Nighttide

She stands like a centennial, a fortress-like relic of a darker time. All alone, on top of a hill, neglected, and almost forgotten, she seems lost in another time. She has seen disease, death, and decay; and many say it still haunts her. .Her name is Waverly Hills, and she’s full of stories, stories which seem to surround her in darkness, stories, that no matter how hard she tries to escape it, always try to paint her as a sadistic villain, who took delight in the pain of others. 

Taphophobia is a severe form of claustrophobia that is triggered by the fear of being buried alive. It’s a psychological phenomenon that is as old as human history itself. A fear that has been encoded in us since ancient times, when the possibility of premature burial was very real. These are some legends of those from history who suffered this fate, and whose spirits attempted to contact those closest to them for help.

In honor of St. Patty's day, travel with me to the misty forests of the Emerald Isle and hear some tales of the resident fairy folk.

All around the world, there are a plethora of legends and folktales surrounding the monstrous undead. Every culture has some sort of tale about the dead coming back, often being the harbingers of death themselves.  It's been the center of many of our superstitions and even some of our holidays.  The fear of the undead and the horrors they bring about on the living was a very real thing for many people throughout history.  Let's delve into the history of zombies and other variations of the undead.

For this week's Monster Monday, we're delving into the story of one of my all-time favorite monsters/cryptids - Mothman.  Throughout history, there have been many stories of monsters and spirits that appear to warn mankind of impending tragedies.  These creatures and spirits are said to come about days before a tragedy, seemingly haunting the area and the people living near it, in attempts to provide a warning about the impending disaster.  Sometimes they might make a strange noise that serves as the warning, while other times is the sight of them that is said to be the warning.  Other times, these warnings come via the dream world, where the creature or spirit appears to people in their dreams, either showing them or telling them of the impending disastrous events.

We've all had them, and probably all have our theories on why they occur.  Nightmares have been with humans since the very beginning.  Throughout history, their origins have been attributed to all manners of the paranormal - from the vengeful spirits of the dead to mischievous otherworldly beings.  Let's take a little romp through time and learn a little bit of the history behind nightmares. 

We're starting something new this week - Monster Mondays!  Each Monday we'll delve into tales of cryptids, monsters, and other strange beasts.  This Monday we're diving into the murky realm of swamp monsters. There are some places that are just naturally spooky, even in the daylight.  Swamps and bogs are just such places, there’s an air of mystery about them.  The secretive dark waters (and what lives just beneath) fill us with a shuddersome sense of foreboding.  Swamp water is often stagnant, and the stench of decay that often wafts from them, makes us associate swamps with sickness, misfortune, and even death.  It’s a feeling that has remained a constant throughout history and is something that has inspired countless stories of ghosts, curses, and mysterious creatures. It doesn’t matter what country you live in, if there is a swamp, bog, or any type of wetland near you, odds are, if you dig deep enough, you’ll uncover some spooky legends about it.

We know it today as a popular sleep-over game, and as an overused horror trope. However, how did this talking board actually get its start? Was its original intention truly for spirit communication, or was it always intended as a game?

What do Charles Dickens, W.B. Yeats, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle have in common?  They were all members of one of the first established ghost-hunter groups, The Ghost Club!  While the original intention of the club was to debunk fraudulent mediums, by the time Doye joined the group, it was more about proving than disproving.  This is the story of the Ghost Club, and how Sir Arthur Conan Doyle went from being known as a man of logic, to someone whose desperate need to believe left him gullible and easily taken advantage of.

Many out there have claimed to have captured photographs of spirits.  Believe it or not, spirit photography has been around as long as photography itself. In fact, during the Victorian era, photographs of spirits were not only oddly common, but for some years it was quite the craze.  While there were many photographers during this time producing such photos, it all began with one man in particular, and this is his story.