Bloody Mary is a very popular
ghost legend from the English folklore. She appears in the mirror (sometimes on
Halloween) when her name is called three times in a dark room, often as a test
of bravery among young people. There are many variations to this: she may
appear when her name is chanted one or three times, when the participant spins
around, when they rub their eyes, or chanting her name while holding a lit
candle. In other versions the person who wants to summon her must say “Bloody
Mary, I killed your baby”. Apparently, if she appears she kills the people who
called her, often in violent ways, or she just haunts them for the rest of their
life. Other versions of the legend include a ritual where people are able to talk
to deceased persons, see their future life or their future spouses.
She is believed to be the spirit
of a mother whose baby was stolen from her, making her mad and leading to her
suicide. The history behind this legend is difficult to figure out as it is
mostly a mix of other legends and tales. Another tale regarding Bloody Mary
refers to a witch who lived over 100 years ago and was practicing black magic.
She was executed and she haunts whoever calls her name. There is even a
gruesome variation of the legend involving a woman who had a fatal accident and
was horrible mutilated.
Other sources point out that it
refers to Queen Mary I herself or involve a child murderer. There are a few
speculations regarding Queen Mary’s miscarriages and some say they were induced
while others believe she went mad because she lost so many pregnancies. She
also had the nickname Bloody Mary due to the fact that she executed so many
people for religious reasons. Other legends seem to point to Elizabeth Bathory,
a queen who supposedly bathed in virgin’s blood to make herself look younger.
Some historians believe that the
Bloody Mary ritual is similar to other rituals used in different cultures that
mark the beginning of puberty in females. This is also supported by the fact
that this is a game played by girls during sleepovers. There was an article
written about this by Alan Dundes who believes that the ritual serves an
important purpose of providing young women with an outlet for the fear and
anxiety they feel related to body changes during pubescence. Such a ritual
would develop as a method for children to cope with the scary changes in their
lives.
There are different elements to
this legend that point out to early myths and superstitions.
Mirrors are one of the most common objects used in
divination and there are a lot of rituals involving girls using a candle in
front of a mirror in order to see their future. There are also traditions that
involve people covering the mirrors when a person dies to avoid the spirit from
being trapped in the house. Other extremely common magic rituals include
turning in circles and repeated incantations.
Whether the legend is true or not, there’s only one way to know.
