Ghosts (folklore)



A Ghost (sometimes known as a Spirit or a Soul) is the spirit of a deceased individual who haunts the area of their death, normally as the result of a violent or untimely death - usually Ghosts are considered frightening but otherwise harmless but there are numerous accounts of more violent encounters with ghosts in folklore, some of the more extreme examples were found in phenomena that has now become known as Poltergeists activity.

The idea of the dead rising from the grave is as old as death itself and unlike the revenant or vampire the ghost has always been considered a spiritual threat rather than a physical one and often they haunt people or warn them of dangers, sometimes a ghost will seek revenge on those responsible for its demise or will try to force someone into aiding it find rest.

Ghosts may at times become violent and cruel, though when a ghost becomes exceptionally dangerous it is more accurately described as a type of Demon - especially if it begins to possess the living.

Although most ghosts take the form of humans there are tales of ghostly animals and even more unusual sightings such as trains, cars or ships.