Legend tripping
Encyclopedia
Legend tripping, also known as ostension, is a name recently bestowed by folklorists and anthropologists
on an adolescent practice (containing elements of a rite of passage
) in which a usually furtive nocturnal
pilgrimage
is made to a site which is alleged to have been the scene of some tragic
, horrific
, and possibly supernatural
event or haunting. The practice has been documented most thoroughly to date in the United States
.
The concept of legend tripping is at least as old as Mark Twain
's 1876 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
, which contains several accounts of adolescents visiting allegedly haunted house
s and cave
s said to be the lairs of criminals
. Tom Sawyer is based on lore that was current in Twain's own boyhood, and by Twain's time the main features of the ritual
were already in place.
Much older versions of the custom may be glimpsed in traditional ballad
tales such as the ballad of Tam Lin
. In this ballad, a young woman is warned that the elf
Tam Lin is known to haunt
a place called Carterhaugh, and that all who go there must lose either an article of clothing or their virginity
to Tam Lin. Janet, the hero
ine, defies the warning: she goes to Carterhaugh, picks a rose, encounters Tam Lin, and becomes pregnant with his child. She learns that Tam Lin was once human, and that to free him, she must make a second trip on Halloween
night to a crossroads
(see also Crossroads (mythology)), where she has an encounter with the Queen of Elphame, and succeeds in reclaiming Tam Lin from fairyland.
In both the old ballad and in Mark Twain's version, there is a specific location that is supposed to be accursed
, ghost
-haunted, or otherwise dangerous. There is a folk story, of the type that is now called an urban legend
, that explains why the place is haunted, accursed, or dangerous. The story is retold in preparation for the legend trip. In outward form, the legend is a cautionary tale
warning of a danger; in practice, however, the cautionary tale is turned into a dare, inviting the trippers to go test its veracity. There is sometimes a ritual
that must be performed at the site, the ritual is explained in the legend. The ritual invokes whatever dangerous spirits haunt that place.
The custom may be based on folk practices from Great Britain
involving holy well
s and similar shrine
s; on certain days of the year, young people would visit them, and these visits attracted attention on account of drinking and sexual activity at the site. In more recent times, legends have been reported in Britain concerning sites where the Devil
, or an evil ghost, could be summoned by visiting a grave or a megalith
and performing a ritual like running around it. In some of the British legends this must be done on a certain day or date, a condition seldom found in the United States. In Britain, too, certain headstone
s are said to be cursed: anyone who moves them will be cursed, and the stone will magic
ally move back. The paradoxical effect of these warnings has been to encourage, rather than discourage, visitors.
Tales telling of marvels, wonders, or mysterious phenomena have excited human curiosity and inspired travel for centuries. What distinguishes legend tripping from other sorts of tourism
is the notion of a dangerous experiment. The legend
s of legend trips typically warn of dangers. The legend trippers violate the taboo
ed site for the specific purpose of flirting with that danger. The legend trip is a specific ritual, and as such takes place in ritual time and ritual space. This creates a sort of mentally separate sphere in which the legend trip occurs, and allows the legend trippers to flirt with the dangers while minimizing their psychic effects in ordinary (i.e. non-ritual) life.
s, rural roads, specific woods or other uninhabited (or semi-uninhabited) areas, and most importantly, cemeteries
are frequent sites of legend-tripping pilgrimages.
The gravesite of Bloody Mary
is said to exist in several locations in the United States, with a location identified in many of the places that story takes hold. Often there is a tale of a heinous crime
that was committed at the site, and whose details are retold and multiplied in the legend that explains why the pilgrims are headed there.
Websites and newsletters, like the various weird tour guides, that are published to exploit stranger aspects of a number of different cities, provide ample background stories and locations for legend tripping. The inclusion of reader anecdotes serves to add greater weight to the location as a good legend trip.
Legend-tripping sites typically stand in relatively isolated and rural areas that are nevertheless easily reached by automobile
, outside of major population centres. For the legend to propagate, first, the adolescent pilgrims must be able to get there and, secondly, the odds must be good that they will be alone when they arrive.
s, the legend trip environment encourages people to get closer. Alcohol
or drug
use also may take place.
Once the legend trippers arrive, they spend some part of the night there, and perform the ritual if one is prescribed as a means of daring and testing the evil
spirit
that haunts the place. The rituals are varied; in legend trips to cemeteries, there is usually a specific grave
that the legend attaches to, and sometimes a tombstone that must be climbed, stepped on, sat on, or moved. As they retreat, they interpret any strange sounds, shadows, events, or dreams as evidence that the evil spirit has in fact been adequately tempted. Sometimes the grave is said to have the power to "heal" itself; if a legend tripper returns to the site, and the tombstone has been restored to its original position, the legend has been confirmed.
If the experience is well done, everyone leaves both scared out of their wits, believing that something uncanny did in fact happen as a result of the nocturnal rite, and most importantly, convinced of their own courage
: they have successfully invoked and defied whatever haunts that place. They now have a story to tell, and a tradition
to pass on to their immediate juniors.
, and other misdemeanor
s, and sometimes acts of animal sacrifice
or other blood ritual
. These transgressions then sometimes lead to local moral panic
s that involve adults in the community, and sometimes even the mass media
. These panics often further embellish the prestige of the legend trip to the adolescent mind. In at least one notorious case, years of destructive legend-tripping, amounting to an "ostensive frenzy," led to the fatal shooting of a legend-tripper near Lincoln, Nebraska
followed by the wounding of the woman whose house had become the focus of the ostension. The panic over youth Satanism
in the 1980s was fueled in part by graffiti
and other ritual activities engaged in by legend-tripping youths.
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
on an adolescent practice (containing elements of a rite of passage
Rite of passage
A rite of passage is a ritual event that marks a person's progress from one status to another. It is a universal phenomenon which can show anthropologists what social hierarchies, values and beliefs are important in specific cultures....
) in which a usually furtive nocturnal
Night
Night or nighttime is the period of time when the sun is below the horizon. This occurs after dusk. The opposite of night is day...
pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
is made to a site which is alleged to have been the scene of some tragic
Tragedy
Tragedy is a form of art based on human suffering that offers its audience pleasure. While most cultures have developed forms that provoke this paradoxical response, tragedy refers to a specific tradition of drama that has played a unique and important role historically in the self-definition of...
, horrific
Horror (emotion)
The distinction between horror and terror is a standard literary and psychological concept applied especially to Gothic literature and film. Terror is usually described as the feeling of dread and anticipation that precedes the horrifying experience...
, and possibly supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
event or haunting. The practice has been documented most thoroughly to date in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Origins
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
's 1876 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain is an 1876 novel about a young boy growing up along the Mississippi River. The story is set in the Town of "St...
, which contains several accounts of adolescents visiting allegedly haunted house
Haunted house
A haunted house is a house or other building often perceived as being inhabited by disembodied spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents or were familiar with the property...
s and cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
s said to be the lairs of criminals
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
. Tom Sawyer is based on lore that was current in Twain's own boyhood, and by Twain's time the main features of the ritual
Ritual
A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value. It may be prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. The term usually excludes actions which are arbitrarily chosen by the performers....
were already in place.
Much older versions of the custom may be glimpsed in traditional ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
tales such as the ballad of Tam Lin
Tam Lin
Tam Lin is the hero of a legendary ballad originating from the Scottish Borders. The story revolves around the rescue of Tam Lin by his true love from the Queen of the Fairies...
. In this ballad, a young woman is warned that the elf
Elf
An elf is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind...
Tam Lin is known to haunt
HAUNT
HAUNT was a straightforward but engagingly irreverent text-based mainframe computer game. It was created in OPS4 language in 1979 by John E. Laird....
a place called Carterhaugh, and that all who go there must lose either an article of clothing or their virginity
Virginity
Virginity refers to the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. There are cultural and religious traditions which place special value and significance on this state, especially in the case of unmarried females, associated with notions of personal purity, honor and worth...
to Tam Lin. Janet, the hero
Hero
A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...
ine, defies the warning: she goes to Carterhaugh, picks a rose, encounters Tam Lin, and becomes pregnant with his child. She learns that Tam Lin was once human, and that to free him, she must make a second trip on Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
night to a crossroads
Crossroads (culture)
In folk magic and mythology, crossroads may represent a location "between the worlds" and, as such, a site where supernatural spirits can be contacted and paranormal events can take place...
(see also Crossroads (mythology)), where she has an encounter with the Queen of Elphame, and succeeds in reclaiming Tam Lin from fairyland.
In both the old ballad and in Mark Twain's version, there is a specific location that is supposed to be accursed
Curse
A curse is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to some other entity—one or more persons, a place, or an object...
, ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
-haunted, or otherwise dangerous. There is a folk story, of the type that is now called an urban legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
, that explains why the place is haunted, accursed, or dangerous. The story is retold in preparation for the legend trip. In outward form, the legend is a cautionary tale
Cautionary tale
A cautionary tale is a tale told in folklore, to warn its hearer of a danger. There are three essential parts to a cautionary tale, though they can be introduced in a large variety of ways. First, a taboo or prohibition is stated: some act, location, or thing is said to be dangerous. Then, the...
warning of a danger; in practice, however, the cautionary tale is turned into a dare, inviting the trippers to go test its veracity. There is sometimes a ritual
Ritual
A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value. It may be prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. The term usually excludes actions which are arbitrarily chosen by the performers....
that must be performed at the site, the ritual is explained in the legend. The ritual invokes whatever dangerous spirits haunt that place.
The custom may be based on folk practices from Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
involving holy well
Holy well
A holy well, or sacred spring, is a small body of water emerging from underground and revered either in a Pagan or Christian context, often both. Holy wells were frequently pagan sacred sites that later became Christianized. The term 'holy well' is commonly employed to refer to any water source of...
s and similar shrine
Shrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
s; on certain days of the year, young people would visit them, and these visits attracted attention on account of drinking and sexual activity at the site. In more recent times, legends have been reported in Britain concerning sites where the Devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
, or an evil ghost, could be summoned by visiting a grave or a megalith
Megalith
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. Megalithic describes structures made of such large stones, utilizing an interlocking system without the use of mortar or cement.The word 'megalith' comes from the Ancient...
and performing a ritual like running around it. In some of the British legends this must be done on a certain day or date, a condition seldom found in the United States. In Britain, too, certain headstone
Headstone
A headstone, tombstone, or gravestone is a marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. In most cases they have the deceased's name, date of birth, and date of death inscribed on them, along with a personal message, or prayer.- Use :...
s are said to be cursed: anyone who moves them will be cursed, and the stone will magic
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
ally move back. The paradoxical effect of these warnings has been to encourage, rather than discourage, visitors.
Tales telling of marvels, wonders, or mysterious phenomena have excited human curiosity and inspired travel for centuries. What distinguishes legend tripping from other sorts of tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
is the notion of a dangerous experiment. The legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
s of legend trips typically warn of dangers. The legend trippers violate the taboo
Taboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
ed site for the specific purpose of flirting with that danger. The legend trip is a specific ritual, and as such takes place in ritual time and ritual space. This creates a sort of mentally separate sphere in which the legend trip occurs, and allows the legend trippers to flirt with the dangers while minimizing their psychic effects in ordinary (i.e. non-ritual) life.
Sites for legend trips
While the stories that attach to the sites of legend tripping vary from place to place, and sometimes contain a kernel of historical truth, there are a number of motifs and recurring themes in the legends and the sites. Abandoned buildings, remote bridges, tunnels, caveCave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
s, rural roads, specific woods or other uninhabited (or semi-uninhabited) areas, and most importantly, cemeteries
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
are frequent sites of legend-tripping pilgrimages.
Bloody Mary (folklore)
Bloody Mary is a ghost or witch featured in English folklore. She is said to appear in a mirror when her name is called three times or sometimes more while in a dark room, depending upon the version of the story, often as part of a game or dare.-Overview:...
is said to exist in several locations in the United States, with a location identified in many of the places that story takes hold. Often there is a tale of a heinous crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
that was committed at the site, and whose details are retold and multiplied in the legend that explains why the pilgrims are headed there.
Websites and newsletters, like the various weird tour guides, that are published to exploit stranger aspects of a number of different cities, provide ample background stories and locations for legend tripping. The inclusion of reader anecdotes serves to add greater weight to the location as a good legend trip.
Legend-tripping sites typically stand in relatively isolated and rural areas that are nevertheless easily reached by automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
, outside of major population centres. For the legend to propagate, first, the adolescent pilgrims must be able to get there and, secondly, the odds must be good that they will be alone when they arrive.
The legend trip
The legend trip itself is usually made by foot, by groups of at least three adolescents. On the way to the site, the legend is usually retold, and additional legends are told that tell of the frightening consequences of past legend trips to the site. Sometimes, sexual experimentation is part of the legend trip; like horror movies or frightening amusement rideAmusement ride
Amusement rides are large mechanical devices that move people to create enjoyment. They are frequently found at amusement parks, traveling carnivals, and funfairs.-Notable types:*Afterburner*Ali Baba*Balloon Race*Booster...
s, the legend trip environment encourages people to get closer. Alcohol
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
or drug
Recreational drug use
Recreational drug use is the use of a drug, usually psychoactive, with the intention of creating or enhancing recreational experience. Such use is controversial, however, often being considered to be also drug abuse, and it is often illegal...
use also may take place.
Once the legend trippers arrive, they spend some part of the night there, and perform the ritual if one is prescribed as a means of daring and testing the evil
Evil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...
spirit
Spirit
The English word spirit has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body.The spirit of a living thing usually refers to or explains its consciousness.The notions of a person's "spirit" and "soul" often also overlap,...
that haunts the place. The rituals are varied; in legend trips to cemeteries, there is usually a specific grave
Grave (burial)
A grave is a location where a dead body is buried. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as graveyards or cemeteries....
that the legend attaches to, and sometimes a tombstone that must be climbed, stepped on, sat on, or moved. As they retreat, they interpret any strange sounds, shadows, events, or dreams as evidence that the evil spirit has in fact been adequately tempted. Sometimes the grave is said to have the power to "heal" itself; if a legend tripper returns to the site, and the tombstone has been restored to its original position, the legend has been confirmed.
If the experience is well done, everyone leaves both scared out of their wits, believing that something uncanny did in fact happen as a result of the nocturnal rite, and most importantly, convinced of their own courage
Courage
Courage is the ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation...
: they have successfully invoked and defied whatever haunts that place. They now have a story to tell, and a tradition
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
to pass on to their immediate juniors.
Reactions and controversies
Legend-tripping is a mostly harmless, perhaps even beneficial, youth recreation. It allows young people to demonstrate their courage in a place where the actual physical risk is likely slight. However, in what Ellis calls "ostensive abuse," the rituals enacted at the legend-tripping sites sometimes involve trespassing, vandalismVandalism
Vandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
, and other misdemeanor
Misdemeanor
A misdemeanor is a "lesser" criminal act in many common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished much less severely than felonies, but theoretically more so than administrative infractions and regulatory offences...
s, and sometimes acts of animal sacrifice
Animal sacrifice
Animal sacrifice is the ritual killing of an animal as part of a religion. It is practised by many religions as a means of appeasing a god or gods or changing the course of nature...
or other blood ritual
Blood ritual
A blood ritual is any ritual that involves the intentional release of blood.A common blood ritual is the blood brother ritual, which started in ancient Europe and Asia. Two or more people, typically male, intermingle their blood in some way. This symbolically brings the participants together into...
. These transgressions then sometimes lead to local moral panic
Moral panic
A moral panic is the intensity of feeling expressed in a population about an issue that appears to threaten the social order. According to Stanley Cohen, author of Folk Devils and Moral Panics and credited creator of the term, a moral panic occurs when "[a] condition, episode, person or group of...
s that involve adults in the community, and sometimes even the mass media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
. These panics often further embellish the prestige of the legend trip to the adolescent mind. In at least one notorious case, years of destructive legend-tripping, amounting to an "ostensive frenzy," led to the fatal shooting of a legend-tripper near Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
followed by the wounding of the woman whose house had become the focus of the ostension. The panic over youth Satanism
Satanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...
in the 1980s was fueled in part by graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
and other ritual activities engaged in by legend-tripping youths.
Places associated with legend tripping in the United States
- The Black Agnes statue, formerly in Baltimore, Maryland and now in Washington, DChttp://www.snopes.com/horrors/ghosts/agnes.asp
- The grave of Captain Frances McHarry in Harrison County, IndianaHarrison County, IndianaHarrison County is a county located in the far southern part of the U.S. state of Indiana along the Ohio River. It is divided into twelve townships, and the county seat is Corydon, the former capital of Indiana. The county is part of the larger Louisville/Jefferson County, KY–IN Metropolitan...
http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM34WC_Captain_McHarrys_Vault_New_Albany_IN - The Lake View Public School, also known as the Gore Orphanage, near Cleveland, OhioCleveland, OhioCleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
http://www.forgottenoh.com/gore.html - Our Lady of the Angels School in Chicago, Illinois and its Fire Memorial in nearby Queen of Heaven Cemetery.http://www.olafire.com/
- The Myrtle Hill Cemetery in Medina County, Ohiohttp://www.forgottenoh.com/Counties/Medina/myrtlehill.html
- The Pope Lick Trestle in Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, KentuckyLouisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, home to a satyrSatyrIn Greek mythology, satyrs are a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus — "satyresses" were a late invention of poets — that roamed the woods and mountains. In myths they are often associated with pipe-playing....
-like Pope Lick MonsterPope Lick MonsterThe Pope Lick Monster is a legendary part-man, part-goat and part-sheep creature reported to live beneath a Norfolk Southern Railway trestle over Floyd's Fork Creek, in the Fisherville area of Louisville, Kentucky.-Urban legend:... - Hexenkopf Rock in Williams Township, PennsylvaniaWilliams Township, PennsylvaniaWilliams Township is the name of some places in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania:*Williams Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania*Williams Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania...
http://usersites.horrorfind.com/home/ghosts/hauntedus/hexenkopf.htm - Rehmeyer's HollowRehmeyer's HollowRehmeyer's Hollow, also known as Hex Hollow, is located in Central Pennsylvania near the Maryland border. The area was brought to national attention by a murder that occurred there in 1928. The name of the hollow was later changed to Spring Valley County Park.- The Murder of Nelson Rehmeyer...
in Shrewsbury, PennsylvaniaShrewsbury, PennsylvaniaShrewsbury is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,823 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Shrewsbury is located at .... - The Waverly Hills SanatoriumWaverly Hills SanatoriumThe Waverly Hills Sanatorium is a closed sanatorium located in southwestern Louisville/Jefferson County, Kentucky. It opened in 1910 as a two-story hospital to accommodate 40 to 50 tuberculosis patients. In the early 1900s, Jefferson County was ravaged by an outbreak of tuberculosis which prompted...
, an abandoned hospital for tuberculosisTuberculosisTuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
victims, in Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, KentuckyLouisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... - Old LouisvilleOld LouisvilleOld Louisville is a historic district and neighborhood in central Louisville, Kentucky, USA. It is the third largest such district in the United States, and the largest preservation district featuring almost entirely Victorian architecture...
, reported to be the most haunted neighborhood in the United States - The New Jersey Pine Barrens, said to be home to the Jersey DevilJersey DevilThe Jersey Devil is a legendary creature or cryptid said to inhabit the Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey, United States. The creature is often described as a flying biped with hooves, but there are many variations...
- Mudhouse MansionMudhouse MansionMudhouse Mansion is located in Fairfield County, Ohio, United States, just east of the city of Lancaster. It is variously said to have been built sometime between 1840–1850, in the 1870s, or around 1900; the Second Empire style makes the 1870s seem most likely.In 1839 or 1852 Christian and...
in Fairfield County, OhioFairfield County, OhioFairfield County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of 2010, the population was 146,156. Its county seat is Lancaster. Its name is a reference to the Fairfield area of the original Lancaster.... - The Baird Chair monument in Kirksville, MissouriKirksville, MissouriKirksville is the county seat of Adair County, Missouri, United States. It is located in Benton Township. The population was 17,505 at the 2010 census. Kirksville also anchors a micropolitan area that comprises Adair and Schuyler counties. The city is perhaps best known as the location of Truman...
http://www2.truman.edu/~adavis/mipages/bairdchair.html - The Hornet Spook Light twelve miles southwest of Joplin, MissouriJoplin, MissouriJoplin is a city in southern Jasper County and northern Newton County in the southwestern corner of the US state of Missouri. Joplin is the largest city in Jasper County, though it is not the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 50,150...
http://www.prairieghosts.com/devprom.html - Stull Cemetery in Stull, KansasStull, KansasStull is an unincorporated town in Douglas County, Kansas, United States located 10 miles west of Lawrence and 13 miles east of Topeka.-19th century:...
, claimed to be a "gateway to HellHellIn many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
"http://www.prairieghosts.com/stull.html - Old Alton BridgeOld Alton BridgeOld Alton Bridge is a historic iron through-truss bridge connecting the cities of Denton, Texas and Copper Canyon, Texas. Built in 1884 by the King Iron Bridge Manufacturing Company, it originally carried horses and later automobiles over Hickory Creek at a location that once was a popular ford for...
south of Denton, TexasDenton, TexasThe city of Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. Its population was 119,454 according to the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex... - Bunny Man Bridge in Clifton, VirginiaClifton, VirginiaClifton is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States located away from Washington, D.C. In 2010, the population was 282.-Pre-Colonial era:...
- Tent Girl in Georgetown, KentuckyGeorgetown, KentuckyGeorgetown is a city in Scott County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 29,098 at the 2010 census. The original settlement of Lebanon, founded by Rev. Elijah Craig, was renamed in 1790 in honor of President George Washington. It is the home of Georgetown College, a private liberal arts...
- Manteno State HospitalManteno State HospitalManteno State Hospital was a psychiatric hospital located in rural Manteno Township in Kankakee County, Illinois.The facility was authorized in 1927 by the 55th Illinois General Assembly with its first patients arriving in December 1930. In 1954 the patient population peaked at 8,195. In 1983, the...
in Manteno, IllinoisManteno, IllinoisManteno is a village in Kankakee County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,575 in 2009. It is part of the Kankakee–Bradley Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Chicago–Naperville–Michigan City, IL-IN-WI Combined Statistical Area.-General information:Manteno, Illinois... - Devil's Tramping Ground south of Siler City, North CarolinaSiler City, North CarolinaSiler City is a town in Chatham County, North Carolina, United States. The population is right at 8,747 within corporate limits and 14,005 within corporate limits and ETJ...
, near Harper's Crossroads.
See also
- Siguanaba (SalvadoranEl SalvadorEl Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
Folklore) - Bloody Mary (folklore)Bloody Mary (folklore)Bloody Mary is a ghost or witch featured in English folklore. She is said to appear in a mirror when her name is called three times or sometimes more while in a dark room, depending upon the version of the story, often as part of a game or dare.-Overview:...
- The Devil's Chair (urban legend)The Devil's Chair (urban legend)The term devil’s chair in folklore is frequently attached to a class of funerary or memorial sculpture common in the United States during the nineteenth century and often associated with legend tripping. Nineteenth century graveyards sometimes included carved chairs for the comfort of visitors...
- Haunted houseHaunted houseA haunted house is a house or other building often perceived as being inhabited by disembodied spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents or were familiar with the property...
- Haunting
- La LloronaLa LloronaLa Llorona is a widespread legend in Mexico, Puerto Rico and Central America. Although several variations exist, the basic story tells of a beautiful woman by the name of Maria killing her children by drowning them, in order to be with the man that she loved. When the man rejects her, she kills...
- Urban legendUrban legendAn urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
Further reading
- Bill Ellis. Aliens Ghosts and Cults, Legends we Live. 2001.
- Bill Ellis. Raising the Devil, Satanism, New Religions and the Media. 2000.
- Gary Alan Fine. Redemption Rumors and the Power of Ostension. The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 104, No. 412 (Spring, 1991), pp. 179–181
- Kobrowski, Nicole Encyclopedia of Haunted Indiana 2008. ISBN 978-0977413027
External links
- The Legend Trippers Journal
- Legend Tripping in Ohio: The Gore Orphanage
- The Mill: Trip to a Ghost Site in Manassas, Virginia
- Plains Folk: Legend Tripping
- The Waverly Hills Sanatorium
- Weird New Jersey
- Weird US
- Ohio Trespassers - Ohio legends & Waverly Hills
- Ghosts of Old Louisville
- Legend-Tripping Online: Supernatural Folklore and the Search for Ong's Hat