The Tikoloshe: Africa’s Mischievous and Malevolent Water Spirit

A mythic creature with glowing eyes crouches beside a riverbank under a full moon, with mist and traditional African huts in the background.

Deep in the folklore of Southern Africa—especially among the Nguni peoples—lives the enduring legend of the Tikoloshe (also spelled Tokoloshe, Tikolosh, or Tonkolosh). This dwarf-like water spirit is known for its mischievous and sometimes malevolent nature, blamed for everything from harmless pranks to serious illness and even death. Origins and Nature of the Tikoloshe The … Read more

The Witches of The White Rose: Yorkshire’s Forgotten History of Accusation and Survival

A moody oil painting of three women accused of witchcraft in 17th-century England, standing solemnly beneath a cloudy sky.

Witchcraft in Yorkshire: Fact and Folklore For centuries, tales of witchcraft echoed across Yorkshire, blending folklore, historical fact, and social fear. While many stories were fueled by superstition, some were tragically real — involving ordinary women accused of extraordinary crimes. Herbal Remedies and the Witchcraft Act In the 16th and 17th centuries, using herbal remedies … Read more

The Whipping Toms: Leicester’s Lost and Lawless Shrovetide Ritual

An aged bronze plaque mounted on a museum column, depicting three figures from the Whipping Toms tradition in Leicester with medieval-style engravings.

A Glimpse into a Forgotten Tradition At Leicester’s De Montfort Museum, a worn plaque on a stone pillar offers a glimpse into a chaotic and long-forgotten tradition: the Whipping Toms of Shrove Tuesday. The Ritual Unfolds Each year, three young men dressed in blue smocks and blindfolded over one eye took part in the ceremony. … Read more

Baba Yaga: The Ancient Spirit Behind the Legend

An illustration of Baba Yaga as an elderly Slavic woman with wild white hair and a wooden staff, standing near her forest hut on chicken legs.

Origins of Baba Yaga Among the oldest and most mysterious figures in Slavic mythology stands Baba Yaga. While often depicted today as a frightening witch, her origins lie in reverence and protection. But what does “Yaga” really mean? The name “Yaga” likely derives from “Yashka.” In ancient Slavic chants, “Yasha” referred to a primeval ancestor … Read more

The Real Annabelle: The Innocent Doll That Houses Evil

A vintage Raggedy Ann doll with red yarn hair and button eyes, sitting eerily inside a wooden display case under dim lighting.

You’ve seen her in The Conjuring movies — porcelain, terrifying, possessed.But the real Annabelle?She’s not porcelain at all. She’s a simple Raggedy Ann doll, made of cloth and yarn — and she’s far more horrifying in real life. In 1970, a nursing student named Donna received the doll as a birthday gift from her mother. … Read more

The Devil’s Arch: Worcestershire’s Creepiest Modern Legend

An eerie photo of the Devil’s Arch pedestrian tunnel in Worcester, dimly lit and surrounded by urban mystery

Places of legend aren’t always ancient—or even that old. Take the “Devil’s Arch” in Worcester. Built in the 1950s as a simple pedestrian underpass beneath a railway line, it leads to a quiet residential area and canal. Yet despite its mundane appearance, this tunnel has developed a chilling reputation. As a boy, I was warned: … Read more

The Unbroken Ones

Worried man with a neck scar in a denim jacket stands under a streetlamp at night, a dark hooded figure lurking behind him in the shadows.

Luck or Something More? I always thought it was just luck. No broken bones—not even a sprain. I played rough as a kid—jumped off rooftops, crashed my bike, tumbled down stairs—but somehow, I always walked away without a scratch. People joked I had “rubber bones.” I laughed, too. Until I found out I wasn’t the … Read more

 The Legend Of Tommy Bixon.

Undead, tattered soldier in a cowboy hat gripping a combat knife, standing in the Arizona desert at dusk.

Submitted by: John Randolph A Small Town’s Dark Tale Every small town across the United States has its local spook story. But the legend of Tommy Bixon, from Ajo, Arizona, is one of tragedy, terror, and the macabre. The Star Athlete Drafted During the Vietnam War in 1967, the draft claimed many young men across … Read more

The Seal Woman of Kalsoy: A Faroe Islands Legend

Weather-worn bronze statue of the Seal Woman gazes over storm-tossed sea cliffs on misty Kalsoy Island.

The Enigmatic Statue of Kalsoy On the remote island of Kalsoy in the Faroe Islands stands a striking 8-foot statue of a woman, cloaked in legend and mystery. The Faroes are wild, rugged, and often shrouded in mist—isolated and untouched by mass tourism. While many travelers seek sun-soaked beaches and bustling cities, the Faroes offer … Read more