Every year around Halloween, ghosts can be seen walking the streets and “haunting” houses. These are usually small kids who can not wait to put on their costume and parade around getting free candy. It can also be bigger kids (adults) who just love to scare the bejesus out of their significant other (or their kids).
Ghosts have been part of every culture and folklore since before the pyramids at Giza were built. The earliest reference to ghosts comes from the Bible (yes, that Bible) and the Torah. The most notable is the First Book of Samuel 28: 7-19 in which a disguised King Saul has the Witch of Endor summon the spirit of Samuel. Later, Jesus has to convince his disciples that he is not a ghost after his resurrection. They also believed Jesus was a ghost when they saw him walking on water.
Ghosts also appeared in Homer’s Oddessy and the Illiad. These were spirits who had little interaction with the world and were not particularly feared. Some spirits were called upon to provide advice and prophecy.
It wasn’t until the 5h Century B.C.E. that ghosts became haunting, frightening creatures who would work for either good or evil purposes. Ghosts were said to “hover” near the place of the corpse making cemeteries a place to be avoided at all costs. The dead were to be celebrated in public with sacrifice and libations or they may return to haunt the living. The ancient Greeks held annual festivals to honor those who have died. The dead were invited and afterwords were firmly told to leave and not return until the festival next year.
The ancient Romans believed that ghosts could exact revenge on others. A piece of lead or pewter was scratched with a curse and laid in a grave. The spirit of the deceased was then compelled to carry out the curse before they could rest in peace.
The most famous “haunted house” was described by Pliny the Younger in 50 A.D.. He describes a house in Athens that was haunted by a ghost bound by chains. It wasn’t until a skeleton was unearthed under the house bound by shackles that the haunting ceased.
Mystical Charm wishes you a wonderful Halloween season full of fun and the occasional fright.
Tags: apparitions, ghost hunting, ghosts, hauntings
