Scandinavian’s Myling

A Myling is a restless child spirit that was abandoned in a remote area by its parents because it was unwanted or they couldn’t care for it.

Another nickname for the Myling is utburd, this word means, “that which is outside.” This refers to the unspoken family practice of child infanticide.

The children’s fairy tale Hansel and Gretel does reflect a truth for at one time all over the world infanticide was committed. Children were left to die often within hours of being born. In some cultures, the majority of these infants were girls. This is based upon the old belief that boys were of more use than girls. *

The most menacing ghost story in Scandinavian folklore is about the Myling. These stories reflect the real world practice of child abandonment.

Because these children or infants were abandoned, they were not given proper burials. It is said this is one reason why they rise up as ghosts.  

Another reason given is these children left to die--return as enraged ghosts seeking revenge. In some stories, it is even mentioned they haunt the dwellings of the parents who abandoned them.

A typical Myling story has this restless child spirit waylay a lone traveler, at night, in the woods, or another remote place. This spirit then jumps on their victim’s back and demands to be taken to a graveyard.

The Myling, despite being the spirit of a child, is described as being an enormous spirit. As their unfortunate victim carries them, it is said they become heavier and heavier.

The reason for this is because they take on more of a human form as their host or victim nears the graveyard. Some versions of this story state the Myling would suck the life force out of their victims, making them weaker.

One example states they would become such a heavy burden their victim would literally sink into the ground as they walked.

Even though the Myling is considered a scary ghost, they rarely kill their victims. The one exception to this is if their victim was unable to bear them all the way to the cemetery--they would die of exertion.

What these spirits seek is to be buried properly in consecrated ground. One story even mentions when the remains of these children are found and then given a proper burial, they do not return as ghosts, but instead, rest in eternal peace.

This Scandinavian story is an excellent example of how ghost stories do reflect people’s lives and beliefs at various times in history. Why these stories were told was to make people more aware of infanticide.

* Infanticide is still practiced today in some parts of the world.

Casting the Runes

M. R. James

Montague Rhodes James, i.e., M. R. James, wrote this classic short story in 1911.

James was an English writer who is known for his ghost stories. His stories are classics because his writing style quickly draws the reader in.

But by far my favorite story by him is Casting the Runes. This story is not a ghost story but it has many supernatural elements--including witchcraft and the casting of magic spells.

Casting the Ruins is about an evil man, Mr. Karswell who has submitted a paper about witchcraft for consideration to a scientific society. This society then gives it to a member, Mr. Dunning to read. Mr. Dunning recommends the society reject this paper.

Dunning then discovers that several years before a critic by the name of John Harrington had laughed at a book Karswell had written entitled, The History of Witchcraft. Afterward, Harrington turned up dead under bizarre circumstances.

He learns that others who had rejected Karswell’s work also died mysteriously. Dunning becomes nervous realizing he has rejected Karswell’s work as well.

Karswell tracks Dunning down and hands him an odd strip of paper. After this, weird things start occurring. Dunning begins to see the name, "John Harrington" in places it should not be, and then his household staff is poisoned mysteriously.  

Late one night his house is broken into, but he finds no one. When he locks himself in his room he feels something strange under his pillow--he describes it as being a mouth with teeth.

His friends seeing how disturbed and pale Dunning has become connect him with Harrington’s brother, Henry. This man shares the details surrounding his sibling’s death.

“…he was found dead with the most dreadful face of fear that could be imagined.”

Harrington had been chased by something so terrible he had uncharacteristically climbed a tree. He had then fallen when a large limb snapped. He broke his neck and died.

Apparently, Karswell out for revenge had “cast the runes” * on Harrington who found himself defenseless against this spell.

It dawns on Dunning that he is experiencing similar things to what Harrington experienced.

Dunning discovers that Karswell also handed Harrington a mysterious strip of paper with odd writing on it.

So Henry and Dunning conclude that he must be under the same kind of magic spell that Karswell cast on Harrington.

The two men become determined to thwart Karswell. The key that helps save Dunning’s life lies with the strip of paper.

In the end, Karswell gets what he deserves.

M. R. James succeeds in making his main character Dunning sympatric and real to the reader--especially when he has him feel remorse about Karswell’s fate.

* Runes are a set of stones/cards with the Germanic alphabet itched or written on them. Like Tarot cards they are used for divination or enhancement of psychic awareness.

Runen

Here is a link to the text of Casting the Runes.

Here is an audio recording of the story on YouTube.

In 1957, a British Film called initially, Night of the Demon, retitled Curse of the Demon was released. This film is based upon James’ Casting the Runes.

The director, Jacques Tourneur, and the screenwriter, Charles Bennett plus the film's star Dana Andrews during the production clashed with the film’s producer, Hal E. Chester. Chester wanted to insert the real image of a demon or monster into the film. Unfortunately, he won out.

The result is two scenes with an outdated chintzy effect but despite this, the movie is classic film noir and entertaining.

Bennett's screenplay changed several elements of James’ original story, but it is still a great horror film. It is available to watch on Amazon’s Instant Video.

Adirondacks: A Ghost’s Revenge

From ghosties and ghoulies

And long-legged beasties

And things that go bump in the night,

Good Lord Preserve us!

An ancient belief about ghosts is that if they were murdered they return to avenge their deaths. In today’s world this notion is often rejected.

Adirondacks

One ghost legend that has been told in the Adirondacks for years is about a murdered hunter who returns to do exactly this.

Two hunters kept a camp not far from St. Regis Falls in the North Woods. Every fall season they returned to hunt for several days. Everyone assumed these two men Sandburg and Barry were good friends.

One season Sandburg came down from the mountain alone stating Barry had gotten lost. A search party was sent to look but an early snow hampered their efforts. They returned without finding any trace of the missing hunter.

The State Police felt that Sandburg wasn’t telling the whole story. They questioned him several times, each time he became more agitated to the point where he wouldn’t answer anymore of their questions. They had no corpse or other concrete evidence so they couldn’t prove foul play. The case was dismissed.

Hunting Camp

The following spring hikers found Barry’s body lying at the base of a tree. His skull was cracked. Still the police could not prove anything and the coroner determined the injury was due to “an accidental death.”

A rusted rife was found near Barry’s body. His hunting knife that he always kept strapped to his leg was missing. No one found this odd at the time.

The next fall Sandburg returned to the camp with a new companion. The first night this hunter turned in early. It had been a long trip and he was tired. In the middle of the night he was jarred awake by Sandburg’s shouts. The man in the tent heard him scream, “Don’t do it…stop!”

Scrambling for his flashlight he left the tent. He found Sandburg sitting in a camp chair dead. A hunting knife was stuck through his heart.

Later only one set of prints was found on the knife handle. They belonged to Barry.

Louis C. Jones, Things That Go Bump in the Night, 1959, Aeonian Press, Inc., New York

Missouri’s Union Station

Union Station

This railroad depot built in Kansas City in 1914, spans 850,000 square feet. It is the third-largest railroad station in the world. At its peak, it welcomed over 200 trains a day.

The Kansas City Massacre

In 1933, a violent gun battle between federal agents, local police, and three high profile gangsters occurred.  This violence it is believed resulted in the Union Station being haunted by one very tormented soul.

It was a warm summer morning in June when Frank Nash stepped off a train wearing handcuffs. Federal Agent Lackey, Chief Reed, and Agent Smith accompanied Nash off the train.

Frank "Jelly" Nash

Nash had a lengthy criminal record that had landed him in prison three times. In 1913, he was sentenced to a life term in Oklahoma. He spent five years at the state penitentiary at McAlester. He then was pardoned.

Five years later, in 1920, he was given a 25-year sentence for burglary and the use of explosives. Again he was pardoned.

Shortly after being released he was arrested and charged with assault. He again was sentenced to a 25-year term. This time he was sent to the federal penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas.

In 1930 Nash escaped. The FBI launched an investigation and Nash was captured in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Three friends of Nash's Charles Arthur “Pretty Boy” Floyd, Vernon Miller, and Adam Richetti, were waiting outside Union Station in a stolen car the morning of June 17^th when Nash arrived at 7:15 a.m. They intended to help him escape once more.

Click to enlarge.

Special Agent Vetterli met Agent Lackey at the station along with Agent Caffrey and two police officers, Grooms and Hermanson. These seven armed men then escorted Nash through the station’s lobby.

Once outside, none of the officers noticed a green Plymouth parked close by.

Caffrey unlocked the right side back passenger door of his Chevrolet Sedan, but Lackey placed Nash in the front passenger seat instead. Lackey then climbed in and sat in the backseat behind the driver.

Agent Smith sat in the center front seat next to Nash, and Chief Reed took the seat behind Nash. Vetterli, Grooms, and Hermanson stood outside the car as Caffrey moved toward the driver’s seat.

The officers barely had time to react as Miller and Floyd approached the car and opened fire using revolvers and a machine gun.

Vetterli outside the car managed to shout, “Let them have it” as the two gangsters shot and killed Grooms and Hermanson. Vetterli was wounded in the left arm.

Before he could reach the driver’s seat, Caffrey was shot in the head and fell to the ground. Vetterli managed to move out of the line of fire.

In the car, both Chief Reed and Nash seated on the left passenger sides were shot by flying bullets and died.

Four law enforcement officers killed.
Click to enlarge.

This photo was taken moments after the attack.
 Caffrey is on the ground lying between
the two cars.

Miller and Floyd made their way to the car only to find their friend dead. Moment’s later officers inside the station rushed out. They fired at the two men. Floyd was shot but managed to make it back to the Plymouth. The three gangsters then fled the scene.

The entire attack lasted less than a minute.

Agents Vetterli, Smith, and Lackey all survived the attack. Lackey had been shot three times while sitting in the car.

Three that survived.
Click to enlarge.

The FBI launched a major manhunt for the three killers. Miller’s body was found mutilated in a ditch outside Newark, New Jersey. He had been strangled and beaten by the gangster Longie Zwillman, who was connected to the crime syndicate Murder Incorporated.

The law caught up to Floyd and Richetti in Ohio in 1934. The two men had crashed their car and were sitting in a garage waiting for it to be repaired, when the local police chief, J.H. Fultz become suspicious.

A gunfight ensued, and Richettic was apprehended. Floyd escaped despite being wounded. Richettic was tried, convicted and executed for the Kansas City Massacre in 1938.

Pretty Boy Floyd was captured in Clarkson, Ohio but not before he put up a fight. He died of a gunshot wound on the way to the hospital.

After the Massacre, the atmosphere in the Union Station changed. People began to report feelings of agony overwhelming them. Many visitors and employees started to notice a strange form.

These witnesses saw a faceless male figure in various places around the building. Many feel this must be the restless spirit of Frank Nash.

Another sighting is that of old male shoes that are polished. When witnesses look up, there is no form attached to them. Others report seeing these shoes just vanish into thin air.

Numerous people over the years have seen a male figure that just disappears.

Today Union Station’s west wing is used by the U.S. Postal service. Other areas of this historic building are used for high-end cafes, shops and for art displays.

Wedding receptions are often held at the old station. Several of the guests at these receptions have witnessed the male form that just fades away.