Cursed Dolls are a handmade or manufactured dolls or stuffed animals that were reported to be cursed or possessed in some way. They are sometimes commonly referred to as "Haunted Dolls".
Overview
The first report of an enchanted doll dates back to ancient Egypt, where enemies of Ramses III attempted to use wax images of her likeness to bring about her death. The dolls used in this ritual are said to live and would curse anyone who gave birth in their likeness. Ancient Egyptian seat dolls, effigies, and voodoo dolls are often said to be cursed due to their long history of being used to place curses on other people and their (negative) association with the occult.
The earliest Cursed Dolls were dolls, effigies, and voodoo objects that were created by primitive peoples for either religious or ceremonial purposes. These traditional objects were later acquired by various civilizations for mystical or occult purposes. In Rome, dolls are very often used in magical rituals to represent a connection to a god or goddess. Egyptian priests and magicians often used poppets or effigies for ceremonial purposes, to free the body from evil or to place curses on those who went against the will of the gods.
Poppets (not to be confused with the doll-like effigies of the same name from The X-Files TV show franchise) have historically been used to place curses on other members of the community for religious or traditional purposes. Some of the earliest effigies were used by African, Native American, and European cultures. The European poppet has its roots in the Germanic and Scandinavian tribes that the former used for ceremonial purposes.
Today, Wiccans have adapted this very practice for their own use. Most Wiccans use a poppet as a symbolic representation of a person. Spells and other actions are performed on the poppet to transfer whatever might be affecting the affected individual from their body into something like a healing ritual. Poppets are also used as kitchen witches.
The Congolese Nkisi statuettes, and the goiter figurines used in the Vodun traditions of Benin and Togo, are traditional effigy-like dolls from West and Central Africa believed by their practitioners to be "spirit-bearing" forces that can also heal or protect". Voodoo dolls are fairly modern novelty items. His concept is believed to be based on the European poppet dolls.
List of Cursed Dolls
- Robert the Doll: Robert is a doll on display at the East Martello Museum in Key West, Florida, United States that was once owned by Key West painter and author Robert Eugene Otto. The doll is alleged to be possessed by spirits.
- Ted the Clown Doll: He is said to be haunted by his owner, and his new owner would say that crying was heard and that it moved, about three feet from where it originally was. Ted’s shoes were worn out and some pictures of him have strange energy around it.
- Caroline: Caroline is said to be a very real haunted doll, she stands 16" 2, and has a Porcelain head. Caroline was originally purchased in a old Salem, Massachusetts Antique shop. The Dolls history is said that she was owned by several people over the years and that each owned her placed their own spirits and love upon her. Some believe that actually 3 different ghost haunt this doll. And that the three distinctive ghosts that are trapped inside her all battle for control over her.
- Annabelle the Doll: Annabelle is a Raggedy Ann doll alleged by Ed and Lorraine Warren to be haunted and displayed in The Warren's Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut, the United States. The doll served as the inspiration for the films The Conjuring and Annabelle.
- Harold the Haunted Doll: This doll was offered on Ebay, the infamous "Haunted Harold" doll seems from the story it moves and voices are heard coming from it. It looks very much like many of my own dolls, it is composition, probably made in the 1930s, and there was a brief film where it does apear to move slightly but it seems to have disappeared off the internet like a ghost. When he was first listed, the claims made by Greg, the seller were so outlandish that Harold was discussed on Art Bell's Coast to Coast radio show, and paranormal websites were discussing this doll around the world.
- Mandy: Made in England or Germany between 1910 and 1920, Mandy is a porcelain baby doll donated to the Quesnel Museum in British Columbia in 1991. Mandy is also said to have supernatural powers. It is claimed that Mandy's eyes follow visitors as they walk in the room. The doll gained notoriety when it appeared alongside the curator and donor of the doll on the Montel Williams Show.
- Okiku: According to modern Japanese folklore, in 1918, a teenager named Eikichi Suzuki purchased a large doll from Hokkaido for his younger sister, Okiku, who gave the doll her name. When Okiku died, her family came to believe that Okiku's spirit was inhabiting the doll and the hair on the doll was growing. The doll resides in Mannenji Temple in Hokkaido, where it is claimed that a priest regularly trims Okiku's still-growing hair.
- Pupa: According to stories published on the internet, Pupa is a doll said to "contain the spirit" of a dead Italian girl.
- Pulau Ubin Barbie: According to an old Singapore legend, Pulau Ubin Barbie is a Barbie doll displayed in a memorial temple that is said to have supernatural powers.
- Letta: Kerry Walton, of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia has appeared on a number of television programs with a doll he claims to have found while visiting an abandoned building in 1972 in Wagga Wagga, Australia. According to Walton, he named the doll "Letta Me Out" because of its supposedly supernatural characteristics. Kerry claims that people have seen the doll move in front of them, and that the doll has left visible scuff marks around the house. Currently, Letta Me Out is owned by Kerry in Warwick, Queensland.
- Devil's Baby Doll: This life sized Red Devil Baby Doll is a scary thing to view or have around. With red leather skin and intense blue hot glass eyes. His cuteness is over shadowed by the real haunted evil that is said to hide inside. Given to a California Paranormal investigator Mike Perez to figure out his rhyme and reason this doll is no child's plaything by any means. Originally purchased as a haunted curio gift from a Leather maker this haunted doll is said to have moves on it's own and often heard to make strange growling and gurgling noises. Upon investigating it's origin the artist Rafael who made it told Mike that the doll was made for a close friend that had died. The devil baby even went to this persons funeral. The intention was to place it into the coffin to be cremated with the deceased but his family objected. And after that the doll started to take on a haunted life of it's own. The artist believes that it is inhabited by his friends soul. He told Mike he heard it speak to him in his friends voice, and he had witnessed it turning it's head. The artist made the doll after learning from his friend about the Devil Baby of Hull House and The Devil Baby of Bourbon Street. As it was completed the friend died and never got to see it. The artist knew how much he wanted it and could not wait for it's completion so he decided to give it to him at his funeral.
- Alice:Alice the Haunted Doll lives With its owner Marie Ford in Washington state. This very haunted Doll doll is said to whispers in a ghostly voice if you press your ears close to her porcelain lips, says Marie. Her eyes will follow you around the room and her expression will change if she does not like you . "This Doll has been in my family for years it was always kept in a locked doll case." "My grandmother said it was possessed by the spirit of her" Best friend" Alice who died". " I have captured many Haunted Doll EVP's from her and the most common statement she makes is , " I want to be left alone to suffer.".
- Emilia: This over 100 year old Haunted Doll came originally from one of the royal guards to King Umberto I. Umberto I, King of Italy or Humbert I of Italy (Umberto Ranieri Carlo Emanuele Giovanni Maria Ferdinando Eugenio di Savoy), (14 March 1844 – 29 July 1900) was the King of Italy from 9 January 1878 until his death. He was deeply loathed in left-wing circles, especially among anarchists, because of his hard-line conservatism and support of the Bava Beccaris massacre in Milan. He was killed by anarchist Gaetano Bresci one year after the incident. He was the only King of Italy to be assassinated. This doll was said to be given to Ulvado Bellina one of his most trusted and respected friends and personal Captain of the Royal Guard who was also assassinated. Emilia was gift to Ulvado's daughter Marie from Humbert I. The doll survived WW I and WW II only losing both her arms and scalp in the second war to a bomb on a train to Udine, Italy. Because she was a prized gift To Marie Bellina from the king no matter what condition she was in the doll was rescued from the rubble. And from that day on she was haunted by the soul of the woman who died trying to rescue her self and the doll for Marie as they fled the explosion. Emilia the Haunted Doll is said to open and close her eyes, and her sound box is still heard at times in the darkness of the night crying for it's mama. Though her original voice box no longer works. Marie loved this doll so much she even named her daughter Emilia.
- Amanda: Amanda the real haunted doll now lives unhappily in Atlanta, Georgia. She has moved around quite a lot since originally being a haunted doll sold on eBay over 3 years ago. This haunted doll is not a child's toy or a cuddly plaything you would want for your child says Atlanta Paranormal Investigator Reggie Jacobs. The doll has passed through many peoples lives and all say this is the real haunted doll of all haunted dolls. Bisque-headed dolls such as this one were favorite playthings in years gone by, but today they may be too valuable to play with or too, too haunted. This particular haunted doll's face was designed by Heinrich Handwerck, but since 1885 the bisque heads used on their creations have been made by the famous Simon & Halbig Company of Grafenhain, Thuringia, Germany, which was founded in 1869. Many of the heads found on Heinrich Handwerck dolls actually bear the "Simon Halbig" name impressed into the porcelain, but this particular example does not. Amanda's recent life can originally be traced back to Ebay but no further then that. Since she was sold 3 years ago she has been bought sold traded and given away more times then can be counted on two hands. The ghost that is said to possess her is very active if she does not like you . If she is happy then she just sits there staring into space. But when she is ready to move on she begins to wreck havoc in the home she resides in until she is once again sent on her way. Amanda has been known to move on her own and often heard scratching on the glass class she is now housed in. Others have told of bad luck associated once the doll came into their lives. One owner told the story of how the doll seemed to be often moved to different places in her home though she lived alone.
- Bebe: Bebé is a very haunted doll says Paranormal investigator and real Haunted Doll collector Janice Poole. Poole has a vast collection of over 25 real haunted dolls that she purchased through ebay.com and a few were given to her by people that just knew in their hearts that their old doll was haunted. Poole's Southern California home wasn't haunted until the dolls moved in she says. Poole plans to take her collection on the road to several haunted confrences and conventions and display them for all to see or consider investigating. "Bebé will be the star of the show," Poole says, " This doll will show the world what a real haunted doll is." "Bebé this rare Ebay find is "the most haunted doll in the world and I have plans to prove it!" Says Poole.
- Chrystal, Monika, Sharla, True, Isaac, Lilly, Cameron and Ashley: The group of dolls were purchased by a couple who research paranormal activity. A video feed was set up to monitor the dolls and there have been sighting caught on tape that are difficult to explain. Although they don’t seem to be very active, in 2009 the camera witnessed a strange occurrence when an apparition of what appears to be a little boy revealed itself at the bottom of their steps.
- Joliet: Joliet, "The Real Haunted Doll", might just be haunted and cursed! The story of Joliet itself seems to reach back over 4 generations. Anna G. Says this cursed doll was passed down from mother to daughter in her family. And each daughter was cursed to have two children a son and a daughter and each son died at 3 days old. The family believes that each spirit of the boy children is cursed to inhabit the doll until Judgment Day. Joliet is said to be heard crying in the night with the voices of several infants at once. Often is heard a piercing scream that sends chills down the spine of any mother," it can be heard quite clearly ", says Anna. "I lost my only son at three days old from mysterious circumstance in the hospital. " My Mother lost a Son the same way as did my Grandmother and Great Grandmother." " As I have been told by my mother the cursed Doll was given to my Great Grand mother by a jealous friend for my Grandmother as a toy when she was pregnant with her second child a son who also died at three days old." Each of us in my family have loved the doll and cared for our lost children to this day." My only daughter will do the same one day when she is older." "We have not tried to get rid of it because we know the souls of our lost sons or trapped inside and do not want them to come to any harm." : It is a haunted curse that my family bares." " I have consulted Mediums, Psychics, Paranormal investigators and the clergy." They all say I'm crazy." "But I know what I feel and know is true to me!".