Let's Play Bloody Mary: The Origins of the Haunting Ritual

[00:00:06] Childhood, one of the most innocent times in our lives. A time for fun, laughter, and a time for games.

[00:00:15] But what games? Sure there was Tag and Ring Around the Rosie, but that was it?

[00:00:21] Perhaps you're forgetting something so sinister that you locked it away in your memory, hoping you'll never be forced to relive it ever again.

[00:00:30] Do you remember Bloody Mary?

[00:00:32] The game we all used to talk about playing as children, although many of us were actually too scared to play, has been around for a long time.

[00:00:41] However, it only became well known and established in the United States in the 1970s for unknown reasons.

[00:00:48] But it didn't take long for this legend to sweep America off her feet.

[00:00:53] Soon people were seeing Mary in numerous TV shows such as the cult classic The X-Files,

[00:00:58] and more recent shows like Supernatural and Charmed.

[00:01:03] The legend of Bloody Mary is one that gives me chills just thinking about it.

[00:01:08] But my fear soon became all the more justified when I learned of the dark history behind this dark game.

[00:01:15] Bloody Mary. Bloody Mary. Bloody Mary.

[00:01:20] Do you want to play?

[00:01:22] My name is Edwin.

[00:01:26] And here's a horror story.

[00:01:36] Much like any other game, there are rules that must be followed to ensure success.

[00:01:41] But in this game, these rules don't only allow you to succeed, they make sure that you live to tell your experience.

[00:01:49] Now, there are multiple different ways that you can play this game, but the most common way goes as follows.

[00:01:55] You want to summon Bloody Mary.

[00:01:57] The most optimum place to perform the ritual is in your bathroom.

[00:02:02] The reason for this is because you need a room that can block out all light and become pitch black.

[00:02:08] With most bathrooms not having any windows, this makes the task much more achievable.

[00:02:14] After you decide on the location, now you must gather the proper materials.

[00:02:19] In order for it to work, you have to have some way of generating a lasting flame.

[00:02:25] Usually a candle is the easiest option.

[00:02:27] And you will also require a mirror.

[00:02:30] Another reason why a bathroom is the best place to play the game.

[00:02:35] Once night falls, bring all of your supplies to the bathroom and make sure that no one else is in there with you.

[00:02:42] Block out all possible sources of light and light your candle in front of the mirror.

[00:02:47] Now it's time.

[00:02:50] When you feel brave enough, look up and make eye contact with your own reflection in the mirror.

[00:02:56] Begin chanting Bloody Mary 13 times.

[00:02:59] Slowly getting louder and louder each time you say her name.

[00:03:04] After you finish, look up at the mirror again.

[00:03:07] Make sure you're not standing with an arm's length of the mirror.

[00:03:11] Unless you want Mary to grab you.

[00:03:14] If you survive, quickly extinguish the flame and leave the room, making sure to never use that mirror again.

[00:03:21] What if you didn't see anything?

[00:03:24] Well, there are other variations of the rules that may just work for you.

[00:03:28] The real question is, do you really want it to work?

[00:03:32] If it were me, I would have thanked my lucky stars that nothing happened.

[00:03:36] For those of you that answered yes, then here are a few more options you can try.

[00:03:41] Instead of playing any time at night, try playing the game at exactly midnight.

[00:03:46] If that doesn't work, there are a few ways to change your chanting method.

[00:03:51] Try chanting her name three or seven times while running the sink water and spinning in place each time you say her name.

[00:03:58] For some odd reason, if nothing else has worked yet and you still haven't seen anything in the mirror,

[00:04:04] you could try changing the word to chant.

[00:04:07] For example, instead of just chanting her name, repeat the phrase,

[00:04:12] Bloody Mary, I stole your baby.

[00:04:16] Or even,

[00:04:17] I believe in Mary Worth.

[00:04:21] If you have any concern for your soul, there are a few things you can try that may help dispel Mary's spirit and save you.

[00:04:28] Here are some tips to survive your encounter with Bloody Mary.

[00:04:33] As soon as you finish the ritual, if you ever want to be able to use that room again,

[00:04:37] you can try smudging it, which is a Native American practice of cleansing a room by burning sage.

[00:04:43] Instead of burning sage to cleanse a room, you can flick vinegar in the corners of the room.

[00:04:48] The third thing you can do that will help save the mirror is drawing a cross with soap on it for three nights in a row after you play the game.

[00:04:56] The most important thing to remember is that you must never, I mean never, break the mirror.

[00:05:03] I mean, unless you want to set her free.

[00:05:11] When it comes to rituals, the legend of Bloody Mary was not the first one that involved mirrors.

[00:05:17] In fact, mirrors have played a larger part in history than we thought.

[00:05:21] Years ago, during the 1800s, Europe was already crawling with her own superstitions involving mirrors.

[00:05:28] For example, there was a way for someone to supposedly see the face of the person they were destined to marry.

[00:05:35] All they would have to do is wait until nightfall and walk up a staircase and pass the mirror at midnight.

[00:05:42] When they passed it, they would see one of two things.

[00:05:47] Either their future spouse's face or a skull.

[00:05:52] If you were unfortunate enough to see that skull, it meant that you would die before you ever got to marry.

[00:05:58] Now, there are many different versions of the Bloody Mary legend and who she really was.

[00:06:04] There are a few that are the most common.

[00:06:07] The first one derives from the alternate chant I mentioned earlier.

[00:06:11] The story of Mary Worth.

[00:06:17] She was a woman who lived during colonial times when suspicion of witchcraft was rampant.

[00:06:23] Mary lived in a cabin just outside of her village where she was known for selling herbal remedies.

[00:06:30] Even though she sold stuff that was supposed to heal,

[00:06:34] that part didn't stop the townspeople from fearing her and calling her a witch.

[00:06:39] Eventually, little girls in the town started to go missing and everyone suspected Mary.

[00:06:45] Even though she claimed to have no knowledge of what was happening.

[00:06:48] What was even more suspicious was that she was slowly starting to look younger than her old haggard appearance.

[00:06:57] Things all came to a climax one night though,

[00:06:59] when the miller's daughter woke up hearing a strange noise that no one else could hear.

[00:07:05] But she found herself being drawn to its source.

[00:07:09] Her mother, incapacitated at the moment,

[00:07:12] shouted for her husband to follow their daughter because she was heading into the forest.

[00:07:17] After a crowd of other farmers joined the father who was chasing his daughter,

[00:07:22] she noticed Mary in the distance,

[00:07:24] standing next to an oak tree with a wand in her hand.

[00:07:28] The wand was producing a strange glowing light.

[00:07:32] It was pointed toward the miller's home.

[00:07:36] When she noticed a crowd was now running after her with pitchforks,

[00:07:40] Mary began to flee back to her cabin.

[00:07:42] It was too late.

[00:07:44] The farmer, now in fear for his daughter's life,

[00:07:47] grabbed and aimed his rifle,

[00:07:50] and shot Mary in the hip with a silver bullet.

[00:07:54] Once they surrounded the now wounded Mary,

[00:07:57] they dragged her away and burned her at the stake.

[00:08:01] Right before she perished,

[00:08:03] it is said that she cursed the village,

[00:08:06] saying that if they ever spoke her name in front of a mirror ever again,

[00:08:11] she would return for her revenge.

[00:08:17] After her death, the mourning villagers raided her cabin

[00:08:20] where they found rows of unmarked graves,

[00:08:24] full of the missing children.

[00:08:28] Now the suspicious return of her youth finally made sense.

[00:08:32] The blood of the children she kidnapped were keeping her young and beautiful.

[00:08:43] Another version of who Bloody Mary was

[00:08:45] comes from a story that takes place a couple of centuries later,

[00:08:49] right after the Civil War.

[00:08:52] Let's learn about the tragic story

[00:08:54] of Mary Wales.

[00:08:59] In this version, Mary Wales was not only a beautiful young woman.

[00:09:03] She was also very kind,

[00:09:05] and she was born to old man Wales and his wife, Virginia.

[00:09:09] However, he hated his daughter because when she was born,

[00:09:13] Virginia died due to childbirth complications,

[00:09:16] and for that, he blamed Mary.

[00:09:20] One night, he came home especially drunk and angry,

[00:09:23] and he burst into her room,

[00:09:25] stabbing her to death in her bed.

[00:09:28] Her screams were drowned out by the cries of the animals

[00:09:31] in the farm next door.

[00:09:33] When he left her body,

[00:09:35] she was covered in blood,

[00:09:38] and her head was nearly severed from her body.

[00:09:42] The next day, he picked her up and buried her body in the basement.

[00:09:46] Soon after her death, he learned that just because she was dead,

[00:09:50] that didn't mean that she was gone.

[00:09:53] For multiple nights, she would appear in front of him,

[00:09:56] shouting,

[00:09:56] father,

[00:09:58] attacking him,

[00:10:00] causing him to flee his barn.

[00:10:03] One time, while he was shaving,

[00:10:05] she even appeared in the mirror and slapped him.

[00:10:09] After a short while with no incidents,

[00:10:12] old man Wales assumed that her spirit was done with him,

[00:10:16] but he was wrong.

[00:10:17] It was very, very wrong.

[00:10:21] After appearing in their house again and trying to attack him,

[00:10:25] this time she followed him to the barn when he fled the house.

[00:10:30] When he turned around, there she was,

[00:10:33] staring at him

[00:10:34] and pointing to a noose next to him.

[00:10:38] With that,

[00:10:40] Mary exacted her revenge.

[00:10:42] She was able to end the life of the man who took hers.

[00:10:46] Both of these stories have no historical context whatsoever,

[00:10:52] but it just so happens that there was a real woman in history

[00:10:56] with the nickname, Bloody Mary.

[00:10:59] She was married to her.

[00:11:01] Or better known as,

[00:11:03] Queen Mary I of England,

[00:11:06] who reigned from 1553 to 1558.

[00:11:15] Mary was an illegitimate child of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon.

[00:11:20] Mary had a very difficult life.

[00:11:23] She was plagued with horrible menstrual pain and irregularity her entire life

[00:11:29] and was treated like an outcast.

[00:11:32] When she was finally able to seize the throne at the age of 37,

[00:11:36] she knew that she had to marry fast and produce an heir to secure her power.

[00:11:41] She married Philip of Spain,

[00:11:43] who was much younger than her at the time of matrimony.

[00:11:47] With her efforts and prayers,

[00:11:49] Mary was delighted to find out not long after that.

[00:11:53] She was pregnant.

[00:11:56] Sadly, when the time came for her to deliver,

[00:11:58] nothing ever happened.

[00:12:00] She never bore a child.

[00:12:03] Eventually, even her baby bump started to shrink.

[00:12:07] Mary thought that God was punishing her

[00:12:09] when in reality she suffered from pseudosiasis

[00:12:12] or phantom pregnancy.

[00:12:15] She wanted to be pregnant so badly

[00:12:17] that her brain tricked her body

[00:12:19] and she developed all of the signs and symptoms

[00:12:22] that every other pregnant woman presents.

[00:12:24] Except for a fetus.

[00:12:27] So how did she get the nickname Bloody Mary?

[00:12:31] Well, not only were her horrible menstrual problems

[00:12:34] a contributing factor,

[00:12:35] the more common reason is because she brought forward

[00:12:38] the Marian persecutions.

[00:12:41] This was when hundreds of people were accused of being Protestants

[00:12:44] and then burned at the stake.

[00:12:46] And this was because Mary was trying to restore Catholicism

[00:12:50] as the primary religion of England.

[00:12:52] With all of this death on her hands,

[00:12:54] there was no surprise the public soon gave her the nickname

[00:12:59] Bloody Mary.

[00:13:00] Just like with other famous legends,

[00:13:05] Bloody Mary has her own set of alleged encounters.

[00:13:08] While searching all over the web for stories,

[00:13:11] we found a few that may just give you nightmares.

[00:13:14] The first one that stood out to me was the story of Lauren and her friend.

[00:13:19] In her words, they were feeling experimental one night

[00:13:21] while they were out on the road.

[00:13:24] Then they stopped at a gas station with an outdoor restroom

[00:13:27] and decided to try summoning Bloody Mary.

[00:13:31] A cool night air burned in their lungs

[00:13:34] as they entered the dark, damp restroom.

[00:13:37] It was clearly empty.

[00:13:39] They couldn't shake the feeling that they were not alone.

[00:13:43] Their mission clear in their mind.

[00:13:46] So Lauren turned off the light

[00:13:48] and they both approached the mirror.

[00:13:50] After splashing it with water,

[00:13:52] they started to spin around and repeat Bloody Mary three times.

[00:13:57] After they finished,

[00:13:59] Lauren's friend went to flush the toilet

[00:14:00] while Lauren continued to stare into the mirror,

[00:14:03] only to realize that what little she could see of her reflection

[00:14:06] was slowly turning red.

[00:14:09] When her friends started screaming,

[00:14:12] they both ran outside the bathroom,

[00:14:13] fearful for their lives.

[00:14:16] As they had light again,

[00:14:17] her friend finally noticed why Lauren's reflection was turning red.

[00:14:22] Much to their horror,

[00:14:24] they realized that it was because her face was actually covered in blood

[00:14:28] due to tiny, deep fingernail scratches

[00:14:33] all over her face.

[00:14:36] Needless to say,

[00:14:37] that was the last time they ever tried to summon Mary.

[00:14:42] Another story that gave us chills was Marissa's story.

[00:14:46] According to her,

[00:14:47] she was just finishing watching an episode of the famous show,

[00:14:50] Ghost Whisperer.

[00:14:51] It was actually about the legend of Bloody Mary.

[00:14:55] Feeling inspired by it,

[00:14:56] Marissa decided that she wanted to try and scare her friend.

[00:15:00] In an effort to achieve this,

[00:15:02] she looked into her living room mirror,

[00:15:04] spun around three times,

[00:15:06] and chanted Bloody Mary.

[00:15:08] Nothing happened,

[00:15:09] unsurprisingly,

[00:15:10] so she went to the bathroom to try again.

[00:15:13] Even though her friend warned her not to.

[00:15:16] She closed the door,

[00:15:17] shut off the light,

[00:15:18] and repeated the chant yet again.

[00:15:22] Looking into the mirror this time,

[00:15:24] she saw nothing.

[00:15:26] She was just about to turn the light on,

[00:15:29] and something in the mirror stopped her.

[00:15:32] Looking closer,

[00:15:34] Marissa saw a black and white woman staring at her,

[00:15:37] with her mouth wide open.

[00:15:40] Expecting a scream from the woman,

[00:15:42] Marissa stood still,

[00:15:43] waiting.

[00:15:44] Nothing happened.

[00:15:47] The apparition lifted her arms toward Marissa,

[00:15:51] but she noticed something.

[00:15:53] Her hands were covered with bright red blood,

[00:15:56] because her fingernails had been torn off.

[00:15:59] Her heart now pounding faster than it had ever been,

[00:16:03] Marissa felt hands grab her from behind.

[00:16:06] Screaming,

[00:16:07] she turned on the light and ran out of the bathroom.

[00:16:10] It turns out,

[00:16:11] not only did she scare her friend,

[00:16:13] but she ended up terrifying herself.

[00:16:22] So with everything we've learned about her so far,

[00:16:25] the most basic concept seems to have been overlooked.

[00:16:28] And that is,

[00:16:29] just what does Bloody Mary look like?

[00:16:33] There are many different ideas about Bloody Mary's image,

[00:16:36] such as she either takes on the appearance of how she died,

[00:16:40] as a corpse,

[00:16:41] or she appears like a haggard witch,

[00:16:44] ready to steal the souls of her unlucky victims.

[00:16:48] With all of the different concepts out there,

[00:16:50] there is one constant that is always described in the way she looks.

[00:16:55] She is always covered in blood.

[00:16:58] Always.

[00:17:00] Whether it be on her face or hands,

[00:17:03] blood is, without a doubt,

[00:17:05] the one constant in Bloody Mary.

[00:17:08] What happens to you when you play the game

[00:17:10] also varies based on who you asked.

[00:17:14] As you can now infer based on the earlier stories submitted by people on the internet,

[00:17:18] some claim that she tries to grab you or strangle you.

[00:17:22] Some say she screams and curses you or tries to steal your soul.

[00:17:26] And lastly, other claims that she either wants to drink your blood or scratch your eyes out.

[00:17:32] No matter the consequence for playing the game,

[00:17:35] I think everyone can agree that none of them are pleasant.

[00:17:40] Now that you know everything there is to know about Bloody Mary,

[00:17:46] wanna play?

[00:17:54] The timing is perfect,

[00:17:56] as you waited all day for this.

[00:17:59] The clock is about to strike midnight,

[00:18:01] as you hear the wind howl outside and the trees beat against the side of your home.

[00:18:07] Carrying a candle and lighter,

[00:18:09] you make your way up the dark stairs and into the cold bathroom.

[00:18:14] An odd mixture of fear and excitement fills your chest as you head into the bathroom and close the door.

[00:18:22] Excited to finally play this game, since you never did as a child,

[00:18:25] but fearful you may see something that you will never be able to forget.

[00:18:30] Making sure the room is devoid of all light,

[00:18:33] you grab the lighter,

[00:18:35] you ignite the candle and set it in front of your bathroom mirror,

[00:18:38] creating an eerie tone to the room.

[00:18:42] You're ready to start.

[00:18:45] Slowly lifting your head,

[00:18:46] you make eye contact with your reflection and begin to chant into the mirror.

[00:18:51] Bloody Mary.

[00:18:53] Bloody Mary.

[00:18:55] Bloody Mary.

[00:18:57] Getting louder and louder as you make your way up the sinister number 13.

[00:19:02] Bloody Mary.

[00:19:03] You go to lift your head up again and look in the mirror.

[00:19:06] To find that you can't.

[00:19:10] Frozen with fear.

[00:19:12] You feel as if your head is being held down by cold, frozen fingers.

[00:19:17] After an intense minute of struggling,

[00:19:20] finding you gain the strength to look up.

[00:19:23] Your body is trembling with fear.

[00:19:27] Your eyes are dilated, trying to see in the dark mirror.

[00:19:30] As your labored breathing fills the deafening silence.

[00:19:36] You're fully ready for something to jump out at you,

[00:19:39] or grab you from behind.

[00:19:41] You stare into the pitch black mirror,

[00:19:43] you need to find...

[00:19:45] nothing.

[00:19:48] Absolutely nothing.

[00:19:51] The breath you didn't realize you were holding seeps out of your lips

[00:19:54] as you silently laugh at yourself.

[00:19:57] Of course,

[00:19:59] nothing would happen.

[00:20:01] What were you expecting?

[00:20:04] You blow out the candle and open the door.

[00:20:07] Just as you're about to leave the bathroom,

[00:20:10] something catches your eye.

[00:20:13] It would look like a hand swiped at the mirror.

[00:20:17] Or at least you thought it did.

[00:20:20] Are you kidding?

[00:20:21] It's just a legend.

[00:20:23] Shaking your head,

[00:20:25] you step out of the bathroom,

[00:20:26] leaving all those silly thoughts behind you.

[00:20:28] When it comes to this legend,

[00:20:33] why are we so captivated by it?

[00:20:36] Why do so many people find it fun to play the game

[00:20:39] even when they know the most likely outcome?

[00:20:42] There are many possible reasons,

[00:20:44] but perhaps the most logical one

[00:20:46] is that it fulfills our human desire for excitement,

[00:20:49] for the thrill of being scared.

[00:20:53] No matter the reason,

[00:20:54] there are some things that you just don't mess with.

[00:20:58] Or else you may find yourself in front of the mirror,

[00:21:01] the dark,

[00:21:03] and a door that just won't open.

[00:21:07] You really shouldn't have said her name.

[00:21:10] Bloody Mary.

[00:21:12] Bloody Mary.

[00:21:14] Bloody Mary.

[00:21:23] This episode of Horror Story was researched and written by Madeline Guerra,

[00:21:27] and it was originally published for A Dark Memory,

[00:21:30] the original version of this show.

[00:21:32] If you played Bloody Mary this Halloween,

[00:21:34] or if you have another idea for a game that we should play,

[00:21:37] let me know.

[00:21:38] And if you want to listen to this show completely ad-free,

[00:21:41] make sure you try out Scary Plus over on scaryplus.com.

[00:21:45] Thank you very much for listening.

[00:21:47] Keep it scary, everyone.

[00:21:49] See you soon.