Myths & mysteries
Discover facts about myths & mysteries. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Myths & mysteries
Bell-ringing spirits terrorized Victorian households
In Victorian households, servants’ bells sometimes rang with no one pulling the wires, leaving residents to blame spirits.
Discover more
Entering through back entrances confuses local luck
The superstition says to leave by the same door you entered; taking another exit supposedly confuses the good luck accompanying you.
Discover more
Carrying coffins backward confuses returning ghosts
The custom held that carrying a body out feet first kept the deceased from looking back and beckoning another household member to follow.
Discover more
Ectoplasmic manifestations left perfect wax molds
The rigid wax shells were presented as spirit handprints, but skeptics argued a real hand could not be withdrawn without breaking them.
Discover more
Finding face-up pennies guarantees extreme luck
The face mattered: an upward-facing coin was treated as an open channel for good fortune, while a face-down one was thought to pass someone else’s bad luck to…
Discover more
Telepathy projects thoughts directly between minds
Early researchers tested telepathy claims with card-guessing experiments, asking whether one person could identify symbols another was viewing.
Discover more
STACKY FOR IPHONEA bigger world.
One discovery
at a time.
Keep discovering with Stacky. Interesting facts in an app that is always within reach.
Koh-i-Noor diamonds bring absolute ruin to men
According to the curse’s legend, male rulers who owned the diamond would lose both their throne and their life. British royals reserve wearing it for queens.
Discover more
Coins placed on graves pay necessary spectral tolls
In one tradition, a coin left with the dead paid the mythical ferryman who carried them to the next realm. A copper coin could also signal respect for the…
Discover more
Dropping pins points directly toward future success
In this divination practice, a pin landing point-away is read as an open path to success; point-toward-you is taken as a warning about the future.
Discover more
Cursed portrait paintings inexplicably survive fires
The story centers on gloomy child portraits said to survive house fires, though fire-retardant varnish was offered as a less supernatural explanation.
Discover more
Rubies supposedly darken when extreme danger approaches
Some ancient rulers believed a ruby would darken when treason or disaster was near.
Discover more
Graveyards align tombstones facing eastern skies
The eastward alignment reflected a belief that the dead should face the sunrise, ready to rise when summoned.
Discover more
Opals remain intensely unlucky for improper owners
A popular novel helped spread the superstition that opals bring disaster, with one exception: people born in October were said to be safe from the gem's bad…
Discover more
Cursed phone numbers inexplicably doom callers
The urban legend became so persistent that telecom companies suspended some of the numbers to stop people from repeatedly calling to test the curse.
Discover more
Funerary crape on doorknobs signaled grim passing
Before mass communication, black crape tied to a home’s exterior doorknob told neighbors that someone inside had died.
Discover more
Dropping gloves forces someone else to retrieve
A superstition held that picking up your own dropped glove sealed your fate, so you had to get someone else to retrieve it to deflect the curse.
Discover more
Pointing at the moon deeply angers spirits
Some folk traditions warned that pointing at the moon insulted spirits and could bring bad luck.
Discover more
Robert the doll demands apologies from visitors
Visitors are said to invite misfortune if they photograph Robert the Doll without first asking permission.
Discover more
Whistling indoors summons malevolent entities
In theatrical and maritime folklore, whistling indoors or below deck was thought to invite malicious spirits, which were believed to communicate through…
Discover more
Dropping a comb announces bitter disappointment
In some early folk traditions, dropping a comb was taken as a bad omen. Because it was a personal grooming tool, it symbolized losing control of carefully…
Discover more
Spectral apports materialize out of thin air
An apport is an object that is said to appear in a locked room by supernatural means. Accounts describe modest offerings such as damp pebbles, cheap flowers,…
Discover more
Finding stray hairpins ensures incoming romance
In this folk belief, a rusty pin meant the admirer was older, while a shiny one promised a younger suitor.
Discover more
Opening latches lets wandering spirits depart freely
In this belief, families unlatched locks after a death so the departing spirit could leave without obstruction and would not linger in the home.
Discover more
Diamonds worn on wedding rings permanently bind souls
The tradition drew on an ancient, mistaken belief that a vein ran from the ring finger to the heart. The diamond’s durability made it a symbol of an enduring…
Discover more