HAUNTINGS


                   THIS PAGE IS GOING TO BE A BIT DIFFERENT THEN THE OTHERS, THIS PAGE IS
                        ABOUT HAUNTINGS FROM AROUND THE WORLD! I HAVE ALWAYS ENJOYED A
                        GOOD GHOST STORY SO I THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE A FEW WITH YOU!
 
 



SCOTLAND


 






                     THESE FIRST STORIES TAKE PLACE IN SCOTLAND AND LAND RIDDLED WITH
                         CASTLES AND TALES OF THE SUPERNATURAL!
 
 




 

THE QUEEN'S HANDMAIDEN


                    STIRLING CASTLE WAS KNOWN TO BE THE MIGHTIEST FORTRESS IN SCOTLAND.
                                 THE CASTLE WHICH STILL STANDS TODAY WAS BUILD IN THE FIFTEENTH
                                 CENTURY. THE INFANT MARY,QUEEN OF SCOTS WAS CROWNED IN THIS CASTLE.
                                 MANY GHOSTS ARE SAID TO HAUNT THIS CASTLE BUT THIS IS ABOUT ONE IN
                                 PARTICULAR CALLED THE GREEN LADY. THE STORY GOES THAT IN LIFE THE
                                WOMAN WAS A SERVANT OF THE INFANT MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS, AND THAT SHE
                                SAVED HER MISTRESS'S LIFE. IT IS SAID THAT THE SERVANT HAD A DREAM THAT
                                MARY WAS IN DANGER, AND UPON RUSHING INTO THE NURSERY SHE FOUND
                                FLAMES ENGULFING THE ROOM. SHE TOOK MARY AND RUSHED HER FROM THE
                                ROOM!
                                DOWN THROUGH THE CENTURIES IT IS SAID THAT THE APPEARANCE OF THE
                               GREEN LADY HERALDED FIRES AND OTHER DIASTERS.
 
 


  A LORDS TRYST WITH EVIL


 


                                     THE SANDSTONE RUINS OF HERMITAGE CASTLE SETS ATOP THE BLEAK
                                    SCOTTISH MOORS NEAR THE ENGLISH BORDER. THE CASTLE WAS COMPLETED
                                    IN THE 13TH CENTURY BY NICHOLAS de SOULIS HEAD OF A NOBLE NORMAN
                                    FAMILY. ACCORDING TO OLD BORDER TALES, WILLIAMS PASSION WAS BLACK
                                    MAGICK. HE STUDIED WITH THE MASTER WIZARD MICHAEL SCOT AND BECAME
                                   A GOULISH MONSTER. IN HIS DUNGEONS deSOULIS REPORTEDLY MURDERED
                                   AND KIDNAPPED CHILDREN TO USE THEIR BLOOD TO SUMMON A FANGED
                                   DEMON NAMED ROBIN REDCAP. IN RETURN FOR THE BLOOD ROBIN PROMISED
                                   deSOULIS THAT HE WOULD BE IMMUNE TO EITHER ROPE OR STEEL, THE USUAL
                                  CAUSES OF VIOLENT DEATH. THINKING HIMSELF INVINSICBLE HE ROAMED THE
                                  COUNTRYSIDE MURDERING INNOCENTS. THE PEOPLE COMPLAINED TO THE
                                  KING MANY TIMES, FINALLY IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE KING ROBERT OF
                                  BRUCE SAID "HANG HIM, BOIL HIM DO ANYTHING YOU LIKE TO HIM, I WILL
                                  HEAR NO MORE!" SO THE PEOPLE TOOK HIM AT HIS WORD, THEY TOOK THE
                                  EVIL deSOULIS AND WRAPPED HIM IN A SHEET OF IRON AND BOILED HIM IN
                                  IN A CAULDRON! deSOULIS GHOST IS SAID TO BE DOOMED TO RETURN TO THE
                                 CASTLE EVERY 7 YEARS TO MEET WITH ROBIN REDCAP WHO OWNED HIS SOUL,
                                 THEY MAKE THEIR PRESENCE KNOWN BY SCREAMS AND MANIACLE LAUGHTER!
 
 



 

A TALE OF LOVE AND MADNESS





                          THIS STORY TAKES PLACE IN BALDOON CASTLE WHICH STANDS ON A DESOLATE
                                 STRIP OF LAND IN THE LOWLANDS OF SCOTLAND. IN THE MID 17TH CENTURY
                                 BALDOON WAS THE SITE OF A TRAGIC TALE. THE FAMILY INVOLVED WAS SIR
                                 JAMES DALRYMPLE AN EMINENT JURIST AND STATESMAN. HIS ELDEST CHILD
                                 A DAUGHTER NAMED JANET DALRYMPLE SECRETLY PLEDGED HER TROTH TO A
                                 HANDSOME BUT POOR NOBLEMAN NAMED LORD RUTHERFORD. HER PARENTS
                                 FOUND OUT AND DISAPPROVED OF THIS IMPENDING MARRIAGE. JANETS
                                 MOTHER WAS A HAUGHTY WOMAN, EVEN HER HUSBAND FEARED HER, AND
                                 JANET KNEW SHE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO MARRY THE MAN CHOSEN FOR HER
                                BY HER MOTHER. THE MAN WAS DAVID DUNBAR THE NEPHEW TO LORD
                                  RUTHERFORD! THERE WAS A GREAT FEAST AT BALDOON FOR THE WEDDING, AND
                                AS WAS THE CUSTOM THE BRIDE AND GROOM RETIRED. SOON AFTER THERE
                                CAME A HORRIBLE SHRIEKING FROM THE BRIDAL CHAMBER. AFTER BREAKING
                                 DOWN THE DOOR, THEY DISCOVERED DAVID DUNBAR LYING ACROSS THE
                                THRESHOLD COVERED IN BLOOD FROM STAB WOUNDS. HIS BRIDE, STAINED
                                WITH HIS BLOOD SAT HUDDLED IN A CORNER OBVIOUSLY MAD. HER ONLY
                                COHERANT WORDS WERE "TAK UP YOUR BONNY BRIDEGROOM" DUNBAR
                                SURVIVED, BUT JANET DIED A MONTH LATER. IT IS SAID HER BLOOD COVERED
                               GHOST STILL HAUNTS BALDOON CASTLE.
 
 


ENGLAND

THE MURDEROUS MOTHER


 

                                   ON THE THAMES SOME FIFTY MILES WEST OF LONDON, BISHAM ABBEY IS SAID
                                   TO BE THE MOST HAUNTED HOUSE IN THE BERKSHIRES!  LIVING IN THIS
                                  ABBEY DURING THE ELIZABETHAN TIMES WAS THE HOBY FAMILY. LADY
                                  ELIZABETH HOBY WAS WELL EDUCATED AND BRILLIANT AND A CONFIDANT OF
                                 QUEEN ELIZABETH I, SHE WAS ALSO A CHILD MURDERER. ACCORDING TO
                                 LEGEND ELIZABETH HOBY HAD SIX CHILDREN. HER LAST CHILD WILLIAM WAS
                                 RATHER DULL AND SLOW TO LEARN. IT IS SAID THIS ANGERED HIS PROUD
                                 MOTHER SO MUCH THAT SHE BEAT HIM TO DEATH. OTHERS SAY THAT SHE TIED
                                THE UNFORTUNATE CHILD TO A CHAIR WITH HIS LESSON BOOKS IN FRONT OF
                                 HIM THEN WENT TO THE COURT FOR SEVERAL DAYS, UPON HER RETURN SHE
                                 FOUND HER CHILD DEAD. ALL VERSIONS OF THIS BRUTAL TALE COULD BE
                                 FALSE AS NO RECORDS WERE KEPT OF IT, BUT DURING A RENOVATION OF THE
                                 ABBEY IN 1840 WORKMEN FOUND BETWEEN THE FLOOR JOISTS IN THE DINING
                                 ROOM SOME FADED BOOKS THAT BORE SIGNATURES OF THE HOBY FAMILY. IN
                                 ONE OF THEM THE LESSONS WERE SMUGED ON ALL THE PAGES! COULD THIS OF
                                  BEEN THE UNFORTUNATE WILLIAMS BOOK?  IT IS SAID THAT THE SPECTOR OF
                                   ELIZABETH HOBY CAN BE SEEN WALKING THE HALLS WITH A BOWL OF WATER
                                  FLOATING IN FRONT OF HER, PERHAPS SHE IS HOPING TO WASH AWAY HER
                                  GUILT, LIKE LADY MCBETH?