Dragsholm Castle and the Ghosts Who Chose to Stay...

Near Copenhagen, on the islet by the draugh (or small stretch of land), proudly stands the Castle known as Dragsholm. Peder Sunesen, the Bishop of Roskilde erected the original fortress during the 12th century, but the imposing structure has changed many times since its first medieval design. 

Dragsholm Castle in Winter, by Niels Elgaard Larsen

As one might imagine, over the centuries, the castle served as a home to a variety of noblemen and kings. Then from the 14^th to the 15^th century, Dragsholm became a prison to men of no small reputation, such as the last Catholic Bishop in Roskilde. Joachim Rønnow, a former owner, was imprisoned within her walls. So was the 4th Earl of Bothwell, the third husband of Mary, Queen of Scots. We also have Ejler Brockenhuus, deemed a raving lunatic…but was he really?

The castle now serves as a hotel, and if you’re thinking of booking a reservation any time soon, you might prepare yourself for encountering a few things from the past during your stay. No, I’m not talking about the antiques. I’m talking about those who call Dragsholm Castle home and have called it home for centuries.

All Hallow's Eve approaches....

We call the event Halloween, the Irish, Samhain, or La Samon. The Druids referred to it as Feast of the Sun, one of four ‘Fire Festivals’. They celebrated this festival on the first day of November. But since the ancient Celts marked their days from sundown to sundown, All Hallow’s Eve began with the setting of the sun on October 31st. 

The Fire Festival... The Druids built the only permissible fire on this particular day. Those who needed a hearth fire (and that included just about everyone) had to obtain a start from the sacred burning alters of the Druids, for a donation or a fee of course. After all, a Druid has to do what a Druid has to do to survive.

To the Romans, the time was called the Feralia and set aside for sacrifices, oblations, and prayers. This celebration, adopted by the Church in Rome, was a day to honor the dead and bring them peace. Originally held in February, the church moved the observance to November 1^st.

Calan Gaeaf is the Welsh name for the first day of winter. They call the eve of Calan Gaeaf, Nos Calan Gaeaf. At this time, spirits converge upon the land. Those honest in heart will avoid churchyards, stiles, and crossroads, as they believe these are the places spirits gather.

A Personal Ghost Story...

The last day of October has arrived, and so has Halloween! And, I just couldn't let the day pass without leaving you all something spooky. After all, it is the time for pumpkins carved with eerie faces, witches, vampires, goblins and ghosts...

Photograph By Anthony

During my "Spirit of the Knight" book tour, I shared a personal ghost story at the request of my lovely hostess (You can read it here: Brooke Blog's) and since that time, some of you have asked me for another. Now do be aware, I really don't have that many. I mean, it's not like I run into ghosts on a regular basis. 

However...

On a dark and stormy night...no, no, that's not right...

The Ghosts of Gwydir....

Well, it's October and almost Halloween, so I just can't let the month go without a single mention of ghosts. Because "Court of the Hawk" takes place almost exclusively in Wales, I decided to, well, talk about Wales!

Gwydir Castle by Jo Turner

Nestled in the lovely valley of Llanrwst, Conwy, Wales, sits the enchanting Tudor courtyard house known as Gwydir Castle.

Just a bit of History:

In the 14th century, a man by the name of Hywel Coetmore is said to have possessed the original Gwydir structure, which was subsequently destroyed during the Wars of the Roses. Then, one of Hywel's decendents later sold the place to Meredith ap Ieuan, a decendent of Owain Gwynedd. According to history, somewhere around the year 1500, Meredith rebuilt Gwydir.

In turn, Meredith's son, John Wynn ap Meredith is responsible for increasing the size of the castle beyond its rectangular keep-like Solar Tower and the adjoining hall block. During the 17th century, a knight by the name of Sir John Wynn, doubled the size of the courtyard mansion. In 1816, most all of his contributions were destroyed, but fortunately, we still have the lovely porch that Sir John added to the front of the Solar Tower.

All right then - The Ghosts:

Of Witches and Wizards in Salem, Massachusetts...

With a Halloween theme of "Witches and Wizards," I certainly have to include a blog on the notorious Salem, Massachusetts witch trials. My husband and I have several ancestors who lived in Massachusetts during the witch hunts and though none of them lived in Essex County, they lived near enough to know about them. I wonder what they thought. Did they believe the accused were actually witches and warlocks, or did they think the whole thing utter nonsense? I suppose I'll never know, but I'm hoping they kept a level head during the months of mass hysteria.

"Examination of a witch" by Thompkins H. Matteson 1853

Between February of 1692 and May of 1693, nineteen people were hanged, one man met his death under a heavy load of rocks, and five died in jail.  Over a hundred more were accused and imprisoned. Some were condemned, but not executed, and some even confessed to the charges of witchcraft. However, many of them, such as, Rebecca Nurse, Susannah Martin, Sarah Wildes, Elizabeth Howe, Sarah Good, and Bridget Bishop, stood before their accusers and vehemently proclaimed their innocence.

Celebrating All Hallow's Eve with Witches and Wizards...Part Two

Speaking of wizards and witches...Did you know that:

The Three Witches from Shakespeares Macbeth by Daniel Gardner, 1775

Cauldrons, often associated with Ceridwen (see part one), is said to symbolize the womb of mother earth. According to Celtic legend, dead warriors could return to life after a swim inside these mighty pots. Because they lacked the power of speech after their awakening, there were those who believed they no longer had a soul.  Nonetheless, these warriors were sent into battle where they would fight valiantly, until they were killed again.  (I suppose it's a good thing that nowadays, our magical minions just use them to brew their potions.)

Celebrating All Hallow's Eve with Witches and Wizards...

Wizards and Witches and Ghosts, oh my! (Okay, that's enough of that...I swear...) Seriously, what would Halloween be without an adorable little poppet showing up at your door with black dress and pointy hat? After all, witches and wizards have been around since the most ancient of times, working their magic in every culture throughout the world.

John William Waterhouse - 1849-1917

Take the beautiful sorceress, Circe, for instance. In her forest home near the Adriatic Sea, she kept sailors as pets. After luring them to shore with her enchanting songs, she would turn them into pigs, bears and wolves. Not half bad when one considers what she did to Scylla, the nymph. Now Scylla had a shepherd lover that Circe desired as well. So, Circe created a spell that would rid her of her competition. She poured the emerald green liquid into the sea where Scylla bathed and then disappeared.

Ghosts of Oak Alley Plantation...

Imprint on time, vivid imagination, or do ghosts really haunt our nation’s antebellum mansions?

Take Oak Alley for instance, the very mansion that graces the cover of “Spirit of the Rebellion.” According to witnesses, this plantation home, facing the Mississippi River in Vacherie, Louisiana, is a place where supernatural events are commonplace.

The list is endless. Lights turn off and on, and rocking chairs rock by themselves. Unseen hands touch guests and employees alike. Some have heard the mournful sounds of either a woman or a child weeping. A lady in black paces the length of the widow’s walk, and at times, meanders beneath the shade of the mighty oak trees. A man dressed in gray, wearing boots, haunts the kitchen. Many have heard the distinctive clip-clop of horses alongside the sound of approaching wooden wheels. Yet, the phantom carriage never arrives. The pleasant odor of lavender permeates the room that once belonged to the lady of the house. Shadows lurk in the corners. And did I mention the candlestick that flew across the room during a tour?

Haunted Carnton Plantation...

For this blog, let's talk about Carnton Plantation in Franklin Tennessee. This mansion has a few things in common with the fictional “Starling Plantation,” featured in “Spirit of the Rebellion.”

Randal McGavock built this antebellum home in the year 1826. Like Starling plantation, Carnton served as a hospital for those wounded in battle during the Civil War. In this case, the Battle of Franklin which took place in November of 1864. The injured as well as the dead filled every bed, nook, crook, and cranny of the main structure and exterior buildings on the property. Laid out on the back porch were the bodies of Confederate Generals Adams, Granbury, Stahl, and Cleburne, covered with a Confederate flag, as they awaited the dignity of burial.

Entering the Twilight Zone on Clinton Road...

Those growing up in the ‘60’s and 70’s will remember such weekly viewing fare as The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, One-Step Beyond and Tales from the Crypt. These were bizarre stories of the paranormal that frequently left one—well—feeling a bit unsettled. However, there are places on this earth where the peculiar and uncanny tend to be commonplace.

Take Clinton Road for instance...

Many have experienced a close encounter of the creepy kind on this long, winding road in Passaic county, New Jersey. WeirdNJ.com has devoted many articles to this lonely stretch of asphalt, with multiple tales of the frightening and uncanny.

My husband is a 32 year retired veteran of the Las Vegas Police Department. One fine evening, as we watched a 1950’s horror movie, he said, “Have you ever noticed that the first casualty in these films is the lone cop on duty—and he’s always out in the middle of a deserted desert or something close to it? I think I’m glad my job is more urban.”

Yeah...me too...

Balmoral Castle, Queen Victoria and the ghost of John Brown...

Queen Victoria never fully recovered from the untimely death of her husband, Prince Albert, in 1861. Nonetheless, she found solace in the companionship of John Brown, who acted as the queen’s personal servant. Whispers concerning an improper relationship abounded and to this day, no one knows how deep that relationship truly ran. The 15^th Earl of Derby, Edward Stanley, reported that they slept in adjoining rooms “contrary to etiquette and even decency.” Victoria’s own daughters, in joking manner, referred to John Brown as “mama’s lover.”

So, were Queen Victoria and John Brown star crossed lovers, separated by Royal birth and class, or did they simply have an honorable friendship besmirched by those with a mean, jealous, malicious streak?

Ghostly Residents of Culzean Castle

Culzean Castle with the Fair Coves engraving by William Miller

Overlooking the Firth of Clyde, in Aryshire, Scotland, stands a mighty fortress...”

First known as Coif Castle (House of Cove) in the fifteenth century, and then Cullean Castle in the seventeenth century, castle Culzean took on its present name, during the eighteenth century.

Recorded history first speaks of Culzean castle in 1569. At this time, the 4^th Earl of Cassillis, member of the powerful, ancient Scottish clan Kennedy, gave the estate to his brother, Sir Thomas Kennedy.

As you can imagine, the castle is home to several ghostly residents...

The Haunting of Sker House

Neath Abbey

The time? Halloween night. The place? Celt Central, the land of the druids, the very area the celebrated and near mythical King Arthur may have once hung out. Ogres, giants, ghosts, faeries, (and who knows what else) cavorted about in the darkness...an inky black darkness.... 

This scenario brings to mind a guy from Missouri that once worked with my husband, a police officer at the time. The man said there were three things one never should mess with:  The mafia, the IRS, and the unknown.  

Anyway... On this particular night, three teenage adventurists tempted fate and leaped headlong into breaking the third rule...you know...the one about messing with the Unknown?