Texas is a land of legends and folktales. Some of them are based on characters like Pecos Bill, Bigfoot Wallace, and Davy Crockett - loud, outgoing, bigger-than-life "daytime" kinds of people. Others concern themselves with mysterious, shadowy things: giant, footless birds, river spirits, and phantom lights. These ghost stories are told in whispers. Perhaps to make children behave or adults change their way of living and have become interwoven with the real-life historical happenings and characters of Texas to the point of doubt in some instances as to what is real and what is the child of overactive imaginations. As is the case with all folklore, they are told in many different versions. These have be-come a part of the heritage of Texas folklore.
The best ghost stories from the Lone Star State, including . . . • Spirits of the Alamo • The Black Hope Horror • Hauntings at the Driskill Hotel • The legend of El Muerto • Woman Hollering Creek • Stampede Mesa
Presents fifty Texas ghost stories, featuring tales that predate the state, with a focus on those with Hispanic roots; stories of the pioneers; and urban myths and contemporary tales; and includes advice on how to tell ghost stories, as well as notes on story sources.
In this ghostly guide to the haunts of East Texas, you’ll find many strange tales... • The spirit of a young bride who etched her name in her bedroom window glass on her wedding day many years ago, and continues to visit that room to this day... • An old, creaking staircase where phantoms from a time long ago wander up and down during the wee hours of the night... • An Indian brave in full battle regalia who is said to appear at the site of a terrible East Texas massacre... You'll read about these spirits and many, many more – all from the Pineywoods region of the Lone Star State.
Old Town Spring's historic streets may set the scene for a quaint shopping village, but they also serve as byways for one of the most haunted towns in Texas. A perfectionist past the end, Uncle Charlie still fusses around the historic Wunsche Brothers Café, the oldest commercial structure in the area. The spirit of a girl who died in a barn still plays with her group of friends in Doering Court, while a headless switchman runs after phantom trains trying to prevent a collision. Her path lit by unknown lights in the sky, author Cathy Nance leads the way through Old Town Spring's spookiest sites.
On this leg of the journey youll explore the scariest spots in the Lone Star State. Author April Slaughter visits more than 30 legendary haunted places, all of which are open to the public-so you can test your own ghost hunting skills, if you dare. Join April as she visits each site, snooping around eerie rooms and dark corners, talking to people who swear to their paranormal experiences, and giving you a first-hand account. Enjoy Ghost hunting Texas from the safety of your armchair or hit the road, using the maps, ''Haunted Places ''travel guide with 50 more spooky sites, and ''Ghostly Resources. ''Buckle up and get ready for the spookiest ride of your life.
Once again, well-known ghost story writer Docia Williams brings us an all-new book about recent ghost sightings and mysterious happenings in the Alamo City. A chilling book for those wanting a guide to places where spirits are known to rendezvous or for those who just like a good ghost story.
'It's enthralling stuff, mixing the scholarly with the accessible and placing storytelling right at the heart of the human experience.' - History Revealed 'A fascinating journey' - Yorkshire Post 'Marvellous...Finkel is an expert in Mesopotamian cultures at the British Museum, and is one of the most clever, and nicest, of people it has ever been my pleasure to encounter...A fascinating journey' - The Scotsman There are few things more in common across cultures than the belief in ghosts. Ghosts inhabit something of the very essence of what it is to be human. Whether we personally 'believe' or not, we are all aware of ghosts and the rich mythologies and rituals surrounding them. They have inspired, fascinated and frightened us for centuries - yet most of us are only familiar with the vengeful apparitions of Shakespeare, or the ghastly spectres haunting the pages of 19th century gothic literature. But their origins are much, much older... The First Ghosts: Most Ancient of Legacies takes us back to the very beginning. A world-renowned authority on cuneiform, the form of writing on clay tablets which dates back to 3400BC, Irving Finkel has embarked upon an ancient ghost hunt, scouring these tablets to unlock the secrets of the Sumerians, Babylonians and Assyrians to breathe new life into the first ghost stories ever written. In The First Ghosts, he uncovers an extraordinarily rich seam of ancient spirit wisdom which has remained hidden for nearly 4000 years, covering practical details of how to live with ghosts, how to get rid of them and bring them back, and how to avoid becoming one, as well as exploring more philosophical questions: what are ghosts, why does the idea of them remain so powerful despite the lack of concrete evidence, and what do they tell us about being human?
Everything is bigger in Texas—including ghosts—especially in San Antonio, considered one of the ten most haunted cities in the world by National Geographic. As the saying goes, “dead men tell no tales.” Or do they? From its humble beginnings as a Spanish settlement in 1691 to the bloody battle at the Alamo, San Antonio’s history is rich in haunting tales. Discover Old San Antonio’s most haunted places and uncover the history that lies waiting for those who dare enter their doorways. Take a peek inside the Menger Hotel, the “Most Haunted Hotel in Texas,” and just a block away, peer into the Emily Morgan Hotel, renovated after a decade of being vacant, was once the city’s first hospitals where many men and women lost their lives. Explore the San Fernando Cathedral, where people are buried within the walls and visitors claim to see faces mysteriously appear. Uncover the legends behind Bexar County Jail. Join authors James and Lauren Swartz and decide for yourself what truly lurks behind the Alamo City’s fabled past. Includes photos!
