Just been watching a video on youtube about the hauntings on the bypass. In particular the ghostly Friar. It got me thinking why is it always a demonic Monk or supposedly heavenly person that is the entity in most folklore?
I think it's because in Britain we have a very boring mythological beliefs after the Church has stamped out many of our old traditions. That's why Japanese horror films are generally much more disturbing. Native/South Americans have some strange and disconcerting beliefs too.
Pre-Christian romans stamped out most native mythologies. The druids were driven to Anglesey and what remained of the native brits in Wales - they do still have some weird beliefs in Wales to be fair which is proof enough for me.
Use to see that demonic monk when i was on 12 hour nights at steelworks after we had been in Victory Club.
I was being flippant at any rate. Though its worth remembering every mystery ever solved throughout history has been - not magic.
I have an irrational fear of the supernatural. Even though I have never experienced anything that can't be explained rationally. The thing for me as I near middle age and contemplate my mortality a bit more is a longing if you like for some of these stories to be true.
The were certainly the first to do it, then came the Catholics and C of E factions and the oppression of anything deemed to be "witch craft". Despite the Victorian's obsession with the supernatural, all the wild and crazy stuff had long since been forgotten.
Not seen exactly, but around 3 years ago I was working every week in Swindon. I usually stayed in the Jury's Inn there. One night, I woke around 3-4 am with the sound of the bathroom door shutting, I heard/felt someone walk across the room and get in bed next to me. I didn't know whether it was my lucky night, or I was about to be murdered in bed! I rolled over to confront whoever it was - and the bed was empty... I would swear to this day that somebody was in the room
I do find it interesting that we have similar concepts in horror legends between different countries. Like vampires are common across the world, but behave differently in different countries. IIRC in one of the Asian legends, vampires kind of bounce/hop and hide in trees to drop on passing victims.
I've suffered from Sleep Paralysis virtually all my life(I'm 40 in 11 days), and I'd challenge anyone to experience it once and not instantly think it's a) truly supernatural, and b)the most terrifying thing they have ever experienced. It got so bad for me at one point, I was hooked on caffeine pills to keep myself awake.
Shortly after we moved into our Edwardian Terrace on Park road, I had a couple of experiences I cannot explain. I was asleep in bed and I woke up because my shoulders and arms were freezing cold (our house had CH and DG and the bedroom was pretty warm overnight) and there was actual frost on my breath. I was also aware of a heavy 'very old fashioned scent like lavender' and a sense of someone very close to my face. When I sat up the whole unsettling experience ended and the room became warm and the odour instantly disappeared. A few months later whilst watching the TV the room suddenly became very cold (frost vapour on my breath again) and the cat froze , hairs on tail and back bristled, hissed and she tracked an invisible object across the room with her eyes and out of the 'closed' door into the hall . My sister was visiting at the time and she also felt the sudden temperature drop. I got up to check if the front door had opened but it was locked as usual. The temperature returned to normal and the cat then settled down. An elderly neighbour told us that an old lady had died many years ago in the house and my wife joked she had come to check us out. I am not superstitious but they were both things I cannot rationally explain.
Used to suffer from it in my earlier years but not had an episode for about 20 years, not the best of experiences.
Yes todays pagan beliefs and worshippers you get are basically picking up stuff largely invented by the Victorians. What pre-Roman rituals and beliefs existed are long forgotten.
But why? It's not like they can help you in any way?Having watched the BBC comedy ghosts I'm really glad I don't believe in them!
The stone tape theory is something im open minded about as far as “Ghosts” are concerned. Apart from that Ghosts, or “intelligent ghosts” such as poltergeists etc just aren’t real. Don’t get me started on Psychics & them folk like Sally Morgan who reckon they can speak to the dead, absolute frauds who should be ashamed of themselves. If anyone is into podcasts & the paranormal then give “The Battersea Poltergeist” a listen on BBC sounds.
I have friends who've had a poltergeist in there home, they videod the whole thing so they could get there home exorcised by a vicar. The video they sent me was from one of the bedrooms and everything on the dresser like deodorants and bottles were flying all over the room with real force all the draws and cupboards were opening and closing at the same time with really fast strange movements and as the lad who was filming started to get hit by flying objects, he ran to the doorway in real fear turned the camera back into the room for one last recording capture and in the wardrobe mirror was a little boy about 5 years old all in grey hashen looking stairing back at him after that he just gave out a yell and ran off recording stopped. The home got blessed by a vicar with police in attendance, till this day they tell me the weirdness of it all and the poltergeist has gone, they moved a few years later. I wished I still had the recording to play on here but this was about 17 years ago and it's lost on an old phone, they later discovered there home used to be an old farm and land but to have a noisy ghost in a row of terraces and just in there house is also weird.
I've gone from a sceptic to a 100% believer. I'm now a committee member at a local spiritualist church. What made me believe, is I saw my father in law in our living room, 3 months after he passed away.