Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/744537
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 30 OCTOBER 2016 13 News TURN BACK NOW! Saint, ghosts, ghouls and spirits… For what is reported to have started as a pagan ritual, Halloween has gradually gathered more and more followers even in oh-so-Catholic Malta. Tomorrow night, more and more children in costume will roam our streets, going door to door asking for a trick or treat, while many adults will attend invitation-only costume parties or get together to tour Malta's favourite haunted sites. MaltaToday revisited some of these places a few days ago, hoping the ghosts that haunt these places would still be getting ready for the night. PAUL COCKS Villa Sans Souci – Marsaxlokk Constructed by Prof Salvatore Luigi Pisani CMG, MD as his residence in the 1870s, this house was later used as a hotel in the 1910s and then by the Royal Air Force in the 1940s. This long-abandoned mansion on the road to Marsaxlokk is said to be one of the most haunted properties in Malta. People constantly hear weird noises coming from inside the house, and people who have been inside have reported a sense of dread over- coming them throughout all the accessible rooms. Splendid Hotel – Valletta This hotel in Strait Street, Valletta, was originally a brothel. Folklore has it that an argument broke out one night between one of the prostitutes and a client of hers. The woman was murdered in a bathroom on the first floor and her spirit is said to walk the empty hallways of the hotel to this very day. Eyewitnesses have reported furniture being hurled across rooms. Telgha t'Alla w'Ommu – Naxxar When driving along the road from Salina to the Telgha t'Alla w'Ommu, on the out- skirts of Naxxar, many drivers have reported seeing a teenage girl stumbling along the road below the steep hill and trying to flag down drivers as though pleading for help. Those brave enough to stop all say that the girl simply vanished once they got down to try and assist her. Many said that, when they saw the teenager, they pressed down harder on the gas pedal and kept their eyes forward, but that did not work – or turned out worse. When they next looked into their rear-view mirror, they found the girl sitting in the back seat of their car. Cathedral – Mdina The Cathedral in Mdina, and the immediate area around it, are said to be some of the most haunted in Malta. One of the most popular myths has it that the congregation of the cathedral, gathered for Mass one morning, noticed something odd about the old priest that celebrated mass every day. So did the sacristan. The same thing happened the following two days until, late on the third day, the sacristan met a friend of his who told him that the old priest had died four nights earlier in his home. It is said the priest was allowed to continue celebrating mass for three days until another priest was appointed to replace him. Verdala Palace Grand Master De Rohan informed his niece that he had chosen a suitor for her and that she was to marry him even though she was not attracted to him. When he heard that the girl did not like him, the suitor locked her in her room at Verdala Palace. It is said that she tried to escape out of her window, but fell to her death. Since then, her ghost has roamed around the palace in the iconic blue dress she died in, making her known as the Blue Lady. People say they have seen her reflection in many mirrors around the palace, or standing on the edge of the palace balconies. Five Maltese ghost stories to spook you out this Halloween News Five Maltese ghost TURN BACK NOW! PAUL COCKS went on a ghost tour of Mdina to try and discover why these tours were gaining such a following, although he could not bring himself to go alone Spooked out in Mdina IT is a concept that has been popular abroad for many years and it has also started garnering popularity in Malta as well. The idea of following a trail of haunted houses, palaces, fields and der- elict buildings attracts many Maltese and foreign visitors alike, so much so that companies are being set up to organ- ise scheduled tours of some of the most haunted hot-spots in Malta. Dylan Seychell, founder and CEO of Colour My Travel, said that his company offered a number of ghost tours around Valletta, Mdina and Birgu on a weekly ba- sis and that these were, most often than not, fully booked in advance. He said that although many Maltese were familiar with a lot of local popular ghost and haunting stories, most had never actually visited the various build- ings and sites. "These tours serve to bring the myth and folklore to life, and allow you to re- visit the stories on the actual sites where they are supposed to have occurred," he said. It actually sounded very interesting, so I convinced Chris, our photographer, to join me on a ghost tour of Mdina, albeit against both our better judgements. Joining us on our tour were around 25 or 30 other people; unlike us, they had all brought along a good supply of water and a decent flashlight. We all met our tour guide, Matt, at the entrance to Mdina where he gave every- one a lit candle to hold. Some minutes after 8pm, we set off into the silent city, already a foreboding place at night with its dark alleyways and eerie courtyards. Our first stop on the tour was the Vil- hena Palace, just inside the city's main en- trance, and next to the Mdina Dungeons entrance. Matt explained that a young woman liv- ing in Mdina was said to have a killed a knight who had attacked her. She was im- mediately sent to death but was granted one wish before she was to be beheaded. As her last wish, she chose to marry her betrothed, but was then executed and be- headed. "Many visitors to Mdina, viewing pho- tos taken of this palace, have reported the presence of a white figure in some of their photos," Matt said. "This headless figure appears to be wearing white because the girl was still wearing her wedding dress when she was executed." That set the tone for the rest of the tour around Mdina, as we followed Matt to St Agatha's chapel, where he explained that the saint was supposed to have appeared to a woman, warning her of an imminent attack by the Turks, thus allowing the knights to prepare in advance. On to the square in front of the Cathe- dral, where Matt recounted a number of stories about ghosts said to appear in the area. As he talked of figures spotted on rooftops, we all started glancing up and about, trying to make out if the dark sil- houettes we could see were balustrades, plant boxes or, something else? We then boarded a tour bus, provided by the company, and were taken to Tal- Virtu', where we stepped out into the creepy pitch-black nothingness in front of the Tal-Virtu' chapel. From there we headed to Verdala Pal- ace, where Matt recounted the story of the Blue Lady that is said to still haunt the beautiful residence to this very day. We were then taken to Buskett, and led on foot down into the heart of the former hunting grounds. The flashlights and can- dles came in real handy, as there was not any other light to be seen. Back on to our coach and we then head- ed to Ta' Brija cemetery outside of Sig- giewi, where we were even shown human bones scattered around the field used in the past as a burial place for victims of the black death. The tour lasted nearly three hours and it proved to be exciting and informa- tive. It delivered all the suspense we had been promised, thanks to Matt's obvious knowledge and his clear delivery. No, these tours will not scare you out of your wits, nor will they leave you a fright- ened shell of your former self. But they do allow visitors a glimpse into some of Malta's most popular lore. That they get your heart beating some- what faster is an added bonus. In the dark, quiet alleyways of Mdina, and the myste- rious areas in the surrounding country- side, your heart beating is very often all you will hear. And for me, that was perfectly fine.