#the bell witch haunting

[dailyunsolvedmysteries]

The Bell Witch Haunting

In the early 1800s, John Bell moved his family from North Carolina to the Red River bottomland in Robertson County, Tennessee, settling in the Red River community, which later became the present-day Adams, Tennessee.  Bell purchased some land and a large house for his family. 

One day in 1817, John Bell was inspecting his corn field when he encountered a strange-looking animal sitting in the middle of a corn row. Shocked by the appearance of this animal, which had the body of a dog and the head of a rabbit, Bell shot several times. The animal vanished. This was the first documented manifestation of the entity. Bell thought nothing more of the incident, at least not until after dinner. That evening, the family began hearing "beating" sounds on the outside walls of their log home.

The mysterious sounds continued with increased frequency and force each night. Bell and his sons often hurried outside to catch the culprit but always returned empty-handed.  In the weeks that followed, the Bell children began waking up frightened, complaining that rats were gnawing at their bedposts. Not long after that, the children began complaining of having having their bed covers pulled from them and their pillows tossed onto the floor by a seemingly invisible entity.

As time went on, the Bells began hearing faint, whispering voices, which too weak to understand but sounded like a feeble old woman singing hymns. The encounters escalated, and the Bells’ youngest daughter, Betsy Bell, began experiencing brutal encounters with the invisible entity. It would pull her hair and slap her relentlessly, often leaving welts and hand prints on her face and body.  The disturbances, about which John Bell had vowed his family to secret, finally escalated to the point that he shared his "family trouble" with his closest friend and neighbor, James Johnston.

Sceptical at first, Johnston and his wife spent the night at the Bell home. Things began peacefully, but once they retired for the evening, they were subjected to the same terrifying disturbances that the Bells had been experiencing. After their bedcovers were yanked off and James was slapped, he sprang out of bed, exclaiming, "In the name of the Lord, who are you and what do you want!" The entity did not respond; the rest of the night was peaceful. The next morning, Mr. Johnston explained to the Bells that the culprit was likely an "evil spirit, the kind that the Bible talks about." The entity's voice strengthened over time and became loud and unmistakable. It sang hymns, quoted scripture, carried on intelligent conversation, and once even quoted, word-for-word, two sermons that were preached at the same time on the same day, thirteen miles apart. 

The spirit grew stronger and more aggressive over time, particularly picking on John Bell claiming to want to kill him. Bell had been experiencing episodes of twitching in his face and difficulty swallowing for almost a year, and the malady grew worse with time. By the fall of 1820, his declining health had confined him to the house, where the malicious entity continuously removed his shoes when he tried to walk, and slapped his face when he recovered from his numerous seizures. Her shrill voice was heard all over the farm, cursing and chastising "Old Jack Bell," the nickname she had given him. John Bell breathed his last breath on the morning of December 20, 1820, after slipping into a coma a day earlier. Immediately after his death, his family found a vial of strange black liquid in the cupboard. John, Jr. sprinkled two drops on the cat's tongue. The cat jumped up into the air, rolled over in mid air, and was dead when it hit the floor. The entity then exclaimed, "I gave Ol' Jack a big dose of that last night, which fixed him!" John, Jr. tossed the mysterious vial into the fireplace. It burst into a bright blue flame and shot up the chimney.

John Bell's funeral was one of the largest ever held in Robertson County, Tennessee. People attended from miles away, and three preachers (two Methodist, and one Baptist) eulogized him. As the crowd of mourners began leaving the graveyard, the Bell Witch entity laughed and sang a song about a bottle of brandy. Her fervent singing didn't stop until the last mourner had left the graveyard. The entity's presence was almost non-existent after John Bell's demise, as though it had fulfilled its purpose.

[sparklymentalitypanda]

The GHOST Finally Made Good on Her DEADLY Promise | The Bell Witch

A family is terrorized by a spirit in their home. Not only do they hear strange noises, but they are also physically attacked. They do everything they can to find peace, but nothing could prepare them for how things would come to a tragic end.

Let's watch the entire video and learn about The GHOST Finally Made Good on Her DEADLY Promise | The Bell Witch. In this video, we are taking a look at the journey through the terrible tale of the Bell Witch haunting.

In this spine-tingling story, we explore the unsettling experiences of a family whose home becomes a battleground against an unseen entity. From unexplained phenomena to tragic consequences, the mysteries surrounding this haunting will leave you questioning the boundaries between the living and the dead.

As we unravel the secrets of the Bell Witch, we confront themes of belief in the paranormal, the fragility of home, and the consequences of disturbing the resting places of the departed. Through meticulous research and a cinematic narrative style, I bring this haunting tale to life, inviting you to ponder the existence of ghosts and the consequences of inviting spirits into our lives.

We can also explore the history, examining the doubts and uncertainties surrounding this infamous case. From the questionable involvement of General Jackson to the eerie prophecies of the witch herself, every detail adds another layer to the chilling mystery.

So, grab your headphones, brace yourself for the unknown, and let's uncover the truth behind the Bell Witch haunting together. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and stay tuned for more scary stories on my channel. Until next time, stay safe, and may peace be with you.

Let's Connect!

[ronda1466]

The GHOST Finally Made Good on Her DEADLY Promise | The Bell Witch

A family is terrorized by a spirit in their home. Not only do they hear strange noises, but they are also physically attacked. They do everything they can to find peace, but nothing could prepare them for how things would come to a tragic end. Let's watch the entire video and learn about The GHOST Finally Made Good on Her DEADLY Promise | The Bell Witch.

In this video, we are taking a look at the journey through the terrible tale of the Bell Witch haunting. In this spine-tingling story, we explore the unsettling experiences of a family whose home becomes a battleground against an unseen entity.

From unexplained phenomena to tragic consequences, the mysteries surrounding this haunting will leave you questioning the boundaries between the living and the dead. As we unravel the secrets of the Bell Witch, we confront themes of belief in the paranormal, the fragility of home, and the consequences of disturbing the resting places of the departed. Through meticulous research and a cinematic narrative style, I bring this haunting tale to life, inviting you to ponder the existence of ghosts and the consequences of inviting spirits into our lives.

We can also explore the history, examining the doubts and uncertainties surrounding this infamous case. From the questionable involvement of General Jackson to the eerie prophecies of the witch herself, every detail adds another layer to the chilling mystery.

So, grab your headphones, brace yourself for the unknown, and let's uncover the truth behind the Bell Witch haunting together. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and stay tuned for more scary stories on my channel. Until next time, stay safe, and may peace be with you.

Let's Connect!

[connectparanormal]

Bell Witch: America’s Most Captivating Ghost Story

Another look at the famous Bell Witch case including more details on Andrew Jackson encountering the Bell Witch.

From the essay:

The Bell Witch legend, emerging in early 19th century Tennessee, entails the haunting of the Bell family over four years. Mysterious phenomena included strange noises and object throwing, primarily affecting patriarch John Bell and his daughter Betsy. The tale reflects a blend of folklore and local customs, influencing American culture and tourism.

[archivist-crow]

The Bell Witch - Part 1 of 4

The famous pre-American Civil War haunting of the Bell Witch involved poltergeist phenomena and spectral creatures, and, according to legend, tormented one man to death. The haunting excited the curiosity of many people, including General Andrew Jackson. The story exists in several versions, three of which are presented here. The first is probably closest to the true anecdote, as it allegedly is based on the diary of one of the Bell sons, Richard Williams Bell. The third version has a modern sequel. The different versions demonstrate how stories change in retelling.

Legend 1:

John Bell was a prosperous farmer who owned 1,000 acres near Adams, Tennessee. He had a beautiful wife, Lucy, and eight children. They were all devout Baptists and model citizens, In 1817, their lives inexplicably were turned upside down. The first signs were spectral creatures witnessed by Bell. One was a large, doglike thing that vanished when Bell fired upon it with his shotgun. The other was a large, turkeylike bird.

Following the appearances of the creatures, the home was plagued with knockings, rapping, and scrapings on the outside doors and windows. Sounds that resembled giant rats gnawing the bedposts and giant dogs clawing the floor were heard. These phenomena went on for about a year, and then covers began to be pulled off beds and invisible hands slapped faces and pulled hair. Particularly tormented was the Bells' 12-year-old daughter, Betsy, who was slapped, pinched, bruised and stuck with pins. Betsy was so afflicted that at first the family suspected her of perpetrating a trick on everyone else.

At first Bell was determined to keep the haunting a secret, but it became intolerable for the family. Bell at last confided in a neighbor, James Johnson, who discovered the offending spirit seemed to be intelligent, for it would temporarily desist when beseeched in the name of the Lord. Johnson advised forming an investigatory committee. With that, word went out, and the Bell home became the object of great curiosity.

The spirit began to whistle and then to speak. It gave various identities. It said it was "a Spirit from everywhere, Heaven, Hell, the Earth. I'm in the air, in houses, any place at any time. I've been created millions of years. That is all I will tell you." On another occasion, it said it was the spirit of a person who had been buried in the woods nearby, and whose grave had been disturbed. The bones had been scattered about, and a tooth was under the Bells' house. The spirit was looking for the tooth. The Bells searched, but no tooth was found.

On yet another occasion, the spirit said it was the ghost of an immigrant who had died and left a hidden fortune; it had returned to reveal to Betsy the location of the money. The spirit gave a location, and the Bell boys dug for hours without finding a thing. That night, the spirit laughed over the joke.

The townspeople came to think of the spirit as a witch. The spirit agreed, saying, "I am nothing more nor less than old Kate Batts' witch, and I'm determined to haunt and torment old Jack Bell as long as he lives." Kate Batts was a hefty local woman married to an invalid. She had once been dissatisfied with business dealings with Bell and had threatened to get even. She was still alive. From then on, the spirit was called "Kate."

"Kate" made almost daily appearances at the Bell home and visited everyone else in Robertson County as well, abusing them with her caustic tongue. She made predictions about the future, including the Civil War and the two World Wars of the 20th century. But her primary purposes were to torment "Old Jack," as she called Bell, and to torment Betsy in order to dissuade her from marrying a young man named Josh Gardner. "Kate" did not disturb Lucy Bell, nor Betsy's favorite little brother, John Jr.

"Kate" grew so famous that General Andrew Jackson decided to visit and bring along a "witch layer," a professional exorcist. Just outside the Bell farm, however, the Jackson carriage suddenly stopped and the wheels refused to budge. "Kates" voice then manifested, promising to appear that night in the home. The carriage became unstuck.

Later in the evening, "Kate" manifested with phantom footsteps and a voice. The witch layer attempted to shoot her with a silver bullet but was slapped about and frightened out of the house.

John Bell fell victim to repeated bouts of illness, for which "Kate" claimed responsibility. While he lay sick in bed, twitching and jerking, the spirit cursed him continuously. Finally, the ordeals wore him down and he told one son that the end was coming. He went to bed and never recovered.

His family found him in a stupor on the morning of December 19, 1820. A strange bottle was found in the medicine cabinet. When the liquid was administered to a cat, the animal went into convulsions and died. "Kate" exultantly declared that she had poisoned him with the liquid while he was asleep. Bell died the next morning. "Kate" shrieked in triumph.

The torments of Betsy began to diminish, encouraging her to announce her engagement to Gardner. That brought on a renewed attack from "Kate." In despair, Betsy broke the engagement and married another man, Dick Powell.

"Kate" announced to the Bell family that she would leave for seven years and marked her pledge with a cannonball-like object that rolled down the chimney and burst like smoke. As promised, "Kate" returned seven years later and plagued Mrs. Bell and two sons with scratchings and the pulling off of bed covers. They kept the return a secret, and the torments stopped after two weeks.

Before "Kate" left a second time, she visited the home of John Jr. and pledged to return in 107 years—in 1935— when she would bring bad tidings for Tennessee and the entire country. The year came and went without incident, but the area around the Bell farm is said to be haunted still.

The Bells never understood why they were singled out for such an unearthly attack. It is not known what the real Kate Batts had to say about it. Theories have been advanced that Betsy may have been a poltergeist agent. She was the right age, around puberty, and her strict Baptist upbringing may have caused repressed sexual guilt. She also may have had subconscious resentment toward her father. However, there is no evidence that she was unhappy or repressed. And, while the spirit did plague Betsy the most, it roved all over Robertson County and meddled in everyone's affairs. Perhaps the intense resentment and hatred bottled up in the real Kate Batts created a thought-form that took on a life of its own.

Abridged text from The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits, Third Edition by Rosemary Ellen Guiley (Checkmark Books - 2007)

[chooselife2]

Scream: A Drake & Josh Story

Trevor’s Letterboxd

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[thelastdancemacabre]

🕯️👻 Uncover the Dark Secrets of the Bell Witch! 👻🕯️

Join us on The Last Dance Macabre as we delve into America’s most terrifying haunting—the Bell Witch of Adams, Tennessee.

📅 Premiering 07/25/2024 at 12:00 WEST

Discover the spine-chilling true story and hidden secrets that have captivated and horrified for over two centuries.

🔍 You will discover:

The Bell family’s descent into supernatural horror.

The malevolent entity known as the “Queen of the Haunted Dell.”

Comparisons with global legends like the Enfield Poltergeist.

🕯️ Prepare to be haunted by this gripping tale of mystery and terror.

👉 Don’t miss out! Like, subscribe, and ring the bell to stay updated.

[witchyfashion]

50 States 500 Scary Places to Visit: On the Hunt to Uncover America's Most Haunted Places

50 States 500 Scary Places to Visit takes readers on a spooky tour through the scariest haunts in every state.

Organized by state, discover America's famous haunted mansions, hotels, parks, cemeteries, lighthouses, and theaters.

Includes creepy locations like the House of the Seven Gables, the LaLaurie Mansion, the Winchester Mystery House, the Bell Witch Cave, and many more.

Features full-color photos of the country's scariest places.

Hardcover, 144 pages

https://amzn.to/48e5RZP

[therosegoldbourdoir]

"In the realm of spooky legends and eerie tales, the Bell Witch stands tall as one of America’s most chilling specters. With its roots entangled in history, this paranormal entity has captured the imaginations of countless individuals over the years. As we venture into the twentieth entry of our top 31 series, let’s unravel the enigmatic lore behind The Bell Witch and explore its portrayal in the 2005 film, “An American Haunting.” Grab your flashlight; we’re in for a spine-tingling journey."

[secicrexe]

Je me mets en colère très facilement et purement...

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La relation d'un commandant avec ses soldats est similaire à ma relation avec la sorcière, pour survivre je devais minutieusement voir les détails et comprendre son langage, ainsi j'ai appris que ma mère ne me dirait pas qu'elle m'aime, mais elle me préparerait une nourriture saine par peur de la pression et du taux de sucre dans mon corps, et elle ne dormirait pas si elle sentait ma maladie et continuerait à m'avertir de changer mes mauvaises habitudes, parfois en criant plus fort pour que je l'entende parfaitement, et parfois en me frappant.  Donc jusqu'à présent, je ne sais pas ce qu'est l'amour parce que je ne le comprends pas encore, et je ne pense pas que je voudrais le comprendre parce que cela me ralentirait, m'affaiblirait et me rendrait mou. Le dernier câlin, c'était quand j'étais... je ne peux pas me souvenir à cause des sons que j'entends.

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Khalid EL Morabethi

projet tentacule 2023

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[madseance]

I've decided to have only deranged interests going forward, so if any of you happen to see a book for learning shorthand lying around, perhaps in a FREE BOOKS bin or your grandparents' garage or somewhere, and you can get it for me, I will send you something equally odd in exchange

[letsgethaunted]

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Episode Twenty-Five: The Bell Witch Entity Photodump

Image 01: Stone coffin/grave of a woman found near the Red River (photo by L. Sydney Fisher) Image 02: What The Bell Witch’s first manifestation may have looked like as imagined by artist dailycryptodrawings.tumblr.com Image 03: Entrance to The Bell Witch Cave (photo by L. Sydney Fisher) Image 04: Inside the front hall of The Bell Witch Cave (photo by L. Sydney Fisher) Image 05: Modern day entrance of the Bell Witch site (photo by L. Sydney Fisher) Image 06: Part of the original Bell farmland (photo by L. Sydney Fisher) Image 07: John Bell’s headstone. The state of Tennessee declared his 1820 death a supernatural event. (photo courtesy of The Travel Channel) Image 08: Exterior of the Bell Witch Cabin (photo courtesy of The Travel Channel) Image 09: An illustration of William Porter attempting to burn the witch, illustration found in M. V. Ingram’s 1894 book “An Authenticated History of the Famous Bell Witch” Image 10: A marker in the Bell Cemetery in Adams honoring Betsy Bell. (photo courtesy of southernthing.com)

[paranormal-playground-podcast]

The Bell Witch Haunting Podcast Episode

Join the Paranormal Playground Podcast as we delve into the chilling legend of the Bell Witch, one of America’s most enduring and enigmatic hauntings. Explore the terrifying encounters of the Bell family in 19th century Tennessee, the mysterious entity known as “Kate,” and the lasting impact this tale has had on American folklore. Plus, brace yourself for a bone-chilling creepypasta, “The Trapper…

[knowyourbmovieactors]

OCTOBER HORROR MOVIES (DVD EDITION) #5 AN AMERICAN HAUNTING

Last time I watched a Japanese ghost story, so let's strap in for a good ol', red-blooded AMERICAN ghost story! It's my patriotic duty. I mean, "American" is right in the title!

Where that Japanese story was understated and moody, this AMERICAN story leaps right into ACTION! A girl screams and runs through the woods. The thumping, staccato music immediately overwhelms your senses. The girl grabs a knife to defend herself against an invisible ghost (presumably because those commie lib socialist DEMONCRATS took her guns away!) After that we reveal a character with a drinking problem, a creepy porcelain doll, and a couple of cheap jump scares for no reason. Seems like this AMERICAN movie is off to a solid, rip-roaring AMERICAN start!

Then someone pulls out an old parchment letter and we hear a voiceover that sounds straight out of a Civil War documentary, and, OH NO, this is actually a goddamn period piece! Well, I guess there's nothing more AMERICAN than an old-fashioned bait-and-switch.

So, here we are in early 19th century Tennessee, and it turns out this is another tired retelling of the old Bell Witch story (which is why the producers claim it's "based on true events"). The problem with trying to pass the Bell Witch off as fact is that the first book that purported to document it stands a pretty good chance of being a hoax (considering that absolutely every piece of first-hand evidence it cites has conveniently been lost to time). So, what are we left with? Basically, it's "The Exorcist" as a ponderous period drama with Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek, regularly interrupted with screeching jump scares.

I can't get over how extra the music is trying to be in this film. The score mostly feels like a taped-together string of 30 second orchestral bits, separated from each other by clanking, metallic stingers. This is draped liberally over every damn second of the film, and our only relief from it is the moments where the composer and the cinematographer conspire together to rip off the style of "Sleepy Hollow" (which came out only about five years before this was made). And if you thought the trend of movie dialogue being difficult to understand was a new development, I introduce this 19-year-old film to you as proof that the conspiracy goes back much further. When the dialogue is not incoherent screams, it's actors speaking in hushed tones in overblown Tennessee dialects, all while the musical score is sitting on your head and pummeling you about the ears. If ever there was a movie in need of silence, it's this one. But, I guess the score could be useful to the neurotypical as way to simulate ADHD.

"An American Haunting" is stately and dull in spite of its screaming protestations. And during that time it also manages to gloss over both the institution of slavery and the relationship between a teenage girl and man two decades older than her. This movie won't scare you to death, but it just may bore you there.

THINGS I LEARNED FROM THE DVD EXTRAS -There are five "alternate endings" included on this disc, none of which actually change the ending. They're all just more confusingly edited versions of the official ending. -In a conversation between director Courtney Solomon and Sissy Spacek, Solomon recounts how he did "internet research" to learn about the Bell Witch. He and Spacek then recount a bunch of purported facts about the story that were debunked years before this film was even made, proving that the internet was already rotting our collective brains way back in 2005. -There is a very scary wolf in the film. In behind-the-scenes footage, he looks more like a VERY GOOD BOY who is having THE BEST DAY EVER playing his favorite game, CHASE THE HORSE!

[connectparanormal]

Bell Witch Story

The Bell Witch story originated in Adams, Tennessee, in the early 1800s and is one of America's most well-known and longest-lasting ghost stories. The story is about the Bell family, who started having scary and strange things happen in their home around 1817. The evil force specifically went after John Bell, the family father, and his daughter Betsy. Noises like banging, scratching, and chains dragging across floors were the first signs of trouble. These turned into physical strikes; Betsy was hit, pinched, and pulled by something she couldn't see. In fact, John Bell himself had strange illnesses that got worse over time. As the hauntings worsened, neighbors and even famous people, such as future President Andrew Jackson, went to the Bell house to see what was happening. When asked what it was, the thing said it was the spirit of Kate Batts, an angry neighbor. It appeared to be very clever and had a grudge against John Bell. The pain went on until John Bell's death in 1820, which the witch said she had planned. After he died, the activity slowed down a lot but didn't stop completely, leaving a trail of fear and mystery. Since then, the Bell Witch story has become a mainstay of Southern myth, with many books, movies, and other versions of the story.

[archivist-crow]

The Bell Witch - Part 3 of 4

Legend #3:

In the early 1800s, John Bell of North Carolina became engaged to a widow, Kate Batts. He soon discovered she had a nasty temper. He tried to break the engagement, but she refused to allow it. One day, she fell on his farm, hit her head on a bucket and knocked herself unconscious. Bell thought she was dead, and he dragged her body into the root cellar and locked the door.

She awoke the next night, however, and began moaning and calling to John for food and help. He ignored her pleas, and two days later, she died. John surrepitiously took her body away and left it on her own farm, where it was found by a neighbor.

Happy to be rid of Batts, Bell married another woman and moved to a farm near Adams, Tennessee, north of Nashville. His happiness was shortlived, for soon after their arrival, horrible hauntings began. A huge black bird with fiery eyes and a terrible stench dive-bombed him while he was plowing his field. At home, strange noises were heard, and his three sons (presumably by a previous marriage) were awakened by what sounded like a giant rat gnawing at their bedposts.

The poltergeist phenomena were followed by a disembodied spirit, whom the family called "Kate Batts' witch," and who exhibited great hatred for Bell. One morning in 1820, the spirit announced that she had poisoned Bell during the night. He was, in fact, dead.

The family was haunted by the Bell Witch for one more year. Then, after a seven-year absence, the spirit returned again to torment the family with knockings, scratchings and the like. Once again, the spirit left and swore to return.

Abridged text from The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits, Third Edition by Rosemary Ellen Guiley (Checkmark Books - 2007)