Better than country music

I found this dark, damp and occult work in an old fashioned and boring reference library in Stockholm earlier today, tucked away in between so-called scholarly works on mythology and American folklore (including country & western music). “The Encylopedia of Ghosts and Spirits” is authored by Rosemary Ellen Guiley, who describes herself as a spiritual seeker and researcher into the paranormal. In other words, this book is written from something resembling a “true believer” perspective.

Here are some short samples from the first chapter (the letter A), to give you the flavor of the work:


Acheri – In Hindu folklore, the ghost of a little girl which brings sickness.

Adelphi Theatre – London theater said to be haunted by the ghost of William Terriss, a popular Victorian actor who was murdered there by a jealous rival.

Afrit – In Arabian mythology, a terrible and dangerous demon, the spirit of a murdered man who seeks to avenge his death.

Alcatraz – Yes, the Rock is said to be haunted by sounds that seem to be connected to inmates and violence of the past. The author also claims that Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly played in the same prison band!

Amherst Haunting – A classic 19th century poltergeist case in Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was so nasty that the spirit (named “Bob”) even tormented the family cat. Hmmm, so this is where David Lynch got his idea from…

Ankou – A figure from Breton folklore, who drives a spectral cart and takes away people who are going to die. I've known about this superstition since I was a kid, since the ankou is featured in a Franco-Belgian comic album. Besides, the similarity to Death in a certain Bergman film is über-obvious…

There is also an entry on the Amityville Horror, but seriously, who gives a damn?

If the above is something you always wanted to know more about, why, “Encylopedia of Ghosts and Spirits” might be just what you need. If not, I suppose you could always read a scholarly reference volume on American country music. Which makes me wonder. Did Machine Gun Kelly ever play bluegrass?