Monday, March 6, 2023

Hexeglaawe: The Mummy Ghost

Perhaps the strangest tale we researched for our Hexeglaawe Folklore Series was that of a mummified ghost haunting Chickies Rock.  According to the story, it was 1946 and a group of friends were enjoying the beautiful view from an overlook high above the Susquehanna River.  At some point, they realized they had forgotten to bring water, so a few of them left to retrieve it.  It was then that they saw a terrifying creature.  Described as having no visible arms or legs and being wrapped in old, tattered bandages, the entity towered above them at a reported height of sixteen feet.  As if the description above wasn't peculiar enough, they mentioned that six knives were protruding from the creature's head.

We scaled the rocky terrain of Chickies Rock again in the hopes of seeing such a monster, imagining what it must have been like all those decades ago.  As we looked out over the winding river from those quartz-filled cliffs, the cold biting wind was impressive through the leafless trees, and it forced us to cut the expedition short.  As we headed for the car, we hoped to be startled by the towering Mummy Ghost.  Except for the creaking trees swaying in the heavy wind, we heard and saw nothing.

We ducked into a local tavern to warm up and had a very interesting conversation with an elderly man sitting at the end of the bar.  We told him we were researching the Legend of the Mummy Ghost and he was quite delighted to set us straight.  He told us the name of the initial witness:  Harriet Horn.  He then said, "They weren't knives.  They were arrows." and added "And they weren't in its head."

He then reached into his wallet and revealed the below photograph.



18 comments:

Revenant Manor said...


Another excellent entry in the Hexeglaawe series, and a wonderful image to get the imagination going. (What's the origin? How long has it wandered? Guardian or menace?)

Also, more new rabbit trails to explore, and I'm starting with the Susquehannock...

Rot said...

Thank you! Still amazed at the volume of cryptids and paranormal activity that supposedly reside in this relatively small area.

Willow Cove said...

What a story!
And what a Ghost! ;)

Rot said...

Haha thank you!

Scarecrow Atelier said...

Wren and you really put a hell of a lot of time and effort into this. It is more than fascinating how many different myths, superstitions and old spiritual stories you have. Something like this must not be lost and thanks to you both it is coming back into people's heads. Great. Something like that should be taught in school. As a way of preserving tradition and customs. And the fact that the right actors were built for each story is the best thing for me anyway. You two are really fantastic.

Rot said...

Thanks, man. You're the best.

Wren said...

Immensely kind guys, thanks!!

Willow Cove said...

Well said, Wren ;)

Wren said...

😂

olesamhain said...

This photo is beautiful, and I love the backstory. All of it hits close to home!

Rot said...

We will probably bump into you at some point!

MR. Macabre said...

Very cool.

Tjalgahorn said...

What a creepy sight to imagine. I always thought arrows were one of the more gruesome weapons in horror movies; seeing them stick out of a body in all sorts of directions. Awesome work.
And I agree with SA, this work is IMPORTANT! Keep these old ghost stories alive!

Rot said...

Thanks so much, man!

Damian Michael AKA HalloweeNut said...

A short piece of folk tale, yet it leaves an impression. Of corpse, that eerie image certainly helps...

Rot said...

Thanks!

DryRotAZ said...

Would LOVE to see more of this ghost!

Rot said...

Thanks!