The Mysterious Truth Behind Bloody Mary, The Woman In The Mirror
If you have been to a middle school sleepover, you have likely been subjected to the legend of Bloody Mary.
And it is supposedly quite simple to summon the evil spirit. Daring children just have to stand alone in a dark bathroom with a single candle lit. Then, they have to stare into a mirror and chant the spirit’s name three times over: “Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary.”
As legend has it, a ghostly figure known as Bloody Mary herself is supposed to appear in the mirror behind you. Some claim to have seen the supernatural woman alone; others have seen her cradling a dead baby.
But where the heck did this sadistic legend come from, and was Bloody Mary once a real person?
Queen Mary I Of England
The Bloody Mary legend does not have a precise origin. But, there are a few possibilities as to where the myth came from. And the first concerns Queen Mary I of England.
The Queen was born on February 18, 1516, to Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII. But Mary did not seem likely to later become the Queen. Instead, her father spent much of Mary’s childhood doing whatever he could to produce a male heir.
However, once Mary entered her teen years, Henry became a part of a massive scandal after he claimed his marriage to Catherine of Aragon to be incestuous and illegal. The allegations surfaced because Catherine had previously been married to his brother.
Then, Henry went on to divorce Catherine, marry a woman named Anne Boleyn, and ultimately established the Church of England.
alexshalamov – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purpose only, not the actual person
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
Following this scandal, Mary was left regarded as an illegitimate woman. She was declared a “lady” instead of a “princess” and was even torn away from her mother.
Nonetheless, Mary refused to acknowledge the scandal’s truth. And for years, she watched as her father continued to remarry.
After Anne Boleyn was eventually executed came Jane Seymour. But Jane died in childbirth, so he moved on to Anne of Cleves. However, this marriage ended in divorce before Henry remarried a fifth time to Catherine Howard. Still, that was not the end for Henry. His sixth and final wife was Catherine Parr.
And throughout this entire love debacle, Henry did finally get his one true wish– a son, who he named Edward VI.
But, once Edward VI died only six years into his rule, the crown was supposed to pass on to Lady Jane Gray, his Protestant cousin. Mary did not allow that to happen, though.
Instead, she took the opportunity to rise to power and actually guided an army into London and stole the throne.
Queen Mary I Becomes Known As “Bloody Mary”
Once Queen, Mary’s top priority was getting England back into the Catholic Church. She first married Philip II of Spain before halting Protestant rebellion and undoing much of her father’s policies that were anti-Catholic.
Then, in 1555, Mary did something that she believed would ensure her goal was achieved– she revived a law known as “heretico comburendo.” Under that law, all dissidents would be burned at the stake.
For Mary, these executions were supposed to be a short-lived shock that would scare Protestants and prompt them to come back to the Catholic Church.
However, the Protestants had different plans in mind. In fact, the executions did not even seem to phase them– which led Mary to continue her killing spree.
So, by the time Mary died in 1558, she had nearly three hundred Protestants burned alive. The victims included both normal citizens, who were mostly poor, as well as some prominent figures– such as archbishops and bishops.
And Mary’s reign filled with murder was not forgotten. Instead, it earned her a lasting legacy and the nickname of “Bloody Mary.”
The Queen’s “Bloody Mary” Legacy
Mary’s affinity for execution is not the only reason why people believe she was the inspiration for the urban legend, though.
Some people report seeing Bloody Mary holding a deceased baby in her arms after appearing in the bathroom mirror.
And many believe this baby to be tied to the Queen’s tragic pregnancy.
Amidst trying to return England to the Catholic Church, Mary also yearned to get pregnant. She was already thirty-seven years old after taking the crown and wanted to ensure she produced an heir.
However, after announcing that she was pregnant two months after her marriage to Philip, no baby was ever born. Mary appeared pregnant and underwent symptoms.
But, her due date passed, and a baby had never come.
Instead, rumors began to swirl in the French court about Mary delivering a “mole” or “lump of flesh.” So, it is possible that the Queen suffered a molar pregnancy.
And sadly, by the time she died just five years later, Mary never gave birth to any children as she had hoped.
Nonetheless, some historians point out that the name “Bloody Mary” could have been sexist regard for the Queen.
After all, her father had condemned fifty-seven thousand of his own subjects to death– yet she was the one considered “Bloody.”
Regardless, many believe that Mary’s infamous reputation and tragic miscarriage are undeniably linked to the popular urban legend.
Other Women Who Might Have Inspired “Bloody Mary”
Two other women, one an alleged witch and one a Hungarian noblewoman, may have also contributed to the Bloody Mary legend craze.
The first, Mary Worth of Wadsworth, Illinois, was considered to be a notorious witch who kidnapped children, put them under her spell, and murdered them. Then, she was believed to use her victims’ blood in order to remain youthful.
The townspeople eventually tied Mary to a stake and burned her alive.
But, before then, she allegedly told the public that if they dared to chant her name in the mirror, she would forever haunt them.
The second, Elizabeth Bathory, was a noblewoman who would eventually be charged with murdering eighty young girls and women in 1610.
She was rumored to have beaten the girls with clubs, sewn their lips shut, burned them with hot irons, and even mutilated their bodies with scissors.
And, like Mary Worth, Elizabeth was also rumored to have bathed in the blood of her victims to stay young.
Nonetheless, Elizabeth’s alleged crimes may have also been a product of gender discrimination since she was a wealthy and powerful single woman managing her late husband’s lucrative estates.
“Bloody Mary” Lives On Today
In turn, it is hard to nail down exactly which woman inspired the urban legend. And perhaps all three women’s experiences and accusations played a role in the folklore.
Regardless, the whispers about Bloody Mary’s torturous spirit have inspired numerous movies, books, and even the widely-loved cocktail.
So, even if we cannot be sure of the legend’s true origin, one thing is certain: kids will continue daring each other to chant the supposedly cursed name in the mirror for years to come.
If true crime defines your free time, this is for you: join Chip Chick’s True Crime Tribe.
The Chilling Tale Behind What Happened On The Ghost Ship S.S. Ourang Medan
Her Daughter Said She Wasn’t Going To College, So This Mom Signed Her Up Anyway
More About:Freaky
Read This Next
