Saturday July 27, 2013
Ghosts, Ghouls and Cemeteries
Puzzlingly starting with the extended Where Everybody Knows Your Name theme from Cheers, tonight we hosts, Henry Foister, myself, Kat Klockow and Ceiling Cat Barbara Duncan discussed Ghosts, Ghouls and Cemeteries, as it were.
Henry provided the definition for ghoul: and I gave out the definition for ghost: that in traditional belief and fiction, a ghost (sometimes known as a spectre [British English] or specter [American English], phantom, apparition or spook), is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to realistic, lifelike visions. The deliberate attempt to contact the spirit of a deceased person is known as necromancy, or in spiritism as a séance. The belief in manifestations of the spirits of the dead is widespread, dating back to animism or ancestor worship in pre-literate cultures. Certain religious practices—funeral rites, exorcisms, and some practices of spiritualism and ritual magic—are specifically designed to rest the spirits of the dead. Ghosts are generally described as solitary essences that haunt particular locations, objects, or people with whom they were associated in life, though stories of phantom armies, ghost trains, phantom ships, and even ghost animals have also been recounted.
We discussed Marie Laveau and the oldest and very haunted cemetery in New Orleans cemetery, as well as Sedlec Ossuary.
Henry mentioned Resurrection Mary of Resurrection Cemetery, which Henry's source mixed up with the Bloody Mary urban legend. Kat clarified the distinctions, and we got into the vanishing hitchhiker legends.
CC spoke about the unused Rose Hill Cemetery up in northern California, haunted by Sarah Norton.
Henry mentioned the Decatur, Illinois Greenwood Cemetery, and CC brought up Chicago's Bachelors Grove Cemetery, the information on which Henry had on hand.
I gave some background on Hollywood Forever Cemetary, after which Kat went to read out some Cemetery Experiences listeners provided, but Para-X cut off its start. The story, from Tabby, was at Blockhouse Hill Cemetary, seeing a child wearing 1880s garb, years later hearing a voice.
Henry reminded people they could send stories to our theparanormalview@gmail.com email.
CC brought up Highgate Cemetery, details into which I went as well, having visited there in 1984. I was impressed that at its front page was a photo of a Winged Angel (thankfully not "weeping"...).
Henry then brought up Salem Cemetery and Garden Hope Cemetery. Kat spoke about Union Cemetery and the White Lady there.
As I went to take us to second break, Henry Freudian-slipped, momentarily referring to Barbara as Marla, which had us mention the comical photo I'd posted on Marla's Facebook wall.
Henry indicated that the next week he and Kat would be attending MidSouth Convention in Kentucky.
Barbara reported our listeners tonight being from the US, the UK, Canada, Finland, Australia.
For the last half hour we discussed Famous Ghosts, starting with the La Llorona, the Weeping Woman, who slew her children.
We discussed the Lalurie House in New Orleans, with the murderess Madame Lalaurie.
We discussed the famous Brown Lady ghost, presumeably of Lady Dorothy Townshend, with the famous photograph.
Barbara told of the Black Angel statue of Iowa's Oakland Cemetery.
Henry asked us about Lady Mary Howard and her ghost.
Kat spoke of Spring Grove Cemetery which she had visited earlier today, and she spoke of the famous glass-eyed statue bust that seems to be Watching You as you pass.
Henry reminded that the next week he and Kat would be at MidSouth Convention;
I gave out my my Paranormal View hub page on my website, indicating people from there can find the show's respective report pages, that we're very findable on Facebook, the official Paranormal View page page, Kat provided her Hunt For Ghosts page, and her all new Kat Klockow website, but Barbara again "neglected" to impart Facebook information tonight, and we wrapped out.