Don’t say her name in the mirror thrice: 10 legendary ghosts, decoded

Image: Famitsay Tamayo

These days, it seems every city offers a ghost tour, every building over fifty years old claims cases of the supernatural, and every cemetery has a list of reported specter sightings. But the fascination with ghosts and the retelling of their haunted stories are as old as humanity. Let’s look into the names of some of the world’s best-known legendary ghosts and the eerie tales that have been passed down for generations.

Image: Tuva Mathilde Løland

The legend warns never to stand in front of a mirror and chant Bloody Mary’s name three times—unless you want her ghostly figure to appear before you, accompanied by supernatural, violent, and frightening illusions.

Her name is tied to a mix of historical and mythical figures. One origin points to Queen Mary I of England, nicknamed "Bloody Mary" for her persecution of Protestants. Other possible inspirations include Mary Worth, an alleged witch, or Elizabeth Báthory, a Hungarian noblewoman infamous for her cruelty.

This folkloric figure is widespread across many cultures, to the point that some believe she is a benevolent, helpful spirit, while others insist that she only returns to haunt those who disturb her.

Image: Andrew Neel

Made world-famous by the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, the Flying Dutchman is a maritime ghost story that originated in the 17th century during the Dutch Golden Age of sailing.

It is a ghost ship said to haunt the seas for eternity, often appearing to sailors as a glowing specter on the ocean. The legend originates from accounts of a Dutch captain and his crew attempting to cross a storm near the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. The captain sealed his own fate when he swore that he would continue through the storm, even if it took until Judgment Day. As a result, he and his crew were condemned to wander forever, as a symbol of bad omen for sailors.

Image: Katarzyna Pracuch

Unrelated to any bells and not necessarily a witch, the Bell Witch is a ghostly figure tied to a Tennessee farm since the early 19th century.

As the story goes, the Bell family lived on a farm near a cave where they frequently encountered disembodied voices, physical assaults, and poltergeist-like activity. They began referring to this unknown supernatural entity as a "witch" due to its unexplained and malevolent behavior.

The family blamed the sudden death of John Bell on this spirit, though they also reported acts of kindness from it, such as bringing out-of-season fruit to the widow, Lucy Bell, while she was ill. The whole mystery lived on and today the nearby cave is still known as the Bell Witch Cave.

Image: benjamin lehman

Imagine stopping your car on a deserted road in the middle of the night to pick up a hitchhiker, letting him climb into the backseat—only to turn around mid-conversation and find the seat empty.

The "Vanishing Hitchhiker" is a ghostly figure encountered along lonely roads worldwide. Variants of the story place him in different locations, from the U.S. to Europe, yet all follow a similar narrative.

The legend dates back to at least the 1870s, but older versions intertwine with religious folklore, in which gods or spirits disguise themselves as travelers to test human kindness—such as Hawaii’s tale of the goddess Pele.

Image: Mona Bernhardsen

Often tied to the waterways of Mexico, the name La Llorona translates to "The Weeping Woman." She is so named for her mournful cries near the water, where she weeps for the children she tragically lost.

According to legend, she drowned her own children in a fit of rage and despair after being abandoned by her husband. Overcome with grief, she took her own life and was doomed to roam the earth, searching for the souls of her babies and lamenting her loss.

Some variations spread throughout South America tell of just one son who drowned accidentally, while others trace the legend back to similar figures, such as the Slavic Rusalka—spirits of women who died near water and now haunt it.

Image: Valentino Mazzariello

Madam Koi Koi comes from a Nigerian urban legend—a spirit said to haunt boarding schools. She is believed to appear to students in their dormitories at night, her arrival announced by the clicking of her high heels in the corridors, a sound (koi koi) that gave her the name.

According to the tale, Madam Koi Koi was once a beautiful but strict teacher known for her elegant red heels. After being dismissed from her job for striking a student, she died in a tragic accident on her way home.

Before she died, she vowed never to leave the school. The legend varies, but most versions describe her as a vengeful spirit enforcing discipline on misbehaving children.

Image: Melissa Parker

Washington Irving made the story of the Headless Horseman widely known with his short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1820). The ghostly rider is said to haunt the small New York town near the Old Dutch Church, searching for his missing head.

Today, Sleepy Hollow’s ghost is a favorite Halloween icon. However, Irving likely drew inspiration from local legends and similar folklore. European tales already featured headless riders, such as the fearsome Irish Dullahan, a headless spirit who brings death while carrying his severed head in his fist, and the German Wild Huntsman, who was said to haunt forests.

Image: Tony Phan

The Ewe people of Ghana, Togo, and Benin have their own version of a vampire: the Adze, a shapeshifting creature that transforms not into a bat, but into a firefly.

This tiny, unassuming insect form allows the spirit to infiltrate homes unnoticed. Once inside, it sucks the blood of sleeping victims, causing them to fall ill and die. If caught, the creature transforms into a humanoid figure with the ability to possess people.

This African sinister being likely originated from a widespread fear of disease-carrying insects and the need to explain seemingly random illnesses within communities.

Image: Miljan Mijatović

The Ghost of Queen Esther is tied to the forests near Athens, Pennsylvania, and the banks of the Susquehanna River. Queen Esther is believed to have been a Native American of Iroquois descent who led a village in the late 18th century, around the time of the American Revolutionary War.

The legend stems from the Wyoming Massacre of 1778, when Native American warriors and British Loyalists clashed with settlers. Following the death of her son, Queen Esther allegedly retaliated by leading a raid that resulted in the deaths of several settlers—as well as her own. According to the tale, her dying words cursed the land, and her ghost is said to haunt the area, seeking retribution.

Local hunters have reported seeing her spectral figure in the forests or hearing ghostly screams in the night. The "Curse of Queen Esther" remains a prominent legend along the river.

Image: Petr Ovralov

The Bloody Bride is the ghost of a young woman who died in a horrific accident near Stevens Point, Wisconsin, along Highway 66. This site, and particularly the so-called Bloody Bride Bridge, is said to be where she met her tragic end on her wedding night.

According to the tale, a newlywed couple was involved in a car crash on the bridge while returning from their wedding. The eerie stories claim that she can still be seen wandering the bridge, distraught, or that she mysteriously appears in the backseats of drivers as they cross the bridge.

Ghost stories about tragic brides are not unique to this location, of course. Similar legends have existed worldwide for centuries, such as the "White Lady" figures found in European folklore.

Go beyond red, green, and blue

Learn the names of 12 rarely-used but beautiful colors

Image: Adrien Converse

In this day and age, when you can ask for anything online as long as you can express it in words, it is important to be specific about what you are looking for. Colors are no exception. Take a look at the following 12: Did you know that any of these existed?

Image: Simona Sergi

The first entry on our list goes to this mustard-like yellow or yellow-orange color named after a gum resin of similar tone, extracted from a Cambodian tree. The word Gamboge itself comes from the Modern Latin cambogium, which is the Latin version of the place name Cambodia.

Image: Sindy Süßengut

The name itself is very evocative of its nature, as it makes us think of the deep blue seas. But the ultramarine color’s name comes from the Medieval Latin word that means "beyond the sea" because the pigment employed to make this dye, called lapis lazuli, was imported to Europe from Asia.

Image: Taylor Friehl

If you are looking for a purplish-red tone, the Tyrian purple might be just what you need. This particular color was highly valued during the Byzantine Empire, in part because of how difficult it was to obtain. The base to create this shade of purple was in the secretions of a predatory sea snail. Definitely not an easy task if you need a lot of pigment.

Image: Nilendrajyoti Halder

The second unusual blue tone in our list, cerulean, can also be called a "deep blue", but you’ll find it if you look up, as it is described as "sky blue." The word "cerulean" comes from the Latin caeruleus, meaning "dark blue."

Image: irmingham Museums Trust

The word brings to mind a mixture of beige and grey, and that is no mistake. The color is much older than one would expect, with references to it in the English language going back as far as 1925.

Image: Elena Kloppenburg

While citric fruits include other colors, like orange, the word citreous refers specifically to a "greenish-yellow" color associated with lemons and limes.

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Which word would you use to describe the color of a sunset? Orange? Red? There is a word for such a color, and it is ponceau. It is described as "a vivid reddish-orange color."

Image: Erik Karits

The word puce means "flea" in French. And, yes, the puce color is a dark or brownish purple, not unlike the color of a flea. Perhaps not the most enticing or flattering color name but still, a unique color nonetheless.

Image: Heather Wilde

Another color name that comes from Latin, atrovirens is also the name of a coniferous tree. It refers to a dark green or a deep teal, not unlike the one found in these types of pyramid-shaped trees.

Image: Katelyn Greer

Most people are used to saying "flesh color" when it comes to describing a color that is similar to a pale skin tone, but there is a more accurate word for it: sarcoline.

Image: Daniele Levis Pelusi

A word that is seldom used these days but that describes a much-used color, even if it's named differently. Eburnean is something that is ivory in color. This off-white color is created by adding a touch of yellow to white.

Image: Ronaldo de Oliveira

A color that everybody thought already existed until they saw it, Vantablack is one of the closest colors to black… without being solid black. Vantablack pigment is the darkest man-made substance in the world because it absorbs almost all visible light.