1 - Haunted Doll

A popular feature of a haunting is the haunted doll, wherein a spirit - good or bad - attaches itself to these objects in order to get closer to a living person. Some people have a phobia of dolls or simply find them unsettling, with their blank ever-staring eyes or their uncanny resemblance to living people.

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2 - The Banshee

In Irish folklore and superstition, the banshee is a spirit who appears before the death on a family member. Sometimes these spirits are attached to a particular family, especially an old one with a long lineage. They often appear as either an old hag or a beautiful woman with long red hair; whichever guise they assume, they are known to solemnly comb their long hair while letting out blood-curdling wails and screams.

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3 - Black-Eyed Children

These entities seem to be more of an urban legend of recent times, but an unsettling fact remains: throughout the world, tales of these black-eyed children emerge and are seen as demonic omens. Something as innocent as a child with empty black holes for eyes is truly a terrifying image!

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4 - The Night Watchman

In locations that have seen a concentration of trauma and bloodshed - battlefields and forts, for example - there is usually a common sighting of a man with a lantern still doing his nightly rounds. The story attached to these spirits is also a mutual one: they are often a soldier killed suddenly in an attack and is stuck in a residual loop of doing his duty, or simply a ghost of someone who died with unfinished business.

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5 - The Haunted Tree

Some trees have a storied history, be it from an association with faeries, or its use in the past as hanging tree. Whatever the case, trees can be a spooky source for many a ghost story.

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6 - Clown

Though often featuring as jokesters in a circus, one of the most common phobias is that of clowns, known as Coulrophobia . Maybe the feeling of dread stems from the uncanny-valley effect, the same as some get when they see dolls, or maybe it's the stories of real life murderous clowns - either way, some of us really do get an unsettling vibe from clowns!

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7 - The Pooca

The Pooca (or púca) in Irish and Celtic mythology and folklore is a shapeshifting animal spirit, which very often takes the form of a horse. This dubious entity of ill-intent dwells in isolated and uninhabited regions, and is said to lure unwary travellers to bad fortune and, on some occasions, to their demise.

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8 - A Woman in Black

A popular figure in ghost stories, this spirit tends to be - as the title suggests - a woman dressed in black clothes, typically a mourning dress. They are associated with those who have passed away from a broken heart, mourning the loss of a loved one, usually a husband or child. Sometimes, they act as portents of death.

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9 - Hellhound

The hounds of hell come out to collect souls destined for the underworld. They may also be, simply, an omen of death. The ghostly image of a large dog with red eyes features somewhat prominently in old ghost stories found in Britain. 

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10 - The Shadow Man

The phenomenon of the "shadow man" can be found throughout the world in many various cultures, which can make it somewhat more terrifying than a simple piece of folklore from one part of the world! The typical haunters of dark corners in places where dark deeds have occurred, it is debatable whether or not these entities were ever human at one point in time - perhaps they are merely manifestations of the dark energy of a place. They are also often seen by those who suffer from sleep paralysis.

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11 - White Lady

With many hauntings, there is a white lady present. Her story can often be very mysterious or varying, but popular ghost stories tell of an innocent woman who died tragically, by her own hand, murder, or accidentally. Typically a quiet spirit passing through, one may receive only a mere fright from witnessing this unfortunate soul.

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12 - The Reaper

Truly the most famous and popular depiction of death is the Reaper, or Grim Reaper, who often appears as a skeletal figure in rags bearing a scythe, harvesting souls and taking them from the living world to the afterlife.

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13 - Black Cat

A widespread superstition dictates that if a black cat should cross your path, you would be cursed with bad luck; it could even be an omen of death. The black cat is often associated with witches, and was once believed to be an entity capable of shape-shifting.

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14 - Jack-o'-Lantern

A common tradition in many parts of the world is hollowing and carving faces into pumpkins and root vegetables, such as turnips, during Halloween or All Hallows Eve. The traditional purpose of the Jack-o'-Lantern could be two things: either to represent spirits and entities, or to protect ones self or home from evil spirits. Today, the Jack-o'-Lantern is a fun decorative symbol of Halloween that can either be scary or funny!

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