Archive-name: folklore/ghost-stories


 Alt.folklore.ghost-stories is for the discussion of, well... ghost 
stories!
If you've been visited by ghosties, ghoulies, long-legged beasties, or 
things that go bump in the night, a.f.g-s is the perfect place to tell 
the
world about your experiences. In fact, if you've heard any ghost 
stories at
all lately, feel welcome to post them here.
 Of course, like all newsgroups, a.f.g-s has its share of frequently 
tried to
make the FAQ as comprehensive as possible, without getting too bogged 
down 
in useless rhetoric. It will probably be most useful to those new to 
the 
group, but hopefully there's something in it for even long-time 
readers.
 If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please don't 
hesitate
to send them to obiwan@netcom.com (that's me!) or post them to the 
group. 
There's always room for improvement! And speaking of improvement, 
this FAQ
would not have been the same without the advice, suggestions, and 
contributions of the following people:

Nikki Taylor taylorn@kenyon.edu
Leesa Kern lkern@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
Lisa Korneluk korneluk@eagle.navsses.navy.mil
Matt Hucke hucke@sumter.cso.uiuc.edu
Jay Gitomer jgitomer@metamosh.clubfed.sgi.com
Prabal Nandy probe@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu
Mike Czaplinski mcc@nsscmail.att.com
Susan Lynds sel@noaacdc.colorado.edu
Proserpina proserp@duckmail.uoregon.edu
David Fluker davidfluker@delphi.com
Mark Korven Mark_Korven@goodmedia.com
Arturo Sanchez txmrtur@txm.ericsson.se
Thomas Grotenhuis thmsgrtn@dordt.edu
cjs cjs@netcom.com

 A very special thank you goes out to Susan Lynds. She wrote the 
section 
on the Wendigo and sent me oodles of info on will o' the wisps. She 
was 
also invaluable as a proofreader and constructive criticizer. In 
fact, a
few of the sentences you'll read come directly from her. Many of the 
books
you see in the Interesting Reference Material section were also sent 
to me
by Susan. To sum it up, we should all bow down in deference to Susan 
for
making this FAQ a better document to read.
 A note on quotes: I have enclosed quotes from authors or people on 
the net
in quotation marks ("). [These parts might be edited a bit for 
clarity or 
grammar.] The exception is the section which Susan Lynds wrote, which 
I 
have preserved intact, and not enclosed in quotation marks (any 
quotation 
marks in this section mark the work of a published author).
stories,
This
FAQ is also available via anon FTP at the following address: 
ftp://ftp.netcom.com:/pub/ob/obiwan/GhostStories/FAQs.

Here's the outline of the FAQ. To try to make the FAQ easier to 
search,
I've used the following key:
A = Answer
Q = Question
S = Subject

I. Some Posting Guidelines
 Should they be true?
 Q1.2 Do I have to be some kind of paranormal nut in order to post 
here?
 Q1.3 Which topics are appropriate to post about?
 Q1.4 I have this great ghost story! Should I post it?
 Q1.5 I'm writing a book/article, and I'm reaping the net for stories 
and
 ideas. You don't mind if I steal yours, do you?

II. The Ouija Board
 Q2.0 What is a ouija board?
 Q2.1 A lot of people on this group say the ouija board is evil, and
 to stay away from it. Is this true, and should I stay away?
 Q2.2 Where can I buy a ouija board? Failing that, how can I make 
one?
 Q2.3 Are there any 'rules' I should follow when using the Ouija 
board?
 Q2.4 What does "ouija" mean?
 Q2.5 A Brief History of the Ouija Board

III. Famous Hauntings and Spooky Spots
 S3.1 The Amityville Horror
 S3.2 Battlefield Hauntings
 S3.3 The Bell Witch
 S3.4 Borley Rectory
 S3.5 Haunted Universities
 S3.6 Haunted Theatres
 S3.7 The Tower of London
 S3.8 Winchester Mansion
 S3.9 The Chase Vault

IV. Urban Legends
 S4.1 La Llorona
 S4.2 Three Men and a Baby
 S4.3 Mary Worth/Bloody Mary
 S4.4 The Vanishing Hitchhiker
 S4.5 Haunted Traintracks

V. Miscellaneous FAQs
 Q5.1 What is the Wendigo?
 Q5.2 What are will o' the wisps?
 Q5.3 How did that girl in -Poltergeist- die?
 Q5.4 What are some different categories of manifestations?
 Q5.5 Who are Ed and Lorraine Warren?
 Q5.6 What is "Old Hag"?
 Q5.7 Are cars really rolling uphill in that graveyard near my town?
 Q5.8 What is the best way to photograph a ghost?
 Q5.9 Can't you sue if your new house is haunted, and no one told you 
about
 it?
 Q5.10 What are some theories of what ghosts are/why they exist?

 S6.1 Other USENET groups that a.f.g-s reader may enjoy
 S6.2 Some interesting reference material
 S6.3 Good Supernatural Fiction
 S6.4 Other Net Resources

And now, away we go... it's the official

ALT.FOLKLORE.GHOST-STORIES FAQ
------------------------------

I. Some Posting Guidelines
Should
 they be true?
 A1.1 It is highly doubtful that everything posted to a.f.g-s is 
true, or 
 even meant to be true. However, unless you mark your story as 
 fiction, readers tend to assume you are telling a tale you 
believe to 
 be true. Hence, it is considered polite in these parts to MARK 
 FICTION AS FICTION. People may otherwise assume that you're 
trying to 
 pull the wool over their eyes, or else take the story at face 
value 
 and start giving you advice. It's also common to start out 
"true" 
 tales with "This really happened to me," or "This is a true 
story," 
 although technically it's not really necessary, as any unmarked 
story 
 is considered to be true.
 CASE IN POINT: In the fall of 1994, a young man by the name of 
 Alexander Darke posted a rather fantastic concoction about a 
spirit 
 named "Carmen" (later "Robert") which he said had been attacking 
him
 for a good part of his life. He pleaded with the readers of 
 readers responded with sympathy and advice, while one or two 
others 
 posted their doubts about Mr. Darke's story. The believers 
flamed the
 skeptics, Darke pretended to be terribly hurt by the skeptics' 
"harsh"
 comments, and a long and drawn-out flame war ensued. In the 
end, it 
 turned out that Darke had made up the whole story, and had been 
 "using" the readers of a.f.g-s in order to finish a short story 
he had
 been working on.
 Many people who had taken Darke's story seriously felt somewhat 
 betrayed, since Darke had sworn the whole story was true from 
the 
 beginning (whereupon Darke attempted to change history and 
claimed 
 that he had never meant the story to be taken as true). At any 
rate,
 a lot of people would have been saved a lot of time and grief if 
Darke
 had just said his story was fictional in the first place.
 Q1.2 Do I have to be some kind of paranormal nut in order to post 
here?
 A1.2 No. Although there are lots of people here who believe in 
paranormal
 activities, certainly not everyone does. Many people like 
reading the
is 
 welcome here, but remember: Flaming someone because they believe 
or 
 don't believe in something is *not* welcome.
 Q1.3 Which topics are appropriate to post about?
 A1.3 Obviously, ghost stories (preferably true ones) make up the 
most
 appropriate posting material. However, I've also seen great 
threads
 about guardian angels, mysterious monsters, psychic phenomena, 
and of 
 course ouija boards. I don't see any reason why we can't 
discuss 
 these things here in a.f.g-s, as long as it doesn't degenerate 
into a 
 flame war or something. This is a friendly and relatively flame-
free 
 newsgroup, and I'm sure everyone would like to keep it that way. 
 General discussion of ghosts (e.g. "What are ghosts?") is also 
welcome. 

 Basically, if it's paranormal and scary, you're on pretty sturdy 
 ground (I would, however, discourage UFO posts, as there are 
already 
 plenty of groups for those).
 Q1.4 I have this great ghost story! Should I post it?
 A1.4 YES! If you have a good story to tell, please don't hesitate 
to 
 post it. There's nothing more frustrating to a.f.g-s readers 
than a 
 post containing nothing but the words "Something scary happened 
to me.
 If there is enough interest, I'll post the story." We *want* to 
hear 
 your story... honest!
 Q1.5 I'm writing a book/article, and I'm reaping the net for stories 
and
 ideas. You don't mind if I steal yours, do you?
 A1.5 Ha. Ha. Ha. Yes, as a matter of fact, we do mind. I'd 
suggest
 that if you're going to take other people's stories and give 
nothing
 back, you should find another newsgroup. It's OK to use 
someone's
 stories if you have written permission from the person and/or 
are
 paying them in some way. It might also be a nice idea to *give* 
a
 story for each one you take. Just a few things to think about.

II. The Ouija Board
 The ouija board is a hot topic around here, and everyone seems to 
have a 
strong opinion about it one way or the other. I've tried to summarize
those opinions, and also some questions about the board that get asked
a lot.
 Q2.0 What is a ouija board?
 A2.0 A ouija board is a game in which messages are supposedly 
communicated
 by the dead to or through the players of the game. [Note: some 
people
 consider the ouija to be "more than just a game," but it is 
marketed 
 as a game, and for purposes of convenience it will be referred 
to here
 as a game.] The playing pieces consist of a game board (like a 
 Monopoly board) and a pointer, called a planchette. The game 
board 
 has all the letters of the alphabet written on it. The numbers 
0-9 
 are also usually included, along with yes/no and hello/goodbye 
spaces. 
 The layout of a typical board looks something like this:
 _________________________
 | |
 |A B C D E F G H I J K L M|
 |N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z|
 | 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 |
 |YES/NO HI/BYE|
 |_________________________|
 The pointer is made of plastic or glass, and either points to 
the 
 letters with one end or has a clear window embedded in it 
through
 which one can view the letters.
 To play, two or more people lightly touch the pointer and 
concentrate
 on a question. The pointer will (hopefully) move and point to 
letters 
 and numbers which will provide answers to your questions.
 Ouija boards are also known as "witch boards" and "talking 
boards."
 The nickname "ouiji" or "weejie" is also used quite a bit.
 Q2.1 A lot of people on this group say the ouija board is evil, and 
to 
 stay away from it. Is this true, and should I stay away?
 A2.1 Since it's nearly impossible to merge the two views on this
 topic, I've tried to accurately sum them up here:
 * The ouija board is not any more evil than your Monopoly 
board. 
 It's just a toy, a piece of cardboard, and any "evil" force 
you 
 feel emanating off it is purely a result of your imagination. 
 Yes, the pointer does work, but that's the result of tiny 
 involuntary physical movements, and the messages you see are 
coming
 from your subconscious or psychic mind.
 * The ouija is in fact a powerful tool, and its powers cannot, 
and 
 should not, be written off entirely as your subconscious. 
 Inexperienced ouija users are especially prone to being 
affected by
 malevolent forces which communicate through the board, often 
 masquerading as a departed loved one. The best way to avoid 
this 
 sort of thing is not to use the board at all.
 Q2.2 Where can I buy a ouija board? Failing that, how can I make 
one?
 A2.2 You can, in the U.S. anyway, find a ouija board in a toy store 
or a 
 game store. You might also be able to find one in a large 
bookstore. 
 Parker Brothers make a nice, relatively cheap, model.
 To make a board, arrange all the letters of the alphabet on a 
smooth
 surface. You might also want the words "yes", "no", and 
"goodbye", 
 as well as the numbers. Use something that glides easily over 
the 
 surface (like a glass) to use as a pointer. Now, place your 
fingers 
 (this works best with a friend, by the way) gently on the glass 
and 
 concentrate. Hopefully the glass will start to move and point 
to 
 various letters, which will form words and sentences. Oh yeah, 
it 
 helps if you ask a question first.
 Q2.3 Are there any 'rules' I should follow when using the Ouija 
board?
 A2.3 If you consider the Ouija board as just another toy, then there 
are 
 no hard and fast rules to follow. Holding on to the pointer 
helps, 
 though. :)
 If you believe that you are really contacting spirits through 
the 
 board, you might want to follow a few basic guidelines. Here 
are 
 some that I've gleaned off the net and from other sources:
 * Use a silver coin as the planchette (pointer), or wear an 
article 
 made of silver. The silver is supposed to protect you from 
harmful
 spirits. 
 * To improve "reception", use a solid wood board, and work in 
male-
 female pairs.
 * Draw a circle around you and the board, or make a circle of 
candles. 
 Concentrate on creating a safe, protected place as you do 
this. 
 Some people believe that spirits must stay outside this 
circle.
 Also, a well-lit area is said to drive away evil spirits.
 * Always say goodbye to the entity you are talking with when you 
want 
 to end a session. If you don't say goodbye, and the spirit 
doesn't 
 reply in kind, he may be trying to stick around, maybe to make 
your 
 life miserable. Additionally, do not explicitly invite the 
spirit
 to enter someplace, since this will make it hard to get rid of 
him
 later.
 * It helps to have one additional person (not touching the 
planchette)
 present to transcribe the session. Sometimes the pointer 
starts 
 moving too fast for you to read and process the words it's 
spelling 
 out. The transcription might also be helpful later on so you 
can 
 look back on what happened. Another way to transcribe is to 
have 
 someone call out the letters to a tape recorder.
 * Don't take anything the spirit says literally. Ouija boards 
are
 famous for lying or otherwise giving false information.
 Q2.4 What does "ouija" mean?
 A2.4 The word "ouija" is actually a combination of two words, the 
french
 word "oui" and the German word "ja." Both words mean "yes" in 
english.
 Q2.5 A Brief History of the Ouija Board
 A2.5 From thmsgrtn@dordt.edu (Thomas Grotenhuis):
 The ancient Egyptians used a device LIKE a ouija board. They 
used a
 ring attached to a strand of thread, held over a circular table 
with 
 symbols on it, and the ring would strike the table to spell out 
answers.
 The Ouija board, the kind we see in toy stores today, came about 
in
 1889 when William Fuld of Baltimore, Maryland, and his brother 
Isaac,
 marketed Ouija boards to the American public. They had a small 
 operation and the board was the hottest item they would ever 
produce. 
 People bought the board not as a game, but as a device with which 
they
 would talk to their loved ones killed in battle (note the two 
World 
 Wars happening; this was where the board's popularity really 
soared). 
 During this time, the fad spread, and so did Ouija's notorious 
 reputation as being more than just a "game." 
 Finally in about 1960 or thereabouts, Parker Brothers approached 
the 
 two Fuld brothers since they were having trouble making enough 
boards 
 to satisfy the demand for them. PB then took over the rights to 
the 
 ouija board and the rest, as they say, is history.
 Ouija came about as kind of a by-product of the whole 
spiritualist 
 craze that was all the rage in the early 1900's, and during 
Houdini's 
 time as he debunked many 'mediums'. Table-tipping was being done 
back
 then, and a Frenchman, who's last name was "planchette", produced 
a 
 device that looked like a small table like a ouija pointer, that 
stood
 on two small stilts and a pen or pencil at the third point. The 
 operator would sit with his hands as lightly as he could resting 
on the 
 planchette, this device named after it's inventor, and the thing 
would
 move, producing writing.
 Ouija replaced the messy planchette (the writing was messy 
cursive 
 scrawls) when a board was used in place of the sheet of paper, 
and all
 three stilts on the planchette were covered with felt enabling it 
to 
 slide in any direction. This made the communications fast, 
clear, and
 easy. And specifically meant to be done with a partner, 
"gentleman 
 and lady preferred."

III. Famous Hauntings and Spooky Spots
 Following is a brief rundown of the most popular hauntings discussed
famous hauntings, and not urban legendish or my-aunt-Edna's-house type
tales.
 S3.1 The Amityville Horror
 The Amityville Horror, although now considered a hoax, is one
 of the most famous "hauntings" of all time. The small house in
 Amityville, New York was made famous in the mid-70s when George
 and Kathy Lutz told the media of bizarre happenings which were
 alleged to have taken place at the house during the month they
 lived there. These happenings included such things as flying
 demented pigs with glowing red eyes (my personal favorite), 
walls
 that oozed blood, an infestation of flies in the attic, and a
 pit to hell in the basement.
 Supposedly, whatever had tormented the Lutzes was also the 
thing
 that had driven Ronald DeFeo to shoot and kill his entire family
 in that house in 1974.
 S3.2 Battlefield Hauntings
 What better place to find ghosts than a former battlefield? 
 Certainly there are many accounts of ghostly soldiers and 
regimens,
 forever fighting long-since resolved wars. Many Civil War and
 World War battlefields are said to be haunted. In addition, 
many
 sites of confrontations between whites and Native Americans echo


 with the sites and sounds of conflict.
 [More info to follow here; please be patient. :)]
 S3.3 The Bell Witch
 "The Bell Witch" haunted the Bell home in Tennessee in the 
early
 1800s. The "witch" was actually a poltergeist, which did lots 
of
 annoying things like throw things around and scream/knock loudly
 at all hours. John Bell, the father, died during the Bell 
Witch's
 tenure. Some claim he was poisoned by the Witch. Betsy Bell,
 John's daughter, is suspected of having faked the whole thing.
 Reliable records are lacking, so we'll probably never know 
whether
 the Bell Farm was truly haunted.
 S3.4 Borley Rectory
 Borley Rectory is often called "The most haunted house in 
England."
 The site of the rectory originally held a monastery, which was 
 inhabited by Benedictine monks. Subsequent to this, the 
monastery came
 under the ownership of the Waldergrave family, who occupied it 
for
 three centuries. In the late 1800's a descendant of the 
Waldegraves,
 the reverend H.D.E. Bull, built a new rectory on the site of the 
old
 monastery. It was not until after the new rectory was built 
that
 strange things started to happen.
 One of the spectres that was said to roam the grounds was a nun 
who
 in the 13th century fell in love with and tried to elope with a 
monk.
 According to legend, the nun and monk were caught in their get-
away
 horse and carriage. As punishment, the monk was hung and the 
nun was 
 walled up alive in the rectory. Some people reported seeing the 
 ghostly form of the horse and carriage in addition to the nun.
 The reverend Harry Bull, who died at Borley, also was reputed 
to have 
 haunted the rectory. He would appear dressed in the grey jacket 
in 
 which he passed away. 
 In the late 1920s, the house was owned by a reverend (Lionel A. 
 Foyster) and his wife who reported poltergeist-like phenomena. 
 Supposedly the prankish spirit locked the wife in the bedroom, 
and
 other times threw her out of the bed. There were also pebbles 
thrown
 at the windows, and mysterious writing which would appear on 
walls.
 Harry Price, a famous ghost hunter, investigated Borley Rectory 
in 
 1929, and again in 1937. He supposedly witnessed some of the 
 activity, including the ghostly nun. Although Price spent a 
great 
 deal of time in the Rectory, his research is generally 
considered to 
 be biased and therefore flawed.
 Unfortunately, Borley Rectory burned down in 1939, taking its 
secrets
 with it. In 1945, human remains rumored to be those of the nun 
were 
 found on the site, and were given a proper burial. But the 
legend of
 Borley has not died yet; people still visit the site today to 
see if 
 they can spot the ghostly nun.
 S3.5 Haunted Universities
 There are many stories of college hauntings. If you wish to 
read of
 address at the bottom of this FAQ). Relevant files include:
 cmu.children mary.reed
 cmu.haunting phantom.typist
 ghost.elevator und.haunting
 haunted.dorm upei.haunting
 I haven't run across any university hauntings that are well 
known
 outside of one particular school but if anyone knows of any, let
 me know and I will include it in this section.
 S3.6 Haunted Theatres
 Mike Czaplinski (mcc@nsscmail.att.com) writes the following 
about
 the ghost of Drury Lane Theatre:
 "Drury Lane Theatre. From my fuzzy recollection, the ghost is 
 described at various times as a soft green glow, or a handsome 
young
 man. I seem to recall there being an entry on this particular 
 haunting in THE BOOK OF LISTS (circa 1980). According to the 
entry
 (again, subject to my faulty memory), during renovation in the 
late
 1970's, they stumbled on a skeleton with the remnants of a grey 
riding
 coat with a knife sticking out of its ribs.
 The folklore is that whoever sees the ghost is destined for 
 theatrical greatness."
 Further details (provided directly from -The Book of Lists-, 
Bantam,
 1977): The ghost is that of a young man who was murdered in 
1780.
 J. Wentworth Day, a ghost hunter, reported seeing a moving blue 
light
 in the theatre in 1939.
 If anyone knows of any other famous haunted theatres, I would 
be happy
 to hear about them. There are a few files in my archives that 
are
 about haunted theatres: lyric.theatre, playhouse.ghost, and 
theatre.
 ghost.
 S3.7 The Tower of London
 The Tower of London has a long and bloody history, and of 
course
 many ghostly legends are associated with the Tower. In 1483, 
two
 young princes were murdered in the Tower, and their ghosts were
 reported to have haunted the tower until the year 1674, when 
their
 bones were found and buried in a proper ceremony.
 The most famous and most often reported ghost in the Tower is
 Anne Boleyn. She was beheaded by her husband, Henry VIII, in
 1536. Other Tower ghosts include Sir Walter Raleigh, Guy 
Fawkes,
 and even the apparition of a bear. In 1816, a palace guard who 
was
 on duty spied the bear. Not realizing he was facing an 
apparition,
 the guard attempted to lunge at the creature with his bayonet. 
The
 guard reportedly later died of shock.
 In 1864, a soldier saw a ghost and again attempted to use his 
 bayonet. The soldier fainted when he realized his antagonist 
was a 
 ghost, and was later court-martialed for neglecting his duties 
(hard 
 to guard the castle when you're fainted dead away). However, 
the 
 charges against the soldier were dropped when two witnesses came 
 forward to support the soldier's ghost story.
 S3.8 Winchester Mansion
 The Winchester Mansion, in San Jose, California, was built by 
Sara
 Winchester, the widow of William Winchester. Sara visited a 
psychic 
 who told her that she must build a house large enough to house
 the souls of all those who'd been killed by Winchester guns, and
 Sara spent the remaining 36 years of her life (until she died in
 1922) doing just that.
 The mansion's construction is just as odd as Sara's 
personality.
 There are stairways and doors that go nowhere, secret rooms and
 passages, and elevators that only go up one floor. The number 
13
 is prevalent throughout: 13 bathrooms, stairways with 13 steps,
 and so on.
 There is a rumor that Sara would never give her workmen the day
 off, because she was afraid that the day she stopped building 
she
 would die. One day, however, after many complaints, she finally
 gave her staff a day off, and that is the day she died.
 S3.9 The Chase Vault (AKA The Moving coffins of Barbados)
 Contributed by Matthew Hucke (hucke@mcs.com):
 In Christ Church cemetery on the island of Barbados there is a 
burial
 vault of unknown origin. The earliest records call it the 
"Chase
 vault". It was first used for the burial of a Mrs. Goddard in 
1807,
 followed by two-year-old Mary Ann Chase in 1808 and her sister 
Dorcas
 in 1812, a probable suicide. A few weeks later, Dorcas' father 
Thomas
 Chase died. When the vault was opened, all the coffins had been 
moved
 from their original places. It was thought that thieves had 
been in
 the vault, but the concrete seal of the tomb was still in place.
 Two more burials were made in 1816. In both cases, when the 
vault
 was opened, the coffins already present had been moved about. 
The 
 casket of Thomas Chase was of lead, weighing 240 pounds, far too 
large
 to be moved by a single vandal. In each of these burials, the 
workers
 returned the coffins to their proper places and sealed the 
mausoleum
 with cement.
 It happened again in 1819. This time, the Governor sprinkled 
sand
 on the floor (to show footprints), and pressed his personal seal 
into
 the fresh cement. In 1820 the tomb was opened again, and the 
coffins
 were again out of place, even though no footprints showed and 
the
 concrete seal was undisturbed. The governor ordered the coffins
 removed and the vault left open; the mystery has never been 
solved.
 [ information taken from Daniel Cohen's _The Encyclopedia of 
Ghosts_,
 Avon Books 1984.]

IV. Urban Folklore and Legends
 S4.1 La Llorona
 La Llorona is the legend of a woman who has lost her children, 
and
 who can be heard, and sometimes seen, weeping in the night. La 
 Llorona (the name means "She who weeps" in Spanish) is in most 
stories
 said to be Mexican, although sometimes she is a woman who lived 
in
 the American Southwest. As with most urban legends, there are 
many
 variations of La Llorona, but the central plot remains intact: 
The
 woman has lost her children, usually because she herself has 
killed
 them because she wants to marry a man who doesn't want any 
children.
 She is so anguished over the depressing circumstances that she 
kills
 herself as well, and is thus doomed forever to roam her native 
land,
 weeping and wringing her hands. Sometimes she is said to be 
searching
 for her children, and sometimes she is said to appear only as a 
 warning to those who see her.
 Here is a typical version of the La Llorona legend by 
Proserpina
 (proserp@duckmail.uoregon.edu):
 "Sightings abound throughout the Southwest. Supposedly she 
drowned
 her children in the acequia (irrigation ditch,) and now she 
roams the
 ditches looking for her, or any, children. Usually the story is 
told
 with the intentions of keeping kiddies away from the ditches, so 
they
 won't drown."
 -The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits- by Rosemary Guiley 
tells a
 more traditional Mexican version, which occurs in Mexico City 
around
 1550. According to legend, an indian princess fell in love with 
a
 Mexican nobleman. The nobleman promised to marry her, but 
betrayed
 her and married someone else instead. The ultimate result of 
this
 bit o' treachery is that the princess murdered her children in a 
fit
 of rage, with a knife given to her by the nobleman. Afterwards, 
she
 wandered the streets crying for her children, and was eventually
 hanged for her sins. Since then her ghost has been searching 
for
 children.
 Another interesting feature of the La Llorona legend is that it
 appears to have merged with the Vanishing Hitchhiker legend (see
 below). La Llorona is reported by some to hitch a ride on a 
road
 near to the place where she drowned her children.
 S4.2 Three Men and a Baby
 If I had to pick just one topic from this FAQ to post, this 
would
 be the one. There is a scene in the movie -Three Men and a Baby-
 in which some people claim to have seen the ghostly figure of a
 small boy who was killed in the house in which the scene was 
filmed.
 In some variations, the boy's parents are said to have sued the
 movie studio, or the owners of the "house", for letting their 
boy's
 name be released to the press. There are also tales of other 
ghostly
 objects being seen throughout the movie, most notably a rifle 
pointing
 at the head of the "ghost boy".
 That is the legend. Here are the facts. The scene in question
 was not shot in a house, but on a soundstage in a Hollywood 
studio.
 The "ghost boy" is in fact a life-sized cardboard cutout of Ted
 Danson (who stars in the film), which had been left in the 
background,
 presumably accidentally, by a crew member. This cutout is seen 
in 
 full view in another scene in the movie.
 There is no ghost boy. No boy ever died on the set, and no one
 involved with the movie was ever sued by the mythical parents of
 said ghost boy. No one appears to know how the legend started.
 Some have suggested it was a promotional scheme perpetrated by 
the
 producers of the film to get people to buy/rent/go see it. Most
 likely the flub was simply noticed by one or more innocent movie
 goers, who told a friend, or perhaps a newspaper...
 S4.3 Mary Worth/Bloody Mary
 Here is a popular legend which many remember from their 
childhood.
 The Mary Worth (also known as Bloody Mary, Mary Margaret, etc) 
story
 is popular at sleepovers. As the story goes, a beautiful young 
girl
 named Mary Worth was in some sort of terrible accident (or 
 occasionally the wounds are inflicted purposely by a jealous 
party),
 and her face was hideously deformed. From then on, she is 
shunned by
 other people, and she sometimes becomes a witch.
 Now for the scary part. Supposedly if you say Mary Worth's 
name
 three (or five, or ten... it varies) times while looking into 
the
 mirror, Mary Worth will appear and scratch your face off or kill
 you. She is exacting a hideous revenge on the undeformed people
 who made fun of her in life.
 There is a great Clive Barker movie, -Candyman-, based on this
 sort of legend.
 S4.4 The Vanishing Hitchhiker
 This legend is probably familiar to most readers. It is a dark
 and stormy night. A person driving sees a forlorn figure at the
 side of the road and decides to give him or her a lift. Usually
 the hitchhiker is a young woman in some sort of trouble... her
 prom date dumped her, or her car broke down. The driver gets to
 her house only to discover that his passenger has disappeared 
without
 a trace from the back seat of his car. He knocks on the door
 to the house, maybe to make sure the girl is ok, and the door is
 answered by the girl's parent. Eventually it comes out that the
 girl died some years ago, and every year on the anniversary of 
her
 death (or her birthday), the girl hitches a ride back home with 
a
 stranger.
 There are *many* variations of this legend. Sometimes the girl
 appears to make it home safely, but the driver finds something 
the
 girl left behind in his car, and goes back to return it, thus 
lear-
 ning the truth about the girl. Sometimes the driver lends the 
girl
 his jacket or sweater, and goes back the next day to retrieve 
it.
 Often, he finds his jacket hung over the grave of the dead girl.
 It is interesting to note that this legend has made it into 
many
 regional folklores. In Hawaii, for example, the hitchhiker is 
often
 said to be the goddess Pele. It has already been mentioned that
 La Llorona has also been connected with the story. In the 
Chicago
 area, the vanishing hitchhiker takes the form of Resurrection 
Mary.
 S4.5 Haunted Traintracks
 Occasionally a reader will post the following story, usually
 attributing it to a local site. Once, there was a tragic 
accident
 on a set of traintracks:
 A busload of children was crossing the tracks, and could not 
get
 out of the way in time to avoid the approaching train. Now, if
 your car stalls out on the tracks, it will be pushed over the 
tracks
 to safety before the train hits you. The ghosts of the children
 have saved you, and sometimes you can see their small handprints
 in the dust on your car.

V. Miscellaneous FAQs
 Q5.1 What is the Wendigo?
 A5.1 [This section brought to you by Susan Lynds 
(sel@noaacdc.colorado.
 edu). Thanks, Susan!]
 "The wendigo is a Canadian entity, half phantom, half beast, 
who
 lives in the forests and preys on human beings, particularly 
chil-
 dren. The belief in this horror dates back to the earliest 
Indian
 legends and it is said that the wendigo will eat the flesh of 
its
 victims. According to R.S. Lambert in "Exploring the 
Supernatural"
 (1955), 'Wendigos (who might be women as well as men) were 
believed
 to have entered into a pact with evil spirits, lurking in the 
for-
 est, who helped them kill their victims.' The legend of this 
crea-
 ture has been immortalized in Algernon Blackwood's short story 
"The
 Wendigo" (1907). In W.T. Cox's "Fearsome Creatures of the 
Lumber
 Woods" (1951) a number of other Canadian "wood horrors" are 
listed,
 including the hodag, the whimpus, the hoop-snake, the celofay, 
and
 the filamaloo."
 --A Dictionary of Ghost Lore, by Peter Haining
 Q5.2 What are will o' the wisps?
 A5.2 Will o' the wisps are a natural phenomenon that never the less
 appear ghostly in nature. The wisps, which are actually ignited
 pockets of swamp gas, hover over swamps and swampy areas and 
glow
 blue. They can move (carried by breezes and air currents), and
 many observers have noted that the wisps seem to mimic a 
person's
 movements... when the observer moves forward, so does the wisp.
 Will o' the wisps can appear as one glowing ball or as many tiny
 flickers.
 Will o' the wisps have also been called such fanciful names as
 "corpse candles", "fox fire", and "elf light". The phenomenon 
is
 also knows as "ignis fatuus", which means "foolish fire". Some
 believe the mysterious floating lights to be portents of bad 
luck
 or even death. Researchers believe that many people have 
mistaken
 will o' the wisps for the ghostly lanterns of trains and/or 
their
 long-dead conductors.
 Q5.3 How did that girl in -Poltergeist- die?
 A5.3 Contributed by Christine White (christin@meaddata.com):
 According to People magazine February 15, 1988:
 "It happened so fast. At 9:25 am, Monday Feb. 1, only hours 
after
 developing what appeared to be flu symptoms, Heather O'Rourke, 
child
 star of the Poltergeist horror films, was rushed from her home 
in
 Lakeside, Calif., to the hospital; she was in septic shock and 
cardiac
 arrest. An hour later she arrived by airlift, alive but in 
critical
 condition, at Children's Hospital and Health Center in San 
Diego.
 There she was operated on for intestinal stenosis, an acute 
bowel
 obstruction, a congenital condition neither her mother nor 
stepfather
 had suspected. At 2:43 pm, Heather died on the operating table. 
She 
 was 12 years old."
 Subsequent issues of People tell how doctors first diagnosed 
and
 treated her for Chrone's disease. The parents sued the doctors 
for
 wrongful treatment, but I don't know what happened to the suit.
 Q5.4 What are some different categories of manifestations?
 Ghostly visitations fall into several distinct categories. 
Here
 are a few of the most common.
 * Crisis Apparitions -- These ghosts appear most often to their
 loved ones at a moment of great crisis or death. Typically, 
the
 ghosts appear only once to a special loved one who may be many
 miles away at the time of the accident.
 * Doppelgangers -- Doppelgangers are ghostly doubles of living 
peo-
 people. Often the doppelganger is not visible to the person 
him-
 self, and will simply follow the person around. In some cases 
a
 person will come upon his own doppelganger who is typically 
engaged
 in some future activity. Doppelgangers are traditionally 
consid-
 ered omens of bad luck or even death.
 * Repeated Actions -- Many apparitions are always viewed 
repeating
 the same motions or scenes. Many classic hauntings fall into 
this
 category. An example of this type of haunting is The Brown 
Lady of
 Raynham Hall, who was always seen moving down a hallway with a 
lan-
 tern in her hand. Usually these ghosts pay little or no 
attention


 to the observer.
 * Poltergeists -- Poltergeists are the only spirits who leave 
immed-
 iate physical traces. Poltergeists are best known for 
throwing
 things about and producing rapping sounds and other noises. 
In
 fact, the word "poltergeist" means "noisy ghost" in German. 
Pol-
 tergeists often occur where there are children on the brink of
 puberty, and often interact with people.
 * Ghostly Sounds and Lights -- Sometimes a haunting will consist 
en-
 tirely of the sound of footsteps or ghostly music. There are 
also
 many legends of ghost lights, which are often said to be 
caused by
 someone's ghostly lantern or by a spectral motorcycle or 
train.
 * Possessed Ojects -- Sometimes inanimate objects are said to be 
 cursed or possessed. A very famous example of a supposed 
cursed
 object is the Hope Diamond. Sometimes a particular piece of 
furn-
 iture will refuse to stay in place, even moving in front of 
the 
 owner's eyes.
 Q5.5 Who are Ed and Lorraine Warren?
 Ed and Lorraine Warren are a husband and wife team who 
investigate
 paranormal activity. Their most famous case is probably the 
Amity-
 ville horror. The reliability of their research is considered 
ques-
 tionable by many. The Warrens currently make a living by 
travelling
 the lecture circuit and releasing the occasional book.
 Q5.6 What is "Old Hag"?
(olaf@bigred.ka.
 sub.org):
 "3.1. What causes sleep paralysis?
 "A. Conventional wisdom: REM atonia is a normal function of 
the
 body. The muscles that move the body are "turned off" during 
REM
 sleep, which prevents you from acting out dreamed actions in rea-
 lity. Non-REM sleep paralysis after waking up ("old hag") is
 caused by a failure to re-activate the muscles immediately. Nor-
 mally this condition lasts only a few seconds, but sometimes it
 can go for a minute, which causes a very scary feeling. You are
 damn sure you're awake now but you can't move. This is 
extremely
 unpleasant but at least not dangerous."
 Symptoms of old hag include hearing footsteps, seeing a 
presence
 (often an old woman, from which the name derives), and a feeling 
of
 not being able to breathe or move.
 Q5.7 Are cars really rolling uphill in that graveyard near my town?
 A5.7 There are some places where the land is shaped in such a way 
that it
 can sometimes appear that things are going uphill when they are 
really
 going down. [I'm not sure of the physics of this, but if anyone 
knows
 what causes this phenomenon, please let me know.] Some people 
attrib-
 ute this type of activity to paranormal causes.
 Q5.8 What is the best way to photograph a ghost?
 A5.8 The following information was provided by David Fluker 
(davidfluker@
 delphi.com).
 "If anyone out there is interested in attempting to photograph 
para-
 normal activities or spirits, here is how to do it right!!
 1. You need to purchase 35mm Kodak HIE-135/36 film. This is 
B&W
 Infrared film used for this and other more scientific purposes. 
You 
 can either purchase the film at a local professional photo shop 
or 
 order it direct from Kodak at 1-800-242-2424 in Rochester, NY. 
The 
 roll costs around $10.00 each including shipping.
 2. Once you have the film in your hot little hand, you need to 
ask 
 your friendly photo-pro at the shop for an 87 filter to use with 
it.
 (if he/she doesn't know what this is, have them call the 800# 
above 
 and get Kodak to tell him/her.
 ** the reason for the 87 filter is to eliminate all existing 
light du-
 ring photography and only to have the IR on the film. (Even 
though it
 may be dark in a room, there is still existing light that will 
effect 
 your exposure so use the 87 filter!!)
 3. Once you have captured you entity on film, either send the 
film
 back to Kodak or get it processed at the best quality lab in 
your area.
 It needs to be processed under three types...hc110, d19, or d76. 
The 
 best for supernatural purposes is d76 as this gives the most 
normal 
 overall exposure. You can also have it processed HC110 but this 
is a 
 much higher contrast index and used mainly for special 
scientific pro-
 jects."
 Q5.9 Can't you sue if your new house is haunted, and no one told you 
about
 it?
 A5.9 Mark Korven (Mark_Korven@goodmedia.com) gleaned the following 
quote
 from the book -The Scandal Annual 1991-.
 "A Wall Street bond trader sued for return of a $32,000 down 
payment 
 he made on a $650,000 Victorian mansion on the Hudson River in 
Nyack,
 New York. The Reason: he said nobody told him that three 
Revolutionary
 War ghosts haunted the dwelling. The owner of the house had 
refused to 
 return the money, saying that the ghosts were very friendly. The 
judge
 ruled in her favor, stating that the law can't take supernatural 
enti-
 ties into consideration.
 "That ruling panicked lawmakers in neighboring Connecticut, 
which evi-
 dently has more than its share of spooks. Legislators pushed 
though a 
 "Ghostbuster" bill, making it mandatory for all home seller to 
disclose
 any spiritual phenomena related to the property."
 Q5.10 What are some theories of what ghosts are/why they exist?

 S6.1 Other USENET groups that a.f.g-s reader may enjoy:
varia-
 tions and meanings
literature
 S6.2 Some interesting reference material:
 *BOOKS
 Auerbach, Loyd -ESP, Hauntings, and Poltergeists: A 
 Parapsychologist's Handbook- 1986, Warner Books
 BRUNVAND, Jan H. -The Vanishing Hitchhiker: American Urban 
Legends
 and Their Meanings- 1981, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
 Colby, C.B. -Strangely Enough!- 1959, Sterling Pub. Co.
 COHEN, Daniel -The Encyclopedia of Ghosts- 1985, Dorset 
Press
 Forman, Joan -Royal Hauntings- 1987, FONTANA/Collins Pub.
 GUILEY, Rosemary -The Encyclopedia of Ghost and Spirits- 
1992,
 Facts on File, New York
 Holzer, Hans -Yankee Ghosts- 1966, Ace Books
 HUNT, Stoker -Ouija: The Most Dangerous Game- Harper & 
Row
 Hurwood, Bernhardt J. -Haunted Houses- 1972, Scholastic Books
 MacKenzie, Andrew -Hauntings and Apparitions- 1982, Granada 
Pub.
 MYERS, Arthur -A Ghosthunter's Guide to Haunted Landmarks, 
Parks,
 Churches, and other Haunted Places- 1993, Contemporary Books
 MYERS, Arthur -The Ghostly Gazetteer, America's most 
fascinating
 Haunted Landmarks- 1990, Contemporary Books, Chicago
 PRICE, Harry -The Most Haunted House in England- 1940, 
Long-
 mans, Green, & Co., London
 PRICE, Harry -The End of Borley Rectory- 1946, George G. 
Har-
 rapp & Co., Ltd., London
 Scott, Beth, and Michael Norman -Haunted Heartland- 1985, 
Warner
 Books
 Underwood, Peter -The Ghost Hunter's Guide- 1986, Javelin 
Books
 Whitaker, Terence -Haunted England- 1987, Contemporary Books
 May, Alan M. -The Legend of Kate Morgan- 1990, Elk Pub.
 Brown, Theo -Devon Ghosts- 1982, Jarrold & Sons
 Bardens, Dennis -Ghosts and Hauntings- 1968, Taplinger Pub.
 Bullock, Alice -Monumental Ghosts- 1987, Sunstone Press
 Murray, Earl -Ghosts of the Old West- 1988, Dorset Press
 Martin, MaryJoy -Ghosts, Ghouls and Goblins: Twilight 
 Dwellers of Colorado- 1985, Pruett Pub. Co.
 Antonio R. Garcez, -Adobe Angels: The Ghosts of Santa Fe-
 1992, Red Rabbit Press
 Holzer, Hans -Where the Ghosts are: Favorite Haunted 
 Houses in America and the British Isles- 1984, Parker Pub. 
Co.
 Myers, Arthur -The Ghostly Register, Haunted Dwellings--
 Active Spirits, A Journey to America's Strangest Landmarks- 
1986, 
 Contemporary Books
 Haining, Peter -A Dictionary of Ghost Lore- 1984, Prentice-
Hall
 Corliss, William R. -Handbook of Unusual Natural Phenomena; 
 Eyewitness Accounts of Nature's Greatest Mysteries- 1977, 
Anchor
Books
 Myers, Arthur -Ghosts of the Rich and Famous- 1988, 
Contemporary 
 Books
 Coleman, Michael H. (ed.) -The Ghosts of the Trianon, 
 the complete 'An Adventure' by C.A.E. Moberly and E.F. 
Jourdain- 
 1988, Aquarian Press
 Underwood, Peter -Gazetteer of British, Scottish, and Irish 
Ghosts-
 1985, Bell Pub.
 -Strange Stories, Amazing Facts- Reader's Digest, 1976
 Roberts, Nancy -Haunted Houses: Tales from 30 American 
Homes-
 1988, Globe Pequot Press
 Marsden, Simon -The Haunted Realm- 1986, E.P. Dutton
 Marsden, Simon -Phantoms of the Isles- 1990, Webb & Bower
 Bord, Janet and Colin -Unexplained Mysteries of the 20th 
Century-
 1989, Contemporary Books
 Canning, John (ed.) -Fifty True Mysteries of the Sea- 1979, 
Dorset
 Press
 Wilson, Colin -The Encyclopedia of Unsolved Mysteries- 
1988,
 Contemporary Books
 Munn, Debra D. -Ghosts on the Range: Eerie True Tales of 
Wyoming-
 1989, Pruett Publishing
 Munn, Debra D. -Big Sky Ghosts: Eerie True Tales of Montana 
Vol.
 1- 1993, Pruett Publishing
 Munn, Debra D. -Big Sky Ghosts: Eerie True Tales of Montana 
Vol.
 2- 1994, Pruett Publishing
 *TELEVISION
 -Unsolved Mysteries- Reruns are shown on Lifetime at 8:00 PM 
and
 11:00 PM weekdays E/P time.
 -Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World- Shown on the Discovery 
chan-
 nel; check your local listings.
 -In Search Of...- A&E; check your local listings.
 -Sightings- FOX (or might be syndicated?), Sundays, 
6:00 PM
 -Encounters- FOX Sundays at 7:00 PM (Pacific Time)
 *Movies
 -The Legend of Boggy Creek- A quasi-documentary about a 
bigfoot-
 like creature roaming the Louisiana 
bayou. (1972)
 S6.3 Good Supernatural Fiction
 *BOOKS
 Anson, Jay -The Amityville Horror- Flies in the attic!
 Walls that drip blood! Pigs that fly! (And you thought your
 faulty plumbing was a problem.)
 Dickens, Charles -A Christmas Carol- A good ghost story any 
time
 of the year.
 King, Stephen -Pet Semetary- You'll never look at your cat 
the
 same way again.
 *TELEVISION
 -The Twilight Zone- Umm, do I really need to explain this?
 -The X-Files- Two FBI agents investigate paranormal 
stuff.
 A great show! (FOX, Fridays 9PM E/P)
 *MOVIES
 -Candyman- Clive Barker movie inspired by Mary Worth-
type
 urban legends. Tres scary! (1992)
 -The Changeling- George C. Scott stars in a chilling yarn 
about
 a house haunted by the spirit of a 
murdered
 child. (1980)
 -The Exorcist- A modern story of demonic possession. 
Linda
 Blair vomits pea soup. (1973)
 -Ghostbusters- Comedy about ghost-catchers in New York 
City.
 (1984)
 -The Haunting- A classic tale of a haunted house. Based 
on
 -The Haunting of Hill House- by Shirley 
Jack-
 son. (1963)
 -Poltergeist- A family experiences otherwordly activity 
cen-
 tered around their young daughter 
(Heather
 O'Rourke).
 -The Shining- Based on the Stephen King novel about an 
old
 hotel haunted by lots of mean ghosts. 
(1980)
 -Witchboard- Tawny Kitaen is tormented by an evil 
spirit
 conjured up with a ouija board. Actually 
a
 really good movie despite a somewhat low
 budget. (1985)
 S6.4 Other Net Resources
 *FTP
 ftp.netcom.com pub/obiwan/GhostStories This FAQ, some 
stories
 *BBSs
 isdn37.eng.uc.edu [telnet] forums on paranormal topics
 (416) 631-9996 THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE BBS
 (205)830-4485 The Highland Citadel; Ghost GIFs
 *Gopher
 The Skeptical Inquirer 
gopher.internet.com/The_Electronic_Newsstand/
 Magazines,_Periodicals,_and_Journals 
 *WWW
 Fortean Times Online http://forteana.mlc.dundee.ac.uk/ft
 Archive X http://www.usu.edu/~brandon/X File archives 
featuring
 horror and paranormal topics

-- 
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