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Humans aren’t the only ghosts that haunt the Spooky Isles. RICK HALE tells us about animal spirits that will give you the chills
British animal spirits
Several years ago I was forced to make one of the most difficult decisions of my life.
Our beloved Jack Russell Terrier, Zero, attacked our one-year-old son and I had to make the unenviable decision to put her to sleep.
In case you’re wondering, yes, we tried to find her a home and turn her over to a shelter. But nothing happened because she was an older dog and she bit a child.
I have to be honest: I have never cried so much in my life. It was so bad, I was dry and crying tears.
But then something strange happened. About two weeks after I put her down, while I was lying in bed, I felt Zero jump into bed with me, as she often did when I slept during the day.
My wife, ever the skeptic, said it was nothing more than a mixture of sadness and guilt. Maybe she was right, but to this day I still wonder if Zero was trying to tell me it was okay.
Now the religions of the world would tell us that animals, our fine furry friends or otherwise, were created without souls.
Well, I definitely disagree, because when you look into the eyes of an animal, you definitely see that mystical spark of life.
And despite what religion tells us, people have been seeing the spirits of animals for centuries. Especially in Great Britain. Here are five examples of animals returning from the dead to provide comfort. Or scare you.
The ghost bear
For almost a thousand years, the Tower of London has been a place of untold misery and bloodshed.
For centuries, the tower served as a prison and place where countless people were executed. Their heads were cut off on the executioner’s block.
So it should come as no surprise that this feared but beloved tourist attraction is home to a number of ghostly residents that will chill the blood of even the most courageous ghost hunter.
But not all of these ghosts are human. No, I’m not suggesting that the Tower is crawling with inhuman, demonic entities. No, this spirit is something completely different.
One cool night in 1816, a young guard was on duty at the tower when his eyes fell upon a gruesome sight.
The image of a huge brown bear suddenly appeared from under the door of the Crown Jewels and fell on the guard.
The soldier raised his bayonet to defend himself against the ferocious beast, but was shocked when his weapon passed straight through the bear and lodged in the door behind it. The young guard fainted dead.
When he was discovered sprawled on the ground, he was immediately brought before his commanding officer for having fallen asleep on duty. Punishment for such an offense was not light.
The guard, of course, maintained his innocence and adamantly stated that he was defending himself from a bear attack.
A doctor was called because it was suspected that the guard had not fallen asleep, but had passed out drunk.
After a thorough examination, the doctor said the guard showed no signs of intoxication. And he was most likely telling the truth.
Although the guard was acquitted of all charges, he was never quite the same.
He constantly showed signs of stress and anxiety. Two circumstances that ultimately claimed his life.
As far as anyone knows, the ghostly beast never appeared again.
The Raven
Ravens have long been part of folklore in ancient cultures.
Among many Indian tribes the raven is considered a trickster, causing all kinds of mystical tricks.
Or it is also believed to bring the souls of the dead to the afterlife. In Britain, an ancient castle is home to a phantom raven.
Holt Castle near Wrexham was once considered one of the strongest fortifications in England.
Today it stands in a silent, monolithic ruin. However, this ancient fortress has a curious ghost: a raven.
According to visitors who dare to venture into the fortress, they report being attacked by a ghostly raven that appears out of nowhere.
This particular animal phantom seems to hate light and will fly down and attack the bearer of a torch.
He then ducks and disappears into the shadows, never to be seen again.
Greyfriars Bobby
Greyfriars Kirkyard in fantastic Edinburgh, Scotland, has been the cause of many lively sensations over the decades.
According to many, those who dare to walk through the Gothic gates take their own safety into their own hands.
It is said that a dangerous ghost, believed to be the ghost of George MacKenzie, physically attacks anyone brave enough to tour this former prison and execution site.
But Bluidy MacKenzie isn’t the only ghost said to haunt Greyfriars. A much friendlier, four-legged ghost has been sighted here and is affectionately known as Greyfriars Bobby.
During his life, Bobby was a faithful pet and when his owner passed from this world, Bobby faithfully guarded his owner’s grave and eventually died one night while he slept.
But he remained faithful even after death. The ghostly form of a dog has been seen watching over the grave of its master who died before him.
A barking dog has been heard coming from the cemetery, as well as people seeing the wispy image of a dog running around Greyfriars.
The ferocious lion
Crisis apparitions are some of the most commonly reported phenomena in paranormal research. And this doesn’t just happen to people. Animals can also appear during a crisis.
Regent’s Park in London is known for its beautiful gardens and zoo. And it was at this zoo where our next animal spirit gave a patron quite a scare.
In the 1930s, an elderly man was spending a wonderful day with his granddaughter at the zoo when the pair ran headlong into a lion.
But it was completely unlike any lion the man had ever seen. The big cat was transparent and radiated an unearthly glow.
The man who saw the lion happened to be a zookeeper and the next day he heard that a lion had died unexpectedly. The same lion he and his granddaughter had seen the day before.
The desperate hare
Our fifth and final animal comes from the town of Looe, off the coast of Cornwall. A ghostly animal, born of tragedy and gruesome decisions.
As the story goes, a young woman committed the desperate act of suicide after being rejected by the love of her life, a sailor.
After the discovery of her broken body, the ghost of a white hare was seen roaming the countryside.
She is also seen around town, warning sailors who have had a little too much to drink to be wise and stay away from the water, lest they stumble and drown in the briny depths of the ocean.
Some see the ghostly white hare as a warning against foolish behavior. While others consider her a harbinger of doom.
Animals, we love them, bring them into our homes and make them an integral part of our family.
Or we admire their beauty from afar, especially if they are too dangerous to approach.
Either way, there’s a lot more to them. We’ll just have to see for ourselves.
Have you seen an animal spirit? Tell us about it in the comments below!
You can buy Rick Hale’s Ghost Books of Amazonia.
