Behind the Folklore - Roadkill

by Rachel

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UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Traditional or Intelligent haunting is perhaps the most widely accepted kind of ghostly activity, although not as common as you might think. In this case, the spirit or entity involved is an "intelligent" presence in a haunted location. It is there because of a connection to the site of to the people in the location.

This ghost is best (and most simply) described as the personality of a person who once lived and who has stayed behind in our world instead of passing over to the other side. This sometimes happens in the case of a murder, traumatic event or some unfinished business that took place in the person’s life. At the time of death, the spirit refused to pass over because of these events. The spirits often linger because of the emotions that tie them to the earth, from anger to love. It may not have been that the person did not pass because they couldn’t... it may have been because they did not want to. In other cases, there is the chance that the spirit did not even realize they were dead. This can occur when the death involved is sudden or unexpected.

We have to remember that these spirits are now made up of the energy that once made up the soul of some living person. These Intelligent spirits are not evil or demonic, as some believe. Spirits are simply human personalities, or souls; if the spirit was a kind and caring person in life, the spirit will most likely hang on to those qualities. On the other hand, those angry and cruel people can also keep those same qualities if they choose to stay behind after death.

These negative spirits can be frightening, especially to people not trained in the paranormal, and in very rare cases they have been able to harm the living... but that is generally not the case. It is much more common to hear of an encounter with a benevolent spirit than with a negative one. The fact that some of these spirits have remained behind because of some unfinished business is a hard obstacle to overcome. There are many spirits remaining in our world who have left behind relatives and love ones, or tasks which they feel cannot be completed by anyone other than themselves. They may not rest because of some injustice done to them or maybe because of something as simple as wanting to see their children grow up.

For the most part, the idea of these spirits being still here in our world is actually very sad. In all of our excitement over finding a ghost, we also must keep in mind that many spirits are confused over what has happened to them, sometimes not realizing they are dead. Many of them died suddenly. Others cling to life, afraid to let go of something they no longer have. Because of this, they are drawn back to places where they experienced joy, peace and happiness during their lifetimes. Many of these spirits just felt they had too much life in them and have refused to pass over.

These ghosts often need help to be convinced that they don’t belong here anymore. They need to be shown the right way to go and introduced to the fact that there is now more for them in the next world than in this one. There are many different ways to accomplish this, ranging from simple explanations to perhaps a prayer from a clergyman of the spirit’s former faith.


SIGNS OF AN INTELLIGENT HAUNTING:

The spirit will usually manifest itself in physical ways like slamming, opening and unlocking doors and windows; strange sounds; voices; cold chills and a strong presence. It may make itself seen and it will most likely look as it did when alive. The witness should be sure however, that the visible spirit seems to interact and is not just an imprinted image. The annoyance factor with this type of haunting will be very high as the spirit seeks to get the attention of the living occupants at or in the location. These spirits are known for hiding objects; moving things about; turning things off and on and other nuisances that would be similar to a child seeking attention. In this sort of case, the spirit may be looking for assistance to pass over or to accomplish a certain task. It has also been documented that the spirit may just be seeking company from the residents, or even from the investigators themselves.


TREES AND GRAVES

I couldn't find any folklore on using trees as grave markers. However I found some information on depicting trees on gravestones.
The tree on a tombstone or grave can also represent many things. One aspect of the tree is regeneration, regrowth and renewal. Another aspect of the tree represents knowledge, life, and time, this stems from the Norse tree of life, Yggdrasil, which connects all of the mythological realms together. The tree can also represent man's folly or sin--through its place in story of the Garden of Eden. A tree stump represents a life cut short, while a sprouting tree represents a new beginning in the afterlife.

Tombstone Oak is the tombstone which, for 75 years, marked the gravesite of John King Fisher, one of the most feared and admired bad men in Southwest Texas.


HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN

Eric Burden covered this song and took it to newfound popularity in 1964 with his British rock group, “The Animals.”


ROCKSALT

A rock salt gun is a nonlethal weapon (it just hurts like hell!). Rock salt ammunition is often used by police to control crowds or riots. Spirit hunters also use Rock Salt Guns as a defense against ghosts and other supernatural spirits. The fired salt alone will not destroy the spirit, but does act as a deterrent, forcing the spirit to dissipate briefly.


JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT

Plays Melinda Gordon, a young woman who can communicate with the earthbound spirits of the dead in the CBS show “Ghost Whisperer.”


HALEY JOEL OSMENT

Most famously known for his role of the young boy in M. Nigh Shyamalan’s “The Sixth Sense” who can “see dead people.”