Features
* Poltergeist: An invisible and mischievous ghost that makes its presence
known with noises, wrappings, and quick manifestations of psychic energy
such as movements of objects.
* Spook: From the Dutch, synonymous with the word “ghost”.
* Wraith: From uncertain origin. This is another word for ghost that bears
many contradictory definitions from “guardian” to “omen of death".
Regardless of what we call them, ghosts have been studied, written about
and recorded for decades (even centuries).
One of the first "haunted house" stories ever recorded came from Pliny the
Younger. He described a house in which the apparition of an old man,
emaciated, bearded, and burdened with heavy chains plagues the inhabitants
therein. Those who bought or rented the house became so frightened, they
evacuated the property. Finally, a philosopher, who was identified as
Athendorus, took up residence there. Familiar with tales of the ghost,
Athendorus decided to immerse himself in his writing, in the hopes of
distracting himself when the ghost appeared. However, the sound of the
rattling chains and moaning becomes so dreadfully loud and terrifying that
Athendorus could no longer take it. He followed the ghost to a spot outside
the house, whereupon the figure disappeared. Athendorus marked the spot
with grass and leaves and in the morning ordered the spot to be dug up. The
excavation produced the corpse of a man wrapped in heavy chains.
Athendorus promptly ordered a proper burial for the man, and his ghost was
never seen in the house again.