Mythology

Supay

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Tradition: Inca Mythology, Peruvian Mythology
Alternative Names: Supaya, Auka
Category: Ghost

The Myth

Supay is a powerful spirit associated with the underworld, darkness, death, and the shadowy forces of the universe. In Andean mythology, he is connected to Uku Pacha, the realm beneath the world where the spirits of the dead dwell. Supay is an ambivalent being who can embody both benevolent and harmful forces. In later Christian interpretations, he came to be associated with the Devil and demons, but in older Andean beliefs, he represented one of the opposing forces necessary to maintain the balance of existence.

One legend tells that Supay caused the great flood that created Lake Titicaca. Long ago, the land around the lake was a fertile valley where people lived peacefully under the protection of the mountain gods, the Apus. The gods forbade them from climbing the mountains where the Sacred Fire burned. Unable to tolerate their happiness, Supay sowed discord among the people and tempted them to disobey. When they climbed the mountains, the Apus sent thousands of pumas to devour them. The terrified people begged Supay for help, but he refused to save them. Seeing their destruction, Inti, the Sun God, wept so bitterly that his tears flooded the valley for forty days. Only one man and one woman survived in a reed boat. When the waters receded, they found themselves surrounded by an immense lake, with the drowned pumas transformed into stone.

Supay is also connected to the journey of the dead through the underworld. According to Andean tradition, the souls of the deceased must cross a river of blood called Yawar Mayu to reach Upay Marca, the land of shadows. A black dog often guides the soul on this journey. Known as Tawa Ñawi, meaning “Four Eyes,” the dog appears to have four eyes because of the distinctive markings above its own eyes. In some traditions, the hair saved during a child’s first haircut was believed to form a bridge that helped the deceased cross the river and continue into the realm of the dead.

Supay represents the darker counterpart to Kawsay, the force of life. In Andean thought, life and death, light and darkness, and other opposing forces are not simply enemies that must destroy one another. Their interaction maintains cosmic balance and allows existence to continue through recurring cycles of destruction and renewal.

Sources

“Supay.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 15, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supay

Spirit of the Cloister Woman

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Tradition: Liechtenstein Mythology
Alternative Names: The Ghost of the Nun
Category: Ghost

The Myth

The Spirit of the Cloister Woman is the ghost of a nun who cannot find peace because she died before revealing where she had hidden a sum of money. She wanders near Triesenberg, waiting for someone who will help her recover the hidden treasure and free her spirit. One day, a farmer accidentally set out to feed his flock at two o’clock in the morning instead of four. Along the way, he encountered an unfamiliar nun who explained her predicament and asked for his help.

The nun told the farmer that he would soon stand before a large rock, where she would appear as a snake with a key hanging around its neck. To release her, he had to take the key from the serpent without being afraid. In return, she promised that he would enjoy good fortune in life and receive a place in heaven. The farmer agreed to help her.

Suddenly, a tremendous rushing and roaring sound filled the air, as though the world were coming to an end. The farmer found himself standing before a great rock, and a snake with its jaws wide open approached him. A key hung from its neck, just as the nun had described. But when the creature came close, the farmer was overcome with fear and jumped aside rather than taking the key.

The snake disappeared, and the nun appeared before him once more, weeping bitterly. She lamented that many years might pass before another person arrived at the right hour, and she could not know whether that person would have the courage to free her. With a sorrowful sigh, the nun vanished, condemned to continue wandering until someone brave enough to take the key finally appeared.

Sources

“Die Klosterfrau.” SAGEN.at – Liechtensteiner Sagen, collected by Otto Seger. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/liechtenstein/seger/klosterfrau.html

Eggapont Mold

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Tradition: Liechtenstein Mythology
Alternative Names: Eggapont’s Ghost
Category: Ghost

The Myth

The Eggapont Mold is the ghost of a miserly and dishonest little man who once lived near Eggapont, a meadow below the weaving mill in Triesen, Liechtenstein. The man was consumed by greed and wanted to possess everything he saw. Nothing was safe from his desire to own more, and one day he stole a white horse despite already having two brown horses in his stable.

After his death, the greedy man was said to haunt the meadow where he had lived. At night, his ghost rides through Eggapont on the stolen white horse, appearing as a spectral horseman. Many residents of Triesen have heard the unmistakable sounds of hooves galloping and the horse neighing in the darkness, even when no living rider could be seen.

Sources

“Der Eggapontschimmel.” SAGEN.at – Liechtensteiner Sagen, collected by Otto Seger. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/liechtenstein/seger/eggapontschimmel.html

Unjust Judge

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Tradition: Liechtenstein Mythology
Alternative Names: The Ghost of the Unjust Judge
Category: Ghost

The Myth

The Unjust Judge is the ghost of a former village headman from Triesen who acquired land through a dishonest exchange. In the past, the people of Triesen owned extensive land on the Swiss side of the Rhine. When the river was to be dammed, men from across the river offered the judge a piece of land in Triesen in exchange for the land across the Rhine. The judge immediately accepted the deal, despite the land belonging to the community. He built a barn on his newly acquired property, but it brought him no good fortune. After several years, he died, and the property passed to his daughter.

One evening, the judge’s daughter drove her healthy cattle into the barn. The following morning, she discovered that the cows were nearly suffocating. The animals were either loose from their chains or tied so tightly that they could barely breathe. She had the barn blessed several times, but the strange disturbances continued. Eventually, the young farmer’s wife summoned a Capuchin friar to investigate.

Inside the stable, the friar encountered the ghost of the deceased judge. He attempted to banish the spirit to the Lawenatobel ravine, but when he arrived there, the ghost had vanished. Returning to the stable, he found the apparition standing by the door. The friar demanded to know why the ghost would not leave the people and their animals in peace. The spirit replied that the time for his redemption had come and demanded that the land be returned to the community or used for good purposes.

The judge’s daughter refused to believe the story and would not surrender the property. From then on, no animals could be kept in the barn. The haunted building, situated between Triesen and Balzers, remained empty, and the ghost continued to be remembered as a warning against unjustly acquiring land that belonged to others.

Sources

“Der Richter.” SAGEN.at – Liechtensteiner Sagen, collected by Otto Seger. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/liechtenstein/seger/richter.html

Shubin

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Tradition: Ukrainian Mythology
Alternative Names: Шубін
Category: Ghost

The Myth

Shubin is a supernatural mining spirit associated with the mines of the Donbas region. He is usually regarded as a guardian of miners, although he can also be wicked and dangerous. According to one legend, Shubin is the ghost of a miner who wanders through the underground tunnels wearing a thick fur coat and carrying a torch. He travels through the darkness of the mines, burning dangerous underground gas and protecting miners from deadly accidents.

Another legend describes Shubin as a cruel mining master who once killed workers underground. After his death, his spirit remained in the mines, haunting the tunnels where he had committed his terrible deeds. Miners tell stories of the spirit’s presence deep below the earth, where darkness and danger surround those who work.

Shubin’s nature is unpredictable. He may protect miners and warn them of danger, but he can also become hostile. His legend has become part of the mining traditions of the Donbas, where tales of the mysterious spirit have been passed down among generations of underground workers.

Sources

“Shubin (ghost).” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 15, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shubin_%28ghost%29

Pandafeca

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Tradition: Italian Mythology
Alternative Names:
Category: Ghost

The Myth

The Pandafeca is a dreamlike supernatural manifestation found in the traditional imagination of Abruzzo, a region of central Italy. It is associated with the mysterious world of dreams and the strange experiences that occur while a person sleeps.

Sources

“Folklore of Italy § Ghosts.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 15, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folklore_of_Italy#Ghosts

Wuetihee

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Tradition: Swiss Mythology
Alternative Names: Wütendes Heer
Category: Ghost

The Myth

The Wuetihee is a haunting spirit associated with a pond in a forest in the Swiss canton of St. Gallen. The pond lies high in the woods and feeds the stream that flows down toward the village. At night, people often hear a piercing, bone-chilling scream coming from the water.

The scream is said to belong to a woman who drowned her own child in the pond. Because of this terrible deed, she was unable to find peace in the grave. Her restless spirit remains bound to the place where the child died, and her horrifying cries disturb the silence of the forest at night.

The legend is also connected to the tradition of the Wütendes Heer, or Wild Hunt, a spectral host that was once associated with the god Wodan. As belief in Wodan faded, stories of the Wild Hunt were sometimes given new and more tangible forms, such as haunting spirits tied to particular places and tragic events.

Sources

“Wuetihee.” SAGEN.at – Traditionelle Sagen aus der Schweiz (St. Gallen). Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/st_gallen/wuetihee.html

Slag Pile Annie

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Tradition: American Mythology
Alternative Names: Annie
Category: Ghost

The Myth

Slag Pile Annie is a ghost said to haunt the former Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation mill in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She appears as a rough-looking woman wearing a red bandana, resembling a steelworker dressed for a hard day’s labour. Her apparition is often seen working or standing alone in remote, difficult-to-reach areas of the mill, where workers might not expect to encounter anyone.

According to the legend, steelworkers sometimes came across Annie while working in dangerous parts of the factory. Believing her to be a living woman, they would warn her about the hazards surrounding her and urge her to be careful. Annie would calmly respond, “I can’t get killed, I’m already dead.” Her chilling reply revealed that the woman they had encountered was not alive, and the apparition became known as Slag Pile Annie.

The legend may have originated from the experiences of women who worked in dangerous jobs in Pittsburgh’s steel mills during the Second World War. Slag Pile Annie remains a ghostly figure associated with the hardships and hazards of industrial labour, appearing among the machinery and slag heaps of a steel mill where workers risked their lives every day.

Sources

“Slag Pile Annie.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 15, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slag_Pile_Annie

Fisher’s Ghost

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Tradition: Australian Mythology
Alternative Names: Fred Fisher’s Ghost
Category: Ghost

The Myth

Fisher’s Ghost is a famous apparition said to have appeared near Campbelltown in New South Wales, Australia. The spirit is that of Frederick Fisher, an English-born farmer who disappeared on 17 June 1826. His friend and neighbour, George Worrall, claimed that Fisher had returned to England and had entrusted him with the management of his property. Worrall later stated that Fisher had written to him, declaring that he would not return and that his farm now belonged to Worrall.

Four months after Fisher’s disappearance, a local man named John Farley rushed into a hotel in an agitated state. He claimed that he had seen Fisher’s ghost sitting on the railing of a nearby bridge. The apparition did not speak or move to approach him, but silently pointed toward a paddock beyond a creek before vanishing. Although Farley’s story was initially dismissed, the mysterious disappearance and suspicious claims surrounding Fisher eventually led the authorities to investigate the location indicated by the ghost.

During the search, Fisher’s remains were discovered buried beside the creek. George Worrall was arrested for the murder, confessed to the crime, and was subsequently hanged. Fisher was buried in the cemetery of St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Campbelltown. The bridge, the paddock, and the silent apparition became inseparable from the legend, and the nearby waterway became known as Fisher’s Ghost Creek.

The story became one of Australia’s best-known ghost legends, inspiring a silent film and an annual festival in Campbelltown. The exact origin of the apparition story remains uncertain, but the legend endures as a tale in which a murdered man’s ghost revealed the location of his own body and helped expose the person responsible for his death.

Sources

“Fisher’s ghost.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 15, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisher%27s_ghost

Catalina Lercaro

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Tradition: Canarian Mythology, Spanish Mythology
Alternative Names: Catherine Lercaro
Category: Ghost

The Myth

Catalina Lercaro is a famous ghost said to haunt the former Lercaro family mansion in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, on the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands. She was a young woman from a wealthy family of Genoese merchants who settled in Tenerife after the Castilian conquest. According to the legend, Catalina was forced into an arranged marriage with an older man who possessed considerable wealth and social standing. She did not love her intended husband and was deeply unhappy with the marriage planned for her.

On the day of her wedding, Catalina is said to have taken her own life by jumping into a pit in the courtyard of her family’s mansion. According to the legend, her death prevented her from receiving a Christian burial in a consecrated cemetery because suicide was considered a sin by the Catholic Church. Her body was supposedly buried in one of the rooms of the mansion instead.

Following Catalina’s death, her family abandoned the city and moved to La Orotava. However, the young woman’s spirit was said to remain behind, haunting the mansion where she had died. Visitors have reportedly seen her apparition wandering through its rooms and corridors, unable to leave the place associated with her tragic fate. The building later became the Museum of the History of Tenerife, and the legend of Catalina Lercaro continues to make it one of the Canary Islands’ best-known haunted locations.

Sources

“Catalina Lercaro.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 15, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalina_Lercaro