A sudden drop in temperature is often associated with hauntings. The question is why? We also look at Mary King’s Close.
Tag Archives: horror
Wintry Reading
Now come the days of taking shelter with something booky with the heating turned up or swathed in a duvet chrysalis. Here are some of the books I like to revisit in autumn and winter.
Ghostly Force Fields
How come ghosts are associated with high EMFs (electromagnetic frequencies)? Do the EMFs provide the “ghosts” or do the ghosts cause higher EMFs? Let’s investigate…
Reviews from Goodreads in 2012
Digitally looking back to a less complicated time, I found the first reviews I wrote on Goodreads in 2012, when I was aged 19 to 20.
Poems & Writings for the Dark Season
A selection of poems and excerpts for Halloween and the dark Gothic season that falls afterwards along with website and YouTube channel recommendations
Reviews from Goodreads in 2013
Digitally travelling back to a less complicated epoch, I found old reviews I wrote for books on Goodreads in 2013, when I was but a callow youth of 21.
More Book Reviews from Goodreads in 2015
Delving into the archives of reviews I penned on Goodreads in 2015.
The Stories We Tell Ourselves
Why do we tell stories and how are archetypes used in literature and marketing?
Old Book Reviews from Goodreads
Old book reviews written by Han Adcock in 2021.
Testing Ghost-Hunting Apps
Last time I posted, I covered old-fashioned and modern tools that paranormal investigators use when visiting supposedly haunted locations. As I said I would, I have trialled a few iPhone apps that claim to detect presences and enable the layperson to communicate with entities from the “other side.” To start with I used the appsContinue reading “Testing Ghost-Hunting Apps”
Fireships and Ghostlights
Last week we covered some different versions of will-o-the-wisps from various corners of the Earth, some well-known, others almost unheard of (by those in the Western world, that is). What follows are some extra ghostly oojamaflicks that didn’t make it into that post, including a phantom fireship. The Fireship of Baie des Chaleurs Otherwise calledContinue reading “Fireships and Ghostlights”
Ignes Fatui Around the World
Latin – English translation: “Foolish Flames.” Known in the UK as hinkypunks, friar’s lanterns, or jack-o-lanterns, ignes fatui or ghostlights / will-o-the-wisps appear in certain areas and are believed to lead travellers astray in folklore (or, sometimes, to show them the correct route to take if they are already lost). Last week’s post covered theContinue reading “Ignes Fatui Around the World”
Serendipitous Ghost Photography
Last week I blathered on about photographic methods for faking images of ghosts. This time we will be taking a look at how ghosts appear in photographs by chance. Accidental spirit photography usually falls into two categories: orbs and faint figures (often consisting of faces or head-and-upper body forms, though there are exceptions.) Orbs: TheseContinue reading “Serendipitous Ghost Photography”
Who and What is Skati of the Skins?
No one knows about the existence of this mystical man, apart from the evil Lady of a Thousand Faces. However, she cannot gain access to him or to the structure in his possession that she covets, which is good news for humanity. Residing in a solitary tower in a secret part of Dal-Rhiatah known asContinue reading “Who and What is Skati of the Skins?”
Who was Saint Eridmus?
In the present day, not many people know who Saint Eridmus was and what he did to become revered, let alone why the Church of St Eridmus bears his name. During the time in which the second book of the Nighthunter is set, there are no such things as wizards. They were all wiped outContinue reading “Who was Saint Eridmus?”
St Eridmus’s Church
The Church of Saint Eridmus is located on the outskirts of Corvin village in Dal-Rhiatah, the Northwestern continent. In the days before the old gods were forgotten — before the curse of the Grim began — the villagefolk would attend the church regularly, at least four times a year coinciding with the equinoxes. However, inContinue reading “St Eridmus’s Church”
The Psyche Technicians
In the grounds of Sunnyside orphanage in Corvin village, Dal-Rhiatah, is a separate building normally cordoned off to the general public — that is, apart from the adults that work there and eleven-year-olds. The building, colloquially known as “The Doctor’s Office”, is a laboratory where the children of Dal-Rhiatah take the Test around their eleventhContinue reading “The Psyche Technicians”
What and Where is Coven?
No one in the village of Corvin, let alone in the continent of Dal-Rhiatah, knows precisely where Coven is or even of its existence, but it is sometimes briefly alluded to in ancient texts and oral storytelling in more rural parts of that country. Located somewhere in the misty, Ghost-ridden Barren Plains, Coven is aContinue reading “What and Where is Coven?”
Who and What is Reed?
Reed is the longstanding nickname of one of the eldest boys in the shanty town of Coven. Four or five years older than Toby and Elka, he is the main authority figure when Noran is elsewhere or otherwise busy. Whenever bands of children are sent out from Coven to patrol its perimeter and scrounge forContinue reading “Who and What is Reed?”
Who and What is Arnie?
In Book Two of The Nighthunter series, Arnie (or Arnauld Wornovik) is a bereft twin and socially awkward young teenager who prefers the company of Ghosts to living humans — or at least, he thinks he does. His penchant for hanging out in graveyards and trying to break into buildings that were previously Haunted, amongstContinue reading “Who and What is Arnie?”
The Lapuli
The most infamous stench in the world emanates from the lapuli. Its pungent venom is extracted for use in industrial-strength vermin repellents. The aroma is enough to cause children and those of a more sensitive disposition to lose consciousness and suffer vivid nightmares. In most adult persons, prolonged exposure to the smell causes lurid hallucinations.Continue reading “The Lapuli”
A Little More About Ghostmerchants
I touched upon what a ghostmerchant does and the role of that profession towards the end of this post in my blog marathon about magical objects and beliefs in folklore. In the second book of The Nighthunter series, the current ghostmerchant of Corvin is a dull and unassuming-looking man named Mr Brosban. His main jobContinue reading “A Little More About Ghostmerchants”
Who and What is Plintheus Morticum?
Plintheus Morticum the First, otherwise referred to as General Morticum or My Lord, is the leader and guardian of a race of sentient rodent-type creatures known as the Griny-Plinth. He lives in the Griny-Plinth burrow (which was constructed around and on top of an ancient burial mound) past the river Eridanus on the magical continentContinue reading “Who and What is Plintheus Morticum?”
Who and What is Toby Wyverg?
This introverted and thoughtful young lad is the younger brother of Elka Wyverg, a girl who suffers from the ability to summon different kinds of Ghosts whenever she feels strong emotions. Elka is a ghostbait child, confirmed by the Test all children in Dal-Rhiatah have to undertake in their eleventh year. We will meet TobyContinue reading “Who and What is Toby Wyverg?”
Babylonian Stones & Amulets… and the Corverus Stone
Part XIV of Amulets & Talismans Babylon had special boundary stones (or “kudurru” stones in Akkadian, a language used in ancient Mesopotamia). These stones were seen as sacred and magical. Kudurrus were a stone record of gifts (kind of like a receipt) especially for such things as land grants given to someone by the King.Continue reading “Babylonian Stones & Amulets… and the Corverus Stone”
All About Ankhs, Horus’s Eye, the Nazar… and the Coven Stone?
Part XI of Amulets & Talismans Also known as the Key of the Nile or the Key of Life, or the Crux Ansata in Latin (meaning a “handle-shaped cross”) the Ankh is an object that originates from ancient Egypt. It may have come from the 30th – 29th century BC. An ankh looks similar toContinue reading “All About Ankhs, Horus’s Eye, the Nazar… and the Coven Stone?”
Review: The Inhabitant of the Lake & Other Unwelcome Tenants by Ramsey Campbell
4 out of 5 stars One of my first thoughts, on reading “The Horror From the Bridge” (the second tale in this collection) was: who is Peabody and why is their voice drifting out of the window (on page 28)? The second story, “The Insects from Shaggai” was one of my favourites. The description ofContinue reading “Review: The Inhabitant of the Lake & Other Unwelcome Tenants by Ramsey Campbell”
Review: Welcome to Meadowbrook by Cassandra L. Thompson
4 out of 5 stars Trigger Warning: This novel contains themes of death, violence, and abuse. There is a trigger index at the back of the book. Welcome to Meadowbrook is a story of stories, beginning with a short poem by the author on how hotels are liminal spaces, which turns out to be importantContinue reading “Review: Welcome to Meadowbrook by Cassandra L. Thompson”
Cambions, Witch Prickers, and what in the nine Hells is a ghostmerchant?
Part IV of Amulets & Talismans In last week’s article on witch marks (and witch’s marks…) I touched on the “witch’s teat” and mentioned about cambions. Here is the lowdown on these entities. The witch’s teat — either some kind of skin tag or a supernumerary nipple — was a perversion of the maternal, andContinue reading “Cambions, Witch Prickers, and what in the nine Hells is a ghostmerchant?”
Witch Marks & Curse Tablets
Amulets & Talismans Part III Between the 16th and 19th centuries, strange marks were inscribed near the doorways, windows, and hearths of medieval churches, houses, and barns, and even in caves. Carved into stone or woodwork, these marks were for the protection of inhabitants and their visitors. Protection from evil spirits and witches, hence theContinue reading “Witch Marks & Curse Tablets”
Witch Balls and Witch Seats (Amulets & Talismans Part II)
Similar to witch bottles, witch balls were hollow vessels, usually fashioned out of glass, that were filled with things to ward off evil spirits, evil spells, bad luck, and of course witches. They were hung in cottage windows in the 1600s and 1700s, especially in East and South Sussex in England, though the custom ofContinue reading “Witch Balls and Witch Seats (Amulets & Talismans Part II)”
Amulets & Talismans: Witch Bottles
Amulets & Talismans Part I Witch bottles were a type of apotropaic magic (apotropaic = from the Greek apotrepo, which means to ward off). These strange bottles are mentioned in historical sources from both England and America, the earliest mention being from 17th-century England. However, the term “witch-bottle” was not used for them until the 19th century,Continue reading “Amulets & Talismans: Witch Bottles”
Who and What is Elka Wyverg?
Elka is an eleven-year-old ghostbait child living in Corvin, a village or small town in Dal-Riatah, with her younger brother (Toby) and her parents. Dal-Riatah is a continent in the North-West of the Dal-Riatan Empire and its environs, and this country has a curse on it: every child is born either ghostbait (they “Bring” GhostsContinue reading “Who and What is Elka Wyverg?”
A Demonic Possession in the 1980s
Part XIII of The Possession Diaries “The Devil Made Me Do It” court case was the first court case in American history where the defendant tried to claim innocence by saying he was demonically possessed. Arne Cheyenne Johnson somehow managed to make himself the host to a demon that “escaped” during the exorcism of aContinue reading “A Demonic Possession in the 1980s”
The Butcher Murderer of Ossett
Part XII of The Possession Diaries TRIGGER WARNING: Contains graphic descriptions of violence, murder, insanity. Michael Taylor was born on September the 21st, 1944, in Ossett, West Yorkshire, England. He worked as a butcher and was a member of a Christian Fellowship Group along with his wife, Christine. According to Christine, Michael was having aContinue reading “The Butcher Murderer of Ossett”
The lady behind “The Exorcism of Emily Rose”: Anneliese Michel
The Possession Diaries Part XI In 1976, a German Catholic woman died of malnutrition and dehydration after a series of sixty-seven exorcism rites. Her name was Anna Elisabeth “Anneliese” Michel, born in September 1952. Anneliese and her three sisters were raised by their strictly religious parents, Joseph and Anna. Anneliese went to Mass twice aContinue reading “The lady behind “The Exorcism of Emily Rose”: Anneliese Michel”
The Boy Behind William Peter Blatty’s “The Exorcist”
The Possession Diaries Part X In mid-1949, newspaper articles ran anonymous stories about the alleged possession and exorcism of “Roland Doe” or “Robbie Mannheim,” a 14 year old boy born to a German family living in Cottage City, Maryland, in the US. Their source was perhaps the former pastor of the child’s family, Luther MilesContinue reading “The Boy Behind William Peter Blatty’s “The Exorcist””
Clara Germana Cele, the girl who hurled nuns
The Possession Diaries Part IX One day in 1906, at Marianhill mission school in Umzinto, South Africa, a man named Father Erasmus Horner received a confession from one of the young Catholic girls in the school. Her name was Clara Germana Cele and she claimed to have entered into a deal with the Devil. SheContinue reading “Clara Germana Cele, the girl who hurled nuns”
The Not-So Secret Possession of George Lukins
The Possession Diaries Part VII The year was 1788, the place was Yatton village, in Mendip, county Somerset, England. Sarah Barber was travelling through the village and discovered George Lukins, a tailor and courier who was afflicted by a strange illness. On the 31st of May she sent word to Reverend Joseph Easterbrook, asking himContinue reading “The Not-So Secret Possession of George Lukins”
Whatever Happened To Elizabeth Knapp?
The Possession Diaries Part VI The case of Elizabeth Knapp’s possession was unusual in the sense that it was recorded and analysed from a more scientific point of view. Elizabeth was a servant in Reverend Samuel Willard’s household and the daughter of a farmer. Reverend Willard was a well-known preacher in the church of Groton, a PuritanContinue reading “Whatever Happened To Elizabeth Knapp?”
The Signs of Being Possessed, Magdelaine Bavent, and the Louviers Convent (The Possession Diaries Part V)
Magdelaine (or Madeleine) Bavent, born in 1607 in Rouen, was an orphan. Aged 12, she became apprenticed to a linenworker, who depended on the custom of the Church. According to a historian (Jules Michelet), the confessor of the establishment likely drugged his apprentices with a herb akin to atropa belladonna and made them believe he had taken themContinue reading “The Signs of Being Possessed, Magdelaine Bavent, and the Louviers Convent (The Possession Diaries Part V)”
Vampires According to Calmet
In 1751, an Abbot wrote a treatise on ghosts, vampires, and revenants. Dom Calmet, or the Abbot Antoine Augustin Calmet, wrote the book in two volumes. It was called “Treatise on the Apparitions of Spirits and on Vampires or Revenants of Hungary, Moravia, et al” In it, Calmet described a vampire as a “revenant corpse”Continue reading “Vampires According to Calmet”
The Book of Dom Calmet
The Abbot Antoine Augustin Calmet, a Benedictine monk and Lorraine scholar in the 18th century, published two volumes of a book, “Treatise on the Apparitions of Spirits, and on Vampires or Revenants of Hungary, Moravia, et al.” The book was about extensive investigations into the occult, angels, demons, and other types of spiritual entities. OriginallyContinue reading “The Book of Dom Calmet”
The Possession of Lady Elisabeth de Ranfaing – The Possession Diaries part IV
Mademoiselle de Ranfaing was perhaps the first person to be considered “truly” possessed by something, and her predicament was all seemingly caused by love potions. Her story was investigated and included in the book “Treatise on the Apparitions of Spirits and on Vampires or Revenants of Hungary, Moravia, et al” by an Abbot named AntoineContinue reading “The Possession of Lady Elisabeth de Ranfaing – The Possession Diaries part IV”
The Possession Diaries III: The Loudun Possessions
In 1634, a convent of Ursuline nuns in the French kingdom of Loudun claimed they had been visited and possessed by demons. After an investigation by the Catholic church, a priest named Father Urbain Grandier was accused of summoning the demons and sentenced to be burned to death at the stake. This case “rhymes” withContinue reading “The Possession Diaries III: The Loudun Possessions”
The Possession Diaries Part II: The Aix-en-Provence possessions
Welcome to part two of The Possession Diaries. You can find part one here The Aix-en-Provence possessions were a series of alleged demonic possessions amongst the Ursuline (the Order or Company of Saint Ursula) nuns of Aix-en-Provence, in South France in the year 1611. Father Louis Gaufridi was blamed and accused of causing the possessionsContinue reading “The Possession Diaries Part II: The Aix-en-Provence possessions”
Possession Diaries part I: Martha Brossier
In the Middle Ages, “demonic” possession was often used in society to explain strange or erratic behavior. Exorcism was the usual treatment for “demoniacs” and seemed to provide a bit of alleviation for the suffering of those distressed people. Diabolical, or demonic, possession is the term for when a person’s corporeal form has fallen underContinue reading “Possession Diaries part I: Martha Brossier”
Review: Crevasse by Clay Vermulm (a novella)
5 out of 5 stars Available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com Greg and Quinn decide to tackle a challenging climb up Mount Terror, a place where many strange disappearances have taken place. Later, Ellie the ranger is asked to carry out a search and rescue for Greg, but there is something more terrifying than the powers of nature lurkingContinue reading “Review: Crevasse by Clay Vermulm (a novella)”
Review: Fright House by Fred Wiehe
Available from Amazon.com,Amazon.co.uk, and Black Bed Sheet Books 4 out of 5 stars 17-year-old Penny is on the run from something — herself. Suffering from ghoulish nightmares (and perhaps waking nightmares / hallucinations), she agrees to a temporary job managing a Fright House in California during the Halloween season. Tory Jackson is the director of Paranormal SceneContinue reading “Review: Fright House by Fred Wiehe”
Another Review: Les Femmes Grotesques by Victoria Dalpe
3.5 stars out of 5 Available from CLASH books, Amazon.co.uk, and Amazon.com This modern, feminist, short Gothic horror fiction collection will bring you out in goose-bumps. A CREAK IN THE FLOOR, A SLANT OF LIGHT – There were some quirky details that put me in mind of Holly Black’s work. The tale had a delightfully gory legend about three girlsContinue reading “Another Review: Les Femmes Grotesques by Victoria Dalpe”
Nightwalks 