159 Items Tagged

AO Loves Halloween

The wendigo of North America's Great Lakes region is a symbol of both the desperate season of winter and boundless human greed.

The Wendigo and 6 Other Ancient Monsters From Indigenous Folklore

These ancient terrors, from Australia’s bunyip to Brazil’s capelobo, still haunt—and hunt—us.

Gemma Tarlach October 4, 2024

Was ‘Dracula’ the Biggest Flying Creature Ever?

In prehistoric Transylvania, a giant darkened the skies.

Andrew Coletti October 3, 2024

In Sardinian folktales, the accabadora was an older woman who slipped into the homes of those lingering near death to send them on their way.

Death as a Woman: The Accabadora of Sardinia

In Sardinian folktales, an older woman gives those at death's door a nudge. But was she real?

Emma Cieslik October 2, 2024

Few folk figures have endured like Baba Yaga, who has been described as witch, mentor, villain, trickster, and now, perhaps, a feminist icon.

Who Is Baba Yaga?

Trickster, mentor, probable goddess—Slavic folklore's most famous villain is so much more than a witch.

Kris Spisak September 30, 2024

Foxfire is the bioluminescence created by some species of fungi that grow on decaying wood, like this <em>Omphalotus nidiformis</em>, or ghost fungus.

bioluminescence

Foxfire Brings Magical Light to the Dark Forest

These mushrooms are aglow with a beautiful bioluminescence.

Leigh Ann Henion September 25, 2024

Mound House, Nevada

VW Beetle Spider

On the side of Highway 50 East, between Carson City and Dayton, Nevada, sits a giant metal spider made from a vintage Volkswagen Beetle.

Alishan, Taiwan

Pagoda of the Tree Spirit

A monument to placate the spirits of an ancient forest.

Tucson, Arizona

Campbell Bat Bridge

A colony of Mexican free-tailed bats live under the bridge and take flight at sundown all summer long.

Particularly terrifying clowns were used throughout the experiment, which is totally normal.

For the Love of Fear

In a Swedish amusement park, two volunteers faced their greatest fears—for science.

Roxanne Hoorn October 31, 2023

Stretching between the 16th and 18th centuries, the Scottish witch trials were among Europe’s longest and most deadly.

Isobel Gowdie and the Untold History of the Scottish Witch Trials

Some experts estimate as many as 3,000 people were accused and executed for witchcraft in Scotland.

Sarah Durn October 31, 2023

The Raven Room

12 Important Places in Edgar Allan Poe's Life (and Death)

A tour of the writer's world, from his short-lived military career to his multiple gravesites.

Atlas Obscura October 30, 2023

Soap Sally was always lying in wait to snatch idle children and turn them into soap and candles, according to regional folklore in Appalachia and the American South.

Soap Sally, a Villain of Appalachia and the American South, Echoes Old World Evil

The wicked washerwoman, child murderer, and entrepreneur has parallels to Baba Yaga and other classic European folk figures.

Emma Cieslik October 30, 2023

All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

The Atlas Obscura Crossword: Halloween Themeless

AO Puzzles October 30, 2023

11 Places Where Dolls Are a Frightening Sight

We're not in the toy aisle anymore.

Jonathan Carey October 27, 2023

The legend of the Snallygaster appears to have been an invention of local newspapers, but one that carried a dark threat.

The Unsettling Legend of Maryland's Native Cryptid, the Snallygaster

A strange, scary farce that brought together Old World legends and racist scare tactics.

Colin Dickey October 27, 2023

Our first place winner is Drew Babineau's photograph of a barber chair inside of a cell at Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Our Spooky Snaps Photo Contest Winners

A collection of atmospheric images from our readers, to explore if you dare.

Winnie Lee October 27, 2023

14 Haunting Places in Literature

From Dracula's castle to the villa where Frankenstein came to life.

Atlas Obscura October 27, 2023

Is it a ghost or a gas leak? Scientists are trying new ways to explore what makes a place seem haunted.

A Haunted Chamber, a Quivering Blade, and Other Spooky Science Experiments

Could infrasound, electromagnetic blips, gas leaks, and mold explain why some places just give us the creeps?

Kate Golembiewski October 26, 2023