What are some well - known ghost stories?

One well - known hoax ghost story is the Amityville Horror. It was later found that many of the'spooky' elements were fabricated for financial gain. Another is the Bell Witch Haunting, which over time has had elements of exaggeration and false claims added to it. There's also the Cottingley Fairies, which were actually just cut - out pictures made to look like real fairies, but were presented as evidence of the supernatural.

There are stories of apparitions that seem to be the figures of the people who ended their lives in Aokigahara. These apparitions are often described as looking lost and forlorn. Many believe that the negative energy in the forest gives rise to these spectral appearances. Legend has it that the forest has an almost magnetic pull for those in despair, and the resulting deaths have left behind a sort of spiritual residue. People who have visited the forest have sometimes reported seeing a figure in the distance that disappears when they approach, which they think could be one of these spirits.

In certain African cultures, there are also ghost marriage stories. For example, among some tribes, if a man died unmarried, his family could choose a woman to be symbolically married to him. This woman might then be considered part of the family and have certain rights and responsibilities within the family structure. The idea was often rooted in cultural beliefs about the afterlife and the importance of family continuity even in death.

One famous Tudor ghost story is that of Anne Boleyn. It's said her ghost haunts the Tower of London. After her execution, people claim to have seen her headless figure wandering around the place where she was beheaded.

The ghost of Lady Howard of Fitzford is a well - known one. She was said to be a cruel and wicked woman in life, and her ghost is supposed to haunt the areas around Tavistock in Devon. People claim to have seen her spectral figure in the moonlight.

One popular Victorian ghost story is 'The Woman in Black'. It's about a mysterious woman in black who haunts a small English town. Her appearance is often associated with death and misfortune. Another is 'The Monkey's Paw'. It tells a tale of a magical paw that grants wishes but with terrible consequences. And 'Carmilla' is also well - known. It features a female vampire, which was quite a unique and spooky concept during the Victorian era.

One well - known Brothers Grimm ghost story is 'The Girl Without Hands'. In this story, a miller makes a deal with the devil and as a result, his daughter loses her hands. There are elements that can be considered spooky, like the devil's influence. Another is 'The Juniper Tree' which has a rather macabre plot involving murder and a supernatural transformation. And 'The Robber Bridegroom' also has a sense of the uncanny with its dark and mysterious happenings in the forest.

One well - known traditional English ghost story is 'The Legend of the Headless Horseman'. It's set in an old English village where a horseman without a head is said to ride at night, terrifying the locals. Another is 'The Red Room' by H. G. Wells. It tells of a man who spends a night in a supposedly haunted red - room, and experiences all kinds of strange and spooky happenings. Also, 'The Monkey's Paw' is quite famous. A family is given a monkey's paw that can grant wishes, but these wishes come with a terrible price, often involving the return of the dead in a spooky way.

One famous Chernobyl ghost story is about the apparition of a firefighter. It is said that in the abandoned areas, people have reported seeing the figure of a firefighter who bravely fought in the initial disaster. This could be a manifestation of the collective trauma and the heroic yet tragic events that took place there.

One of the famous 1880s dark ghost stories could be 'The Canterville Ghost' by Oscar Wilde. It tells the story of an American family who moves into a British castle haunted by a ghost. The family is not easily scared, which creates a series of comical yet spooky interactions between the living and the dead.