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Motto: Behind every man now alive stand 30 ghosts, for that is the ratio by which the dead outnumber the living.

The Art of Haunting Contents Chapter

Journey to another World

I

Introduction (1) Motivation for the Choice of the Theme. Main Objectives (1)

Chapter

What Are We Dealing With?

II

Terminology (3) The Birth of the Unseen – Definitions of the Terms(4) • • •

•

Ghost Poltergeist Moroi Pricolici

Chapter

Interactions

III

Manifestation (7) My Name is Paranormal. May I Check Your ID, Please? (8) Protection against the Unseen (8) The Ghostly Hour (9)

-

Chapter

Concrete Examples

IV

Suspected Of Being Haunted (10) • • •

Ghostly Presences Poltergeist Cases Haunted By Pricolici

Talking To the Spirits (14) All Eyes on the Ghost (16)

Chapter

V

Ghost Haunting – The Latest Most

Fashionable Hobby Scientists “Converted” To Believers (18) • • •

•

Nostradamus Sir Arthur Canon Doyle Joseph Banks Rhine Sir William Crookes

•

Bonnie and Clyde

Famous Ghosts (19)

• • • • • •

Al Capone Montgomery Clift James Dean Benjamin Franklin Clark Gable Iulia Haşdeu

• • • • • •

"The Brown Lady" of Raynham Hall His Favorite Chair Freddy Jackson's Comeback Stair Case Ghost of National Museum, Greenwich, England Darn Backseat Drivers! What Do You Want On Your Tombstone? The Transparent Woman in the Auatralian Forest Ghost of Bachelor's Grove Cemetery, Chicago The Newby Church Monk Ghost Child at Cemetery London's St. Botolph's Chruch Ghost Church Minister Ghost Railroad Crossing Ghost in San Antonio, Texas

•

• • • • • •

English Speaking Ghosts Talk in Photographs (20)

Chapter

The Artistic Landscape of Paranormal Apparitions VI

Photography – Art or Evidence (24) • •

English Ghostly Portrait Photographic Evidence in Romania

• • • • •

The Phantom of the Opera The Ghost and Mrs. Muir The Haunting Ghost Strigoi

• •

Prose Poetry

Ghosts and Drama (26) Telegenic Spooks (27)

Ghosts Make Music While They Haunt(29) Haunted Canvases (30) The Ghostly Dance (31) Writers Inspired by the Unseen Creatures of Humanity (32)

Chapter

VII

Conclusions Conclusions (36)

•

Notes

Bibliography (39) Annexes

The Art of Haunting I.

Journey to another World

Introduction: Is there an experience more frightening or more exciting than seeing the unseen? Is there a bigger question than that of where we go after our lives end? Is there some other feeling, which might compare to the enormous thrill one experiences when meeting a ghost? Of course, there is…meeting a poltergeist. These, kind of spirits are allegedly seen in Romanian rural areas, since ancient times, while ghosts are said to be one of the greatest interest for American and for English people, who have invented, so to say, the famous ghost hunters. Although, not very numerous, there are those who are very keen on seeing lost spirits; when asked they will agree that, these “creatures” should be feared, confessing they do. Therefore, their passion refers to filming or catching them in action, tightly related to proving their existence and to receiving credits and recognition for doing so. People, who have had this sort of encounters, mention the fact that they have firstly experienced a tremendous fear. Even in the case of relatives this instinctual feeling is impossible to repress, grief and lamentations come last. Thus, reactions should vary, the question is who can tell us how to react, how to behaved, how to understand and how to protect ourselves from lost souls? The most common issue is related to the fact that “no one can provide us with a perfect answer”. We have a genuine, uncontrollable fear of the unknown, so we are reluctant to interact with the main object of our scare. We are trying to discover the reasons behind this answer, and also, to clarify the confusion between the practice of challenging ghosts, named poltergeists experience and the creature called poltergeist (strigoi), whose origins are in Romania. In the present paper, we would like to make a parallel between the different beliefs related to this matter, the purpose of this work being to make a clear distinction between ghosts and poltergeists. In order to support or to contradict the above-mentioned answer, we will present to you our modest research on this matter. It is manly based on various information fountains, as the theme has been a sort of taboo, because of its association with the occult. The immediate consequence is the lack of certified information or expertly conformed proves. Trying to discover the main sources of knowledge about the unseen world, we would like to take into consideration an unconventional provider, art. As art’s most lucrative factor is imagination or, why not fantasy, this uncommon and perhaps forbidden theme, is much easier to debate, through the means of the previously mentioned domain. Although a parallel between the different beliefs related to the matter, expressed through artistic means, may be a difficult and to a certain point, even an unfair comparison, we would like to introduce you to this small investigation, hoping to arouse your curiosity. Motivation For the Choice Of the Theme. Main Objectives When it comes to a nation’s cultural life, there is nothing better then traditions and mythology, that could define the identity of a country and its people. Firstly, we have to mention that the general beliefs within a certain area date from ancient times. The aspect related to their preservation is quite interesting to “investigate”. Logically, the only details, which are meant to survive through time should be the informative ones (important historical facts and discoveries, the evolution of technology, art etc.), enabling people to develop as fast as possible. The expansion of knowledge leaves its mark on popular believes. The path followed by each myth, reveals itself to be a very troubling study for contemporary scientists. Many of these myths, which have no obvious explanation should have disappeared centuries ago, yet they still

remain. Question is how such a process can be possible, despite the continuous evolution of human society? The explanation seems to refer once again to our old and “hereditary” fright of ghostly spirits. Secondly, mythology regarding earthbound spirits, supposedly, surrounding all of us, has become of major interest for the modern man. The paranormal theory has many admires. Despite the general increase of planetary knowledge and cultural expansion, numerous scientists include themselves into the numbers of supporters of this issue. Most of the time they are willing to take the risk of being rejected or becoming the joke of their colleagues as they sustain their belief in paranormal activity and assume the “fatal” and possibly unfair consequences. Thirdly, although great controversy has been aroused by this matter, questions regarding it are various and widely spread. We believe they are worth taking into consideration, even in the form of hypothesis, as they encourage meditation on life and death. Lastly, the world we would like to present induces various feelings to the readers. The matter is a subjective one and so are the reactions… Starting with scare, empathy or sympathy, continuing with remorse and ending with grief, these sensations inspired by spirituality, can be analyzed from many perspectives. Most certainly, the paranormal world has a grievance against humans, because of its lack of consideration for ghostly creatures, but it might be actually flattered by the gradual increase of artistic interest in mystical happenings and objects. As we intend to expose the theme from a special angle, we have decided to follow the artistic vision of the unseen world. This work does not intend to take sides, discussing this matter implies assuming the existence of ghosts in order for the discussion to evolve. The main target is not to convert readers into believers, nor to criticize the paranormal enthusiast, but to show the contribution of this myth to Romanian and English national culture, focusing on its artistic side.

II.

What Are We Dealing With?

In order to star a fair comparison between these mythical apparitions, it is compulsory to explain what they are, how they appeared and how they got their names. Therefore, we will start this presentation by “defining” these creatures and by guessing how far backwards in time, their existence was notices. Following the steps of the paranormal terminology, might be of great help, so in order to know exactly what we are talking about, in the following pages we will try to construct, or to reconstruct a definition. Terminology The English word ghost continues Old English gást, from a hypothetical common Germanic gaistaz. It is common to West Germanic, but lacking in North and East Germanic (the equivalent word in Gothic is ahma).The pre-Germanic form was ghoisdo-s, apparently from a root denoting "fury, anger" reflected in Old Norse geisa "to rage." The original meaning of the Germanic word would thus have been an animating principle of the mind, in particular capable of excitation and fury (compare óðr). In Germanic paganism, "Germanic Mercury," and the later Odin, was at the same time the conductor of the dead and the "lord of fury" leading the Wild Hunt. Also from the Old English period, the word could denote the spirit of God, the "Holy Ghost." The now prevailing sense of "the soul of a deceased person, spoken of as appearing in a visible form" only emerges in Middle English (14th century). The modern noun does, however, retain a wider field of application, extending on one hand to soul, spirit," vital principle, mind or psyche, the seat of feeling, thought and moral judgement; on the other hand used figuratively of any shadowy outline, fuzzy or unsubstantial image, in optics, photography and cinematography especially a flare, secondary image or spurious signal. The synonym spook is a Dutch loanword, akin to Low German spôk (of uncertain etymology); it entered the English language via the United States in the 19th century. Alternative words in modern usage include spectre (from Latin spectrum), the Scottish wraith (of obscure origin), phantom (via French ultimately from Greek phantasma, compare fantasy) and apparition. The term shade in classical mythology translates Greek σκιά, or Latin umbra, in reference to the notion of spirits in the Greek underworld. "Haint" is a synonym for ghost used in regional English of the southern United States, and the "haint tale" is a common feature of southern oral and literary tradition. Wraith is a Scottish dialectal word for "ghost, spectre, or apparition." It came to be used in Scottish Romanticist literature, and acquired the more general or figurative sense of "portent, omen." In 18th- to 19th-century Scottish literature, it was also applied to aquatic spirits. The word has no commonly accepted etymology; OED notes "of obscure origin" only. An association with the verb writhe was the etymology favoured by J. R. R. Tolkien. Tolkien's use of the word in the naming of the creatures known as the Ring wraiths has influenced later usage in fantasy literature. Bogie is an Ulster Scots term for a ghost, and appears in Scottish poet John Mayne's Hallowe'en in 1780. The Romanian word fantomă, coming from the French fantôme, may refer to any spirit or demon (evil presence) which manifests itself in a certain way, while in popular belief it refers only to the spirit of a deceased person. The synonym stafie comes from the Dutch loanword spook. These are said to be unreal or imaginary beings, which some think or claim to be able to see, usually representing the soul of a dead person, who is still attached to earth. The word fantasmă, derives from the Greek phàinesthai, meaning “to appear”, related to a sudden appearance of a person, an animal or object, which vanishes as fast as it showed itself.

Poltergeists: The word strigoi derives from the Romanian verb a striga, meaning “to yell”, also related to the Italian strega, meaning witch. Another possible origin might be the Latin Strigosuswithout flash, or Strix- a supernatural owl, which during night eats the baby’s blood) As well as the previously discussed term, ghost, the Romanian, classification of poltergeist varies, although its “components” do not have an English equivalent. Therefore, we have some other terms such as moroi or pricolici that cannot be completely associated to vampires and werewolves. The concept of moroi is typical to Romanians, as it was used for the first time by the Daco-Romans (as demonstrated by the folklorist Tudor Pamfilie) before the migration of the Slavs in the Southern part of the Balkans. The continuation of the word can also be found in Serbia, where people name the dead children from their own folklore mora (the suffix mor-moramore does not have the meaning of death). In Romanian mythology, pricolici is an evil spirit, a form which the soul of certain people transforms itself after they die, having the ability to change into different animals. The word, poltergeist, the English equivalent, comes from German poltern, meaning "to sing", "to make a noise", and Geist, meaning "ghost" or "spirit". The Birth of the Unseen – Definitions of the Terms Ghost: In traditional belief, 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. Ghosts do not have a body; they often appear in the form of steam, or transparent faces, which sometimes may also have arms and legs. You should not think of the “classic” spooks wearing sheets or headless knights anr horse riders, many ghosts show themselves as entities dressed in old-fashioned clothes or in the form of vapours, cold winds, spheres of light etc. They are earthbound spirits due to brutal, violent deaths, as a result of the thirst for vengeance or because the lost soul has not had a proper burial ceremony, so it has not been offered the eternal rest. In Romanian and English mythology, ghostly spirits are a very old presence, however in our tradition they are seen as evil creatures, vindictive and badly intended, whereas in the English culture they can also be nothing else than peaceful, silent, docile souls that can sometimes be seen. One of the most popular theories about ghosts is that the traumatic events can emotionally influence persons and stimulate them to believe that they can see paranormal entities. A similar point of view consists of the belief that related mental factors and personal knowledge about relatives who have passed away lead to dreams and telepathy, ending with the apparition of ghosts. Allegedly, lost souls are “memories” of those who have lived a long time ago. By repeating the same actions, because of unknown causes, they have remained “instilled” on a sort of magnetic ribbon, which represents the trespassing between our world and numerous other dimensions, having the same vertical line-shape. Ghosts born in séances, with the help of a medium, are often dead relatives of those present at the session. They are said to be made of ectoplasm, a spiritual substance, which psychics claim to radiate during sessions. Psychics are more popular in English countries than in Romania, as we rather use spells and witches to communicate with beloved dead persons. Another interesting theory about why spook “exist” is that some of them are atheists, who did not believe in the after life and got confused when confronted with it, not being able to “cross over” or “trespass”. If the existence of spooks were to be proved, we might also have the answer to what comes after death. All of these theories might finally make real sense to everybody. As this is not

yet possible, nor certainly impossible, the ghostly spirits remain a myth and their existence a hypothesis. Poltergeist: Poltergeists are traditionally described as troublesome spirits. Occasionally, they are associated in the popular imagination with demonic possession. At first sight, they seem to be similar to the shadowy vampires in the occidental legends, but this is far to be true. While English people still associate the two terms, Romanian tells speak about two types of poltergeists: those who are alive and those who are dead. In the first category are included the living persons who possess infernal, demonic or hex’s powers. Poltergeists belonging to the second category are “classic” poltergeists, are restless souls with an unstoppable hunting activity. They can be men as well as women. Allegedly, there are people who have a predisposition to becoming poltergeists, but they can reach this condition when they are still alive. To the above-mentioned reasons why a soul becomes a ghost, we add certain relations with evil resulting to be one of the causes of the appearance of poltergeists. When they are born, those meant to be poltergeists are normal children carrying certain signs. They are born with a beanie on their heads, having a “shirt” on their body, as old people call it. Such a child is the son of a woman who allegedly drank impure water, stained by devilish creatures. Customs say that from that moment, evil forces enter the mother’s womb and put the red beanie on the child’s head to resemble them. This is why the midwife should take the beanie and throw it in the oven before the baby can put it into his mouth, in order to avoid his incurable transformation into a poltergeist. The corpses, which are not guarded before their funeral, might also become poltergeists. If an animal jumps over them or a cock passes over their tomb, they can once again become poltergeists. Due to an occult ritual, known only by the initiated, those whose shadow is stolen with a cane to be inbuilt into a wall are also destined to the same cruel transformation. Poltergeists have long hairy tails, legs with horseshoes, hairy hands and a bigger mouth than a normal man does. While haunting the living, they take the shape of so-called “impure” animals, such as cats, flies, beetles, wolves, dogs, owls, rats, rams, goats. English people believe that poltergeists are ghostly spirits that can move domestic items and generally terrorize people (and sometimes pets, as well) inside their own houses. They are also reputed to generate unexplained noises, including loud bangs on walls or roofs and as opposed to the Romanian version; they closely resemble spooks and not vampires. Moroi: In Romanian mythology, moroi are the souls of the children who died at birth, (or were murdered) without being baptized. The children (girls and boys) of an unmarried girl, who are killed or much worse, they are buried alive to hide the shame from the villagers and family, change into these entities after seven years from their death. Their bodies move into the tombs, calling for baptism. Because they were not liberated from their ancestral sin, they are not able to bring their life to a close, they are lost between worlds and they seek vengeance for being brutally taken out of the living world. The soul of the deceased child comes out of the grave in the shape of a column of light and begins its eternal, restless hunt. They are sad spirits carrying a purse, a cauldron and a stick received as alms from their mothers. In the purse they put aliments received as alms from living children, they fill the cauldron with water also from alms, and they use the stick to protect themselves from other moroi, who want to steal these gifts from them, because their mothers have forgotten them and they haven not given them any alms.

Pricolici: Pricolici are entities with the appearance of certain animals; they are the evil souls of dead people whose sole purpose is to harm the living. While poltergeists resemble to the face they had in real life, these spirits become wolves or large dogs. They are bad people (of an uncertain gender) who continue to torment and harm the other person even after they die. They might also be the sons of couples where the man and woman are close relatives. These babies are born with one or two bumps on their heads, symbolizing devilish horns. They grow into children with a never-ending energy, naughty and mean to people. They have the ability to communicate to animals, which they use to cause trouble. Pricolici are also claimed to have a tail, a fragile body and a small height, walking fast and mostly at night and being the servants of demons. They can turn into wolves (more often, large white wolves) and dogs (huge black dogs with red eyes) by turning a somersault three times.

III. Interactions Now that we have a much clearer picture of these supernatural beings, we believe our interest is going to focus on how they influence human life. The previous definitions would certainly have no utility if there had not been a prolonged interaction between the world of phantoms and the world of living people. As the most common perceptions on paranormal activity are scepticism or unexplainable fear, detailing reactions to these manifestations is a much too subjective matter. Consequently, we will next present some general knowledge about how these two apparently unrelated worlds “communicate” and leave their personal print on each other. Manifestation Generally, spooks manifest by haunting the places where they used to live, sometimes scaring the present owners of the homes. They can be seen as an immaterial presence, like a white smoke. Other times they make their presence felt by sounds or signs, by moving objects from their original place, for example. Poltergeists are known for not eating garlic or onions and for being afraid of frankincense. In Romanian customs, they are devoted to malefic acts such us scaring the living, stealing the cows’ milk and the fruits of the soil, they leave young boys and girls unmarried by changing faith, they absorb the life and vital energy of their relatives and former friends. The women, who have become poltergeists, stop the celestial weir of the rain they steal the dew from the grass, they mix grains, seeds of hemp and egg to produce a muffin. If the poltergeist leaves the muffin on the oven, she brings drought. If she puts it in a place with high levels of humidity, the rains will start immediately. Poltergeists women do not drown. These women are a sort of courtesan and the reaches they are interested in are the souls of living men. They have a great power of seduction, which they practice at night. The men who fall in love with them become obsessive and hallucinate, they fall into madness, slowly dieing, while the poltergeist steals their souls. Poltergeists women are also said be good and respected women during the day, but during the night they put their husbands to sleep with herbs. Then they chase each other, dance together or fight other poltergeists. The English believes surrounding poltergeists’ activity are quite different from Romanian tradition. In his extensive bibliography on poltergeists, Michael Goss describes the following common phenomena associated with the poltergeist. Even though the poltergeist has been named after its auditory effects, phenomena that are more typical may include numerous other discomforts fore those haunted by these beings. Showers of stones, earth, mud, sticks, fruit, shells and occasionally more bizarre material such as bank-notes, small animals, etc. may torment one or all of the members of a haunted family by attacking them out of the bloom. Objects, such as furniture, may be rolled, moved, overturned or otherwise agitated; in particular, small items are likely to be thrown, levitated, caused to simulate a rocking or "dancing" motion, or may be swept across the room in flights of complicated and sustained trajectory from which they descend either gradually and gently in hovering motion or very abruptly. Bedclothes, linen, garments and curtains may be crumpled, torn, slashed or otherwise damaged. In some rare cases, linen has been found to have been deliberately arranged in the form of a "tableau" reminiscent of human figures at worship. Small objects may disappear from their appointed places; possibly making subsequent reappearances in highly unexpected situations… others fail to reappear at all. Manipulations suggesting internal malfunction may affect electrical equipment later found to be working normal. Telephones may ring or register calls when none has been made; plugs are removed and light bulbs smashed or wrenched from their sockets. "Spontaneous" fires may break out. Pools or jets of water (and/or liquids) may be emitted from normally dry surfaces, as walls or ceilings. Personal assaults such as blows, slaps, shoves, etc., may be inflicted on householders and their guests. However, stigmata in the form of wheels, teeth-marks or scratches, are likely to be confined to one particular person, namely the supposed "agent" or "focus" of the disturbances.

Witnesses sometimes describe apparitions (human, animal or indeterminate), as being unusual lights or clouds of phosphorescence. In a few instances, a form of psychic invasion characterized as "possession" or entrancement with associated psych abilities and the poltergeist agent has been reported. The children, who are moroi, get out of their tombs every night to torment their mothers, causing them various problems and inducing them strong and unpleasant feelings of remorse and deep shame. They haunt their mother in their sleep and they sit on their chest to steal their breath, giving them terrible nightmares, at the same time. Pricolici are said to be capable to eat cows and kids and to spread illness and diseases. They can overcome any obstacle, enter the houses of villagers and sit on their chests, while slipping. Because they are able to communicate with animals, they will stop cows from giving milk, hens from laying eggs and dogs from barking. Despite their unlimited power since life, they are mortal. However, they are over energetic creatures with tremendous power that leave their tombs at night to scare and harm people, as they act under the effect of demonic forces. -

My Name is Paranormal. May I Check Your ID, Please? There are those who claim to have the ability not only to see ghostly spirits but also to communicate with them. Psychics gather along with persons who want to speak to their beloved friends and family, who have passed away. The gatherings represent spiritualistic sessions, in which those who have the don to sense spirits lend their voice or their entire body to the lost souls who speak their mind through them. Only the persons born on Saturdays can identify poltergeists. They say that if these persons stay in guard at night, they can see the real form of the poltergeists, faces and silhouettes that come out of their braves and go back only after the last singing of the cocks. It is in the early morning when they finish their affairs for the night and return to their

eternal beds. As they most often appear in dreams, moroi children are very hard to chase. Exhumation might be a certain, yet illegal way to identify them, as their corpses allegedly stay untouched under ground. Pricolici are creatures ever harder to find. As these grotesque human forms manifest under the form of ferocious animals, the only factor that might indicate their magic, diabolic abilities is their huge dimensions and perhaps, the force they have during their transformation. Protection against the Unseen Protection against ghosts includes blessings, invocations in order to “cross over” the spirit with the help of a psychic. When chasing them away, the evil spirits become very dangerous, people more often move to another houses. But in Romania, villagers (men who are very attached to their homes) believe that offering alms and prays for the deceit’s eternal peace is also a way of calming an angry spirit, so they will rarely agree to leave their houses in order to get rid of the ghost. In addition, locals believe that the spirits haunting their homes are related to their family or village, and they will try to communicate with them by going to the local witches, who very often are nothing but frauds. Against poltergeists , Romanian mythology recommends special incantations, holly water , holly bread, special Masses as well as using the magic properties of garlic. In folkloric tells people grease the gates and doors of their homes with garlic, they eat the vegetable, they put

holly pictures above their children’s heads and they make them wear a necklace made from cloves. Getting read of a poltergeist is a dangerous process consisting of stabbing the living-dead men’s hart with a sharp piece of wild-rose-wood, or hot iron. The body must be exhumed at night and in some extreme cases, the heart is burnt until it turns into ashes. Law however forbids these rituals, as they are considered tomb profanations. In English countries, as they are very much alike ghosts, the remedy against poltergeists consists of house blessings and prays, which are suppose to bring peace to the spirit and stop it from moving items in an angry manner. For their eternal peace, the children who turned into moroi should be blessed with holly water, before they are buried. With the same purpose, on 12 July, at the fest called “Moşii Duminicii Mari”, requiem masses are held for Romanian families who have lost their children. As they are a sort of poltergeists taking the shape of animals, protection from pricolici, again includes garlic, which people put under their pillow in the night on Saint Andew. They might also sleep with a clove on their tongs. The Ghostly Hour Ghosts allegedly haunt after midnight and go to rest in the morning, thus there have been cases on people who have experienced spirits in full day. Poltergeists are particularly dangerous during two days of the year, during the solstice in winter and the equinox in spring. According to the folklore, the powers of the poltergeists increase considerably on the night of 30th November when Saint Andrew is celebrated, on 23rd, April, the day of Saint Gheorghe, as well as on the night of Santoader. As for English tradition, poltergeists show themselves mostly at night, but also during the day, when they are much more furious, harmful and malefic ghosts. The other types of Romanian poltergeists only appear at night, while people sleep, interfering with their dreams or attacking by surprise humans and animals lost at night. According to old stories, their powers augment on November 30th at the same time with their poltergeists brother and sisters.

IV. Concrete Examples Far from us the idea of making the reader of this work a believer, we find it necessarily to point out a few examples, which might help us to better comprehend these uncommon happenings. Therefore, we have gathered some stories of alleged haunting, from English speaking countries, all over the word. In addition, some other stories collected from Romanian villages are laid out for you to “witness” the manifestation of folkloric demons, such as strigoi, moroi, pricolici or phantasms. Moreover, we close this chapter with the answer to an over asked question: is it possible for humans to call out spirits and initiate their haunting activities. Explaining the science of séance is the means to offer this answer. Prepare for launching into our own paranormal investigation. Suspected Of Being Haunted Assuming the existence of a ghostly community, well hidden to the naked human eye is the premises of our work, consequently this assumption implies the inclusion of some type of demonstration. Unfortunately, proving the existence of devilish or heavenly spirits is not (yet) possible, however bringing into your attention a few places where mysterious, strange phenomena happen regularly, is. Ghostly Presences England is considered to be one on the top of the list with haunted countries in Europe. With its numerous old castles, built up on tells of envy, death and ruthless betrayals, its numerous battlefields, fed with the blood on may solders during extremely violent confrontations, this status was not so hard for it to gain. Martin Jeffrey a fan on this hardly understood happenings has made a list of 101 British ghosts and haunting on his blog. From this impressively long list I have chosen three cases that caught my eye. First the Ghost of Annie Frazer at the Aultsigh Inn,a place nearby the famous Loch Ness, who was murdered by her lover in a jealous rage. Then the Tower of London which is inhabited by several headless apparitions, including Anne Boleyn and Lady Jane Grey and the Scottish mountain Ben Doran haunted by a half-man, half-goat creature called a Urisk. From all of Britain’s haunted towns Chester is definitely a very prolific one. Here are some of the most popular stories told by the villagers. 1. Until 2002, Chester's unusual Barlow's pub occupied two-storeys at 30 Bridge Street. It had two bars: one on the street and the other off the Row above - but with no interconnecting doors or stairs between the two! Now converted into a soulless, upmarket shop, the building is still haunted by a disapproving former landlord. Previously known as 'Ye Olde Vaults', and dating from 1789, the pub was later named after William Barlow, the devoted landlord in 1898. His sole purpose in life seemed to be maintaining the excellence of his pub and its beer. But the pub was refurbished in 1900 and other landlords came and went; and few of the changes were for the better. This didn’t go down well with old Mr Barlow. For many decades, regulars claimed to hear loud bangs, groans and wails emanate by his disgusted spirit. During the recent renovations, the site supervisor corroborated these claims. Speaking for all of his employees, he said that they felt they were constantly watched and that the bar is one of the creepiest places they have ever worked in.

2. Two ghostly monks have haunted part of Pepper Street, in central Chester, for many years. Affectionately known to local people as 'Charlie' and 'Herbert', the spectral figures achieved notoriety only in the 1960s. Today, however, they have not been seen for a while. At that time a long-established garage occupied the site next to what is now a modern Habitat shop. When out-of-town competition increased, the owners decided to open the petrol station 24-hours-a-day. Strangely, however, none of the staff seemed keen to do the night shift. The ones guilty for their fear turned out to be two phantom monks, wearing black-cowls, who prowled up from the river each night to vanish in front of the petrol pumps. Staff turnover was swift until a young woman took over the job. She apparently viewed the ghostly visitors with blithe acceptance and would call out to them each night: 'Hello, Charlie! Hello, Herbert!' For some people, the supernatural is a cause of fear, while for others it's merely part of 'life's rich tapestry'! 3. In the years following World War Two, a well-known Chester medium uncovered the sad secret of her ‘ghostly tenant'. Mrs. Dudley lived in an old house, down a narrow alleyway, just off Bridge Street Row in the heart of Chester. She was often woken in the early hours by a disembodied wailing and the sound of feet hurrying up and down the stairs. When the medium finally made contact with the woman's upset spirit at a séance, she learned the ghostly woman had apparently died as a result of a fall on the steep stairs. However, the ghost claimed that she had actually been murdered by her husband, who had pushed her violently from behind. As a result, she had fallen down two flights of stairs and died. Her anguished spirit could not rest until the truth of her husband's guilt was widely known. Now, that it was too late for earthly justice, the medium said, it seemed her ghost was doomed to haunt the house forever. 4. Within the north-west corner of the city walls once stood the old Chester Royal Infirmary. It's an area long associated with death: almost 2,000 years ago it was a Roman cemetery whose burials are still unearthed by archaeologists today; and from the Middle Ages onwards it hosted plague cabins where infected Chester people were forced to live in quarantine until they either recovered or died. When the Infirmary was still standing, many of the staff claimed to have seen the ghost of ‘Soldier MacKenzie’. He was a Scottish soldier brought there from the trenches with serious wounds during the First World War. When he died of his wounds, he was buried with full honours – but in a hospital shroud instead of his uniform. Many witnesses believed he marched through the wards on an eternal mission to find his missing uniform. Today the hospital has been demolished and replaced with luxurious houses and apartments. Yet few, if any, of the residents can realise the dark history of the area or what lies beneath their feet. 5. An equally interesting case took place in Romania. The great resemblance with the lastly presented Chester haunting is due to the origin of the ghosts. Although it has not such a rich history of haunting, or should we say so many ghosts, it is said that the village of Luncani is inhabited by ghosts. They wander aimlessly the paths, looking for kind people to stop and offer them some help to reach heavenly peace. The focus of this ghost story is somewhere at the end of a drained small lake. According to locals, here, they can see spirits who follow them for a 3 kilometers distance into the next village called Goeşti. Allegedly, the ghosts are former solders, buried here, in 1917, without a proper blessing, during the First World War. Transparent silhouette walk along with the passersby, always on the right side of the road, floating around, right after the night falls.

Elderly people believe that the ghost-solders, trapped between worlds, show themselves to good, friendly visitors and innocent children, waiting and hoping that a Mass to their memory and a blessing of the place will soon be held on the Luncani Hill. As follows, the differences are: the lasting of each haunting, the reasons and definitely the larger number of spirits involved in the haunting. The similarities may support to a certain point the existence of such tormented souls, bonded to this world for spiritual reasons. Poltergeist Cases 1.A concrete case of poltergeist haunting supported by a considerable amount of evidence and witnesses was claimed to have happened in 1972, in Thorton Hearth, England, to a family of small factory owners. The case has been one of the most severe haunting in European history and by association to the manifestation of poltergeists, presented above, the case is a fine exhibit of their force. The whole story started in August, somewhere after midnight. The family members were woken up by the overwhelming buzzing sound of the radio, which suddenly started emitting and changing the frequency to a foreign radio channel by its own. The peculiar happening was fallowed by the fall of one of the lampshades, without any obvious explanation. The householders taught it to be only an odd coincidence, but the phenomena, started repeating on a regular basis for a period of four years. While the lampshade began flying over longer distances through the room, the situation got worse on Christmas, that same year, when the family’s Christmas tree was violently shaking, under the influence of a mysterious invisible power. A decoration flew out of thin air, through the entire room and hit one of the family’s members. From that day on footsteps and bizarre voices were heard in rooms of the house when, surpassingly, no one was even there. Doors began opening in a raging manner, slamming against the walls, wile electric bulbs turned on and of without a person actually touching the switches. Family friends felt unhelpful, when at their suggestion, the householders’ drama increased, after a blessing of the house was made. In the presence of numerous witnesses, police officers, priests and journalists, the terrifying happenings continued. The chair on which one a policeman was sitting levitated him up in the air, then crushed him against the floor. Objects moving through the entire house hit all the persons in it, at that precise time. None of the four exorcisms, had any result. A psychic was brought into the house, confirming the presence of three spirits: a farmer named Chatterton, his wife and an old woman wearing a white apron. Apparently, these spirits became violent because they felt their home had been invaded by strangers. To everybody’s surprise, after checking the city hall’s achieves, a man with the same name had inhabited the same house in the eighteen century. After Chatterton’s face appeared on the screen of their television set, the family decided that it was better for them to leave the house. The ghostly face did not threaten them verbally, but it seemed to watch in a frightening way those in front of the television. No other incidents have been reported after their departure, although the house was sold once again. 2.The poltergeist connection was clearly established in the celebrated Phelps case in Stratford, Connecticut, in 1850. The disturbances centred on Dr. Phelp’s twelve-year-old son, Harry. In Ghosts and Poltergeists, Father Thurston’s summaries of some events described like attacks on the boy—stones would be pitched at him and a violent force would lift him off the ground to strike his head on the ceiling. Once he was thrown into a water tank; and before the eyes of shocked visitors, he was caught up and suspended in the branches of a tree while his clothes were methodically torn to ribbons by something invisible. 3.A sensibly similar case, associated with poltergeists activity, closely following the English “definition” of these unfriendly spirits is the unique paranormal phenomena happening in the village Costeşti, from the Argeş district, since the night of 20th March 1997. The numerous witnesses and tapes add substance and credibility to the story. That night over the house of the Drăghici Family it started raining stones of different shapes and sizes. The householders and

their neighbours experienced a terrifying situation, when all of their windows and roofs were broken and destroyed. From that date onwards, the destructions scared the Drăghici Family each and every night. It suddenly stopped after the “Bunavestire” Fest, only to reappear in August, much more violent than it was in spring. Police officers filed a report on damages and destruction with unknown perpetrator. Afterwards, the owners solicited the help of a local priest, to bless the house right in the middle of the ghostly actions. During the exorcism, the phenomena seemed to stop. However, it began once again, immediately after the preacher’s departure. In September, the same year, the furniture moved from one room to the other, throughout the house. The villagers described it as being pushed or carried by an invisible force. Another moment of peace followed shortly after. Paranormal enthusiasts say the phenomenon is due to some sort of magnetic storm, while other say it is the result of demonic pleasances. On the other side, there are those who blame it on a poltergeist. Achilina Marciuc, a woman who hated the family her entire life is held responsible for the damages and the haunting. The elderly woman used to fight with her neighbours quite often. In her rage, she would throw rocks at their house. Achilina Marciuc, died in cruel poverty in August 1987. It seems her restless spirit hated the Drăghici Family so much that it continued throwing stones at her neighbours beyond the barriers of this world. Haunted By Pricolici When it comes to ghostly animals, there are those who believe in their existence and those who think they are only a lie, as animals have no conscience, therefore they cannot become lost spirits by any circumstances. On one hand, these creatures, announce tragedy and dead, as demonstrated by the next examples taken from the English culture. In Suffolk, Norfolk and Isle of Man, there are numerous stories about ghosts of black dogs, haunting the streets, the bridges, the crossroads, the paths and gates of the cities. Many of them resemble the creatures from Romanian mythology, proving that such beings exist in other traditions as well, but under different names. The legendary ghost of Barguest in North England can take the shape of a pig or a goat, but usually he would rather appear as a huge black dog, with big eyes, leaving no feet-impressions. In England, people actually believe that packs of ghostly dogs rein in the streets on stormy nights. They were not only seen, but also heard yowling. It is believed that these scary phantoms since early times have entered churches, during Mass (mostly on stormy weather) searching for something or someone. On 4th October1577, in Bongay, a significantly large black dog entered a church and killed two people and badly injured other persons, vanishing right after the incident. Some of these dogs’ presence in cemeteries have been certified in New England, on numerous occasions. It is said that they are guardians of the tombs, as many legends indicate that apparitions of decapitated dogs or animals missing a foot watch the cemeteries in the Southern part as well. In the early 1900, the geologist W.H.C. Pynchon met a tiny black dog on one of his expeditions. The first time he saw the doggy, he learnt he was a very pleasant companion in his journey on the mountains. The second time he saw the little dog, Pynchon was accompanied by a friend, who had also seen the little dog, twice before. As they were climbing to the top of a mountain, they were extremely

surprised to find the puppy waiting for them there. They both reconsider the dog. It barked, but without making any sound and, out of the bloom, Pynchon’s friend lost his balance and collapsed. That was the third encounter he had had with the mysterious dog. Short time after that, the geologist heard the legend of the black dog and told his story about the black puppy to a local newspaper, in Connecticut. Surprisingly, Pynchon came back to Hanging Hills, few years later. The geologist was found dead in the exact same place where his friend had previously fallen. It is said that, he had met once again the little black dog, for the third and last time. The Banshees are Celtic mythological spirits that are considered harbingers of death. They can often be heard wailing loudly after a person dies. Some describe them as apparitions on common dogs. A friendly, large Germaine Shepard breed dog appeared one day in the backyard garden of an elderly couple in Massachusetts. No one saw when the dog came; their grandchildren began playing with him. It seemed happy around them and it would not leave, standing very close to their grandfather. Shortly after, the old man suffered a hart attack, but after a few days at the hospital, he recovered his health completely. Meanwhile the dog was becoming more and more agitated, it was constantly groaning and nobody seemed to be able to calm him down. Suspiciously, after going back home, the grandfather had another heart attack that killed him. While the family was at the funeral, the dog vanished without reappearing ever again… On the other hand, some cases indicate ghostly wolves and dogs, as wild, ferocious and violent spirits, symbolizing demonic creatures. Such beings are best presented in Romanian mythology, as follows in the example below. The case includes a series of wolves’ attacks against few of the villagers, living in the village of Poeni, at the foot of the Poiana Ruscă Mountain. One of this violent acts resulted in the death of Maria Srâbu. It is said that she was brutally attacked by a beast resembling a wolf, but all zoologists affirm that only a rabid wolf would have killed a human, which is slightly possible in this case. In addition wolves rarely harm people, or become man-eaters, as this behavior is specific to tigers, lions, panthers or other large cats, but not to wolves. The mystery grows, if we also consider the information about the fact that in this particular area, wolves have disappeared over one hundred years ago. Elderly inhibitors believe that the animal attacking their neighbours, in Poeni cannot be a regular wolf. They say it is an evil spirit, a “strigon”. Those who have allegedly escaped from this beast describe it as a supernatural being, resembling a huge black dog, with shaggy fur. It does not leave any footmarks on the snow, or in dust, when it runs, just as if it floated above the ground and it vanishes instantaneously when who ever meets it, starts saying a pray or makes the sign of the cross in its presence. Story says that the haunting of the devilish animal dated a long time ago, when a villager killed another one in order to steal from him a very valuable fire weapon. The dead man was an only son of a widow living in Poeni, at that time. Over her son’s grave she cursed the killer’s entire family and future generation, who seemingly can’t find their peace. Talking To the Spirits While some have a native fear of ghosts, as they believe them to be mostly aggressive, uncertain and definitely an unseen power, which can become dangerous, others are very keen on making contact with the underworld of ghostly beings. The actions of spirits in general are called in most traditions, poltergeist. Therefore the following lines will not refer to one specific type of haunting, but to the phenomena itself. Of course, in occult circles, the poltergeist is characteristically interpreted as the whole information about general beliefs about the dead and human psycho kinesis. But, given the wellknown ability of the spirits to assume virtually any shape and to take virtually any disguise, from

angels to aliens to the human dead, how can any occultist be certain that poltergeists are what they think they are? Can mediums be certain the appearances of their “dead loved ones” in séances are not simply the clever tricks of demons to induce emotional trust and dependence? If not, what of the poltergeists who also claim to be the spirits of the dead? The spirits of the occult in general are often contacted directly by psychics, mediums or channelers who permit themselves to become possessed by these spirits to allow the spirits to speak through them. At poltergeist hauntings, mediums or psychics may allow themselves to be possessed in order to discover the alleged reason for the “haunting” by establishing direct contact with the “troubled ghost.” While speaking through human mediums, these spirits have offered several reasons allegedly explaining their activities. The spirits of the dead who were once atheists, materialists or rationalists while on earth never expected to encounter an afterlife. Upon death, the shock was so great they became confused and disoriented. Like a lost traveler in a strange city, they wander aimlessly attempting to get their “bearings”. Initially, some spirits of the dead actually refuse to believe they are really “dead” and are no longer able to live upon the earth. They now vainly attempt to convince themselves otherwise: that they are still in their body and can somehow return to their previous existence. Thus they do not only seek to regain contact with the living through “haunting” houses where people live, but they also desperately seek to manifest themselves materially in order to regain “contact” with the physical world. Bizarre poltergeist events are one result as they attempt to interact with living people or materialize back into this world. The spirits of the dead who were evil people involved in violent acts such as murder or rape at a particular location while on earth, ten to become earthbound creatures. After death, they chose to remain close to the earth to continue their evil. Their deceased victims are frightened to go forward and progress spiritually, or they may wish to seek revenge on the living relatives of those who harmed them. According to other religious believes, including most English cults, those spirits of the dead who erroneously accepted the idea of a biblical heaven (referring to us, Christians) are shocked to discover that the Bible was wrong. “Rather than finding themselves in heaven with their Lord, they instead simply found themselves in the spirit world—with no Jesus or heaven anywhere in sight”, they say. There fore it is said that some refuse to accept this, waiting instead for Jesus to come and take them to heaven. In the meantime, they make Christian souls responsible for poltergeist manifestations, due to their confusion. These are the claims of the poltergeist. However, regardless of the spirits’ claims, strong indications about manifestations and results lend credibility to the view that these spirits are really the deceiving spirits identified in the Bible as demons. Another important issue arose by the séances practice is the one regarding fraud. If spirits are tricky, then what can we say about people? Fake psychics have existed from early ages and their number continues increasing, while the real “gifted” persons lose credibility. The communication with spirits of the other world has not been concretely proven, but as mentioned in the previous examples, many of the hauntings and psychics’ claims have been proved to be at least true. Although it is the most controversial method of interaction with ghostly spirits, possession sometimes gives incredibly precise details about the dead and their families, yet people can never be sure when consulting a so-called “gifted” individual. However, despite the warnings, and even despite logics, grief is an overwhelming and intensively exploited feeling nowadays.

All Eyes on the Ghost The basis of the séances’ theory have been established by Allan Kardec (his real name is Hypolite Léon Denizard Rivail). He was a French teacher, born in Lyon who studied spirits’ manifestation and wrote the first works on this theme. He became interested in this particular subject, after witnessing a series of phenomena, that he could only explain by excepting the existence of immaterial entities, with a different form of intelligence. The five books Kardec wrote (The Spirits' Book, published in 1857; The Book on Mediums, 1861; The Gospel According to Spiritism, 1864; Heaven and Hell, 1865; The Genesis According to Spiritism, 1868) constructed the fundaments, the classification and the structure of a new philosophical current, the Spiritism. The movement has only five main fundaments, established and popularized by Kardec. First of all, Spiritism promotes the existence of a single God, “the supreme intelligence and primary cause of all things”. Then is supports the idea that we are imperfect spirits (immaterial entities) and we suffer of a lack of knowledge, but we also have the capacity of evolution and development. It is said that we can achieve a sort of “overflow” of knowledge by spiritual evolution or reincarnation. Due to this process, the spirit is confronted to numerous situations, during each lifetime, learning how to overcome any obstacle. Spirits are part of nature, say the Spiritists, so they can normally communicate with the living and they can also interfere in their lives, because of their condition. Another claiming is that in its numerous incarnations, sprits may travel to many planes and universes, which are allegedly inhabited by other beings, this proving the old age of the believe of the existence on extraterrestrials. This is theory, but, what about the practice, how do we actually communicate or see the unseen? Well Spiritism is put into practice in those séances, as they were called in French and now in English too. This generally resumes to the above mentioned channeling. Psychics make use of special object, which can facilitate the presence of the “invoked” spirits and the transmission of messages: moving tables, talking slabs and other specific instruments. The first methods to contact a spirit in séance, consisted of the gathering of the deceit’s family and a medium. They usually sat around a table carrying a panel in their hands, or holding their hands to cumulate the energy, hoping to sense a slight movement of the table, in order to confirm the presence of the wanted spirit at their meeting. The panel would move on the table indicating certain written letters, in this way the psychic could compose the deceit’s message to the persons who had initiated the communication. The channeling also included the so-called “automatic writing”, in which the spirit’s energy wrote allegedly messages on paper. The hands and the body of the medium, during verbal or written communication, were only tools for the spirit to use, as it no longer possessed a body of its own. The invention of the Ouija, panel with an indicator (moved once again by “the spirits’ energy”) that would show different letters, as parts of a message, represented the evolution and the perfection of the séance method of contacting spirits.

However, according to specialists, this process is responsible for most frauds in the “spirits’ industry”. A very ingenious and convincing experiments of Faraday, demonstrated that the panels psychics used could only change from one place or position to another, when involuntary moves of the participators were made, as they were in close contact with this objects. The popularity of this process decreased significantly after this experiment. Despite the numerous demonstrations, séances are quite fashionable nowadays. The factor that contributed to the release of this new craze is the fact that USA uses psychic in official investigations, too difficult to resolve by the police (mostly the disappearance of persons). In addition, certain rumours, concerning investments that the USA make annually into perfecting these dons that elected persons have, have encouraged the paranormal enthusiasts. Claims are that the aggressive attitude scientist have towards them hold back the real psychics from participating to experiments, which were meant to prove their “special” abilities.

V. Ghost Haunting – The Latest Most Fashionable Hobby In nowadays society, forbidden issues, spice up all entertaining means. Tabloids, realityshows and controversial talk shows are the most popular. Thus, dark matters stepped right into the spotlight, over night. Occult is becoming more and more fashionable and the secret world of ghosts, of which everyone was once afraid to speak about, from fear of instigating paranormal activity, upon their heads, or from fear of being called “a lunatic” is now a discussion theme, on famous national TV-channels all over the planet. The following examination refers to why this matter became so popular. My immediate answer is because it was “promoted” by famous people. According to the known American saying, fame is like glue. The fact that some scientist also supported the expansion and the development of this topic increased the people’s interest. Following a reverse path, people who wanted to profit from this matter started the ghost haunting “movement”. Whether it is for financial reasons, or just for the fame, men, have tried from very early ages, to find some proof of the paranormal existence. The latest inventions have shore contributed to fuelling their hopes and their imaginations. Latest trends are capturing ghosts on film or camera. Slowly, yet not (completely) surely we are going back to the Indian believe, according to which, taking a photo of a person, may steal their soul. Scientists “Converted” To Believers Nostradamus Michael de Nostradamus studied medicine, but when a mysterious disease killed his wife and children, he was so disappointed with common medicine, that he decided to travel to alleviate his loss. This gave him the occasion to discover he was a psychic. In his state of trance, he developed a series of bizarre and complicated quatrains, which in some lines predicted future events, with an astonishing precision – as shown by James Laver, in the biography he wrote him. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1858-1930) The famous novel writer, creator of Sherlock Holmes, studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh. After his graduation, he became a doctor, on a small boat, travelling to West Africa. In 1882 he opened his own cabinet and three years later he got his final degrees, as a doctor. As he had very few patients, between consultations he used to write small stories. Ever since 1918, in The New Revelation, Canon Doyle describes how he started believing in paranormal phenomena. During the First World War, he considered such phenomena an extraordinary breakthrough. A great enthusiast, this was inspiration for his work. He “resigned” the SPR, a short time before his death, as they would not agree with believes, manifesting their concern. Doyle taught the SPR, was run by skeptics and did not wish to form part of the association. Joseph Banks Rhine (1895-1980) A well-known botanist with a skeptical temperament, in the 20s, Rhine would become aware of the limitations of science, while reading Henri Bergson. He was attracted to studying the paranormal, after reading Frederic Meyer’s work. He founded the Duke University. With the help of 25 different packs of cards, he would test all of his students to see how many of them are able to give a correct answers in significant proportions - the average number

of guesses being five. He gained international notoriety after publishing the monograph ExtraSensory Perception in 1934. He reputed as America’s number one parapsychologist, because in the following 45 years, he managed to introduce his parapsychology in the academic disciplines, accepted by universities. Sir William Crookes (1832-1919) In 1870, William Crookes, a young chemist and physician had recently entered the Royal Society, for discovering the chemical element thallium and he was proposing a investigation into paranormal phenomena with scientific technology and gear. His research with psychics, were the first ever made tests with technological equipment on paranormal. His scientific findings were astonishing. After investigating D.D. Home he reported him as being able to move object and play musical instruments without touching them. The enthusiasm of his fellow scientists suddenly disappeared. He was considered a fool and unappreciated. Ironically, it was his study on the paranormal world which led him to invent the radiometer, that later changed forever the chemical and physical world, and it made him one of the precursors of television. Famous Ghosts Bonnie and Clyde This pair of notorious outlaws of the 1930’s were finally tracked down and killed on May 23, 1934 outside of Arcadia, Louisiana. There bullet-ridden car was then towed into town with their bodies still in the vehicle. Today, a marker stands at the site where they died and is said to be haunted by the pair. Photographs taken of the marker often come out with ghostly forms. Al Capone The notorious Chicago gangster who led the city's illegal activities during the Prohibition era has been rumored to haunt a couple of locations. Allegedly, when people are disrespectful while visiting his family plot at Mount Carmel Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois, he is said to appear. Also, at Alcatraz, where Capone was one of the first inmates, spectral banjo music has often been heard coming from inside his old cell. Montgomery Clift A popular film star of the 1950’s and 60’s, Montgomery Clift was a fourtime Oscar nominated actor who is best known for his roles in A Place in the Sun, From Here to Eternity and Judgment at Nuremberg. His spirit has been seen at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, most often in Room 928. It was here that he spent a three months in 1953 where he was known to pace back and forth, memorizing his lines for From Here to Eternity. Today, unexplained loud noises are often heard coming from the otherwise empty suite, phone is continually found to be off the hook, and unexplainable cold spots are felt in the room. Others sense the actor’s presence and reportedly, one guest felt an invisible hand patting her shoulder.

James Dean While no actual reports have been made of Dean’s spirit, an extremely interesting legend persists of a curse on his beloved Porsche Spyder. Dean, the popular fresh faced Hollywood star of the early 1950’s, was known to live in the "fast-lane.” He paid for it with his life when he was killed in a head on collision on September 30, 1955. Dean purchased the car with the intent to race it; however, he never got the chance, as just weeks after its purchase, he died in the vehicle. Afterwards, anyone who came in contact with the car or its parts began to suffer injuries and death until the vehicle finally mysteriously disappeared. Benjamin Franklin Instrumental in laying the government’s foundation when the United States was first established, Franklin was also known for his work as a writer, inventor, philosopher, and scientist. Today, Franklin is said to haunt the Philosophical Society’s library in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Some people have even reported that the Philosophical Society's statue of Franklin has been seen dancing along the streets. Clark Gable One of the biggest box office stars during the 1930’s and ‘40’s, both Clark Gable and his wife, Carole Lombard are said to haunt the Oatman Hotel in Oatman, Arizona. After they married, in Kingman, they spent their honeymoon at the Oatman Hotel. Iulia Haşdeu Her father never found any comfort, after her dieing. In his work “Sic cogito”, Haşdeu says that after six years since his daughter’s death, he had a channeling experience, related to his daughter. He “received” a written message from his daughter, telling him that she was happy and she loved him and consoling him with the affirmation that they will soon be reunited. Haşdeu assures the readers that he recognized the calligraphy of his daughter and her signature. In addition, Iulia’s tomb in the Bellu Cemetery and the house from Câmpina, were built by her father, according to the spirit’s indications, as admitted by many on the poet’s friends, who participated to the constructions. English Speaking Ghosts Talk in Photographs Perhaps, most paranormal enthusiasts reside in the USA. For American people, hunting ghosts, is much more them thrill and passion, it is a craze. Photographs of phantoms are most certainly the fastest way to celebrity. However, ghosts are quite “shy” in front of the camera, so catching a real supernatural creature on film, is not an easy task. This is why many of the photographic evidence prove to be made on Photoshop, a simple photographic error or a strange reflection of the light. Thus, some pictures have no scientific explanation and they are considered “verities”. Here are some of the most expressive ghostly pictures taken in English speaking countries.

"The Brown Lady" of Raynham Hall This photo was taken in 1936 at Raynham Hall in Norfolk, England. This portrait of "The Brown Lady" is perhaps the most famous and well-regarded ghost photograph ever taken. The ghost is thought to be that of Lady Dorothy Townshend, wife of Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount of Raynham, residents of Raynham Hall in Norfolk, England in the early 1700s. It was rumored that Dorothy, before her marriage to Charles, had been the mistress of Lord Wharton. Charles suspected Dorothy of infidelity. Although according to legal records she was buried in 1726, people said that the funeral was a sham and that Charles had locked his wife away somewhere in their house, until her death many years later. His Favorite Chair . After being ran over by a horse-drawn carriage Lord Combermere h died in 1891. A photographer set up a camera with its shutter open for one hour in the manor's library while the entire staff was off at Lord Combermere's funeral, some four miles away. When the plate was developed, the unussul image of what looks to be a man's head and arm sitting in the chair was immediately noticed. Many of the staff said that the image looked very much like the late lord, and it happened to be sitting in Combermere's favorite chair in the library.

Freddy Jackson's Comeback Freddy Jackson was a mechanic in the Royal Air Force in World War I. Freddy Jackson's squadron served onboard the H.M.S. Daedalus. Freddy Jackson was killed in 1919 when an airplane propeller hit him. Two days later when the squadron gathered for a group photo, Freddy Jackson showed up, grinning behind the ear of a comrade. His face was widely recognized in this photo by members of the squadron.

Stair Case Ghost of National Museum, Greenwich, England Reverand Ralph Hardy, a retired clergyman from White Rock, British Columbia, took this now famous photograph in 1966. He intended merely to photograph the beautiful staircase in the Queen's House section of the National Museum in Greenwich, England. After it was developed, however the photo revealed a shrouded figure climbing the stairs, seeming to hold the railing with both hands. Experts, including some from Kodak, who examined the original negative concluded that it had not been modified by any means. It has been said that unexplained figures have been seen on some occasions in the vicinity of the staircase, and strange footsteps have also been heard.

Darn Backseat Drivers! In 1959 Mable Chinnery went to the cemetery to visit the grave of her mother, as any devoted daughter would do. She took some photos of the gravesite and then turned and took this picture of her husband sitting alone in the car's passenger seat. The film was developed and this came out: somebody sitting in the backseat (wearing glasses), clear as day. Mrs. Chinnery swore that the "backseat driver" was none other than her own mother... whose gravesite she was standing next to when she took the picture! What Do You Want On Your Tombstone? Back in 1996 Ike Clanton took this photo of a friend wearing western clothes, in the middle of Tombstone's Boothill Graveyard. They swear that nobody else was there when they made this picture. Furthermore, some time later they tried to restage this picture with someone standing on the spot where the "mysterious man" appears in the background. Ike Clanton says that it was impossible to take such a picture and not show the person's legs. Clanton said he wasn't so sure about Tombstone being haunted, but this photo made a believer out of him. There's so much ghostly activity going on in the famous town that Clanton's set up a special section of his website dedicated to Tombstone's population that has already gone away. The Transparent Woman in the Auatralian Forest Reverend R.S. Blance took this picture, at the Corroboree Rock (Australia), in 1959. A transparent woman can be observed in the forest. If the picture were taken today we might say it was modified in Photoshop, however, Photoshop was not yet invented in 1959. the double exposure can also be dinied, due to the high visibility of the areas in front and behind the woman.

Ghost of Bachelor's Grove Cemetery, Chicago This photo was taken during an investigation of Bachelor's Grove Cemetery near Chicago by the Ghost Research Society(GRS). On August 10, 1991 several memeber of the GRS were at the cemetery, a small abandoned graveyard on the edge of the Rubio Woods Forest Preserve, near the suburb of Midlothian, Illinois. Reputed to be one of the most haunted cemeteries in the U.S., Bachelor's Grove has been the subject of more than100 different reports of strange phenomena, including apparitions, unexplained sights and sounds, and even glowing balls of light. When developed, this image emerged what looks like a lonely young woman dressed in white, sitting on a tombstone. Parts of her body her are partially transparent and the style of the dress seems to be out of date.

The Newby Church Monk Reverend K.F. Lord took a picture of the altar at his church in North Yorkshire, England and this is what came out. The picture and the negative are said to have been carefully examined by photographic experts and they cannot find any evidence that this was either a double exposure, or artificially altered. The "thing" is calculated to be nine feet tall, and no one has found any record of an enormous monk ever being at Newby Church. Ghost Child at Cemetery A woman named Mrs. Andrews was visiting the grave of her daughter Joyce, who died at 17 years of age. Andrews saw nothing unusual when she took this photo of Joyce's grave marker. When the film was developed, Mrs. Andrews was astonished to see the image of a small child sitting happily at her daughter's grave. The ghost child seemed to be aware of Mrs. Andrews since he or she is looking directly into the camera. Mrs. Andrews said there were no such children nearby when she took the photograph and moreover she did not recognize the child at all. It was no one she would have taken a photograph of. She remarked that she did not believe it was the ghost of her daughter as a child. London's St. Botolph's Chruch Ghost In 1982, photographer Chris Brackley took a photograph of the interior of London's St. Botolph's Chruch, but never expected what would appear on the film. High in the Church's loft, seen in the upper right hand corner of his photograph, is a transparent form of what looks like a woman. According to Brackley, to his knowledge there were only three people in the church when this photograph was taken, and none of them were in that loft. Church Minister Ghost According to Brad Steiger's Real Ghosts, where this photo was found, there was only one other photographer in the church beside the person who took this picture. Neither of them recalled seeing a ghost or any flesh-and-blood person standing there who could appear in this image. Because the figure is all in black, it has been theorized that the apparition could be that of the church’s minister. Railroad Crossing Ghost in San Antonio, Texas A Strange legend surrounds a railroad crossing of San Antonio, Texas. The intersection of the roadway and railroad track, so the story is that a tragic accidents in which several school-aged children were killed took place out here- but their ghosts linger at the spot and will push cars across the tracks, even though the path is uphill. Andy and Debi Chesney's daughter and some of her friends had recently been to the crossing to test the legend, and she took some photographs. Inexplicably, a strange, transparent figure turned up in one of the photos.

VI. The Artistic Landscape of Paranormal Apparitions The point of view, which we chose to follow, as mentioned in my introduction, is that of arts. Art has many fields of activity, many of them quite unconventional (the fist example that crosses my mind is handicrafts or ceramic), but not all of them are related to strange phenomena. This being the case, from the eight known arts, we have exploited those, which have shown some type of interest or connection to the paranormal world. Although, houses, old buildings, and old sites in general are famous haunted place, discussing this issue from an architectural perspective does not seem lucrative. Architectural trends were not influenced by alleged hauntings. There is no reported preoccupation of any architect for building a haunting-proof construction. Thus, we have not reserved any special place for this matter into the present work. Moreover, from our personal findings, there has not been found any haunted sculpture anywhere in the world. Statues that roll their eyes and always keep their viewers in their sight are as haunted as the paintings that were created using the same technique. Bizarre phenomena such as crying statues are assumed divine miracles, not hauntings. The most popular is the crying Virgin Mary Pieta a statue from Castle Designs (Orlando, Florida), which shows an unexplainable stain, in the shape of a tear, on one of its cheeks. Literature, especially English and American literature is one of the main suppliers of ghost stories. Many writers felt the temptation of exposing ghosts and other sorts of spooks to the naked eye of their readers. More conservative, or perhaps more superstitious, Romanian writers are not very fond of this theme. Literary pieces about folkloric paranormal beings are quite difficult to find. As opposed to other folkloric myths, spirits, poltergeists, moroi and pricolici are much rarely mentioned in prose and poetry. Modern writers, however show an increasing interest on the matter, so hopes of enriching this type of writing still exist. Dance and music, are mainly used as a provocation for ghost manifestations, but haunted dancing schools allegedly exist. Theatres, on the other side are the most spread locations, where current haunting allegations are made. Actors tend to be quite superstitious and carrier-oriented people. Perhaps their devotion to acting makes them become ghosts or it makes them believe in spooks more than ordinary peoples do. Cinematography and multimedia arts have surely the highest involvement into this fashionable “ghost busting”. They made it appealing to the large public and they encourage people to participate to this worldwide activity of proving the existence of paranormal. But, tradition was established by a now famous visual art, photography, which is in fact the main hunting-rifle for ghosts and other unseen forms of “life”. The classic visual art, painting, has also become a support for strange phenomena, as many modern artists appeal to ghosts and supernatural creatures as a form of aesthetic expression. Since we have ended the previous chapter, with paranormal photographs, it seems only fair to me to start this next inquiry regarding the perception that arts have of the topic with photography Photography – Art or Evidence The biggest controversy regarding the existence of paranormal creatures came with the first photographic evidence. Although it refers mostly to ghosts, as poltergeists can be identified by exhumation, photographs and filmed evidence (as the latest technology permits it) have become important proof of hauntings.

English Ghostly Portrait John Fores, 47, a team member of the group in charged with the demolition of an old school in Great Britain, discovered the ghostly portrait of a young boy in a photograph taken with his cellphone at his working site. The youngster seemed to be approximately eight years old. He was dressed in a old-fashioned cloths, and he had short, dark hair. The picture shows him looking straight to the camera. Fores had taken a few photographs of the Anlaby Primary School, in Hull, East Yorkshire in order to document the progress. He did not see anything out of place, when he took the photographs, but while loading them to his computer, he was overwhelmed by fear. He discovered the ghostly face of the little boy. Fores confesses that this episode made him unsure about the existence of spooks and spirits. The school’s caretaker, Gordon Bradshw , 54, says the school was built and used since 1936. It has the reputation of being haunted for some years now. Ever since he started working in the school, Bradshw heard children complaining about seeing the ghost of a child about the same age as theirs. Rob Taylor , from The Paranormal Society in Hull, is thilled to have such a clearly distinctive figure, as the boy in the photo. Cellphone cameras have certain shades of colour, but he thinks the case is worth investigating. (Based on an article from The Sun) Photographic Evidence in Romania In the Herculane Bays, locals say a ghost is haunting Decebal Hotel. Treasure haunters invaded the centre of the city. Legend says, the foundation of the centre hides gold buried deep under the soil, and, according to the villagers the phantom is the treasure’s guard. The Herculane Bays, in Caraş Severin hold many stories about persons who caught the famous “gold fever” and began searching for the treasure. They used spellings, incantations, hoes and even metal detectors. The gold’s guardian seems to be greatly devoted to its mission. The ghostly figure shoed up in many photographic evidence. The mayor, Nicuşor Vasilescu, states that the silhouette of a woman, all dressed in white, pointing down the stairs of the hotel with her eyes, has appeared in numerous photos, as witnessed by him as well. He thinks, she is a Dac priest. Alexandru Bunduc, a young man, born in the village, took a photograph of his girlfriend, a year ago, on the stairs, after developing the film, he saw the shadow of a woman in that precise picture. Another young woman, Victoria Iovan, confessed to have made a shaking discovery through some photos of her, taken by her boyfriend inside the same hotel. A ghostly figure, seemingly a nun, with white cloths was standing right next to her. (Based on an article from Gândul) Ghosts and Drama

Theaters, which are allegedly haunted, can be found in many English-speaking countries. Compared to other public old-age buildings they have much more mysterious apparitions. Many of these peculiar manifestations, as shown by the previous example, become superstitions. Actors invent all sorts of rituals to help them perform the best way they can. One ghost-related superstition is that every theater should be closed at least one night a week in order for the ghosts to perform their own plays. This night was conveniently chosen to be on Mondays, so that the actors can relax after their weekend performances. Another popular superstition related to theaters and ghosts is to leave a burning candle or a light upstage centre in an empty theater to scare off ghosts, or just for them to feel they are still on the spotlight. The failure to provide this light might not only anger the spirits an d lead to all sorts of pranks from their behalf, but it can also lead to fatal accidents for the personnel. Though it is a superstition, it does have practical value: the backstage area of a theatre tends to be untidy, so someone who enters such a dark space is likely to be injured while hunting for a light switch. One specific ghost, Thespis, holds a place of privilege in theatre lore. Historians used to believe that Thespis of ancient Athens was the first person to speak lines as an individual actor on stage (hence the term "thespian" to refer to an individual actor). Any unexplainable mischief that befalls a production is likely to be blamed on Thespis, especially if it happens on November 23 (the date he supposedly uttered the first lines). Plays sometimes are also haunted. There are various ways to reproduce a spectral apparition on stage. Most certain it is much more difficult than doing it on film, but it is a very interesting challenge for a good director. There are many plays, which require the vivid imagination of the director, of the cast and of the viewers, but none like those, which have the supernatural worl as their main theme. Firstly, I would like to present the play “The Ghost of Marvin Grange”, a well liked melodrama in the UK. Written by English writer Richard Coleman, the play is mostly played in high schools. The Farmers Guardian starts its “Top performers” column with the following announce: “Wimple and Broadclyst – from Devon – triumphed with their performance of Ghosts of Marvin Grange, beating Marshwood Vale’s Guess Who’s Coming to Tea?” referring to the multiple disciplines competition held on 10 March 2010, and presenting the winnings of Devon YFC’s. Coming back to the theme of the play, the ghosts in the scenario are fakes, therefore it basically consists of a bunch of people talking about a haunted place and a few fake ghosts thrown in. There are some flaws inherent to the play - the ghosts are actually people in disguise. The play is set in 1907 so the main issue is how to “fool” people up close. Actors use all sorts of costumes, from white robes to bed sheets, plus lots of imagination. The plot tells the story of an opportunist, Captain Jack Sinclair who drives his wife, Eleonora into believing that the former owner of their house, Martin Grange, haunts her. As nobody else sees these “apparitions”, she is seen as a mad woman. Meanwhile her husband, wastes all of her money on gambling, taking advantage of her illness and of him being the administrator of Eleonara’s fortune. He tries to repeat the same trick once more. He is so willing to take possession of the wealth of his young ward, Veronica, that in his urge, he commits mistakes, which lead to the failure of his plan. His cousin, Christopher Sinclair, returns home after an absence of five years, only to save Veronica and Eleonora from the cruel destiny, projected by the Captain. At their final confrontation, Jack is exposed. The drama consists of a mass murder in the last acts. The Captain results wounded by a bullet, while one of his accomplices, Egor Grim, the wicked gamekeeper of “The Star” (a public house on the edge of Marvin Moor) is killed with a knife by Christopher Sinclair, in order to save Veronica’s life. The immediate consequences of the fraud are faced by Mrs.Bennell, a housekeeper at “The Grange”, who had helped Jack with his plan.

Secondly, I am going to present a Romanian play, made after a short story by I.L. Caragiale , called “În vreme de război”. In the story, the main character has a couple of nightmares about his “dead” brother, which are shown to the public as a quite impressive combination of multicolored lights and oddly dressed “spooks”. The actors are usually wearing white and as the ghost of his brother takes many forms, according to the story, this permits the actors to change into different outfits. In order to save his brother from jail, Stavrache sends him to wore, disguised as a soldier. Years after his departure he receives a letter, announcing him the death of his brother, Iancu, the priest. He takes possession of the deceit’s fortune, and realizes that the only person who could take away this easy money is his own brother. He starts doubting his death and having many nightmares about his brother being alive and coming home, asking back for his fortune. In his dreams, the dead priest appears to be first a convict and then a captain. The tragedy of this character reaches its peak, when Iancu actually returns home, alive. Confused, Stavrache thinks this is another one of his ordinary delusions, while his brother realizes Stavrache has gone crazy. Finally, analyzing the two plays, despite the different species of theatre they present, the similarities, can be encountered not only in the theme, but also in the way they are played. Greed seems to be the common item of both of the plays and both of the ghosts prove to be fakes. However, the illusion behind the ghosts is equally interesting to watch, as it proves the director’s mastery. Telegenic Spooks The continuation of photos is of course, the film. Hauntings are an intensively exploited subject in the cinema industry, ever since its beginnings. From mute, to black and white and then to colour movies, spirits have “haunted” the imagination of many English directors and producers. Some of these movies have become true legends and icons for following productions and many of them are actually based on famous books. The Phantom of the Opera (1925) This is an American, mute, black and white movie, which has inspired numerous other adaptations of the novel. It is still one of the most loyal exhibitions of Gaston Leroux’s famous book, with the same title. According to film experts, the decorations are quite terrifying, the main character is excellently played, but the suspense has some low points. The movie consists of a bizarre combination between Rupert Julian’s theatrical directions, the incredible sightings, built in the Universal Pictures Studios and the characters, the best example being the scraggy hero, interpreted by Norman Kerry. Some of the film’s most appreciated episodes are: the masked ball, which include a Technicolor-sequence, the entrance of the Phantom dressed as Edgar Allan Poe’s character, Red Death, the fall of the chandelier at the precise moment when the Phantom confesses to his devious plans regarding the diva and surely, the terrifying exposure of the negative character, a violent vampire genius, played by Lon Chaney. The movie, resembling a melodrama, remains a classic film for both the interpretation and the music. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947) This is a black and white, romantic ghost story. Surprisingly it is not a scary movie. It presents the story of a young widow, played by the melancholic-beauty, Gene Tierney, who rents a haunted house, the Gull Cottage by the British seaside .Here, she establishes an amazing and impossible romantic relationship with the spirit of the “crusty” former owner Captain Gregg (Rex Harrison). Harrison, a very dear actor to film director Joseph L. Mankiewicz, plays the mentor of this young lady, his character falls in love with her, although he hardly admits it, when confronted with another aspirant to Lucy Muir’s love.

Despite the censorship, writers Philip Dunne (screenplay) and R.A. Dick (novel) adapt the scenario to the common vocabulary of such a character, so it might occur that the viewers find some slightly vulgar expressions. The paranormal story, inspired by R.A. Dick’s novel, was very dear to the public. It presents the paranormal world of ghosts in an innovative way, managing to respect, strictly, the barriers between fantastic and bizarre. The above-mentioned manner of expression used by Captain Gregg, elegantly saves the movie from becoming a drama. The translucent image created by Charles Lang and the fine music brought by Bernard Hermann kept a vivid public memory of the film. The durative theme, renewed by a TV-series in 1960, also had a major contribution. The Haunting (1963) The theme of this black and white movie, filmed in England in 1963 is inspired by Shirley Jackon’s book, The Haunting of Hill House. Director, Robert Wise chose this novel as the theme of his film to honor the memory of his mentor, the filmmaker Val Lewton. Together with Denis Johnson, he produced one of the scariest, if not the scariest horror film ever. The action takes place in the Hill house, built by Hugh Crain, 80 years before. The main character, Eleonor Lance (Julie Harris) arrives at the Hill to participate to an experiment. The house was reputed to have witnessed the deaths of four women, but that doesn’t seem to scare Eleonor who accepts to take place to a psychiatric experiment, involving paranormal, organized by Professor John Markway (Richard Johnson) and held in the Hill house. Here, she meets a couple of strange persons, who are also involved in the experiment: Luke Sanderson (Russ Tamblyn), the skeptical nephew of the house owner, Theodora (Claire Bloom), an artist and also a psychic, who falls in love with her new room mate and tries to get romantically involved with Eleonor. Though, the 35 years old woman, only feels attracted to Dr. Markway. She becomes the subject of the hauntings and she ends by having a nervous brake down, due to the odd noise and happenings in the house, augmented by Markway’s wife’s arrival. The other inhabitants of the Hill reject Eleonor, because she is believed to have gone mad. One day, when traveling by car, invisible forces behind the steering wheel dive hel to a fatal crush; Eleonor hits a tree and dies in the exact spot, where Hugh Crain’s wife had died, years ago. Wise is a master of illusion. He uses many positions for his cameras, mirrors, reflections, lenses with a 180 degrees visual field, sonorous and visual montages, he makes the chores come alive. The origins of the haunting remains a mystery, uncovered despite the high price, (Eleonor’s life) it requires. Ghost (1990) Patrick Swayze plays the ghost of Sam Wheat, a prolific businessman, who after death teams up with a psychic Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg) to find out the secrets behind his murder. He constantly follows his killer on the streets of Manhattan, learning how to protect his girlfriend Molly Jensen (Demi Moore) from being killed as well. Sam reveals a conspiracy, organized by his own friend and colleague Carl Bruner (Tony Goldwyn)and he finally manages to confront him at the end of the movie, as Carl becomes a ghost, as a result of his accidental death.

Afterwards , Carl is able to see his former friend; his betrayal leads to a supernatural confrontation which is won by Sam. The director Jerry Zucker, sees ghosts as translucent apparitions, making use of dark shadowy figures to create demonic apparitions. Other light-effects are also used in order to reproduce the transgression to heavenly places. With the help of computer programs, he succeeds into making the whole story very plausible, attracting a huge number of viewers and remaining quite well appreciated over time. Strigoi (2009) English film-director and writer Faye Jackson, produced in 2009 the movie “Strigoi”, inspired by the Romanian mythology. In a recent interview, she said she became interested in our folklore, after marring a Romanian and also after she paid our country a few visits. She discovered these stories, by accident, while researching on our popular legend of Dracula. Faye was immediately intrigued and continued asking questions on this matter. Her new passion resulted into a folklore detective Mystery, with comedy and drama. This horror cocktail received quite interesting critics, mostly because it is such a bloody film. Though, it lucks the self-deprecation part of all Romanian movies, it is entirely produced in Piatra Nemţ, starring Romanian actors such as Constantin Bărbulescu, Camelia Maxim and Cătălin Paraschiv (with the special participation of Rudy Rosenfeld). The story is simple and well structured, according to the good tradition of English directors. An odd perspective, for Romanian viewers, might be the fact that the actors speak a poor quality English language, although the sighting are typical to the Romanian countryside. When the villagers killed Constantin Tirescu, played by Constantin Bărbulescu, they taught it was justice. Vlad Cozma (Cătălin Paraschiv) thinks it was murder and he decides to seack revenge, unleashing a beast and an endless trail of victims. To this character pickles go nice with blood, therefore at the end of the movie the small village remains with very few habitants due to his thirst of blood and fury. The scenes are brutal and the effects are mostly produces with professional make up, adapted to the latest cinematic illusions. It is a film for horror fans only as the script is very violent. Ghosts Make Music While They Haunt In his book “Clairvoyance, Ghosts and Music”, Lee Prosser, argues the power of music to attract ghostly spirits. He says that based on their previous life experience and tastes, different types of spirits might make their presence known to the human world when one music gender on another is played in a specific moment and place. Music triggers certain memories to a phantom, causing their appearance or manifestation. Old music, classic, music, rock music, etc. can bring to a lost soul, memories from the exact age the spirit used to live on solid ground, or even certain events and persons from its previous life. Associated to involuntary memory which evoke previous happenings in a person’s mind, this method is used by paranormal investigators, to lure spooks out of their invisible canners. Music might give the spirit a proper peaceful or chaotic ambiance for manifestation and also for ghostly encounters.

In Prosser’s opinion, the time of music that attracts a ghost might also reveal some details about its temperament. Therefore a person who wants to invoke a spirit should make a careful choice of music, depending on the type of spook he or she would like to attract. The atmosphere created by this music is very important for the ghost and for the people as well, assuring a friendly encounter. For example, Prosser considers classic music to be the most proper to invoke peaceful spirits. As opposed to foreign music (English music in particular), which accompanied all great movies in the 20th century , the oldest Romanian ghost-provoking music are incantations and hexes which are sang in rural areas, and passed on only orally, because of a superstition. According to oldsters, if the song is written down it loses all its mystical powers. In addition, during EVP(Electronic voice phenomena) sessions, some paranormal investigators have allegedly heard songs sang by ghosts or some other types of noises, thet resemble to songs. In our days, songs that have music themes are quite popular. The music theme of the popular movie “Ghost Busters” filmed in 1984, sang by Ray Parker, Jr. grew very popular and is still heard on radio stations, because of its great success. Some other famous song, related to ghost and which is also the theme a popular animation-film (“Nightmare before Christmas”) is the Boogeyman’s song. Katrina Burgoyne’s song "Ghost" tells the story of a haunted house from the perspective of a girl living in it, while the song “Haunted” by Evanescence invokes the fear of ghosts from the spirit’s perspective. And the examples may continue, as the unseen world has become a very commercial music theme, showing human fascination for the unknown. Haunted Canvases “The Hands Resist Him”, also known as eBay Haunted Painting, is a painting created by Oakland, California artist Bill Stoneham in 1972. It shows a young boy and a doll standing in front of a glass paneled door against which many hands are pressed. According to the artist, the figure of the boy is based on a photograph of himself aged 5, the door represents the dividing line between the waking world and the world of dreams and possibilities. The doll is a guide who will escort the boy through it. The hands themselves represent alternate lives or possibilities. It became the subject of an urban legend in February 2000, when it was posted for sale on eBay along with an elaborate back-story implying that it was haunted. The painting was first displayed in a Los Angeles gallery during the early 1970s, at which point it was reviewed by the art critic at the Los Angeles Times. It was then purchased by actor John Marley, known for his role as Jack Woltz in “The Godfather”. After Marley's death, the painting came into the possession of a Californian couple, after “a picker had found it abandoned behind an old brewery”. The seller, claimed the painting carried some form of curse. The characters in the painting had allegedly moved during the night, entering the room in which it was being displayed. A series of photographs that were said to be evidence of an unusual incident was attached to their auction page on eBay. According to the couple the pictures were taken by a motion triggered camera and they show the doll character threatened the boy character with a gun that she was holding, causing him to attempt to leave the painting. The Perception Gallery in Grand Rapids, Michigan, displayed the painting and contacted Bill Stoneham telling him the unusual story of its auction on eBay and their acquisition of it. He

was surprised by these claims. He said that the object presumed by the eBay sellers to be a gun is actually nothing more than a dry cell battery and a tangle of wires. Stoneham recalls that both the owner of the gallery in which the painting was first displayed, and the art critic who reviewed it, died within one year of coming into contact with the painting. Whether it was only a selling strategy or a real happening that remains for you to decide. However there are some who claim to have experienced blackouts or mind control just by seeing a photo of the picture! Watch carefully! Another interesting claim is that of artist Salvador G. Valdez, who says to have encountered in 1979 a haunted canvas. While trying to pain a portrait a la Norman Rockwell, (an American artist, who works with fading colors-backgrounds), he experienced a paranormal event which has never been claimed by another artist. He says that he found this old canvas and by first touching it he was overwhelmed with anger. To express these tormenting feelings he was “forced” by some invisible power to paint the canvas in a violent manner, a reaction he had never before had towards an object of art. The canvas got a horrible colour of brown, motivating Valdez to pour some turpentine over the canvas. Without any other help, all sorts of figures started appearing out of nowhere on the canvas. The faces including the figure of a bearded man who resembled Jesus Christ, fitted together like a puzzle and they also had a yellow light glowing under them. What is intriguing is that according to Valdez, the brownish background washed away, but the figures in the painting are colourful. The artist admits not wanting to recognize this paranormal experience “I laid false claim to this miraculous piece of art and signed my name in green paint”, he says he hadn’t claimed this experience before for fear of being judged as mentally ill and not being able to be appreciated as a painter and not selling his work any longer. Though in our country there are no claims of haunted paintings, the story of the Crying Icon of The Holly Virgin from Boian, is quite well known. The Holly figure it is said to cry when asked or prayed with sincere faith. Locals say that many people have been converted to orthodoxy after visiting this holly picture and others claim the fact that they touched the icon healed their illnesses. The Ghostly Dance ∗

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The story of Miss Macpherson , mostly known as Mary Mac, was the subject of a documentary made by Discovery in order to find out if it is possible for conscience and personality to continue after a person dies. In the city of York, at the first floor of the church, which lies in the heart of the city there is a dance school, more than 60 years old. The first owner of the school, Miss Mac, is allegedly haunting this place due to a deep attachment she had to this dancing studio. Dance instructor Rita Cole and her husband Denis Cole, told to the popular investigation team cold “Ghost Hunters” the strange happenings which date back to 1964, right after Mary Mac died and this British couple became the new owners of the studio. All sorts of noises started being heard immediately after: sounds of heavy coinage banging on the desk, the sound of high-hells and footsteps over the corridors. The activity intensified over the years. A young woman, from outside of York, who was taking dace lessons told Rita she had seen a small-stature, well-dressed old woman outside the dancing saloon. She was also able to recognize the woman as Mary Mac, in a photo (taken at the Photo taken from the actual documentary

London Grosvenor House) provided by her former student Rita Cole. Some children complained about their money and hairbrush flying through the air and then falling on the floor, stating that they even blessed the hairbrush afterwards. The apparition was sensed through Mary’s carnation perfume and it allegedly uses the same clothes that she had in real life. Paranormal investigator and writer John Mitchell believed the couple’s story and he actually thinks that the spirit was very truly in love with this place, so much that it couldn’t leave. Thus, he also thinks it is not a threatening spook. He says Miss Mac is a friendly, peaceful apparition who is only trying to supervise her old dancing school, in order to make sure everything goes on the same way it use to, more than 60 years ago. Although in Romania, dancing schools are not so popular as in Great Britain, youngsters nowadays are getting very implicated into bark dance and other types of street dancing, so who knows maybe 20 years from now on we’ll have some dancing ghost on the spot light of the entire Europe, just like the British do. The Romanian equivalent of ghost dancing may be the dance of the mythical creatures, which in Romanian tradition are called “iele”. They are said to be young, beautiful and attractive women, who on specific occasions, gather in the heart of forests and begin dancing a traditional Romanian dance, named “horă”, in a frantic, chaotic way, with their chest completely nude. People, who see them, fell ill, and sometimes they never recover their health again. They are said to be immaterial spectre that give the illusion of young vivid women, often associated to frisky creatures, causing delirium because of their great spin. Writers Inspired by the Unseen Creatures of Humanity The fact that ghosts and poltergeists are an infinite source of inspiration for Since Fiction book comes as no surprise. Nevertheless, the presence of this unseen community in poetry makes one think of the aesthetic value that such a creature may have. The newly discovered passion that the world shares for dark and occult, has not yet been exploited at its full potential, therefore literature on this theme tends to be enthusiastically quested. Whether it’s because of the reader’s curiosity or because of his wish to be scared, nowadays, vampire and ghost novels are very fashionable. However, the writers’ preoccupation for these dark creatures dates two or even three centuries ago. Here are some examples followed by our impressions on some books and poems, which closely follow this matter. Prose: The book “The Crazy Ghost House” (Strigoaica şi casa nebună) by Ben Corlaciu is a collection of ghost stories, gathered from different corners of Europe. The Romanian writer offers vivid descriptions of poltergeists and ghosts, as well as the manner in which they manifest. The story “Mutual Gifts” (Daruri reciproce) reveals the portrait of an old hobgoblin tormenting an unsuspecting medical assistant (Aurel Budinoiu) who came in her house with the only purpose to save her life. The old lady had been the victim of a heart attack, her family, the Streins, had called the doctor. Unfortunately, his patient was already dead at his arrival, as well as the Strein family. The old woman apparently greeted the medic. She is portrayed as having a frightened expression on her face, as if she wished to tell Budinoiu, that the house was empty, she had not killed the family, because they were already moved by the landlord’s men. The women’s intention to blame this disappearance on Horthy will then be spoiled by the finding of the allege crime toll, a missing pocketknife. Another short story, that is worth discussing, because of its paranormal contents, is the one, which gives the title of the book. The main female character, Maria Stamatopol, visualizes a battlefield, a sort of territory invaded by the ghosts of all the lost solders describing her

experience as a ferocious attack of unseen forces. She feels trapped in a cemetery; she feels the urge to run from all the ghosts, but mysterious forces paralyze her; she witnesses a rain of stones and the shadows of long-gone solders adjuring their mates not to leave them to die alone. The whole picture is extremely frightening: grotesque figures, the grey, angry sky, the mysterious atmosphere. Due to this characteristics, the scenery resembles the ghostly battles of Cornwell, relating the characters of this unusual story to the famous ghosts of England. The technique, that Corlaciu uses to describe and emphasize the characteristics of the restless spirits are quite impressive, as he places his reader on the line, which divides the world of shadows and the real world. One may never be sure on which of these two realms he is truly situated. This amplifies not only the mystery surrounding the murder, but also the mysticism of the nonhuman characters. Comparing Henry James’s ghosts with the previous mentioned spirits, characterized by Ben Corlaciu is for sure a difficult task. The first observation is the fact that the American writer is keen on sketching postures that are more humane for his ghosts. One of his short stories from the series “Ghost Stories of Henry James” (Povestiri cu fantome), named “Sir Edmund Orme”, portrays this character as being a ghost, making him a young, elegant man, with white skin, impeccable manners, and a strange behavior. He is spiritually connected to Miss Malard, whom he seems to have killed at the end. The character shows a bizarre attitude he sits next to miss Malard in the church, he does not listen to the combination, he only prays shortly right in the of the church, he dresses in an old-fashioned way and he carries a walking stick, though he look very young. Sir Edmund Orme is a quiet character, a real gentleman, who gives people cold shivers, because of his appearance and way of acting. Henry James, conserves his simple and descriptive type of writing, which in this case is of great help into portraying the main character. Like all respectable ghosts of the 19 th century, Sir Edmund Orme has that same mysterious air, which increases the tension. Inspired by Romanian folklore, Alexandre Duma Père, composes a fine story, which takes place in the Romanian Carpathian area, seemingly at The Dukes’ Palace(Palatul Cnejilor) in Cheahlău. The novel “Nosferatu: the Ghost of the Carpathians” along with Barm Stoker’s novel “Dracula” were a true sores of inspiration with german director F.W. Murnau who made in 1922 one of the greatest horror movie of all times: “Nosferatu, the Symphony of Fear” (Nosferatu, enie Symphonie des Grauens). The novel tell the story of a young duke Gregory (Grigoriţă), who accidentally kills his brother while hunting. His lady, Hedwiga (Hedviga), receives the strange visits of the dead brother, Kostaki (Costache), whom she was suppose to marry. The strange phenomena surrounding, Kostaki’s death begin right after his death. When the corps is found, their mother makes Gregory swear on his brother’s body to revenge this death. Meanwhile, Hedwiga has her first horrendous experience, she sees the dead man’s eyes opening and piercing her sight, as he was still alive. As times goes by, Kostaki develops all the characteristics of a poltergeist: he shows himself to Hedwiga as the man he used to be, however his clothes were old, and his scar across the chest was visible under the shirt, his flash was rotted and the only thing that was still alive were his eyes. Although she fears she will be mistaken for a lunatic, the lady tells Gregory the great torment that his brother is putting her through. He does not believe her, but he gives her, but in order to calm her down, he gives her little branch of myrtle, wet from holly water, telling her to pray to the Holly Virgin, to escape her demon. A final confrontation between Gregory and the lifeless body of his brother takes place in the ending resulting in the death of the poltergeist according to popular believes: with his heart stabbed by Gregory’s sword. Dumas gives an impressively detailed description of all the details of Rumanian rituals related to fighting off poltergeists. He brings into the readers’ attention, not only the strange appearance of poltergeists, but also the ways in which villagers used to protect themselves from

these demonic ghosts. While Kostaki reveals a pact, he had with evil forces (he is able to speak another language, but yet he is understood by everyone, his black roar covers the sky, his eyes of fire, replace the moon, and his supernatural scream flies into the air), Gregory uses prays , and the divine powers in a peculiar way. He makes the sign of the cross with his left hand, he cuts the best’s hand with his blessed sword, and he manages to defeat the unstoppable, with the help of God himself. Another legendary characteristic is present in this novel. Hedwiga, confesses that every person who is kissed by a poltergeist keeps a pale color until their final moments, this unfortunately, being her case as well. In the last pages of the book, Dumas says the transformation of Kostaki, was the result of a curse that his family had. According to this curse, four generations of Brancovens, will have the same faith, in view of the fact that one of their ancestors had killed a priest. What is even more intriguing is the analogy with the name of Brâncovenu(a well known Romanian writer and politician) that the character has, however there no legends about the politician , ever been thought to be a poltergeist. Poetry: Though finding old poems about ghosts is hard, commenting on such a piece of literature is even harder. Emily Dickinson’s poem “The only Ghost I ever saw”* attracts one’s eye fist of all because it is so beautifully written, and for the unconventional theme: the description of a ghost. She pictures an odd person whom she meets in an “appalling day”. Starting with the way it is dressed, ending with the way it walks and acts around human beings, going back to its mute appearance, one single word seems to describe this ghost better than any other word, “quaint”. The old-fashioned manner to dress, the light, but at the same time, rapid pace recommend the creature as forming part of a another age. Its whole presence is quiet, perhaps because it wears no sandals, and it is so shy. The ghost responds to the character’s attempt to take him an interview in an unexpected way. It is uncommonly silent; shortening the whole conversation making is transient. The description is brief, but conclusive for the aspect of the ghost and for its behavior. Surprisingly, the visual and auditory images are dominant: “His fashions quaint, mosaic”, “His gait was soundless”, “His laughter like the breeze”. The mostly present figures of speech are the trope (“stepped like flakes of snow”, “laughter like the breeze”) and the comparison, as shown in the previous extracts. A challenging issue would be that of considering the motion lyrics and expressions as being personifications, or not. Therefore, besides portraying a ghost, I can say that Emily Dickenson raises another important matter. We should see ghosts as persons, or maybe we are simply entitled to call them “things”, this is the question, so to say. Romanian poetry about poltergeists has its main origins in folkloric legends, myths and ballads. An example that best suits this topic is Vasile Alecsandri’s poem, “Strigoiul”** (Vampire), which is in fact written as a folkloric Romanian ballad. Structured into three separate

parts, the poem presents the genesis of a poltergeist. To this incredible story, the poet also 29 appends (exactly from the firs lines) the perception that men have of these fictional beings. The poltergeist’s origins are according to old believes, human. Although, the logical chronological sequence would be for the story to be known before the warning “Tardy traveller, beware / Of that spectre gibbering there” is made, the poet find the matter so importantly dangerous that it starts with it: ” Close your eyes, and urge your steed To the utmost of his speed;-“ The place in which lays the grave of the poltergeist lacks live as much as him. The cross is in ruins, but firmly attached to the ground as no wind can move it. The soil is also ruined, as there is no grass, let alone any other plant, growing on this gravestone. It is common knowledge that animals have a more developed sense of danger, than humans do, therefore another sign of the devilish darkness held by this place, is the fact that no bird or animal would go near it. However it is the night, the one who reveal its darkest secret. The poltergeist is first described as a ghost, surrounded by mysterious lights, cursing his own sad faith. Then as the story is flows, he is describes in its human form, as a youngster, that leaves his beloved girl, in order to chase away on his white horse, which is said to be the sun of the wind. The final description is that of the haunting spirit which leaves his grave to harm the travellers. As a man, he seems rather irresponsible, as he leaves his maid in pursuit of an unmentioned illusions, ignoring her love, her worry and tears. Ignorance has a much too high price. Tragedy strikes, he falls over the doomed cliff, along with his horse. This is in fact the ultimate proof of the true force of those “black” vibes deeply hidden behind the “ruined cross”. The mystery continues, as the only apparent killers are the blue sparkles. To amplify this puzzlement, the ghost that rises from the grave in the final verse, is an anonymous creature, may which represent the poltergeist, who comes to take its pray, or the lad’s tormented soul, attached to this place by his own guilt. The writhing style is quite simple, but appropriate for this type of composition. The figures of speech intensify the feeling of scare, consequently amplifying the importance of the warning. The translation of the ballad resemblance the classic English writings, telling a slightly different story, concentrated around a vampire, described as the native predator and the representative of all occult forces. Comparing the two pieces, strictly from the perspective of their theme, we can state that both of them are inspired by traditional literature. Ghosts are a quite old and popular phenomena in America, therefore the fact that Emily Dickenson - who also had a predilection for related themes such as death and immortality- chose this theme for her poem does not come as a surprise. The ghost she presents is in fact a “secret formula” for immortality, the continuation of life, under some other form of life. By contrast, the poltergeist phenomena is an unlikely theme for Romanian writers, as very few of them refer to creatures or mention the actual term in their work. Many works include references to ghosts, but mostly in a figurate way, regarding unpleasant memories. When it comes to the actual description of these creatures, major difference is related to this topic. While Dickenson humanizes her ghost, making it “shy”, Alecsandri portrays a perfectly devilish character, incapable of feelings. Both descriptions are scary. E. Dickenson summarizes her paranormal experience in the adjective “appalling” and Alecsandri refers to a tragic, cruel death, suggesting the same horrible state. The lyrics show the fact that the creatures are death-related and have peculiar frightening appearances, being of course the central pivot of the poems.

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The text of the poem is in Annex 1 ** The text of the poem is in Annexes 2and 3. The translation was provided by www.lesvampires.org

In addition, some unrelated matter would be that both writers lived approximately in the same period and had a major contribution to their national poetry, becoming famous and continuing being well appreciated, even after death.

VII. Conclusions Conclusions: Assuming the risk of this cliché, we will start by saying that this theme inspires people numerous and diverse reactions. The main causes are, from my perspective, the lack of knowledge and the poor information on this matter. For example as previously mentioned in the introduction, the difference between poltergeists, ghosts and strigoi is not clearly made by regular people, interested in mythology. Moreover, experts say that the distinction between apparitions and devilish forces is still a puzzling matter for most persons and even for them. Notions like poltergeist women and the succubi (a succubus is a female demon appearing in dreams who takes the form of a human woman in order to seduce men, most popular character of this kind is Lilith, in Jewish mythology) are frequently mixed up. In addition, the American notion of “shadow persons” (apparitions of rapid shadows, which are associated to spirits that lack heavenly tranquillity) are often taken as common ghosts by people in Romania. This, we think, is because they (sometimes) represent versions of the same type of paranormal creature, but in different parts of the world. Romanian mythology is vast and if not beautiful, at least intriguing, therefore the fact some Hollywood productions were inspired by it supports this idea and makes us proud of our traditions. Though they are not the subject of an intense research, as the English or American spirits, poltergeists have attracted the attention of some film producers and writers overboard. They are growing popular, but are still associated to vampires. The characteristic which defines poltergeists and differences them from vampires is the fact that they are born this way, and they do not turn into devilish creatures only after death. Some other connections regarding vampires and strigoi are also wrongly made. It is true that vampires are allegedly born when a dog or a cat crosses their tombs and that they allegedly attack animals to poor the blood out of their bodies in order to feed, but they are not troublesome characters. Strigoi on the other hand, are said to cause lots of trouble, they are said to torment their relatives and those whom they met while sill alive. Some think that vampires can influence their victim’s taught, however there are no claims of the poltergeist to be able to do the same. the moroi entities which are sometimes included in the same category as poltergeists, can enter people’s dreams, therefore they resemble more closely vampires. One of the reasons why people get confused by these entities is the fact that the allegedly protection against such beings is the same. They are afraid of garlic and their hearts must be pierced with a wooden spire in order for them to vanish. Pricolici are ,sometimes, mixed up with ware wolves, but there are stories of devilish dogs in England and in America also. The reasons why poltergeist and ghosts are believed to belong on the same class of spirits are related to their manifestation. Poltergeists and ghosts can allegedly move objects, they might appear in the people’s dreams and they haunt their relatives more than they haunt anyone else. Both types of entities are trouble spirits attached to persons and tombs in the case of poltergeists and

to persons, locations, houses or former possessions in the case of ghosts. However the difference between these creatures are numerous. Ghosts are said to be presences or vapours or steam in the shape of human heads or bodies, while poltergeists are malefic spirits or bad persons, which torment and harm people. It is said that ghosts refuse to leave earth because they participated to tragic events, they died of similar causes or because they have unfinished business, here on solid ground; and, the common explanation is that they were atheists or bad human beings in their previous lives. Moroi and strigoi are said to invade people’s dreams in order to make them ill, while ghosts pierce dreams in order to send messages. Phantoms can allegedly trigger certain memories and they can also communicate through sings of faith, however poltergeists are unable to do so, as their only purpose is to cause discomfort. Another difference consists of the previously mentioned methods of getting rid of unwanted ghostly presences. While garlic is an inhibitor for poltergeist activity, the intensity of a haunting can only be diminished through prayers and blessings. What is more, spooks can allegedly talk in a loud voice and make different sound while, poltergeist can only communicate in dreams. This is why people can only suspect of being haunted by a poltergeist, while haunted houses are in general, very popular and rumoured, locally. Summarizing, though confusions are quite often made between Romanian mythological spooks such as strigoi, moroi, pricolici and the popular European vampires and ghosts, these are separate entities, which resemble one another from one ore more perspectives. Whether it is their manifestation, their supposed aspect or their forms of banishment, these reasons are not enough to completely identify one myth to another. This, we believe, it happens because of the poor information. Taking into consideration the fact that some civilisations, like the African ones do not have any mentions at all about demons and ghosts, plus the newly discovered interest on the population in the occult creatures, the thirst for thrilling ghost-stories is so big, that confusions are very easily made. From another point of view, the lack of knowledge is the main contributor, for the lack of artistic “evidence” of the paranormal in Romanian arts. Legends and stories about phantasms, poltergeists, and devilish wolves, are very many in our culture. Nevertheless, plastic artists and writers do not as seem to be as interested as foreign artists are of them. The additional cause is the fact that our artistic life tend to lose its human values. Young Romanian artists are very few. The artistic life is not very prosperous nor very profitable, so many talents are lost. As said in the notes ending this chapter, Romanian studies of the paranormal are quite poor in number. Art works are too. However, the existing work is of great value, for artistic and informative reasons as well. A comparison between English and Romanian works on paranormal Phenomena is not an easy task. Without referring to the style, which are inevitably different, there are some similarities. Most resemblances are in literature, music, and theatre, related to the increasing preoccupation of newly artists for this matter. When it comes to painting for example, many plastic artists from Romania and from the English speaking countries have “flirted” with this theme. Ghost figures and salutes, titles related to them and to poltergeists are a common toll of artistic expression. Young Romanian artists say they feel inspired by ghost stories or by novels and movies showing paranormal activities. Perhaps it is related to the fact that this type of works is thought provoking and they require our imagination. Songs, poetry and prose about ghosts are present in both English and Romanian cultures and the difference lays in the

way they are described. These are connected to the previously mentioned differences in folkloric belief, as this type of writing is inspired mostly by folklore. The biggest beneficiary of the paranormal muse is, undoubtedly the Since Fiction literature. However, there are many English scientific works about paranormal beings, spirits and strange, inexplicable activity. Film productions that include ghost stories, vampire tells, poltergeist activity or some other references to occult practices are a major hit nowadays. The theme has been intensively exploited, and now it has become a commercial act to produce a movie about vampires, poltergeists and not to mention ghosts. To what modern Romanian cinematography is concerned, unfortunately it is just taking its first steps towards European viewers, consequently some other subjects seem more exciting for our film producers. Plays with ghost theme are still part of the abstract theatre, in our country, while in America and in England they are much better received. Stories about haunted theatres and salons are popular in English countries, but sceptically perceived in our country. Summing up, the main differences in art’s perception and opinions of paranormal phenomena in Romania and the English speaking countries are generated by the differences that this supernatural creatures hold in traditional believes. Art is much more interested in the fantasy of these happenings than in the story in itself. It works with creativity and imagination and it is well contempt because this field stimulates exactly these two capacities of the human mind. Moreover, it is has been heard of artists who are paranormal enthusiasts; it is part of their notorious eccentricity and charm. Notes: The first observation we would like to note is regarding the low quantity of information about mythic beings unrelated to ghosts. For instance, though our country is famous because of the legend of Dracula, villagers, from the areas where poltergeist phenomena has been reported, say these evil souls have nothing to do with vampires. Meanwhile European and American specialists insist they are the same. However, in the absence of an accredited authority on this domain, our main paranormal tourist attraction will continue to The Bran Castle, while other locations with great potential such as the HoiaBaciu forest, the villages of Sinca Veche, Luncani or Poeni, will be known by foreign scientists, but not by all paranormal enthusiasts. To our mind, the vague information, the conservatism of elderly people, who sometimes, would not even mention paranormal creatures; for fear that, they might turn against them, the lack of implication of mythology specialists lead to the poor interest of the Romanian public eye. As opposed to this, English old Castles and rural areas promote their paranormal secrets worldwide. There fore, ghost enthusiasts are quite fond of England, and specialists in haunting quite numerous. The information on restless spirits, that these countries hold is not only rich, but overwhelming. England, Australia, America and Canada are now facing different danger, the false haunting claims. Due to this new problem they must confront, these countries have people who know how to identify a staged haunting, as well as they have specials who can resolve paranormal trouble. In addition, America was one of the fist countries to use the issues of haunting and demonic possessions as a public interest theme, by launching it

in the media. Sensational, unbelievable stories captured people’s attention dividing them into believers and non-believers. They inspired blockbuster movies, and even documentaries, news and television shows about haunted areas all over the continent, growing popular very rapidly. Nowadays there is a whole industry developing around paranormal. There are paranormal investigation teams, scientific researches on the world of spirits and all sorts of gadgets that can allegedly, detect ghostly presence and even enable then to speck with humans. The don of seeing or tacking to spooks has become a certified job in the states and professionals of this kind are still famous, but no longer heckled by the media. It is now common knowledge that the American police uses the abilities of psychics in their investigations, as well as the fact that this method has had to very satisfying results. By comparison, this subject is used in our press as well, but it does not generate the same amount of controversy. As previously mentioned, Romanian experts in paranormal are not that numerous and technologies for the identification of spirits are mostly imported.

Bibliography: ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗

D. Scott Rogo, The Poltergeist Experience (NY: Penguin, 1979) Raymond Bayless, The Enigma of the Poltergeist (West Nyack, NY: Parker, 1967) Robert Curran, The Haunted: One Family’s Nightmare (NY: St. Martins Press, 1988) Michael Goss, compiler, Poltergeists: An Annotated Bibliography of Works in English, Circa 1880-1970 (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow, 1979) Herbert Thurston, Ghosts and Poltergeists (Chicago: Henry Regnery, 1954) Guy Playfair, The Unknown Power (NY: Simon & Schuster, 1975) Nandor Fodor, An Encyclopedia of Psychic Science (Secaucus, NJ: The Citadel Press, 1966) Colin Wilson, Mysteries: An Investigation Into the Occult, The Paranormal and the Supernatural (NY: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1978) Victor H. Ernest, I Talked With Spirits (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1971) Ben Corlaciu, Strigoaica şi casa nebună (Bucharest:Eminescu,1973, Coperta: Mihai Sânzianu) Alexandre Dumas Père, Strigoiul Carpaţilor, translated by D. Anghel şi Şt.O. Iosif (Bucharest: Minerva,1909) Henry James, Povestiri cu fantome(Bucharest: Echinocţiu,1991) Peter Ackroyd, The English Ghost: Spectres Through Time (London, Chatto & Windus, 2010 ) Coordinated by Jason Solomons, Steven Jay Schneider,1001 de filme de văzut într-o viaţă - reviews collection (Bucharest: RAO Encyclopedia, 2008) Articles from: The Sun (online edition: www.thesun.co.uk/sol ) The Farmers Guardian, Gândul Blogs: www.urbaniulian.ro , www.mysterymag.com/hauntedbritain , Sites: www.lovendal.net www.devonyfc.co.uk www.descoperă.ro www.deviantart.com (photos and images)

The only Ghost I ever saw Emily Dickinson The only ghost I ever saw Was dressed in mechlin, -- so; He wore no sandal on his foot, And stepped like flakes of snow. His gait was soundless, like the bird, But rapid, like the roe; His fashions quaint, mosaic, Or, haply, mistletoe. His conversation seldom, His laughter like the breeze That dies away in dimples Among the pensive trees. Our interview was transient,-Of me, himself was shy; And God forbid I look behind Since that appalling day!

Vampire (Strigoiul) Vasile Alecsandri Near the cliff's sharp edge, on high Standing out against the sky, Dost thou see a ruined cross Weatherstained, o'ergrown by moss, Gloomy, desolate, forsaken, By unnumbered tempests shaken? Not a blade of grass grows nigh it, Not a peasant lingers by it. E'en the sombre bird of night Shuns it in her darksome flight, Startled by the piteous groan That arises from the stone. All around, on starless nights, Myriad hosts of livid lights Flicker fretfully, revealing At its foot a phantom, kneeling Whilst it jabbers dismal plaints, Cursing God and all the saints. Tardy traveller, beware Of that spectre gibbering there; Close your eyes, and urge your steed To the utmost of his speed;-For beneath that cross, I ween, Lies a Vampyre's corpse obscene! Though the night is black and cold Love's found story, often told, Floats in whispers through the air, Stalwart youth and maiden fair Seal sweet vows of ardent passion With their lips, in lovers' fashion. "Restless, pale, a shape I see Hov'ring nigh; what may it be? 'Tis a charger, white as snow, Pacing slowly to and fro Like a sentry. As he turns Haughtily the sward he spurns.

"Leave me not, beloved, tonight! Stay with me till morning's light!' Weeping, thus besought the maid; 'Love, my soul is sore afraid! Brave not the dread Vampyre's power,

Mightiest at this mystic hour!' Not a word he spake, but prest The sobbing maiden to his breast; Kissed her lips and cheeks and eyes Heedless of her tears and sighs; Waved his hand, with gesture gay, Mounted--smiled--and rode away. We rides across the dusky plain Tearing along with might and main Like some wild storm-fiend, in his flight Nursed on the ebony breast of Night? 'Tis he, who left her in her need-Her lover, on his milk-white steed! The blast in all its savage force Strives to o'erthrow the gallant horse That snorts defiance to his foe And struggles onward. See! below The causeway, 'long the river-side A thousand flutt'ring flamelets glide! Now they approach, and now recede, Still followed by the panting steed; He nears the ruined cross! A crash, A piteous cry, a heavy splash, And in the rocky river-bed Rider and horse lie crushed and dead. Then from those dismal depths arise Blaspheming yells and strident cries Re-echoing through the murky air And, like a serpent from its lair, Brandishing high a blood-stained glaive The Vampyre rises from his grave!

Strigoiul Vasile Alecsandri În prăpastia cea mare, Unde vântul cu turbare Suflă trist, înfricoşat, Vezi o cruce dărâmată Ce de vânt e clătinată, Clătinată ne-ncetat? Împrejur iarba nu creşte Şi pe dânsa nu-şi opreşte Nici o pasăre-al ei zbor; Că sub dânsa-n orice vreme Cu durere jalnic geme, Geme-un glas îngrozitor. Când e noapte fără stele, Mii de flăcări albăstrele Se văd tainic fluturând, Şi prin ele crunt deodată O fantasmă se arată, Se arată blestemând. Călător nenorocite, Fugi de-acele căi pocite De ţi-e calul de bun soi, Că-n mormântul fără pace Şi sub cruce-acolo zace, Zace singur un strigoi! Într-o noapte-ntunecată Dulce şoaptă-namorată Prin văzduh încet zbura. Două umbre sta în vale, Ce, cuprinse-n dulce jale, Amor vecinic îşi jura. Iar pe-o culme-n depărtare Se vedea mişcând la zare Un cal alb, copil de vânt; Coamele-i erau zburlite, Ş-a lui sprintene copite Săpau urme pe pământ.

Nu te duce, nu, bădiţă! (Zicea blânda copiliţă Cu ochi plânşi, cu glas pătruns) Ah! te jur pe sfânta cruce! Stai cu mine, nu te duce... Dar voinicul n-a răspuns; Ci, strângând-o cu-nfocare, După-o dulce sărutare, Repede s-a depărtat Şi, sărind cu veselie Pe-al său cal de voinicie, În văzduh s-a afundat. Cine-aleargă pe câmpie Ca un duh de vijelie Într-al nopţii negru sân? Cine fuge, cine trece Pe la ceasul doisprezece?... Un cal alb, cu-al său stăpân! Vântul bate, vâjâieşte, Falnic calul se izbeşte, De se-ntrec ca doi voinici. Dar prin neguri iată, iată Că lucesc pe câmp deodată Mii de focurele mici. Ele zbor, se depărtează. Zboară calul, le urmează, Păşind iute către mal. Stai, opreşte!... de pe stâncă, În prăpastia adâncă Au picat stăpân şi cal! Şi-de-atunci în fund s-aude Gemete, blăstemuri crude Care trec pe-al nopţii vânt. Şi de-atunci ades s-arată O fantasmă-nfricoşată Care iese din mormânt! (1845, Mânjina)