Ghostlore

Ghostlore or ghost-lore is a genre of folklore concerning ghosts. Ghostlore occurs throughout recorded history, including contemporary contexts. For example, American folklorist Louis C. Jones observes the following in 1944:

Ghostlore is still widespread and popular. While most of the actions thought to be common among ghosts (chain clanking, cemetery haunting, and so forth) can be found, they are by no means so widespread in the popular ghostlore as we have been led to expect. The ghost who is very like the living is far more common than any other. ... It might be expected that a rational age of science would destroy belief in the ability of the dead to return. I think it works the other way: in an age of scientific miracles anything seems possible.^[1]

The architecture of many older buildings on college campuses resembles that of buildings described in nineteenth century literary ghost stories and Gothic novels. Often these buildings become the setting for ghostly legends. According to professor Elizabeth Tucker, "By telling ghost stories, students transform their college buildings into mysterious and magical places..." The stories serve to "initiate entering students into a new community."^[2]

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