LADY IN WHITE

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see white women (mythology).
Contents [hide]
1 Description
2 United Kingdom
3 United States
4 Philippines
5 Malta
6 Portugal
7 Norway
8 Brazil
9 Czech Republic
10 In popular culture
11 See also
12 References
13 External links
A White Lady is a type of female ghost purported to appear in many rural areas, and who is supposed to have died or suffered trauma in life. White Lady legends are found around the world. Common to many of them is the theme of losing or being betrayed by a husband or fiancé. They are often associated with an individual family line, as a harbinger of death. When one of these ghosts is seen it indicates that someone in the family is going to die, similar to a banshee.
Generally, the aspects of this phenomenon are that the ghost is female, dressed in late era Victorian garb, seen while driving along a rural road, and associated with some local legend of tragedy.
[edit]Description

Most reports referring to white ladies have some common attributes. They have white cloudy eyes and not very long white hair. Their skin is white like milk in such a way it can't be distinguished from their clothes. Though every single part of a white lady is white as milk, you can still see the very details of her hair, nose, eyes, eyebrows and lips. Her face seems to be sad for some reason and, in contrary to what many think, isn't supposed to be scary at all.
White ladies are reported to look directly to one's eyes. Most people who claim to have an experience of a white lady apparition report that they felt she wanted to tell them something. White ladies appear to specific people and usually do not appear more than one person at a time. In most cases the white lady disappears when the one experiencing the apparition calls somebody to watch her.
[edit]United Kingdom



Illustration: "John Dee (1527-1608) and Edward Kelley evoking a spirit."
"White Lady" is a common name in Great Britain for a female ghost, sometimes that of a nun. In popular medieval legend, a White Lady is fabled to appear by day as well as by night in a house in which a family member is soon to die. According to The Nuttall Encyclopaedia, these spirits were regarded as the ghosts of deceased ancestresses.
Castle Huntly, Scotland, is said to be haunted by a young woman dressed in flowing white robes. There are various stories concerning her history, one of which is that she was a daughter of the Lyon family who occupied the castle in the 17th century. When her affair with a manservant was discovered she was banished to a high tower overlooking the battlements. Unable to endure her suffering, she threw herself to her death from the tower. The ghost of the White Lady has been seen a number of times over the years, often on the grounds surrounding the castle. She has also been seen in the room in which she was imprisoned.
Darwen is reportedly haunted by a ghost. In Darwen's old cemetery there is a grave stone of a supposed white lady, whose eyes apparently open when they are poked. Her gravestone is located at the very back of the cemetery, and hence it is dark and misty even during the day. It is believed to be best to visit the white lady at night as there have been reported sightings of her ghost lurking around the place to find her child. Although there are no confirmed sightings, it is generally believed the dark plays a trick on the person's eyes to convince the observer that they see something. The white lady of Darwen apparently died during childbirth, or she was murdered then raped by a group of men who stole her child. If you say, "White lady, white lady, I stole your black baby." She is said to come and attack you and make you faint. She is thought to be a very violent ghost, and is the talk of pensioners around the town. She does not like teens as they may have caused her harm at one point. She has apparently killed a group of teenagers who went on a camping trip to the White Hall Park in the late 80s, within two hours of them visiting her grave.
The White Lady of Willow Park is native to a small, heavily-wooded park of Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, in northwest England. She is thought to be the tormented spirit of a bride who was drowned in the lake by her husband on their wedding night. Variations on her method of death include being bricked up in a cave and hanging herself in the kitchen.
Muncaster Castle in the county of Cumbria is reputed to be one of England's most haunted houses. The vengeful ghost in white of Mary Bragg, a foul-mouthed local girl who was murdered by being hanged from the Main Gate by drunken youths in the 19th century after they had kidnapped her for a joke, is also referred to as the white lady. The white lady has been sighted in Chadkirk, Manchester going across the canal on a banana boat.
Roughwood Nature Reserve in the Black Country also has had a high number of paranormal incidents, including sightings of a woman in a white dress, drenched in ichor from the lake where it is rumored her body was abandoned. Local myths suggest this is the spirit of Pauline Kelly, who with her daughter Evelyn disappeared in the mid-19th century. The local community has a Halloween tradition involving dressing in white dresses, as well as a joking rhyme.
"White Lady, White Lady, I'm the one who killed your baby "
This rhyme came into being after stories involving the kidnapping of the child after the death of Mrs. Kelly, which keeps her rooted to this world.
There have also been reported sightings of a White Lady in Sidcup at the local foots cray meadows. It is seen every night and is slow walking its very bright white colour. The story is that her husband died in the war and every night she walks the meadows scattering flowers for her lost loved one. In the local church there is a diary of hers with the final words being, "I will see you soon." It is rumored she committed suicide in the meadow right after she wrote this.
[edit]United States

A local legend tells of the White Lady of Acra, the ghost of a woman who died on her way home from her wedding night in the 19th century. Although no one has come into contact with her, many older people claim to have seen her especially on the abandoned dirt road she is rumored to haunt. The white lady lives near the parchments and castle hill. Branch Brook Park in Newark, New Jersey, is home to the legend of the White Lady of Branch Brook Park. Two conflicting stories are told about this ghost. In one version, the lady was a newlywed who was killed along with her husband on her wedding night when their V8 Ford Mustang skidded out of control and crashed into a tree in the park. In another version, the couple were on their way to a prom when their limousine crashed; the boy lived but the girl died, and she is allegedly still looking for her prom date. The White Lady of Branch Brook Park was also known in Newark's Roseville section, which borders the park, as Mary Yoo-Hoo. For many years the tree in question was along a sharp curve in the park road and part of its trunk was painted white, but it has since been cut down completely. It was said that on rainy or misty nights passing headlights produced a ghostly image crossing the road. There is some evidence that the details of this legend have been borrowed or blurred into other legends. Annie's Road, in particular, is thought to be a rehosting of this legend.[1]
The White Lady who is said to haunt Durand-Eastman Park in Rochester, New York, is believed to be the spirit of a mother whose daughter was kidnapped and raped. There are also other variations of the story, including one more intricate story, which depicts the mother as overly protective of her daughter, who rarely goes out. When a man asks to take her daughter out, the mother is at first hesitant, but on the daughter's insistence, reluctantly agrees. When the daughter fails to return that night, the mother is informed the next morning that the body of her daughter has been found on the shore of the lake. From her remains, it is clear that the daughter has been brutally raped and strangled. The mysterious man is never seen or heard from again. Another variation of the story depicts the daughter simply vanishing, and the mother searching for her with two large German Shepherd dogs. Eventually the mother throws herself into Lake Ontario, and drowns. It is thought that the ghost of the white lady and her two dogs still wander the area looking for her daughter's murderer. The White Lady is said to protect women in the park from men who mean to harm them, and to attack men in the hope that she will find her daughter's killer.
A film loosely based on this urban legend known as "The Lady in White" was created by Frank Loggia, but was filmed in other parts of upstate New York, rather than in Rochester. One popular misconception is that a stone barrier which overlooks the Lake, on Lake Shore Boulevard is in fact the White Lady's "Castle." This is in fact not true, but was built as an overlook, to accompany a restaurant which used to stand on the top of the hill overlooking the lake. While the stone steps leading up to this area still exist, the restaurant has since been demolished. Photographs of this area as it once was can be found in the Rochester photo archives, accessible through the Rochester Library online website. Additionally, any actual historical evidence of a murder of this kind taking place in Durand Eastman Park, has never been uncovered, and thus the validity of this story is suspect. [2]
"The Ghostly Sphinx of Metedeconk" by Stephen Crane recounts the tale of a White Lady whose lover was drowned in 1815:
In the afternoon and early evening, a female spirit in a white dress wanders around the graveyard of Charleston's Unitarian graveyard. She is known as the "Lady in White" by the locals. She is said to be the spirit of a woman who died at about the same time that her husband died as his ship sailed for Boston, Massachusetts. Neither of them knew of the other's demise. She was buried in the Unitarian cemetery while he was buried in Boston [1], where his spirit allegedly haunts that graveyard. The ethereal "Lady in White" searches the graveyard eternally for her husband.[3]
Union Cemetery in Easton, Connecticut has a story of unknown spirit is not known, but sightings of her didn't occur until the late 1940s; meaning she must have died sometime before then. She is also said to haunt the nearby Stepney Cemetery in Monroe, Connecticut.[4][5][6]
The Headless Bride is a ghost who haunts the Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone National Park. She is said to have been murdered by her ambitious new husband, who was previously one of her servants. The newlyweds went on a trip to Yellowstone. However, the young man managed to gamble away the money. When the woman asked her father for more money, and he refused, the husband beheaded his wife and fled. According to the legend, she haunts only the Old House, since that was the only part built when she was alive.[7]
Tolamato Cemetery in St. Augustine, Florida, has been the scene of a haunting by a "lady in white" since the 19th century. Legend has it that it is the spirit of a young woman who died suddenly on her way to be married and was buried in her wedding dress. The spirit seems to be attracted to children and has been reported as appearing to children "camping out" in the graveyard, as well as appearing to a young girl living in the house next to the cemetery, who was ill for some time. Two doors down from the cemetery, a lady in white has been reported seen on the upper balcony of a local inn, although it is unclear if this is the same spirit.
In Mukilteo, Washington there have been many alleged reports of a white lady or Lady In White sightings just off of Clearview Drive in the forest or on the road near the treeline. When night falls on Clearview Drive if you are going around the curb slow enough rumor has it she might try and hitch a ride and then disappear suddenly as if to trick travelers. If you are taking the turn swiftly she will stand in front of your car pointing and then again disappear as soon as you reach her. There have been anonymous reports of crying and screaming around the waterfall area of Clearview Drive. On a few alleged accounts she sometimes would throw unexpected things at the vehicle or the windshield such as branches bricks and one account of a shoe, sometimes set mangled animals in the road; there have even been a few reports of deer ripped up as if they were eaten. Despite the fact that many people aren't aware of The White Lady of Mukilteo, rumors have spread of late, garnering more popular attention. Resident Jeremy Rollands of One Club House Lane (Next to ClearView Dr.) stated in the Mukilteo Beacon, "Go down Clearview Drive half past eight P.M. There ain't no comin' back. She'll find ya, she can smell your blood and fear."[7]
[edit]Philippines

White Ladies are popular ghost story topics in the Philippines. Along with other Philippine mythological creatures and ghostly beings like the Manananggal, Tiyanak, Kapre and Wak-Wak, White Ladies are often used as subjects that tend to convey horror and mystery usually aimed at young children for storytelling purposes. Sightings of white ladies are common among folk from around the country, and usually every town and barrio has its own "White Lady" story to tell.
The most prominent one is the White Lady of Balete Drive, in Quezon City. It is said that it is a ghost who appears as a long-haired woman in a white dress. According to legend, she was raped and killed by Japanese soldiers during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in World War II. Most of the stories that have come out about her were told by taxi drivers doing the graveyard shift. In other instances it is said that when solitary people drive by Balete Drive in the wee hours of the morning, they tend to see the face of a woman in white in the rear view mirror for a split second before the apparition disappears. Some accidents on this road are blamed on the White Lady.
Another story tells about a taxi crossing the dreaded Balete Drive and a very beautiful woman was asking for a ride. The taxi driver looks behind and the woman looks like her face was full of blood and bruises. The taxi driver escaped from the taxi from fear.
Many sources have declared this legend was actually manufactured by a reporter in the 1950s, and also possibly a combination of multiple stories from the area.[8]
[edit]Malta

The White Lady is the name of a female ghost that lives in Verdala Palace in the small forest of Buskett, Rabat, Malta.
Legend has it that many years ago, a woman was to be married to a man she did not love. Her father told her that she must always do as her fiancé said since he was soon to be her husband. On the day of her wedding, she committed suicide by jumping off a balcony. This is why she is to this day known as the White Lady, because she was wearing her wedding gown on the day of her death. It is said that she haunts the Verdala Palace and many people who attend the August moon ball confirm that she does indeed appear in the palace.
According to another Maltese legend, the White Lady of Mdina was killed by her lover after she was forced to marry another man. Many have claimed to see this spirit, always after eight o'clock in the evening. She usually appears to children under eight years old, heart-broken teenage boys, and elderly men. While she tells the children goodnight and bids them to return home, she advises the teenagers to "find another" or to join her and become a part of her "shadow" (her ghostly followers). She also attempts to lure elderly men into her "shadow." [9]
[edit]Portugal

A Portuguese video featuring a White Lady is available on the Internet. The video was reportedly found at the scene of a fatal car accident, near Sintra, Portugal. In the video, a woman and two young men are taking a car trip to the mountains. One passenger records the trip with a video camera.
While driving along the road, the travelers spot a strange female hitchhiker, whom they pick up. The passenger with the camera focuses on the hitchhiker, who seems strangely quiet, but says her name is Teresa (Teresa Fidalgo), and states that she hasn't been the same since her accident. She then points out a spot on the road where she says she died.
She suddenly turns to the camera and screams, showing her face, which is now apparently badly scarred and bloody and vanishes immediately. The car, according to reports, was found flipped on its side, killing two of the travelers. According to the text at the end of the video, police investigating the accident found that a girl named Teresa Fidalgo died in a car accident in 1983 at that very spot.
Many viewers claimed the video was a fake and regarded it as an imitation of The Blair Witch Project.[10] The producer, David Rebordão, admits this, explaining the story's fabrication on his website.[11][12] Rebordão confirmed, in a interview with Julia Pinheiro (channel TVI) that the story was fake, and that he had created the character himself. He stated that he was very surprised at the notoriety the story has achieved all over the world..
[edit]Norway

The white lady or in Norwegian known as "Den Hvite Dame" is said to reside at Fredriksten Castle in Halden, Norway.
She was once the fortress commander's mistress. After her lover was killed by a cannonball fired by Swedish forces attacking the fortress, his remains were never recovered. She killed herself by jumping off the fortress wall.
She has been known to appear near the white tower at midnight. Retellings include waving at people or staring out across the city. Others have claimed she turns the fortress spot lights off just before appearing.
[edit]Brazil

Called Dama Branca or Mulher de Branco in Portuguese, the Brazilian Lady in White is the ghost of a young woman who died of childbirth or violent causes. She appears as a pale woman in a long white dress or a sleeping gown. Though usually speechless, the Lady in White will occasionally, in a sad voice, recount her misfortunes. This person actually lived and died; there are records of that happening in police reports.[citation needed] The origins of the myth are not clear, Luís da Câmara Cascudo's Dicionário do Folclore Brasileiro (Brazilian Folklore Dictionary) proposes that the ghost is related to the violent deaths of young white women who were murdered by their fathers or husbands in an "honor" killing. The most frequent reasons for these honor killings were adultery (actual or suspected), denial of sex, or abuse. Monteiro Lobato in his book Urupês describes a young woman starved to death by her husband because he suspected she was in love with a black slave and only gave her the stewed meat of his corpse for food.
The Lady in White usually haunts houses, but sometimes is found around them as well.
[edit]Czech Republic



The House of Rosenberg coat of arms
The best-known White Lady of the Czech Republic is the ghost of Perchta of Rožmberk at Rožmberk Castle. Perchta of Rožmberk (c. 1429–1476) was a daughter of an important Czech nobleman, Oldřich II of Rožmberk. She married another nobleman, Jan of Lichtenštejn (John of Liechtenstein) in 1449. The matrimony was quite unhappy. One of the reasons might have been the fact that Perchta’s father had been quite reluctant in paying the agreed upon dowry. During the married life Perchta had written many letters to her father and brothers with colourful descriptions of her unhappy family life. Some 32 of these letters had been handed down.[13]
[edit]In popular culture

The pilot episode of the TV series Supernatural features a white lady. These white lady phenomenons are linked to women who have been married to unfaithful husbands.The infidelity drives the women crazy and sometimes causes them to kill their children. The white lady usually seeks out a man whom is unfaithful and harm them.In this episode's case the white lady wants to go home but is afraid of facing her children whom she drowned.
[edit]See also

La Llorona
Kuldevta
Onryō
[edit]References

^ Weird NJ Stories, The Lady in White
^ The White Lady: A New York Ghost Story from American Folklore
^ http://www.njhm.com/metedeconk.htm from source Stephen Crane: Uncollected Writings Edited by: Olov W. Fryckstedt Uppsala, 1963
^ Ed and Lorraine Warren with Robert David Chase Graveyard. St. Martin's Press, 1992
^ Joseph A. Citro Weird New England. Sterling Publishing Co., 2005
^ Cheri Revai Haunted Connecticut. Stackpole Books, 2006
^ a b Tammy Walquist, "Yellowstone Author Fascinated by Ghost Stories",Deseret News, http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650197204,00.html
^ Ellayn De Vera & Charrissa M. Luci, "Balete Drive:White Lady, Haunted houses and other myths"
^ http://www.medinaproject.net/malta/pages/poc.php?ID_POC=255&ID_Lang=1
^ Movie of a myth - a strange supernatural happening
^ http://www.acurva.net
^ "The Ghost Girl of Sintra video is a FAKE! The author confirms this claim".
^ Perchta of Rozmberk - the White Lady of Bohemia, Jan Velinger, Radio Prague - http://www.radio.cz/en/article/50216
[edit]External links

Bachelor's Grove Cemetery 'White Lady', circa 1991
Castle Český Krumlov
View page ratings
Rate this page
What's this?
Trustworthy
Objective
Complete
Well-written
I am highly knowledgeable about this topic (optional)

Submit ratings
Categories: Ghosts
Log in / create accountArticleDiscussionReadEditView history