Haunted Castles

Haunted castles seem to hold a special fascination for paranormal enthusiasts. Read on to learn the stories associated with some of these famous, and not so famous, dwellings.

Tales of Haunted Castles

There's a theory amongst parapsychologists that people leave some of their energy behind in the places where they live. This seems especially so when those lives end abruptly, and often violently. A castle that has stood for centuries may collect energy from numerous inhabitants throughout the years. If this theory is true, it's no wonder that paranormal activity is reported at so many castles around the world. Here are a few examples for your perusal.

Denbigh Castle, Wales

The ancient ruins of Denbigh loom above the Welsh town that is its namesake. It's believed the castle was built around 13th century for Henry de Lacy.

Denbigh reportedly hosts two lost spirits. The first is a version of the classic "White Lady" that has been reported in so many hauntings around the globe. She mainly appears as a mist-shrouded figure floating around the base of the castle's water tower. She might do so with good cause. Legend has it that de Lacy's own son fell from the tower and died. Could it be that the White Lady is the boy's own mother, or perhaps a grieving nursemaid? The tower itself holds a particular fascination for the locals. They claim that sometimes you can see the face of a young boy from the tower window.

Dracula's Castle, Romania

This castle is rich in legend. Its actual name is Bran Castle, and it is only one of several residences that belonged to the infamous Vlad Tepes, a Romanian Count renowned for his cunning as well as his cruelty.Vlad the Impaler, as he came to be known, impaled thousands of his enemies on stakes, leaving them to die slow, torturous deaths. Bran Castle also housed a series of dungeons in its bowels where Vlad reportedly tortured even more of his opponents. In fact, it is this bloody history that inspired Bram Stoker to write his novel, Dracula. The novel's main character is based on Vlad himself, but Stoker took the original legend and embellished it into the quintessential vampire tale, one that still resonates deeply with audiences around the world. Combining the original legend with the literary one, Bran Castle has become known simply as "Dracula's Castle", and it is a major tourist attraction in Transylvania. Perhaps the echoes of so much violence committed within and without the castle walls taint the fortress' atmosphere, but there is definitely a menacing feeling to the castle. Many visitors come to the castle with the notion that Dracula may still lurk there himself, hidden away until the urge to feed on blood draws him out once more.

Drumlanrig, Scotland

Built in the 17th century, Drumlanrig once belonged to William Douglas, the original Duke of Queensbury. This site is reportedly occupied by at least two ghostly apparitions of very interesting natures.The first apparition is known as the Yellow Monkey, and this haunting is apparently connected to a specific room within the castle. To date, no records have ever been uncovered to reveal that any of the castle's residents ever owned such a pet. Is this really an apparition of some sort of actual ape, or could it be more along the lines of an elemental it?

The second apparition is also quite classic in terms of ghost stories. A headless woman has been reported to walk the corridors. Some people believe this spirit belongs to Lady Ann Douglas, and they say she carries her head in hand as she walks along. Perhaps the greatest mystery, aside from the haunting itself, is that there is no official record of Lady Ann having been beheaded. Could this be a case of a private execution that was never made public? Is the ghost of Lady Ann a silent witness to her own demise? The world may never know.

The haunted castle also houses a narrow hallway that has come to be known as the "Bloody Passage" where a mysterious stain in the floor could never be scrubbed clean. Some people believe the stain is blood from a victim who was murdered there. People also report a heavy, menacing atmosphere in the hallway, and most feel compelled to hurry through the passage.

Leap Castle, Ireland

Leap Castle is legendary among haunted castles, and is reportedly the most haunted location in all of Ireland. The history of the haunted castle is steeped in bloody clan warfare. Ghostly tales include the appearance of a monk who was killed by his own brother in what has become known as the "Bloody Chapel". An oubliette, a type of narrow, deep dungeon accessed through an opening in the floor, was discovered by laborers working in the castle for a subsequent owner. The dungeon's floor was lined with long spiked poles, and scattered throughout the poles were thousands of human bones. One can only image the pain and terror that accompanied such a death. Could any of these souls still remain within Leap's walls?

The most disturbing paranormal activity surrounds reports of an inhuman phantom often referred to as an it. Such creatures are classed as elemental spirits, and are sometimes considered to be demonic in nature. The it of Leap Castle has been described as vaguely resembling the rotting carcass of a sheep with unsettling, dark human eyes. The smell is said to be overwhelming, but this apparition is also accompanied by strong feelings of menace. There are a few reports that this elemental has attacked people in the past. In fact, such an attack was recently reported on an episode of Ghost Hunters where one of the investigators was bowled to the ground by an unseen force in the darkness.