Monster Mash
First appearing in an 1818 Gothic novel, this "monster" never receives a proper name from its creator, leading many readers to incorrectly borrow the name of the scientist who made him.
What is Frankenstein's Monster?
The phrase "souling," a medieval custom in which the poor went door-to-door offering prayers for the dead in exchange for food, is considered a precursor to this modern Halloween activity.
What is trick-or-treating?
In this 1988 film, the title character's name is spoken three times to summon him, drawing on a folkloric tradition that names can invoke supernatural beings.
Who is Beetlejuice?
In Goethe's Faust and later folklore, this gathering place on Germany's Brocken Mountain is said to host witches on Walpurgis Night.
What is the Brocken (or Blocksberg)?
This 1692 Massachusetts community became synonymous with witchcraft hysteria after a series of trials led to the execution of 19 people.
What is Salem?
In Greek mythology, this female monster, slain by Perseus, retained the power to turn onlookers to stone even after death.
Who is Medusa?
This Celtic festival, marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, is widely regarded as the ancient origin of Halloween.
What is Samhain?
This 1922 silent film, directed by F.W. Murnau, was so similar to Dracula that Bram Stoker's estate successfully sued the filmmakers.
What is Nosferatu?
This Shakespearean play opens with the ominous line "When shall we three meet again?" spoken by a trio of witches whose prophecies shape the title character's fate.
What is Macbeth?
The ghost of Anne Boleyn is said to haunt this royal fortress on the River Thames, where she was imprisoned before her execution in 1536.
What is the Tower of London?
Bram Stoker likely drew inspiration from this 15th-century Wallachian ruler, whose nickname translates to "son of the dragon."
Who was Vlad the Impaler (Vlad III Dracula)?
Although often associated with Halloween mischief, this vegetable was originally carved into lanterns in Ireland before immigrants popularized the use of pumpkins in North America.
What is a turnip?
The Overlook Hotel, one of cinema's most famous haunted locations, appears in this Stanley Kubrick adaptation of a Stephen King novel.
What is The Shining?
In Arthurian legend, this wizard is said to have been the son of the demonically associated incubus and served as advisor to King Arthur.
Who is Merlin?
Completed in the late 19th century, this California mansion's bizarre architecture, including staircases leading nowhere, was reportedly influenced by its owner's fear of spirits.
What is the Winchester Mystery House?
In Beowulf, this man-eating creature terrorizes Heorot before being defeated by the poem's title hero.
Who is Grendel?
This 8th-century pope is traditionally credited with moving All Saints' Day to November 1, helping shape the observances that led to Halloween's date on October 31.
Who was Pope Gregory III?
Based on a Washington Irving story, this 1999 gothic film stars Johnny Depp as the investigative constable Ichabod Crane.
What is Sleepy Hollow?
This 1487 treatise, whose title translates to "Hammer of Witches," became one of the most influential texts in Europe's witch hunts.
What is Malleus Maleficarum?
The disappearance of more than 100 colonists from this North Carolina settlement in the 1580s gave rise to one of America's oldest historical mysteries, often linked to ghost stories.
What is the Lost Colony of Roanoke?
This Lovecraftian entity lies "dead but dreaming" in the sunken city of R'lyeh, awaiting its return.
Who is Cthulhu?
In Scottish and Irish folklore, a mysterious light said to lure travelers off safe paths shares its name with this Halloween decoration.
What is a jack-o'-lantern?
The name of the demon Pazuzu plays a pivotal role in this 1973 film that earned 10 Academy Award nominations, an unusually high number for a horror movie.
What is The Exorcist?
In Russian folklore, this witch often flies in a mortar, steers with a pestle, and lives in a hut that stands on chicken legs.
Who is Baba Yaga?
Following his assassination in 1865, reports of paranormal activity have frequently been connected to this U.S. president, whose ghost has allegedly been seen in the White House.
Who is Abraham Lincoln?