The legend of Bloody Mary
Posted January 29th, 2006 by Murray @ ulblog
Filed under: False, Ghost Stories, Scarelore, Urban Legends, Urban Rituals
Tags: horror, Scarelore, supernatural
Will chanting the name of Bloody Mary a certain number of times in front of a mirror summon her spirit to maim and kill? Join me in the ulblog bathroom as we turn off the lights and learn a little more about this intriguing ritual…
Oh, and don’t forget to bring the candles!
I can’t think of a better place to begin this blog than with possibly my favorite urban legend / ghost story of all time — the completely spooky tale of Bloody Mary!
I’m sure most of you are familiar with the story in one form or another from your childhood years. Sometimes the name changes [1], sometimes the details of the ritual changes, but in most cases the core elements of the story remain largely the same.
To summon Bloody Mary you have to go into a bathroom at the stroke of midnight and stand in front of the mirror with a lit candle and with the lights turned off. You chant her name 3 times, “Bloody Mary… Bloody Mary… Bloody Mary…” and then you shout, “I stole your baby!”
And then… in the mirror… you will see the face of a horribly disfigured woman — and she’ll claw your face with razor-sharp nails, leaving you just as terribly mutilated as she is!
Egad, what could be creepier than that!
It’s easy to imagine that some form of this ritual has been performed an endless number of times by children from vastly different backgrounds in the decades since it made its way into popular folklore.
But what about the legend itself?
A look at the legend
It’s interesting that for such a widely told and retold story, detailed descriptions of who Bloody Mary was, and why or how she came to haunt mirrors, are unusually scarce. In a way, this scarcity of detail may well lend to the ritual’s flexibility and adaptability to new audiences and new locations.
In some versions a very basic story is given that she was once a young mother whose baby was stolen from her. She went mad in her grief and eventually committed suicide, and this explains why, in those versions where the ritual calls for you to cry out that it was you who stole her baby, she will attack you from the mirror.
In other versions she is described as a young woman who simply died a tragic and gruesome death, while in still others almost no background story or explanation is given. In many of these the ritual concludes simply with the statement, “I believe in you!”, and by declaring your belief you allow Bloody Mary to appear in the mirror.
Most versions of the ritual, however, do have at least several things in common.
A mirror is an essential prop in every version I’ve encountered thus far. Usually the ritual is conducted in gloom or darkness, with the only source of light often being a candle, adding to the eerie ambience. Most versions require an element of chanting and repetition [2], and many versions conclude with a taunt or affirmation.
And, lol, it probably goes without saying that just about every version has a spookiness-factor somewhere in the neighborhood of “Watching Candyman at home, alone, in the dark.” [3]
Behind the mirror
Jan Harold Brunvand’s third book devoted to urban legends, The Mexican Pet, mentions the work of Indiana folklorist Janet Langlois, whose article “Mary Whales I Believe In You: Myth And Ritual Subdued” appeared in Indiana Folklore in 1978. Langlois theorized that the Mary Wales story originated from a Mexican supernatural tale, entitled La Llorana – a story in which a young mother drowns her children and then goes mad from despair, eventually killing herself and haunting others.
Noted folklorist Alan Dundes suggests that many aspects of the Bloody Mary ritual suggest an unconscious expression of fear and anxiety on behalf of pre-adolescent girls facing the onsent of puberty and menstruation. He cites the popularity of the ritual amongst girls of that age, along with versions of the tale collected from girls who have told or been told the tale in which poorly-defined warnings that “blood will appear” are mentioned.
Using Dundes’ theory as a starting point, you could equally suggest that the Bloody Mary ritual more readily expresses anxiety about issues of virginity than menstruation, depending on the exact age at which the tale generally becomes popular amongst girls. Certainly the elements of fear, pain, the appearance of blood, and the common theme involving a baby, lend themselves as much to this interpretation as to that of Dundes’. And, of course, it’s entirely possible that the Bloody Mary ritual may well express a range of developmental anxieties amongst girls, some of which might be more centered on issues of social conformity, than of physical changes and rites of passage.
Boys, of course, aren’t immune to the story either, though their experiences with it – such as what age they first heard it, whether or not they participated in a recreation of the ritual, the popularity of the tale among social groups of boys etc – tend to be more varied.
Regardless of exactly why the tale is so enduringly popular, it’s obvious that it touches on common themes of fright and anxiety in childhood that often last well into adulthood. In fact, over the years I’ve communicated with a number of adults who will admit that while they ‘know’ the story isn’t true, the last thing they could ever bring themselves to do would be to go into a darkened bathroom with a lit candle to stand in front of a mirror and chant the name of Bloody Mary.
Through the mists of time
Back in the days of the ULRC, the entry I posted on Bloody Mary was, without a doubt, the most popular and controversial topic on the site.
It generated a great deal of comment and feedback from many people wanting to share their memories of when they first heard the tale, and also much scathing criticism from those who were certain the story is true.
I hope that tradition continues over here on ulblog.org. If you have a memory of the Bloody Mary ritual, or a variant of the tale you’d like to share, or you’d just like to send some death threats because you disagree about whether Bloody Mary is real or not, please feel free to use the comment and feedback links.
Actually, lol, thinking about it, it might be best if the death threats were sent via the feedback link.
Some further reading:
If you’d like to learn more about Bloody Mary, the following links are worth visiting:
- The Face In The Mirror
- Bloody Mary on Wikipedia) – examines both the historical Bloody Mary (ie Mary I, Queen of England during the 16th century) as well as the folklore tale.
Footnotes:
| 1. | I’ve encountered the story using the name Bloody Mary, Hell Mary, Mary Worth, Mary Whales, Mary Wolf, and Black Aggie, just to name a few. |
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| 2. | Sometimes requiring you to chant Bloody Mary’s name 3 times, sometimes 9, 12, 15, or 21 times and so on. |
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| 3. | If you’ve never seen this movie, it borrows heavily from several popular Urban Legend / scare stories, with Bloody Mary being the most obvious tale from which it draws inspiration. It’s also a pretty scary movie as well! |
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January 31st, 2006 at 8:11 am
YIPPEEEEE!!! Urban Legends are BACK!! I am sooooo happy Murray..thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! This one scared the hell out of me when I was little…only in these parts you had to say her name 10 times….I never could get past 5…lol…Welcome Home Murray!!!!
January 31st, 2006 at 9:16 am
Hi Frances!
Thank you for the welcome back!
It’s fascinating to realize just how varied an urban legend can truly be – thanks for sharing!
Much warmth,
Murray
April 25th, 2006 at 8:57 am
MY FRIEND SAID SHE TRIED THE BLOODY MARY AND IT DIDN’T WORK. BUT I WASN’T THERE WITH HER WHEN OF IF SHE DID IT!! BUT I THINK ITS ALL A BUNCH OF B.S.
September 27th, 2006 at 12:42 pm
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE IIIIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS BBBBBBBBBBBBBBAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
October 18th, 2006 at 9:54 am
When i was younger my sister and I and a group of people went into the public bathroom at our apartment complex’s swimming area. My sister and I was at the very back by the door. We all chanted Bloody Mary and then turned off the lights. When we turned them back on, half of the kids in that room had disappeared, I don’t remember seing anything, but my sister never joked about Bloody Mary again. Maybe I was too young and blocked out a horrible sight. I know a few years later, me and my cousin were thinking about callin Bloody Mary. His room is directly to the side of the bathroom and the mirror is directly behind his closet wall. Well when we called her, we ran back into his room cause we were scared; we kept hearing banging noises and scratches coming from his closet and that night a small red glow could be seen.
October 29th, 2006 at 4:10 am
When I was younger, my inner dialogue upon entering a bathroom (or seeing a mirror) always went something like this: “Don’t say it, don’t say it, don’t say it, don’t say it… Bloody Mary ACK! I’MSORRYIDIDN’TMEANIT!” Followed by a long, heartfelt apology and assurance of sympathy for poor Mary’s obviously tragic past. I’ll definitely be doing that for the rest of today.
February 6th, 2007 at 5:48 pm
I do belive in bloobyMary because one time I dared my friend to try the whole BloodyMary thing, and so she tryed it and gess what………………….
I heard screaming, I went into the restroom, and I saw BLOOD driping from each corner of the mirror.My friend was terrifyed, I Screemed at her telling her”DON’T LOOK AT THE MIRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROR!!!!!” But didn’t seem to listen, I tryed moving her, but she was so cared that she coulden’t move…After that day I haven’t been going to the restroom by my self
February 7th, 2007 at 11:38 pm
my friend once told me that she tried it once and she said that when she tried it she ran out of the room cause she was too scared and she also said that mary also has a good side of her when she feels that you got a good enough pure heart. when she knows that you have a good enough pure heart she will tell you about her life about how she died in a car acciedent or something. i also heard that when you go past the bathroom at the stroke of midnight and it is in total darkness bloody mary could come out and grab you and you will never been seen again. when you get pulled into the mirror i was heard that you would be tortued by mary and go into the depths of hell.
March 17th, 2007 at 10:02 am
I was telling my 17 year old son and his friends about the legend of Bloody Mary last night. There was an article in the New Haven Register approximately 25 years ago regarding the supposed gravesite of Bloody Mary herself. It is said that she was killed and buried in New Haven. To this day, on All Hallow’s Eve, teenagers camp out in the graveyard and wait for her appearance at the stroke of midnight. I have searched the archives for this article. Alas, the archives only go back to 1999, therefore, I came up empty handed.
March 17th, 2007 at 5:45 pm
Hi Mary,
That would have been a very interesting article to read! Depending on how interested you are, the paper probably has an archivist on staff who could look back further for you.
All the best,
Murray @ ULBlog
March 17th, 2007 at 7:24 pm
Yeah, I’m scared outta my wits to even try this dang curse. But my cousin did it and she said she saw a torso of a woman covered in red and a she smelt faint aroma of blood. She also said she was missing a head O.O
March 19th, 2007 at 6:59 am
I DONT BELIEVE IN BLOODY MARY
March 29th, 2007 at 11:26 am
i tried this on friday night with a couple of friends and they were in my sisters room when i was on the computer and i got off and went and made some food and when i was looking into the black microwave door and i said to myself in my mind “i dont believe that ** its a bunch of b.s. ” and all of a sudden i kept hearing noises from the dnning room and living room and the hall way to my arents room and i looked to see what was making the noises and i looked back to the microwave and i saw a very black and evil face…so i ran into my sisters room and ithey asked me what happend and i would not talk about it! then after i had calmed down a little bit and i went back to the dinning room where the computer is and i was at the back door and i couldnt look in it cause i would see her.and so i hurried up to go through the kitchen and when i opened the door i felt a very evil presence right in front of me. i screamed shut the door and ran back into my sisters room shut the door and sat down right there and started crying hysterically.and i usualy dont cry ever.and thats when they started to believe me that bloody mary was and is real and true and its been 4 days since then and i still feelthat presence around me most of the time so for those who dont believe and want to try it..be careful what you summon it could be something really bad
April 3rd, 2007 at 1:48 pm
hey I am still young and all of my friends say bloody Mary is real but me and my friend still are not sure if she is or not once I did it and nothing happened but then I did it agin and she was there but I still think it is my mind playing trickson me
April 7th, 2007 at 10:48 am
Yeah I’ve heard of y Mary but i’ve heard alot of ideas from different people. I’ve heard you have to chant her name 3, 13, or 5 times. I”ve also heard that she will suck you into the mirror you are chanting her name from or she will claw your face off. It’s pretty creepy. I’ve tried it but with the lights on. I yelled at her once for still roaming the Earth and I asked her to go back to Hell where she came from. I also heard if you say Hell Mary you’ll see saitin’s face. Be careful…
April 7th, 2007 at 6:18 pm
When I was in 7th grade, we were talking about this and one of our classmates said she wasn’t real, and that he would prove it. We were all too scared to try and we told him not to do it but we couln’t convince him. He didn’t come to school the next day or any day for that matter and none of us ever found out what happened to him although some say he transferred, when we asked the teacher she said she didn’t know. He just vanished. Another girl tried it that same year in a public bathroom though not at the stroke of midninght, it was daylight out and she was wearing fake nails and she said every one of them chipped off and she got too scared and ran out of te bathroom and kept on praying to god if she even saw a mirror, she said she’d scream and run.
April 22nd, 2007 at 11:22 pm
Hi… The link to the Face in the Mirror article you have listed is wrong. You can update that to be http://www.mythologyweb.com/bloodymary.html
July 18th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
sweet blog! definetly heard many stories of Bloody Mary. Most commun one that i’ve heard is the one where Mary went crazy, got in a car accident and because that glass cut up her face so badly she haunts mirrors because she doesn’t want to leave, but the glass got her stuck in the mirror but yea, so many different versions, all i was building up to was, good stuff, i liked it. and honestly unless you’ve tried the ritual of Bloody Mary, you can’t even begin to emagin how freakin scary it is. Good stuff though
~Saber~
September 12th, 2007 at 11:21 pm
HEY! Just wanted to let ya know that myself and two of my best friends live off of legends and spooky tales. We enjoy the ones that are based off of something true. Every year on Halloween we get together, whether it be to do a haunted trail or watch scary movies or the “Real Scary Stories” we’ve taped, we watch on halloween. We’re 23 and 22 now, gradutated college and have careers, but on halloween everything is put aside and its us with our movies and we search the net for REAL SCARY STORIES, that has happend….Thanks to this site…we’ll have something to talk about!
Rebecca
October 5th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
When i was thirteen me and my friend decided it would be funny to summon Bloody mary. So one night i went and stayed at her house so we grabbed a couple candles and went to the bathroom. We lit them and chanted her name 10 times then all of a sudden the candles went out which i thought was awkward becaus there wasn’t a single breeze. A few minutes later I felt something brush agaisnt me and i just thought it was my friend trying to scare me so i grabbed her and she felt wet but it was warm then all of a sudden i couldn’t feel her anymore. So I quickly turned on the lights and couldnt see my friend anywhere but then i looked in a corner. She was sitting there rocking back and forth her eyes were wide open and she was covered in blood. I didnt know what to do i just sat there and she looked at me and started screaming and screaming and i didnt know what was wrong with her. Her brother started pounding on the door till finally it opened. It was the worse thing ever. The look on her face is like stuck in my head. I remember asking the doctor what had caused her bleeding and he said he had found fingernails stuck in her skin. Since then i have been doing research and I had found an article on bloody mary in the same area as me which is Edmonton Alberta but the rest of i had bee cut out.
May 21st, 2008 at 9:56 pm
Omigod I’m writing this novel and I’m using some of the info from this page to help, since these girls are trying it out, anyways thank you lots. I’m SO scared to try this.So I won’t. Because as angel said, you never know what you might summon. Thanks again,
Al
May 23rd, 2008 at 8:11 am
okay this b.s. isnt real. i tried it by myself in the bathroom at night and she never appeared… i tried it with my little brother, she never appeared… then i tried it with my boyfriend, and still the effing bitch never appeared… its a bunch of b.s. i even yelled out “Bloody Mary I killed your baby!” she never showed… either that ugly witch is scared of me or you all are just making shit up….. BLOODY MARY IS NOT REAL!!!!!
May 30th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
one time when i was in the 5th grade me and some of my friends went into the bathroom at the very back of my school,we called it the forbiden
bathroom, thats were we do all the lil myths and stuff
so we felt like trying the bloody mary one because we dident think enything would happen,so we said it five times and the toilet stals in the bathroom shut all at the same time,then it got really quiet and we heard a the most creepyest noise
it sounded almost as if someone was gurgaling blood
and we all ran out the bathroom screeming and crying.
July 11th, 2008 at 6:55 am
I was watching Ghost Whisperer the other night and it was an episode about Bloody Mary. The story they had was a young girl called Mary caught a disease and appeared to be dead. Her parents buried her alive but attached string to her wrist and to a bell so that if she did wake up, they would hear. One morning, Mary’s father went out to check her grave and the bell was on the ground. But by time he got to Mary, her hands were all bloody and her finger nails were stuck in the coffin lid.
Could this be another variations of the story or is it just a story written for a T.V show?
July 28th, 2008 at 9:07 am
i just tried it
guess what
it didn’t work.
surprise surprise…
=]
August 7th, 2008 at 10:13 pm
It’s really funny if you ask me. I’m 17, and I quite enjoy horror. I can watch virtually any movie alone in the dark (I say virtually because, obviously, I haven’t seen them all). I’ve always been one to place science and logic ahead of everything else.
But there’s something about this one. I often go to the bathroom at night and turn on the light as fast as I can. I think mirrors are uniformly creepy because they show us what we can’t see for ourselves, such as our face and whatever’s behind us. In the dark, we see only hints of these, a little shape here, a small reflection there.
But what makes this one so effective? People from young children to seniors and everywhere in between are frightened by it.
Logically, I don’t believe it. Personally, I lean towards lack of belief, but not full certainty. How could the story get out if those who discovered it lived to tell it?
All that said, I think I’ll stay on the safe side. In other words, there’s no way in bloody hell that you can get me to try it.
September 10th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
About 20 years ago when I was in 3rd grade the story was popular. I remember it only being effective on Friday the 13th and having it chant 100 times, possibly at midnight. For most of my childhood and teenage years I would take the mirror out of my room on Friday the 13th before going to sleep.
September 13th, 2008 at 2:50 am
If we do encounter her, how can we vanquish her or make her go on? If it was true that from one part of the story that her baby was stolen, can the baby may still alive?
October 29th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
i have always wondered if it was real or not and i have friends who have done it and got away unharmed or with a stratch no bigger than one a paper cut and they all have seen her and im thinking about doin it on halloween even though the idea of it scares me. i wonder should i do it be myself or should i have one of my friends who already did it join me?
November 20th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
I beleiv in her so much. I even did science to prove it. She is real alright. I am not brave enough to do it but when my friedn did it she didnt come for 3 days but she came back to school with a story.
Lexi