Horror legends are traditional stories that seek to provoke fear or anxiety . As legends, they are passed down orally, as some are very old, but new technologies have allowed the dissemination of recently created legends.
Below, we present eleven short horror stories, suitable for children and adults, from different parts of the world.
- The House of Dogs (Mexico)
The so-called House of Dogs is located in the city of Guadalajara, Mexico. It gets its name from the two statues of dogs at its ends. Although it was built in the late 18th century, its legend began in the early 20th century, with its owners, Jesús Flores and his wife Ana (the woman’s surname varies depending on the version).
After a near-fatal incident, the couple made a promise: if one of them died before the other, the latter would pray on every anniversary. Jesus was the first to die, and his wife religiously kept her promise—for a time. Ana had inherited the immense fortune, as well as the house, to which she added sculptures of two dogs brought from New York. Shortly after, she remarried the butler, forgetting her promise to pray every anniversary and leaving the house.
It is said that anyone who prays at midnight, accompanied by only a candle, will find the deeds to the house and be able to live there. Some say that, in the middle of the prayer, they hear a voice that could be that of Jesús Flores.
- The Linares Palace (Spain)
This Madrid palace is currently the headquarters of the Casa de América. In the mid-19th century, its owner, José de Murga (Marquis of Linares), fell in love with a young girl named Raimunda.
When he told his father, he became furious and sent him away to London. The reason was that Raimunda was José’s sister, as his father had been having an affair with a humble cigarette girl. José, aware of the story, went along with his desire to live with Raimunda, which he later obtained.
The couple had a daughter, also named Raimunda, whom they walled up so that the fruit of sin would not be revealed. Since then, her ghost is said to roam the spacious rooms of the majestic palace.
- La Llorona (Mexico)
Cries in the middle of the night, wails drifting through the dark streets, and moans carried by the wind. The source? A white, feminine figure wandering the streets. Her veil, white, resplendent like her clothes, conceals a face no one has seen.
She is known as La Llorona (The Weeping Woman), and she wanders slowly through the streets toward the Plaza Mayor, where she falls to her knees with a heartbreaking wail. This unknown young woman or lady has been terrifying all who see her or hear her wails for centuries.
La Llorona is one of the most well-known and popular horror legends. There are different versions of its origin (a lady who drowned her children, a native woman who warned of the Conquest, etc.), but this lack of knowledge is part of the mystery.
- The House of the Seven Chimneys (Spain)
Her name was Helena, and the House of the Seven Chimneys was built for her. She was the daughter of a huntsman of Emperor Philip II. Her husband had to leave for Flanders to fight in the wars there against the French, where he died.
Elena had a daughter, said to be the fruit of a relationship with the emperor, a rumor that spread throughout Madrid. Elena died shortly afterward, reportedly of grief at losing her husband.
But the house servants indicated that Elena had been murdered, prompting an investigation. However, the young woman’s body had disappeared, and rumors indicated that it had been walled up in the house.
It wasn’t long before neighbors began to see the figure of Elena, dressed in immaculate white, walking across the roof, between the seven chimneys of the house, where she kneels and laments.
- Spiders on plants (urban legend)
The draconea fragrans plant , also known as Brazil trunk, is said to have been exported to different places around the world.
This happened not long ago… in flower shops, at home, or anywhere else where specimens of this plant were found, strange noises could be heard. Specifically, these noises came from inside, from the trunks. It was as if, inside the trunks, there was something alive, something trapped, struggling to get out.
Furthermore, the trunks began to change shape, increasing in size, as if they were swelling. Eventually, the trunks split, and enormous tarantulas emerged from them, nesting in flower shops, infesting homes and other places where plants of this genus grew.
See also:
- 16 Short Legends
- Mexican Legends (short and popular)
- Crocodiles in the sewers (New York urban legend)
Crocodiles or alligators, these related animals are imported by people who want them as pets… when they are young.
But these animals grow quickly and have a voracious appetite, making them dangerous. A crocodile or alligator just a few centimeters long can cause considerable injuries with its powerful jaws. For this reason, when owners see that their “pets” are starting to become a problem, they dispose of them down the drain.
The most common method is to flush them down the toilet, allowing them to accumulate in the sewers, where they grow and reproduce. Many witnesses claim to have seen large alligators in the sewer system, especially maintenance personnel. Some workers are also reported to have been victims of these reptiles’ terrible bites.
There are even those who claim that, due to the darkness, they have lost their color, becoming albinos, making their appearance even more terrifying.
- The Chupacabra (America)
This famous legendary creature is said to be small and have a hairy body. It takes its name from its behavior: it feeds on the blood of goats and other animals.
Farmers and peasants panic at the sound of its name, as their livelihoods are dying because of this strange creature. When you hear goats or sheep bleating, or when you hear cows mooing for no reason, this little creature may already be inside the fence, choosing its victim.
In that case, it’s also possible that when the rancher approaches the herd to feed it, he finds one of his animals with strange markings… and without a single drop of blood.
- The Mulata of Córdoba (Mexican legend)
Extraordinarily beautiful—those two words described La Mulata. However, she was as beautiful as she was mysterious, as no one knew anything about her. Furthermore, she possessed a special ability to create ointments and medicines that cured numerous illnesses. It was also unknown how she acquired such a gift.
Her great beauty and admirable skill formed a perfect combination to arouse the envy of the local people. Rumors began to spread about the Mulata, claiming she was a witch and practiced dark and forbidden arts.
Martín Ocaña, an important figure in the city, fell in love with her. But his love was not reciprocated, as the Mulata had no feelings for him. His pride wounded, Martín formally accused her of witchcraft: she was found guilty and sentenced to the stake.
While in prison awaiting her death, she drew a boat on one of the walls. She jumped on it, and the boat sailed away, never to be heard from again.
- The Miserere (Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer)
The brilliant Bécquer wrote this story, perhaps inspired by some old legend. It tells of a musician with a troubled past who sought refuge in an abbey. To redeem himself, he wanted to compose the best Miserere, but all the ones he’d heard weren’t good enough to inspire him.
They told him he hadn’t heard the Miserere of the Mountains. This Miserere came from the ruins of a monastery looted and burned by the son of his benefactor. They also told him that every year, on the anniversary of the destruction, the Miserere is played. That day was the anniversary.
Upon reaching the ruins, the stones were moved and the monastery rebuilt. Under tattered robes, the skeletons of the monks sang the Miserere.
Driven mad, he returned to the abbey and tried to put the music to paper, but to no avail. Nothing he wrote resembled the glorious song he had heard. His madness grew worse until, exhausted, he died.
- The Holy Company (Spain)
In Galicia, in northwestern Spain, many people claim to have seen the Santa Compaña.
It is said that the Holy Company can be felt from afar by the smell of wax given off by the candles carried by the souls, by the tinkling of the rosaries and by the mournful bell they ring.
It departs at midnight and consists of a two-line procession of souls in torment, dressed in shrouds or robes, who purge their sins. It is led by a living person carrying a cross and a cauldron of holy water who cannot turn around to look back. This cross-bearer can only leave his arduous work if he finds another living person to whom he can entrust the burden.
But there are ways to avoid being the fatal cross-bearer, such as drawing a circle on the ground or praying.
- The Whistling Duck (Colombia and Venezuela)
There are various stories about his origins. Most tell of him as a young man who left his father and, as a curse, wandered the plains.
He usually appears in the summer, on rainy days, carrying a sack on his back. But he warns of his presence: if you hear a whistle nearby, he’s far away. However, if the whistle is heard in the distance, it means he’s close. In other words, he appears exactly opposite the proximity of the whistle.
It is said that you can escape from it by imitating dog barking or the noises coming from a whip.
