Joan Baez Delightfully Derails First Night of ‘Everybody’s Live With John Mulaney’

The Voice of Bart Simpson Says She Basically ‘Burps and Farts’ for a Living

‘King of the Hill’s Luanne Platter Is Named After A Beloved Texas Value Meal

29 of the Best Times a Character Said the Title of the Movie

Norman Lear Saved Original ‘Spinal Tap’

31 Myths and Legends to Prime the Pump for Halloween

‘Tis the spooky season

31 Myths and Legends to Prime the Pump for Halloween

September 13, 2024

You don’t need a spooky car like Christine, or the Chevy Nova from Death Proof, or Rob Zombie’s Dragula to rev your Halloween engines. It’s more of a metaphorical engine rev, you know? Like, “Get ready, folks. Halloween is upon us!”

That said, these myths and legends will definitively rev that figurative engine of yours!

Click right here to get the best of Cracked sent to your inbox.

31

UFOs

Miley Cyrus saw a UFO while out driving - and even an alien, apparently. The UFO chased her and a friend in her car, and even saw a being sitting in front of it. They made eye contact, and it shook her, she says. CRACKED.COM — Source

30

Lithuania

IN Lithuanian FOLK LORE, Aitvaras... IF IT ROOSTER MIGHT HATCH LAYS . INTO AN EGG AN A A DEMONIC chicken THAT LIVES IN YOUR HOUSE AND BRINGS YOU BAD LUCK UNLESS YOU feed it. IN REALITY, IF A ROOSTER LAYS AN EGG, THEN YOU WERE PROBABLY MISTAKEN ABOUT OWNING A ROOSTER. CRACKED.COM — Source

29

The Haunted Forest

... TELL US NOW. BROWN MOUNTAIN LIGHTS Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina Justin M. explains there's three folklore explanations for mysterious forest lights: ghosts of Cherokee warriors killed in the forest trying to find their way home by torchlight, ghosts of escaped slaves who died trying to flee to the North, and (of course) ALIENS. CRACKED.COM — Source

28

Venice, Italy THE HAUNTED ISLAND Poveglia Island is technically off limits to visitors, and the site was once a home to those quarantined and dying from the bubonic plague. Some believe that the soil is made up of 50% human remains. In 1922, a mental hospital was opened there, and horrible tales of a doctor brutally torturing his patients before jumping out of a bell tower are all part of its legend today. CRACKED.COM — Source

27

31 Myths and Legends to Prime the Pump for Halloween — Source

26

ONE BROADWAY THEATER IS A GIANT HAUNTED HOUSE GRACKED Actors are superstitious, but even then, it's hard to ignore decades of regular sightings of ghosts at the Palace Theater, including the ghost of Judy Garland. — Source

25

This painting was sold on eBay. The seller claimed it was haunted. The listing told a story about how the boy and the doll in the painting (called The — Source

24

Did he fall asleep watching Ray Stantz’ B.J. scene in ‘Ghostbusters’?!

BOBBY BROWN claimed he had sex with a ghost in a haunted mansion. In his memoir Every Little Step, he wrote, One memorable night, one of the ghosts descended from the ceiling and had sex with me. After you stop laughing, I need you to hear what I'm saying because I'm not making this up. Не made sure to specify that he wasn't on drugs. CRACKED — Source

23

Jim Carrey

CARREY STAYED IN 'THE SHINING' HOTEL ROOM CRACKED.COM Hotel scenes were shot in the Stanley Hotel, which inspired Stephen King's 'The Shining'. Carrey stayed in famously haunted room 217, and a tour guide claims that, after 3 hours, he sprinted out of the room in terror. To this day, he refuses to say why, but people speculate it could be a life-long prank. — Source

22

The Innkeepers

BTS STORIES FROM HORROR MOVIES 2011 THE INNKEEPERS The movie is based on a haunted hotel Ti West where and his crew stayed while shooting The House of the Devil. During production, they witnessed flickering lights, slamming doors, and according to West, actress Sara Paxton would wake up in the middle of the night thinking someone was in the room with her. CRACKED.COM — Source

21

Myths with real-life consequences Ghosts (the canine kind) Robbie Williams (yes, that Robbie Williams) sold his house because it was too haunted for his tastes. His daughter said she didn't like living there, and Williams himself says he saw his dog Trixie's ghost there. CRACKED — Source

20

A cremated child was sprinkled over a Disney ride.

There are human remains in Disney's Haunted Mansion ride. CRACKED.COM According to former Disney employee David Koenig, a tourist group requested a little extra time on the ride so they could hold a quick memorial for a 7-year-old boy. — Source

19

Every year, hundreds of fireballs erupt from the surface of the Mekong River in Thailand. Nobody knows what causes them. Locals believe a mythical ser- pent called Naga spits fire from the water. The event is known as 'Naga Fireballs.' CRACKED NOW YOU KNOW — Source

18

Scottish Unicorns

The national animal of Scotland is the unicorn. GRACKED.COM The mythical beasts adorn castle walls, cathedrals, and Linlithgow Palace, birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots. — Source

17

Aluxes? Aluxen?

CRACKED THE PRESIDENT OF MEXICO IS HUNTING FOR MYTHICAL CREATURES. President Obrador recently posted a photo on his social media that he believes is an Aluxe from Mayan folklore. The photo was taken in the Yucatan Peninsula, which was the home of the Mayans. — Source

16

CRACKEDCON HIMALAYAN VILLAGERS JUST PLAY ALONG WITH YETI HUNTERS. Western city slickers' obsession with the mythical snowdude is quite lucrative in th — Source

15

DROWZEE IS A BAKU KH GRAGKED.COM Said to have been cobbled together with leftover pieces of animals made by the gods, the baku is a mythical chimera that devours the nightmares of children. Like the baku, Drowzee uses the Dream Eater move to restore itself from sleeping opponents. — Source

14

Victorian London

Alligators weren't the first mythical sewer dwellers. Urban legends about sewer gators have their roots in Victorian London. Underground workers known as toshers had tales of wild pigs and supernatural rats. Similar myths go back even to ancient Rome. CRACKED.COM — Source

13

Mythology

In Japan, people fear a giant, unwashed foot that appears before you and demands to be washed. CRACKED.COM It is said that if you don't wash the Ashiaraiyashik, it will rampage through your house until satisfied. 27% — Source

12

Seeing a spider on Halloween is a good thing. Many believe that a spider on Halloween is actually a loved one watching over you. CRACKED.COM — Source

11

Owls had much of the same societal fate as witches. The ancient Greeks linked owls to the goddess Athena and saw them as symbols of wisdom, but during the Middle Ages they were given an evil reputation and were associated with both death and devil worship. CRACKED.COM — Source

10

Black cats have always been part of folklore and superstition. In Scottish folklore, there's a fairy named Cat Sith who walked around as a giant black cat, stealing the souls of the dead. In Medieval times, they were associated with the devil, and even blamed for the Black Death. CRACKED.COM — Source

9

Witches and Halloween Members of the pagan Wicca were once highly respected, and were seen as wise people who honored and celebrated natural forces instead of a single deity. But the Christian religion with its male hierarchy saw them as powerful, dangerous feminists with dark powers, and connected them with all things evil, especially on Halloween. CRACKED.COM — Source

8

Bobbing for Apples

Bobbing for apples was part matchmaking, part fortune telling. Young women would mark their apples in secret before dumping them in a water barrel. The men would then try to catch the apples with their mouths, resulting in future matchup predictions. CRACKED.COM — Source

7

There was a brief effort to purify Halloween. In the late 19th century, Halloween celebrations were focused away from ghosts and pranks and more toward communities and get-togethers. They tried to center it around the kids, and parents were told to refrain from anything frightening or grotesque during these celebrations, taking away much of the superstitions and religious influences. CRACKED.COM — Source

6

Jack-o'-lanterns then evolved to mean strange mysterious lights seen at night over swamps and marshes. These lights were created when gases from decomposing plants ignited as they became oxidized. But this was before people understood the science. They were also called hinkypunks, corpse candles, and will-o'-the-wisps. CRACKED.COM — Source

5

Originally, jack-o'-lantern was a person, not a pumpkin. It initially meant a man with a lantern, or a night watchman. CRACKED.COM — Source

4

Early Halloween

Costumes had a greater significance than today. The Celts wore costumes, usually in the form of animals or beasts, to trick and fool any spirits that might want to bring them harm. CRACKED.COM — Source

3

Trick-or-treating was done differently. During Samhain, sacrifices in the form of crops or animals were burned in bonfires (originally called bone fires), and food offerings were left outside to distract any evil spirits roaming about. Tricks and pranks were played but they were always blamed on fairies and mischievous spirits. CRACKED.COM — Source

2

Samhain also marked the beginning of the Celtic new year. Samhain Novembe Winzer Auncumnal October Soltice equinox Occepien Seprember January August Lughnasadh Imbolg Lebenasy July Darch June Summer CDAy Apek VeRnal Solzice Equinox Belrainne The Celtic calendar was divided into two halves - the light and the dark. Samhain, also called the fire festival, signalled the beginning of the dark half of the year. It was seen as a time of death and rebirth, and marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the cold months. CRACKED.COM — Source

1

Honor the Dead

Halloween is a mashup of different cultures and traditions. It originated with the Celtic people and was a festival called Samhain. The Celts believed that at the end of summer in the north, the barrier between our world and the world of spirits were at its thinnest. So they had a festival to honor the dead and keep evil spirits away. CRACKED.COM — Source

Tags:

Visual

Scroll down for the next article

Must Read

Movies & TV

How Gene Hackman Inspired One of ‘The Simpsons’ Most Iconic Moments

Trivia & Jokes

33 Ultimate Moments of Petty Revenge

Movies & TV

Meet the Members of ‘SNL’s Musical Guest Five-Timers Club

Movies & TV

9 Non-Toxic Trivia Tidbits About Troma’s Toxic Avenger

Science & History

14 Brazen Lies That Got Brands Sued into Oblivion

Music

5 Ways Live Bands Dealt With Unruly Fans

VIRAL ON CRACKED

1

How 22 Celebs Got Their Stage Names

2

40 Buried TV Shows and Movie Scenes We Rescued From the Land of Forgotten Media

3

18 Common Foreign Practices That America Needs to Steal

4

20 Movies That Fudged The Truth

5

13 Historical Pranks That Put Modern Corporate Goofs to Shame