Tragic Female Ghost Stories & Their History
Kimmy Hammons • Aloreing Podcast Episode • 2022
Ghost stories have been told in different cultures and societies around the world for centuries. Many tales are passed down orally to warn people of a ghost that haunts ethier a local church, an abandoned park, or old mental hospital. Each retelling of the ghost story comes with a tragic reason as to why the spirit refuses to leave and what makes its soul linger around for centuries even after they are supposed to have passed on to the next life, or the next chapter.
One very common backstory you’ll see in a lot of ghost stories is a beautiful woman who is met with a tragic end and her restless soul now haunts seeking vengeance for the wrong that happened to her during her life. These spirits, though beautiful, are very dangerous and the history and lore that surrounds them are spin chilling to say the least.
Now, I’ve gone ahead and compiled a list of different female spirits my co-host and I have discussed on our Podcast Aloreing. Plus, every topic we post here has direct links to our podcast episodes, so you’ll be able to listen and learn all about these spooky legends and lore from around the world.
2. La Llarona
La Llaronoa, known as Maria in her life, was a beautiful woman that fell head over heels in love with a wealthy nobleman and it wasn’t long until they were married and she had the family of her dreams. But her husband was disloyal and betrayed her, this results in her snapping murdering those closest to her, and her realizing her great mistake. To this very day, her haunting spirit roams near the rivers and streams in Mexico, attempting to find the souls of those she murdered to earn forgiveness and pass through the pearly gates.
On EP 7 | La Llorona’s Emotional Whiplash, we dive into this spooky latin-american folklore that keeps children from staying out past sunset, playing near the streams, and spooky sightings ones have encountered first hand.
2. Okiku
Okiku is the legend of a beautiful servant girl who was both honest and true during her life. This poor girl was met with an untimely demise as she was wrongfully accused for a sin she didn’t commit and resulted in her being drowned in the Himeji Castle’s well. To this day her spirit haunts the grounds, begging for others to acknowledge her wrongful death and to suffer with her if they ignore her cries.
On EP 8 | Don’t learn to count, we dive deep into this tale, discuss the different origin stories, how it’s represented in art, films, and plays, and what makes it one of Japan’s 3 famous ghost stories.
3. Rusulka
Rusulka are beautiful souls of maidens that roam free near rivers and streams in many Slavic speaking countries. Though carefree as they mind their own business, their souls linger because they meet a tragic death during life. Now, they live out the rest of their time on earth being as carefree as possible, dancing along the river and if someone gets too close to the river and bothers them, they drown them to have them suffer the same way they did in life.
On EP 6 | Deceiving Creatures of the Deep, we talk about why they dance around the river, how locals show their respect, and why they take the souls of others to their watery graves.
4. Mara
Mare’s or Mara, or Night Hags are known as witchy women who typically attack men in their dreams by sitting upon their chest at night and giving them nightmares. They make it hard to breathe, and will leave their victim drained and an absolute mess. The spookiest part? Their only purpose is to cause dread, they do it to practice becoming a witch and tune into their magical powers by learning to spirit jump.
On EP 10 | Nighty Night Mare. We talk about how this creature can be someone you know, it’s connection to witches, and a spooky encounter one had with a mare.
All these spooky ghost stories involve some type of tragic life and the result of their restless spirits tormenting those who they encounter. Now we all love a dangerous woman, looking at you lady Demetrius, but I’d encourage you to avoid these ones at all costs. Though beautiful they may just be the end of you.
Is there a cryptid or urban legend we should talk about? Send it to us via email at aloreing@gmail.com We are always looking for new episode topics and suggestions.
Now if you have a cryptid or folktale you want us to cover on air, head over to our patreon. All of our patrons get a chance to vote on which topics they would like to hear and the winners will be discussed the following month. Plus, you will be helping support an indie podcast. To vote on what lore and legends we should discuss, simply go to patreon.com/aloreing and become a patreon today.
