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45 Bits of Spooky, Freaky Trivia That Must Have Fallen Out of Freddy Krueger’s Pocket While He Was Haunting Our Dreams

These facts aren’t for the faint of heart

45 Bits of Spooky, Freaky Trivia That Must Have Fallen Out of Freddy Krueger’s Pocket While He Was Haunting Our Dreams

October 15, 2024

Are your nightmares a little too tame lately? Do you miss the full-blown frights that came with getting your own room in the unfinished basement as a teen?

Well, look no further! Our patented nightmare fuel of a list is sure to beef those bad dreams right up. Simply read these terrifying paranormal tidbits, go to sleep and then wake up in a cold sweat after begging whatever’s chasing you to please stop.

45

Adams, Tennessee THE BELL WITCH CAVE Most caves can be pretty scary, but the legend of a dark witch who tormented the Bell family in the 19th century puts this one right up there. The witch was believed to have hidden away in the cave, making people think she left the area when she never really did. CRACKED.COM — Source

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Wotton-under-Edge, England THE HAUNTED INN The Ancient Ram Inn might look like a quaint and quirky little house, but it's believed to be home to everything that is macabre. The list of hauntings include an incubus, a succubus, the ghost of a witch who was burned at the stake, and children who were sacrificed in black magic rituals. CRACKED.COM — Source

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... TELL US NOW. KENNESAW HOUSE Marietta, Georgia MARIETTA MUSEUM OF HISTORY KENNESAW HOUSE. The Kennesaw House, also known as The House of 1000 Ghosts is a hotel that served as a makeshift hospital in the Civil War where many died within its walls, according to AP W. CRACKED.COM — Source

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... 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

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... TELL US NOW. GORE ORPHANAGE Vermilion, Ohio Tim S. alerted US to this haunted ruin. It is believed a fire at an orphanage took the lives of many children who were trapped inside. The cries of the orphans can supposedly be heard in this location, even though some attribute the strange noises to paranormal activity. CRACKED.COM — Source

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45 Bits of Spooky, Freaky Trivia That Must Have Fallen Out of Freddy Krueger’s Pocket While He Was Haunting Our Dreams — Eric L.

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45 Bits of Spooky, Freaky Trivia That Must Have Fallen Out of Freddy Krueger’s Pocket While He Was Haunting Our Dreams

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There is a forest in Romania that is home to paranormal activity.

Hoia baciu forest is referred to as the Bermuda Triangle of Romania. CRACKED.COM It's known for paranormal activity and unexplained events, including intense feelings of being watched, ghost sightings, bi- zarre-looking vegetation, UFO sightings, and hun- dreds of missing persons. — Atlas Obscura

37

La Ciguapa is a Dominican creature depicted as a beautiful slender woman with silky hair and backward feet. The legend goes that these women steal various things from the nearest villages such as raw meat, butter, and the occasional lonely man. They would lure these men with their beauty and passionately make love to the men which would kill them in the process. GRACKED.COM — Source

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CRACKED.COM The ahuízotl is a Mexican aquatic dog with spiky fur and a monkey hand in its tail. It attracts its victims by crying like an abandoned baby, drags them into the water and eats them. Well...just its favorite parts like eyes, teeth, and nails. — Source

35

Pangkarlangu is a monster that Indigenous people in the north of Australia believe in. It's a huge, hairy and sharp-clawed creature that roams the desert, capturing and eating human babies. CRACKED.COM — Source

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The Grootslang is said to have been a mistake by the gods. They made a dangerous creature that was strong, smart, and frightening. Half elephant Half snake Eventually the gods unmade them, but at least one grootslang is said to have escaped, and CRACKED.COM supposedly still lives in a cave in Richtersveld, South Africa. — Source

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Zanzibar's Popobawa is a demon described as a bat-like creature with one large eye, but it can also appear in different forms. The Popobawa creeps into rooms at night where it sexually assaults the entire household, although it prefers engaging with men. Before leaving, it instructs its victims to tell others about the attack. If not, it will return. CRACKED.COM — Source

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BARON SAMEDI CRACKED COM The Deity of the dead in Haitian Voodoo, he is noted for obscenity, debauchery, and a love of tobacco and rum. Better stay on his good side, because if you're ill, he can either heal you, welcome you into the realm of the dead, or resurrect you as a zombie. — Source

30

KALI CRACKED.COM This Hindu goddess slays and feasts in a necklace of skulls. Goddess of destruction, Kali appears in a constant state of bloodthirsty ecstasy, and is usually depicted as wielding weapons and hoisting bloody heads with four or more arms. — Source

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THE MORRIGAN CRACKED.COM In Irish mythology, this Phantom Queen seduced the dying toward death. The Irish war goddess was a figure of the battlefield, taking the form of one or three huge crows, she rained fire and terror over opposing armies before eating the dead. — Source

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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

27

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

26

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

25

Face-down burials prevented zombie infestations. Rich folks in the Middle Ages were sometimes buried face- down, as an act of humility to God-but in times of plague, face-down burials spiked, even among the poor. In the medieval mind, plague and the undead were related (and apparently revenants were too lazy to turn themselves around). CRACKED.COM — Source

24

For a guy in Britain, Groundhog Dayis a terrifying reality. The feeling of déjà vu usually goes away after a few seconds. But it came out in 2015 that an otherwise healthy young Brit had been in a constant state of déjà vu for years-living like he was stuck in a time loop, without even the advantage of knowing what was about to happen. 6 00 CRACKED.COM — Source

23

A PlayStation 2 disc was believed to be cursed - and it was (kind of). It was an internet myth for years: Kids who played some PS2 demo disc freaked out when disturbing images appeared on screen. The disc was finally identified in October 2020, containing for some unknown reason a trailer for the Japanese horror film Tetsuo: The Iron Man. PlayStation SELECT START ANALOG CRACKED.COM — Source

22

The Irish had their own unique story for these jack-o'-lantern lights, and it revolved around Stingy Jack. Stingy Jack invited the devil for a drink but couldn't pay for it, so he convinced the devil to turn into a coin so he could settle the bill. But Stingy Jack pocketed the devil-coin instead, and when he eventually freed the devil, he made him promise not to take his soul to hell when he died. When Stingy Jack died, he was rejected from heaven, and the devil kept his word and didn't take him to hell. Instead, the devil gave him — Source

21

Buddhists monks would mummify themselves while still alive. Some monks would become mummies (called sokushinbutsu) by following a starvation diet of pine needles and resins, to eliminate fat and dehydrate until they died. At least 24 people self-mummified this way before Japan banned the practice in 1879. CRACKED COM — Source

20

Donating your body to science? Prepare to be sold to, well, anyone. The brokerage companies handling body donations can't technically sell your stiff remains-but they do collect huge fees, for a massive profit. And pretty much anyone who pays these fees can get hold of you (or a part of you) with barely any hassle. CRACKED.COM — Source

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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

18

The Irish popularized Halloween in the US. When Irish immigrants came to the US in the 19th century after fleeing the Great Famine, they brought with them their love for pagan traditions, as well as their unique Halloween practices. CRACKED.COM — Source

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All Saints' Day didn't prove as popular as All Hallows' Eve. The pagan practices prevailed, however changed, as people weren't into celebrating the good and light exclusively. CRACKED.COM — Source

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Before sirens were turned into sexy murderous mermaids... ...they were bird-women, sent by the underworld to guide sailors to their imminent death through song. The shift has been traced back to the Middle Ages, when Christianity was spreading throughout Europe and the siren was used to personify the dangers of lust and female sexuality. CRACKED.COM — Source

15

A lich's phylactery, or soul jar, has roots in Russian folklore. In Russian mythology, Koshchei the Immortal was a powerful wizard who attempted eternal life by hiding his death in an egg, which he hid inside a duck, which he hid inside a rabbit, which he hid in a chest buried on an island. CRACKED.COM — Source

14

Zombies didn't develop a taste for brains until 1985's Return of the Living Dead. The movie explains that zombies feel themselves rotting, and eating brains makes the pain go away. CRACKED.COM — Source

13

Why do banshees scream? In Irish myth, a banshee's scream foretold a death in the house, and can be linked to keening, or traditional funeral wailing. Banshees themselves weren't malicous, but acted as sort of morbid patron spirits. CRACKED COM — Source

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Q: How did we come to depict the Grim Reaper with a scythe? A:The Great Plague happened. Where: Asia and Europe When: mid-1300s Death toll estimation: 25 million While earlier depictions of Death showed him using swords and other tools, the scythe was regarded by medieval people to be more productive for reaping crops... ...and in the case of the Grim Reaper, souls. CRACKED.COM — Source

11

Why are witches often depicted with warts? Because warts were considered the CRACKED.COM Devil's Mark during the Witch Panic of the 1600s. Those thought to be witches were searched from head to toe for a sign of the Devil's Mark, which could be anything from a scar to a mole to a wart. Warts were also believed by some to be the witch's teat, used to feed a witch's familiar (pet). — Source

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CRACKED.COM The white sheet ghosts most likely were inspired by the old tradition of burying people in white shrouds. — Source

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Vampires CRACKED.COM were actually cataleptic people trying to escape their coffins in the Middle Ages. Cataleptic episodes, loss of consciousness and the rigidity of the body, can sometimes last for days. This is oftentimes mistaken for death. The cataleptic then tries to claw his way out upon waking up. — Source

8

King Ghidora's multiple heads were inspired by Yamata no Orochi. Japanese legends describe Orochi as a dragon or snake with eight heads, which some scholars believe represent the branches of a winding river that was tamed for irrigation. CRACKED.COM — Source

7

The reason werewolves transform during the full moon might have to do with their bodies reacting to plasma projected from the moon, which is stronger when it is full. CRACKED.COM — Source

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CRACKED.COM There are two theories for why witches wear pointy hats, but both say it's a symbol of hate. One theory says it comes from the Jewish hats Jews had to wear in the Middle Ages (when they were often associated with Satan). Another says it's from Quaker headgear (in the mid-18th century, when the myth of the witch started to spread in the U.S., Quakers were believed to practice witchcraft). — Source

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Zombies are slow and shambling because of a single movie's choices. George Romero made the zombies in 1968's Night of the Living Dead slow and shambling, because he thought they should have some rigor mortis. Later zombie movies just took his ideas. CRACKED.COM — Source

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45 Bits of Spooky, Freaky Trivia That Must Have Fallen Out of Freddy Krueger’s Pocket While He Was Haunting Our Dreams — Source

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Ever wonder why Vampires have no reflection? It's because mirrors were originally backed with silver. Some say vampires are sensitive to silver because Ambrogio, supposedly the first vampire, was cursed to be burned by its touch. Or that silver is a metal that early cultures associate with purity, and vampires are impure. CRACKED.COM — Source

1

The Blob was allegedly based on a real event. CLA LUGOSI AIR CONDITIONER ONDITIONED WATCH EPAINS The sticky, crystal-filled, fog-emitting blob in question was reportedly witnessed falling from the sky by two Philadelphia officers in 1950. The FBI was called, but it disappeared before the cops' eyes before the federal agents got there. CRACKED COM — Source

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