Himeji Castle And The Chilling Story Behind ‘The Ring’
Himeji Castle, also known as the "White Heron" for its striking white facade on a hilltop in the middle of Hyōgo Prefecture, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan. But the palace's checkered past has also attracted fans of the supernatural. One legend surrounding the purportedly haunted castle even inspired the terrifying Japanese horror film Ringu, which was later adapted as The Ring in the United States.
Himeji Castle was constructed in 1346 by Akamatsu Sadanori, whose father was a samurai and governor of the territory. As with most castles in Japan, Himeji has had many owners over the centuries.
After it was bestowed upon Ikeda Terumasa, a feudal lord in the early Edo period, the castle went through several renovations. Among these upgrades was the construction of winding pathways, which were meant as a defensive strategy to confuse invaders. But the horror of Himeji Castle lies in the legend of another previous owner.
According to a local guidebook, the palace is said to have once belonged to a samurai named Aoyama Tessan, who threw a maid named Okiku down a well on the grounds after she lost an heirloom dish.
This gruesome death led Okiku's spirit to haunt the castle every night, ultimately driving Aoyama into madness. The insidious tale later spawned the 1998 Japanese film Ringu, in which an evil spirit crawls out of a well to haunt anyone who watches her cursed videotape.
The palace was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993. Visitors to Himeji Castle can still gaze upon the legendary well of Okiku, though a barrier was erected around it lest anyone else plunge to their death.
Ireland's Leap Castle And The Ghosts That Haunt It
Leap Castle is said to be one of Ireland's most haunted castles — a fair reputation, given that it was allegedly built on bloodshed.
Constructed around the 13th century, the castle was originally named Léim Uí Bhanáin, meaning "Leap of the O'Bannons," a reference to the Irish chieftain who first occupied it. As the legend goes, per the castle's official website, two O'Bannon brothers were competing to become the chieftain of their clan and decided that whoever jumped from a rocky outcrop and survived would earn the title. The castle was then constructed atop the blood of the loser.
The O'Bannons were under the rule of the O'Carrolls, a clan known for their extreme violence. They ultimately occupied the palace, and another feud between brothers broke out in the 1500s. One O'Carroll brother, a priest, was holding mass in Leap Castle's chapel when his sibling burst through the doors and fatally stabbed him with a sword. The building is now known as the "Bloody Chapel."
The haunted castle's past goes back much farther than the O'Bannons and O'Carrolls, however. It was purportedly built atop an ancient site used by Druids for initiation ceremonies. The Druids believed the area was situated at the crossing of two ley lines, which demarcated the realms of the living and spiritual.
As such, there have been a number of supernatural sightings at the haunted castle into the modern day. For instance, there are the ghosts of Emily and Charlotte, who lived at the estate during the 1600s. Emily reportedly died after falling from the castle's battlements, and visitors sometimes hear a scream that suddenly cuts off and see a figure plummeting from the roof and disappearing before it hits the ground.
There's also the "Elemental," a spirit believed to have been summoned by Druids to protect the site. The Elemental reportedly appears with a partially decomposed face and a rotten stench. While it's a sinister spirit, it only shows up when provoked — such as when one 17th-century resident named Mildred Darby held séances within the castle's walls.
With so many ghostly occupants, it's no wonder that this medieval fortress frequently ranks among the most haunted castles in Europe.
