Legend has it, during the Battle of White Plains, a Hessian artilleryman was decapitated by an American cannonball. The most persistent American version of the myth is a loose adaptation of Washington Irving’s 1820 story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, which draws from historical facts about the American Revolutionary War. There are many stories in folklore surrounding headless horsemen-from the German folktale by the Brothers Grimm to the Irish Celtic legend of dullahan, a headless demon on a black horse. This famous folktale has been the subject of many Japanese paintings and was also developed into a Kabuki play. The next day, his dead body is found entwined with the woman’s skeleton. Though petrified, the samurai’s love for Otsuyu is so strong that he ignores warnings to stay away and follows her to a grave in a temple. Soon, someone grows suspicious and spies on them, horrified to discover that Otsuyu is a skeleton. They meet every night from dawn until dusk, and she is always accompanied by a young girl holding a peony lantern. Though there are multiple versions, the general storyline is as follows: On the first night of Obon-a Japanese festival that honors ancestral spirits-a widowed samurai meets a beautiful woman named Otsuyu and quickly falls in love with her. Chilling Folktales from Around the World Botan DōrōĪlso referred to as The Peony Lantern, the story of Botan Dōrō originated in 17th-century Japan and continues to be one of the most famous ghost stories in Japanese culture. Below, explore the eeriest, most blood-chilling stories and traditions from around the world. Though fantastical, many believe these legends are rooted in truth. Many of these tales include terrifying creatures or dive deep into the ghostly histories of centuries-old paintings and other mysterious works of art. These are not the stories that populate children’s books, but rather the deep-rooted cautionary tales passed on from generation to generation. In the spirit of Halloween, however, we’re examining the darker side of folklore. They tell imaginative tales that cover a wide range of topics: romantic encounters, origins of popular holidays, and lighthearted fables. Folklore and traditions are ingrained in cultures across the globe.
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