Ghost Stories

Since today is Friday the 13th, I figure why not learn a few facts about the "unlucky" number 13. Those who believe on this day that something bad will befall on them more likely will manifest an event of that type. Therefore, if you believe you will have bad lucky today then you will. But have you ever thought about how the number 13 affects our culture past and present. 1. There are 13 months in the pagan lunar calendar. 2. More than 80 percent of high-rises lack a 13th floor. 3. 13 turns make a traditional hangman's noose. Anything less would not complete the execution. 4. Airplanes have no 13th seat and airports skip the 13th gate. 5. Hospitals and hotels regularly have no room number 13. 6. Italians omit the number 13 from their national lottery. 7. On streets in Florence, Italy, the house between number 12 and 14 is addressed as 12 and a half. 8. Many cities do not have a 13th Street or a 13th Avenue 9. In France, socialites known as the quato...

You find yourself in the middle of a zombie apocalypse along with a group of survivors. Your running towards a reinforced safe house while being chased by a swarm of your undead enemy. Just as the relief is in reach, a member of your group is being attacked. As the rest run in to the house, a few stay behind in an effort to rescue their survival brethren. A few head shots puts the zombie down, but oh no. The person has been bitten and would soon go from friend to foe. A decision needs to be made. They are drug inside for a chance to live out their remaining minutes before you put a bullet in their head to keep them from turning. This is a common scenario among monster movies, TV and books. This instinctual move decreases their numbers which in turn increases your chances of survival. However, with the lack of actual evidence of zombies, and vampires, is there a need for such a practice in real life? There are some cultures who believe in its power. Maschalismos is the practice of physi...

If you think you've never laid eyes on this ghoulish nocturnal animal, you might be wrong. Many people all over the world watched the creature play out a comedic way of life on film screens in animated form. Children know the aye-aye from the character Maurice in the movie Madagascar . However, in real life, the creature is facing some fatal realities of life. It's mere appearance and nature may have led to its "near threatened" status. The Aye-Aye ways between four to six pounds with dark eyes, long fingers (the middle being longer than the rest) and overall devilish appearance. They live high in the trees of the Madagascar rain forest where they build nests of twigs and leaves and only feast on insect larvae. They don't fear humans. Their curiousity sometimes leads them to their deaths. Villagers believe seeing an aye-aye means you will soon die. According to legend, the aye-aye is thought to sneak into the dwellings of nearby villagers and use its middle finge...

Is there really a curse or is it all hype? Mummies have always been associated with magical powers, particularly in Egypt. Some found were ground up in to powder and sold. It was believed this powder had magical healing properties. Of course this was before the discovery of King Tut's tomb. Tutankhaten or Tutankhamun became pharaoh at the age of nine years old. He reigned for ten years likely during the 18th dynasty. He was well known for his rejections of the radical religious innovations presented by his predecessor and of course, his tomb. He died at the age of nineteen with a wife, Ankhesenamen, and possibly two female children (these babies were found in his tomb and their significance and identity is still unknown). His cause of death is still a mystery although recent CT Scans showed he may have died from gangrene thanks to an infected broken leg. If this is proven to be true then his death was likely unexpected. Therefore, his royal tomb was not completed prior to his death...

People all over the world hang lights and ornaments on their tree every Christmas. But who do you think Christmas balls have to thank for their origins? According to an ancient tale, Christmas ornament balls are descendents from the witch ball. These ornaments were placed on the tree to dispel a visitor’s envy at the presents underneath it. What exactly are witch balls? They are made from glass (sometimes wood, grass or twigs), five to seven inches in diameter. Traditionally but not limited to, green or blue in color with enameled swirls or brilliant stripes. A string ran through the center of some. Others were placed on velvet pillows or on top of stands. Today, many people have a silver “gazing ball” in their gardens. Witch balls date back to a time where witches were considered a blessing. They would enchant these balls to ward off evil. How this was accomplished depends on the tale you hear. Some say the bright colors of the ball would lure the evil presence in and the strand i...

Is it really cursed? The first supposed curse death was that of a man named Tavernier. According to legend, he took a trip to India. While visiting, he stole the diamond from a statue of the Hindu goddess Sita. After selling the diamond, he was torn apart in Russia from a pack of wild dogs. This legend is more myth than fact. There was a man named Jean Baptiste Tavernier. He was a French jeweler who in 1642 traveled to India. He bought, not stole, a 112 3/16 carat blue diamond which is believed to have come from the Kollur mine in Golconda, India. Twenty-six years later in 1668, he arrived back in France. King Louis XIV bought the blue diamond along with 1,166 others from Tavernier. He was made a noble and did die in Russia but at the age of 84, the cause of death is unknown. The next legend claims the lives of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. The pair was beheaded during the French Revolution and the diamond was blamed. First of all, Louis XIV and Louis XV both owned the diamond b...

They call it The Scottish Play because uttering its true name could bring on the curse associated with it. They story began when William Shakespeare wanted to be on King James I good side. He wrote a play called Macbeth and was inspired by actual people for the roles of the three witches. It is believed he used real incantations stolen from an authentic black-magic ritual. King James wasn't pleased with the performance even though Will himself played the part of Lady Macbeth after Hal Berridge fell ill and died in 1606. The practitioners weren't amused either.They cast an everlasting spell on the play. It is now believed that if you speak the word "Macbeth" in a theater the production will be plagued with a case of deadly bad luck. Since then, many have fell victim to the evil spell. A performance in Amsterdam in 1672 ended abruptly when the actor playing Macbeth substituted a real dagger for the blunted stage one, killing Duncan in full view of the entranced audience...

James Dean was like the Colin Farrel of his day. He was an up-and-coming actor whose life was cut short. Dean bought a silver 1955 Porsche Spyder in 1955. His friends Alec Guiness and George Barris both felt the purchase was not a good idea and tried to talk him into getting rid of it. However, Dean was attracted to the car and didn't care. On September 30, 1955, he planned to race his Spyder in a sports car race in Salinas, California. Dean was intending to trailer the car until the meeting point in Salinas, but at the last minute, decided to drive it in order to further familiarize himself with the car. At 3:30PM, he was ticketed for speeding as well as the driver of his new Ford. He left the Ford behind and later made his way onto Highway 466. A 1950 Ford Tudor driven by Donald Turnupseed was heading in the opposite direction. Turnupseed attempted to take the fork on California State Route 41 crossing into his lane without seeing Dean. The two cars collided almost head on. Turnu...

Lima, Peru - A man discovered first hand that having bad luck may not be as bad as it seems. He drank a potion provided by a so-called "Shaman" to get rid of his family's bad luck for good. Unfortunately, he got more than what he had hoped. The man died from the bogus brew. Alternative medicine is popular in the Andean nation with newspapers full of colorful ads from self-proclaimed "Shamans". Since the incident, the government warned the people to stay away from clandestine or street-corner practices saying the potions used could kill or cause long-term illness. "Avoid consuming brews made with herbs of questionable origin or hallucinogenic plants prepared by so-called Shamans," the country's Health Ministry said in a statement. The ministry said that genuine Shamans from the country's north sometimes consumed natural hallucinogens such as the San Pedro cactus in their rituals, but did not administer them to patients. I think seeking alternat...

Superstitions have been a big part of our lives for generations. Whether or not you believe in them, they have affected our lives. A groom carrying his bride over the threshold. Covering your mouth when you yawn. Saying "God Bless You" when someone sneezes. There are numerous amount of superstitions, some more unusual than others. Here are just a few: 1) Nails should be bitten, not cut, for the same time, for that would make them thieves. 2) If you go to the bathroom in the night with no clothes on, insects will fall on you 3) An apple a day, keeps the doctor away. 4) If you want to see a friend again, then don't ever say goodbye to them on a bridge. 5) If soot bums in a ring at the back of the grate, pleasure and happiness are on their way to you. 6) Malice and envy are to be feared when sparks jump out of the fire. 7) To put on your stockings or socks inside out is an omen that you will shortly receive a present. If your stocking comes down, your lover is thinking of yo...