Folklore
The Lydian Hoard (Karun Treasure)
A treasure dug illegally from burial mounds in Uşak Province, Turkey, bought for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and said by some in Uşak to carry a curse on the men who dug it up.
Something Left BehindObscurity 6 of 7
Folklore
The Mercy Brown exhumations
On 17 March 1892, relatives and neighbours of the Brown family dug up family graves in a church graveyard, looking for a vampire they believed was harming the living.
Someone Who Was ThereObscurity 2 of 7
Folklore
The Molebka anomalous zone
An area near the village of Molyobka in Perm Krai, Russia, built up by the tabloid press in 1989 and 1990. Ufologists say paranormal events happen there and visitors can make contact with aliens.
Somewhere You Can GoObscurity 7 of 7
Folklore
The Moran gang garage shooting, Chicago
Seven men were shot dead in a Chicago garage on 14 February 1929. After the building came down in 1967, stories grew up around its bricks.
Somewhere You Can GoObscurity 3 of 7
Folklore
The Palatine Light of Block Island
A ship carrying emigrants from Rotterdam wrecked on Block Island, Rhode Island, in December 1738. A ghost-ship legend grew from the wreck, and tellers say a burning ship appears each year.
Somewhere You Can GoObscurity 6 of 7
Folklore
The Peckham letter on Spring-heeled Jack
An anonymous letter from a Peckham resident, complaining of pranksters in villages around London, was made public by the city's Lord Mayor on 9 January 1838.
Something ToldObscurity 2 of 7
Folklore
The Trauco of Chiloé
The Trauco is a misshapen forest being of Chiloé folklore in southern Chile, said to prey on young women. His story was long used to explain pregnancies when no father was named.
Before you read on. On Chiloé, families blamed the Trauco when a young woman became pregnant and the father was not known, and Spanish Wikipedia reports that the myth was also used to frighten girls into keeping their virginity. A 2026 study finds violence towards young women's sexuality running through the Trauco stories.
Something ToldObscurity 7 of 7
Folklore
The boto encantado
In Amazonian folklore the boto is a river dolphin that turns into a young man, goes to dances and seduces young women. The story has long been used to explain pregnancies when the father is not named.
Before you read on. The boto story is still used to explain a girl's pregnancy when the father cannot be named. A judge interviewed by Agência Brasil in 2018 said that behind many of these stories is sexual violence against girls, usually by relatives, which the legend helps to keep hidden.
Something ToldObscurity 7 of 7
Folklore
The burning of Lady Glamis
Janet Douglas, Lady Glamis, died by burning for treason on Castle Hill, Edinburgh, on 17 July 1537. A ghost tradition at Glamis Castle links her name to a Black Lady.
Somewhere You Can GoObscurity 5 of 7
Folklore
The demon-fires of Dan-no-ura
On dark nights pale lights drift over the beach and the sea at Dan-no-ura, and the fishermen call them demon-fires. When the wind rises, a noise like battle comes off the water.
Somewhere You Can GoObscurity 2 of 7
Folklore
The lobizón
The lobizón, or luisón, is the werewolf of Paraguayan and Argentine folklore, said to be the seventh son in a row. In Argentina the president's godchildren, a custom for seventh sons, have had their schooling paid by law since 1974.
Something ToldObscurity 7 of 7