Haunted Barrows
Burial mounds, also known as barrows, have always held a mesmerizing allure for people around the world. These structures are not only used for burial purposes, but also for spiritual rituals and as doorways to the afterlife. Barrows are often associated with myths, legends and ghost stories that cause humans to return to them time and time again. Tonight, we’ll explore more about the history of barrows and some of the allegedly haunted ones.
If you are unaware, barrows are man-made mounds of earth used primarily for burial purposes, and, oftentimes, had the secondary use of a ritual or gathering space. They date back all the way to the Neolithic period and are found throughout Western Europe. While originally built to house the dead, these mounds also served as important sites for spiritual rituals. Barrows are often seen as a liminal place, where the boundary between this world and the afterlife is blurred. People believe that the spirits of the dead still roam the area, making barrows a notoriously haunted space.
There are largely two types of barrows that you'll see. First, and the oldest, are the Neolithic "long barrows", like Belas Knap in Glos. Secondly, and cropping up later in history, are round barrows which date from the Bronze Age. Round barrows have more diversity than the long barrows and there are over a dozen different types of round barrows. But, no matter what style, barrows usually consist of a stone box chamber which contains the body, as well as some possessions of the deceased. This chamber was then covered with earth and sometimes used as landmarks.
As mentioned at the start of the blog, barrows were liminal places and, in some cases, seen as magical spaces. In Irish folklore, many believed that you could enter the faerie lands via barrows. But Irish folklore isn't the only folk belief that unites barrows and magical folk. In Finland, Vaki, specifically Kalman Vaki, which is considered a supernatural force, Kalman Vaki were said to sometimes exist inside corpses, graveyards, and, of course, barrows. It is believed people can become negatively infected with it if they fail to perform rituals for the dead properly or disrespect the dead (so, don't go traipsing around Finnish barrows).
Despite the discovery of human remains in many barrows, it would be an over simplification to see them simply as burial houses. As Danny Sullivan, editor of The Ley Hunter writes concerning Long Barrows "It is likely that the latest of them were shrines rather than cemeteries, places from which the bones of ancestors were removed for the rituals of the living."
Some of the most haunted barrows can be found in Gloucestershire, in the southwest corner of Merica. There, three barrows lie along the top of a ridge close to each other. First we find the 5,000 year old Uley Long Barrow which is a multi-chambered burial mound and remains intact all the way today (despite accidental and amateur excavations, grave robbing, and general abuse). The entrance is quite small, but you could probably make it in on your hands and knees. Once through the entrance you can basically stand up and start exploring, and the colossal, ancient slabs still hold the structure up today. The remains of about fifteen people from the neolithic era have been discovered during professional excavations along with personal possessions, like jewelry. However, most of the bones have been reburied in a cemetery in Uley. Some report seeing strange shadows and figures and generally feeling a heavy spiritual presence when exploring the site.
Further down the ridge you find the Nympsfield Long Barrow. However, the top of the mound is open which means the chambers have been open to the elements for quite some time. Although original construction would have included a roof, at some unknown time it collapsed. It's likely similar to Uley, due to some poor excavation work and attempted looting. According to research, it is believed that the site was once the site of a small hospice for lepers. The stones of this structure are said to have a life of their own and people used to report that they would be seen rolling down the hill to the valley at night. Additionally, a local man looted the site and took some of the stone for building material and towed it all the way back after he set it up and was plagued by horrific screams night after night. There have been reports of seeing, down the hillside near the clearing, women in period costume dancing around. They are said to vanish without warning and were reported in the 1970s.
Finally, we arrive at Soldier's Grave, the third mound in the group and in even worse condition than Nympsfield Barrow. This is considered a bowl barrow, but only the walls remain. All of the large stones have disappeared and the roof has been demolished. The grave lies in a more wooded area than anyone else and is also reported to be quite haunted. One of the most common apparitions is when a man holding a sword (or in some reports a club) has been standing in the bowl by people approaching the barrow. However, when people call out to him or get closer he fades away. This mound is the oldest of the three and contains the bones of at least 40 people. Half a mile from Soldier's Grave is the Woodchester Mansion. This infamous half-finished gothic building is believed to be the home of over 100 different spirits...if you believe any of this at all. Is the reason for this horrific haunting due to the neighboring barrow, and the barrows that surround it?
Another allegedly haunted barrow is The West Kennet Long Barrow, situated on a ridge just opposite of Silbury Hill. It's over 300 feet long and 8 feet and, originally, would have been flanked by a ditch on three sides that is about 10 feet deep and 20 feet wide...which is no small feat. It dated all the way back to somewhere between 3700-3600 BC. However, some time between 2500-2200 BC for reasons lost to history the tomb was filled with chalk and soil and its entrance was purposefully sealed with giant sarsen stone.
Were they sealing people out…or something in?
It is believed that during the dawn of the longest day of the year, you can spot the figure of a man dresed in white robes. Some believe he is a ghost of one of those buried within the tomb while others believe perhaps he was a holy man who helped lead rituals at the barrow. Either way, you can spot him standing on top of the mound with a hound that has noticably red ears. The pair will stand silently, as if they are waiting at sunrise. As the sun begins to rise, they turn together to enter the tomb. Several local farmers, always bound to be out and about early, have reported this exact sighting over and over again throughout the years.
Additionally, now that the tomb has been restored and folks have been working on it, both excavating it and restoring it, reports of feelings of immense dread emerged. Some claim even to see the shadows of figures moving and the faint sound of whispered voices, as if the dead may be trying to hide their existence to the living. Or, if you believe any of this at all...perhaps it is the fae.
One of the most infamous stories happened in 1992, when a couple on vacation had an unexplainable experience while they were inside the barrow. While her partner waited outside, a woman entered the barrow and was exploring the interior with interest. Before she could cry out, she was grabbed by unseen hands which she said tried to pull her towards the deepest, darkest part of the chamber. Later when she had caught her breath and rushed outside, she told her partner of what happened. She told her partner it felt like she had been immersed in mud while trying to escape and all of her movements to escape were a huge strain. Although it had only been a few minutes, the time felt much longer to her.
Of course, the haunted folklore surrounding these barrows is not limited to Europe. Egyptian pyramids are also burial mounds, in a way, that have been plagued with ghost stories and hauntings. Many visitors report feeling a presence around the pyramids and even seeing apparitions of pharaohs and other historical figures.
The featured image shows Nympsfield Long Barrow, Coaley Peak, Gloucestershire. It was taken by Mertbiol. This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.
Thanks to Karena for this blogstonishing suggestion!