31 Days of Spook – Oakland Cemetery

 I thought it was time to walk through a cemetery with you once again.  Today, I’m going to focus on one close to home – the historic Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia.  Oakland Cemetery was bought in 1850 and was originally named Atlanta Graveyard or City Burial Place.  It was renamed to Oakland Cemetery in 1972.

Oakland Cemetery offers twilight tours of the cemetery – how scary huh?  And around this time of the year, the cemetery even offers what they call “Capturing the Spirit of Oakland Halloween Tours”.  What a way to catch some things that go bump in the night.  There are over 70,000 residents in over 40 acres that are just dying to meet you whether you have a guided tour or walk the cemetery by yourself… if you’re brave enough.

A lot of the history of this wonderful cemetery centers around the Civil War.  There have been stories in the Confederate portion of the cemetery of hearing names being called as if in a roll call.  But to look around, there is no one living there, just the statue of a lion guarding the unknown Confederate dead and he’s not talking.

Often the guides at the cemetery will tell you that people actually die three times.  Once on their last breath, once when they are laid to rest and once when they are no longer remembered.  Sounds just like a situation for a few people to come out and be remembered, doesn’t it?  So the next time you’re in the area, drop by for a visit.  I’ve heard they’re always looking for a good soul to fright.

There are lots of famous people buried here in Oakland.  Mom took this photograph not too long ago.  Do you recognize the name?

 

 

31 Days of Spook – Oakland Cemetery

 I thought it was time to walk through a cemetery with you once again.  Today, I’m going to focus on one close to home – the historic Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia.  Oakland Cemetery was bought in 1850 and was originally named Atlanta Graveyard or City Burial Place.  It was renamed to Oakland Cemetery in 1972.

Oakland Cemetery offers twilight tours of the cemetery – how scary huh?  And around this time of the year, the cemetery even offers what they call “Capturing the Spirit of Oakland Halloween Tours”.  What a way to catch some things that go bump in the night.  There are over 70,000 residents in over 40 acres that are just dying to meet you whether you have a guided tour or walk the cemetery by yourself… if you’re brave enough.

A lot of the history of this wonderful cemetery centers around the Civil War.  There have been stories in the Confederate portion of the cemetery of hearing names being called as if in a roll call.  But to look around, there is no one living there, just the statue of a lion guarding the unknown Confederate dead and he’s not talking.

Often the guides at the cemetery will tell you that people actually die three times.  Once on their last breath, once when they are laid to rest and once when they are no longer remembered.  Sounds just like a situation for a few people to come out and be remembered, doesn’t it?  So the next time you’re in the area, drop by for a visit.  I’ve heard they’re always looking for a good soul to fright.

There are lots of famous people buried here in Oakland.  Mom took this photograph not too long ago.  Do you recognize the name?

 

 

31 Days of Spook – Story Submission

Oh my sweet friends.  How are you holding up so far with my 31 Days of Spook?  Are you leaving the lights on at night yet?  Are you watching all of the shadows behind you?  Are you spooked when someone says hello to you?  Snorts – if you are, buckle up those seat belts because I’ve got a great scary story for you today.  This story was submitted by my friend Easy.  If you haven’t met Easy, please visit his blog and tell them that Bacon sent you.  Without further ado, here it is straight from Easy’s mouth – his horror story 🙂

“The Haunted Archipelago of Britanny or the Archipel des Glénan is located some miles westwards of my crib.

Because the whole area was subtropic once, the archipelago with 9 islands and a lot of dead coral reefs accrued there. There are Saint Nicholas, Loc’h, Penfret, Drenec, Guiautec,Quignénec, Bananec, Brunec and Cigogne. Some are inhabited, some are abandoned and some are occupied by sheeps – butt ALL are haunted. The reefs and rocks  and the the special drifts shall be the reason that many ships got lost there and a giant ships graveyard was built during the years. But the truth is, that this ships were sunken by La Groac’h de l’île du Loc’h, a witch who lives on the island Loc’h. She is the richest woman of the world, because she collected all the treasures from the ships she pulled to the ground of the sea. She is described as a beautiful girl what caught the sailors who lost their ships, butt in reality she is a  wild creature, as ugly as a baboons ass with snakes and algues in her hair and with giant fangs in her mouth.

Her home is at the bottom of a lake at Loc’h and it’s being said that this lake has a secret connection to the ocean where she is luring for her victims. Once in the clutches of La Groac’h you belong to her fur ever and ever…

and ever…. Maaaan, thanks Overlook-Twins, are you everywhere or what? Breeze off!

Because the bretons are practical thinking people, they built a chapel and a cemetery on Loc’h, where they buried the sailors who died in maritime disasters. That was much easier than to bring them to mainland, because they anyway landed at the island of La Groac’h.  And btw. the striped sailor shirts, called Mariniére or matelot ,  were invented there. Dating back to March 1858 French Navy-Wear Act when all mariners were required to wear a blue and white striped top in order to aid spotting and rescuing should they fall into the sea. The rules required 21 white stripes of 20 mm and 20/21 blue stripes of 10 mm and soon all sailors, particularly around the busy ports of Brittany were wearing it. The legend tells that every one of the 21 stripes stands for a victory of Napoleon… and the hole for the neck probably stands for Waterloo or what?  Butt anyway that’s the shirt what became famous in 1917 as Coco Chanel wore it with  widelegged pants.  Althought many designers and chainstores  copied that style , the  original  is made by ARMOR LUX, they are still in business and if you want to be prepared for all reasons what can happen at sea, you should get one.

Another island, called Cigogne has a fort, what was built in 1717 to safe the coast from pirates, dutchmen and brits. The fort was used by french troops and during the WWII occupied by germans. Today the island is used by the world famous Sailing School Les Glénans, but it’s totally haunted and during stormy nights you can hear the screaming and howling of the lost souls of the former residents. Sometimes a sudden mist comes up there and between the fog patches you can discover the praying arms of the lost souls who crave for salvation.

Till today the archipelago is a beautiful but dangerous area, every year the coast guards  find bodies of smart tourists or people from Paris who thought they can hop from island to island by foot during ebb tide. Some of them  end as the prey of  La Groac’h who is insatiable. Also many ships end there, from rubber-rafts  to  million-dollar yachts, La Groac’h knows no difference. Treasure hunters mostly land between their objects of desire or in jail, because the whole area is a protected reservate.

And the boast of some bathtub-captains and the special weather there, what changes within minutes without a warning, are La Groac’hs helpers… That’s very annoying for the coast guards who have to risk their lifes to collect the peeps who fidget in the creek after a sudden storm… and otherways their  Bouillabaisse, the traditional meal after a storm gets cold while they have to pick up that folks…and a cold Bouillabaisse is  totally NOT tasty, just saying…

 

31 Days of Spook – Day 18

Hello my spooktacular friends.  Count Baconula here with Day 18 of my 31 Days of Spook.  Are you still with me in my adventure?  Still being brave or are you holding someone’s paw or hand by now?

Today, I want to share something wickedly scary.  Something that scared my mom so badly when she was just a mere girl.  Something that she had nightmares about.  Something that was way beyond it’s time and deserves a place on my 31 Days of Spook.

If you dare, if you are brave enough, if you are not scared yet, you must watch this video attached.  Shivers – there is no other than Michael Jackson performing Thriller with the voice over from Vincent Price.  Enjoy my little spooks!