5. Bloody Mirrors
Mirrors have a history of creeping people out. Maybe it has its origins in Greek mythology when Narcissus stared at his reflection on and on, much to his doom.
Or vampire stories; the idea that a truly nefarious demon or creature does not have a reflection like flesh and blood humans.
But perhaps no other group in history was more suspicious of the power held by mirrors than the Victorians.
If a member of the family died in a home, the women would rush to cover all the mirrors with dark cloth. This was done for several reasons.
One is that they believed if they walked past the mirror and saw the deceased looking back at them, it meant that he or she would die next.
Another, perhaps more spiritual reason is that they believed the soul would forever remain trapped inside the mirror, never able to find peace.
In addition to this odd extension of the Victorians’ rather rigorous mourning rituals, mirrors also served as the inspiration for dozens of odd games during their time.
Most kids have played “Bloody Mary” at least once in their lives, quietly staring at the mirror in the dark, whispering the name like an incantation, determined that the tortured spirit of the demonic Bloody Mary would appear.
This is in part due to the influence of the Victorians, who apparently, were the first to dream up the spooky urban legend.
