List of ghosts
Encyclopedia
The following is a 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...
s in folk belief and in fiction:
Folklore
generic European folklore- The Wild HuntWild HuntThe Wild Hunt is an ancient folk myth prevalent across Northern, Western and Central Europe. The fundamental premise in all instances is the same: a phantasmal, spectral group of huntsmen with the accoutrements of hunting, horses, hounds, etc., in mad pursuit across the skies or along the ground,...
- The Headless HorsemanHeadless HorsemanThe headless horseman has been a motif of European folklore since at least the Middle ages.The Headless Horseman is a fictional character who appears in a short story called “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” which is in a collection of The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon written by Washington Irving...
- White LadyWhite Lady (ghost)A White Lady is a type of female ghost reportedly seen in rural areas and associated with some local legend of tragedy. White Lady legends are found around the world. Common to many of them is the theme of losing or being betrayed by a husband or fiancé...
Scandinavia
- The Knights of Ålleberg are the ghosts of twelve knights that died in the battle of Ålleberg in 1389.
- James Hepburn, 4th Earl of BothwellJames Hepburn, 4th Earl of BothwellJames Hepburn, 1st Duke of Orkney , better known by his inherited title as 4th Earl of Bothwell, was hereditary Lord High Admiral of Scotland. He is best known for his association with and subsequent marriage to Mary, Queen of Scots, as her third husband...
of Dragsholm CastleDragsholm CastleDragsholm Castle is a historic building in Hørve, Denmark.For about 800 years there has been a building on the islet by the “drag”. From the original palace over the medieval castle to the current baroque style, Dragsholm Castle has had an influence on and been influenced by changing times and...
, Denmark
England
- Drummer of Tedworth
- Bloody MaryBloody 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 Brown Lady
- Sweet William's GhostSweet William's GhostSweet William's Ghost is a folk song, collected by Francis James Child in 1868 as Child ballad number 77. It exists in many forms but all versions recount a similar story. It was printed in Allan Ramsay's The Tea-Table Miscellany in 1740, and again in Thomas Percy's Reliques of Ancient English...
- The Cock Lane ghostCock Lane ghostThe Cock Lane ghost attracted mass public attention in 18th-century England. In 1762 an apartment in Cock Lane, a short road adjacent to London's Smithfield market and a few minutes' walk from St Paul's Cathedral, was the site of a reported haunting centred around three people: William Kent, a...
received massive public attention in 18th-century England. - Man in Grey of the Theatre Royal
- Nan Tuck's GhostNan Tuck's GhostNan Tuck's Ghost haunts a lane one mile from Buxted, known as Nan Tuck's Lane. Ms Tuck, from Rotherfield, allegedly poisoned her husband in c. 1810 CE...
, believed to haunt Nan Tuck's Lane, one mile from Buxted. - The ghost nun of Borley RectoryBorley RectoryBorley Rectory was a Victorian era mansion located in the village of Borley, Essex, England. It was constructed in 1863, on the site of a previous rectory, and destroyed by fire in 1939....
United States
- Ghosts of the American Civil WarGhosts of the American Civil WarThere is speculation over the alleged existence of ghosts from the American Civil War. Among the locales famous for Civil War ghosts was the Sharpsburg battlefield near Sharpsburg, Maryland, Chickamauga battlefield outside Chattanooga, Tennessee across the Georgia border, Harper's Ferry, West...
- Blue Lady, the ghost of a woman reported in and around the Moss Beach Distillery Cafe in Moss Beach, California.
- The Headless NunHeadless NunThe Headless Nun is a legendary ghost story related to French Fort Cove in Nordin, now the City of Miramichi, New Brunswick.-Legend:According to the tale that dates back to the mid 1700s, the Headless Nun was an 18th century resident of the area named Sister Marie Inconnue who was subsequently...
is a purported ghost believed to haunt French Fort Cove in Nordin in New Brunswick. - Joe BushJoe Bush (ghost)Joe Bush is the name of a ghost that allegedly haunts the Sumpter Valley Gold Dredge in Sumpter, Oregon, United States. Dredge workers working on the No. 3 dredge at Sumpter Valley often reported strange happenings involving the ghost...
, a ghost that allegedly haunts the Sumpter Valley Gold Dredge in Sumpter, Oregon. He is said to leave wet, bare footprints on the decks of the dredge. He is also said to cause lights to flicker, and doors to open and close. - Minnie QuayMinnie QuayThe ghost of Minnie Quay is a legend in the paranormal circles of Michigan. The legend stems from a small foresting town in the eastern region of Michigan, known as The Thumb, called Forester.- Legend :...
, a legend in the paranormal circles of Michigan. - Old BookOld Book (ghost)Old Book is the name given to a purported ghost or spirit which haunts a cemetery and tree on the grounds of the Peoria State Hospital in Bartonville, Illinois. While rumors of ghosts and ghost stories are highly speculative, the Old Book tale has been documented many times...
is the name given to a ghost or spirit which haunts a cemetery at Peoria State HospitalPeoria State HospitalPeoria State Hospital Historic District, also known as Bartonville State Hospital or Illinois Asylum for the Incurable Insane, was a psychiatric hospital operated by the State of Illinois from 1902 to 1973. The hospital is located in Bartonville, Illinois, near the city of Peoria in Peoria County...
in Bartonville, Illinois. - The Red Lady of Huntingdon CollegeRed Lady of Huntingdon CollegeThe Red Lady of Huntingdon College is a ghost said to haunt the former Pratt Hall dormitory at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama. Her story is told in Huntingdon alumnus Kathryn Tucker Windham's book 13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey....
is a ghost believed to haunt the former Pratt Hall dormitory at Huntingdon CollegeHuntingdon CollegeHuntingdon College, founded in 1854, is a coeducational liberal arts college in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. Related to the United Methodist Church, the college's central hallmarks are faith, wisdom, and service. The college is known for providing a solid academic experience based on good...
in Montgomery, Alabama. - The Ridgeway GhostRidgeway Ghost-Legend:According to legend, the Ridgeway Ghost is not only a ghost, but a “phantom that could change its appearance at will.”Anecdotes include people claiming to have seen the ghost of a man with a whip, walking with them or chasing them,domestic animals such as dogs, sheep or other farm animals,...
of Wisconsin Folklore, is believed to terrorize people along a 25 mile stretch of old mining road. - Slag Pile AnnieSlag Pile AnnieSlag Pile Annie is the name of a ghost reputed to haunt the former Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation mill in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. According to the story, she appeared as an elderly woman working in a remote and hard-to-access part of the mill...
, a ghost appearing as an elderly woman working in a remote and difficult-to-access location of the former Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation mill in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. - Greenbrier GhostGreenbrier GhostThe Greenbrier Ghost is the name popularly given to the alleged ghost of a young woman in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, United States, who was murdered in 1897...
, the alleged ghost of a young woman in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. In a murder trial, her "testimony of a ghost" was accepted as evidence.
Australia
- Frederick Baker ("Federici") of Princess Theatre, Melbourne
Latin America
- 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...
, a ghost of Latin American folklore who is said to have murdered her children.
Japan
- OkikuBancho Sarayashikiis a Japanese ghost story of love separated by social class, broken trust and broken promises, leading to a dismal fate.The story of Okiku and the Nine Plates is one of the most famous in Japanese folklore, and continues to resonate with audiences today....
of Himeji CastleHimeji CastleWhen the han feudal system was abolished in 1871, Himeji Castle was put up for auction. The castle was purchased by a Himeji resident for 23 Japanese yen...
Indonesia
- Nyai Roro Kidul of the South Sea, who pulls swimmers to their death
urban legends
- Vanishing hitchhikerVanishing hitchhikerThe vanishing hitchhiker story is an urban legend in which people travelling by vehicle meet with or are accompanied by a hitchhiker who subsequently vanishes without explanation, often from a moving vehicle...
- DeogenDeogenThe Deogen, "De Ogen" or The Eyes is a ghost that is said to haunt the Sonian Forest in Belgium, often seen in fog form and followed by smaller shadow figures...
, or "De Ogen" or "The Eyes", is a ghost believed to haunt the Sonian ForestSonian ForestThe Sonian Forest is a forest that lies across the south-eastern part of Brussels, Belgium.The forest lies in the Flemish municipalities of Sint-Genesius-Rode, Hoeilaart, Overijse and Tervuren, in Uccle, Watermael-Boitsfort, Auderghem and Woluwe-Saint-Pierre in the Brussels-Capital Region and in...
in Belgium. It is often seen as figure in the form of fog followed by smaller shadow figures.
Literature
- BanquoBanquoBanquo is a character in William Shakespeare's 1606 play Macbeth. In the play, he is at first an ally to Macbeth and they are together when they meet the Three Witches. After prophesying that Macbeth will become king, the witches tell Banquo that he will not be king himself, but that his...
from William Shakespeare's 1606 play MacbethMacbethThe Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607... - Hamlet's father from William Shakespeare's play Hamlet.
- The Flying DutchmanThe Flying DutchmanThe legend of the Flying Dutchman concerns a ghost ship that can never make port, doomed to sail the oceans forever. It probably originates from 17th-century nautical folklore. The oldest extant version dates to the late 18th century....
, originally from A Voyage to Botany Bay (1795) by George BarringtonGeorge BarringtonGeorge Barrington , an Irish-born pickpocket, popular London socialite, Australian pioneer , and author. His escapades, arrests, and trials, were widely chronicled in the London press of his day...
. - The Canterville GhostThe Canterville Ghost"The Canterville Ghost" is a popular short story by Oscar Wilde, widely adapted for the screen and stage. It was the first of Wilde's stories to be published, appearing in the magazine The Court and Society Review in February 1887. It was later included in a collection of short stories entitled...
of Oscar Wilde's popular short story of the same name. - Charles Dickens novel A Christmas CarolA Christmas CarolA Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visits of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of...
(The Ghost of Christmas Past, Ghost of Christmas PresentGhost of Christmas PresentThe Ghost of Christmas Present is a character in one of the best-known works of the English novelist Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol. The Spirit closely resembles Father Christmas from local folklore....
, Ghost of Christmas Yet to ComeGhost of Christmas Yet to ComeThe Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, A.K.A., The Ghost of Christmas Future, is a fictional character in English novelist Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. It is the ghost that haunts the miser Ebenezer Scrooge, in order to prompt him to adopt a more caring attitude in life and avoid the horrid...
, Jacob MarleyJacob MarleyJacob Marley is a fictional character who appears in Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol.- Relationship with Scrooge:In life, Marley was the business partner of Ebenezer Scrooge. As teenagers, both men had been apprenticed in business and met as clerks in another business...
) - The Dead Men of DunharrowDead Men of DunharrowThe Dead Men of Dunharrow are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium...
in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
; arguably also the NazgulNazgûlThe Nazgûl are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium...
in the same work.
Pop culture
- BeetlejuiceBeetlejuiceBeetlejuice is a 1988 American comedy horror film directed by Tim Burton, produced by The Geffen Film Company and distributed by Warner Bros...
and Adam and Barbara Maitland of the film Beetlejuice - The Bell WitchThe Bell WitchThe Bell Witch or Bell Witch Haunting is a poltergeist legend from Southern United States folklore, involving the Bell family of Adams, Tennessee...
- The Black PirateThe Black PirateThe Black Pirate is a 1926 silent adventure film shot entirely in two-strip Technicolor about an adventurer and a "company" of pirates. It stars Douglas Fairbanks, Donald Crisp, Sam De Grasse, and Billie Dove.-Plot:...
aka Jon Valor, is a DC Comics character. - The staff at HogwartsHogwartsHogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry or simply Hogwarts is the primary setting for the first six books of the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, with each book lasting the equivalent of one school year. It is a fictional boarding school of magic for witches and wizards between the ages of...
: - The Bloody Baron
- The Fat Friar
- The Grey Lady
- Nearly Headless Nick
- Casper the Friendly GhostCasper the Friendly GhostCasper the Friendly Ghost is the protagonist of the Famous Studios theatrical animated cartoon series of the same name. As his name indicates, he is a ghost, but is quite personable...
- Freddy KruegerFreddy KruegerFrederick Charles "Freddy" Krueger is a fictional, horrifying character from the Nightmare on Elm Street series of horror films. He first appears in Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street as a disfigured dream stalker who uses a glove armed with razors to kill his victims in their dreams,...
- The Gay Ghost, later renamed the Grim Ghost, is a DC Comics superhero.
- Gentleman GhostGentleman GhostGentleman Ghost is a fictional character, a supervillain published by DC Comics publications. He first appeared in Flash Comics #88 , and was created by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert.-Fictional character biography:...
is a DC Comics supervillain. - GhostGhost (Dark Horse comics)Ghost is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by Dark Horse Comics. The character appeared in specials and monthly titles detailing the "afterlife" of Elisa Cameron and her search for the truth surrounding her apparent death....
, the superhero from Dark Horse ComicsDark Horse ComicsDark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book... - GhostGhost (Marvel Comics)Ghost is a fictional character appearing in comics books set in the . He first appears in Iron Man #219 and was created by David Michelinie and Bob Layton. Originally portrayed as a supervillain, the character is later portrayed as more of an anti-hero or mercenary.-Fictional character...
, the supervillain from Marvel ComicsMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media... - The Ghost RiderGhost Rider (comics)Ghost Rider is the name of several fictional supernatural antiheroes appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Night Rider and subsequently to Phantom Rider.The first supernatural Ghost Rider is...
, also known as the Night Rider and Phantom RiderPhantom RiderThe Phantom Rider is the name of several fictional characters, Old West heroic gunfighters appearing in comic books in the Marvel Comics universe...
, is the name of several supernatural antiheroes from Marvel ComicsMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. - Kayako SaekiKayako SaekiKayako Saeki is a fictional character from the Ju-on series of Japanese-horror movies and The Grudge trilogy of American remakes. In all of the films, except for the third, she is played by actress Takako Fuji. In The Grudge 3, Kayako is played by Aiko Horiuchi, Fuji having turned down the role...
, the onryo, and her homicidal husband Takeo SaekiTakeo SaekiTakeo Saeki is a fictional character created by Takashi Shimizu for the Ju-on/The Grudge saga. He is depicted by long-time veteran actor Takashi Matsuyama.-Character history:...
, the evil yureiYureiare figures in Japanese folklore, analogous to Western legends of ghosts. The name consists of two kanji, 幽 , meaning "faint" or "dim" and 霊 , meaning "soul" or "spirit." Alternative names include 亡霊 meaning ruined or departed spirit, 死霊 meaning dead spirit, or the more encompassing 妖怪 or お化け...
, from the film The GrudgeThe GrudgeThe Grudge is the 2004 American remake of the Japanese film Ju-on: The Grudge, and the first horror film in the Ju-on series, Ju-on 1. The film is the first installment in the American horror film series The Grudge...
. - LeChuckLeChuckLeChuck is a fictional character in the Monkey Island series of graphic adventure games. Created by Ron Gilbert for LucasArts, LeChuck was introduced in The Secret of Monkey Island and is the chief antagonist of the series. Gilbert drew on aspects of the characters in the 1988 novel On Stranger...
of the series of graphic adventure gameGraphic adventure gameA graphic adventure game is a form of adventure game. They are distinct from text adventures. Whereas a player must actively observe using commands such as "look" in a text-based adventure, graphic adventures revolutionized gameplay by making use of natural human perception...
s Monkey Island - The Little Ghost Godfrey (Swedish: "Lilla spöket Laban" [The Litte Ghost Laban]), known as "the ghost who wouldn't haunt", a Swedish children's book character.
- From the television series CharmedCharmedCharmed is an American television series that originally aired from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006, on the now defunct The WB Television Network. The series was created in 1998 by writer Constance M...
, characters: Penny HalliwellPenny HalliwellPenelope Halliwell is a recurring, supporting fictional character from the WB television series Charmed that acts in our world from beyond death....
, Patricia "Patty" HalliwellPatricia HalliwellPatricia "Patty" Halliwell is a fictional character on the WB television series Charmed. Patty Halliwell is the mother of the "Charmed Ones" on the series. She is played by actress Finola Hughes.- Character's background :... - The Ghosts from Pac-ManPac-Manis an arcade game developed by Namco and licensed for distribution in the United States by Midway, first released in Japan on May 22, 1980. Immensely popular from its original release to the present day, Pac-Man is considered one of the classics of the medium, virtually synonymous with video games,...
, Blinky (red), Pinky (pink), Inky (blue) and Clyde (Orange) - The Phantom of the Opera, also known as Erik and "The Opera Ghost", the antagonist of the novel The Phantom of the Opera and Andrew Lloyd Webber's West End musical of the same name.
- SlimerSlimerSlimer is a fictional green ghost featured in the 1984 supernatural comedy movie Ghostbusters , whose popularity soared from the subsequent spinoff animated television series The Real Ghostbusters. Slimer later starred in his own Slimer! cartoons when The Real Ghostbusters was extended to a...
(Ghostbusters) - Space GhostSpace GhostSpace Ghost is a fictional superhero created by Hanna-Barbera Productions and designed by Alex Toth for CBS in the 1960s. In his original incarnation, he was a superhero who, with his sidekick teen helpers Jan, Jace, and Blip the monkey, fought supervillains in outer space...
, the animated superhero - Sydney GrimlettSydney GrimlettSydney Grimlett is an "Alabama Ghost", from the popular book series by Kathryn Tucker Windham. He is claimed to have originally haunted the Auburn University Chapel, but now is said to occupy the Telfair Peet Theatre on the Auburn University campus in Auburn, Alabama.-History:According to legend,...
is a ghost from "Alabama Ghost", the book series. He is claimed to have haunted the Auburn University Chapel, and now occupies the Telfair Peet Theatre on the Auburn University campus in Auburn, Alabama. - Timmy the Timid GhostTimmy the Timid GhostTimmy the Timid Ghost is a fictional comic book ghost, whose adventures were published by Charlton Comics.-Publication history:Created in response to the popularity of Casper the Friendly Ghost, Timmy's adventures first saw print in February 1956, in Timmy the Timid Ghost #3...
, a comic book ghost. - The TwinsTwins (The Matrix)The Twins are fictional characters in the 2003 film The Matrix Reloaded. They are the henchmen of the Merovingian who can become translucent and move through solid objects....
of The Matrix ReloadedThe Matrix ReloadedThe Matrix Reloaded is a 2003 American science fiction film and the second installment in The Matrix trilogy, written and directed by the Wachowskis. It premiered on May 7, 2003, in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, and went on general release by Warner Bros. in North American theaters on May 15,...
, henchmen of the Merovingian who can move through solid objects.
See also
- Fear of ghostsFear of ghostsThe fear of ghosts in many human cultures is based on beliefs that some ghosts may be malignant towards people and dangerous ....
- Ghost huntingGhost huntingGhost Hunting is the process of investigating locations that are reported to be haunted by ghosts.Typically, a ghost hunting team will attempt to collect evidence claimed to be supportive of paranormal activity...
- List of reportedly haunted locations
- List of ghost films
- PoltergeistPoltergeistA poltergeist is a paranormal phenomenon which consists of events alluding to the manifestation of an imperceptible entity. Such manifestation typically includes inanimate objects moving or being thrown about, sentient noises and, on some occasions, physical attacks on those witnessing the...