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Even colorful rainbows can carry spooky superstitions.
horror

5 Superstitious Stories for Friday the 13th

Explore these tales of death, sacrifice, and bad omens—if you dare.
Roxanne Hoorn December 13, 2024
Silver Plume, Colorado

Griffin Monument

This cliffside memorial marks the final resting place of a lonely violinist.
Fujisawa, Japan

Tatsunokuchi Execution Grounds

A major Japanese execution ground site from the Middle Ages.
The black-eyed children, first described in Texas in the mid-90s, have since been seen around the world.
death

Death as a Child: The Modern Legend of the Black-Eyed Children

First described in Texas in the mid-90s, what are these disturbing figures—and what do they want?
Emma Cieslik October 16, 2024
Amay, Belgium

Sarcophagus of Chrodoara

Since its accidental discovery in 1977, this sarcophagus has been described as "the greatest masterpiece of Merovingian sculpture north of the Alps."
Geneva, Switzerland

Guillotine of Geneva

During the French annexation, 36 prisoners were executed using this device.
The Cù Sith, an otherworldly hound of Scottish folklore, and its Irish counterpart the Cù Sidhe are sometimes described as green, the color associated with magic—and misfortune.
animals

Death as a Dog: The Cù Sith of Scotland

The spectral, terrifying dog of Scottish folklore has inspired many a nightmare for centuries—and likely for millennia.
Emma Cieslik October 9, 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

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
Las Vegas, Nevada

Tupac Shakur Memorial

Fans have made a utility pole near where the 90s musician was shot into an ersatz memorial.
Copenhagen, Denmark

‘Death and the Mother’

This sculptural representation of an Andersen fairy tale had to be pushed away for being too grim.
Batrik, Pakistan

Kalasha Graveyard

The caskets in this graveyard have not been opened—they have always been open.
The snow-laden, misty entrance of Iceland's Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge resembles the entrance to Helheim, the realm of the dead who did not make it into Valhalla.
vikings

Viking Hell Is Just as Metal as You'd Expect

Judged unworthy of Valhalla? Welcome to Helheim.
Nicky Nielsen August 8, 2024
Octopuses investigate the skeleton of a whale at a whale fall site off the California coast.
science

There Are More Whale Falls Off Los Angeles Than the Rest of the World Combined

The surprising discovery reveals how much we don't know about the deep ocean and its residents.
Douglas Main July 22, 2024
Canneto sull'Oglio, Italy

Chiesa di Santa Croce detta 'Dei Morti'

Photographs of the faces of the town's dead cover the walls of this small Italian church.
Paris, France

Site of La Morgue de Paris

The location of this small park was once the site of an infamous public morgue.
Roskilde, Denmark

Grave of the Hel-Horse

According to legend, this is the burial place of a mythical three-legged death omen horse.
death

Bali's Massive Stone Sarcophagi Included Global Grave Goods

Mirrors from China, glass beads from Roman Egypt, and other treasures from far-flung places accompanied ancient Balinese elites to the afterworld.
Nicky Nielsen June 5, 2024
animals

Rabbits Are Creatures of the Underworld According to Ancient Fears

From Ancient Egypt to 'Donnie Darko', beware the bunny.
Charis McGowan May 1, 2024