Every object has its own destiny that can sometimes be very mysterious and even evil. Some things are followed by a trail of unexplained events throughout the years.
We at Bright Side gathered 13 scary objects that people say are cursed and tried to give a rational explanation to the events connected with them.
The Mermaids by Ivan Kramskoi
© Ivan Kramskoj/wikimedia © Ivan Kramskoj/wikimedia
Russian artist Ivan Kramskoi knew that, according to Slavic mythology, mermaids were the spirits of drowned maidens. However, the artist didn’t believe in supernatural spirits.
The Moscow merchant Tretyakov bought the painting and put it on display in his gallery. On the first night, Alexei Savrasov’s painting The Rooks Have Come Back fell down. Many people believed it happened because The Mermaids was placed next to it. Cleaning ladies got scared when they looked at it in the evenings.
Explanation: The artist brilliantly created the eerie atmosphere that seems to inspire superstitious fear.
Koh-i-Noor
© AFP/EAST NEWS © Jayant Shaw/reuters
One of the most famous and legendary diamonds in the world was owned by Turco-Mongol warlords, Persians, and Indian rajas. The history of the diamond is accompanied by many deaths — it brings its bad luck mainly to men.
Now the diamond is set in the front of the Queen Mother’s Crown. Some people seem to believe that the diamond may be the reason the English throne belongs mainly to women.
Explanation: We can’t really blame the diamond here. It’s probably all the greedy people who wanted to own the diamond.
"Little Bastard" sports car
© Jeremy Noble from St. Paul, United States/.wikimedia © Archivio GBB / CONTRASTO/East News
This Porsche 550 Spyder, also called "Little Bastard," is a sports car that acquired the reputation of a serial killer. First, the actor James Dean crashed at a road junction in it, and then mysterious deaths happened to everyone who owned the car or a part of it.
One day, after an exhibition, the car disappeared, and no one knows where it may be now. Maybe looking for another unfortunate owner?
Explanation: There isn’t one, and it sounds spooky. Maybe the car enthusiasts are right when they say every car has its own character.
Ötzi the Iceman
© EAST NEWS/FOTOLINK © 120/wikipedia
Ötzi is the oldest mummy (approximately 5,000 years old) found in Europe. It was so well preserved in the Ötztal Alps that it gave scientists an opportunity to conduct thorough research. However, several of them died soon after the discovery, often in violent accidents.
Explanation: Some people say that the mummy cursed the scientists who made the discovery. However, 7 deaths might be called an accident because there were hundreds of researchers who worked with the mummy.
Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s painting The Adoration of the Kings
© Pieter Breugel/wikimedia © Dominique Lampsonius/wikimedia
Many mysterious legends are inseparably linked to the famous painting. Women in every family that owned the painting couldn’t give birth to a baby. The painting was sold more than 4 times and finally ended up in a family that already had many children, and they weren’t afraid of the curse.
Explanation: The Catholics were very skeptical about the painting because it carried quite an ironic attitude toward religious topics. This may be why a lot of bad rumors appeared.
The mirror of Myrtles Plantation
© Shanna Riley/flickr © BetacommandBot/wikimedia
Myrtles Plantation is believed to be one of the most haunted places in the US. It was built on Indian burial grounds. According to the legend, there is a mirror in the house that contains human souls inside of it. The photographs that tourists take have lurking figures in them.
Explanation: Haunted houses are a great attraction for tourists, but who knows what might have happened here?
The cursed rocks
© StockSnap/pixabay © Wmpearl/wikimedia © Corey Leopold/wikimedia
Uluru is a mysterious red mountain in Australia, also known as a place of great spiritual significance. The legend claims that the mountain holds the spirits of dead aboriginal people.
Despite the warnings of the locals, tourists like to take away little rocks as souvenirs. Some people have returned the rocks because of the misfortunes that the mountain spirit brings.
Explanation: It sounds more like a self-reinforcing delusion. Although, the history of Uluru is full of secrets.
© reddit
There’s also another natural phenomenon that seems to be a source of bad luck in Australia. The desert Bloodwood releases a crimson sap that looks like human blood. The remains of the cut trees attract tourists’ attention, and they take away pieces of the trees. The innocent souvenir brings bad luck, and many owners return the pieces of the tree with an apology letter.
Telephone number
© Wild0ne/pixabay
Another curious story happened in Bulgaria: the phone number 0888 888 888 was owned by 3 different people in 10 years. Each sudden change of owner was caused by the sudden death of the previous one.
Explanation: Most likely, it’s a matter of mere coincidence. However, the Bulgarian mobile network operator suspended the number, and now no one owns it.
Annabelle the possessed doll
© Instagram/East News
The Warren’s Occult Museum has a very special item on display that is kept in a special cabinet with the sign "Warning, positively do not open." It is Annabelle. According to the legend, the doll changes its position when left alone and does other bad activities. They say the Warrens performed an exorcism on the doll.
Explanation: There’s no common opinion on this matter. Some people believe that the whole story about the doll is a fraud created by the Warrens to attract tourists.
© The Sun © One Can Speak / reddit
The story of Annabelle inspired different Hollywood directors. And those of you who like to hit the nerves in the evening will enjoy the movies Annabelle (2014) and Annabelle: Creation (2017). The story of how the Warrens got Annabelle for their museum was shown in The Conjuring (2013).
Black Orlov or the Eye of Brahma Diamond
© wikipedia © ASSOCIATED PRESS/FOTOLINK
Another mysterious diamond was originally put in one of the eyes of a statue of the Hindu god Brahma. The statue was placed in an old Indian temple. After the diamond was stolen by the Europeans, its new owners suffered from many misfortunes. The diamond belonged to many people in many countries and brought bad luck to all of them.
Explanation: From ancient times, diamonds were considered to be more than just beautiful stones. They carry very powerful energy, but scientists are very skeptical about it.
The cursed tomb of Tutankhamun
© Sriom/pixabay © EAST NEWS
In 1922, King Tut’s tomb was opened by Howard Carter. During the next 8 years, at least 11 people linked to the discovery died. These deaths gave birth to the myth about the curse of the pharaoh.
Explanation: Some scientists say that the reason might be the ancient toxic pathogens from the sealed tomb. Or just mere coincidence.
Dybbuk Box
© Ephraim Moses Lilien/wikipedia © Marika Martinelli16/wikipedia © Marika Martinelli16/wikipedia
People say it’s the evilest cursed thing in the world. Kevin Mannis, the antique enthusiast, bought the box from an old lady. The legend claims that there’s a malicious spirit trapped inside the box. Mannis auctioned the box to the owner of the Haunted Museum, Zak Bagans.
Explanation: It’s a very good advertisement for the museum. That’s the only explanation for now.
The Rokeby Venus by Diego Velázquez
© Diego Velázquez/wikimedia © Diego Velázquez/wikimedia
This famous Velázquez painting causes a feeling of unease among many viewers. The painting was once cut by a scared suffragist in the museum. It was fixed and put on display in The National Gallery in London.
Explanation: The reflection in the mirror in the painting creates the feeling that there’s an old woman in it rather than a young girl. Plus, the orientation of the mirror is wrong — she wouldn’t be able to see herself. There’s a strong debate as to whether the artist intentionally created this effect or not.
Bonus: "The living stones"
© Arvid Puschnig, Scientific American
This, in fact, is not a stone but a nonmoving marine creature known as a sea squirt. Wouldn’t you be scared to death if you saw this thing while walking on the beach? Sometimes a curse isn’t necessary — living objects can freak you out as well.
