Traditional Haunts

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Strange and true news from Long-Ally in More-Fields, Southwark, and Wakefield in Yorkshire 1. The wonderful and miraculous appearance of the ghost of Griffin Davis (at the house of Mr. Watkins in Long-Ally) to his daughter Susan Davis ... 2. A more exact relation of the strruge [sic] appearance of the ghost of Mr. Powel near the Faulcon ... 3. The heavy judgment of God shewed on Jane Morris a widdow near Wakefield in Yorkshiere [sic] ... / the truth hereof is averred by Sir. Rich. Keys, Mr. Hare, and several other persons of quality ... , London : Printed for John Johnson, 1661.

There are two stories to this short pamphlet. I find these very interesting as physical pain has been inflicted on witnesses of ghosts. In the first story, a widow cursed the name of god and spirits overtaken her and her house. When people entered, such as the doctors, they were beaten back. So the doctors claimed that the Devil was in her but to keep the woman alive, they put porridge near her window where they found the next morning, the porridge was gone. This kept the widow a live for a while.
The next story is about a recent dead master who came back to haunt his house. He appeared to one of his living servants, first in the appearance of a cat, then another as a goat, and then the third as himself. Mr. Powell (the master) scared the poor woman out of the home which left her deathly ill. Mr. Powell was restless because a granddaughter was left un-provided for.
Some called Mr. Powell and told him to return to his resting place but Mr. Powell said “Woe to those that were the caused of my coming here”. It was then said that the “Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil”. Mr. Powell vanished like “a flash of fire” and actually hit a bystander’s leg which lamed him. Some people still stayed in the house though as money was claimed to be hidden.
I find these stories very interesting as in the stories I have read involving ghost, no physical contact occurred between the ghost and the witnesses. The ghost could not hurt somebody physically. Another thing I found curious was how these stories are like the true haunting we came to know today where spirits take over a house and stay there because they are restless or because someone has cursed the name of God. Some of the modern ghost stories I have heard of, evil spirits has consumed the house because in the past, someone has cursed the name of God and worked closely with the Devil. From reading these two stories, I came to realized that ghost ideas have stayed close to the original tradition of ghosts.


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