Ladies, Fire up Your Brooms! It Looks Like a Witch Hunt!!!

 Moosham Castle in Austria, aka "Witches Castle"

Moosham Castle was built somewhere in the 14th Century in Austria.  This castle has a grizzly and brutal past.  YES!  There is a torture chamber-about 500 years old that still exists today within the bowels of this so-called magnificent castle.  It was in this castle that the bloodiest witch trials took place.  The torture chamber was used in trials of thousands of young women who were tormented and executed, sometimes being pulled apart by 2 horses running in opposite directions.  They were all accused of being witches!  Well, I'd probably beg for death after being tortured that way...wouldn't you?

Moosham Castle during the day

It is said that "Witches Castle" is one of the most beautiful castles left.  You can see as far as Hungary from this site.  And the best time to visit is in the summer or early fall, when you can see the changing colors in the woods.  How beautiful AND deceiving at the same time!

 Leap Castle, Ireland, aka "Bloody Chapel"

This castle was built in the late 15th century, and was the center of a shocking murder.  A family of powerful Princes called the O'Carrolls owned this castle.  A powerful sibling rivalry began following the death of the O'Carroll Chieftan.  One brother, who was a priest, was giving holy rites to other family members one day in the Chapel.  The other brother rushed in and drove a sword into him, killing him right in front of the family.  Afterwards, the chapel became well known as "The Bloody Chapel".  In later years, a hidden dungeon was found off the bloody chapel with a drop floor.  It seems as though prisoners would be pushed through the door and fall through the floor to land on a spike eight feet below-OR NOT.  If you didn't get killed by the spike, you simply starved to death.  No one bothered to check and see what would become of the prisoners.  Around c.1900, some workmen that were hired to clean out the chapel area and dungeon, discovered human skeletons piled on top of each other.  Well, needless to say, Leap Castle acquired a reputation of being haunted, and the townspeople stayed clear of it at night.  Well, this place, gutted by fire, laid in ruins for over 70 years.  And from time to time, townspeople would claim to have seen the top of the castle "light up" as though a great amount of candles were brought into a room at night.

An interior room of Leap Castle

Ownership of Leap Castle finally passes, through marriage, from the O'Carroll's to the Darby's, an English family.  The Darby's made major improvements to the castle and grounds, turning it into a family home.  However, Mildred Darby couldn't keep her nose out of the dark side and manages to rekindle some of the former sinister energies that had long laid to rest.  She began to receive visits from decaying corpses, and strange, pungeant odors would follow, oozing throughout the castle.  That wasn't bad enough-the Irish, who were struggling for their independence at the time, really didn't want an English family living in their midst and the castle was bombed, and looted, flushing the Darby's out.

The current owners, who purchased the castle in the 1990's, were aware of the castle's history.  They agreed to share the castle with the spirits as long as there are no more "occurences".  They moved in and began restoration of the castle.  And later, christened their baby daughter in what was known as the "Bloody Chapel" with singing and laughter and love.  It is said that if the troubled spirits of Leap Castle remained, they may finally have found peace.  The castle is open year round, there are no accommodations.

The research for this information is credited to Carolyn D. Ahrns from Las Vegas, NV.

Bran Castle~Romania/Transylvania

In a far off land, sitting on top of a rock, there exists a fortress built in 1377 called Bran Castle.  This castle is known as the world's most famous vampire castle.  The legend of Dracula haunts this castle even though it was not his original castle.  It is said that one chamber in this castle is dedicated to Bram Stoker and it is now a museum open to tourists.

Will the real Dracula please stand up?

From Simon Marsden galleries, this is the real Castle of Dracula in Arges Valley Wallachia

I obtained my information from the following resources:

castles.org

hauntedcastlesandhotels.com

wikipedia.org

draculascastle.com

simonmarsden.co.uk (The Journal of a Ghosthunter)

picsearch.com

I do want to thank all of my readers for the fun and great comments given for my Halloween collection.  I think some of the most exciting conversations came from "The Scariest Halloween Movie Ever" post.  And, once again, I would like to thank my mother and sister, who, by the way, also enjoyed my post on "The Haunted (Sauer) Castle".  My mother said it was a "great" story.  My sister's daughter, Erica, also commented and was excited to read a story based on one her mother's artistic accomplishments.

And don't forget to vote on my "Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman" poll!  I'm leaving the poll open until midnight Halloween nite!  I have 4 voters so far-who's in it for 5?

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 AAGGHH!  IT'S A GRANDMA!  Shawn, November 22, 2008-just shy of 2 months old! 

We will be celebrating an important Birthday this month...our little Grandson Shawn, aka Shawnsky, aka Scooter, aka Son, aka Bubba.  "the poor kid!"  No wonder he doesn't answer to anyone...anyway, he will be turning 2 years old on Tuesday, October 26, 2010-right before the Witching Hour!  Hopefully we can get the little guy to hold still long enough for some cool pictures!

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I've been fighting a strange allergy-kind of cold all week, and now I've lost my voice...oh well, all the more time I guess to shut up and PUT OUT!!!

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Have a Hauntingly Safe Halloween From The KardKorner!