, an old woman approached him and asked him for a coin. The Earl cruelly dismissed her and turned her away. Before she left, the woman said to the Earl “Each time a branch falls from the oak tree by the entrance, a member of your family will also fall and die”. The Earl, who was highly superstitious, then had all of the branches of the oak tree chained in an attempt to stop them from falling. Legend has it that despite efforts to chain the tree, each time a branch from the oak tree fell, a member of the family also died.
In addition to people, curses can also be placed on objects. A famous example of a cursed object is Busby’s stoop chair. The chair was cursed by murderer Thomas Busby before his execution by hanging in Yorkshire. He cursed it so that anyone who sat in it would die, and several deaths have since been linked with the chair. The chair is currently kept in the Thirsk Museum, hanging from the ceiling, so that people are no longer able to accidentally sit in it.
Original post by Leviathan1741
Cryptids are animals whose existence has been suggested, but not proven by the scientific community.
Thank you so much for all of the tags, this has been some great reading! Cryptozoology absolutely fascinates me, do you ever read the Fortean Times by any chance? That has a column every month on cryptozoology, it keeps me fascinated
I have a bit of a thing about the Icknield Way, being as I live almost on it, have you ever read anything about it? It's a corridor running from Cornwall to the Wash, where all the local devil folklore is positive, not negative! There's some fascinating tales.
Would you be interested in talking about folklore related to animals? There are some fascinating rhymes and stories about magpies in particular.
Original post by Leviathan1741
A good example of a curse is that of the Chained Oak Tree of Alton Towers, which affected the Talbot family.
This is a pretty cool curse, I do wonder if it's been overly marketised though, seeing as Alton Towers have a whole ride dedicated to it
Original post by MissDobalina
Thank you so much for all of the tags, this has been some great reading! Cryptozoology absolutely fascinates me, do you ever read the Fortean Times by any chance? That has a column every month on cryptozoology, it keeps me fascinated
I have a bit of a thing about the Icknield Way, being as I live almost on it, have you ever read anything about it? It's a corridor running from Cornwall to the Wash, where all the local devil folklore is positive, not negative! There's some fascinating tales.
Would you be interested in talking about folklore related to animals? There are some fascinating rhymes and stories about magpies in particular.
I have a bit of a thing about the Icknield Way, being as I live almost on it, have you ever read anything about it? It's a corridor running from Cornwall to the Wash, where all the local devil folklore is positive, not negative! There's some fascinating tales.
Would you be interested in talking about folklore related to animals? There are some fascinating rhymes and stories about magpies in particular.
You're welcome! I remember you saying you liked folklore so I made sure to let you know whenever I posted about it
No, I've never read the Fortean Times, it sounds really interesting though! And no, I've never heard of Icknield Way honestly, I'll have to check that out! Would you mind sharing some of the tales you know about it? And some of animal folklore too?
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