Bloody Mary Myth

From LoveToKnow Paranormal

The Bloody Mary myth is popular throughout Western folklore and found in many modern urban legends. In folklore, Bloody Mary is a ghost who appears to those who chant her name into a mirror three times, nine times, thirteen times or a hundred times, depending on the version of the story. In each telling, Bloody Mary appears in the mirror with disastrous results from a scratched and mutilated face to instant insanity.

Dare to look in the mirror?.

About the Bloody Mary Myth

Among Bloody Mary’s many names is Mary Worth, Mary Worthington or Hell Mary. In the urban legends, Mary Worth or Worthington was brutally disfigured before she was murdered. The disfigurement appears as blood on her face (hence the name Bloody Mary), and in the afterlife she seeks retribution. In other myths, Mary was a murderer of children who now seeks salvation by helping other children. In this particular Bloody Mary myth, Mary will answer questions about the future when she is summoned to the mirror, particularly if the questions concern marriage or childbirth.

Many historians consider the summoning of Bloody Mary is just a children's game. It is most popular at slumber parties and more likely to be invoked by girls than by boys. Children always summon Mary in a bathroom where a large mirror is present. They turn off the lights, and the questioner holds a lit candle. Next, the questioner turns in a circle every time she repeats Bloody Mary’s name. The rules state that when Bloody Mary’s image appears in the mirror, you should only address the image or she will vanish.

Queen Mary I

Some historians attribute the name "Bloody Mary" to Queen Mary I of England. Queen Mary I was the daughter of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Mary inherited the throne upon her father’s death. Her nickname "Bloody Mary" comes from her persecution of the Protestants. Mary I, a devout Catholic, sought to restore England’s Catholicism after Henry VIII’s excommunication and break with the church. The legacy of Mary’s rule is littered with the bodies of executed Protestants.

Queen Mary suffered many miscarriages during her rule. It is said that the image in the mirror may represent the mourning Queen who longs for a child of her own. Each time she appears to answer a question, she believes she is addressing one of her own lost children.

Urban Legends

Urban legends tell tales of Bloody Mary appearing in the dark when someone stands too close to a mirror whether they are summoning her or not. She may appear as a blur in the corner of your eye, but if you look closely, you will see a disfigured woman watching you from the shadows. Turn to see if she is there and she will vanish.

Popular Culture

Modern movies make use of the myth of Bloody Mary in films like Candyman. The Candyman horror film involved teenagers yelling "candyman" three times in front of a mirror, and the boogeyman (known as the Candyman) would appear and murder them.

Universal Studios in Florida took advantage of the myth for their annual Halloween Horror Night events in 2008. In their version, Mary is a physician studying fear. She exposes her patients to what terrifies them the most while observing them through a one way mirror. The patients must shout her name three times to let her know that they wish to end the experiment.

Other Bloody Mary films include: