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.
In the United States during the 1880s, there were also some dark ghost stories related to the old plantations in the South. Workers sometimes claimed to see the ghosts of slaves who had suffered and died there. These stories were not only about the apparitions but also carried the heavy history and pain of that era, with the ghosts symbolizing the unspoken traumas of the past.
One well - known ghost story is 'The Bell Witch'. It's about a witch that haunted a family in Tennessee. There were strange noises, objects moving on their own, and the witch would torment the family members, especially the father and a young girl. Another is 'The Amityville Horror'. A family moved into a house where a brutal murder had occurred, and they experienced terrifying things like cold spots, strange voices, and apparitions.
The Holocaust is another extremely dark past story. During World War II, Nazi Germany systematically persecuted and murdered six million Jews, along with millions of other minorities such as Roma people, homosexuals, and the disabled. Concentration camps were established where people were subjected to inhumane treatment, forced labor, and mass extermination.
One example is 'Courage the Cowardly Dog'. It has many episodes filled with dark and spooky elements. The setting in the middle of nowhere, strange creatures, and often a sense of impending doom create a dark atmosphere. Another is 'Gravity Falls'. While it has comical elements, there are underlying dark mysteries and secrets in the town that are gradually uncovered throughout the series. And 'The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy' also features dark humor and situations, like Billy's naivete often leading him into rather dark and dangerous scenarios.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Pistons - Pacers brawl, aka Malice at the Palace. Ron Artest fouled Ben Wallace hard, and then Wallace shoved Artest. Artest went to lie on the scorer's table, and a fan threw a drink at him. That's when all hell broke loose. Artest and other players went into the stands to confront fans. It was a violent and chaotic event that damaged the NBA's image.