The next tale in my countdown of the Top 40 ghost stories for the first half of the nineteenth century is an anonymous story titled The Legend of Marseilles. This scary ghost story was first published in 1826 and was subsequently reprinted in a number of ghost anthologies. Without giving away too much, let's suffice it say that it proves not knowing when you are going to die is best.
I place The Death's Head in spot 33 of my countdown of the Top 40 ghost stories for the first half of the nineteenth century. Published anonymously in 1827, "The Death's Head"--this particular "species of phantasmagoria"--is perhaps the first short story that contains a talking skull. It also the only scary story in this countdown that involves ventriloquy. The scene where spirits are conjured is heart pounding horrific. I hope you enjoy it.
Some of the scariest ghost stories are found at sea and the 36th best ghost story of 1800-1849 is no different. The Strange Sail is its title and it is very strange indeed. In the first paragraph readers are greeted with a wave crashing over the deck of the ship and it only gets scarier from there. When a white sail is seen during the storm, the sailors witness something supernatural that they will never forget. "The Strange Sail" was published anonymously in Atkinson's Casket of1839. It is one of best ghost stories of the sea during the first half of the nineteenth century. I hope you enjoy it along with the rest of my countdown of the Top 40 ghost stories from 1800-1849.
Let's get on with my countdown of the Top 40 best ghost stories published in the English language from 1800-1849. I am still early in the countdown, but some solid ghost stories have already made the list. The classic ghost story filling slot 38 is no exception. As you know from my last post it was published anonymously. If you like ghost stories on the sea, this is the ghost tale for you. Without giving any too much of the story, it centers around The Flying Dutchman--the infamous ghost ship that is doomed to continually round the Cape of Good Hope in a storm with Vanderdecken as its captain. I found the story in the May 1821 issue of Blackwood's. The awkward title of the story (Vanderdecken's Message Home; or, the Tenacity of Natural Affection) does not diminish the strong storyline and "creep factor." It is perhaps the first ghost story that focuses on the futility of the dead when trying to contact the living and deserves to be remembered. As late as 1860 horror author brothers, William and Robert Chambers, included this story in their collection titled: Shipwrecks and Tales of the Sea. Enjoy!
Just like the like the author for the 40th best ghost story of 1800-1849, the next author is anonymous. I found a number of these stories in various magazines and periodicals of the day. This one comes from the Literary Magnet and I will post a free link to it in my next post. For now, enjoy the creepy illustration I found from the same time period.
