haunted in the grid

Cryptids

 Mothman — Half-man, half-moth, this winged figure haunts the skies of Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Often seen as a harbinger of disaster, Mothman straddles the line between legend and omen—his glowing red eyes a reminder that not all mysteries are meant to be solved.

 Chupacabra — The “goat-sucker” of Latin American legend, known for draining livestock of blood. Described as reptilian, canine, or even alien-like, the Chupacabra embodies the primal fear of something lurking just beyond the fence line, feeding in the dark.

 Jersey Devil — Said to haunt New Jersey’s Pine Barrens since the 1700s, this winged, hooved beast was allegedly born of a cursed 13th child. Its shrieking cries are still reported by locals today.

 The Beast of Gévaudan — Between 1764 and 1767, a wolf-like creature terrorized rural France, killing over 100 people. Was it a monstrous wolf, a pack of predators, or something stranger? The mystery remains.

Ghosts & Spirits

 Nightmarchers — From Hawaiian lore, the Nightmarchers are ghostly warriors who march in procession under the cover of night. Said to be dangerous to the living who cross their path, they embody ancestral power, respect for tradition, and the deep ties between land and spirit.

Unknown Entities

 Tulpa — A thoughtform brought into existence through intense belief, visualization, or fear. Tulpas blur the line between imagination and reality, showing how powerful the human mind can be—and how risky it is to lose control of what we create.

Spooky Places

 Eastern State Penitentiary — This Gothic prison in Philadelphia was once the pinnacle of “reform” but is now a crumbling ruin, echoing with the whispers of inmates long gone. Visitors report footsteps, laughter, and shadows that slip just out of sight.

 Waverly Hills Sanatorium — A former tuberculosis hospital in Kentucky where thousands died during the epidemic. Its dark hallways and infamous “body chute” make it one of the most haunted spots in America.

 Burial Grounds & Cemeteries — From colonial-era graveyards to forgotten plots deep in the woods, cemeteries carry more than just headstones. They hold stories—some peaceful, some restless—that keep the living coming back with candles, offerings, and questions.

 Valley of the Temples — On Oʻahu, this serene resting place honors multiple faiths and traditions. Though peaceful by day, local legends say spirits linger among its shrines, reminding visitors that the veil between worlds is always thinner in sacred spaces.

Witchcraft & Paganism

 Correspondences — Colors, herbs, stones, and planets all carry energy. Learning correspondences helps practitioners align their magic with the rhythms of nature and the unseen forces around us.

 Spells — From protection charms to love workings, spells are focused intention turned ritual. They can be as simple as a whispered phrase or as elaborate as a full moon ceremony.

 Tips & Tricks — Practical advice for everyday witchcraft: how to cleanse a space, protect your energy, or sneak a little magic into daily life. It’s about making the craft accessible, adaptable, and personal.

 Cautionary Tales — Not all magic is harmless. Folklore and lived experience alike remind us that careless spells, disrespecting spirits, or dabbling without knowledge can have consequences. These stories serve as both warning and wisdom.

Stranger than Fiction

 Dancing Plague of 1518 — In the summer of 1518, dozens (and eventually hundreds) in Strasbourg began dancing uncontrollably for days and weeks, some collapsing from exhaustion. Explanations range from mass psychogenic illness and extreme social stress to contaminated grain (ergot), but no single cause has ever been proven.

 Kentucky Meat Shower — In 1876, flakes of raw “meat” reportedly fell from the sky over Bath County, Kentucky. Contemporary samples described lung- and muscle-like tissue; the leading theory is that vultures, startled in flight, regurgitated their last meal—turning a quiet afternoon into a very weird weather report.

 Criterion of Embarrassment — A tool in historical analysis (notably in biblical studies): if a reported detail would have been awkward or damaging to the author or community, it may be less likely to be invented and thus carry a higher probability of authenticity. It’s suggestive, not definitive—one criterion among many.

 Glass Delusion — A peculiar syndrome of late medieval and early modern Europe in which sufferers believed they were made of fragile glass and feared shattering. Even royals (like France’s Charles VI) were said to be afflicted—an intimate collision of culture, trauma, and mind.

Dying & Death

 Sky Burials — A traditional Tibetan practice in which the deceased’s body is offered to vultures atop high plateaus. Rooted in Buddhist beliefs about impermanence and generosity, it provides a sacred return of flesh to nature and spirit to the cycle of rebirth.

 Inventors Killed by Their Own Inventions — From Franz Reichelt, who leapt from the Eiffel Tower with his homemade parachute suit, to Thomas Midgley Jr., strangled by a device he built to ease his polio, history is dotted with innovators undone by the very creations meant to improve life.

 Spontaneous Human Combustion — Reports throughout history describe individuals allegedly bursting into flames without an external source, leaving behind scorched remains while surroundings remain untouched. Though skeptics point to alcohol, sparks, or “wick effect” accidents, the eerie mystery lingers in folklore and fire records alike.

Murder & Murderers

 Jack the Ripper — England’s most infamous serial killer terrorized Whitechapel in 1888, brutally murdering at least five women. Despite massive investigation and endless theories, the Ripper’s true identity remains unknown, making him a dark icon of Victorian London.

 Armin Meiwes — In 2001, this German man gained worldwide notoriety for murdering and cannibalizing Bernd Jürgen Brandes—who had voluntarily offered himself as victim. The case shocked the world and raised unsettling questions about consent, crime, and morality.

 Hammersmith Nude Murders — A string of murders in London during the 1960s, where several women were found strangled and unclothed near Hammersmith. Despite intense press coverage and speculation about a “Jack the Stripper,” the case remains unsolved.

 Burke and Hare Murders — In 1828 Edinburgh, William Burke and William Hare murdered at least 16 people to sell fresh corpses to anatomy schools. Their grisly crimes exposed the demand for cadavers in medical training and changed Britain’s laws on body procurement.

Medical Oddities

 Tokyo Metropolitan Matsuzawa Hospital — A psychiatric institution in Japan, noted not only for its size but for its infamous patients. Among them: Issei Sagawa, known worldwide as the “Kobe Cannibal,” and Kinjirō Ashiwara, a self-proclaimed messiah figure. The hospital’s history reflects the complex intersection of mental illness, crime, and public fascination.

 Mütter Museum — Located in Philadelphia’s Center City, this museum of medical history and science houses a striking collection: preserved anatomical specimens, pathological oddities, wax models, and antique surgical tools. Part of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, it offers both education and a glimpse into the macabre side of medicine.