Ghosts: Did you mean...?

There are records of ghouls and ghost stories dating from very early times, right back to the beginning of literature and with oral traditions going even further back in time. What we find absolutely amazing is that the fascination for the...

Did you know that the Romans believed ghosts returned in the dreams of the living? This video is all about Roman ghosts, how they appeared, and what they meant. the Romans believed in ghosts as just another aspect of daily life. Each person...

The Man Who Wrestled with a Ghost (also given as The Indian Who Wrestled with a Ghost) is a Teton Sioux tale on how one should interact with the spirits of the dead in circumstances where one cannot avoid them. It is one of the best-known...

Image from a Japanese scroll which describes the realm of the hungry ghosts and how to placate them. Kyoto National Museum.

As part of the Hungry Ghosts Festival, incense is burned in front of homes in remembrance of one's ancestors and to give a pleasing scent to the spirits as they walk by.

Celebrations of the Ghost Festival include public altars and parades where food is thrown into the air. The ghosts are thought to be hungry and so food is provided for them in homes and also in public places. Altars of fresh fruit and sweet...

Richard III of England is tormented by the ghosts of his victims on the eve of his death at the Battle of Bosworth, in Act V Scene III of William Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of Richard III (c.1594), watercolors by Alexandre Bida, 1893...

Stone inscribed with an incantation that has 7 signs, repeated 7 times. It is much worn through use. From Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq, c. 800-550 BCE. The British Museum, London.

Medicine in ancient Mesopotamia was based on the belief that illness was caused by supernatural agencies and, although medicines were given and injuries treated, magical spells and incantations were also understood as effective. Among these...

The Ghost Bride is a story from the Pawnee nation on the danger of interacting with ghosts but also emphasizes the importance of keeping one's word, whether with the living or the dead. The young man in the tale does not know he is dealing...