Misplaced Pages

Haunted house: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editNext edit →Content deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 00:32, 16 January 2006 editMark272 (talk | contribs)4,361 editsmNo edit summary← Previous edit Revision as of 17:04, 3 February 2006 edit undoWalloon (talk | contribs)Pending changes reviewers14,331 edits Added bibliographyNext edit →
Line 5: Line 5:
The actual structure can be anything from a decaying European feudal ] to a newly occupied ]an ] ] of fairly recent construction, though many ]s and ] ]s prefer that the architecture be from the ] or earlier. The key feature of a haunted house, however, is the presence of one or more ]s, often due to a ] or other tragic ] having occurred on the property, or to an owner of the house elsewhere, at some time in the past. The actual structure can be anything from a decaying European feudal ] to a newly occupied ]an ] ] of fairly recent construction, though many ]s and ] ]s prefer that the architecture be from the ] or earlier. The key feature of a haunted house, however, is the presence of one or more ]s, often due to a ] or other tragic ] having occurred on the property, or to an owner of the house elsewhere, at some time in the past.


Many stories and ]s about haunted houses have a basis in reported experience, and authors from ] to ] have featured them in their writings. ]s about haunted houses have long appeared in literature. Roman authors ], ], and ] wrote stories about haunted houses, and more modern authors from ] to ] have featured them in their writings.


A popular ] at ] ]s, ], references many of the ]s associated with haunted houses. A popular ] at ] ]s, ], references many of the ]s associated with haunted houses.


In ], an event open to the public which simulates the experience of visiting a haunted house is itself called a '''haunted house'''. These events are commonly held in the ], most frequently late in the month of ], as a ] activity. Notwithstanding the name, such events are not necessarily held in houses, nor are the edifices themselves necessarily regarded to possess actual ghosts. A ] is a similar frightening attraction put on by members of ] churches during the Halloween season, meant to depict the sufferings of the ] in ], though these are not common. In ], an event open to the public which simulates the experience of visiting a haunted house is itself called a '''haunted house'''. These events are commonly held in the ], most frequently late in the month of ], as a ] activity. Notwithstanding the name, such events are not necessarily held in houses, nor are the edifices themselves necessarily regarded to possess actual ghosts. A ] is a similar frightening attraction put on by members of ] churches during the Halloween season, meant to depict the sufferings of the ] in ], though these are not common.


== See also == == See also ==
Line 18: Line 18:
* ] * ]
* ] * ]

==Further reading==
*D. Felton, ''Haunted Greece and Rome: Ghost Stories from Classical Antiquity''. University of Texas Press, 1998. ISBN 0292725086



==External links== ==External links==

Revision as of 17:04, 3 February 2006

For the video games, see Haunted House (video game) or Haunted House (pinball).

A haunted house is a building that supposedly is a centre for supernatural occurrences or paranormal phenomena. Ostensibly it may be populated by ghosts, ghouls, witches, poltergeists, or even demons. It commonly serves as a plot device in horror fiction or, more lately, paranormal-based fiction.

The actual structure can be anything from a decaying European feudal castle to a newly occupied suburban ranch house of fairly recent construction, though many authors and movie directors prefer that the architecture be from the 1900s or earlier. The key feature of a haunted house, however, is the presence of one or more ghosts, often due to a murder or other tragic death having occurred on the property, or to an owner of the house elsewhere, at some time in the past.

Legends about haunted houses have long appeared in literature. Roman authors Plautus, Pliny, and Lucian wrote stories about haunted houses, and more modern authors from William Shakespeare to Stephen King have featured them in their writings.

A popular dark ride at Disney theme parks, The Haunted Mansion, references many of the stereotypes associated with haunted houses.

In North America, an event open to the public which simulates the experience of visiting a haunted house is itself called a haunted house. These events are commonly held in the autumn, most frequently late in the month of October, as a Halloween activity. Notwithstanding the name, such events are not necessarily held in houses, nor are the edifices themselves necessarily regarded to possess actual ghosts. A Hell house is a similar frightening attraction put on by members of evangelical churches during the Halloween season, meant to depict the sufferings of the damned in Hell, though these are not common.

See also

Further reading

  • D. Felton, Haunted Greece and Rome: Ghost Stories from Classical Antiquity. University of Texas Press, 1998. ISBN 0292725086


External links

Category: