Buzz
Ghosts are often described as the spirits of the deceased with unresolved matters on Earth. However, not all these matters are benign, as cultures worldwide tell tales of spirits seeking vengeance against the living, often driven by sheer spite or rage.
10. Carl Pruitt Folklore: American
In June 1938, Carl Pruitt allegedly discovered his wife’s infidelity in their own home. Overwhelmed by betrayal, he used a chain to strangle her while her lover fled. Realizing his actions, Pruitt took his own life and was buried in a separate cemetery from his wife. Locals later claimed a chain mysteriously appeared embedded in his headstone, which wasn’t there initially. Soon after, reports of unexplained deaths began to surface.
The first victim was a young boy who threw rocks at the tombstone. While riding his bike home, he suddenly lost control, as if an unseen force took over, leading to a crash. During the accident, the bike chain broke free and strangled the boy. Weeks later, the boy’s mother, enraged, destroyed the tombstone with an axe. Later, while hanging laundry at home, her chain-made clothesline came loose and coiled around her neck, strangling her. Authorities later found the tombstone completely intact.
Three more individuals, each having disturbed Pruitt’s grave, met similar fates. Eventually, after the other bodies were relocated, his grave was abandoned and overgrown. In the 1950s, a strip-mining operation destroyed his burial site. To this day, no one has been harmed for this act.
9. Sundel Bolong Folklore: Malaysian
A well-known figure in Malaysian folklore, the sundel bolong is the ghost of a beautiful woman who died while pregnant and gave birth in her grave. Some versions claim she died during childbirth. This spirit roams the earth in a flowing white gown, her long black hair covering a hole in her back where her child emerged.
Her primary targets are men, and legend has it that her allure is nearly impossible to resist. Her name is believed to translate to 'prostitute with a hole in her,' hinting at her seductive tactics. Once the sundel bolong entices a man, she castrates him, often leaving him alive to endure the agony. Over time, her origin story has been embellished to include a brutal rape as the cause of her pregnancy, with some versions depicting her suicide due to the resulting pregnancy, transforming her into a sundel bolong as a form of curse.
8. Churel Folklore: Indian
Also referred to as a chudail or chudel, this ghost is a prominent figure in Indian folklore, particularly in Northern India, known for its piercing scream. Typically appearing as a woman, a churel is said to arise when a pregnant woman dies during Divali, the Hindu Festival of Light. Some accounts suggest it happens when a woman dies in childbirth. Regardless, they return as vampire-like entities, driven by vengeance due to the bitterness over their unborn child's demise.
Frequently encountered in remote areas, a churel possesses feet that are inverted 180 degrees, enabling her to walk backward while captivating her victim with her gaze. If her stare is not avoided, often by covering one's eyes with a cloth or blanket, she will lure the victim to an isolated spot and consume their blood. A churel often targets her own family, harboring resentment for the lack of care during her pregnancy. Proper and respectful burial of the body may also appease her thirst for blood.
7. Onryo Folklore: Japanese
An onryo is a vengeful spirit that returns to the living world to seek justice for wrongs endured in previous lives. Typically female, though male onryo do exist, these ghosts derive satisfaction from tormenting former lovers and family members, often pushing them to suicide. They often delay their attacks for days or even months, observing who genuinely mourns their passing and who does not.
The onryo bears a resemblance to the go-ryo, another vengeful spirit in Japanese folklore. However, the go-ryo is usually a noble or aristocratic individual who dies as a martyr. In contrast, onryo are born from traumatic experiences, such as spousal abuse, and their wrath is often indiscriminate, targeting even family members uninvolved in their demise. Surprisingly, their killers may escape their vengeance altogether.
6. Phi Tai Hong Folklore: Thai
In Thailand, individuals who meet a particularly brutal end or are denied proper burial rites transform into phi tai hongs, vengeful spirits. Among these, a pregnant woman is considered the most formidable, as her strength is doubled by her unborn child. Locations marked by extreme violence, such as terrorist attacks or natural disasters, are believed to be fertile grounds for phi tai hongs, especially when young lives are cut short prematurely. Shrines are often erected in such areas to appease and encourage the spirits to depart.
Typically, a phi tai hong lingers near the site of its demise, awaiting a living person to cross its path. The ghost seeks to kill the unfortunate individual, hoping to transfer its spiritual torment and achieve freedom. The Mangraisat, a 14th-century legal code, delves into the consequences of murder. For instance, those who committed murder, particularly of children, were often required to keep the victim's corpse in their home for a set period. This practice aimed to create a phi tai hong that would haunt the murderer.
5. The Green Lady Folklore: British, Scottish
Also referred to as a glaistig, the Green Lady is a water spirit with the upper body of a woman and the lower body of a goat, resembling a satyr. Her human half features gray skin and long, flowing blonde hair that conceals much of her form. She often drapes herself in a green robe to mask her goat-like legs. A master of shapeshifting, the Green Lady assumes various roles depending on the storyteller's narrative.
At times, she exhibits a mischievous nature, pelting passersby with pebbles or misleading travelers, only to revel in their confusion when they discover they’re lost. Her origins vary, with one popular tale depicting her as a noblewoman murdered by a servant and concealed in a chimney. This version explains her tendency to enchant men with her singing, leading them to their doom.
Calming her is straightforward, as she has a fondness for milk, often seen as a protector of cattle.
4. La Siguanaba Folklore: Central American
Originally named Sihuehuet, meaning 'beautiful woman,' La Siguanaba was believed to have been romantically involved with the son of the Aztec god Tlaloc. However, her neglectful parenting, often abandoning her son to meet her divine lover, angered Tlaloc. He cursed her, making her appear stunning from a distance but grotesque up close. Renamed La Siguanaba, or 'horrible woman,' she was doomed to roam the wilderness, ensnaring unsuspecting men.
In El Salvador, she is said to wash her clothes in rivers while endlessly searching for her immortal son. Men who boast of numerous conquests or engage in adultery often fall victim to her wrath. She is sometimes seen bathing in moonlight, a captivating sight in the jungle. Those who encounter her typically die of fright or become hopelessly lost. Occasionally, she disguises herself as a child's mother, leading them to their demise. To protect oneself, biting a piece of metal or a cross and praying is advised.
3. La Sayona Folklore: Venezuelan
The legend of La Sayona, a ghost believed to have originated from a single individual, is widespread in Venezuela and neighboring regions. Once a mortal named Melissa, she was renowned for her beauty and married a loving man, with whom she had a son. While bathing in a river, a stranger approached her, claiming her husband was unfaithful with her mother. Enraged, she returned home to find her husband and son peacefully asleep in bed.
Consumed by fury, she set the house ablaze, killing both her husband and son. Melissa then went to her mother’s home and murdered her as well. With her dying breath, her mother cursed Melissa, condemning her to roam the Earth and punish unfaithful husbands. Today, she appears as a stunning woman wandering highways, enticing men into her trap. She often disguises herself as someone familiar, only to reveal a decaying skull where her face should be.
2. Funayurei Folklore: Japanese
The funayurei are spirits of those who perished at sea, a common figure in Japanese folklore. Their name translates to 'ship ghost,' and they possess supernatural abilities, conjuring phantom ships to mislead living sailors. These ghostly vessels often lead captains astray, resulting in their demise.
In some tales, the funayurei board ships, exploiting the sailors' emotions. Once aboard, they request a hisyaku, a ladle-like tool. If given, the ghost inverts it, causing water to flow endlessly until the ship is overwhelmed. On smaller fishing boats, the funayurei allegedly uses the tool to scoop seawater, sinking the vessel manually.
1. Chindi Folklore: Navajo
In Navajo tradition, a chindi is a unique spirit formed from the negative aspects of a deceased person, often arising from violent deaths or improper burials. Even speaking the name of the dead can summon a chindi, which is why the Navajo avoid mentioning those who have passed. These spirits can haunt families for generations, as seen in the case of the Long Salt family, who endured over a century of torment.
Chindi are most commonly found in the homes or belongings of the deceased, leading the Navajo to isolate or destroy such items. To prevent hauntings, deaths are encouraged to occur outside. Medicine men are believed to curse wrongdoers with a chindi, and contact with these spirits is thought to cause 'ghost sickness,' a feared illness.
