Haunted Mammoth Caves...

I feel like it's been forever since I've written a blog and I have truly missed it. There are a million and one reasons for that, mostly life and the people who are most important in it... like my family. If I waxed poetic over the events of the past several months that kept me away from writing, I'd need a book, not a blog. Anyway, enough of that. Suffice it to say I'm back (hopefully)!

So without further ado...

Have you ever been inside a dank, dark, dusty, cave or mine?  If you haven't, let me be the first one to tell you that it's really, really dark in there. In fact, the darkness is total. If that doesn't put a shiver down your spine, know that caves are also full of sounds as well. There are echoes along with spooky and unexplained noises. Whispers are not uncommon. You feel the walls closing in around you, and not everything is “comfortably” right.

Cave south Australia: by Andrew McMillan

Many of our ancestors during the Ice Age believed that underground caves connected with the spiritual realm, and they buried their dead inside them. Might some of them have remained behind for one reason or another? 

In the United States, in the state of Kentucky there exists the largest cave complex in the world known as Mammoth Cave.  Ancient burials have been located throughout the complex. During the Civil War the caves were worked for their saltpeter deposits.  Slaves perished through accidents, and some say their spirits linger. We also have reports of Native Americans and cave explorers who entered the cave and never returned.

Mammoth Cave: Photograph by Navin75

The most famous apparition is Melissa, who supposedly lured her tutor to his death inside the cave.  The story goes that she was in love with him. Unfortunately he didn't return her affections. In fact, he was dating another girl. In a fit of jealousy, she lured him into the caves and abandoned him there. He never found his way out of it. She didn't mean him any real harm, or so she said. However, Mister Beverleigh was never seen again and no one but Melissa knew why.

Dying of tuberculosis, Melissa confessed her crime from her deathbed. After her demise, the sightings began. Witnesses told a story of a girl that roams the depths of Mammoth Caves in search of her lost love. Though melodramatic perhaps, other “experiences” tend to give credence to support the story. Several people have said they hear voices of a girl who they think is trying to find someone. She has the most dreadful cough...

Other stuff happens inside there, usually in the dark. Strange lights, phantom footsteps, and apparitions dressed in a wide variety of clothing and from various ages are a common sight.

So if you are planning a trip to the Mammoth Caves--or any cave for that matter--you just may have unseen friends accompanying you. Happy spelunking...

So tell me, have you ever visited a cave or a mine?