Ghost, according to tradition, is the spirit of a dead person that returns to the living world. There is no scientific proof that ghosts actually exist. But many people from ancient to modern times believe they have seen such spirits. In most stories and reports, the ghost resembles the dead person’s living form but appears transparent or shadowy.
People sometimes picture a ghost as a white, sheet-draped figure with a head and arms but no feet or legs. This idea probably results from the practice of burying the dead wrapped inside a cloth called a shroud. Some people think that the dead still wear their shrouds when they return as ghosts.
Many stories feature malevolent (spiteful) ghosts that return to scare or harm people. Such spirits may have done evil things when they were alive or may have been abused or even murdered in a violent way. Washington Irving’s story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow“ (1820), for example, tells of a soldier who lost his head in a battle during the Revolutionary War in America (1775-1783). After that, he haunted the place of his death as a headless horseman, frightening local travelers. Many communities have similar legends about ghosts who return to look for their missing heads.
In the American Southwest, many children hear stories about La Llorona, or “the weeping woman.” Storytellers describe her as a mother whose children drowned long ago. Her crying ghost continues to look for them. According to legend, she wanders near rivers and lakes and frightens people who meet her. Parents sometimes tell their children this story to discourage them from going near dangerous waters.
Other ghosts are friendly. Jacob Marley, in Charles Dickens’s story A Christmas Carol (1843), returns to warn Ebenezer Scrooge of the error of his ways. Together with other ghosts, Marley helps Scrooge become a better person.
Ghost legends sometimes feature confused or distressed spirits. Many legends, for example, tell of a vanishing hitchhiker, the ghost of a woman who was killed in an automobile accident. The hitchhiker appears on rainy evenings asking people to drive her home. But when they arrive at the address she gives, the driver finds that she has vanished. According to the story, the person who lives at the address tells the driver this has happened many times before. Some people are frightened by such ghost stories, but other people just enjoy them as spooky fun.
Many legends associate ghosts with darkness and night. Halloween is said to be an especially good time to see ghosts. People also associate ghosts with cemeteries or with old houses, especially where tragedies have occurred. Many people claim that the ghost of Abraham Lincoln, who died tragically, sometimes appears at the White House, where he lived as president.
Many people fear the dead and perform special rituals intended to make spirits rest in peace. People might pray, chant, or make special gestures to make a ghost leave. Other people think of the dead as guardians or helpers. Such a person might invite a ghost to return by leaving out the person’s favorite foods. They may also ask a medium (person who can contact the dead) to call spirits back to Earth.
