Hampton Court ghosts

 

Last weekend had a splediferous visit to Hampton Court.
What a maze of buildings! got completely lost wandering around, how the courtiers ever found their way I guess we will never know.
I wasn't thinking about ghosts as we wandered around, there was just so much to see!
Walking up one of the main staircase I had a strange chill feeling that I was not alone on the stairs and immediately thought of all the people who had passed that way. I had the same feeling while walking through the rooms used by Wolsey; surrounded by tourists it is rather difficult to try and stop to communicate with any spirits that might be present!
So I thought I would google it when we returned home:
I came across this
 

Saturday, 18 January 2014

TWO FULL VIEW APPARITIONS CAUGHT ON CAMERA AT ROYAL HAMPTON COURT PALACE

It is seldom that anyone is lucky enough to catch a ghost, and even rarer to capture one to film, and far rarer still to have pictured more than one spirit in a single frame.

Yet this is what happened two years ago on a hot August weekend in Hampton Court Palace. The photographer, Trevor Tye was standing in the main public entrance waiting 45 minutes for the area to clear of tourists before he took this shot looking from the entrance to a galleried area above, in an area devoid of any people.




The second image is lightened so you can see clearly
And yes this was the staircase that I walked up and felt a presence.
And there are many more accounts of ghostly presence in and around these old buildings

















It seems Henry still lingers in his palace, this image was caught on CCTV and spotted by security guards.
One would imagine that he was such a strong personality in life that he can't let go of his mortal life or perhaps he is plagued by guilt and can't rest, hmm I wonder.
Still Hampton Court is well worth a visit and if you're lucky or unlucky depending on your point of view you may spot Henry!

 

Vodyanoy, a water spirit

A strange creature from Slavic mythology is the Vodyanoy, a water spirit that appears

 as a naked old man.
He has a frog like face, long greenish beard and hair, his body which is covered in black fish scales, is usually covered in the muck and slime from the bottom of the river. The vodyanoy has webbed paws, a fish’s tail and red eyes. He patrols up and down his stretch of the river on a half submerged log and is often referred to as ‘grandfather’ or ‘forefather’ by the locals.
If annoyed, he is capable of breaking dams, destroying mills
and will drag people and animals down into the depths of the river where they serve him for the rest of their lives.
To appease him, people who live alongside the river will throw offerings into the water; fishermen will also ask for his help by placing a pinch of tobacco in the water and saying:

‘Here’s your tobacco Lord Vodnik
Now give me a fish’
Known as Vodnik in other eastern European countries, his appearance is reported to be different. He appears to be human except for having gills and webbed finger and his hair and skin is green. These vodyanoy usually appear dressed, albeit as a tramp, complete with hat, usually a boater with long speckled ribbons. His face is covered with a long tangled beard.
These water spirits will sit for hours by the side of the river, puffing out clouds of tobacco smoke from a long curly pipe, or if more than one is present they will play cards. Although they can stay out of the water for long periods they never dry out and any garment they wear will be constantly dripping; a sure sign of a Vodyanoy  if you should ever meet one.
They store the souls of the drowned in porcelein jars which are greatly prized by these creatures, as the more cups they own the higher standing they have amongst other vodyanoy.
If the jar should be broken or the lid opened the soul inside will float to the surface of the water and be liberated.

Folklore of Mermaids: Elizabeth Andrews