Buzz
Over time, numerous household items have gained reputations for being cursed or haunted. These are ordinary objects you’d expect to find in any home, such as chairs, mirrors, vases, cabinets, dolls, paintings, and similar items. The tale often suggests that a spirit or demon inhabits the object, though the owner might never fully understand why their possession is haunted.
These so-called haunted objects have been blamed for triggering calamities, with some even linked to attempts of murder. Many of them have changed hands several times due to the chaos they allegedly cause. Here are ten items widely believed to be cursed or haunted.
10. Busby Stoop Inn Chair
The Busby Stoop Inn chair is infamous for being cursed by Thomas Busby, who placed the curse just before his execution for the murder of Daniel Auty in 1702. Before the killing, Busby had been involved in a coin counterfeiting operation with Daniel, who was also his father-in-law. Their relationship began to deteriorate, culminating in a heated confrontation one evening when Daniel visited the Thirsk, North Yorkshire, inn where Busby lived with his wife, Elizabeth.
Some accounts suggest that Daniel had intended to take Elizabeth back home, while others simply state that he was paying a visit. Regardless of the reason, a drunken Busby arrived to find Daniel sitting in his favorite chair, which enraged him and led to a violent dispute. After the altercation, Daniel left, but Busby followed him and struck him with a hammer, killing him. Busby was subsequently sentenced to death for the murder.
As he was being led to his execution, Busby requested a brief stop at the inn, where he cursed the chair. Since then, many individuals who have sat in the chair have met their end under mysterious circumstances. Some have taken their own lives, others have fallen from buildings, some have suffered fatal accidents, while others went off to war and never returned. Despite these warnings, people continued to sit in the chair.
In the 1970s, Tony Earnshaw, the innkeeper, became so troubled by the deaths linked to the chair that he moved it to the cellar in an attempt to prevent people from sitting in it. Nevertheless, some stubborn individuals still made their way to the cellar to sit in the cursed chair. Earnshaw finally reached his breaking point after an oblivious delivery driver died in a car crash just hours after sitting in it. The chair was then donated to the Thirsk Museum, where it now hangs suspended from the ceiling to discourage anyone from sitting in it.
9. The Crying Boy
The Crying Boy was not just one painting, but a widely distributed print, existing in numerous versions. The original was painted by the Italian artist Bruno Amadio, who went by the pseudonym “Giovanni Bragolin.” The artwork became incredibly popular in the UK, where it was commonly displayed in homes.
The first reports of the painting being cursed came on September 5, 1985, when The Sun published an article about a couple whose house burned down. According to the report, the Crying Boy painting was the only item that survived the fire. The following day, The Sun released another piece stating that several readers had contacted them with similar experiences.
One woman recounted that the Crying Boy painting was all that remained after her house burned down, just six months after she had bought it. Others linked the painting to various unfortunate events. One person claimed that her son’s privates became caught on a hook, while another said she had lost her husband and three children after purchasing the painting in 1959.
The situation reached a breaking point after another home containing the painting was destroyed by fire. Despite the fact that the painting in question was a replica by a different artist, the rumors persisted. The Sun offered to help readers get rid of the cursed paintings. As a result, 2,500 Crying Boy paintings were collected and set on fire in a massive bonfire.
In 2010, comedian and BBC radio host Steve Punt attempted to burn a surviving Crying Boy
8. Belcourt Castle Chairs
The 60-room Belcourt Castle in Newport, Rhode Island, is notorious as one of the most haunted houses in the United States. The eerie presence in the mansion is believed to be linked to some of its antique furnishings, including the chairs in its ballroom. Visitors often report a strange unease when standing near the chairs, and some claim that an invisible force prevents them from sitting in them. Those who managed to sit in the chairs have allegedly been thrown out by an unseen force.
In addition to the haunted chairs, the ballroom of Belcourt Castle is home to a suit of armor that periodically lets out a blood-curdling scream. These cries are said to belong to the suit’s former owner, who was killed in March of an unspecified year. It is believed that he died after a spear was thrust through the armor’s eye slit, and the screams are most frequent during the same month of his death.
7. Basano Vase
The true existence of the Basano Vase remains uncertain. Its history is enveloped in myth and legend, and its current whereabouts are unknown. Allegedly crafted in a town just north of Napoli, Italy, in the 15th century, the vase was presented to a bride as a gift the night before her wedding. Tragically, the bride passed away before the ceremony could take place.
The vase was passed on to a member of the bride’s family, but they too died soon after receiving it. It was then given to another relative, who met the same tragic end. At this point, the family concluded that the vase was cursed. In an effort to rid themselves of the object, they buried it, where it stayed hidden until it was rediscovered in 1988.
Inside the vase, a note was found, warning of the deadly consequences awaiting anyone who came into possession of it. The man who unearthed the vase dismissed the warning and sold it to a pharmacist, who died within three months. The pharmacist’s family then sold the vase to a doctor, who soon followed the pharmacist into death. It passed through two more owners, both of whom met untimely deaths as well.
The family of the last victim made the wise decision not to sell the vase and, in a desperate attempt to rid themselves of its curse, threw it out of the window. A police officer found it and returned it to them, but they refused to accept it. No museum would take it either, and it is now believed to be buried in a secret location.
6. Dybbuk Box
The Dybbuk (or Dibbuk) Box is a wine cabinet that is said to be inhabited by an evil spirit known as a dybbuk. Currently in the possession of antique collector Kevin Mannis, the box was purchased from a woman who claimed it had once belonged to her grandmother. Upon opening it, Mannis discovered only a few strange items: a candle, a wine goblet, and two locks of human hair.
The same day Mannis opened the box, his shop was mysteriously ransacked. However, no items were stolen, and the store clerk reported strange occurrences: light bulbs inexplicably shattered, and she heard curses being muttered. Mannis himself observed that the air in the store was filled with the fragrance of jasmine flowers.
Initially, Mannis didn’t connect the strange events with the box, which he then gave to his mother. Just five minutes after receiving it, she suffered a stroke and quickly returned the box. Mannis then gave it to his sister, who also returned it, claiming that it mysteriously opened by itself and gave her disturbing nightmares. He gave it to his brother and his wife, but they returned it as well, after similar unsettling experiences.
Mannis eventually decided to sell the box, but the buyer quickly returned it, complaining that it contained something evil. Unable to rid himself of the cursed item, Mannis stored it in his basement. Not long after, he began experiencing ghost sightings in his house, with visitors also reporting the same eerie encounters. Mannis himself started having nightmares of being beaten and often woke up with fresh scratches and bite marks from the night’s haunting dreams.
Mannis sold the box in 2003 to Iosif Nietzke for $140. Just like the previous owners, Nietzke began experiencing mysterious occurrences in his home: objects moving on their own, and lights flickering on and off. Nietzke eventually sold the box, and the next buyer, Jason Haxton, reported severe fatigue, unexplained rashes, and coughing up blood. He described a taste of metal in his mouth. Seeking help, Haxton consulted Jewish rabbis to calm the malevolent spirit inside the box before eventually locking it away. In March 2017, the Dybbuk Box was acquired by Zak Bagans, the host of Ghost Adventures, to be displayed in his Las Vegas museum.
5. The Cursed Mirror Of The Myrtles Plantation
The Myrtles Plantation, located in St. Francisville, Louisiana, is another notorious haunted location in the United States. The most infamous object here is a 200-year-old mirror. According to local legend, the mirror became cursed after a slave named Chloe poisoned a cake, leading to the deaths of Sara, the wife of the plantation’s owner, and two of her daughters. The souls of the deceased are said to be trapped within the mirror, forever haunting the plantation.
Visitors to The Myrtles Plantation often report seeing strange handprints and drip marks on the mirror's surface. Some claim to have seen figures dressed in old-fashioned clothing within its reflection. The mirror’s origins, however, are debated. Historical records show no slave named Chloe ever worked there, and it is also documented that Sara and one of her daughters succumbed to yellow fever, with the other surviving into adulthood.
4. Annabelle The Doll
If you’ve seen any of the films in The Conjuring (2013), Annabelle (2014), or Annabelle: Creation (2017), you’ll recognize the eerie doll named Annabelle. However, the real Annabelle doll, which inspired these films, looks much less terrifying. It is currently housed at Ed and Lorraine Warren’s Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut.
The tale of Annabelle’s sinister behavior began in 1970 when a woman bought the doll for her daughter. Soon after, people began to blame Annabelle for a series of strange attacks, including an attempt to strangle a family friend. Ed and Lorraine Warren investigated the doll and determined that it was possessed by an evil spirit.
The Warrens decided to bring Annabelle to their museum, but on the way, their car’s brakes and steering failed mysteriously. The problem was only resolved after they sprinkled holy water on the back seat where Annabelle was sitting. Ed placed the doll inside a glass case, reinforcing it with prayers. Despite this, Annabelle seemed to continue her reign of terror. After mocking the doll and banging on her case, a young couple experienced a car accident on their drive home, an incident Ed believed was the result of Annabelle’s wrath.
3. Robert The Doll
Robert is believed to be the world’s most cursed haunted doll. He has been blamed for a wide array of misfortunes, from car accidents to broken bones, even divorce. Some have gone so far as to accuse him of causing job losses.
Artist Robert Eugene Otto received Robert, the doll, as a birthday gift from his grandfather during his childhood. Otto kept the doll into adulthood, even displaying it in a window of his home. However, schoolchildren soon began noticing that Robert would appear and disappear from the window at odd times, causing them to avoid Otto’s house.
In 1974, Myrtle Reuter became the new owner of Robert after purchasing Otto’s house. Visitors soon started reporting unsettling occurrences, such as hearing strange footsteps and laughter. Some claimed Robert’s facial expression would change whenever anyone spoke ill of Otto. Reuter herself complained of seeing Robert move around the house when no one was around. In 1994, she donated Robert to the Fort East Martello Museum in Key West, Florida.
2. The Hands Resist Him
The Hands Resist Him is a painting by Bill Stoneham that depicts a young boy standing on a porch with what appears to be a life-sized doll of a girl. Behind them is a glass door covered in many hands. The painting was inspired by a photograph taken of Stoneham and a neighborhood friend when he was just five years old.
In 1972, Bill Stoneham, now an adult and married, entered into a contract with Charles Feingarten to produce two paintings per month for his gallery. It was during this time that Stoneham created 'The Hands Resist Him,' which he named after a poem written by his wife. The poem, also called 'Hands Resist Him,' was about Stoneham’s adoption and his inability to meet his biological siblings.
The painting closely resembled the original photograph, though Stoneham added numerous hands to the glass door behind the children and transformed the girl into a lifeless, blank-eyed doll. The question of whether the hands belong to bodies remains open to interpretation, as no bodies are visible. In 1974, the painting was purchased by actor and producer John Marley.
The legend of the painting’s haunting began after three individuals connected to it, including Marley, passed away between 1978 and 1984. However, Marley had sold the painting before his death, and in 2000 it resurfaced on eBay. The family selling it claimed their daughter witnessed the children from the painting stepping out and fighting.
Initially, no one believed the girl’s claims, and her father even set up a motion camera to disprove her. To everyone’s astonishment, the camera reportedly captured the girl leaving the painting and dragging the boy out at gunpoint.
The painting was eventually purchased by Kim Smith, who soon began experiencing a series of strange occurrences, which he claimed began the moment he sent the first email to bid on the artwork. Several other people who viewed the painting’s eBay listing also reported similar unsettling experiences. This is why the painting is sometimes referred to as the 'haunted eBay painting.'
1. The Anguished Man
The Anguished Man is a painting that belongs to Sean Robinson's family. According to Sean, it was originally owned by his grandmother, who always insisted that the painting was cursed. She often mentioned hearing a man wandering around her house at night and strange sounds, such as an unseen person crying. Additionally, she claimed the artist who created the painting mixed his own blood with the oil paint, and after completing it, he tragically took his own life.
After receiving the painting following his grandmother's death, Sean and his family began experiencing a series of bizarre events. Sean himself reported seeing a mysterious figure crying, encountering a strange mist at the top of his stairs, and even a man standing at the foot of his bed, watching him.
On occasion, Sean took the painting on tours to haunted locations throughout the UK. During one such visit to Chillingham Castle, John Sage, one of the most powerful spirits of the castle, allegedly became furious and threw a bench upside down, reacting to the presence of the uninvited spirit within the painting.
