The history of Bloody Mary is a long and mysterious one. Folklorists have yet to pinpoint the exact origin of the Bloody Mary legend. Nor has anyone agreed on who Bloody Mary was. Several theories have circulated, however, about who the real Bloody Mary was and how her morose legend came to be. As with all lore, plot points change as they are passed down. They also vary by region in order to make the tale more applicable to the central cultural group. For this reason, there are different versions of the “game” and the consequences if Bloody Mary is successfully summoned.
Folklorists have traced various tales back to the 1960s, but the legend of Bloody Mary (and its accompanying creepy adolescent sleepover ritual) could be much older. In fact, the elements involved in the lore date back to much older ritualistic practices like mirror-gazing and self-hypnosis. This list explores some variations of the lore, the ritual, and the possible identities of the infamous Bloody Mary.
All You Need To Summon Bloody Mary, Is A Mirror, A Candle, And Courage
The instructions for summoning the spirit of Bloody Mary have been tweaked in various regions, but the basic ingredients remain the same. You’ll always need a dark bathroom, at least one lit candle, a mirror, and equal parts bravery and stupidity. What happens after you’ve gathered these ingredients can vary.
Some versions of the game say once you’ve turned off the bathroom light and lit the candle, you stare into the mirror and slowly chant “Bloody Mary” three times. Other versions claim that chanting her name five times will rouse her. Some even suggest spinning anywhere between three and thirteen times before chanting and then blowing out the candle in order to summon her.
The Consequences For Disturbing Bloody Mary’s Slumber Are Dire
Summoning this bloody witch of legend can produce multiple results, none of them good. The tamest consequence is simply seeing Bloody Mary appear in the mirror – or the mirror itself will start bleeding. From there, the consequences escalate to mysterious claw marks appearing all over your face and body.
Some say Mary will reach through the mirror and rip out the summoner’s eyes. She may choose to drive those in her presence insane, whereas some summoners will suffer instant death.
The Bloody Mary Of Legend May Have Been Executed For Being A Witch
One version of the Bloody Mary legend states that she is the ghost of a witch named Mary Worth who dabbled in the dark arts, abducting young girls and harnessing their youth to maintain her own beauty. Eventually, around the time of the Civil War, locals discovered there was a witch in their midst and took matters into their own hands. Mary was dragged outside, tied to a stake, and burned. Many believe her body was buried on her own farmland, and that, because of this, the land is now cursed.
Eventually – and mysteriously – Mary Worth’s spirit was absorbed into a mirror, and it is now summoned whenever pre-teens gather for a slumber party. The game for this variation involves locking yourself in a dark bathroom with a candle (which represents the fire of her demise) and standing in front of the mirror whispering “I believe in Mary Worth” three times.
Queen Mary Was The Real-Life Bloody Mary
The most popular theory is that this enigmatic figure was Mary I, Queen of England – who ruled during the Tudor period. The Catholic queen was nicknamed Bloody Mary during her lifetime because of her unusual amount of miscarriages. The nickname also applied to her penchant for ordering frequent executions – especially for Protestants – during her five-year reign.
The history of Mary Tudor’s multiple miscarriages and two phantom pregnancies resulted in the “I stole your baby” variation of the game. In this version, chanters call for Bloody Mary three times as usual but then add the taunt “I stole your baby” afterward.
Mary Worthing Killed Herself Out Of Vanity And Now Haunts The Mirror
Another origin story for this blood-soaked mystery woman is that she is really the ghost of a beautiful but terribly vain woman by the name of Mary Worthington. According to legend, a terrible accident left her disfigured. Unable to carry on without her former beauty, Mary killed herself in the 1960s.
Hanako-san, Japan’s Bloody Mary Equivalent, Haunts School Bathrooms
Many cultures maintain their own lore about bathroom-summoned entities. Hanako-san, or Toire no Hanako-san (which translates to “Hanako of the toilet”), is the Japanese equivalent of Bloody Mary.
Hanako-san is said to be the spirit of a WWII–era girl who haunts school bathrooms. According to the legend, if one approaches the third stall of a girl’s restroom on a school’s third floor and knocks three times, asking, “Are you there, Hanako-san?”, she will answer, “I’m here.” Allegedly, if you choose to enter the stall, there will be a small girl with bobbed hair in a red skirt waiting for you.
Some say that, after she is summoned, Hanako-san’s white, blood-stained hand will emerge from under the door. Some regions even claim that entering the stall after Hanako-san responds will result in a three-headed lizard eating the summoner.
Hanako-san is a widespread urban legend all throughout Japan and, much like in the Western world, the game is often played by children to prove their bravery to their peers.
Before Bloody Mary, Girls Gazed Into Mirrors To See Their Future Husbands
Mirrors have been long considered gateways into the spirit world. Using them to glimpse the future and communicate with otherworldly entities dates back to ancient times. The practice became immensely popular in the 1700s-era British Isles for young girls, who would perform a ritual with a candle and mirror to discover the identity of their future husbands.
A girl would sit in front of a mirror with a candle, brush her hair, and bite from an apple. Apparently, the face of their husband-to-be would appear over their shoulder in the mirror. If the face of a skeleton appeared, the girl would die before getting married.
This example from the Poems of Robert Burns was published in 1787:
“Take a candle, and go alone to a looking glass; eat an apple before it, and some traditions say, you should comb your hair all the time; the face of your conjugal companion, to be, will be seen in the glass, as if peeping over your shoulder.”
The Bloody Mary Legend Has Pervaded Pop Culture
From television’s Ghost Whisperer, Charmed, and Supernatural to full-length feature films and video games, the legend of Bloody Mary has made quite a few appearances in pop culture. The most hilarious re-imagining is most likely South Park’s parody, where the boys all dare each other to chant “Biggie Smalls” in the mirror three times.
In “Candyman“, Bloody Mary Is Replaced By A Man With A Bloody Hook
An intriguing interpretation of the Bloody Mary legend is found in the movie Candyman.
The story begins in the 1890s with a forbidden love affair between Daniel Robitaille, the son of a slave, and Caroline Sullivan, the daughter of a wealthy landowner. Caroline becomes pregnant, but her father, angered by the racial difference between the two lovers, refuses to accept the relationship. Mr. Sullivan enlists a lynch mob to brutally slaughter Robitaille, severing his right hand, coating him in honey, and chanting “Candyman” as bees sting him to death.
Robitaille saw himself reflected in Caroline’s mirror as he uttered “Candyman” with his last breath. This action supernaturally trapped his soul in the mirror for all eternity.
In order to reach him, a summoner must stand in front of a mirror and repeat “Candyman” five times. Robitaille’s vengeful spirit will appear and murder the summoner with the bloody hook that replaced his missing hand.
The Bloody Mary Phenomenon Can Be Explained Scientifically
Assuming your friend’s sister’s cousin is actually telling the truth when she swears Bloody Mary appeared to her at a sleepover last summer – science has an explanation. Apparently, you don’t need hallucinogens to hallucinate; the act of staring into a mirror in a dimly lit room for a prolonged period is enough to do the trick. Experiments performed by psychologists have proven the phenomenon.
In essence, due to a lack of information, your brain starts creating its own visuals. Often causing the reflection’s facial features to distort or melt, and even adding things that aren’t really there. These hallucinations can range from familiar to terrifying.
The adrenaline from the build-up and spinning around beforehand can also add to this phenomenon. Ultimately, the Bloody Mary game does work – it’s just not Bloody Mary you’re seeing… most of the time.
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