Within the ghost and paranormal world, there are plenty of beliefs and stories to explore. Some of them deal with the first recorded way that people acknowledged the communication of the dead, as well as superstitions that were widely held throughout medieval times. Some of these topics and more are dealt with in this article.
The earliest way that the spirit world was thought to communicate with the living is by what is referred to as rappings. Rappings is just another way to refer to thumping, knocking, tapping, as well as bumping. Ancient civilizations believed that rapping was a sign that death would soon fall upon whoever encountered the noises. It wasn’t until the Fox sisters that the public began to take heed to other thoughts on rapping. There were three Fox sisters who are regarded to play a large role in the creation of Spiritualism. They gained a reputation as mediums, becoming quite famous in the field. One of the main things that they were known for was performing séances for people who came quite far to see the ladies.
It was hard to swallow at that time to believe in rapping and where it came from since numerous unreliable people made a business of tricking others to believe that they could communicate with the dead. In later years, the Fox sisters confessed to tapping on the floor with their feet to create the sounds they told others came from the dead. Other examples of rapping have also been documented.
There is a superstition that can be traced back to medieval times, which speaks of a horse drawn coach referred to as the “Death Coach.” It was a thought that death traveled throughout the lands by way of a coach drawn by horses. This belief was associated with those who lived in England, as well as Wales. Both the horse and the color of the coach was pitch black. As for the driver, they were headless and unrecognizable. As the death coach passes through, it makes it rounds on midnight. No sound proceeds or can be heard after the coach has passed by.
Another belief that originates from ancient times involves the soul. There was once the thought that if the soul left the body, then it would travel over what was called the Brig of the Dead. This was a reference to a narrow piece of a bridge that was quite small. If a soul fell off of the Brig and did not make it, the soul would be lost forever. If the soul were able to make it across the gulf without any problems, then it would have earned a place in heaven.
When it comes to apparitions, there was quite an odd instance that was called the Fog Bow. This particular spirit had been spotted in the Alps. What is it, you say? The Fog Bow is an arch that can be sighted in the sky when a traveler is moving with the Sun at their back. In time, the Fog Bow becomes the shape of a circle, which then forms a line down the middle. After awhile, two crosses can be seen on either side. When this is seen, a mist or fog always accompanies this vision.