On August 30th, 2015, Wes Craven, a renowned horror film director passed away. He was a key contributor some of the most influential horror films and franchises of all time, including Scream, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and The Hills Have Eyes. For decades, people have enjoyed the thrill of horror films.
But before movies existed, there were stories. Scary stories and tales of ghosts and the supernatural exist throughout every continent, and throughout nearly all of human existence. Ghost stories were told for several reasons – for entertainment, to scare children into following rules, or to explain a seemingly unexplainable occurrence.
What better way to prepare for October 31st than learn a variety of scary stories? As we approach October and the Halloween season creeps up on us, I want to take a look at chilling ghost stories and supernatural legends from all around the world. Each week, I will select and share some scary stories from a different continent (with a couple exceptions).
So entertainment aside, you may be wondering why would anyone be interested in scary stories. One’s imagination and fears say a lot about them, just as urban legends and ghost stories can tell us about the culture, history, and values of a country. Hopefully, as you read each story, you will see some connections to the country in which the story resides.
One last thing, before the tour of scary stories begins – I want to remind you that all of these events actually happened and are based entirely on fact. Or at bare minimum, pretend that they’re all real in spirit of Halloween.