We sure love our dogs don’t we? We raise them from pups, cherish them, adore them and make them an integral part of our families. I myself am guilty of this I love my Jack Russel Terrier, she’s sleeping next to me right now, But I digress. However looking back upon the folklore of most older cultures including England’s, dogs were not always considered man’s best friend. In ancient Greece, Cerberus the three headed hound of Hades was a vicious grotesque canine who’s job it was to keep the souls trapped in eternal darkness from escaping the underworld. In the folklore of Great Britian the canine was seen as a harbinger of doom and a stealer of souls.

The folklore of the giant black dog can be traced back centuries and has always been a manifestation of untold dread. Those unlucky enough to witness a manifestation of the black hounds of hell describe them in the terrifying manner: A giant coal black dog the size of a bull with glowing red eyes that seem to possess the ability to see into the deepest recesses of the human soul. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle the creator of Sherlock Holmes details the depredations of the giant black hound of hell in his immortal tale of supernatural mystery, “The Hound of the Baskervilles.” The Baskerville family, an ancient and degenrate race of British noblemen, are the victims of one of these hounds of hell created by their debauchery and wantoness. Lucky for the last of the line, Sir Roderick Baskerville, the great Victorian era detective is able to put the mystery to rest and spare Roderick the death that would eventually come his way. Apart from fiction does the giant black hound of hell truly have a precedence in history or is it just mere folklore?

The spectral black dog was seen as a familiar, or a creature who carried out the bidding of his mistress or master who was a witch or a warlock. A curious tale of a phantom black dog comes from Newgate Prison, one of the oldest correctional facilities in Britain and if the stories are to be believed a place of cold cruelty. In 1596, a man named Scholler was arrested and found guilty of the all to familiar charge of witchcraft and worship of the Evil One, Satan. The day before Scholler was sent to swing on the gallows for his crime against God and country, Scholler’s fellow inmates decided to kill the convicted warlock not just to gain his powers but because Newgate Prison was famous for only feeding their inmates twice a week if they were lucky. The warlock’s fellow inmates seized him and murdered him then roasted his corpse over an open fire for the only meal they had had in days. When the guards discovered this unthinkable act they went to punish the inmates but instead were surprised by the inmates who lay in wait for them. The guards were killed and the prisoners escaped.

For days the escaped prisoners ran amock over the English countryside stealing whatever they could find and raping and murdering any unlucky woman who was unfortunate to cross their path. Although the prisoners were fairly confident of their escape from the cruelty of Newgate prison they never thought that the Warlock that filled their bellies would return in a terrifying way to exact his revenge. Before the sun rose above the horizon a great black dog with eyes that glowed like the fires of hell appeared before the prisoners and as the prisoners fled the giant beast hunted them down and made a quick meal of the escaped inmates. Those who witnessed the event declared they had never seen such a beast and most likely never would again because after the last inmate was gobbled up by the black creature it faded into nothingness.

In Tring, Hertfordshire a vicious black dog or Black Shuck as he is known, is said to haunt the crossroads where a chimney sweep was unjustly executed for a crime he did not committ. The apparition of the black dog is said to appear to any weary traveler who should walk through the crossroads at the hour the chimney sweep was ruthlessly executed. Those who have witnessed the phantom say that he first appears as a pair of giant red glowing eyes while an unearthly howl fills the air. The spectral hound then appears out of a puff of fire and smoke and falls upon the traveler only to dissappear before he makes a meal of the unfortunate wanderer.

Of all the legends concerning giant hounds of hell no tale can compare to attack by one of the beasts on an entire congregation at Bungay Church on August 4, 1577. The tale goes that on a beautiful sunday morning as the citizen’s of Bungay gathered in the local church for hymns and the hearing of the gospel a great of thunder sounded over the church and a flash of lightning flashed through the otherwise clear sky. The congregates were distracted from their worship when a horrible vision materialized near the altar of the church, a giant black dog with glowing eyes that flashed with the fires of hell. According to the historical record the great and horrible beast raced around the church letting out a roar that seemed to shake the very founadtions of the house of worship. Several parishioners were injured by the demonic creature and three were killed with a swap of the creatures giant paw. When the creature vanished from the church leaving the terrifed parishioners to their thoughts of what just happened the church goers believed that the creature was a manifestation of the devil come to purge their church of those unworthy to call themselves christians. Black scorch marks the size of giant paws can still be seen on the door and the altar of the church.

Although the majority of black dog stories have an air of the diabolical some tales of giant black dogs seem almost touching. Giant black dogs have been known to protect virginal young girls as they travel down lonely country roads and black dogs have also been known to protect noble families who are considered pure at heart. The giant black dog is not always a manifestation of the wicked one.

Great Britain certainly is a place of deep culture, lasting mystery and some of the greatest ghost stories known to mankind. Without the realm of the queen we may never have had such great spirits to investigate and such mysteries to ponder and read about on a lonely cold night as the rain falls and the wind blows. I hope you enjoyed Kingdom of shadows because I enjoyed writing it.

Rick E. Hale
t_seeker@hotmail.com

Today we are leaving England proper and taking a trip north to the land of good scotch, the undying love for sheep and manly men who love to go commando under plaid skirts. Of course I speak of Scotland. Scotland is a country that has known one military siege after another either by the Romans, the English and the Saxons and because of this Scotland is a land filled with rich tradition and rich ghost stories of which most will keep you up late at night afraid to turn the lights out.

Nine out of ten cute little Scottish Terriers agree that Scotland’s most famous haunted castle is Glamis, a castle world famous for it’s “lively” spirit population. However one ancient castle has known so much war and bloodshed in it’s seven hundred history it would seem that it’s mortar is held together by blood and that tenth Scottish Terrier would say that not only is this perhaps the most haunted castle in all of Scotland but because of the tragedy that it has known over the centuries it is the most cursed. The Castle is the Hermitage castle located in Roxburghshire, Scotland and this lonely old building has quite a story to tell.

Built in the early thirteenth century, Hermitage castle was erected as a border fortress to protect the land from the maurauding armies that considered Scotland to be a piece of prime grade A real estate. Over the centuries the castle changed hands between the Britsh and Scots probably more times than it should have with each lord of the castle meeting an untimely and oftentimes gruesome demise which has it the reputation for being cursed. Several owners drowned, several died under myterious circumstances which cried murder and others committed suicide feeling unable to live in such a horrible place with such a horrible history.

Hermitage castle is a place known to hold many secrets and a place that houses the souls of those who have died behind it’s walls and have been witnessed many times over the years by credible witnesses. One of the most active spirits is that of Alexander Ramsay, the Sheriff of Tivetdale. Ramsay, was a cop who took his job seriously and performed his job well, perhaps a little to well for the lord of Hermitage, Sir William Douglas, who was under investigation for possibly practicing witchcraft. When Sheriff Ramsay got a little to close, Douglas had his henchman seize the lawman and threw his butt in the dungeon where he starved to death. Visitors to the castle have heard the cries of Sheriff Ramsay pleading to be set free from his dank cell while others have seen the pathetic image of his apparition wandering around the dungeon and cellar of the castle.

One of the most famous specters said to pay a visit to the castle is a former queen, Mary Queen of Scots. It is said that in a single day, Queen Mary rode from Jedburgh to Hermitage a distance of well over fifity miles to comfort her lover, the Earl of Bothwell as he lay wounded and dying after a battle. It is believed that the Earl died in his lady loves arms, and although Mary did not die at Hermitage, her spirit as well as the spirit of the Earl of Bothwell are seen walking around the castle hand in hand enjoying each others company for all eternity.

The most famous spirit said to haunt the Hermitage castle is certainly it’s most terrible as well as it’s most malevolent, The wicked Lord De Soulis. De Soulis is perhaps Scotland’s most notorious serial killer and it’s most Evil. While in possession of the Hermitage, De Soulis gave raucous parties for his freinds and family who suffered from the same lack of morality and propriety. However, the one thing that many did not know was De Soulis, was a practitioner of the black arts and a worshipper of the prince of darkness. One day during one of his rituals, De Soulis summoned the grotesque demon known as Robin Redcap, a demon believed to be one of Lucifer’s chief demons and a terrible spirit that had a taste for the blood of children.

Robin Redcap told De Soulis, that if the wicked lord would scoure the land and bring children to the castle for his dining pleasure, De Soulis would be endowned with all the riches of the world. Apparently greed and avarice over rode De Soulis’ good sense for the evil owner of the Hermitage stalked the streets of nearby villages seeking children to abduct and present to his dark master. De Soulis would cut the throats of his young victims and drain their still squirming bodies into a giant cauldron from which the demon Robin Redcap would sate his unearthly hunger.

The party, so to speak, was soon over for lord De Soulis when the villagers from the surrounding towns took notice of the strange habits of the wicked lord and put two and two together and came to conclusion that Lord De Soulis was repsonsible for their missing children. Just like the horror stories from the 30s and 40s, the villagers laid siege to the castle and when they finally gained access they discovered the broken and blood drained bodies of their youngsters scattered throughout every room of the castle. Not wanting to wait for the official justice of the crown the villagers seized the wicked lord and boiled his body in a cauldron of boiling lead, the terror of the evil lord had finally come to an end. The apparition of wicked Lord De Soulis is still seen from time to time stalking the halls of the castle calling out to children to come and meet his good friend Robin who wants to play with them. Jeeze even in death this guy is a sick F*&k.

When it comes to Scotland forget Glamis the Hermitage castle is where it is at. So many apparitions have been seen here over the years this ancient structure should be considered Scotland’s most haunted castle.

Rick E. Hale

t_seeker@hotmail.com

Oftentimes the job of the paranormal researcher is not an easy one, especially when it comes to ghostly legends. The majority of the time it is a difficult task to seperate the folklore concerning a haunting from a verifiable historical event or historical personage that centers around the witnessing of paranormal phenomenon and Great Britain is certainly guilty of this. However, we are lucky that many folks witness a ghost which gives it more credibility and take it out of the realm of folklore. Although, this may not constitute the hardcore scientific evidence that many of us seek to prove that life after death does in fact exist it does give us a point of reference to at least inquire about what was seen or what was heard.

The Horror of Creech Hill

Creech Hill in Somerset, England has been known to have a long history with being a place of evil and the home to wicked spirits that seek to scare the hell out of anyone who should be unlucky enough to traverse it’s lonely trails late at night. The horrible ghost associated with Creech Hill, many believe, is associated with the discovery an ancient Romano-Celtic Temple in the late nineteenth century. Ever since the discovery of this temple, which was believed to be a spot of human sacrifice, those who call the area home have witnessed a multitude of ghostly phenomenon. Strange lights have been seen bobbing about on the summit of the hill, loud peals of diabolical laughter that turns the blood cold with fear has been heard renting the night in two, but perhaps the most notable spirit that has been witnessed over the last century is a large black amorphous mass which is believed to be a mixture of all those who were sacrificed in the temple of many years ago. And from what eyewitness accounts tell us this ghost means business and does not wish to share it’s home with the living or the dead.

One such encounter with the evil ghost of Creech Hill occurred early in the last century. A local farmer was kept late at the locals farmer’s market by a heavy volume of customers and was forced to walk home by himself long after the sun had set. As the farmer walked home he felt himself growing increasingly tired, and the only shortcut was over Creech Hill. The farmer had heard the many tales that had come from this seemingly innocent hill and although he didn’t want to he was forced to take the shortcut over the hill.

As he walked down the path, the farmer, kept his wits about him waiting for any thing out of the ordinary or anything that may mean him harm. Halfway down the path the farmer could make out a large black shape laying in the middle of the of the road blocking his path fearing that perhaps a person had come under attack by bandits the farmer cautiosly approached the form. As the farmer was about to speak a great evil laugh pierced the night and the farmer’s blood ran cold as the figure that lay on the ground rose to it’s full height and let out a horrible screech. For a moment the farmer stood transfixed to the spot as he stared at the gigantic apparition that stood before him. Finally the farmer was able to regain his good sense and took off down the path.

As the farmer ran at top speed down the hill he looked behind his shoulder to see that the ghost was giving chase and appeared to be gaining. Just as the farmer was about to give up hope his home came into view and the farmer found the strength somehow to pick up speed. As he burst through his door he could hear the sound of a great weight slam into the door. Throughout the night the ghost of Creech Hill pounded on the walls while it let out it’s bloodcurdling screech. The farmer and his wife were kept up all night by the onslaught of the wicked ghost. Finally when the rooster crowed the assault stopped. The farmer cautiosly opened his door to see the first rays of sunlight peek over Creech Hill and the ghost was no longer there, the rising sun had chased it back to whatever hell it had come from.

One other tale of the horror of Creech Hill involves another poor soul who was forced to take the trail that wound through Creech Hill. A young man found himself walking the path late at night after staying to late at his girlfriends house. As the young man walked down the path he heard a great screech that filled the night and watched as a giant black form descended upon him out of the inky black dark of night. The young man struck at the form with his walking staff but found it completely useless when the staff passed through the ghost enveloped by it’s infinate blackness.

The young man did mortal battle with the ghost of Creech Hill until off in the distance the rooster crowed and the form that had kept him fighting for his life the entire night vanished. Hours later some ploughmen found the young man wandering the fields surrounding the hill completely out of his mind. The ploughman could see that this wild eyed lad had seen something terrible and took him to the home of the doctor to have the young man examined.

The young man stayed with the local doctor for several days because he was unable to state his name. However before he took his own life, the young man stood by the window that overlooked Creech Hill a terrified look on his face as he acted as if some unseen thing beckoned him to join it. The young man did join the horrible ghost when the doctor discovered the young man hanging from his own shirt infront of the window that looked out at Creech Hill.

Eternal Unrest of Jan Tregeagle

The lonely windswept moors of Bodmin have long been associated with ghostly phenomenon for centuries. Over the generations of those who came to the moors have reported strange lights, ghostly singing and have reported seeing spectral armies locked in eternal mortal combat. However perhaps the most popular ghost associated with the moors is a ghost on a mission. This ghost is said to be forced to wander the moors for all time because his deeds were so evil he will never be allowed to enter the pearly gates of heaven but his deeds were not so wicked for his soul to taste the flames of eternal hellfire. Allow me to explain.

Jan Tregeagle was known by many in Cornwall as being a slick dude. He was known as a corrupt magistrate who did all that he could to swindle his fellow citizens out of whatever money they may have had. Tregeagle, was also known to have bribed the local monks with large sums of money because Tregeagle knew that he would most likely not be buried in consecrated ground due to his deeds and he believed that the monks would lay his mortal remains in holy ground if he “donated” to their coffers.

One day Tregeagle was hired to act as a lawyer on behalf of a family who was involved in a land dispute with their neighbors. After looking upon the choice real estate, Tregeagle launched a devious plot to make himself a beneficiary of the land. While in court Tregeagle produced forged deeds that showed he was the actual owner of the disputed land. He explained to the court that he had just come upon this deed as he was looking through some old paperwork in his his attic. For whatever reason Tregeagle dropped dead right in the middle of the proceedings. The judge was so shocked by this sudden death he suspended court proceedings for a week so the family of Jan Tregeagle could bury their kinsman. No one ever claimed the body and no one came to the funeral, Jan Tregeagle went to his eternal rest unlamented. Kind of sucks being a well known douchebag.

When the court resumed the judge was about to find in favor of the land dispute when one of the witnesses a well known practicioner of magic summoned the spirit of Jan Tregeagle from the dead. Those who were present were shocked when the shimmering form of the corrupt lawyer appeared in the witness box and testified that he in fact had forged the papers and named the rightful owners of the disputed land. When his spirit did not leave the monks who Tregeagle had been bribing for years came and gave the sad specter a task. The monks handed the spirit a cracked shell and sent him into the moors where he was to be guarded by hellhounds who watched as he attempted to empty the legendary Dozmary pool.

One day the spirit of Jan Tregeagle had had enough of this endless task and made a break from the pool while the hellhounds slept. When the hounds discovered their charge missing they gave chase and found the backside of Tregeagle sticking out the wall of the local chapel, for whatever reason only his head was able to gain sanctuary in the tiny church. With the Hellhounds snapping at his backside, Tregeagle pleaded with the priest to help him. Saddened by this pathetic wandering spirit the priest banished the hellhounds and told the Spirit of Tregeagle that if he wanted to keep his soul out of hell he must forever do meaningless tasks. Tregeagle accepted the priest’s tasks and is said to forever wander Bodmin Moor performing endless futile tasks.

Jan Tregeagle was a real person there are records pertaining to his existence and the fact that he was a person of low morals but whether or not his spirit really wanders the moors vainly attempting to complete futile tasks is another questions. Many have reported seeing this lonely spirit and have even claimed to have been helped by the spirit of Jan Tregeagle who is said to dissappear when the person goes to give his thanks. It would appear that the spirit of Jan Tregeagle shall never find rest.

Rick E. Hale

t_seeker@hotmail.com

Hello readers! A few of you have asked for banners so that you could put a link on your website to us. I must say that is quite an honor and we do appreciate it!

There is now a link at the top of the page called, “Link to us”. There you will find a few different sized banners for your site.

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Robert
ghostlycast@torquedmedia.com

When one buys a home in our country, by law, the real estate agent must fully disclose any and all problems that are either occurring or have occurred at the house. Leaky faucets, repairs to the roof and problems with mildew are usually the most reported problems. However perhaps the strangest thing that a real estate agent must disclose is whether or not the home has any former residents who supposedly still call the house home, of course I speak of ghosts. Although this may be the law of our land it would appear that Great Britain does not share this law. In 1999, a lawsuit was taken to the British legal system that made national headlines throughtout the realm. A young family who bought a 250 year old cottage in Upper Mayfield, Derbyshire claimed that they experienced harrowing spectral activity that was not only terrifying but showed itself to be dangerous as well. Allow me to lay down the facts as we know them concerning the strange case of Lowe’s Cottage and you be the judge. And just as a note, names have been changed in this narrative to keep my ass from possibly being sued. Enjoy.

In the summer of 1994, Mr and Mrs Jones and their two children desperately needed a new home that was much bigger to accomadate their expanding family and a need to escape the noise of the big city. When they came upon Lowe’s cottage, a two story home in the village of Upper Mayfield, they knew that they had finally found their dreamhome, a house where they could raise their family while enjoying the piece and quiet of the bucolic English countryside. The home was being offered at a surprisingly cheap rate by two sisters who had lived and grown up in the cottage their whole life. Although the Jones’s lacked the full payment required to buy the home the sisters decided that they seemed like honest folks and worked at an arrangement where the young family could pay the remaining balance in installments. The Jones family agreed with this very generous arrangement and after the papers were signed the charming little cottage in the English countryside was theirs.

The first few months seemed to go off without a hitch, no serious problems were reported by the Jones family who loved living in the 250 year old cottage that seemed to have an air of history to it. However the seemingly innocent cottage appeared to have a darkside to it. Upon a visit to a local pub, the Jones’s discovered that some rather dirty dealings had taken place at the cottage in it’s history. At first the Jones’s probably thought that it was the alcohol speaking from their informants but when the subject of ghosts haunting the cottage came up the Jones felt that perhaps they had bitten off more than they could chew.

At first the activity the family experienced in their new home appeared to be innocent. Cold drafts were felt in several rooms in the home when no windows or doors appeared to be open. Soft footsteps that sounded like the footfalls of a woman were heard going up and down the stairs. And water seemed to pour from the walls where there was no plumbing. I’m sure the Jones’s probably thought that this was really not a problem, so they had a ghost that seemed to mean them no harm. However, the harmless events and the alleged spirits that lived in the home had more sinister plans for this young family and the events that came shortly after would be far more terrifying.

Previously, the ghosts had only made their presence known through cold spots, steps and the mist that seemed to cover the Jones’s feet and the floor however now they were making an appearance. At first the family would see the spirits out of the corner of their eyes but then one day as Mrs. Jones sat relaxing in an easy chair she claimed to clearly see the apparition of a woman in 19th century clothing walking around a room directly across the hall from her. Mr. Jones saw the apparition of a large mass moving about the cottage and the acrid smell of garbage now accompanied the mist that was growing thicker and so dense Mr. Jones later stated that he could barely see his hands as he waved them in front of his face. The ghosts were now stepping up their assault on the terrified family but the culmination would come soon.

A common occurance with a violent haunting or haunting by a spirit that means business has been known to manifest itself through night terrors and bad dreams and what the Jones family experienced for those four years in the cottage was no different. One night as the family slept fitfully, Mr Jones was awakened from his slumber when he could feel his wife battling with something next to him. When he looked at his wife she writhed in the bed clutching at her neck desperately trying to free herself from some unseen presence. Unable to lay there and watch his wife do battle, Jones threw himself over his wife and the attack quickly came to a halt. When Mrs. Jones was able to regain her breath which came in short raspy breathes she told her husband that some unknown force which felt like a powerful man was pressing her body into the bed. She stated that she could feel large rough hands grasp her neck, whatever unseen force haunted their homes meant to do them harm and to the Jones enough was enough.

The next day the Jones’ contacted the local Vicar and told him all that had been going on in their home and the attack that Mrs. Jones suffered the night before. The vicar, a man of God who claimed to have investigating many hauntings told the frightened couple that he would be there as soon as possible and the only thing that would be able to drive this demonic force from their home was the ancient ritual of exorcism. He assured the family that he had done battle with the forces of darkness on many occassions and only the power of God could save them from the depredations of this heinous spirit. The calvary was coming and the Jones had faith that this man of the cloth could deliver them from whatever evil inhabited their home.

Over a two week period, the Vicar and his assistant performed five exorcisms on the home. During one of the rituals the Vicar told the Jones’s to sing religious hymns as he walked throughout the home saying prayers of deliverance. As the couple sang the hymns a powerful force attacked Mrs. Jones, and knocked her to the floor and she once again grasped at her neck desperately trying to free her throat from the invisible force. The Vicar rushed to her aid and commanded the spirit in the name of Jesus, to depart. The attack came to end, however none of the exorcisms were effective and according to the Jones family the attacks by the invisible force became for frightening and more intense. The Jones’ family could take no more they fled from their dream home and never returned leaving all their worldly goods behind.

Now this is where things get really interesting. Shortly after fleeing the home in terror, the Jones’s contacted the two sisters and told them that they would not be paying them the rest of the money because the sisters did not disclose to them that the home was haunted by a powerful force that meant harm and malicious intent. The sisters told the frightened couple that they had grown up in Lowe’s Cottage and never once had they experienced any of the bizarre activity that the Jones’s reported to them. The sisters further stated that if the Jones’ family did not pay them the money owed to them they would sue the Jones’s and take them to court. When the money was not forthcoming they did exactly what they had threatened they filed a lawsuit against the family who claimed to have been chased from their home by an agressive demonic force.

Although this case was strange it made national headlines all over Britiain and everyone was now familiar with the bizarre activity that sent a young family fleeing into the night. Mr. and Mrs. Jones told the judge and the court every minute detail of the strange phenomenon that forced them to flee their home they also claimed that they would counter sue on the grounds that the sisters did not disclose such serious details when they bought the house. After several weeks of the trial the judge found in favor of the two sisters, the judge claimed that the British legal system does not recoginize the existence of ghosts or demons and the Jones family would have to pay the rest of the money they owed to the sisters. The judge further went on to say that Mrs. Jones appeared to be, “A woman who suffered from hysterics and needed to seek professional help.” The judge further went on to say that Mr. Jones was, “Devious.” The supernatural had it’s day in court and the court of Great Britain decreed that the supernatural did not exist.

If this case seems familiar, it should, the case of the hauntings at Lowe’s Cottage and the impending lawsuit was featured on “Unsolved Mysteries”. One can not help but wonder if the events that occurred to the Jones Family was legitimate paranormal phenomenon or were they just looking for a way to skip out on paying their mortgage. There are many cases on record where families claimed they were victims of harrasement by an unseen presence and it turned out to be an elaborate hoax either to make money or skip out on The Man, the famous Amityville Horror case is possibly one such instance. However the Jones family endured the harsh British legal system, a lawsuit that I’m sure did not do wonders for their credit rating and they did not make a single cent or shilling on their report. Perhaps the Jones family really did experience the terrifying phenomenon they claimed and they were merely a victim of circumstance. You be the judge.

Rick E. Hale

t_seeker@hotmail.com

Graveyards. Graveyards are supposed to be a place of peace and quiet, an everlasting repository for those who have passed on before us, passed on to their final reward. However, around the world there are certain boneyards that have gained a reputation for being the home to some pretty restless spirits. Gravestompers, actively seek such places of eternal rest out in an attempt to have an experience of the paranormal kind. Unfortunately though, these amateur ghost hunters, whether intentionally or not, tend to be disrespectful and London’s Highgate Cemetary has been the scene of much disrespect over the years and probably due to this is why this seemingly innocent looking graveyard is said to house not just the spirits of the dead but a creature, a monster, that has been the subject of myths and legends for countless centuries. A creature that feeds on the blood of their victims, this creature that haunts this London boneyard I speak of is of course, the vampire.

Founded in 1839 by the city London to ease the congestion of the seven surrounding graveyards, Highgate Cemetary has suffered much desecration in it’s rather dubious history. For many years local police have discovered teens and adults alike skulking around the tombstones and vaults wearing black robes and taking part in dark satanic rituals to raise the spirits of the dead and summon the minions of the evil one. Many local researchers believe this is why Highgate is a hotbed of paranormal activity with numerous apparitions being heard, felt and seen over the years.

Local researchers who have made Highgate the focus of their investigations believe that the spirit population is far to numerous to count. Over the years folks walking past the cemetary have reported seeing such apparitions as a tall gray man wearing a long coat and a top hat. Some believe this spirit is the phantom of a caretaker from the early twentieth century still walking among the tombstones making sure his undead charges are ok. Other folks have seen the phantasm of a ghostly woman riding a bike on the adjoining sidewalk. Some believe her to be a woman who was struck by a car and killed outside the gates of the graveyard. While still others have seen the face and heard the diabolical cackling of the spirit of an insane man who is said to stick his head out the gate taunting passerbys. However, one entity that is said to haunt the graveyard caused a stir and a panic among the citizens of London between the years of 1969 throughout 1974. The graveyard was no longer safe to traverse at night because the undead were reported to walk among the graves seeking for a human victim. A vampire or vampires were said to call the infamous Highgate Cemetary home.

The legend of a possible vampire haunting the graveyard started in the winter of 1969. A few nights before Christmas a group of teenagers who had an interest in the occult broke into the cemetary to look for ghosts when one young lad, David Farrant claimed to have seen the tall dark figure of a man with a hungry look that gave off an aura of pure evil and for whatever reason Farrant believed this entity to be that of the undead. Farrant, was so convinced of this he wrote a letter to the Highgate express stating that he believed that the graveyard was home to a vampire after finding the dead bodies of small animals that appeared to have been drained of that oh so vital fluid, blood. The paper printed the letter perhaps as a lark, and one brave soul answered the call to investigate the possibility of vampiric activity in one of London’s largest cemetaries. Enter Sean Manchester, fearless vampire hunter.

Manchester, believed that in the early days of Highgate a group of men from eastern Europe brought the sleeping form of what he termed, “A King Vampire”, and laid him to rest in an unmarked grave. Unfortunately though, Manchester believed, satanists in their attempts to conjure spirits they awoke this dread lord of the undead and he now walked amongst the graves looking for a decent midnight snack. If London needed a competent vampire hunter to deal with this creature, Manchester was certain that he was their man.

In March of 1970, Manchester and several associates including Farrant, broke into the graveyard and went about the business of hunting down this undead spawn of evil. In his 1985, book chronicling the events that transpired at Highgate, “The Highgate Vampire”, Manchester goes into great detail about how he and his associates discovered the empty coffins of what he believed to be the resting place of the vampires and how he and his friends sprinkled holy water and left garlic shavings in the caskets. Manchester, was convinced that such action would keep the vampires from entering their coffins at sun up after a long night of blood sucking and the sun would destroy them. Whether or not this actually worked is somewhat sketchy. However in August of 1970 a body was found that bore all the classic signs of a vampire being whacked by a brave vampire slayer.

On a hot day on August 1, 1970 several police officers found the still smoldering charred remains of a naked headless woman in the churchyard of Highgate. The police were convinced that this poor woman met her fate at the hands of satanists as some kind of blood sacrifice to the devil. Could this woman who appeared to be so mercilessly treated really have been one of the undead slain by Manchester and his cronies? According to the folklore of vampire hunting this corpse that was eight pounds lighter and fried to a crisp bore all the classic signs of a vampire that met it’s fate at the hand’s of slayer. Unfortunately, we will never know.

As if the events at Highgate Cemetray couldn’t get any stranger, they most certainly did. Police discovered Farrant, wandering through the graveyard clutching a crucifix to his chest and carrying a sharpened wooden stake in a deathlike grip in his other hand. Farrant, was arrested and charged with breaking and entering, however when the case went to court, the charges against Farrant were dropped and the young man was free to go. A few days after Farrant’s arrest, Sean Manchester and several of his friends paid a visit to Highgate during the day to search for vampires sleeping in their coffins. An alleged psychic who was along for the ride advised Manchester, that she could feel an evil presence very near and proceeded to point out the grave of a recently deceased woman. Convinced this woman was one of the undead, Manchester prepared to drive a stake through the wicked beings heart to send it along to hell. One of Manchester’s companions, for whatever reason stopped the fearless slayer of the undead from doing such a rash action so instead Manchester, poured holy water over the corpse and closed the lid. A few days later Manchester, claims to have cornered the corpse in the cellar of a nearby home and staked it through the heart. Score one for the good guys.

The vampire scare at Highgate Cemetary finally ran out of steam in the summer of 1974. Farrant was jailed on charges of desecrating graves and being disrespectful to corpses. Farrant, claimed emphatically that he was not responsible for the crimes and blamed satanists. However I’m sure, as were the London coppers, that Farrant believed the sleeping forms of the dead to be the bodies of the undead resting before the sun went down and it was time to once again party. And as for Manchester, well he believed that the vampire menace was now good and over and he returned to a relatively normal life.

So then when it comes to the bizarre events that transpired at Highgate cemetary, what are we to make of it? Was the London graveyard the hunting grounds for a mythical creature of pure evil? Or were these two men caught up in the frenzy of a fanatsy world populated by spooks, specters and ghosts? I don’t know I was not there, however something strange happened. Londoners and visitors alike still claim to see the apparitions of the dead on a daily bases at London’s Highgate Cemetary, but what of the vampire? Well it’s dead because one man was brave enough to kill the beast before things got out of hand (God, I love sarcasm).

Rick E. Hale

t_seeker@hotmail.com

The word Poltergeist, has a tendency to send shivers down the spine of the serious researcher and the uninitiated alike. All researchers and invesitgators of the paranormal agree that a poltergeist outbreak is the most common form of haunting of all, although not all can agree upon what a poltergeist is. Some believe that a poltergeist is a psychic manifestation of a young person usually a female adolescent, who is undergoing the trials and travails of becoming an adult. Others believe that the poltergeist is the pissed off spirit of person who has shrugged off their mortal coil and intends to be a major pain in the ass of those who happen to live in the house that they once lived in. The more religiously minded investigator believes that one or many of the minions of the prince of darkness is out to harass and eventually possess a member of the household with an exorcism being the only cure for the affilicted. Whatever the case may be those unlucky souls unfortunate enough to undergo the depredations of this unseen and violent force know that what has happened to them or is happening is very real and very terrifying.

Down through history there have been many famous cases of families forced to undergo the rage of this unseen force and despite the terror they endured they lived to tell the tale. Perhaps the most famous British poltergeist case took place to the Hodgson family in Enfield, England. However when I consider British poltergeist cases my money is on a case that is rarely spoken of but is well known in the annals of paranormal research, The poltergiest outbreak known as the Black Monk of Pontefract. This case is unusual in that it displayed all the classic signs of the typical poltergeist outbreak but with one minor difference, an apparition was seen in the home along with the poltergeist activity. Some researchers have labled this case a hoax due to the appearance of this apparition, however I respectfully disagree. I have always believed that the energy expended by a poltergeist outbreak is powerful enough to attract apparitions who are either in the area or have laid dormant. You be the judge.

The poltergeist made it’s first appearance on the night of September 1, 1966 in the home of Joe and Jean Pritchard and their two children, Phil 15 and Diana, 12 in the small village of Pontefract, England. Joe and Jean and their daughter went away on a small trip while Phil stayed home with his grandmother. The night of the initial outbreak started innocently enough, Granny was sitting in the easy chair indulging in her passion for knitting as Phil ran around the neighborhood with his chums. However all that would change when Phil entered into the house followed by an icy wind that wipped throught the house causing the door to slam numerous times by itself. Neither Granny nor Phil thought anything of the cold wind despite it being September.

Phil greeted his grandmother and went to the kitchen to grab a cold glass of water and upon returning to the living room he was greeted with a strange sight, a fine white powder was falling from a space just below the ceiling and directly over the head of granny. The elderly woman and Phil watched as the powder seemed to fall from nowhere and coat everything in sight. The two looked at each other with a puzzled look that seemed to agree, this was definately beyond human understanding.
The two also began to see large pools of water form on the kitchen floor before their eyes. Granny immediately called the water department to report a possible sprung leak. After looking things over the man from the water commission was just as stumped as granny and Phil. At first the two were not frightened by this strange event however a heavy chest of drawers began to sway and move away from the wall quickly changed their minds and the two left the home and stayed the night at a nearby relatives house.

When Joe and Jean returned from their trip Phil and his grandmother quickly summarized the strange events that occurred in the house while they were away. Joe Pritchard was known as the typical hardnosed Yorkshireman type and would have nothing of this talk of ghosts and ghouls inhabiting his home and just in case they were he would force them to leave whether they liked it or not. Joe’s skepticism would soon turn to belief despite his proclamations.

As the days wore on the activity in the house seemed to raise a notch or two. Bedclothes were torn from their beds and loud knocks that sounded as if large heavy hands were banging on the walls were heard at all hours of the day. The latest activity prompted Joe to tell some neighbors of what was going in his home and that he now believed that some unknown force was haunting his family. The friends told Joe that they knew of a man, a Mr. O’Donald who had an interest in ghosts and could perhaps help them. Joe was satisfied that perhaps someone could help and perhaps answer some questions on just what this thing was.

When the ghost hunter arrived the Pritchards filled him in on all they had experienced up to this point. Mr. O’Donald knew exactly what the frightened family was dealing with, he told told them that had a poltergeist in the house. The Pritchards did not have a single clue as to what a poltergeist was and O’Donald, quickly went about the task explaining what a poltergeist was. He also explained that a poltergeist was usually fond of ripping up family photographs. After O’Donald departed the family heard a loud crash come from the upstairs hall, Joe and Jean raced upstairs and found their wedding picture on the floor the frame was smashed and the picture was torn down the middle. Apparently this unseen force was capable of listening to everything that was being said in the house.

For weeks the Pritchards endured the violent banging on the walls and their possessions being smashed to pieces however they decided enough was enough when their daughter, Diana fell victim to a personal onslaught by the entity. Practically every night the young girl was thrown from her bed to the floor and when night when the family sat in the living room they watched in horror as some unseen presence grabbed Diana by her sweater and dragged her up the stairs. Joe was able to rescure his daughter from the grasp of the unseen hands but enough was enough. The Pritchards did the only logical thing they could think of to deal with an otherwise illogical situation, they contacted a priest and demanded an exorcism.

When it comes to mixing an exorcism with poltergeist activity the results can oftentimes be disastrous. Most researchers agree that an exorcism will do more harm than good with the activity becoming far more violent after the ancient ritual is completed and such was the case with the Pontefract case. When the priest was finished with the ceremony a knock that sounded like cannonballs striking the house resounded from the walls and a heavy candlestick lept from the mantle and floated in front of the priest’s face. The priest was so terrified by the episode he ran from the house screaming that an evil presence inhabited their home. All the Pritchards could think was, now what?

The antics of a poltergeist are not always mean spirited sometimes a poltergeist shows that it has a bit of funny bone to go along with the terror. An Aunt had come to visit upon hearing of the strange goings on in the home. She was a hardheaded skeptic who would hear none of this rubbish concerning a ghost that haunted her relative’s home. When the aunt crossed the threshold of the front door the refrigerator door flew open and a jug of milk flew into the front room and came to a stop over the skeptical aunt’s head. All watched as the cap popped off and the contents were dumped over the head of the disbelieving aunt. Needless to say auntie became a believer real quick and never returned.

After this rather hilarious episode the poltergeist seemed to take a break for awhile as things appeared to return to normal in the house, until the Monk appeared. One night as Joe and Jean lay in bed they both were awakened by a strange sound in their room. As the couple looked to foot of their bed their gaze was greeted by the sight of a large man draped in a black robe that looked like something a monk would wear. The couple watched as the monk seemed to dissipate into thin air. When Joe told one of his neighbor’s about his seeing the apparition the neighbor told the incredulous man a curious tale. Many centuries ago a monastery housing Cluniac monks stood nearby, one of the monks committed some serious infraction that caused him to be hanged perhaps this monk was the cause of the haunting and not a poltergeist at all.

For next several months the black monk made numerous frightening appearances oftentimes just staring at family members before it vanished, however one day the monk seemed to have left the home and the poltergeist activity came to an abrupt halt and after two long years of dealing with the frightening episode that terrified their family had now come to an end and they were able to regain some semblance of a normal life.

Were the events that transpired in the Pritchard home a hoax, as some would have us believe? Or is the black monk of Pontefract a legitimate case of weirdness that almost caused an entire family to lose their sanity? This is one of those things that you will have to decide for yourself.

Rick E. Hale

t_seeker@hotmail.com

The world of the paranormal is by it’s very nature strange and unusual which is probably why many folks, including professional sceptic groups look at the claims that are made by seemingly normal people and say, “Nope, no way and no how.” However just because these supposed learned experts make these these proclamations of fakery does not make the experience any less significant in the lives of those who experience them. Those who experience something that lives way outside the box be it the unsuspecting hillbilly hunting oppossum in the Appalachin mountains who gets taken on a wild ride in a UFO or an English Lord who claims that his manor home is haunted by unseen presence that watches him pee. Whatever the case may be sometimes weird shit happens.

Sometimes though, even weird things happen that is so far outside the box it even leaves the so called experts in the paranormal scratching their heads and when they can not figure it out even they have been known to cry, “Foul” which is something that proves my rather unconventional argument that when it comes to the paranormal there IS NO SUCH THING AS AN EXPERT. The following tales that come to us from across the pond proves this argument as well, and makes us all scratch our heads and wonder, “WTF?”

Thus The Mongoose Spoke

Children the world over have been known to have imaginary friends oftentimes it occurrs when a family with a small child either lives in a neighborhood without playmates for their little boy or girl or when the family lives in a isolated area where there is not another soul for miles in each direction. Trust me folks if you child has an imaginary friend it is completely harmless and soon or later they will grow out of it. However on a small farm called Cashen’s Gap on Britians Isle of Wight what seemed like an innocent game of imaginary friendship turned into perhaps one of the strangest cases of poltergeist phenomenon known in the annals of the paranormal.

From 1932-1936, Cashen’s Gap was owned by the Irving family and their young teenage daughter, Voirrey. Cashen’s Gap was perhaps the most isolated farm on the windswept island and the Irving’s were known as very stern parents who did not allow their daughter to have many friends which is probably why, Voirrey struck up a friendship with a mongoose named, Gef who allegedly had the ability to talk. Oftentimes Mrs. Irving would go to her daughter’s room to call her for dinner and would hear her girl talking to another person, another person who responded with a squeeky voice that could not possibly have come from her daughter. When Mrs. Irving opened the door she would catch a fleeting glimpse of a small furry animal run out the window. Basically, Mrs Irving shook it off thinking that her eyes and ears were playing tricks on her that is until the entity known as Gef began to make his presence known to the whole family.

At first the incidents that were allegedly caused by Gef was something that could be easily dismissed, such as leaving the lights on in the house or forgetting that you left your keys in one place when you actually left them somewhere else. However, the antics played by Gef the mongoose started to get turned up a notch. Heavy stones rained down on the house, heavy furniture began to move of it’s own accord and dishes were breaking so often the family began to just eat off the table. At first Voirrey was blamed for the antics, her parents believed that perhaps she was just bored and took this boredom out on her parents in the form of mean spirited pranks. Of course this was believed until the imaginary friend Gef, began to speak to the family.

At first the voice of Gef, manifested as a squeeky voice making unintellegible sounds as if it were trying to form words. Then over time Gef the Mongoose, proved to be quite the intelligent conversationlist. Gef, immediately took the rap for the phenomenon that occurred in the house saying that Voirrey was not to blame. Gef, also appeared to be quite the expert on many scientific disciplines as well as being well versed on current events that occurred as far away as London. Gef, also appeared to have a sense of humor telling very dirty jokes oftentimes laughing at them when no one else found them funny. A few folks in the nearby village believed that the family, specifically Voirrey, was involved in witchcraft and this talking mongoose was her Familiar, a manifestation of a demon in the form of an animal who was the helper of the witch. Thank God, this poor girl did not live a few centuries earlier otherwise she would have been burned at the stake. Thankfully there were some forward thinking folks who lived in the village and they contacted Great Britian’s premiere paranormal researcher and ghost hunter extradonaire, Hary Price. If price could not get to the bottom of this phenomenon than no one could.

Harry Price was perhaps the first paranormal investigator who sought to prove claims of the paranormal using the scientific method famous for investigating the hauntings at Borley Rectory, used cameras and early recording devices to either capture an entity on film or catch a disembodied voice, all modern paranormal investigators owe Harry Price a debt of gratitude. Price arrived at Cashen’s Gap with his companion a Captain Macdonald who had heard of the strange goings on at the farm and despite being highly skeptical, he wanted to experience the paranormal for himself.

While at the Irving farm, Price and his companion claimed to have seen the elusive talking mongoose and Captain Macdonald claimed to have captured a strange whistling sound that he had attributed to the talking mongoose. The strange poltergiest phenomenon that had occurred before their arrival to the farm was no more which led many to believe that the affair was dreamed up by a bored little girl or the demented ramblings of a mad family effected by the isolation they suffered.

When one considers the strange case of Gef the Talking Mongoose, it wouldbe easytodismiss it, however the events at Cashe’s Gap, has the hallmark signs of a true outbreak of poltergeist activity. Moving items, strange noises and the presence of a young person on the verge of adulthood points to this possibility and the talking mongoose could have been just an added bonus to the manifestations experienced at the farm. One interesting tidbit to end this strange affair, in 1947 the owner of the farm claimed to have shot a strange large animal that appeared to be a mongoose, Gef perhaps?

Hairy Hands of Death

In 1921, an article in The Daily Mail warned drivers to be wary of a lonely stretch of road between the towns of Two Bridges and Postbridge in the Dartmoor Devonshire, countryside. A strange entity of terrifying proportions was attacking motorists causing them to crash their cars as they drove down the road. The enity was not the normal ghost that most Brits were familiar with, the entity manifested itself as large pair of hairy hands that would grab the steering wheel and force the driver into the trees lining the road. It would be easy to dismiss these claims as an Urban Legend, if it were not for the fact that several people experienced these ghostly hairy hands and the hairy hands were responsible for a few deaths.

In the 1950s, a medical officer from Dartmoor prison was taking a leasiure ride with his kids sitting next to him in a sidecar when tragedy struck. When rescuers came to the aid of the man and his children the children had a few scrapes and bruises however the medical officer told a strange story before he died, he claimed that as they were riding along a large pair of rough looking hairy hands appeared and grabbed the handlebars forcing him to crash his motorcycle into the trees. This was perhaps the first death attributed to the ghost of the hairy hands.

Apparently the hairy hands does not limit it’s murderous antics to motorcycles. Years later a truck driver claimed that as he was driving down the lonely stretch of road a pair of hands, larger than normal hands exceedingly hair appeared in his cab. The truck driver claimed that fought the hands which seemed to be going for the steering wheel, sadly the truck driver lost his fight with the hairy hands crashing his semi into the trees.

Even today in our technologically advanced world, the hairy hands still make their presence known to those unfortunate enough to find themselves driving down this street in Dartmoor. Many have claimed that the hairy hands appear in their cars and try to grab steering wheel on other occassions the hairy hands just appear to follow the car before they dissappear.

If the hairy hands do exist the it begs the question who did they belong to and why are they on a murderous rampage on this lonely road in Great Britain? No one really knows for sure I have a theory though, whoever they belong to perhaps in life they were a huge fan of you know, polishing the bishop.

Rick E. Hale

t_seeker@hotmail.com