The Christmas ghost story was a holiday tradition in the magazines and papers of the 19th century. Dickens popularized it; hacks hackneyed it; M.R. James brought it to the pitch of paranormal perfection. But by the time of this humorous piece, every possible change had been rung on the Christmas ghost story clichés.
The proper footwear is essential on the road to dusty death. Many cultures have a tradition of proper footwear for corpses. Why do the dead need shoes?
COW’S MOO KILLS CHILD – Stories of Being Scared to Death “Scared to death” is not just a phrase.. A look at the things scared these victims so badly that they dropped dead: There’s cats, and rats, and elephants….
“A Mass of Fetid Jelly:” The Ghost of a Germ: The first in a series of Things That Scare Us begins with a bizarre story about the fear of disease and of fungoid things with invisible tentacles. Elementals may also enter into it.
With the coming of autumn and the chill in the air in the evenings, I’m in the mood for some old-fashioned ghost stories. “I don’t know how long I slept, but I awoke feeling that something was in the room with me. About a minute afterward it put its fingers on my mouth, and then stroked my nose. I thought of getting up, but was too frightened to move…”
Mistresses of the Dark: The Ghost Wore Black The final chapter in my book The Ghost Wore Black: Ghastly Tales from the Past tells of a little-known 19th-century panic over those mistresses of the dark, The Women in Black. This story is a good illustration of some of the features of the apparitions: clothed in widow’s weeds, seen outdoors at night, bullet-proof and evasive.
Introducing The Ghost Wore Black: Ghastly Tales from the Past Sinister entities abound in The Ghost Wore Black: Ghastly Tales from the Past. This post introduces some of the main themes and surprises of the new, national book by Chris Woodyard.
When an Irish magistrate was shot, he clearly saw his attacker: a man named Molony, who had a grudge against him. Despite the positive ID by the victim, Molony provided an unbreakable alibi and, released, went on with his life without a qualm. Until the anniversary of the cleverly planned murder rolled around….
