A History of Ghosts

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A History of Ghosts: 6. The Whitewashed Ghost

The Whitewashed Ghost

6. The Whitewashed Ghost

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Kirsty Logan discovers how the history of slavery is whitewashed in ghost stories.

Kirsty Logan discovers how the history of slavery is whitewashed in popular ghost stories, but that a ghost story with truth in the tale could have the power to do real good.

Illustration by Seonaid Mackay

'Ghosts feel hot and smell faintish. Their voices are high and thin. Some ghosts grow very fat if they get plenty to eat. They are very fond of honey. '

If you tour a plantation in the Southern States of the USA, you might hear the tale of a black ghost. Black ghost stories are very popular on tours, generating income not just from tickets, but even from merchandise. You may hear the story Chloe, or Molly, or Virginia. She might be described as a servant (not a slave) who had an affair with (not that she was raped by) the master of the house. Tales of the white owners of historic Southern properties may be linked to real life events, but the stories of the enslaved people have no basis in historical fact. The result, is often a whitewashing of troublesome history, a cover-up of things people in the modern day still do not want to face.

And yet, as Kirsty Logan finds, there is a plethora of under-told black ghost lore, that was rich, complex and vital for the enslaved people who had to endure some of the worst treatment imaginable. Kirsty explores the stories, both the made up and the examples of true folklore, and discovers how a little truth in our tales could have the power to do real good.

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Kirsty Logan explores the evolution of Ghost Lore.

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