Strange Tales: Which Story is False?
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STORY #3: THE RINGCROFT POLTERGEIST
Poltergeist activity can be some of the most frightening of all paranormal phenomena because by its very definition includes physical and sensory experiences: objects moving about on their own, unexplained raps and bangs, even physical assaults, such as pinches, shoves and slaps by unseen forces. Such bizarre activity has been reported for centuries, and one notable case took place at Ringcroft in Galloway, Scotland in 1695.
The activity centered around the humble home of Andrew Mackie, a stonemason, beginning in February of that year. As poltergeist activity usually does, it began subtly, then escalated. One morning, Mackie awoke to find that all of his cattle had escaped from the shed because someone - or something - had cut or torn their ropes. A few days later, one of his cows had been nearly suspended from a roof beam and had almost choked to death.
Pranksters? A vengeful neighbor? In March, the assault took a decidedly more supernatural turn. Small stones were thrown around the house by unseen hands. Even with every door and window closed and locked, and every room searched for intruders, the unexplained stone throwing continued. Members of the family were even struck by them. Oddly, however, the Mackie family realized that no matter how large the stones were or how fast they seemed to be moving, they didn't cause any pain when they struck. It felt as though the stones were merely pushed against them before falling to the floor.
On March 10, four of the Mackie children entered the house to see what appeared to be a figure of a man wrapped in one of the children's blankets in front of the fireplace. The 10-year-old, steeling his nerves, slowly approached the figure and whipped the blanket away... revealing nothing but an empty stool.
The next day the local minister was summoned to bless the house. Upon his arrival, he was rained upon by a shower of stones from a source unknown. Through March and April the stone throwing continued off and on, but was soon joined by bundles of burning straw and peat appearing around the farm.
It was on April 26 that they heard a disembodied voice. "Ye all be witches," it told them, "and I shall take thee down to Hell." Then the mysterious voice said, "Thou shalt be troubled till Tuesday." On the following Tuesday, strange noises were heard from the barn. Mackie and friend Charles Maclellan went to investigate. Maclellan later reported: "We observed a black thing in the corner of the same. It increased gradually as if it would have filled the whole House; we could not discern any distinct Form it had, but only that it resembled a black Cloud. It was very frightening to them all and threw barley and mud in their faces."
After that day, the Ringcroft Poltergeist was gone.
Next page:Story #4: The Apparition at Pontmain
STORY #3: THE RINGCROFT POLTERGEIST
Poltergeist activity can be some of the most frightening of all paranormal phenomena because by its very definition includes physical and sensory experiences: objects moving about on their own, unexplained raps and bangs, even physical assaults, such as pinches, shoves and slaps by unseen forces. Such bizarre activity has been reported for centuries, and one notable case took place at Ringcroft in Galloway, Scotland in 1695.
The activity centered around the humble home of Andrew Mackie, a stonemason, beginning in February of that year. As poltergeist activity usually does, it began subtly, then escalated. One morning, Mackie awoke to find that all of his cattle had escaped from the shed because someone - or something - had cut or torn their ropes. A few days later, one of his cows had been nearly suspended from a roof beam and had almost choked to death.
Pranksters? A vengeful neighbor? In March, the assault took a decidedly more supernatural turn. Small stones were thrown around the house by unseen hands. Even with every door and window closed and locked, and every room searched for intruders, the unexplained stone throwing continued. Members of the family were even struck by them. Oddly, however, the Mackie family realized that no matter how large the stones were or how fast they seemed to be moving, they didn't cause any pain when they struck. It felt as though the stones were merely pushed against them before falling to the floor.
On March 10, four of the Mackie children entered the house to see what appeared to be a figure of a man wrapped in one of the children's blankets in front of the fireplace. The 10-year-old, steeling his nerves, slowly approached the figure and whipped the blanket away... revealing nothing but an empty stool.
The next day the local minister was summoned to bless the house. Upon his arrival, he was rained upon by a shower of stones from a source unknown. Through March and April the stone throwing continued off and on, but was soon joined by bundles of burning straw and peat appearing around the farm.
It was on April 26 that they heard a disembodied voice. "Ye all be witches," it told them, "and I shall take thee down to Hell." Then the mysterious voice said, "Thou shalt be troubled till Tuesday." On the following Tuesday, strange noises were heard from the barn. Mackie and friend Charles Maclellan went to investigate. Maclellan later reported: "We observed a black thing in the corner of the same. It increased gradually as if it would have filled the whole House; we could not discern any distinct Form it had, but only that it resembled a black Cloud. It was very frightening to them all and threw barley and mud in their faces."
After that day, the Ringcroft Poltergeist was gone.
Next page:Story #4: The Apparition at Pontmain
