Bloody Mary - The Woman, The Legend, The Cocktail by Spookygirl Insandiego

The Woman

 

Who was Bloody Mary? A witch named Mary Worth, who was burned at the stake? Queen Mary I, Queen Mary Tudor or even Mary, Queen of Scots? As far as local legends she might be described as a woman named Mary who’d died in a car crash, an unwed mother named Mary who threw her baby off a bridge or even a teenaged girl or a nun named Mary who hanged herself when she found out she was pregnant. Some even say she’s Countess Elizabet Bathory, who was said to keep herself looking young by bathing in the blood of young, virginal girls.

The Legend 

 

There are many versions of Mary’s origin – and many stories about how to summon her spirit. The basic idea is that one must stand in a darkened room with a mirror. Candles are lit and Mary’s spirit is called. Some stories say one must call her name three times (or thirteen times) or say, “Bloody Mary, I have your baby.” When the candles are blown out the spirit of Mary is said to appear in the mirror. Mary is said to unleash her torment on her summoner by scratching out their eyes, dragging them into the mirror with her, killing them or cursing them for the rest of their lives.

Divination and other folk magic are said to provide a glimpse of the future or past. Here are some examples regarding marriage:

• Throwing a bouquet or garter at a wedding is said to mean whomever catches it will be the next to marry.
  
• Putting a slice of wedding cake under one’s pillow is said to make them dream of their future spouse.
• Peeling the skin off an apple and throwing it out a window is said to make the apple peel dry into the shape of the letter of their future spouse’s first name.

I can’t imagine what anyone would expect from attempting to summon the spirit of an angry ghost. The Bloody Mary legend has made appearances in a number of movies. The story has also been featured on TV shows including Charmed, Ghost Whisperer and Supernatural.

I tried the “Bloody Mary” game when I was a teenager. Aside from a lot of giggling and my friends intentionally trying to scare me by scratching on the bathroom door, Miss Mary was a no-show.

The Bloody Mary Cocktail

 

Whether or not the cocktail has anything to do with the story of a woman, it is, interestingly made with spirits (vodka). There are a number of people who are said to have invented this “hangover cure.” Some say it was created by a bartender, a Canadian restaurant owner, a comedian and even author Ernest Hemingway (Hemingway’s favorite drink was a very dry martini.)

Liquor.com contributor Wayne Curtis wrote about Bloody Marys, saying one of the most fanciful stories about the drink is that the Bloody Mary dates to the rule of ruthless Queen Mary I of England in the mid-1550s. “The tomato juice,” according to the always-reliable Weekly World News, “represents the blood spilled, while the vodka, a ‘firewater,’ is symbolic of the queen’s brutal means of executing the martyrs.”

The Bloody Mary’s basic ingredients are usually the same: tomato juice, vodka, celery salt, black pepper, lemon juice, and a combination of Tabasco sauce, cayenne pepper and horseradish. It’s typically served in a pint glass and garnished with a lemon wedge or celery stalk. Nothing scary about that.

Final Thoughts

 

I scoured the Internet looking for any “real” Bloody Mary incidents, similar to the “Slender Man” stabbing that happened in Wisconsin but wasn’t able to find anything. I did find lots of stories about people getting scared, falling down and hurting themselves as they ran screaming from the bathroom when their friends scared them, etc. but nothing directly related to injury, disappearance or murder by the hand of Bloody Mary herself.

Paranormal Humor: Did You Know?

Paranormal Humor: It's Bloody Mary!

Bloody Mary (Japan Version)

 

SS Note: I forgot if I posted this or not. But if so, oh well, it's a pretty scary legend! 

Reader Sent: A Bloody Mary Experience

The original reader sent email (no changes were made from the original):

Warning. You may not believe me, for I was the only... "recipient", but i assure you this happened.

My name is Dean Bonsignore and I am a 19 year old ghost enthusiast and believer. I live in Brooklyn, NY and this is my sharing of stories.

Most of my adolecense was plagued by spiritual happenings and the like. One distinct instance was when i was around the age of 13. I was sitting in my room talking to a close friend of mine on IM chat. Our topic? Summoning of spirits.

We were deep in discussion for a few hours, talking about different methods, the names of malevolent and benign spirits and such, when the oddest thing happened. Ok, i lied, it was absolutely terrifying. As I told her of a particular method, (chanting the name 3 times in a mirror, similar to bloody mary), I got decked right in the face. Literally punch, so hard my head whipped tothe side and i was looking in the direction I wasn't just moments before. Obviously terrified, i jumped into bed, hid under the covers and forced myself to sleep.

The next morning, I awoke with a bruise on my right cheek. To this day, i have no clue what it was. I knew there was a ghost of an old farmer in the house. But I didn't know if it was him, or something else that punched me. The reason I think i was the farmer though, is that his only son died in a barn house fire in the late 1800's. I happen to be the only son in the house.

We have since moved from that particular home, to another haunted house where I have had other occurences and several witnesses. The home i live in now is the first clean house I've lived in for years. If you are interested in more, I'd love to share with someone who actually believes.

P.S. I'm sorry for any spelling errors, I wrote this on an iphone with a cracked up screen.

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My Reply:

Hello Dean,

Very interesting story you had there and don't fret, it's not in my line of work as a paranormal investigator to deny someone's beliefs. I've had plenty of experiences myself, so you got nothing to worry about with me not believing.

The story you tell does interest me though as I have done an article on the very famous, Bloody Mary (. There's plenty of different ways to supposedly summon her, but I hear the saying of her name three times is the most popular one.

The thing about ghost hunting is that it's a learning experience. You learn the do's and don'ts and that lesson should of taught you to not do that again. There's no need for bullies even in death, so hopefully that experience would be the only one for you.

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Check out more information on my story of Bloody Mary here. And remember, if you have a ghost story of your own, feel free to send it to me at scaredsheetlessncn@hotmail.com and I will more than happily post it here or if you'd rather it remain confidential that's fine as well.

Halloween Edition: Bloody Mary

Halloween Edition
Ghost Legends: Bloody Mary

Published on the Trendy Times (Oct. 26th, 2010) and the White Mountain Shopper (Oct. 29th, 2010)

It's not just a cocktail, it's also a universal ghost legend. We're going to explore the myth of Bloody Mary.

I'm sure many who are reading this have heard about this legend at sleepovers or around the campfire, but for those who don't know, I think it's time you found out: Imagine yourself standing in front of a mirror, with either one or two candles, and chanting to yourself, "Bloody Mary, I killed your baby!" Suddenly, something comes out of the mirror and scratches your face or something much worse.

There's many different versions to this: Some say you can just simply say, "I believe in Mary Worth", or "Kathy, come out!" Some say you repeatedly say, "Bloody Mary" and each time you say it, you say it louder and louder.

For those who are confused, Bloody Mary is a mirror-witch. She is summoned, but only comes to the ritual doers mirror. But, she's said to be a vicious, maniacal spirit which legend states will either violently scratch your face, drive the person insane, scratch your eyes out, pull you into the mirror to live with her, or death itself.

The ritual was most popular in the 1970's during girls sleepovers, but men are known to try the rituals themselves. One story indicates that a girl tried the ritual and said at the end, "I don't believe in Mary Worth" and she fell and broke her hip right after. Pure coincidence? Maybe give it a go yourself?...I think not.

The most important part besides the candles and the chanting, is the mirror. Most use a bathroom mirror, because generally they are large enough to make the ritual work. Other dark rooms with large enough mirrors also work.

Why a mirror though? It could be because some families, after someone departs from this life they usually cover all the mirrors. This is because some believe that mirrors are portals between this world and the afterlife. The belief was that if the spirit caught a glimpse of itself in the mirror it would be trapped in the house forever-a condemned spirit. This also has ties in with the Devil's Toy Box-a six sided mirror that some religions such as Wicca believe attract dark spirits, but are also used to get rid of them, because the spirit can't stand the sight of itself. Apparently, in Bloody Mary's world she don't have any mirrors as she is said to be dark and evil.

The identity of just who the legend is named after is a mystery; it could of been Queen Mary I of England who was known to have vicious side of her as she was also referred to as Blood Mary; reason being is that she was said to kill young woman to bathe in their blood to preserve her youthful appearance. Some say she is a witch who was killed hundreds of years ago for practicing dark magic (some say she was burned to the stake, others say she was hanged) and comes back for revenge; or a woman named Mary Worth of more of a present time who was in a car accident and was disfigured. Who knows? That's what makes legends so intriguing...the darkness covers the truth like a mask which maybe it's more safe not to foretell it's real identity.

Do not fear Bloody Mary? I wouldn't say so; she's also been known to snatch people in the darkness near any given mirror without a ritual. Other then that...

Have a happy and safe Halloween and remember, stay away from mirrors! Until next time, Happy Hauntings!

Sources:

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/ghosts/bloodymary.asp
http://www.halloween-website.com/bloody_mary.htm

Want to contact me?:

E-Mail: scaredsheetlessncn@hotmail.com
Facebook search: Scared Sheetless or The NEPI Paranormal Experience
Website: http://scaredsheetlessncn.blogspot.com/

James Paradie is a paranormal columnist who has been seen in such newspapers as the Northcountry News, Littleton Record, the White Mountain Shopper, and the Trendy Times. His stories can also been seen on paranormalnews.com where he is a regular contributor.