Ghosts like their pints as much as the rest of us.
All ghosts, according to the [Encyclopedia of German Superstition], like beer. The best method to catch them is to place a half emptied beer bottle near where the ghost is likely to make its appearance. The ghost, according to ancient German beliefs, is bound to creep into the bottle, because it cannot resist the liquid.
All one has to do apparently is to put the stopper on and the ghost is bottled up. Even the famous White Woman, whose appearance is said to predict the death of a member of the Hohenzollern family, is listed in the encyclopedia as a beer addict.
A message from Johannesburg says that manifestations alleged to be of a ghostly character have been causing considerable excitement at Turffontein. Various members of a local family declare that they have repeatedly seen a ghost about the house, which, in addition to playing all manner of pranks, has actually bitten one of the occupants. The family doctor is said to have been present when the biting incident occurred.
Zombies aren’t the only spooky creatures with a taste for human flesh.
Ghosts possess spiders.
As if poisonous spiders weren’t scary enough, allow me to introduce otherworldly arachnids:
The hideous “Cardinal Spiders,” which are a constant dread to residents at Hampton Court, are supposed to be inhabited by the evil spirit of Cardinal Wolsey. Their bite is poisonous, and when several of them crawl simultaneously over the oaken floors they sound for all the world like a number of castanets being loudly rattled by inexperienced hands.
When they’re not too busy being humanity’s worst nightmare, ghosts can be quite polite:
The little village of Tumble. . . is now suffering through the presence of a spook. The ghost’s behaviour is reported as being decorous in the extreme. It does not go in for smashing crockery a la ‘poltergeist,’ but simply comes in at a certain time of the night to a bedroom, says ‘good-night,’ and leaves—till the following night.
There you have it. If you see any ghosts wandering around this Halloween, be polite, offer them a drink and if they have eight legs and/or are carrying castanets—run.
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Disclaimer: The modern era is far from the first to grapple with rampant “fake news.” As I am neither a historian nor journalist, I make no claims about the accuracy or lack thereof of the above sources. I assert only that they make for a good story.
Welcome to Second Glance History! This blog seeks to uncover the people and the stories forgotten by history and give them another read through a modern lens. Join me every week as we examine the differences that divide and the common threads that connect the then to the now.
And here I thought ghostly victuals consisted of breakfast foods – Ghost Toasties and evaporated milk…
Don’t forget peanut butter and ghosty sandwiches ghosteroni pizza!