Behind Urban Legends

To believe or not to believe, the power of myth and childhood

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The Ghost of Christmas Past is alive and well, and making his usual rounds this Christmas. My own Yes Virginia moment in the Gothic Cabinet of Curiosities and Mysteries

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Salem, Massachusetts: The Historical Record and a Salem Travelogue

The Witch House, Home of Jonathan Corwin, c. 1675, Salem, Essex County, Massachusetts

Salem is a town riddled with cliche, hoary with history and a fascinating place to spend some time. This piece from the Gothic Cabinet of Curiosity and Mysteries travels to New England in search of the timeless quality, when witches were thought to roam the landscape.

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The Pursuit of Ichabod Crane, from the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, by Washington Irving

Into Sleepy Hollow, Irvington, Tarrytown, Westchester County, New York

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is perhaps America’s best known and most loved ghost story, told by the first great American author, Washington Irving. The Gothic Cabinet of Curiosities and Mysteries traces the route of Ichabod Crane that fateful night, in modern-day Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow.

An excerpt from Return to Sleepy Hollow. Click here to read the full essay.

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The Legends and Myths of Mount Misery and Sweet Hollow Road, Part III. Mary takes another swing with her bloody hatchet on the big screen

Sweet Hollow Road's Mary Hatchet

It’s approaching Halloween and we have another film based on the legend of Mary Hatchet of Sweet Hollow Road and Mount Misery. Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet is a hatchet job on the legends, which we look at in detail in this look at one of Long Island’s most popular Urban Legends in the Gothic Cabinet of Curiosities and Mysteries.

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The Legends and Myths of Mount Misery and Sweet Hollow Road Pt. II: Of Native Americans, Mothmen, M.I.B.s and UFOs

Sweet Hollow, West Hills County Park, Melville, Suffolk County, Long Island, New York

Mount Misery and Sweet Hollow’s Road big-time debut came in the book the Mothman Prophecies by John Keel, but the legends stretch back further. Lost and confused in the history of the native Americans of Huntington and Plainview, we try to untangle the mysteries of the mothman, M.I.B. and UFOs in this haunted area. From the Gothic Curiosity Cabinet

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The Legends and Myths of Sweet Hollow and Mount Misery: Part I, The Asylums of Mount Misery

Mount Misery, West Hills County Park, Melville, Town of Huntington, Suffolk County, Long Island, New York

Legends abound on Mount Misery, perhaps none so popular as those of the asylums which supposedly stood there in the past. Take a look at the facts and decide for yourself, the truth behind one of Long Island’s most famous urban legends, from the Gothic Curiosity Cabinet.

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Tales From Head of the Harbor & St. James Part II: What Lies Beneath Mary’s Grave

Mary's playhouse in Head of the Harbor, Long Island, New York

There’s some strange legends about Head of the Harbor, New York concerning Mary’s Grave and Mary Hatchet, associated with a couple of particular places. We take a look at what the truth is about these places, and what truth lies beneath the legends, from the Gothic Curiosity Cabinet

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The Ghosts of Fire Island Lighthouse

Fire Island Lighthouse, Robert Moses State Park, Long Island, New York

The Fire Island National Seashore is protected by the Fire Island Lighthouse, which has for almost 200 years protected those in peril on the seas. Explore the history and the spirits of this maritime treasure from the Gothic Curiosity Cabinet.

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Tales From Head of the Harbor and St. James I: New Thoughts on Mary Hatchet and Mary’s Grave

Mary's Playhouse, Head of the Harbor, Long Island, New York

One of the most prolific folk tales and urban legend stories of Long Island is that of Hatchet Mary or Mary’s Grave. What many people don’t realize is that Hatchet Mary was a historical figure, and that the tale of Mary’s Grave is quite likely much older than many people believe. While it’s impossible to know for sure the truth behind the tale, there’s a lot more there than one might have known. Read more from the Gothic Curiosity Cabinet.

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