15 Urban Legends as Creepy as They Are Universal
Crocodiles in the sewers? The hitchhiker who disappears around the bend? The babysitter who was so blind she put the cat in the microwave? No, nothing like that has actually happened to your friend's sister's neighbor, and it probably has never happened to anyone, either. They are urban legends. Popular stories and beliefs that, despite containing supernatural or implausible elements, are presented as real events. They are transmitted by oral tradition, by word of mouth, and are embellished with each new version, creating contemporary folklore. They feed on superstition and morbidity, and almost always have a certain morality, "if you do this –or if you don't–, this will happen to you…". Here are 15 as terrifying as they are universal to remember, for example, in Halloween.
The Phantom Hitchhiker
It has been circulating for centuries, adapting to different means of transport. It basically consists of a woman hitchhiking on the edge of a road: A car stops and she gets in the back. Arriving at a dangerous curve, the hitchhiker warns of danger. When the vehicle has passed the curve, the woman has mysteriously disappeared. Then the driver, or driver and passenger, learns that a woman was tragically killed at that point. In some versions, the passenger does not warn of the danger and the car suffers an accident and the driver or passengers die, although there is always a survivor, of course, to be able to tell the story. In our country, the fateful curve is located in the Cruz Verde pass, a mountain pass in the Sierra de Guadarrama, and it is said that there is another curve with its ghost in the port of Galapagar. There are also variations in which the hitchhiker is a distraught father who has to somehow get to the bedside of his dying son. Or sinister old women announcing the end of the world. Sometimes she is a bride dressed in white who died on her wedding day. Come on, there are versions for all tastes. A few years ago, a homemade-looking video went viral that scared half of Portugal. It was shot from inside a car in which three friends were travelling. The vehicle was picking up a young woman, Teresa Fidalgo, in the middle of the night, and she has an accident. According to the credits, the three friends died. It was actually a fragment of the video A Curva that its director, David Rebordão, wanted to promote online. It caused a furor on social networks, many believed it was real. The commotion was such that the director had to clarify the situation.
The Lady in white
It is a legend similar to the previous one, and it is also spread throughout the world. In it, a woman dressed in white appears for a short time in a rural area. Her story is usually related to some local tragedy. They are women who have lost children, husbands or have been victims of betrayal and their spirit wanders restlessly crying out for revenge. In the Middle Ages, when this ghostly figure appeared, it meant that someone close, from the family or from the neighborhood, was going to die. In English tradition, the Lady in White guarded a treasure, but she died suddenly, before she could reveal to anyone where it was hidden. They say that in the 19th century the white lady appeared up to three times to the son of the owners of Blenkinsopp Castle in Northumbria, but it is true that in that part of England all the castles have their ghost legends. The White Lady in Wales also guards a treasure. When a man had the courage to approach her, he rewarded him with half of her. In his greed, he took everything, but the Lady in White reacted, and with her supernatural powers, she killed the greedy bully. In the capital of Madrid there is also a lady in white who, night owls and without a hint of vertigo, walks at night on the roof of the house of the Seven Chimneys in the Plaza del Rey. It is about Elena, daughter of a huntsman of Felipe II and supposed lover of the king who perished in strange circumstances and who, according to several witnesses, continues to wander around the town and court. But for the heights.
Pokemon Suicides
In March 1996, after the release of Pokémon Red and Green 1.0, there were 104 suicides in Japan of children between the ages of 10 and 15. Some hanged themselves, others threw themselves off tall buildings, others had their wrists cut. What did they all have in common? All of them, according to their parents, were hooked on the game. A rumor was sparked that listening to the music of the Lavender Town incited minors to suicide. According to this urban legend, high-pitched binaural beats affected children's brains, although, like the mosquito test, adults were immune to that frequency. Someone invented a disease, "the Lavender People Syndrome", which led children to suicide. The legend shot through the networks, enlivened with all kinds of speculation, as the imminent danger of the game cartridges that were still circulating around the world, directly responsible for the deaths. Much was made of the suicide of one of the programmers, Chiro Miura, and the macabre legacy he left behind. The problem of youth suicide in Japan has little to do with video games and much to do with the great pressure that adolescents suffer: the fear of school failure is so pressing that the youthful anguish that occurs in any culture here becomes obsession and terror.
The call comes from inside the house
In general, this is the story: a babysitter is in a house, taking care of some children who have been sleeping peacefully for hours. She starts receiving threatening calls that actually come from inside the house. When she goes to check on the little ones, she finds that they have been killed. Then she is usually the one who dies. Sometimes what happens is that the babysitter is so high on marijuana (or whatever) that when she gets hungry she puts the baby in the house in the microwave, or something similar. I have already said that with each new version the legend becomes even more monstrous and crazy. The moral is clear: "Women, protect your children." There are variations of this story everywhere, from Scream to classics like The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. With the advances in mobile technology, the story is expected to turn into a horror based on whatsapp or murderers who use Tinder to locate their victims.
Kidney robbery
This story also has countless variants, but the principle is the same: a man allows himself to be seduced by a beautiful woman –or has sex with a prostitute–. The next morning, he wakes up with no memory of the night before, and discovers a suspicious scar at the level of his kidney, viscera that he will then be at the mercy of the highest bidder on the black market. The moral couldn't be clearer, right? Sometimes instead of waking up without a kidney, he wakes up with a message: "Welcome to the AIDS club." And almost always his wallet has also disappeared, with his documentation and money. This legend of organ trafficking sometimes occurs without even carnal exchange. There was a time when it was said that you would lose a kidney if you dared to access the fitting room of certain stores, and not because of the price of the clothes, but because the kidney was literal. Someone told you about someone who had entered a store and his partner, seeing that she did not come out, looks out and they tell her that there is no one there. The husband, or friend, or wife or girlfriend in question goes to the police who, upon arrival, find the victim bound and gagged and about to remove a kidney for organ trafficking. Organ trafficking is a staple of horror fiction; from Kazuo Ishiguro 's Never Let Me Go to Neal Shusterman's junior novel Disengagement . Unfortunately this type of exchange happens, but not in these latitudes, and not through a kidnapping.
The Insect Bite
It is so universal that it has inspired the fiction of half the planet. A young man returns home after an excursion or a trip. Among the marks of his journey (scratches, small wounds, bites, normal when you walk through the bush) there is an apparently harmless insect bite. He begins the stinging, which becomes unbearable. When the young man goes to the doctor, he makes an incision. Under the skin, the spider or ant or insect that bit him had deposited its eggs, which are now larvae or insects that feed on the victim's body and probably end his life. There are more light versions and others that are disgustingly gore . That something like this happens is practically impossible. Even so, it is a classic of horror films and literature, from Alienfrom Ridley Scott to Stephen King 's Dreamcatcher , passing through the comics of Charles Burns or Suehiro Maruo.
The Hook Man
Another essential story in any camp fire that arises. A couple in a car looks for a dark and discreet place where they can unleash their cuddles. They arrive at a secluded area. The boy stops the vehicle and turns on the radio so there is some background music. In the middle of his lovemaking activities, the song that plays stops and an announcer warns that a dangerous madman has escaped from a nearby institution. A man with a very striking physical characteristic: where his hand should be, he sports a hook. The girl is scared, the boy reassures her to continue with the courtship, but she insists, she wants to go home. The boy reluctantly agrees. When they arrive at her destination, the girl gets out of the car and starts screaming hysterically. There's a bloody gaff stuck in the back of the vehicle. Sometimes one or both members of the pair die. It began to circulate in the 1950s in the United States and has been the inspiration for numerous horror films, such asI Know What You Did in Last Summer by Jim Gillespie, based on the novel by Lois Duncan.
The Ghost Waiter
No, it's not about a cocky bartender who hesitates when you ask him for a beer –there are some, but those, luckily, are more laughable than scary. Everyone knows someone who knows someone who, while traveling, went for a drink in a lonely bar in the town where he was staying. To pass the time and disconnect after many hours at the wheel, the driver consumes several gin & tonics in animated conversation with the waiter. According to legend, the stranger returns the next day and meets another barman. Asking about his partner, if she is free that day, he learns to his astonishment that the establishment had been closed the night before. Right now we are all visualizing a roadside bar near a dusty motel on Route 66, but the fact is that this legend also has its Celtiberian version. I heard it recently, from the mouth of a friend whose father was an air commander and had spent some time stationed at the Los Llanos Air Base in Albacete. When after six months he returned to that base for a brief instruction, he decided one night to go to the canteen to see if Tomás, the waiter soldier with whom he had become good friends during his previous stay, was still there. He was still in charge and the command spent a long time drinking Magno and telling stories to the soldier. The next day the canteen was closed. When he inquired, they told him that Tomás was no longer in the body: he had committed suicide three months ago. The canteen was closed, following the suicide and the completion of the new officers' pavilion.
Chain Letters
You already know it. They send you a message suggesting that if you don't pass it on to five more people, there will be dire consequences. This urban legend seems to have foreseen viral marketing in about twenty years. Today there are also those who believe that it serves to cure cancer or make society aware of some disease, but I, of course, do not see the point of "Pass this message to X people if you want (whatever)", they are desire to succumb to absurd blackmail. The concept of the deadly chain letter has also been exploited in fiction: it appears in the fantastical mystery novel The End of Mr. Y by Christopher Pike.
Adulterated Food
Not long ago there was a rumor on the internet that KFC had had to remove the word chicken from its name because what they were actually selling was not chicken, but somethinggenetically created. Some surprising photos even circulated. Food is often the victim of urban myths: MacDonald's hamburgers are actually made from worms, Chinese restaurants serve dog meat, and cockroaches appear in cans of dog pate. These legends are nourished by the fact that sometimes scandalous news does appear in the newspapers, such as that of the Ikea cake in whose analysis they found human excrement, but I want to think that in Europe at least there is a strict control of security measures and food hygiene, or not? My favorite urban legend of food comes from my childhood, at school the rumor spread that if you mixed Coca-Cola with aspirin, drugs would come out. Thus, in hyperonym: "drug". Drug I don't know.
The Smile of the Clown
A classic in the halls of residence in Madrid that little by little spread throughout other Spanish university environments. The story tells that a young girl was waiting for the night bus at a bus stop in the Metropolitan area, the most important core of colleges in the capital. The place is characterized by being surrounded by university campus parks, which in conjunction with the empty college buildings and the night, was undoubtedly a setting worthy of a horror movie. While the girl was waiting for her bus, a group of neo-Nazi-looking boys arrived in her area and started harassing her. The situation ended with them "drawing" the so-called clown smile on her face so that she could not scream, because her macabre intention was to rape her. The facts could not be contrasted, but the rumors were so insistent that in 2003 there was a meeting of several directors of colleges to find out how much truth there was in the story and try to put an end to the alarm that spread with wildfire. among young people from Madrid.
Veronica in the Mirror
This story is very popular among horror lovers. Legend has it that a young woman named Veronica participated in a Ouija session with some friends without taking everything that happens in something like that too seriously. Well, the poor thing ended up being murdered in strange circumstances in front of everyone who was present. The facts are very confusing, since some say that she died after being hit by a chair that flew out of the room where the Ouija session was taking place, while another version of what happened narrates that it was scissors that flew out and stabbed to the victim until causing his death. Everything is based on a prophecy that says that if you say Veronica's name three or nine times, which is not clear according to various sources, With a book that is usually the Bible and open scissors, the ghost of the young woman appears behind you and kills you. Creepy, no doubt.
The Dream Man
It all happened in New York in 2006. In that city, a psychiatrist received a patient in his office. Well, the young woman told him that she had dreamed on several occasions with a stranger that she had an incipient bald spot, very thick eyebrows and extremely thin lips, especially her upper one. The psychiatrist, while listening to the young woman, drew a portrait of the subject, but without giving it much importance, he left the drawing on the table. Things got complicated when two other patients confessed to having dreamed of a character very similar to the one previously described by the girl. The psychiatrist decided to make copies of the drawing and sent it to several colleagues, and the result left him cold, since the number of people who had dreamed of him kept increasing. To take action on the matter, they created a web page to record all the apparitions. You're going to be frozen too: they discovered that the mysterious man had gotten into the dreams of nearly two thousand people... like Freddy Krueger.
The legend of the Twins
A mother was driving her twin daughters to school when she received an urgent call from work. She had to go immediately, so she asked them both to continue alone to the school, since they knew perfectly well how to get there. She kissed them on the forehead before leaving but, when she had only traveled a few meters, she heard the awful noise of braking behind her. When she turned around she discovered that the inert body of her daughters was lying under a truck. The girls had died holding hands. The mother practically went crazy, but a new pregnancy partially gave her back the illusion of continuing to live. She was pregnant with twins again. Once born, the two girls were remarkably similar to their other two deceased daughters. As they grew older, her mother became more and more protective, as she was afraid of losing them again like she had the first time. One day, on the way to school, the sisters ran ahead under the watchful eye of her mother, who immediately stopped them in their tracks and begged them never to do this without her permission. Her response was devastating: "We didn't think about doing it. We've already been run over once, Mom. It won't happen again."
The spirit of Sister Ursula
A Sevillian legend that testifies to what happens in some places that have witnessed many deaths and suffering. According to the account, in the old Hospital of the Five Wounds, which is currently the Andalusian Parliament, the spirit of Sor Úrsula, a 17th-century nun who worked as a nurse and died of the plague, continues. According to this legend, the nun was a sullen and wicked woman who enjoyed hurting others. There are many who claim to have seen her at night in the corridors, still dressed in her habit and with a bunch of keys in her hands.
Top 10 Scary American Urban Legends
Weve done a few now and the response has been amazing - you guys seem to want to hear creepy Urban Legends from every single country around the world. If thats the case, let me know which country you want next but for now - were talking about a country you may have heard of - the United States of America. And this is the Top 10 Scary American Urban Legends.
10. The Grunch
This one comes from Louisiana. In the early days of New Orelans, there was a road called Grunch Road that went deep into the swampy woods before coming to a dead end - thats where the Grunch people lived - a strange hybrid of albinos and dwarfs - forced away from society and forced to live in their own community. As the years went by, people started to doubt the stories authenticity - but it sparked up again when people started disappearing down Grunch Road. Nearby farmers reported their animals missing or finding them dead and drained of their blood. Many locals now refused to head down Grunch road for fear of meeting the same fate.
9. Stull Cemetery
To those that know the stories, Stull Cemetery in Kansas is better known as the doorway to hell. Legend says that the devil himself chose the cemetery as his entrance from the underworld to our own. Its said that a tree once stood in the cemetery and an old tombstone inscribed with the word -Witch- … the tree was used to hang condemned witches who were put to death by the locals. The tombstone apparently marks the burial spot of Satans own child - a creature born deformed and covered in wolf hair. In modern times, the legend has continued with reports of the ground catching fire randomly. Pope John Paul the 2nd was said to divert his private plane around the cemetery because it was so tainted by evil. Whether or not you believe this all, theres plenty of videos on YouTube to checkout if youre interested.
8. Knock Knock Road
This is for all of you guys that get creeped out by Little Girl ghosts. The worst kind. Strasburg Road near Detroit has a disturbing tale of murder attached to it. Legend says a little girl was killed on the road in the 1940s. Ever since then, people have reported the same story. They stop at a traffic light and see, on the side of the road, a young girl standing - just standing and staring right at you. Whether they freeze or try to speak to her, she slowly walks forward to the car and stares at you with deep set, hollow eyes. She scans your face to try and find her killer and get her revenge, you better hope you don't look like them.
7. Char-Man
The story goes that in 1948, a wildfire swept across Ojaji California. The flames consumed a cabin where a man lived with his son. He was burned alive but his son survived - just barely though. When the authorities arrived, they found a shocking scene - the father had been flayed - his skin had been removed from his body and peeled off, his body hanging from a nearby tree. The police searched for the purportator - they heard a wheezing from a nearby bush and then suddenly, the son bolted out. The overpowering spell stunned the officers and in that moment, the boy ran into the trees and escaped into the hills. In the years since, many locals say they have seen the Char-Man in the woods, horribly disfigured by his burns and tormented by his past. Hes said to creep up on the tents of innocent campers, waiting for them to fall asleep.
6. Hells Gate Bridge
This one comes from Oxford Alabama. The story goes that in the 1950s, a young couple crashed their car off the side of the bridge and drowned. Now, some locals believe you cross the bridge at your own peril. One story is that if you drive your car out to the middle of the bridge and turn off all the lights, the couple will appear in your car, sitting behind you. When you turn around theyll be gone, leaving a wet seat behind. The other story is that if you drive over the bridge and look over your shoulder halfway through, the scenery behind you turns into a portal to hell - spouting fire and flames. Whether or not you believe this - its enough for some people to look for a different way to cross the river.
5. 100 Steps Cemetery
This is located in the town of Brazil in Indiana. Interesting name for a town - and the cemetery is even more interesting. Its been used for at least 150 years and in that time its gained quite a sinister reputation for a ghostly undertaker. The story goes that as you walk up the many steps to the top of the cemetery you must count each step. When you reach the top, you must turn towards the open field and the ghost of the cemeteries first undertaker will appear. Without saying anything, he will then reveal your own death to you in a vision. Straight away, you must proceed down the steps and count each one again. If the number is the different to the one counted on the way up - the vision was true. An added bous is that if anyone tries to cheat and climb up or down without using the steps, a ghostly hand will push them to the ground leaving a red imprint on their back for days as a mark of the devil. Definitely not a place to just got for a Sunday walk then.
4. The Goat Man of Pope Lick
This is an old Kentucky urban legend about a hideous being who roams the woods across the state. Those who have seen him describe the goat man as having dark fur, pale skin, goat legs and twisted horns. Some say he was an escaped circus freak, others say he was a farmer who tortured goats for Satan - Satan repaid him by turning him into a tortured goat himself. The Goat Man is said to hide under the rusty bridge that crosses Pope Lick Creek in Louisville. Legend says he lures people onto the train tracks and then takes pleasure in them being hit by oncoming trains. Please don't go looking for this one though guys, in 2016, a woman actually fell to her death from the bridge while looking for the Goat Man.
3. Slaughterhosue Canyon
With a name like that - you know its not gonna be a pretty story. During the 1800s Gold Rush, a family moved lived in the canyon in a wooden shack. Every day was the same, the husband would set off into the mountains to search for gold and food for his family. Then, one day he didnt come back - presumably injured or killed by animals, the mountain or other humans. His wife waited for her husband for weeks until they began to starve. Driven mad with the hunger and her childrens cries, she put on her wedding dress, picked up a knife and murdered her children, throwing them in the river and then weeping until starvation killed her too. Legend says that that if you visit the canyon today, you can still hear the Mothers painful cries.
2. The Blank Angel
This statue looks creepy as it is - an old, worn, corroded angel staring down over Oakland Cemetery in Iowa City. Her sinister appearance has helped spawn a number of different legends around her. One of them says that a pregnant woman should never walk under her lest they want to lose their unborn child. Another says that if you kiss or perhaps even touch the statue, youll be dead within 6 months. This is the kind of story that scares everyone off - whether or not you believe in curses - its just not worth even thinking about!
1. Cropsey
Many New Yorkers know the story of cropsey, the boogeyman of Staten Island. Legend says he was an escaped patient from a mental asylum who went on a murderous rampage. He had a hook for a hand which he would use to drag children back to the abandoned ruins of Seaview Hospital. Pretty creepy - but heres where it gets really scary. Many parents would tell this to their kids to scare them into being cautious about strangers even if they didnt really believe it. But then, in the 1970s, a real killer called Andre Rand really did start hunting children in a similar way. Was he using the Cropsey legend as cover? Either way, people take the legend a lot more seriously now. Wow America, you kinda creepy, you really are kinda creepy.
Top 10 Scary British Urban Legends
We're gonna be looking at some creepy tales again and this time its from my homeland of Britain. Its a place with a lot of history dating back thousands of years - so, it makes sense that there would be a lot of scary stories attached to certain places. Which one of these sends a shiver down your spine? Lets find out - This is the Top 10 Scary British Urban Legends.
10. Corpse Train
According to London folkshore, in the early 1900s, there was a train that ran under the city - and it was only for dead people. Back then, Londons hospitals and morgues were struggling to deal with the amount of people dying from poverty and disease. They decided to transport the bodies out of the city but knew they couldnt do it overground without disturbing a lot of people. So, they used an existing train line to load the bodies on to. The train ran on the other side of a wall from the normal service - where unsuspecting Londoners were getting on and off the trains, unaware of the nearby bodies.
9. The Suicide Pool
This one comes from Epping Forest near Essex. The story goes that years ago, a young couple in love were followed to a pond in the forest by the girls father. When the couple embraced, the father lept from the trees to confront the boy. The fight got out of hand and the father ended up killing the boy in a rage at the edge of the pool. The waters turned black, wildlife that was touching the water died. In the years that followed, bodies started to appear there. First it was an old woman, then a young one with her young child dead beside her. They say the pool drew them in to their death and that the pool is still out there in the forest somewhere, waiting for its next victim.
8. Annie
This one comes from Edinburgh, Scotland. In the Old Town lies a street known as Mary Kings Close. Its steeped in muths and legends of hauntings and murders. In 1990, a psychic called Aiko Gibo visited and felt a small hand touch hers. She said she then made contact with the spirit of a child called annie who had died in a plague hundreds of years ago and had lost her doll. The psychic then went to a nearby shop and brought back a barbie doll. Since then, visitors leave dolls for Annie and a mountain of them has built up in the dark.
7. The Faceless Woman
This one comes from the borough of Barkin in London. There you can find Becontree Station - home to the faceless woman. The most famous sighting of her happened in 1992. A station supervisor reported that one night, he heard the handle of his office door rattle outside on the platform stood a woman. She had blonde hair, wore a pale dress and stared into the distance. The supervisor approached her but as he reached out, she turned to him only to reveal she had no face - just darkness where there should be one. Local ghost hunters claim she is the ghost of a train crash that happened there in 1958 which killed 10 people.
6. The Beast
Englands Hackney Marshes is known for its sprawling woodland, and boggy reed marshes often covered in swirling fog - the perfect setting for this urban legend. The story goes that in 1980, two bear carcesses were found in the river there - they had been decapitated. People started speculating about who or what could cut a bears head clean off its shoulders. Then, a year later, 4 boys were taking a walk along the march one winter morning when they saw it through the trees. They described it as a giant, great, growling, hairy thing. As soon as it saw them, it reared up on it back legs and let out a deafening roar. The boys ran - but the story remains, always in the back of peoples minds as they trudge through the marsh.
5. The Crying Girl
On November 18th 1987, a match was dropped on an escalator at Londons King Cross station. A fire quickly spread into the ticket office which resulted in the deaths of 31 people. In the years since then, passengers have reported seeing a girl who died around the station. She has long brown hair, wears jeans a tshirt and is always crying. Some people have reported hearing her sobs while smelling smoke coming out from the escalators.
4. Sawney Bean
This is the gruesome tale of Alexander -Sawney- Bean … a man who was said to be the head of a Scottish clan of cannibals in medieval times. According to legend, the group was made up of his wife, their 14 children and 32 grandchildren. They lived in a cave by the water and would ambush people on the road at night. They would bring their bodies back to the cave to dismember and eat them. Any leftovers were picked in a jar for later. When King James VI of Scotland eventually heard of the murders, he led a manhunt to capture. The clan were then executed. Some say you can still find the cave along the Bennane Head area of Scotland.
3. Cane Hill
Some people say this is one of the most haunted places in England. It was a mental asylum for over 100 years from 1882 to 1991. It built up a reputation for abandoning some of its patients, hiding them away from the public eye and never truly helping them. Some people say the patients who died left their energy behind because of their tortured lives. The building was gutted by a mysterious fire in 2010. Urban explorers who visit it today often report seeing shadows flicker by the windows. Perhaps the scariest stories are of faces appearing by the burnt out windows.
2. The House of The Screaming Skull
This one comes from Bettiscombe Manor in Dorset, England. The legend goes that in the 1830, a man lived there called John Frederick Pinney. He had a slave he had brought back from the carribean island if Nevis. The man became ill and on his deathbed, he swore he would never rest unless his body was returned home to Nevis. Pinney refused to pay for that expense and when he died, he had the man buried in the local graveyard. After, ill fortune began to plague the village for months. Screams and cries were heard from the cemetery. At the manor house, windows rattled and doors slammed. The body was dug up and brought to the manor house where today, only the skull remains where its said to haunt the manor but the village remains safe.
1. The Hellhounds
Dartmoor is a vast, rocky, windy and mysterious part of England. Its popular among tourists but everyone who goes is aware of the legend of the hellhounds. Its said that a pack of these ghost dogs wanders the moors at night, preying on sheep but not afraid of humans. Theyve been described as cat like but with the frame of a bear - and fast. There have been pictures and film taken over the years that claim to show glimpses of the hellhounds. Many of the locals don't need that though - theyve had the stories handed down from generation to generation - some of say theyve seen the hounds with their own two eyes.
Top 10 Scary Chinese Urban Legends
This the Top 10 Scary Chinese Urban Legends - as you know, taking a look at different countries - what would you like to see next? Today, we look at China - a country steeped in thousands of years of history and stories some of them are very creepy indeed.
10. The Lotus Pond
This story goes that there once was a young couple who were in love. They planned to run away together and get married. They arranged to meet at midnight beside a lotus pond. The girl arrived and waited for him but he never came. As she headed home, she spotted her boyfriend with another girl - this devastated her and made her cry and cry. She went back to the lotus pond and threw herself in the water where she drowned. A while after, another couple agreed to meet at the lotus pond. This time the boy was there first - he waited for his girlfriend by the waters edge. Suddenly, he hard a womans voice behind him say -I asked you to meet me at midnight, didnt I?- … the boy answered -no- … all of a sudden, two pale hands burst out of the water and dragged him into the pond where he drowned. Ever since then, people have kept an eye out when they go to a Lotus Pond at midnight - if you hear a girl, don't answer her or even look at her, or you too may be dragged to a watery grave.
9. The Hello Kitty Murder
In May 1999, a 13 year old girl in Hong Kong told the police that a woman that her boyfriend helped murder was haunting her. She told the police the victim was a 23 year old woman who was being tortured endlessly while bound with electrical wire. The police followed some leads to a house where they found some shocking evidence - a large Hello Kitty Doll stuffed with a womans head. The victim was identified as 23 year old nightclub hostess Fan Man-yee who was abducted the year before for failing to repay a debt. When the story hit the press, it terrified Hong Kong residents who called it the Hello Kitty Murder. Months later, CCTV images began circulating from roads near the house showing a dark female figure lurking in the shadows. Some believe her restless spirit still haunts the area.
8. The Mog Wai
This one one roughly translates to English as -Monster- … the monsters mating season is said to be triggered by rain - one of them is known was the Yaoguai. They are demons that eat peoples souls to gain immortality. They are shapeshifters that are said to take on different forms to trick their victims. One story told of a man who brought a beautiful girl home. One night, he spied on her through the bedroom window. Instead of seeing the girl, he saw a demon painting features onto the skin of the girl - like someone would improve a dress.
7. Nu Gui
This one comes from Hong Kong where a Nu Gui is a ghost woman. The story goes that they are women who were wronged in life and linger on Earth to exact vengeance on her enemies. Usually they were the spirit of a women that was murdered or abused by their husbands. This has led many people in Hong Kong to believe that the ghost hates men specifically - they will kill men but only scare women.
6. The Jiangshi
Essentially, these are Vampires in some Chinese traditions. The closest translation for their name -hard- or -stiff- … this is because they are almost a cross between a vampire and a zombie. A person dies and just as rigor mortis sets in they wake up with stiff joints and begin wandering - looking for blood to suck to survive. A Jiangshi is said to be created when a person dies to things like suicide, magic or an improper burial.
5. The Shui Gui (Shoey Tzi)
This is otherwise known as the Souls of The Drowned. They are the vengful ghosts of people who have drowned. They always lurk in the same spot as where they died. They wait for an unsuspecting person to swim by or get too close - and they they pounce. They drag their victim down into the water to drown them. Then, that person becomes the new Vengeful Soul, creating a cycle that lasts forever.
4. The Death Worm
Rumored to exist in the Chinas Gobi Desert, the Mongolian Deathworm is well known to a lot of chinese people. Its said to be a hellish creature, red from top to tip, somewhere between 2 and 5ft long. Some say theyve seen them grow to twice as long. Locals fear the worm because it is said to be high toxic - they say it has the ability to spray its venom from a distance which is deadly enough to kill a horse.
3. The Suicide Mall
In the city of Guanzhour lies the Liwan Plaza shopping mall. Locals always said the chinese character for the mall looks a lot like the one for death. That seems morbidly appropriate in a way as its been the site of more than 12 suicides over the years - some witnesses swear that a supernatural force seemed to push the victims over the railings. The Malls curse was so begin many years ago when developers overlooked where they were building it - right on top of an ancient Chinese burial ground. They didnt notice until construction unearthed 8 empty coffins which locals blame for the strange noises and deaths that plgaued the area. Taoist priests were brought in and they identified the coffins as being part of a ritual to actually keep AWAY evil spirits - if they werent disturbed for a thousand years. That was the mistake then.
2. Da Ji
Da Ji was the life of King Zhou - the last ruler of the Shang Dysnasty. She was said to be an evil woman - her and her husband gained sexual gratification by seeing people being tortured - she even invented her own torture device - the paolao. It was a bronze cylinder which she would strap her victims in. The coils were then heated up - resulting in a painful death as the victims were slowly cooked alive.
1. The Last Bus
In 1995, a young man boarded the last bus to Fragrant Hills in Bejing. Shortly into the journey, two men tried to wave the bus down. The driver was reluctant but the conductor reminded him that this was the last bus of the night. The two men got on board and passengers were surprised to see they were wearing traditional Chinese robes - their faces white as snow and expressionless. Everyone eventually got off except for the 2 robed men, the young man and an old woman. She accused the young man of stealing her waller - the young man angrily defended himself - she insisted they get off there and go to a police station to resolve the matter. When they got off, she told him that she had made the argument up to get him off the bus with her because she had noticed the two robed men had no legs which meant they must have been ghosts.
Scary Jack the Ripper Urban Legends
For those of you who don’t know, Jack the Ripper was a serial killer who terrorized the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. He brutally murdered and mutilated at least five prostitutes and his identity was never discovered. He had a very particular way of murdering his victims and he was never caught. So of course, there are a lot of conspiracy theories surrounding Jack the ripper and his murderous rampage through London. So, here are the top 10 scary Jack The Ripper Urban Legends.10. Mary Ann Nichols
She was one of the Whitechapel murder victims who was viciously murdered by the infamous Jack the Ripper. Her throat was slashed twice from left to right and her abdomen was mutilated with one deep jagged wound. She also had many incisions across her abdomen and a ton of other deep stab wounds. Since her brutal murder, it has been said that her spirit has been haunting the Whitechapel area and people have been hearing strange ghostly noises of Jack killing Mary Ann Nichols. People have also said that they can see her spirit glowing at the site of her murder and horses and dogs will refuse to go near that location.
9. Lewis Carroll was actually the murderer
This is the author of Alice’s adventures in Wonderland, which to me sounds like a very unlikely suspect. However, there are a bunch of urban legends that point to him. Apparently, people believe that he killed a bunch of women and left clues about the murders in his children’s stories. There are a bunch of ripperologists who have studied his writings and they were able to unscramble a bunch of passages from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and from a bunch of his other works that make you wonder, did he kill all of these women?
8. The last four murders
Mary Jane Kelly was believed to be the final victim of Jack The Ripper but according to an urban legend, the first four murders were just an elaborate attempt to cover up the real reason why Mary Jane Kelly was murdered. It is believed that her husband was the infamous serial killer and his motive for killing his wife was because he was so angry that his wife turned to prostitution shortly after they got married. So he killed four other prostitutes to make it look like a pattern and then he killed his wife so that the police wouldn’t suspect him of committing the crime.
7. The murders were part of a black magic ritual
According to an urban legend, it is believed that Jack the ripper was apart of a cult who indulged in a very violent form of Satanic worship. Apparently, his true motive was to kill four prostitutes in order to become the cult leader. In this black magic ritual, certain organs had to be removed from the murdered prostitutes and they had to be killed at pre-arranged sites that resemble a satanic symbol. The organs that were commonly removed were the heart, kidneys, genitalia and the womb which of course, were also commonly removed during black magic rituals during this time period.
6. The American Jack the Ripper
There is a lot of speculation that Americans Urban Legends were also the victim of Jack the Ripper. So, three years before the first Jack the Ripper murder happened in England, a serial killer dubbed the servant girl annihilator brutally murdered 8 people in Austin, Texas. Similar to Jack the Ripper, the servant girl annihilator has never been identified and there are so many theories about his identity. All of the women were killed indoors while asleep in their beds and some of them were dragged outside and mutilated in the same way as jack the ripper victims. Because of all this evidence, there is an urban legend that suggests that Jack the ripper was actually the servant girl annihilator and he roamed the streets of Texas, brutally murdering eight people before heading off to England to do the same.
5. Elizabeth Stride
She is another victim of Jack the Ripper but she wasn’t as brutally murdered as the others. The only body mutilation that she had was a slashed throat, so it is believed that Jack the Ripper was most likely interrupted during his murder and he was unable to chop up her body like his other victims. The local urban legend surrounding her murder says that if you go to Dutfields Yard on Berner Street, you can supposedly hear ghostly and eerie screams of a woman struggling and crying for help.
4. Mitre Square
This cobblestoned area is the site where one of London’s most infamous crimes occurred. At the south-west corner of Mitre Square, the mutilated body of Catherine Eddowes was discovered at this location at 1:45am on September 30th, 1888. Catherine Eddowes was Jack the Rippers fourth victim. She was found lying on her back in a pool of blood with her clothes over her waist. Her throat was slashed, her intestines were taken out and placed over her right shoulder and she had a lot of other brutal cuts all over her body. Well the local legend states that on the anniversary of her death, people have reported seeing her ghost figure lying where her corpse was discovered.
3. The second victim
Annie Chapman was viciously murdered by Jack the Ripper on September 8, 1888. Her throat had been slashed, she was disembowelled with her intestines thrown out of her abdomen and part of her uterus was missing. So basically, she was chopped up and her body was severely sliced and hacked. Her disfigured body was found in the backyard of the Truman Brewery and when this brewery was still in business after her murder, it was reported that on the anniversary of her murder, you can see her ghost standing in the exact spot where she was viciously sliced up to death.
2. Mary Kelly
It is believed that she is the last and final victim of Jack the Ripper. She was about 25 years old at the time of her vicious murder. Her body was found lying naked on a bed in an apartment. Her whole abdomen and thighs were removed, her chest was cut off and her arms had several jagged wounds. Her face was hacked up so badly that you couldn’t even recognize her and her neck was cut so deep, that you could even see her bones. An urban legend states that after her murder, anyone who lives in that apartment will see a bloody handprint on the wall. Even if you attempt to clean it or paint over it, the bloody handprint will reappear shortly after. Some people even claim that they have seen her ghost wearing all black and she has been haunting the building on the very same night of her murder.
1. Westminster Bridge Jack the Ripper sighting
Legend has it that if you stand on the Westminster Bridge on December 31st and look east as midnight approaches, you might see the ghost of Jack the Ripper. And as Big Ben chimes in the new year, you will see a shadowy figure creeping down the wall and into the Thames river. This legend began to circulate because back in 1888 it is believed that Jack the Ripper killed himself by diving into the river at this very spot and now every year since, his spirit is forced to repeat this over and over again as a form of punishment.
Top 10 Scary Japanese Urban Legends
Starting off at number 10 we have Teke-Teke. This is the Urban Legend about a girl who fell under a train and was cut in half. She became a vengeful spirit that moves using her hands and elbows, dragging herself while making the sound -Tek-Tek- … if you hear that noise, youre supposed to run. Those who are caught by the Tek Tek will recieve a fate like her - shes said to slash her victims in half so that they look like her, and possibly become wandering vengeful spirits as she is.
At number 9 now we have the Slit Mouthed Woman. You may recognise this one from a number of Japanese movies and TV shows. The traditional name for this being is Kuchi-sake-onna and dates back over 300 years ago. She is a woman who was brutally mutilated by her husband after he found she was having an affair with another Samurai. This left her in death as a restless spirit. She is said to cover her mouth with a cloth mask, a fan or a scarf. If you approach her, shell ask you if you think shes pretty. If you answer yes, she will remove the mask and when the victim screams they will be slashed from ear to ear until they look like her. Even if you say no, shes said to follow you home and brutally murder you that night.
Next up at number 8 we have Daruma-san. This urban legend is more of an old game passed down through the years. You shower in a bath, turn off the lights and chant -Daruma-san fell down- while you wash your hair … its said that you will see a woman in your mind. She is Daruma-San. Shell be standing up in a bath. Youll see her slip and fall onto an old rusty tap. It goes straight through her eye and kills her. Then, you will feel her ghostly presence behind you. If you turn around - there she is. Black tangled hair, rotting clothes, one eye is bloodshot and the other is just a bloody, hollow eye socket. The game continues even further than that if you dare, but I think thats enough for you to understand this creepy urban legend.
At number 7 now we have the Girl From The Gap. This Japanese story comes from peoples natural fear of what lies lurking in the cracks of a home. Do you ever see something move past the hinge of a door? Is that someone looking out from inside your wardrobe? Have you ever pictured a hand reaching out from between your bed and the floor? Well it could be the girl from the gap - a spirit that lives both physically and metaphorically -between worlds-. Its said that if you ever see her, she will ask if you want to play hide and seek. At that point the game is on. When you her between a gap again, shell drag you to an other worldly hell.
At number 6 now we have The Red Room. This is a very modern Japanese urban legend about a pop up ad thats red with black test. In a childs voice, it simply repeats the phrase -Do you like?-. A boy who got the popup tried to close it but it kept reappearing. Then, it changed to -Do you like red?- … he keeps trying to close it but it grows large and changes again to say -Do you like the red room?- … then, the site changes. All red and black. It has a list of names on it - his friends is at the bottom. And hand reaches out towards the boys neck from a video. tHE Ending gets even more twisted but guess what, its based on a real website. Its still out there. If you can find it, youll know the gruesome legend of the red room and if the horrible ending comes true for you.
Moving on to number 5 we have The Human Pillars. This legend dates back to ancient times in Japan where its known as Hito-bashira. Back then, there was a belief that a human sacrifice sealed inside a structure would make a foundation more stable. This means that many old Japanese buildings are said to contain the spirits of the people who were sacrificed during their construction. One famous example is Matsue Castle where a woman was sealed inside the foundations during its construction. Now her spirit is said to haunt the castle and whenever a woman dances there, the castle shakes violently. Many building owners in Japan are open about their building being a Human Pillar.
Next up at number 4 we have The Snake Woman. This one comes from the old Japanese folklore pf Nure-onna which translates to wet woman. She is often described as having the head of a woman and the body of a snake - with long claws, snake eyes and jet black hair. She carries with her a childlike bundle to lure in her victims. If a person tries to pick up the baby, they find its not a child at all. The bundle then becomes very heavy and stops the victim from fleeing. The snake woman then uses her long tongue to suck all of the blood from the victims body until they die.
At number 3 now we have Onibaba. She is a demon women that often appears in Japanese folk folklore. She will often appear as an old woman asking for help but if you get to close, she will slice you open with a knife and eat you. She is said to be the tormented spirit of a woman who accidently killed her pregnant daughter and unborn grandchild in an effort to find a cure for her friends child being sick. She was told to bring them the liver of an unborn child but when she finally killed her victims, she found they were her own family.
At number 2 now we have The Dream School. This one is extra creepy because apparently if you don't forget it within a week - it will happen to you. Lets see if this is true. One night, a boy had a dream about a school. The hallways looped forever, bringing him back to the start. Staircases led back to the first floor. As he got scared, he heard footsteps behind him. He ran until he found an emergency exit with a glass box and a key next to it. The glass had been smashed and there was a note saying it could be found in room 108. When he found that room, it was empty - no students - but there were backpacks hanging off every chair. There was a pounding on the door. He opened it, terrified, to find the hallways covered with dead children. Its said that he never woke up from his dream and if you don't forget the story in one week, youll meet the same fate. Don't worry though guys
And finally at number 1 we have Onryo. This is a traditional Japanese belief about a vengeful spirt that can and will physically hurt the living. Its a very scary concept if youre only familiar with the western idea of ghosts which don't really take solid forms and so cant hurt humans with physical contact. Thats not true for an Onryo. They are vengeful and full of hate, stopping at nothing to enact the suffering they received when they were alive. For any of you guys who have seen The Grudge, this spirit is the influence for that creepy girl in that movie.
Top 10 Scary Korean Urban Legends
10. Virginial Ghost
This is the term used to describe those Grudge type apparitions that youve probably seen in horror movies with the hair over their faces, usually dressed in white. One day, a man who lived on the top floor of an apartment building woke up to the sound of a knock at the door. He lived alone and rarely got visitors. He walked to the door and asked whos there. After a few seconds, a voice said -count to 100 and dont make a sound or youll die- … he opened the door - and there was nobody there. He was still scared though so he closed his eyes and started to count to 100 in his head. When he got to 49 - he opened his eyes out of curiosity and there she was, right infront of his face.
9. Plastic Surgery
Plastic Surgery is a big market in Korea and as such, horror stories have sprouted up around it. This story starts with a man sitting on an empty subway car when a tall, thin woman sits down in front of him. Her long, dark hair covers most of her face but he can see shes wearing a surgical mask. As the doors close, he catches her eye. He smiles. She asks him -Am I pretty?- ‘yes’ he replies … then she takes the mask off. Theres a huge wound from ear to ear, exposing her bleeding gums, teeth and muscles. -Am I pretty now?- she screams at him. She takes out a scalpel and moves towards him, the doors open and he runs for his life.
8. The Organ Thief
This is quite a modern South Korean urban legend coming from the city of Gwangju. Screenshots of a text conversation between 2 friends appeared on Facebook there and went viral. One of the friends was warning the other to not take taxis at night. They said that one of their friends got in a taxi while drunk. The taxi driver then put a needle in their neck. They lost consciousness and were defenceless. When they came round, they were bleeding from their stomach and lying in a field on the outskirts of the city. He was rushed to hospital where doctors found he was missing a kidney. The fear of these organ stealing taxi drivers became so much that officials said it was affecting the taxi business in the city.
7. Dalgyal Gwishin
This is whats known as a traditional type of Korean ghost, dating back in legend hundreds of years. Its notable because the ghost is said to appear with no facial features - no eyes, no nose or mouth - some of them even lack arms and legs. Theyre often referred to as perhaps the most terrifying spirits in Korean folklore as even just looking at one can cause instant death.
6. The Back
The story goes that a married couple with a young son were always fighting. After years of this, it got so bad that in a sheer rage the father murdered the mother. He covered up the crime and nobody else suspected a thing. The only strange thing was - the boy never seemed to complain about the absence of his Mother - so he asked him -Son, why arent you calling out for Mommy? Most little boys would want their mommy to be with them. Tell me whats bother young- … the little boy looked up and slowly replied -Im fine, I was just wondering why youre always carrying Mommy on your back- … this is one of many similar stories found across the land.
5. Sesame Seeds
This a strange Urban Legend that seems to scare people about coming into contact with sesame seeds. A girl had heard that taking a bath with sesame seeds in the water would be good for her. So thats what she did. She sat in the bath for hours and hours. After a while, the girls mother became concerned and went to check on her. When she opened the door, she found the girl was covered in the seeds which had sunk deep into her skin. The daughter was crying and trying to remove them with a toothpick … theres one for any of you guys who hate the thought of holes in your skin.
4. The Bathroom Girl
This one is like moaning myrtle from Harry Potter but about 100 times more creepy. There are stories that in some of the old Korean schools with their dimly lit bathrooms live the ghosts of girls who killed themselves. Its said that she now haunts the stall where the event took place. How do you know which stall it was? Well the toilets have been said to flush themselves, the door slams with nobody around and sometimes you can hear her cry or even catch a glimpse in the mirror. The most gruesome by far though is that sometimes, she is said to emerge from the stall and ask you if you will use red or blue toilet paper. If you choose red, the ghost will cut you open. If you choose blue, the ghost will suffocate you.
3. Ghost Money
In this urban legend, a member of the South Korean mint went away on a business trip. During the trip, his daughter was abducted, dismembered and murdered. After an investigation, nobody was tried for the crime. It was believed that this lack of justice would turn the girls ghost into an angry spirit. Because of this, the mint began to places images of her body parts and parts of name on South Korea currency in he hopes that this would appease her. The mint has denied all knowledge of this.
2. The Loan Shark
A loan shark is someone who lends people money, often illegally, at extremely high interest rates. Sometimes, if they don't get their money back, they take matters into their own hands. Theres an urban legend from a small village in South Korea. Farmers there had to make a mass crave to bury cattle who had died from disease. Not long after, they heard a human voice calling out from beneath the soil. By the time they had dug through the dirt - the person buried among the cattle had already died. An investigation found they owed a lot of money to a loan shark. This has apparently happened dozens of times across the country.
1. Oysters
This is a really weird urband legend coming from the South Korean coast. Apparently one day a guy was walking along the beach when he slipped and fell on a sharp rock that cut his knee open. He washed it quickly and put a bandage over it. When he got home, it started to itch but he didnt want to remove the bandage incase it made things worse. He took it off a few days later and to his horror, tiny oysters covered the wound. It turns out there had been Oyster eggs on the rock he had fallen on which had gotten into his wound. They were protected by the bandage and fed on his blood until they had rooted themselves in his leg.
Top 10 Scary Vietnamese Urban Legends
Starting off at number 10 we have Ghost Tape Number 10. During the Vietnam War, its claimed that the US came up with a creepy new tactic in their fight against the Vietcong. With the help of the South Vietnamese, the US army created scary messages that sounded like voices of the dead. Along with shrieks, screams, and moans, a dead Viet Cong soldier pleads with his comrades, saying things like -My friends, I have come back to let you know that I am dead … I am dead!- and -Don't end up like me. Go home friends, before its too late!- … American helicopters blasted the Ghost Tapes over the jungle to make it sound like the voices were coming from everywhere. This was intended to do more than just scare them - the US army was playing on the strongly held Vietnamese belief that the spirits of the dead are doomed to walk the earth in their own personal hell if their bodies are not found and properly buried. It was hoped that this fear could be instilled in the Viet Cong and convince them to give up the fight or meet the same fate as the ghostly voices.
Next up at number 9, we have The Pregnant Ghost. In December 2001, a house caught fire in Saigon which took the life of 7 family members. The fire started in the early morning and quickly engulfed the first floor which was also a showroom for the family's motorbike shop. People living nearby were woken up by the smell of burnt plastic tires. The family tried to escape but found the only way was through the balcony. One by one people jumped but then a pregnant woman stepped forward onto the balcony. She was the daughter of the owners. The upper floor wasn't that high so everybody urged her to just jump - but she was too scared. She stepped back from the balcony, towards flames, and was never seen again. By the time the fire was put out the next days, the pregnant woman could not be found. In the years since then, locals swear that on certain nights - you can see the ghost of the pregnant woman standing on the balcony. Even though she is already dead, they say you can see the fear in her eyes as she looks down at the ground, clutches her baby and steps back into the flames that went out years ago.
Moving on to number 8 we have Apartment 727. This building used to be a symbol of luxury in Saigon - the tallest millionaire residence. Its divided into 6 blocks with 530 rooms but despite the grand plans of the past, it now lies almost completely abandoned. The simple reason is - people believe its haunted. In the 1960s, this was where a lot of US officers lived. Now, locals claim they see military ghost parades and the shadow of a blonde American soldier holding hands with a Vietnamese girl. They believe this is down to the spirit of the 4 virgins in the building. The legend goes that during the construction of the hotel, everything was going smoothly until the last floor of the building where many deaths and accidents occurred. The owners stopped construction for 3 days to set up an altar. People say they were advised by a Chinese exorcist to bring in the bodies of 4 virgin women. They then buried the bodies in the 4 corners of the building in order to exorcise whatever demon or curse was stopping construction. It seemed to work and the building was completed - but locals say that this act is the reason the building is so haunted today - and no soul wants to live there anymore.
Moving on to number 7 we have the Batutut. Every country seems to have some sort of Bigfoot story - well this is Vietnam. This apelike creature is said to wander the forested hills of Vietnam. Many locals have reported seeing it for a number of years. It gained wider attention when US servicemen returned from the Vietnam War with the same stories of the creature. The first documented Batutut sighting was in 1947 by a Dr. John MacKinnon in the Vu Quang Nature Reserve. Dr. MacKinnon was searching the area for undiscovered wildlife and came across tracks which he identified as hominid - a human-like creature. He said it stood at around 6ft in height. The creature is said to have hair covering its entire body except for its hands, feet, and face. The hair color can vary from grey to brown to black. They've been observed walking on two legs and also both alone and in small social groups. Those who claim to be experts say they forage for fruit and leaves but also hunt small prey. However, there is no evidence beyond eyewitness accounts and so for now, the Batutut remains an intriguing legend.
Moving on to number 6 we have The Meat Eater. The story goes like this. In a small town in Vietnam, the houses were very packed together. This was many years ago when people didn't have a fridge to keep their meat fresh and so the only way was to put salt on the meat and store it in their backyard kitchen. They didn't have any special container and just left it on a shelf. One night, a housewife in a family store their meat on the shelf. The next morning, a piece of it was missing. Furious, she went round and asked the family where it was - nobody knew. That night, she put the meat on a different shelf to make sure no one would take it away. The next morning, she went to the backyard and again, she found the meat missing.
She complained to her husband and that night, the couple stayed up to try and catch the culprit. When night came, they sat by the window overlooking their backyard. Just after 1 Am, they saw the shadow of a woman jump over their fence. They realized it was the old woman from next door. When they went out to catch her - they were shocked to see she already had the meat in her hands and was biting into it raw with a crazed look in her eyes. She looked possessed and was tearing the meat apart with sharp teeth and fangs. After finishing up the meat, she lept back over the fence. The next day they confronted the old woman's family about what had happened, they refused to believe their grandmother could have done it. The next day, the couple had to leave town for some business - they left their 1-year-old baby at home with a babysitter. They returned at 1 AM just in time to hear a loud scream come from the babies room.
They rushed upstairs to find their worst fears had come true. They had left no meat in the backyard that night and so the possessed old woman had climbed into the room and was biting on the babies arm - her face pale and fangs dripping. They attacked her and she jumped out of the window. The whole village helped to hunt the old woman - they eventually found her on top of a house. They tried but failed to get her down and decided the only way was to burn the building down. The old now transformed into her demonic form. She laughed and laughed until the roof collapsed and she fell into the flames - letting out a blood curling evil scream and then - silence, only the crackling of wood. The next day, all they found in the ashes was a very small skull. The old woman's family had already disappeared - leaving the village with more questions than answers - and a terrifying story to pass down the generations.
Moving on to number 5 now we have Mirrors. It is a common belief in some parts of Vietnam that Mirrors have a supernatural quality to them which can be used as a help or a curse. Its believed that mirrors are a portal to the spirit world. This is used as a defense against evil spirits. It's not uncommon to see mirrors hung on peoples doors. The idea for this is that an evil spirit will approach the door and be scared away by the mirror, not wanting to slip through the portal as it passes through the door. However, mirrors aren't always tools for good. Some Vietnamese believe that if you stare into a mirror for too long, a reflection can take your place and you will be the one who ends up in the mirror. You won't realize it until you go to step away and blink out of existence, forced to wait in the mirror until the real you return. Youll be forced to copy their movements exactly - and nobody will be able to see you screaming out for help through your eyes.
Next up at number 4, we have Thuan Kieu Plaza. In the heart of Saigon's busy Chinatown district is a series of three towers - each one stands 33 floors tall. Buildings A and B are completely deserted while building C has just a few people living there. During its construction in the late 80s, some of the workers died due to poor safety standards. No compensation was offered to the family and so one of them put an ancient Chinese curse on the site called -Lo Ban- …. The accidents and problems only got worse - people blamed it on the curse. Then, the ghost stories came. One involved a taxi driver who got a call from one of the abandoned builds. He went anyway but when he arrived at the place, it was of course empty. He called the girl on the other end of the phone but all he could hear was heavy breathing and muffled screams. He drove away, terrified. When he asked locals about it - they said it was most likely the ghost of a girl who was murdered by her boyfriend on the site in 2005. There are many stories like this - only adding to how deserted and creepy this plaza really is.
Moving on to number 3 now we have the Lonely Ghosts. There is a belief among some people in Vietnam that if people die alone then they will stay near where they died as ghosts because nobody was there to guide their spirits to the afterlife. They could have died alone, maybe their family didn't even know of their death or a person may have died with no family at all. If someone had a violent death, as spirits they'll be mischievous - not always evil but often violent. September is the -Ghost month- of Vietnam and during that time you can see people burning paper money in rusty buckets in the hopes of appeasing the lonely ghost.
Next up at number 2, we have Tao Dan Park. This 10-hectare park in Saigon is beautiful by day, attracting many tourists who wander around its green gardens and shady tall trees. If you dig a bit deeper - you'll find that some consider this to be the most haunted park in all of Vietnam. The story goes that over 10 years ago, a man and his girlfriend were having a picnic in the park when they were brutally attacked. The man was killed but the woman managed to survive and escape. Officials say there is only one recorded case of a murder in the Park. It was of a young man called Tuan in 1989. He was trying to sell his motorbike and asked his friend Hung to help. Instead, Hung and another accomplice killed Tuan and took the bike for themselves. Locals say that whichever one is true - the cold-blooded murder that was committed has stained the park forever - and the spirits of the victims remain.
And finally, at number 1 we have The Singing Girl. For many years, there was only really one official place in Saigon to bury the dead - Binh Hung Hoa Cemetery. Because of this concentration of dead people - many believe its one of the most haunted places in Vietnam. Perhaps one of the most famous stories is that of the singing girl. There was once a 16-year-old girl who lived in the area. She was known for her love of Kai Lung (c?i l??ng) - a well-known singer in Vietnam. The girl fell for a singer from a local theater - however, her Father didn't approve of their love due to the singer's lowly background and forced him to enroll in the army in hopes of separating them. A few months passed by and the girl was heartbroken to learn that her lover had died in the war. She was furious at her father and so hurt by her lover's death that she took her own life by jumping into the pond in the cemetery. Her body wasn't found until 6 days later. Ever since that fateful day - on every night with a full moon - locals swear they see her standing on the edge of the water, mournfully singing her favorite singers songs.
