Don’t say her name in the mirror thrice: 10 legendary ghosts, decoded

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These days, it seems every city offers a ghost tour, every building over fifty years old claims cases of the supernatural, and every cemetery has a list of reported specter sightings. But the fascination with ghosts and the retelling of their haunted stories are as old as humanity. Let’s look into the names of some of the world’s best-known legendary ghosts and the eerie tales that have been passed down for generations.

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The legend warns never to stand in front of a mirror and chant Bloody Mary’s name three times—unless you want her ghostly figure to appear before you, accompanied by supernatural, violent, and frightening illusions.

Her name is tied to a mix of historical and mythical figures. One origin points to Queen Mary I of England, nicknamed "Bloody Mary" for her persecution of Protestants. Other possible inspirations include Mary Worth, an alleged witch, or Elizabeth Báthory, a Hungarian noblewoman infamous for her cruelty.

This folkloric figure is widespread across many cultures, to the point that some believe she is a benevolent, helpful spirit, while others insist that she only returns to haunt those who disturb her.

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Made world-famous by the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, the Flying Dutchman is a maritime ghost story that originated in the 17th century during the Dutch Golden Age of sailing.

It is a ghost ship said to haunt the seas for eternity, often appearing to sailors as a glowing specter on the ocean. The legend originates from accounts of a Dutch captain and his crew attempting to cross a storm near the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. The captain sealed his own fate when he swore that he would continue through the storm, even if it took until Judgment Day. As a result, he and his crew were condemned to wander forever, as a symbol of bad omen for sailors.

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Unrelated to any bells and not necessarily a witch, the Bell Witch is a ghostly figure tied to a Tennessee farm since the early 19th century.

As the story goes, the Bell family lived on a farm near a cave where they frequently encountered disembodied voices, physical assaults, and poltergeist-like activity. They began referring to this unknown supernatural entity as a "witch" due to its unexplained and malevolent behavior.

The family blamed the sudden death of John Bell on this spirit, though they also reported acts of kindness from it, such as bringing out-of-season fruit to the widow, Lucy Bell, while she was ill. The whole mystery lived on and today the nearby cave is still known as the Bell Witch Cave.

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Imagine stopping your car on a deserted road in the middle of the night to pick up a hitchhiker, letting him climb into the backseat—only to turn around mid-conversation and find the seat empty.

The "Vanishing Hitchhiker" is a ghostly figure encountered along lonely roads worldwide. Variants of the story place him in different locations, from the U.S. to Europe, yet all follow a similar narrative.

The legend dates back to at least the 1870s, but older versions intertwine with religious folklore, in which gods or spirits disguise themselves as travelers to test human kindness—such as Hawaii’s tale of the goddess Pele.

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Often tied to the waterways of Mexico, the name La Llorona translates to "The Weeping Woman." She is so named for her mournful cries near the water, where she weeps for the children she tragically lost.

According to legend, she drowned her own children in a fit of rage and despair after being abandoned by her husband. Overcome with grief, she took her own life and was doomed to roam the earth, searching for the souls of her babies and lamenting her loss.

Some variations spread throughout South America tell of just one son who drowned accidentally, while others trace the legend back to similar figures, such as the Slavic Rusalka—spirits of women who died near water and now haunt it.

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Madam Koi Koi comes from a Nigerian urban legend—a spirit said to haunt boarding schools. She is believed to appear to students in their dormitories at night, her arrival announced by the clicking of her high heels in the corridors, a sound (koi koi) that gave her the name.

According to the tale, Madam Koi Koi was once a beautiful but strict teacher known for her elegant red heels. After being dismissed from her job for striking a student, she died in a tragic accident on her way home.

Before she died, she vowed never to leave the school. The legend varies, but most versions describe her as a vengeful spirit enforcing discipline on misbehaving children.

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Washington Irving made the story of the Headless Horseman widely known with his short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1820). The ghostly rider is said to haunt the small New York town near the Old Dutch Church, searching for his missing head.

Today, Sleepy Hollow’s ghost is a favorite Halloween icon. However, Irving likely drew inspiration from local legends and similar folklore. European tales already featured headless riders, such as the fearsome Irish Dullahan, a headless spirit who brings death while carrying his severed head in his fist, and the German Wild Huntsman, who was said to haunt forests.

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The Ewe people of Ghana, Togo, and Benin have their own version of a vampire: the Adze, a shapeshifting creature that transforms not into a bat, but into a firefly.

This tiny, unassuming insect form allows the spirit to infiltrate homes unnoticed. Once inside, it sucks the blood of sleeping victims, causing them to fall ill and die. If caught, the creature transforms into a humanoid figure with the ability to possess people.

This African sinister being likely originated from a widespread fear of disease-carrying insects and the need to explain seemingly random illnesses within communities.

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The Ghost of Queen Esther is tied to the forests near Athens, Pennsylvania, and the banks of the Susquehanna River. Queen Esther is believed to have been a Native American of Iroquois descent who led a village in the late 18th century, around the time of the American Revolutionary War.

The legend stems from the Wyoming Massacre of 1778, when Native American warriors and British Loyalists clashed with settlers. Following the death of her son, Queen Esther allegedly retaliated by leading a raid that resulted in the deaths of several settlers—as well as her own. According to the tale, her dying words cursed the land, and her ghost is said to haunt the area, seeking retribution.

Local hunters have reported seeing her spectral figure in the forests or hearing ghostly screams in the night. The "Curse of Queen Esther" remains a prominent legend along the river.

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The Bloody Bride is the ghost of a young woman who died in a horrific accident near Stevens Point, Wisconsin, along Highway 66. This site, and particularly the so-called Bloody Bride Bridge, is said to be where she met her tragic end on her wedding night.

According to the tale, a newlywed couple was involved in a car crash on the bridge while returning from their wedding. The eerie stories claim that she can still be seen wandering the bridge, distraught, or that she mysteriously appears in the backseats of drivers as they cross the bridge.

Ghost stories about tragic brides are not unique to this location, of course. Similar legends have existed worldwide for centuries, such as the "White Lady" figures found in European folklore.

Time-related expressions to expand your vocabulary

Time flies: Check out these 10 idioms that appear once in a blue moon!

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The creation of new phrases, proverbs, and sayings is one of the most colorful aspects of language development. However, for this to happen, an essential ingredient is key: time. Therefore, through this article, we aim to offer curious readers interesting facts about the origins of figurative expressions related to this specific aspect of life. Continue reading to discover 10 popular idioms about time.

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We use the expression In the nick of time to describe something that happens just in time, right before the critical moment. The origin of the phrase can be traced back to the 1500s, when the word nick meant "the precise moment of an occurrence or an event."

In the 16th century, a tally, or 'nick-stick,' was used to keep track of time, points in sporting events, commercial transactions, and official government bookkeeping records. The first written record of the complete phrase, as we use it today to express relief that something happened before a disaster, dates back to the mid-17th century.

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A May-December romance occurs between two people with a wide age difference. Why these months? May is the peak of spring, when the weather is warm and pleasant, and flowers bloom—metaphorically representing youth and femininity. December, on the other hand, marks the beginning of winter and is often associated with decay, thus symbolizing aging men.

The expression first appeared in the 14th century in The Merchant's Tale, one of the Canterbury Tales written by English poet and author Geoffrey Chaucer. In this story, a mature man, Mr. January, is determined to marry a young woman named May in order to leave an heir. Years later, when Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar and January 1st was established as the beginning of the year, the phrase evolved to use December, symbolizing the end of an era—and ultimately, the end of a life.

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According to the Cambridge Dictionary, this expression means that "it is better for someone to arrive or do something late than not to arrive or do it at all." You probably didn't need the dictionary definition for this one, as it is one of the most popular and widely used idioms in everyday language.

What you might not know is that it has a very ancient origin and is actually a translation of an old Latin proverb. How did it make its way into English? Well—surprise, surprise!—it was by the hand of Chaucer and his Canterbury Tales. He wrote it, as early as the Middle Ages, as follows: "for bet than never is late." Over time, the wording changed slightly. Today, we know the phrase as "better late than never," though it retains the same metaphorical meaning.

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Once in a blue moon is an idiomatic phrase used to describe something that very rarely happens. Although it’s just a theory, the Oxford English Dictionary suggests that the color blue might have been an arbitrary choice. First recorded in the 16th century, saying the moon was blue was a way of indicating that something could not be true.

However, blue moons do occur—though only under extremely rare atmospheric conditions, such as the eruption of a volcano or a forest fire. So, while the color mentioned may have been random in its origin, the phrase as we use it today makes perfect sense.

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Have you ever left an important issue unattended, only for it to get increasingly worse? It happens! That's why this proverb has been popular since at least the 18th century. A stitch in time saves nine means that if you address a problem immediately, it may save a lot of extra work later.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, the number nine here has no particular significance but was chosen because it sounds similar to the word time. Another explanation is that, when a piece of clothing has a tear, it is best to repair it as soon as possible to prevent the tear from getting bigger and requiring more stitches.

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For those of us who love punctuality and like to keep an orderly schedule, a movable feast can be a nuisance. As can be inferred, this expression describes an event that can happen at any time or place and may change without notice.

Its origin, however, is related to religious celebrations. In a religious context, a movable feast refers to a holy day—such as Easter—that doesn’t occur on the same calendar date each year.

Over time, it became part of colloquial language, and today, we use it to refer to any event that doesn't have a set time or date. Ernest Hemingway's memoir, A Moveable Feast, likely contributed to the adoption of the phrase into our everyday vocabulary.

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In its literal sense, this expression refers to the popular superstition that witches and other supernatural forces are most active at midnight. Although its traditional use originates in folk tales, one of the earliest written references dates back to the early 17th century and appears in one of William Shakespeare's iconic plays. Prince Hamlet declares: "‘Tis now the very witching time of night, when churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out contagion to this world."

In modern times, however, this expression has taken on a more colloquial meaning and is used to describe any situation that may be problematic or unpredictable. All those who have raised children are familiar with this particular time of day: whenever a baby starts fussing and crying for no apparent reason, everyone knows that the witching hour—a.k.a. bedtime—has arrived.

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Have you ever felt that someone was ignoring you, not paying the slightest attention, or blatantly disrespecting you? In those cases, the idiom Don't give the time of day comes into play. While it might seem to have a literal meaning—that it refers to someone who can't even take a second to tell you the time—it actually has a twist.

A long time ago, the expression "good time of day" was widely used as a greeting, a way to say hello to someone. In fact, the first written records of this now-outdated form of greeting can be found in some of Shakespeare's plays. Considering this meaning, it makes much more sense that the idiom carries such a negative connotation.

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This idiom is used to express that something is going to take a very—very—long time. Note that a month’s worth of Sundays amounts to about 30 or 31 weeks. Nowadays, Sunday marks the end of the weekend, and for many, it is a day full of contradictions. On one hand, it means we can rest; on the other, it signals the start of the workweek and the return to duties.

But decades ago, for most people, Sundays were a very long, seemingly endless period of time. For this reason, it is believed that this expression may refer to the traditionally slow passage of Sundays, often due to religious restrictions on activity or entertainment. Imagine a whole 30 weeks of total boredom and tedium—that’s what this phrase represents!

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Mad as a March hare is an idiomatic English phrase that means to be completely crazy. It is similar to another well-known expression, mad as a hatter, which originated from Lewis Carroll's character, the Mad Hatter, in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. In this case, the madness derives from the belief that hatters suffered from the effects of mercury poisoning due to the fumes released in the manufacture of felt hats.

The March hare version, however, refers to the way hares leap about during the breeding season in Europe. It is said that the behavior of these animals during the month of March is completely erratic, including boxing other hares and jumping for no particular reason.