Posts tagged
‘tokens of death’

Sad Stories of the Death of Kings Telling sad stories of the death of kings on this anniversary of the execution of King Charles I of England with three tales of portents of his sad end.

The Death-Fires of Madagascar The mysterious fires said to predict the death of the Malgasy Queen Ranavalona I.

The Phantom Coffin-Maker – A Death Omen There are many noises believed to presage death: birds tapping on windows, the death-watch beetle, howling dogs, crashes or knockings–and the sounds of a coffin being made. We’ve previously discussed the sights and sounds of the phantom funeral. Today we look at the sounds of the phantom coffin makers–well-known as a death omen.

These mysterious luminaries of the paranormal world have a variety of names: Spook lights, corpse candles, will-o-the-wisps, jack-o-lanterns, ball lightning, ignis fatuus, swamp gas, ghost lights. Yet no matter what the designation, their nature is elusive. They always float just out of reach when scientists try to study them. This is a post about spook lights that harm.

Tokens of Death: Owls, Cats, and Phantom Funerals As I said in a recent post on an Indiana Banshee, “tokens of death” were a frequent theme in the ghost stories of the past. These death-omens could be anything from a prophetic dream, a vision of a phantom funeral, headless apparitions or women in white ghosts, a familiar disembodied voice calling one’s name, a crown of feathers in a pillow or mattress, dogs howling, or mysterious lights.