Due to it's – still - around Halloween I felt the urge to write something actual topic again. This year I'm writing about ghosts and haunted places. Although I'm definitely the rational/sceptic type I do enjoy ghost stories. If I remember clearly [I usually do] The Ring was the first horror movie I ever saw in my life. I hated horror movies when I was teen. Nowadays I think there is not a week without me watching min. 2-3 horror films. The only thing I don't like is the typical American butcher horrors. Those bore me as hell. But the Korean and Japanese paranormal horrors? ~Ahhh Those are refreshing my wretched mind. 😌
As every country we also have our own folk creatures, spooky stories, places and other funs. These will be more like the classical type of stories with old castles, graveyards, abandoned buildings… etc.
I start with ghosts in the Hungarian folklore.
In Hungarian we use the words szellem, lélek or kísértet.
What para creatures are these? Let's see:
Szellem
Szellem is the same as the "spirit" in Western folklore. In our ancient folk belief as well every natural places, phenomenons [fire, water, wood, mountain], homes, graveyards, barns… etc. has its own szellem/spirit. Even a person has a spirit. These spirits have human forms, rarely animals. [You know they are our invisible friends... Haha]
The word szellem has two meanings: some sort of paranormal being and one's intellect. If someone has a good sense of humor they call this person "szellemes" [lit.means: have spirit].
Kísértet
This being is what they call a wengeful or evil spirit. Same as ghost, poltergeist or bogey.
They are the spirits of the dead who cannot rest in peace. They may appear in any public places and constantly meanders so anyone can see them, if not, they can hear them anyway, due to they are always noisy. They moan, tramp, pelt or rattle something.
Their sin is always some misdemeanour act they commited against the community [thief, irresponsible or aggressive person, murderer… etc.]. They usually died of public execution or committed suicide, but also becomes kísértet the person who was murdered, hanged or cursed and never been buried [elkárhozott lélek/reprobated spirit]. Rarely it can be the spirit of an agonised animal.
Their atonement is not lasts forever. The suiciders' torment will end with another suicide, the sinners have to show honest penitence once, the cursed ones' till 7 years past… etc.
We have many folk stories with ghosts. We call them hiedelemmonda/sort of folk legend. In these stories the person who met with the ghost is going to be sick or frightened for good.
What is certain, if you meet with an angry ghost in Hungary you must follow the instructions:
-Never talk with it!
-Never sit onto it! [This is hard if one can't see it…]
-If you hear a noise from behind you, never turn back!
-If your dog/cat is anxious, there is a ghost in the near. [Or you probably forget something. Maybe feed him.]
Murderous ghost: meanders around lakes and rivers. It is tittering and whispering nicely to temp you into the water where it whispers in your ears: ~Oooooo You neeeed a baaaaath. You reeeeeek. 😄😄😄 - But this will be your last bath anyway.
Lélek
Always good and can be the spirit of a beloved father, mother, child [sometimes animal] who passed away but something still hold them on earth. We call them visszajáró halott/revenant.
They believed that the body is in a close connection with the soul. If a man dies his spirit/or soul have to depart from his body. This is what we call "his last breath". So this departed soul become a spirit. In Hungarian folk belief the exact date for a spirit to departure to the afterlife can be various by counties and ethnic groups: 3 days, next death case, 1 week, 30 days, 40 days or the day of the funeral. Until this time the bereaved have to keep the dead's personal things untouchable [not to give away or sell]. If a spirit is in the near one can hear it's steps in the room, rattlings on the attic, sometimes objects moves… etc. But these are peaceful spirits never harm anyone.
During the wake the family usually hold a burial-feast [as in most of cultures]. They belived that the revenant is regale itself once more before the funeral+departure.
There is another kind of spirit, the szabad lélek/free spirit or árnyéklélek/shadow spirit. They believed when we sleep our soul can depart from our body during the night in the form of a white mouse or a bumblebee. [Now I know now where disappears half of the cheese every night… hehehe I'm fond of cheese.] This belief is born under the witch hunt era. Surprise surprise.
Reasons what can hold here the spirits
1. Something upset the peace of the dead. They ruined the grave or the family is grieving too deeply or someone is calling home the dead one.
2. The unsatisfied dead. When they buried the dead incorrectly or someone in the family not respects the dead.
3. The wicked dead, who wants to continue its sins even after death or a late sinner tries to make good, admits its sins. In this case the ghost usually appears on the scenes of its crimes.
4. The unfinished life. These are the murdered ones or someone who died early of a sudden accident or illness. They yearn to continue their life or finished what they have started.
5. Untearable relation. The one who still wants to help its beloved ones or the person [spirit] wants to go home, can't leave this life behind or just made a promise to his lover/wife/children to go home.
6. The restless dead who was unbabtized and can't find peace till redeption not come on a religious way [proper church funeral or when the bereaved is brave enough and not grieving the dead that deeply].
7. The malicious dead. Murderers and sinners or when the person was provoked and then killed someone. Definitely an evil spirit.
8. The dispenser of law. Who came from the death to haunt the man who killed him or tortured/harmed him or his beloved ones.
The ghost-seerers
They were usually those who had supernatural powers like the táltosok/Hungarian shamans. They could communicate with the deads and transmitted between this world and the afterlife. If this person was a woman [the seerers mostly are] they called her beszélgetőasszony/talking-woman, látó/seerer, mondó/teller, néző/watcher. Before the seerer contacting a dead she usually lets herself fall into a deep trance by chants, dance, drums, metal bead rattlings or bells [our shamans didn't use psychotropic agents, no need for that if the person is usually born with some mild neurotic disorder anyway what can cause visions, long, deep sleeps and other "supernatural" acts.]. Sometimes they healed and fortelled as well among the people.
If the seerer is not a táltos, who got his/her power by birth but a common woman, this person usually got her ghost-seering ability on a wondrous way:
a. She is watching herself in a glass of an icon in the church instead of her mirror, but she sees a skull instead of her face. From now on she is a seerer.
b. A woman sees a dead in her dream who was murdered not long before. The woman sees the murderer as well so she can solve the case. After that she fell sick [probably coma] and she abides in the Heaven during her sleep. From now on she is a seerer.
c. A seerer names the next seerer after her death. This named woman prays a lot and on Christmas Eve all her late beloved ones appear before her with great light. From now on she is a seerer.
As every country we also have our own folk creatures, spooky stories, places and other funs. These will be more like the classical type of stories with old castles, graveyards, abandoned buildings… etc.
I start with ghosts in the Hungarian folklore.
In Hungarian we use the words szellem, lélek or kísértet.
What para creatures are these? Let's see:
Szellem
Szellem is the same as the "spirit" in Western folklore. In our ancient folk belief as well every natural places, phenomenons [fire, water, wood, mountain], homes, graveyards, barns… etc. has its own szellem/spirit. Even a person has a spirit. These spirits have human forms, rarely animals. [You know they are our invisible friends... Haha]
The word szellem has two meanings: some sort of paranormal being and one's intellect. If someone has a good sense of humor they call this person "szellemes" [lit.means: have spirit].
Kísértet
This being is what they call a wengeful or evil spirit. Same as ghost, poltergeist or bogey.
They are the spirits of the dead who cannot rest in peace. They may appear in any public places and constantly meanders so anyone can see them, if not, they can hear them anyway, due to they are always noisy. They moan, tramp, pelt or rattle something.
Their sin is always some misdemeanour act they commited against the community [thief, irresponsible or aggressive person, murderer… etc.]. They usually died of public execution or committed suicide, but also becomes kísértet the person who was murdered, hanged or cursed and never been buried [elkárhozott lélek/reprobated spirit]. Rarely it can be the spirit of an agonised animal.
Their atonement is not lasts forever. The suiciders' torment will end with another suicide, the sinners have to show honest penitence once, the cursed ones' till 7 years past… etc.
We have many folk stories with ghosts. We call them hiedelemmonda/sort of folk legend. In these stories the person who met with the ghost is going to be sick or frightened for good.
What is certain, if you meet with an angry ghost in Hungary you must follow the instructions:
-Never talk with it!
-Never sit onto it! [This is hard if one can't see it…]
-If you hear a noise from behind you, never turn back!
-If your dog/cat is anxious, there is a ghost in the near. [Or you probably forget something. Maybe feed him.]
Murderous ghost: meanders around lakes and rivers. It is tittering and whispering nicely to temp you into the water where it whispers in your ears: ~Oooooo You neeeed a baaaaath. You reeeeeek. 😄😄😄 - But this will be your last bath anyway.
Lélek
Always good and can be the spirit of a beloved father, mother, child [sometimes animal] who passed away but something still hold them on earth. We call them visszajáró halott/revenant.
They believed that the body is in a close connection with the soul. If a man dies his spirit/or soul have to depart from his body. This is what we call "his last breath". So this departed soul become a spirit. In Hungarian folk belief the exact date for a spirit to departure to the afterlife can be various by counties and ethnic groups: 3 days, next death case, 1 week, 30 days, 40 days or the day of the funeral. Until this time the bereaved have to keep the dead's personal things untouchable [not to give away or sell]. If a spirit is in the near one can hear it's steps in the room, rattlings on the attic, sometimes objects moves… etc. But these are peaceful spirits never harm anyone.
During the wake the family usually hold a burial-feast [as in most of cultures]. They belived that the revenant is regale itself once more before the funeral+departure.
There is another kind of spirit, the szabad lélek/free spirit or árnyéklélek/shadow spirit. They believed when we sleep our soul can depart from our body during the night in the form of a white mouse or a bumblebee. [Now I know now where disappears half of the cheese every night… hehehe I'm fond of cheese.] This belief is born under the witch hunt era. Surprise surprise.
Reasons what can hold here the spirits
1. Something upset the peace of the dead. They ruined the grave or the family is grieving too deeply or someone is calling home the dead one.
2. The unsatisfied dead. When they buried the dead incorrectly or someone in the family not respects the dead.
3. The wicked dead, who wants to continue its sins even after death or a late sinner tries to make good, admits its sins. In this case the ghost usually appears on the scenes of its crimes.
4. The unfinished life. These are the murdered ones or someone who died early of a sudden accident or illness. They yearn to continue their life or finished what they have started.
5. Untearable relation. The one who still wants to help its beloved ones or the person [spirit] wants to go home, can't leave this life behind or just made a promise to his lover/wife/children to go home.
6. The restless dead who was unbabtized and can't find peace till redeption not come on a religious way [proper church funeral or when the bereaved is brave enough and not grieving the dead that deeply].
7. The malicious dead. Murderers and sinners or when the person was provoked and then killed someone. Definitely an evil spirit.
8. The dispenser of law. Who came from the death to haunt the man who killed him or tortured/harmed him or his beloved ones.
The ghost-seerers
They were usually those who had supernatural powers like the táltosok/Hungarian shamans. They could communicate with the deads and transmitted between this world and the afterlife. If this person was a woman [the seerers mostly are] they called her beszélgetőasszony/talking-woman, látó/seerer, mondó/teller, néző/watcher. Before the seerer contacting a dead she usually lets herself fall into a deep trance by chants, dance, drums, metal bead rattlings or bells [our shamans didn't use psychotropic agents, no need for that if the person is usually born with some mild neurotic disorder anyway what can cause visions, long, deep sleeps and other "supernatural" acts.]. Sometimes they healed and fortelled as well among the people.
If the seerer is not a táltos, who got his/her power by birth but a common woman, this person usually got her ghost-seering ability on a wondrous way:
a. She is watching herself in a glass of an icon in the church instead of her mirror, but she sees a skull instead of her face. From now on she is a seerer.
b. A woman sees a dead in her dream who was murdered not long before. The woman sees the murderer as well so she can solve the case. After that she fell sick [probably coma] and she abides in the Heaven during her sleep. From now on she is a seerer.
c. A seerer names the next seerer after her death. This named woman prays a lot and on Christmas Eve all her late beloved ones appear before her with great light. From now on she is a seerer.
❀✿❁
Let's see 13 haunted places in Hungary.
Proof? Tourists and local people see/hear/sense things there at times… Sounds good, eh?
Some buildings look truly scary, but sadly in Hungary there are many classic, historical old buildings without renovation even today. Now that's a spooky thing for a monument protector like me.
1. Witch-island at Szeged
There is a shore segment at the Tisza river at Szeged what they call the Witch-island. Why?
The answer reach back to the 18. century. After the Ottoman army leaved the country [In 1718 they forwent the regions of the Hungarian Kingdom], Christianity could spread again and was stonger than before… along with superstitions and the fashionable witch-huntings.
The most in-famous show trial took place in Szeged in the Summer of 1728 where seven women and six men were burned at on stakes. Sorry, one woman was beheaded firstly and then was burned because she was just friendly with the Devil but didn't commited any concrete evil act… ????!
The whole city saw the flames and the sky was dark from the huge smoke. The execution was held on this island and they say one can still sense the fear of the victims…
Why they had to die?
According to the historical records that summer was extremely hot and droughty. Sometimes hailstorm blasted. In an era where there were no beaches and holiday travels this meant bad omen. Without water, crops die, trees not grow or will not produce fruit, people lose their income… etc. What could they do? Of course to suspect the other with witchcraft… ohh stupid, blockheaded humanity.
The rest is happened on the same way as usual. They found some poor people and put them on trial whom named some other people out of fear and suffering and so on till the mighty Christian jury finally burned 13 person. The accusations were also the same as usual: doing witchcraft, Devil worshipping, being an outlander in town, making fun of the eucharist, rising up dead people… etc.
The people of Szeged eased because it proved that the victims were really witches due to neither one screamed or cried on the stakes while burned. [Probably the shock killed them before the flames…]
But the story wasn't ended with the burning stakes. Those who had to clean up the place started to sense and hear things. Whisperings in the wind, heads appeared in the ashes then vanished again and so on. They found fabric scraps in the ashes although the victims were all naked. Then they found 13 amulets on the charred corpses… this was enough. They run into the town for help. When they back the ashes and the amulets were gone…
This story grew bigger and bigger along the centuries till it became a creepy tale and town legend for kids and superstitious people...
Some buildings look truly scary, but sadly in Hungary there are many classic, historical old buildings without renovation even today. Now that's a spooky thing for a monument protector like me.
1. Witch-island at Szeged
There is a shore segment at the Tisza river at Szeged what they call the Witch-island. Why?
The answer reach back to the 18. century. After the Ottoman army leaved the country [In 1718 they forwent the regions of the Hungarian Kingdom], Christianity could spread again and was stonger than before… along with superstitions and the fashionable witch-huntings.
The most in-famous show trial took place in Szeged in the Summer of 1728 where seven women and six men were burned at on stakes. Sorry, one woman was beheaded firstly and then was burned because she was just friendly with the Devil but didn't commited any concrete evil act… ????!
The whole city saw the flames and the sky was dark from the huge smoke. The execution was held on this island and they say one can still sense the fear of the victims…
Why they had to die?
According to the historical records that summer was extremely hot and droughty. Sometimes hailstorm blasted. In an era where there were no beaches and holiday travels this meant bad omen. Without water, crops die, trees not grow or will not produce fruit, people lose their income… etc. What could they do? Of course to suspect the other with witchcraft… ohh stupid, blockheaded humanity.
The rest is happened on the same way as usual. They found some poor people and put them on trial whom named some other people out of fear and suffering and so on till the mighty Christian jury finally burned 13 person. The accusations were also the same as usual: doing witchcraft, Devil worshipping, being an outlander in town, making fun of the eucharist, rising up dead people… etc.
The people of Szeged eased because it proved that the victims were really witches due to neither one screamed or cried on the stakes while burned. [Probably the shock killed them before the flames…]
But the story wasn't ended with the burning stakes. Those who had to clean up the place started to sense and hear things. Whisperings in the wind, heads appeared in the ashes then vanished again and so on. They found fabric scraps in the ashes although the victims were all naked. Then they found 13 amulets on the charred corpses… this was enough. They run into the town for help. When they back the ashes and the amulets were gone…
This story grew bigger and bigger along the centuries till it became a creepy tale and town legend for kids and superstitious people...
[Photo from szeged.varosom.hu]
2. Black castle of Balatonederics
Jenő Nedeczky constructed and built the castle around 1880-1881. The whole are was in the property of his family since the beginning of the 18. century. On February 26, 1881 he married his niece Emma Nedeczky and they lived in this castle of Balatonederics.
Why is the 'black' in the title? According to the oral history they painted the doors and window frames black. That would be all. If not…
In 1912 a local herdsman killed his lover in the castle out of jealousy, who was the cook of the family.
In 1914 Jenő Nedeczky committed suicide on his birthday at the age of 74. The causes what drove him to his own death were: He suffered from an uncurable illness. The second is a political one. He was an anti-Emperor landlord and under the reign of the Habsburg dinasty this meant biiiig trouble in Hungary. In 1864 they charged him with taking part in a conspiracy against the Monarchy. There was no certain proof of this act so they had to release him. [Instead of him his brother, István Nedeczky got 20 years of prison.] He was a broken old man.
But the story of the castle is not ended with him…
In 1928 a wife of a barrister moved into the ill-famed mansion. First her husband committed suicide there, later her lover as well due to the woman cheated on both… [Hahahaha sorry this is stupid… all three]
The last suicide among those wretched walls happened in 1945 when a politician took his own life.
Since then the castle is masterless… except those voices… those whispering voices…
[Photo from mult-kor.hu]
3. Un inviolate ghost-village
The name of the village is a mystery for me. I found some articles about this place but neither one mention its name.
Well, I read that the last remained person who lived there completely alone! died not long ago, so there is no written or spoken data about the village and there is noone in the vicinity who knows something concrete as well. What is true but unbelievable is that the houses are in the same condition as they were and everything in its place, tidy clothes in the wardrobes, the tables are clean… It seems like the homes are just waiting for a new owner or still waiting back their old ones… [probably that last remained man took care of the village, but the previous sentence sounded more mysteriously… Haha]
Thankfully vandals and thiefs also avoid this place.
There are other abandoned villages here and there along the country. The reason is usually economic or political matter. When the big road making and electrization went in the 1940's and 50's years they left out many small villages from this project so these places stucked in development. These village people became more and more poorer, finally they had to leave their home behind and moved to other places if they can.
The political reason is much more disgusting [as usual]. When the WWII finished, Russian soldiers crowed into the country as affranchisers and they did nothing else but affranchised/freed us from the fascists [and with this the Communist Regime started… oh yeah so much fun]. The problem was that the Russian Army thought they can do what they want with the Hungarian people especially with the villagers… The rest is history.
What is still a mystery that we live in the 21. century now so there are no road and electrization problems anymore [except during a rainstorm] nor Russian army, so I can't imagine what happened with this ghost-village after all…
The name of the village is a mystery for me. I found some articles about this place but neither one mention its name.
Well, I read that the last remained person who lived there completely alone! died not long ago, so there is no written or spoken data about the village and there is noone in the vicinity who knows something concrete as well. What is true but unbelievable is that the houses are in the same condition as they were and everything in its place, tidy clothes in the wardrobes, the tables are clean… It seems like the homes are just waiting for a new owner or still waiting back their old ones… [probably that last remained man took care of the village, but the previous sentence sounded more mysteriously… Haha]
Thankfully vandals and thiefs also avoid this place.
There are other abandoned villages here and there along the country. The reason is usually economic or political matter. When the big road making and electrization went in the 1940's and 50's years they left out many small villages from this project so these places stucked in development. These village people became more and more poorer, finally they had to leave their home behind and moved to other places if they can.
The political reason is much more disgusting [as usual]. When the WWII finished, Russian soldiers crowed into the country as affranchisers and they did nothing else but affranchised/freed us from the fascists [and with this the Communist Regime started… oh yeah so much fun]. The problem was that the Russian Army thought they can do what they want with the Hungarian people especially with the villagers… The rest is history.
What is still a mystery that we live in the 21. century now so there are no road and electrization problems anymore [except during a rainstorm] nor Russian army, so I can't imagine what happened with this ghost-village after all…
4. Válly Castle
In Eastern Hungary, on the Szatmár Plane there is found Jánkmajtis. The area is famous of its 100 years old platans and other rear plant species, but not that much that of its abandoned ghost-castle. They believe that the family is still wandering among those walls to frighten away the intruders.
The castle was built in 1740 by Lajos Válly and then later his son, János enlarged and reformed it. There are not much imformation about the family. According to the legends János Válly lived completely remoted in his last years never ever leave the mansion.
In 1909 the village and the castle burned down. Since 1989 the building is under protection. It worked as a guesthouse but due to the frequent paranormal events [another reason for financial crisis Haha] the castle closed down and now it is abandoned and started to ruin.
The paranormal gossips started when the castle worked as a guesthouse for 10 years. The guests complained for shoes knocking, creaking sounds in empty rooms, clanking noises and unnatural voices…
[Photo from magyarorszagkul.nlcafe.hu]
5. Crypt Mansion in Fonyód
Literally. The mansion is a crypt just like the Taj Mahal, only in a smaller and European version. Well… There are no bounds in love, even after death. Because the story of this mansion is also about a deep and everlasting love what we just dream of... [except me]
About a hundred years ago Ödön Abrudbányay-Rédiger, Transylvanian pharmacist fell in love with a young and beautiful maiden called Magdus. The feelings were mutual for each other. Ödön proposed her and they started organizing their wedding. Not long before the wedding Magdus tragically died of a sudden and unknown illness. She was only 19. Ödön's grief was as deep as his love for her. He took her personal things and moved to Hungary. First he lived on Nagykanizsa, later on Pécs, where he tried to start a new life. He founded a – new - family but never get over his feelings for Magdus. So decades later he dreamed this mansion dedicated to her. An architect from Pécs designed the building in Mediterranean style. Somewhere in the subground floor you can find a "bedroom" where there are two wooden sculpture figure lay on the sacred marital bed hand in hand, Ödön and Magdus. Beside the wedding bed there are two – empty – coffins. He wanted Magdus's ashes to bring to Hungary but that was impossible because of political reasons.
But maybe Magdus and Ödön are still there anyway, enjoying their neverendig life together…
[Photo from lelekpalya.hu]
Finally a creepy building in my own city!
The only problem is that beside ghosts, the local druggers, skinheads and other interesting fellows also like to wander in it from time too time so I only like this place from the other side of the street… aaand those people are far more frightening for me than a ghost of a child who probably died of some terrible illness... Wonder why.
So the building itself is built in 1901 and opened to the public in 1904. The most crytical period of the building was during the WWII. In 1944 the current director send all the healthy children to Germany before the Russian army arrived but all the handicapped, sick or mentally illed ones were left behind… Too many children remained parentless or born with untreatable sickness and the infant mortality was high as well. During the war half of the building was bombed down. Many children died of typhus too.
After the Regime Change in 1989 the building was shut down and the patients were moved into the new hospital building not far from there.
Since then the old hospital building hasn't got any function… Sad sad.
The only problem is that beside ghosts, the local druggers, skinheads and other interesting fellows also like to wander in it from time too time so I only like this place from the other side of the street… aaand those people are far more frightening for me than a ghost of a child who probably died of some terrible illness... Wonder why.
So the building itself is built in 1901 and opened to the public in 1904. The most crytical period of the building was during the WWII. In 1944 the current director send all the healthy children to Germany before the Russian army arrived but all the handicapped, sick or mentally illed ones were left behind… Too many children remained parentless or born with untreatable sickness and the infant mortality was high as well. During the war half of the building was bombed down. Many children died of typhus too.
After the Regime Change in 1989 the building was shut down and the patients were moved into the new hospital building not far from there.
Since then the old hospital building hasn't got any function… Sad sad.
[Photo from veszpremkukac.hu]
7. Kápolnapuszta, the ill-fated village
The village was located somewhere between Gánt and Csákvár and the people who lived there was mostly Swabians. On March 16, 1945 the reconnaissance party [Red Army] slaughtered most of the villagers. The men were shot down in the cellars. They didn't spare women, children not even old ones.
The survivors fled to Pusztavám or Gánt. The last remained villager died in 1980. There are boards at every house ruin with the name of its late owner. They say one can still hear the screamings of the victims…
The village was located somewhere between Gánt and Csákvár and the people who lived there was mostly Swabians. On March 16, 1945 the reconnaissance party [Red Army] slaughtered most of the villagers. The men were shot down in the cellars. They didn't spare women, children not even old ones.
The survivors fled to Pusztavám or Gánt. The last remained villager died in 1980. There are boards at every house ruin with the name of its late owner. They say one can still hear the screamings of the victims…
[Photo from m.cdn.blog.hu]
But in which woods exactly? Noone mentions it…
Maybe not a bad idea at all. Hahaha
So this resort was open during the two WW as well, so has a history. Across decades the resort was an abounding and cheerful place with cozy wooden houses and many children. Then it came the Regime Change in 1989 [goodbye Communism, hello Democratism] and the resort was shut down for good. ??????
The place begun to ruin soon so today it looks like some creepy woody scene, only the chainsaw massacre missing from the picture… Pity.
What is creepier that they found grids in one of the wooden house with human blood splatters on the wall… According to the local police record two homeless lived there for a while then one night one of the man killed his mate with a knife. Maybe that's why we don't have to know the real name of the place. Homeless move into there occasionally, so maybe not a good idea wandering alone there especially as a woman, especially if some of them can behave aggressively…
Despite this those who was there told that the place is mysteriously living but not because of those homelessess…
An amateur American studio filmed some zombie-horror there once, but its title also remained a secret. Nevermind. As for me a crazy homeless is far more creepier…
Maybe not a bad idea at all. Hahaha
So this resort was open during the two WW as well, so has a history. Across decades the resort was an abounding and cheerful place with cozy wooden houses and many children. Then it came the Regime Change in 1989 [goodbye Communism, hello Democratism] and the resort was shut down for good. ??????
The place begun to ruin soon so today it looks like some creepy woody scene, only the chainsaw massacre missing from the picture… Pity.
What is creepier that they found grids in one of the wooden house with human blood splatters on the wall… According to the local police record two homeless lived there for a while then one night one of the man killed his mate with a knife. Maybe that's why we don't have to know the real name of the place. Homeless move into there occasionally, so maybe not a good idea wandering alone there especially as a woman, especially if some of them can behave aggressively…
Despite this those who was there told that the place is mysteriously living but not because of those homelessess…
An amateur American studio filmed some zombie-horror there once, but its title also remained a secret. Nevermind. As for me a crazy homeless is far more creepier…
9. Derenk
Another ghost-village not far from the Slovakian-Hungarian border.
The problem was that first it belonged to Abaúj-Torna county from 1881-1945, then to Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county from 1950. Finally in 1920 the Czechoslovak-Hungarian border line was run down the middle of the main street of the village. Then after a plebiscite the people of Derenk voted for belonging to Hungary. But not long after another political wave came and Miklós Horthy [Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary between WWI and II] ordered the village evacuation. The reason was only that he wanted the area as his hunting country… At least he fully gratified the land owners.
Today only ruins and dusty roads remind us that there was a village once.
[Photo from hungarianfamilyrecord.org]
Built in 1868 in Lipótmező [it's in the 2nd district of Budapest]. This was a great need to build such institutions on Hungary due to every European country closed its doors before the Hungarian patients…
Under the first directing of the institution the patients got very humane treatment. Only the very serious cases were kept in private cells or had to wear straight jacket. Most of the patients [especially the ones with only mild illness] went where they want in the building. Helped at cleaning or in anything else around the institution. There are some cool – but scary – drawings on the attic walls made by patients.
The first hard period started in 1914 when the institution be filled with patients from the cellar to the attic. This was the time when Hungary was abounded with mentally illed people so who didn't have an institute to stay just wandered on the streets from villages to the cities…
The institution [along with other mental institutions] was shut down for good in 2007 out of financial and support problems – and "some" political influence... All the patients got turned out. This caused huge problems again for both sides, the patients and the healthy citizens… Somes are still living in the woods around the building and obviously they are not very friendly. Advisable visit this place with a bigger group or with friends. This is not my scaredy-cat advise again but men who were there once.
The huge building complex is still unexploited and looks more and more creepy outside as well as inside…
Under the first directing of the institution the patients got very humane treatment. Only the very serious cases were kept in private cells or had to wear straight jacket. Most of the patients [especially the ones with only mild illness] went where they want in the building. Helped at cleaning or in anything else around the institution. There are some cool – but scary – drawings on the attic walls made by patients.
The first hard period started in 1914 when the institution be filled with patients from the cellar to the attic. This was the time when Hungary was abounded with mentally illed people so who didn't have an institute to stay just wandered on the streets from villages to the cities…
The institution [along with other mental institutions] was shut down for good in 2007 out of financial and support problems – and "some" political influence... All the patients got turned out. This caused huge problems again for both sides, the patients and the healthy citizens… Somes are still living in the woods around the building and obviously they are not very friendly. Advisable visit this place with a bigger group or with friends. This is not my scaredy-cat advise again but men who were there once.
The huge building complex is still unexploited and looks more and more creepy outside as well as inside…
11. Blaskovics crypt chapel
Somewhere in the Körös-Maros National Park there is found the Blaskovics family estate. A crypt and a chapel belonged to the estate as well.
According to legends the king [Franz Joseph I] banished Bertalan Blaskovics to this bogland in the late 19. century. Nevertheless Bertalan revived the estate and the area.
Sadly today the whole area is a heavily ruined place and everything is overgrew with ivy. The crypt chapel radiates some cold melancholy. Only ghosts and spiders visit this place beside some brave tourists.
[Photo from static.panoramio.com]
12. Castle ruins above the ancient village, Hollókő
Hollókő [lit.means: raven-stone] is part of the UNESCO World Heritage. A village what represents the folk culture of the palóc ethnic group at the most. Above the village there is an ancient, ruined castle on the mountain side, now simply called the Castle of Hollókő. The castle is min. 800 years old and the Kacsics clan started to build it straight after the Mongol invasion.
There are two main legends about the place:
According to the local folk stories when András Kacsics was the current lord, he stole the wife of the neighbour feudal lord and locked her in into the walls of the still unfinished castle. But the woman's nurse was a witch who pladged with the Devil. The woman asked the witch to turn her own sons into ravens. The raven-sons then carried away the stones of the castle and freed their mother. The village was built from these stones as well.
Another tale tells that Máté Csák [Oligarch] and later the Ottomans as well buried their treasures somewhere around the castle but they never found anything. Typical… 😒
…and as the world went on they found out other, horrid, paranormal stories as well about the castle although the village itself is a very peaceful place.
What is certain, the place is not abandoned at all, especially on Summer where some 21. century knights [members of the Szent László Lovagrend/Knighthood Order of Saint Ladislas] amuse the tourists with archery, almost-real-battles and other funs. ~Yippy!
Hollókő [lit.means: raven-stone] is part of the UNESCO World Heritage. A village what represents the folk culture of the palóc ethnic group at the most. Above the village there is an ancient, ruined castle on the mountain side, now simply called the Castle of Hollókő. The castle is min. 800 years old and the Kacsics clan started to build it straight after the Mongol invasion.
There are two main legends about the place:
According to the local folk stories when András Kacsics was the current lord, he stole the wife of the neighbour feudal lord and locked her in into the walls of the still unfinished castle. But the woman's nurse was a witch who pladged with the Devil. The woman asked the witch to turn her own sons into ravens. The raven-sons then carried away the stones of the castle and freed their mother. The village was built from these stones as well.
Another tale tells that Máté Csák [Oligarch] and later the Ottomans as well buried their treasures somewhere around the castle but they never found anything. Typical… 😒
…and as the world went on they found out other, horrid, paranormal stories as well about the castle although the village itself is a very peaceful place.
What is certain, the place is not abandoned at all, especially on Summer where some 21. century knights [members of the Szent László Lovagrend/Knighthood Order of Saint Ladislas] amuse the tourists with archery, almost-real-battles and other funs. ~Yippy!
[Photo from upload.wikimedia.org]
13. Grave of a famous betyar in Tótvázsony
Hungary also had its own 'Robin Hood' legends. They were real historical figures and the people called them: betyars [means: a troublesome person]. The most famous betyars just like Robin Hood stole from the riches to give to the poor. Their acts were as legendary as their lives. There are tonnes of folk legends of them. The most died on a mysterious way [probably murdered by soldiers]. Even in death they cannot rest in peace. Somes are just still wandering on earth… Like the famous betyar of the Balaton penninsula as well, Jóska Savanyó. He started his career as a common sheep thief but ended as one of the most [in]famous criminal of Hungary. They charged him with murder as well, but that was unverifiable. Finally he commited suicide in 1906 but some says its a lie, he was also murdered by state soldiers just like the others.
His grave is in Tótvázsony [not far from my city] and by the local people the place is haunted… especially on the night of his death.
Hungary also had its own 'Robin Hood' legends. They were real historical figures and the people called them: betyars [means: a troublesome person]. The most famous betyars just like Robin Hood stole from the riches to give to the poor. Their acts were as legendary as their lives. There are tonnes of folk legends of them. The most died on a mysterious way [probably murdered by soldiers]. Even in death they cannot rest in peace. Somes are just still wandering on earth… Like the famous betyar of the Balaton penninsula as well, Jóska Savanyó. He started his career as a common sheep thief but ended as one of the most [in]famous criminal of Hungary. They charged him with murder as well, but that was unverifiable. Finally he commited suicide in 1906 but some says its a lie, he was also murdered by state soldiers just like the others.
His grave is in Tótvázsony [not far from my city] and by the local people the place is haunted… especially on the night of his death.
[Photo from static.femina.hu]
Well, our ghost stories and haunted places are obviously not as scary or gory as some British castles for example, but you know what, Hungarian history was gory enough for us for a lifetime and in my opinion reality can be more scary than any other paranormal fiction. Why would I fear the unknown when the known is much more frightful… thanks to some selfish and power-mongering human fellows…
But I'm ready for a visit to these places, especially to that Witch-forest, due to the truth is out there anyway…
Or not. 😁
Happy – better late than never - Halloween! ✌
But I'm ready for a visit to these places, especially to that Witch-forest, due to the truth is out there anyway…
Or not. 😁
Happy – better late than never - Halloween! ✌
Sources: elveszetttortenelem.blogspot.hu, mult-kor.hu, player.hu, life.hu, szellemvarosok.blog.hu, femina.hu, Hungarian ethnographic encyclopedia
