Top 10 Historical Mysteries That Will Freak You Out

Kentucky is best known worldwide for its fried chicken, which comes from farmed chickens, but youd be forgiven for wondering if it came from the sky. In 1876, the state had an extremely bizarre storm of red meat. No one has any idea what type of meat it was or where it came from. It lasted only a few minutes, with not a cloud in the sky, landing near the house of Allen Crouch. The pieces were around 2 by 2 inches, supposedly tasting like venison or mutton. Some thought it was bacteria, others claimed it was buzzard vomit. The latter is favored since they all disgorge together as a defense mechanism.

No one knows where he came from, but according to him, the Count was over 500 years old, maybe even 2 millennia old. Voltaire called him the Wonderman, and he was famous for knowing alchemy and magic. Also, said hed seen Jesus turn water into wine, with other tall tales that made him highly agreeable within high society. He was a talented musician, philosopher, and could even create gemstones. He also told one of his closest friends he was the son of Francis II Rákóczi, making him 93 when he died. Most of what he said was probably made up, but people claim hes still alive. Was he a spy or simply a commoner? Nobody will ever know.

One of America's most famous hauntings happened from 1817 to 1821, in Robertson County, Tennessee. Legend says the area and home of farmer John Bell were attacked by an invisible entity, which could hauntingly shapeshift. Bell and his daughter were the primary targets, but numerous folk in the area reported sightings, even their slaves. One man named William Porter tried to throw it in the fire, but it was too heavy and repugnant. John Bell died in 1820, and the hauntings began to subside after. Many logical explanations have since been proposed, like his daughter suffering sleep paralysis, natural causes, or even a hoax. Its been wildly embellished over time, so separating fact from fiction is nigh impossible.

This beautiful Château is Frances tallest, and potentially its most haunted, with only one ghost. Her name was Charlotte de Brézé, the illegitimate daughter of King Charles VII. She ended up marrying Jacques de Brézé, who killed her after finding her sleeping with a huntsman. Soon after, he fled the castle because he was terrified of the ghosts. Charlotte always wears a green dress, giving her the name the Green Lady, or La Dame Verte. She is spotted most frequently at the chapel, with holes instead of eyes and a nose, usually in the morning. Logical explanations include natural optical illusions and physical explanations, plus most Châteaus have at least one ghost, likely for tourism purposes.

In 1959, nine Soviet hikers perished in the Ural Mountains in particularly gruesome circumstances. For some reason, they fled their tent in the night, cutting it out with a knife, in poor clothing for the temperatures. Six died from hypothermia, with the other three being killed by physical trauma. Ones skull was destroyed, and the other two had chest trauma, with two of them missing eyes and a tongue. Many theories were proposed, like it being an animal attack, the military, or a group panic. Eventually, an investigation in 2020 revealed it was caused by a slab avalanche, which has since been confirmed by simulations. Still, it doesnt explain everything, and rescuers found no evidence of an avalanche, causing many to remain skeptical.

In the Outer Hebrides of Western Scotland, the Flannan Isles Lighthouse resides. Its famous for a mysterious disappearance in 1900, when a ship the Archtor noticed the lighthouse was behaving unusually. Poor weather delayed the response, which found the three men stationed there had vanished entirely. Extensive hunts found no signs of them, no bodies washed ashore, with conditions implying they hadnt planned on leaving. One theory is they left their equipment on the west landing, and then two went to protect it since youd be fined for losing equipment. When the third keeper noticed a dangerous wave approaching, he went out to warn them, but ultimately, all three perished. Or, it was a sea serpent, as some of their contemporaries believed.

Now for the oldest mystery on our list, coming from 12th-century England. Once upon a time in the village of Woolpit, two children appeared out of nowhere, speaking a foreign language, with an appetite for nothing but raw broad beans. The locals taught them to eat other food, but the boy grew ill and died soon after. His sister grew healthy, learned English, and told the locals they came from a peculiar world, where everything was green, but it was forever twilight. Take this mystery with a massive grain of salt, since it was so long ago and little to no contemporary sources exist.

The most famous maritime mystery of all time is undeniably the Mary Celeste. It was a merchant ship launched in 1861, which was found completely deserted in the Atlantic Ocean in 1872. Her lifeboat was missing, but was still in perfectly fine condition, with the crews personal belongings left behind. The scenario suggested an orderly evacuation, which was likely due to a miscalculated emergency. It was carrying 1,701 barrels of industrial alcohol, with 9 of them empty. So, the most popular theory is that the crew worried about leaking fumes, which made them panic, thinking an explosion was imminent. Then, the lifeboat simply drifted too far or was lost in a storm.

In 1584, the colony of Roanoke was founded, but by 1590 all settlers unsettlingly vanished. They suffered from poor supplies, plus the locals were unhappy with their settlement. After a supply run, they found the place empty, with nothing left behind but the word CROATOAN scratched onto a palisade. Conditions didnt allow the search to go on for long, with them returning to England the same year. No signs of struggle imply the starving colonists assimilated with local Croatan people. This is supported by tales of blue-eyed, English-speaking Native Americans being spotted in the region. Still, many remain skeptical, with some theories saying it was a Spanish attack or an otherworldly spirit.

There have been many incidents of dancing mania throughout history, but the outbreak in Strasbourg in 1518 is easily the most famous. Between 50 and 400 people danced for weeks, starting with a woman called Frau Troffea. Numerous dancers died due to exhaustion, heart attacks, and starvation. One theory is that it was food poisoning caused by psychoactive grain. Many refute this idea, instead claiming it was stress-induced psychosis caused by mass famine and illness. When someone began dancing, others thought it was a curse or a form of divine punishment. Thus, they were compelled to join in. This is supported by it stopping through a spiritual cure, at the shrine of St. Vitus.

Which historical mystery creeps you out the most? Leave it in the comments below!