Of Ghosts and Spirits

Ghosts fascinate and frighten us, but why? What is it about a good ghost story that can even have a non-believer leaving the light on at night? For thousands of years humans have regaled each other with ghost stories, but, more than that, each generation has shaped and adapted the ghost to suit their culture and ideas. Ghosts have been used as tools of propaganda, as a threat to get people into Church, as a tool for revenge and, most often, as a good form of entertainment. The history of humanity is intrinsically linked to our spiritual beliefs, which in turn create our concept of the ghost. British culture is awash with ghostly legends, many unique to this land. But where do they come from? How far back can we trace our fascination with ghosts? Do we have the Romans or the Celts to thank for our legends of screaming skulls and demon hounds? And how has the way religion has changed in Britain, fundamentally altered the way ghosts are perceived? Social historian Sophie Jackson answers all these questions and more in her fascinating study of the ghost in Britain. Using both famous and previously unpublished examples of hauntings, she delves into the past, revealing what our belief in ghosts can tell us about ourselves. From prehistoric man, right up to the modern day, she traces the way the ghost has developed through time and the way we have tried to explain and debunk the things that go bump in the night.