By Jennifer Trend, Staff Writer
Did you know that the original fairy tales are much darker than their Disney counterparts we’ve grown up with? It’s true. In the original telling, the little mermaid chose to kill herself and become the seafoam spirit. The witch in Snow White’s story ended up dancing in burning shoes until she died. Disney always makes safe those sinister fairy tales by The Brothers Grimm or Hans Christian Andersen. Dig a little deeper if you dare and you’ll find plenty of stories to creep you out. To help you get into the Halloween season that leaves you checking behind your back and underneath your bed, here are just a few legends that may give you goosebumps.
Bloody Mary
Perhaps you’ve been dared to go into the bathroom, turn off the lights, and chant “Bloody Mary” three times. And perhaps she showed up in the mirror—all bloodied, eyes gouged out and clawing at you, wanting to get revenge on the person who summoned her. Some people say that axes would appear if you tried to leave her alone. Others say that she appeared with three children just like her. Who knows? Perhaps it’s just a way to get kids to brush their teeth.
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” (aka The Headless Horseman) by Washington Irving
Ichabod Crane and Abraham Van Brunt compete for Katrina Van Tassel’s hand in marriage. Tensions arise, and at a nightly celebration, stories regarding a haunted Sleepy Hollow are told. Passing through a graveyard on his way home, Ichabod meets a headless man on top of a horse holding his severed head in his hands. Spooked, Ichabod flees but is unable to escape the horseman who throws his head at Ichabod. Ichabod Crane’s horse is found near a shattered pumpkin, but he is never seen again. Abraham ends up marrying Katrina. The mystery behind Ichabod’s disappearance is never solved.
The Spider Wig
Getting ready to go to a Halloween party, a girl realized she needs a wig and borrows one from her grandmother, noticing it is slightly itchy. At the party it starts itching like crazy, and all of a sudden hundreds of spiders scatter out of the wig, frightening the rest of the guests. Some versions say the girl later died as they ate through her skull. Where are you feeling itchy?
