Absolutely loved this article, thanks for writing it! I am left wondering however if we see anything like this in other ancient countries - Greece or Scandinavia come to mind as candidates
An interesting aside, in the MR James tale Count Magnus, the crypt associated with the spectre is in Sweden.
This is also one of the tales where the ghost does follows the main character, in this case to England. It's also one where the hero dies a grisly death at the end.
There's lots that can be read into this, of course...
Türkiye has entered the chat... There are countless stories of ordinary people digging a hole in their backyards and uncovering the ancient ruins of some lost ancient city. Even in my neighborhood in Istanbul, they broke ground to make a new subway station, and ended up uncovering an ancient city perfectly preserved.
Check out the discovery of Derinkuyu for a really cool example of this.
I've always wondered why there aren't more ghost stories, or stories about haunting places. I guess there's too much hustle and bustle of people that masks the silence one might find elsewhere.
Enjoyed this. Had not thought about the importance of place to this level and what makes England so unique for ghost stories and horror. Thanks for sharing.
The distinction between a ghost occupying a place and a place almost generating the ghost is really sharp. I especially liked the point about walking: the pace of the foot makes the landscape legible in a way a car or motorway cannot. It makes English dread feel territorial, patient, and older than the person who has wandered into it.
This is fascinating - your analysis has relevance to 'English' literature through the ages (inverted commas because it's geography located but not necessarily written in English)
Wonderful piece. “The place calls the haunting into being” is exactly the kind of thing I keep finding at the heart of some of my tales. The old woods and lanes are never passive. They remember, and sometimes they answer.
So, I'm curious: what do you think is central to an *American* ghost story? And, in light of this, which contemporary authors do you think do the American ghost story the most justice?
I'd say American ghost stories are more about the 'self'. Psychological, 'am I going mad' approach. Poe would be the classic example.
Having said that place is important for those in the Lovecraft's tradition. But it often has a different feel in these tales, an echo of frontier territory: huge an alien to humans.
Thinking of stories like Poltergeist, you have historic injustice (another theme), frontier, and psychology all in one.
Very interesting. I was wondering if HP Lovecraft comes from this tradition again even though the stories often take place in new England. But there is a similar kind of protagonist, an educated wanderer.
Furthermore the Japanese stories often centering around a curse seems also familiar. Do you have examples, though, of famous German stories which are mostly based around the monster?
I have a book of M.R. James' work that I was digging into last October but time got away from me and I didn't want to carry on with it once spooky season had passed on, but I'm feeling the urge to return to finish it prematurely now. The Mezzotint is my favourite of his stories; for a tale about a painting it's delightfully claustrophobic and absolutely frightening in its implications.
In the book I'm writing at the moment, multiple characters get turned around by the woods around them, sense hostility, actively have their head messed with by some force that I'm not sure I want to explain yet. We'll see when I finish, I suppose. But it's really interesting and I've never really thought about the specific way our stories interact with landscape before.
Absolutely LOVE this article! Random thought but I love watching videos of people mudlarking on the Thames because it's just trudging through old muck to find 300 year old trash. The memories this one place holds in a seemingly small area, of course it's ghostly!
This was awesome. Thank you.
Absolutely loved this article, thanks for writing it! I am left wondering however if we see anything like this in other ancient countries - Greece or Scandinavia come to mind as candidates
An interesting aside, in the MR James tale Count Magnus, the crypt associated with the spectre is in Sweden.
This is also one of the tales where the ghost does follows the main character, in this case to England. It's also one where the hero dies a grisly death at the end.
There's lots that can be read into this, of course...
Türkiye has entered the chat... There are countless stories of ordinary people digging a hole in their backyards and uncovering the ancient ruins of some lost ancient city. Even in my neighborhood in Istanbul, they broke ground to make a new subway station, and ended up uncovering an ancient city perfectly preserved.
Check out the discovery of Derinkuyu for a really cool example of this.
I've always wondered why there aren't more ghost stories, or stories about haunting places. I guess there's too much hustle and bustle of people that masks the silence one might find elsewhere.
There's definitely cultural influences on stories, including whether they're told at all
“Nothing to see here folks” just some good old-fashioned djinn
Enjoyed this. Had not thought about the importance of place to this level and what makes England so unique for ghost stories and horror. Thanks for sharing.
Love this
Brilliant read.
The distinction between a ghost occupying a place and a place almost generating the ghost is really sharp. I especially liked the point about walking: the pace of the foot makes the landscape legible in a way a car or motorway cannot. It makes English dread feel territorial, patient, and older than the person who has wandered into it.
You have captured what I particularly like about fantasy as opposed to science fiction.
The walking pace is a big part of it. The slow exploration and discovery.
For what it's worth I was born in the actual Sleepy Hollow.
Very cool!
I really like the idea of walking pace. The sense of gradual inevitability.
This is fascinating - your analysis has relevance to 'English' literature through the ages (inverted commas because it's geography located but not necessarily written in English)
This was so beautifully written and fascinating.
Thank you
Wonderful piece. “The place calls the haunting into being” is exactly the kind of thing I keep finding at the heart of some of my tales. The old woods and lanes are never passive. They remember, and sometimes they answer.
I loved this!!!
So, I'm curious: what do you think is central to an *American* ghost story? And, in light of this, which contemporary authors do you think do the American ghost story the most justice?
I'd say American ghost stories are more about the 'self'. Psychological, 'am I going mad' approach. Poe would be the classic example.
Having said that place is important for those in the Lovecraft's tradition. But it often has a different feel in these tales, an echo of frontier territory: huge an alien to humans.
Thinking of stories like Poltergeist, you have historic injustice (another theme), frontier, and psychology all in one.
Very interesting. I was wondering if HP Lovecraft comes from this tradition again even though the stories often take place in new England. But there is a similar kind of protagonist, an educated wanderer.
Furthermore the Japanese stories often centering around a curse seems also familiar. Do you have examples, though, of famous German stories which are mostly based around the monster?
Lovecraft probably does, but is more nihilistic whilst James is clearly Christian in outlook.
The Germans have the Krampus tradition.
I guess the Sandman by Hoffmann would be a good example of the spectre being central.
I have a book of M.R. James' work that I was digging into last October but time got away from me and I didn't want to carry on with it once spooky season had passed on, but I'm feeling the urge to return to finish it prematurely now. The Mezzotint is my favourite of his stories; for a tale about a painting it's delightfully claustrophobic and absolutely frightening in its implications.
In the book I'm writing at the moment, multiple characters get turned around by the woods around them, sense hostility, actively have their head messed with by some force that I'm not sure I want to explain yet. We'll see when I finish, I suppose. But it's really interesting and I've never really thought about the specific way our stories interact with landscape before.
Absolutely LOVE this article! Random thought but I love watching videos of people mudlarking on the Thames because it's just trudging through old muck to find 300 year old trash. The memories this one place holds in a seemingly small area, of course it's ghostly!
I love those sorts of videos too.
YouTube and the internet is an absolute boon to those with an interest in discovery.
Excellent, thank you