Spooky Season Special: The Worlds Haunted Places

A father went to say good night to his son, as it was routine since he knew his son would have trouble sleeping if he didn’t. It was a sort of silent tradition between them, one he never forgot to attend. The room was dimly lit by the lamp, but the father could clearly see there was something unusual about his son tonight. He looked the same, just with a huge grin that drew from ear to ear.

“You okay, buddy?” he asked. The son nodded, still grinning, before saying, “Daddy, check for monsters under my bed.” The father chuckled and got on his knees to take a look. There, under the bed, was his son. His real son. Pale, trembling, and scared to death. He whispered, “Daddy, there’s someone on my bed.”

Hi everyone and welcome back to the dark history podcast where we explore the darkest parts of human history. hope everyone is well I’m Rob your host as always. Welcome to the new episode, again I hope you enjoy our short little ghost story to start, This is the third instalment of our spooky season special. Today we divert again into the realm of the supernatural and look at some of the most haunted places in the world and the dark and gruesome history behind the folklore and legend surrounding these places. For some these may not be liked as much as our normal episodes but in the spirit of the season I though it could be a little change I assure you that normal service will resume after our Halloween special.

            So without further ado please turn off those lights sit back and relax under the blanker for more dark history.


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Transcript

A father went to say good night to his son, as it was routine since he knew his son would have trouble sleeping if he didn’t. It was a sort of silent tradition between them, one he never forgot to attend. The room was dimly lit by the lamp, but the father could clearly see there was something unusual about his son tonight. He looked the same, just with a huge grin that drew from ear to ear.

“You okay, buddy?” he asked. The son nodded, still grinning, before saying, “Daddy, check for monsters under my bed.” The father chuckled and got on his knees to take a look. There, under the bed, was his son. His real son. Pale, trembling, and scared to death. He whispered, “Daddy, there’s someone on my bed.”

Hi everyone and welcome back to the dark history podcast where we explore the darkest parts of human history. hope everyone is well I’m Rob your host as always. Welcome to the new episode, again I hope you enjoy our short little ghost story to start, This is the third instalment of our spooky season special. Today we divert again into the realm of the supernatural and look at some of the most haunted places in the world and the dark and gruesome history behind the folklore and legend surrounding these places. For some these may not be liked as much as our normal episodes but in the spirit of the season I though it could be a little change I assure you that normal service will resume after our Halloween special.

            So without further ado please turn off those lights sit back and relax under the blanker for more dark history.

Our first destination on this bone chilling journey is the vast and diverse country of India. 

   With in the country of India, Nestled amid the green hills of Aravallis, stands the magnificent fort of Bhangarh. Located at the border of the Sariska Tiger Reserve in the Alwar district of Rajasthan, Bhangarh Fort is a 17th-century fort, infamous all over India for being the 'Most haunted place in India'.  The fort was constructed in the 17th century by Raja Madho Singh, the younger brother of the great Mughal general, Man Singh of Amber. Besides the royal palace, Bhangarh had over 9,000 houses until 1720 after which it gradually diminished in population. The Bhangarh fort along with the whole township was protected by three successive fortifications and five massive gates. The fort houses remnants of grand havelis, temples and deserted marketplaces within its premises, indicating the fort’s prosperity in its heydays. 

                the numerous ghostly experiences and happenings in the fort premises, have caused villages to spring up far away from the fort, due to the fear of what lies within. Even the Archaeological Survey of India or the ASI has forbidden the locals and tourists from entering the fort at night. This completely ruined, haunted fort of Bhangarh does have a very eerie, negative aura to it. Several legends have attested to the paranormal happenings inside the fort.

                 The first legend is that of a sadhu named Baba Balau Nath. Long before the king Madho Singh decided to construct a fort in Bhangarh, the area was a meditating spot for Baba Balau Nath. The sadhu gave his permission for the construction of the fort on the condition that the fort or any building within shouldn’t be taller than his house and if the shadow on any structure fell upon his house, it would result in the annihilation of the fort town. Ajab Singh, the grandson of Madho Singh, is said to have ignored this warning and greatly raised the height of the fort, the resulting shadow falling on the sadhu’s home, leading to destruction of the town. The other legend is associated with princess Ratnavati, who was very beautiful and had a number of suitors from the royal families of the country. A wizard, adept in black magic, fell in love with the princess. As the princess went shopping with her friends one day, the wizard saw her buying ittar or perfume and replaced the ittar with a love potion. The princess, however, came to know of the wizard’s trickery and threw the potion onto a boulder nearby. This resulted in the boulder rolling towards the wizard and crushing him to death. But before being crushed to death, he cursed the city, stating that it would be destroyed soon and none would be able to live within its precincts. The kingdom was later sacked by the invading Mughal forces, killing all the inhabitants of the fort along with princess Ratnavati.

     Many people believe that the town is haunted by the spirits of those who died during the town's downfall. There have been reports of strange noises, apparitions, and other paranormal activities in and around the town.

Some 4286 miles away from the bhangarh Fort sits the impressive structure of Edinburgh castle.

         Edinburgh Castle looms over Scotland’s capital city, its outer walls seeming to merge with the sheer cliff face which has made the castle almost impregnable for over a thousand years. Built on a plug of volcanic rock, Edinburgh is one of the oldest fortifications in Europe. It has withstood wars and outbreaks of plague. Indeed, no other building in Britain can claim to have been besieged as many times as Edinburgh Castle.  It has been a royal residence, a barracks, a prison and home to the most powerful symbols of Scotland’s sovereignty. Suicide, murders and death are associated with the castle even Witches have been burnt beneath its shadow. Yet it seems that neither rock nor wall can restrain the restless spirits which walk within its halls.

          Castle Rock has been a site of human activity for at least 3,000 years. According to Scotland’s oldest poem, fierce Iron Age warriors defended the hillfort at Din Eidyn as it was then known in the old Brythonic tongue. The poem ‘Y Gododdin’ recounts how in around 600 CE, a force of 300 hand chosen warriors were assembled, some from as far afield as Pictland and Gwynedd to fight against the Angles of Northumbria. After a year of feasting at Din Eidyn, they rode out and attacked Catraeth, which is thought to be Catterick, North Yorkshire. With half the force of their foe, nearly all the warriors were killed.

Things would never be the same for the Gododdin tribe. In 638 CE the Angles continued with their invasion and besieged Din Eidyn Castle. Soon the Gododdin were defeated and Din Eidyn was given its Anglicised name, Edinburgh.

      Further on in time the castle has suffered many sieges.  During the Wars of Independence it changed hands many times. In 1314, the Scots retook the castle from the English in a daring night raid led by Thomas Randolph, nephew of Robert the Bruce. In saw more death and dispair in the siege to free James III in 1482 and the Lang siege which took place between 1571 and 1573.

       There are many tales of ghosts and ghouls housed within the ancient walls of Edinburgh Castle. One tale of folklore is of the the lone Piper boy, As legend has it, there was an underground tunnel into the castle that was discovered in the depths of the fortress. A regimental bagpiper was sent down into the tunnel, playing his pipes as he went.

His comrades heard the instrument for some time, until it stopped. They went down to try to find him, but he was nowhere to be found. Now as,the tunnels have been reopen,  it said you can hear the faint sound of this poor lost boys pipes echoing through the tunnels as he is doomed to wonder for eternity playing his tunes. 

           Other ghostly story from the castle sees a spector of an alleged witch haunt its corridors and rooms. Another is Said to roam the halls of the castle in a mournful fashion, the Grey Lady is thought by some to be Janet Douglas. Otherwise known as Lady Glamis, she was accused and found guilty of witchcraft and burnt at the stake by King James V on the 17th of July 1537.

             Others claim the Grey Lady could be Marie de Guide, the Catholic mother and regent of Mary Queen of Scots. She found herself on the losing side of the Scottish Reformation, and died of dropsey on the 11th of June 1560.

Her corpse was kept at Edinburgh Castle for months, and supposedly walks the halls to this day.

      Other legends of spirits include a black dog who trotts around the castle grounds. possibly the ghost of one of the pets laying in the pet cemetery , a headless drummer boy, first seen in 1650, who seen as a sign of danger as in 1650 he was seen just before Oliver Cromwell laid siege to the castle and  lastly a leather aproned man who is seen quite infrequently.

Moveing on from Edinburgh Castle and across the pond to the US and a plethora of haunted locations. One place stands out from the rest and that is Savannah Georgia.

        Savannah is a city with a rich and storied history. It was founded in 1733 by General James Oglethorpe, making it one of the earliest established cities in the United States. The city was established as the first capital of the Province of Georgia, serving as a buffer between Spanish Florida and the British colonies.

    A strategic port city in the American Revolution it was captured by the British is 1778. The city saw a failed attempt to retake it in 1779 by a combined force of French and American soldiers. During the American Civil War, it was captured by Union soldiers in 1864 were it was offered to Abraham Lincoln by General William T Sherman as a Christmas present. 

       Savannah is today an industrial centre and an important Atlantic seaport, but as you wander the antebellum-ladened streets of this historic city you will find some of Americas most haunted places. 

        The sorrel weed house is a historic landmark and Savannah Museum located at 6 West Harris Street. Designed by famous Georgia architect Charles Cluskey, The building’s claim to fame is its size, architecture, and of course, the hauntings. The house was the residence of the Sorrel family. Francis Sorrel was a wealthy plantation owner, though his life was marred with tragedy and scandal.

          The Sorrels were among Savannah’s most influential families. Francis Sorrel was a West Indian plantation owner who became one of Savannah’s wealthiest men. Francis was born in Saint Domingue, now known today as Haiti. A slave revolt forced his family to flee, and the young Francis was saved by slaves who refused to take the life of a young boy. He made a living working the docks in Port-Au-Prince and was eventually transferred by his company to the United States.

Despite being saved by slaves, he himself eventually became a slave trader. Francis and an associate opened up a shipping company in Savannah, where they shipped salt, butter, molasses, cotton, and African slaves. The company grew exponentially, making Sorrel a wealthy man.

          Francis Sorrel married Lucinda Moxley soon after arriving in the United States. Lucinda was from a wealthy family who did business with Francis. Lucinda died just a few years after they married. So Francis, the classy man that he is, then married Lucinda’s younger sister, Matilda.

The two had a happy marriage, but Francis was known for his vices. He began having an affair with one of his slaves, named Molly. Francis even gave Molly her own room just so he can have his affair privately. But it wasn’t enough; Matilda found out about Molly. Distraught and enraged, Matilda committed suicide by jumping off the second-floor balcony. She landed headfirst, cracking her skull open on the floor of the concrete courtyard.

Molly was struck by guilt. Being a slave, she would be held liable for both the affair and the subsequent death. Molly was found hanging by a noose in an apparent suicide.

           Adding to the terrible history of the The Sorrel Weed House is the story of Maddison square. You see the sorrel weed house sits on Madison Square. The area was the site of a vicious battle during the American Revolutionary War, known as the Siege of Savannah. Joint American and French forces attempted to push the British out of Savannah, who had taken the city just a year earlier.

The Revolutionary Army was both outmanned and outgunned. Bodies were piling up fast. The Revolutionaries dug a trench at Madison Square to bury their dead. Hundred of soldiers died in the span of a few weeks. In the heat of battle, the dead and injured couldn’t be differentiated. Sick and injured soldiers were thrown into the pit with the dead and were often buried alive.

After the battle, the bodies were never exhumed. The city continued to expand around the old battlefield. Madison Square and the surrounding areas were built in the 1830s, fifty years after the war. Many of the buildings, including the Sorrel Weed House, are built over the remains of the dead soldiers.

      The ghosts of Molly and Matilda still haunt the Sorrel Weed House. Visitors have seen dark silhouettes walking through the halls. Some have captured photos of their spirits. The ghost of Molly is said to haunt the slave quarters. Some have claimed to hear the sounds of a social gathering in the living room of the house. The sounds suddenly stop when someone approaches. The source of the sounds has yet to be found, though it’s believed that the phantom gathering is a residual from one of the many socials hosted by the building’s wealthy occupants.

Some say they feel a dark psychic energy upon entering the house. The dark energy is said to stem from the bodies buried at the Siege of Savannah, as a similar aura hangs over Madison Square as well. The dark feeling is often accompanied by the sounds of warfare, which can be heard during especially quiet nights.

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to listen to this dark episode. Of course some of my dear listeners will scoff at the idea of ghosts, ghouls and haunted houses and I can fully understand, you only have to look on you tube or tiktok to see some clearly fake ghost videos, said with inverted commas, that are made and uploaded for views and likes, but sometimes you walk into places and you can feel the energy change.

         I myself have visited Edinburgh Castle and various other historical places in Edinburgh and you can sort of feel the atmosphere in certain areas where death and despair have occurred. Another place in Edinburgh that has this feeling is Mary kings close, Mary King’s Close housed numerous towering tenement buildings regarded by many as the world’s first skyscrapers. These lodgings served as home to all manner of social classes. Due to the exceedingly unsanitary living conditions common to the era it also became home to an  influx of flea-infested rodents, Edinburgh became overrun with bubonic plague, with the worst hitting in 1645. An incalculable number of black rats riddled with fleas caused the countless brutal human deaths and In an attempt to stem the spread of this ravaging disease, city officials quarantined Mary King's Close and although victims of the plague were cared for, many died in their homes. 

     The stories of bhangarh Fort is strange but they  are firmly routed in folklore in my opinion. But then again there could be something in it as its closed at night for the reason of the hauntings, why would they do that? It's strange for an actual governmental organisation to come out and actually admit that yes this is haunted please don't go in at night. I think in western society we see idea or witches or wizards as just folklore but in places around the world they are very real and have to power to curse areas or places. Wow I firmly sat on the fence with that one.

    Savannah is one of the many historical  place I would love to visit in the usa and quite honestly I could have recorded a complete episode just on Savannah. I chose the sorrel weed house because there were historical stories behind it, some of the others like The Marshall House or Bonaventure Cemetery didn't really have any stories attached to them it was just about the actual hauntings. Of course the Bonaventure Cemetery has the story of the ghost of Little Gracie Watson but I couldn't find to much substance to it if you catch my drift. 

     Anyway I know I ask every week but please drop us a review on the show it really dose help the podcast out the more reviews the more the algarithm pushes the show out. If you think friends and family may be interested in the podcast then share it with them. Links to all socials are below. Same again I tell people about this every episode but the link to the show's patron is below also this is for people who want to support the channel can but you don't have to. This is where you can find our this week in history podcast episodes, you can request dark history episodes, chat with myself or others in the community, get ad free episodes and have early access. If you subscribe to the £5, which I think is around $7, you will get a couple of story from your hometown incorporated into a patreon only episode called home town horrors. As always If you’ve been listening for a while and not subscribed please do it that way you never miss an episode. So with all that out the way Thank you again for listening. Join us next time, for our next episode, as we delve into another event  and more dark history

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