1. Pinky Pinky
When South Africa finally became a democracy in 1994, there was a story going viral all around primary school about a monster who waits for girls in the school toilet. These little girls were told not to wear pink to school because it would agitate the creature who would then attack them.
Sightings of the monster grew every day. It was described to resemble a bogeyman or a tokoloshe (an African mythical creature) with one paw and one claw. In general, boys could not see the monster, however, they have been boys who claim to have been attacked and bruised by the monster.
No-one knows what initiated the Pinky Pinky tale. Some believe this could be related to the fear young girls had of going into a public toilet alone because of the instances of rape and sexual abuse that was (and still is) prevalent in their society.
The tale seems to have vanished for the most part, but there have been books and exhibitions dedicated to the story. Today it is just a story that children who went to primary school in South Africa in the 1990’s can relate to.
2. Corpses With Open Eyes
It was widely believed that if a dead person had their eyes open, they were looking for someone to take to their final destination with them. People assumed this someone would be a family member. In order to prevent this, the British would close the eyes of the dead and put a penny on each eyelid to keep the eyes closed. In Greek mythology, they placed a coin in the mouth of the dead in order to pay the ferryman who takes the soul across the River Styx into Hades. Sometimes even the British used this reason behind their practice.
It was also believed that a person who dies with open eyes was a sign of an unfulfilled life.
In north-east Namibia, there was a corpse who refused to keep his eyes shut at the funeral. When the body was being prepared for the funeral, the eyes would keep opening and closing. The family finally buried the man in a blanket instead of a coffin. Just in case.
3. Dead Hands
Legend has it that a dead person’s hand has healing powers. Regardless of what type of disease you have, placing the hand of a dead person on you would cure it. In Britain, they believed this would especially cure swelling.
When there is a death in an Irish household, the family would be overrun by sick people who were trying to get into contact with the corpse. It was said that the dead person should be the opposite sex of the sick person. After getting touched by the dead hands, the sick person will then have to lie in a bed that is aligned north to south.
People also believed the linen the dead person was wrapped in would get some of the magic properties. Therefore, people started to wrap these sheets around their aching parts in order to cure their paid or get rid of the underlying disease.
4. Chewing Gum After Midnight
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| image source-Pixabay |
Every culture has its own superstitions and several of them are connected to our fear of death. Some cultures believe a constantly crying baby is a sign that there will be death in the household or taking your socks off and leaving them at the foot of the bed is an invitation to death.
However, Turkey has some gruesome tales linked to chewing gum after midnight. Children are told that the gum chewed after midnight will transform into rotten, decaying flesh. Several parts of Turkey believe the gum wouldn’t wait until midnight, any hour after dark would do.
5. Evil Spirits Follow You
In Korea, the people who take these tales seriously go through a large amount of trouble to ensure no bad luck follows them. They believe that if you move into a new house, the evil spirits and ghosts move into the new house with you. They slip into the moving van and hide between your furniture to make sure they reach your new house.
However, there are certain days of the month which are “safe”. Korean moving companies will often have the busiest days of the month on those days. Residents hastily move homes on these days. Additionally, they don’t clean up after themselves in the old house when they move in order to trick the spirits into not knowing they have moved.
However, there are not stories that include the old spirits haunting a new family that has moved into the old house.
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