The idea of vengeful spirits is quite disturbing. For example, in the story of Okiku, the thought that a wronged person's spirit can come back and haunt a place forever, counting plates in eternal torment, is really creepy. It shows the power of injustice and the lengths a spirit will go to seek revenge.
The historical context of some of these tales can be disturbing. Take the Himeji Castle, where the history of battles and bloodshed is behind the ghost stories. Knowing that real people suffered and died there, and that their presence might still linger in some form, is a very unsettling thought.
The sense of the unknown is very disturbing. In stories like those from Aokigahara Forest, we don't really know if there are truly spiritual forces at play or if it's just the psychological effect of the place. It makes people feel uneasy.
The story of Okiku and the Nine - Plated Samurai is also a famous macabre tale. Okiku was a maid who was unjustly killed by her master. Her spirit is said to haunt the place. She was thrown down a well and after her death, it's believed that her vengeful spirit would count plates over and over again, with the number always being one short, just as the plates she was accused of breaking by her master. This story reflects the idea of vengeful spirits in Japanese folklore.
The fact that they are based on real stories gives them an added layer of authenticity. It makes the horror seem more tangible. For example, when you hear about a real - life tragedy and then a spooky legend grows out of it, like the stories from Aokigahara Forest. You know there are real suicides there, and the idea of vengeful spirits makes it even scarier.
The most disturbing element is probably the idea of people being kidnapped and held against their will, which is based on real - life cases of disappearances. In the movie, it's taken to an extreme with the torture and sadistic acts.
The most disturbing elements often include the cruel fates of the characters. For example, in some stories, characters are punished severely for minor mistakes. There are also dark and menacing settings that add to the unease.
One example could be the story of Okiku and the Nine Plates. It is said that Okiku was a maid who was falsely accused of breaking one of her master's ten precious plates. As punishment, she was brutally killed. Afterward, her spirit was said to haunt the place, counting the plates from one to nine and then making a terrifying shriek at the missing tenth plate.
The illegal trading. There are often stories of human trafficking being arranged on the dark web. Innocent people, especially women and children, are sold like commodities. It's a terrifying thought that such evil exists just beneath the surface of the normal internet we use every day.
The unknown is often a very disturbing element. For example, in a story where people hear strange noises in an old building but can't figure out what's causing them. It's the not - knowing that makes it so creepy.
Well, one common element is the presence of a ghost that haunts a particular place. In a 'danse macabre ghost story', this place could be associated with death, such as a morgue or a battlefield. Another element is the feeling of unease and the unknown. The story may have strange noises, like creaking floorboards or whispering voices, that add to the spookiness. And often, there's some sort of unresolved mystery related to the ghost, like why it's still lingering in the mortal world.
One key element is the concept of death as the equalizer. Another is the medieval context of widespread death from plagues and wars.
One of the most disturbing horror short stories is 'The Yellow Wallpaper' by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. It tells the story of a woman's descent into madness as she is confined to a room with hideous yellow wallpaper. The slow build - up of her psychological breakdown is truly unnerving.