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October 2 question - Ghost stories fit right in during this month. What's your favorite classic ghostly tale? Tell us about it and why it sends chills up your spine.
My fascination with ghost stories emerged in the early 1990s, shortly after I moved to Honolulu and began learning about local supernatural lore by participating in one of college professor Glen Grant's nighttime ghost tours around the island of O'ahu.
Thrilling tales of night marchers (the spirits of Hawaiian warriors roaming the countryside where ancient battles were fought) and eerie appearances by Madame Pele, the goddess of Hawaiian volcanoes, are at the top of my list for "chicken skin" stories, along with tales set at Kaena Point, the leaping off spot for souls of the recently departed.
The Lost Little Girl of Manoa Valley, a story involving a little girl found crying in a local cemetery late one rainy evening, (of course it was "a dark and stormy night"!) is one of many unsettling though entertaining ghost stories in Glen Grant's book, Chicken Skin Tales. Although I was raised across the road from a cemetery and have never found cemeteries particularly scary, this story set my spine tingling because the finer details of the spiritual encounter make the experience truly believable.
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| Kaena Point, northeastern O'ahu |
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| End of the line |
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| Me - not planning to leap off anytime soon! |
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Going on a ghost tour in a new area seems like a fun way to also get the feel and history of a place. Glad you made those fun discoveries!
ReplyDeleteYes, Shannon, the guided tour at the time was informal and uncrowded so we received Indepth information about some popular urban legends.
DeleteI bet that ghost tour was fun! I've seen a few on TV.
ReplyDeleteNight time in a rain forest and roaming a dark cemetery, yes, definitely my idea of a fun time (seriously!)
DeleteOkay, that sound scary! (the story) A ghost tour is a great way to learn about a place.
ReplyDeleteAnd having Glen Grant as the narrator made the tour especially memorable.
DeleteAloha, Gail. Thanks for commenting my blog, thus encouraging me to 'meet' you.
ReplyDeleteAloha PJ. Always interesting to see what lies beyond the fork in the road! Hope others have the opportunity I had to read your blog post today.
DeleteI've been to Oahu twice but never on a ghost tour--that sounds fantastic. I went on a ghost tour at my alma mater (Kenyon College) hosted by my favorite English professor, which was quite fun.
ReplyDeleteCertainly a memorable experience; not that all the details need be accepted as fact but as local legend.
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