I’ve written three collections of ghost stories. (“Death Be Not Loud” “Rest In Fleece,” and “Sepia Seepage,” at amazon)as well as a nonfiction book on the subject called “About Ghosts: A Useful Handbook,” and collections of funny/irreverent haiku: “It’s Your Funeral: Dead Funny Haiku, and Pasta La Vista, Baby: Mob Haiku to Die For,” and “More Pasta: A Second Helping of Mob Haiku to Die For.” In addition, there’s “Infectious Ghosts: Contagious Magic in F. G. Cottam’s Dark Echo and House of Lost Souls, and Love in Bosch’s Garden: Profane and Sacred Love in the Medieval Imagination.
I teach seminars occasionally about the spirituality of the ghost story, and about the paranormal in literature. The subject matter is intriguing in many ways:
- We speculate about the Other Side, and there are countless theories about it.
- Our fear of the unknown.
- So much is written off as “wives tales” or legend, but actually, running up against ghosts, hauntings, ESP, voodoo, the Bermuda Triangle, and more, happens to people quite often. Working as a priest and as a chaplain I heard countless stories from so many individuals: and prior to that, as a columnist, I interviewed those who had had supernatural, inexplicable experiences.
- In literature, one can play with the concepts: what about life after death? Is there anything to do or is it boring? What about justice, is retribution from beyond the grave possible? Do the boring, banal and obnoxious ever get the karma they deserve? If so, how can ghosts help out with that?
- Ghost stories have been told round the campfire as far back as, well, there have been campfires! Legends continue to intrigue us.
- There are common elements in ghost stories that cross cultural and geographic lines: does this reflect some universal observations made by mankind over the eons?
- What are some of the themes in ghost stories? There are a few standard ones: retributive justice as mentioned above is one. Then there’s the unwary and somewhat careless person who pokes at something he shouldn’t and what happens as a result. There is the curse theme: someone curses someone else – personally, I like it when the curse bounces back on its maker, who usually is quite deserving! Ghost stories also play out ideas of magical thinking: if I do this, then that will happen. Or, if I imitate this I can get it to happen over there, to them. Of course there is the twilight zone between death and life. And of course, monstrous beings of different kinds. Ghost stories, too, often reflect cultural, social, psychological and spiritual ideas of a time and place. But it’s still fascinating how universal some of those ideas are.
The above categories offer food for thought about the ghost story and why it’s more than just entertainment (although we who write them do hope they entertain!). I was led to explore this subject partially because of my own strange stories; and when I realised so many others had stories, too.
Have you ever seen a ghost? Or experienced other paranormal “inexplicables?” Sit down, make yourself at home, feel free to share!
https://www.amazon.com/Jan-Olandese/e/B071FK9L75
If you enjoy my blog, please share the link with your friends – and please check out my books (on amazon at the link above). Thank you!
🙂 Noted!
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Hello! I know you have probably had plenty of these before, but I have nominated you for the Sunshine Blogger Award for cheering me up with your daily Haiku posts and your interesting stories about ghosts. https://thefruitytart.wordpress.com/2018/04/27/the-sunshine-blogger-award-my-most-notable-blogging-nomination/
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Thank you so much, Liz! I don’t accept awards, but I really appreciate your kind thought and hearing that you enjoy the blog! 🙂
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No problem! I think it is more a bit of fun to give encouragement than a real award. I really do enjoy your blog.
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Thank you so much – it’s so encouraging to hear! and I love reading your recipes! 🙂
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common elements in ghost stories that cross cultural and geographic lines!! Food for thought indeed.
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Exactly! 🙂
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There have long been stories of a ghostly monk at Nashotah House in Wisconsin.
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How interesting – my mentor and many colleagues went there. I’ll have to check it out! Thanks! 🙂
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I’ll be doing a blog post on it soon – and I mentioned you as the one who tipped me off! Thanks again for this excellent suggestion!
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You are welcome!
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I’m sure you know about the Alamo, but I’m I’m sending this just in case!
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/wwii-spy-awarded-medal-of-honor.html?utm_source=getresponse&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=warhistoryonline&utm_content=%5BWar+History+Online%5D+Daily+Dispatches
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Thanks, GP! Sounds good! 🙂
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I just might have few new ghosts for you…..
https://johnknifton.com/2018/08/07/a-strange-photograph-1/
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Thanks, GP – much appreciated! 🙂
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Loved this one and will be reposting here in the near future – thanks again!! 🙂
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Any time.
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Windsor Hotel, Americus, Georgia: http://www.windsor-americus.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=57&Itemid=61
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Thanks!! Sharing this one, readers will love it!
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You are welcome.
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“Doctor Who” director Michael Briant had a ghostly encounter during preproduction of “Revenge of the Cybermen” in 1974.
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Your friendly neighborhood pest is back…..
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/creepy-stories-from-wwii.html?utm_source=getresponse&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=warhistoryonline&utm_content=%5BWar+History+Online%5D+Daily+Dispatches
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Hi, GP! What a great link! Will definitely share it! Many thanks! Pester me any time! 😊💕🛫🛩👻👻
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(ha-ha, you can probably expect I will!)
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Good evening, Jan. I have nominated you for the Sunshine Blogger Award. Please see https://peacefulwarrior9.com/2018/11/25/sunshine-blogger-award-2/, if interested.
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Thanks so much for the kind thought, Bruin – I don’t accept awards so I’ll pass – but I appreciate it very mucho! 💕
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I understand fully. Have a great week!
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Your book “About Ghosts” was interesting and fun to read. I enjoyed the style you wrote it in; sharing thoughts and stories with friends and discussing the mysteries of spirit. There’s a lot of food for thought in the buffet you served up. Well done.
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Thank you so much for your kind and generous assessment! (If you care to share this as an amazon review, I’d be most grateful!) – I’m always gratified to learn readers enjoy something I’ve written – thanks for taking the time to let me know! 💕📚😊
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Hi. Thanks for visiting Under Western Skies. I’m trying to catch up with previous contacts, and I was pleased to find you still posting regularly. Stay poetically haunting.
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Thanks, Brad! 😊
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