The Urban Legend Of Bloody Mary Comes From A Real Woman With A Grisly History
Wikimedia CommonsThe original Bloody Mary had 240 men and 60 women burned at the stake.
Virtually every young child raised in the Western world is familiar with the scary urban legend of Bloody Mary. Myth has it that repeating the name “Bloody Mary” in a cramped closet or into the mirror of a dark bathroom will summon the vengeful spirit of a real woman, Queen Mary I of England.
Some are adamant that Mary’s name must be uttered 13 times, whereas others claim three times will suffice. Some claim that her spirit appears as a woman holding a dead baby, while others insist that she will come after you or your own children.
But the terrifying urban legend is rooted in medieval history and begins with the birth of the first queen regent of England, Queen Mary I. The eldest surviving child of King Henry VIII, Mary did not fulfill her father’s desperate, lifelong hope for a male heir. She was thus ignored by him and declared illegitimate by Parliament.
Her life was plagued by pain in addition to isolation. According to Giovanni Michieli, the Venetian ambassador to her court, Mary experienced terrible menstrual pains and irregularity in her cycles, as well as deep bouts of depression. Nonetheless, Mary managed to take the throne at 37 after marrying Philip of Spain and became pregnant with his child.
But when her due date came and a baby didn’t, the country was in shock. Mary had appeared pregnant, but after her due date came and went, her pregnant belly disappeared as well. The inexplicable false pregnancy coincided with Mary having just signed an act into law known as the Marian Persecutions, in accordance of which 240 men and 60 women were burned at the stake for being Protestant.
The despondent monarch came to believe that she had been punished by God for her actions and died childless at 42.
Besides the sad story of the real Bloody Mary of England, there are other, more paranormal tales that inspired the scary urban legend of Bloody Mary. Perhaps most famous is the tale of a witch named Mary who was said to have been executed for studying black magic.
According to this legend, Mary would appear in a mirror during divining rituals in medieval times to seek vengeance. Some believe this ethereal mirror-witch kills her summoner upon arrival, while others claim that she drags her victims through the reflective portal into her world.
Verifying the legend of Bloody Mary, however, is easy enough. Simply look into the mirror and chant her name — if you dare.
