A haunted doll is a handmade or manufactured doll or stuffed toy that is claimed to be cursed or possessed in some way.
A haunted doll is a handmade or manufactured doll or stuffed toy that is claimed to be cursed or possessed in some way.
According to Linda Rodriguez McRobbie, the concept of malevolent dolls gained attention in the 20th century when film and entertainment technology was able to realistically portray "safely inanimate" dolls as "dangerously animate". McRobbie cites examples such as the 1936 film The Devil-Doll by Tod Browning, the Living Doll episode of the TV series Twilight Zone , the clown doll from the film Poltergeist , the Chucky doll featured in the Child's Play film franchise, as well as "B-movie variations on the homicidal doll theme" such as Dolly Dearest , Demonic Toys , and Blood Dolls . More recently, a character based on the doll named Annabelle owned by Ed and Lorraine Warren has been featured in The Conjuring series of films. [1]
The popularity of films and entertainment about haunted dolls has resulted in the sale of dolls claimed to be haunted on eBay, Amazon, Etsy and many other sites. According to Katherine Carlson of The New Yorker , sales listings are often accompanied by claims of paranormal phenomena associated with the doll. [2] Carlson wrote that such dolls bring with them a certain fascination that a regular doll does not, since "a haunted doll requires proof — or at least enough of a backstory that a prospective buyer can embrace the possibility of the supernatural". [2]
According to folklore professor Libby Tucker, "Ghost tours, ads for haunted hotels, and other monetary transactions build on preexisting beliefs and narratives. The fact that people buy and sell ghostly materials takes nothing away from these materials’ value for folklore researchers, which is considerable". [3]
A number of supposedly haunted dolls have appeared in popular culture in recent years. [4]
Robert is a doll claimed to be possessed by spirits that is on display at the East Martello Museum in Key West, Florida, that was once owned by Key West painter and author Robert Eugene Otto. [5] [6]
Annabelle is a Raggedy Ann doll alleged by Ed and Lorraine Warren to be haunted [7] and displayed in The Warren's Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut, the United States. The doll served as the inspiration for the films The Conjuring and Annabelle . [8]
Kerry Walton, of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, has appeared on a number of television programs with a doll he claims to have found while visiting an abandoned building in 1972 in Wagga Wagga. [9] According to Walton, he named the doll "Letta Me Out" because of its supposedly supernatural characteristics. Walton claims that people have seen the doll move in front of them, and that the doll has left visible scuff marks around the house. [10]
According to modern Japanese folklore, in 1918, a teenager named Eikichi Suzuki purchased a large doll from Hokkaido for his younger sister, Okiku, who gave the doll her name. When Okiku died, her family came to believe that Okiku's spirit was inhabiting the doll and the hair on the doll was growing. The doll resides in Mannenji Temple in Hokkaido, where it is claimed that a priest regularly trims Okiku's still-growing hair. [11]
Made in England or Germany between 1910 and 1920, Mandy is a porcelain baby doll donated to the Quesnel Museum in British Columbia in 1991 that is claimed to have supernatural powers: Mandy's eyes supposedly follow museum visitors. The doll has been featured on the Montel Williams Show. [12]
According to Singapore legend, Pulau Ubin Barbie is a Barbie doll displayed in a memorial temple said to have supernatural powers. [13]
Late night comedy panel show After Midnight features a haunted doll as a recurring prize. [14]
In German folklore and ghostlore, a poltergeist is a type of ghost or spirit that is responsible for physical disturbances, such as loud noises and objects being moved or destroyed. Most claims or fictional descriptions of poltergeists show them as being capable of pinching, biting, hitting, and tripping people. They are also depicted as capable of the movement or levitation of objects such as furniture and cutlery, or noises such as knocking on doors. Foul smells are also associated with poltergeist occurrences, as well as spontaneous fires and different electrical issues such as flickering lights.
Yūrei are figures in Japanese folklore analogous to the Western concept of ghosts. The name consists of two kanji, 幽 (yū), meaning "faint" or "dim" and 霊 (rei), meaning "soul" or "spirit". Alternative names include Bōrei (亡霊), meaning ruined or departed spirit, Shiryō (死霊), meaning dead spirit, or the more encompassing Yōkai (妖怪) or Obake (お化け). Like their Western counterparts, they are thought to be spirits barred from a peaceful afterlife.
The Enfield poltergeist was a claim of supernatural activity at 284 Green Street, a council house in Brimsdown, Enfield, London, England, between 1977 and 1979. The alleged poltergeist activity was centred on sisters Janet, aged 11, and Margaret Hodgson, aged 13.
The Smurl Haunting refers to claims made by Jack and Janet Smurl of West Pittston, Pennsylvania, U.S., who alleged that a demon inhabited their home between 1974 and 1989. The Smurls' claims gained wide press attention and were investigated by demonologists who encouraged the family's supernatural beliefs, and clergy, psychologists, and scientific skeptics who offered more parsimonious explanations. The Smurls' version of their story was the subject of a 1986 paperback titled The Haunted and a 1991 made-for-TV movie of the same name released by 20th Century Fox.
Edward Warren Miney and Lorraine Rita Warren were American paranormal investigators and authors associated with prominent cases of alleged hauntings. Edward was a self-taught and self-professed demonologist, author, and lecturer. Lorraine professed to be clairvoyant and a light trance medium who worked closely with her husband.
Ghost hunting is the process of investigating locations that are purportedly haunted by ghosts. The practice has been heavily criticized for its dismissal of the scientific method. No scientific study has ever been able to confirm the existence of ghosts. Ghost hunting is considered a pseudoscience by the vast majority of educators, academics, science writers and skeptics. Science historian Brian Regal described ghost hunting as "an unorganized exercise in futility".
Summerwind, formerly known as Lamont Mansion, is a ruined mansion on the shores of West Bay Lake in Vilas County, Wisconsin. Located on private land, its ruins are closed to the public. A number of urban legends and ghost stories in popular culture have contributed to its reputation as a haunted house.
Robert the Doll is an allegedly haunted doll exhibited at the East Martello Museum in Key West, Florida. Robert was once owned by painter, author, and Key West resident Robert Eugene Otto.
Ghosts are an important and integral part of the folklore of the socio-cultural fabric of the geographical and ethno-linguistic region of Bengal which presently consists of Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal and Tripura. Bengali folktales and Bengali cultural identity are intertwined in such a way that ghosts depicted reflect the culture it sets in. Fairy tales, both old and new, often use the concept of ghosts. References to ghosts are often found in modern-day Bengali literature, cinema, radio and television media. There are also alleged haunted sites in the region. The common word for ghosts in Bengali is bhoot or bhut. This word has an alternative meaning: 'past' in Bengali. Also, the word Pret is used in Bengali to mean ghost. In Bengal, ghosts are believed to be the unsatisfied spirits of human beings who cannot find peace after death or the souls of people who died in unnatural or abnormal circumstances like murders, suicides or accidents. Non-human animals can also turn into ghosts after their death. But they are often associated with good luck and wealth in Bangladesh.
The following are reportedly haunted locations in California, in the United States. This list is sorted by county.
The Conjuring is a 2013 American supernatural horror film directed by James Wan and written by Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes. It is the inaugural film in The Conjuring Universe franchise. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga star as Ed and Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigators and authors associated with prominent cases of haunting. Their purportedly real-life reports inspired The Amityville Horror story and the associated film franchise. The Warrens come to the assistance of the Perron family, who experienced increasingly disturbing events in their newly occupied farmhouse in Rhode Island in 1971.
Annabelle is a 2014 American supernatural horror film directed by John R. Leonetti, written by Gary Dauberman and produced by Peter Safran and James Wan. It stars Annabelle Wallis, Ward Horton, and Alfre Woodard. Principal photography began in January 2014 in Los Angeles. It premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on September 29, 2014, and was theatrically released in the United States on October 3, 2014, by Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema.
Black-eyed children, or black-eyed kids, in American contemporary legend, are paranormal creatures that resemble children and teenagers, with pale skin and black eyes, who are reportedly seen hitchhiking or begging, or are encountered on doorsteps of residential homes.
Annabelle is an allegedly-haunted Raggedy Ann doll, housed in the now closed occult museum of the paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. Annabelle was moved there after supposed hauntings in 1970. A supposed character based on the doll is one of the antagonists that appear in The Conjuring Universe.
Annabelle: Creation is a 2017 American supernatural horror film directed by David F. Sandberg, written by Gary Dauberman and produced by Peter Safran and James Wan. It is a prequel to 2014's Annabelle and the fourth installment in The Conjuring Universe franchise. The film stars Stephanie Sigman, Talitha Bateman, Lulu Wilson, Anthony LaPaglia, and Miranda Otto, and depicts the possessed Annabelle doll's origin.
Annabelle Comes Home is a 2019 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Gary Dauberman, in his directorial debut, from a story by Dauberman and James Wan, who also served as producer with Peter Safran. It serves as a sequel to 2014's Annabelle and 2017's Annabelle: Creation, and as the sixth installment in The Conjuring Universe franchise. The film stars Mckenna Grace, Madison Iseman, and Katie Sarife, along with Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, who reprise their roles as Ed and Lorraine Warren.
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