Jauns.lv Compiles Ghost Stories of Latvian Castles and Manors for Halloween

The Latvian news portal Jauns.lv has published a collection of stories about the supernatural beings and ghosts said to inhabit castles and manor houses in Latvia. The piece, written by Elmārs Barkāns for Halloween, suggests that anyone can check the truth of these tales for themselves on the night of 31 October.

Which creatures are mentioned

The compilation mentions a huge snake with a duck's head and glowing eyes that guards chests of gold. It also features the Green Maiden (Zaļā Jumprava), about whom composer Raimonds Pauls has created a musical. Other tales describe a count who opens the castle gates at midnight to race out in his carriage, and a headless human apparition.

Most often, castles are said to be home to White, Grey, Green and Black Ladies of various ages and beauty, though other kinds of apparitions are also found. Latvian cultural figures Krišjānis Barons, Imants Lancmanis and Raimonds Pauls have also told of mystical characters and phenomena, and young students study these subjects in their academic work.

What makes the stories distinctive

Latvian ghost stories combine medieval history, the life of the Baltic German aristocracy, ancient Latvian beliefs, tragic love stories and unusual supernatural creatures. Many legends are tied to places that can still be visited: cellars, secret passages, towers and castle halls.

Latvia has both the White and Black Ladies typical of European castles, as well as restless lords of the manor and treasure guardians, for whom it is hard to find equivalents in classic Western European ghost lore. Some castles are said to be haunted not only by people but also by their crimes.

According to Jauns.lv, mysterious phenomena in Latvian castles have been talked about not only in the distant past but also in modern times.