If you’re at least a little bit superstitious, you probably have one object in your home you believe to be cursed. (I once owned pants that, if worn, would make my day instantly terrible. Only bad things happened in that pair of jeans.)
Some might say these “cursed items” are normal and any curse is in my head…but wait. Check out these famous stories of cursed objects.
You might just change your tune.
1. Maori Warrior Masks
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The indigenous population of New Zealand, or the Maori, would carve and paint these masks before heading off to battle. If a warrior died, his spirit was said to still live within the mask. While the Maori have long since used the masks, supposedly the spirits within them terrorize women, pregnant women especially, giving them bad luck and harm to them and their children. One British museum even posted a sign warning women of touching these evil tokens.
2. Terra Cotta Army
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A group of Chinese farmers uncovered an army of life size clay figurine soldiers now known to the world and the Terra Cotta Army in 1974. Since that fateful day, the farmers carried out unfortunate lives. Three died very young. One killed himself. The others were plagued by debt their entire lives, never able to cash in on their finding responsibly.
3. The Ice Man.
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The remains of a man from 5,000 years ago were found in the Alps in 1991. In just 13 years, seven of the thirteen members of the expedition have died. What are the chances?
4. Devil’s Pool.
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In Australia, the Aboriginal peoples have a legend about Devil’s Pool in Far North Queensland. They say it is cursed by an old witch. Maybe there is something to this, seeing as how the falls claimed the lives of 17 people since 1959.
5. The Hope Diamond.
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Before the diamond was on exhibit by the Smithsonian, several of it’s owners met a cruel fate (vi aLord of the Rings style). Jean Babtiste Tefernier even died because of a seemingly random pack of rabid dogs attacked him.
6. Uluru Rocks.
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After stealing rocks from the sacred Aboriginal named Uluru in the Australian outback, many visitors end up sending them back because they believe the rocks have given them bad luck and tragedy. It’s also totally illegal to take the rocks, but that didn’t seem to stop them.
I’m glad that pair of pants never got anyone killed, but I still want to burn them ceremoniously just in case. Let the spirits haunt a new pair of pants.
