Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary!

The Legend of Bloody Mary

A long time ago there was a woman named Mary. She was very beautiful and very vain. She had a horrible accident though and her face became so horribly scratched that she bled to death. Her spirit didn't die, she still comes; if you stand in front of a mirror in the dark and say her name three times her face appears. If you do'nt turn on the light and run away as fast as you can she'll scratch your face off, or some say, drag you into the mirror with her!

      It's a classic story. Children of all ages know about the ghost who appears in a mirror after a similar rituals and there are many varitions. It's estimated for about thirty years now children have been following the directions in the legand (whatever version they may have heard) and trying to contact Bloody Mary. It's a tradition at slumber parties, camps, and other gatherings where scaring the crap out of your friends is fun.
      Most of the legends of Bloody Mary and those that seem to be closely related seem to have orginated in the last 30 years. They are also from predominatly English-speaking backgrounds, though an age or geographic location doesn't seem to be represented entirely. Across the United States and the United Kingdom this legands seems to be fairly well known. There are many variations.in how she is summoned and opinions on why she appears. The only thing that seems to be important is the mirror, however even this isn't present in all versions. In the legends without the mirror the only way one can discern it is a Bloody Mary legend is when the name is mentioned or another key identifiying element.
        Jan Harold Brunvand, a folklorist, (who first used the term "urban legend") wrote an essay on this legend published in 1978. The essay was called "I Believe in Mary Worth" after interviewing students of Catholic school about a spirit they knew as Mary Whales. However, there are many versions collected and while both the names Mary Worth and Mary Whales are mentioned Bloody Mary seems to be the most popular name. Sometimes however, "Bloody Mary" is not used as her name but as a descritiption that must be used to summon her.
       The name Bloody Mary has been linked to many people throughout history. The most well know Bloody Mary is usually Queen Mary Tudor of England, a half sister to the great Queen Elizabeth I. Mary Tudor got this name because of the merciless burnings of witches, or really, Catholics she financed during her regin as Queen. Her father King Henry VIII had established the Chruch of England, however Mary was Catholic, and with her regin as queen she wished England to become a Catholic nation and began persecution of Protestants in England. This persecution was stopped with Elizabeth I, who was Protestant. There is also Bloody Mary as Mary Queen of Scots, most likely this has come about in confustion with Queen Mary Tudor. In some cases, although usually not displaying menacing qualities, the name Bloody Mary has been used for the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene, a reformed prostetute and follower of Jesus. In the tales there are more vague explinations of who Blood Mary is such as "the crazy woman who lived down the street", an axe murderer, a witch who was burned at the stake, and a child killer.
        In studies of this legend the name Mary Worth is mentioned enouch to be mentioned. Although it is mentioned significantly less times than Bloody Mary it is more common than other referances. This could be accounted for by being a common oral tradition, or from Brunvand's books. I have been told there is also a comic book character who goes by the name Mary Worth, however, it must be noted she has an entirely different temperment.
       Sometimes the spirit summoned by a mirror ritual was the Devil. This is less frequent, however, I remember the first time I heard the legend as a girl around the age of seven, if you were scratched three times she could pull you down in to Hell with her. A connection perhaps? In some version's of the story Mary is described as a relative of Satan. Usually as his daughter, wife, or sister.
      Sometimes Blood Mary is confused with the Bell Witch of Tennessee. But this is completely diffrent. I would go on to assume that this version of the Bell Witch as Blood Mary is probably local to some Tennessee areas were legends of the Bell Witch are prevailent. Another local version name given was most likely that of Mary Whales. There are other names also. Because this, like much of folklore, is an oral tradition specfic things like names and etc. change from storyteller to storyteller over the years. Occassionally she is not even named but by the rest of the story you can safely assume that it is a version of Bloddy Mary.

       While few people can agree on her name, even less can agree on how you go about summoning Bloody Mary. Myself, in my wee seventeen years, have tried to summon Bloody Mary various ways. In my personal experince the only personal constant I remember is there must be mirror, and it must be sufficiently dark or the light could not be on, for I remember playing this many times in daylight during the rainy summer of the 1993. Wheather you chant three times, or thirteen times, or you spin around, or it's Friday has changed many times. How it is done changes rapidly and at whom of the participant, or convenience.
      Darkness seems to be a constant thing and the repeating of a chant a certain number of times does also. I remember playing where it only needed to be spoken three times, but I think five, ten, 100, and 13 times are also popular choices. Saying some words three times doesn't give much time for suspense for scaring each other really. Well, not until you've seen some poor, weak younger chlid be shoved in a pitch-black bathroom by older children holding the door closed saying "Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary!" before he or she can escape. In any more than three times it wouldn't be as effective, trust me, even as a camp consulor a little kid scearming and beating and pushing at the bathroom door with all their might can be hard to handle! Chanting something 100 times can take a long time. At the end of it, anyone who finished and didn't chicken out most definately would find SOMETHING to happen, even if they did have to invent some of it!
       What you have to say to invoke her varies also. I always said "Bloody Mary", and sometimes you just say the spirit's name. Other versions as "I believe in Mary Worth," "I don't believe in Mary Worth," "I hate Mary Worth," "Bloody Mary, come to me," or sometimes "Bloody Mary, I got your baby." In versions which the phrase "Bloody Mary, I got your baby" are used the legend mentioned someone killing or running away with her child. Other common invocations are "Hell Mary" or "Bloody Mirror. Personally, I like the sound of "Hell Mary" best. Another invocation used was reciting the Lord's Prayer backwards.
       There are other things that are sometimes involved. I always remembered spinning around in circles but holding hands and lightning candels are also sometimes used. The candles may be used simply because you need some light to see by in a dark room. However, candles have been associated with magic for years and years. The spinning in circles will make you disoriented, and thus it's easier to "see her." However, in many old witchcraft style spells the spinning of circles is often used. Hand holding is used in many events in which you are to contact a spirit like seances, this is probably where this came from. Minor changes are the ritual of splashing water onto the mirror. I've also heard of rubbing your eyes while holding a knife but I DO NOT reccomened this. In the panic that usually follows when children do this ritual a knife will likely lead to some very, very tragic accidents. Please keep knives and other sharp objects far away from this event.
       In one story I've heard however there wasn't a ritual. This would probably be the most frightening of them all really. Because it is sead that if you walk by a mirror in complete darkness, whether you are trying to summon her or not, Bloody Mary will get you! That's one to tell prepubescent kiddies before bedtime!

      For the most part, the ritual never gets completed. The kids are usually to scared to finish or just don't stick around to find out if it worked. A very common end result is that you'll see Bloody Mary's face in the mirror, and somehow she'll try to hurt you. In some versions she attacks you by scratching you with fingernails or claws, attacking you with a knife, or pulling you into the mirror so you'll never escape and be trapped forever with her. Other more interesting ones are that she will tear your face off with her teeth because in these versions she is a cannibal. (Yum!) Sometimes it's said she'll chop your head off, and htis is usually when Bloody Mary is linked to British royalty. In versions where it's said her eyes were torn out, or she will appear with no eyes of her own, she may cut out your eyes and steal them. Sometimes it's said she'll force you to cut your own throat. Another interesting one is that she'll scare you so badly you'll die of fear or haunt you in any reflective surface from that time forward. There are versions where the end result is less, well, menacing. You may only get to see what she looks like in the mirror, or you can ask her questions she'll have to answer. Sometimes noone is seen in the mirror but the water in the bathtub will turn into blood. Also, it's said you will see scars on your body that aren't actually there, or maybe you'll get candy or toys. There's a version in which you'll see into the future.
       Whatever the supposed end result is, usually nothing happens. I can't honestly say anything ever happened to me. Occassionally out of mean-ness, not wanting to be left out, or confusion in a panic someone will say they saw something. Once in a while, if you watch children telling it, they'll display a scartch or scar and claim it was from Bloody Mary. Usually though, while the child's intent may be to impress, scare, or simply thrill the other chlidren, it's all in good fun!

        Some people think this story may have been originally been inspirired by a person who may have existed but it's unlikely. Those with historical basis rarely have facts behind them. Also most versions don't agree with each other on important points. Such things there are varitations are in her name, how she died, how or why she associated with mirrors, or even if she is in fact covered in blood.
       A story closesly associated with that of Bloody Mary is similar and features the dead spirit of a man who is the Candyman. The Candyman works much in the same way as Bloody Mary. However, the Candyman probably came from Clive Barker's film, The Candyman, which is about a killer with a hook for a hand summoned in the same way as Bloody Mary from the mirror. The story of the Candyman was taken from "The Forbidden." Both stories are reworkings of urban legends.
      Other story variations are the Donkey Lady of San Antiono, a story of Mary Wolf in which a wolf jumps out the mirror at you. Similar to that, there is a story of a Deer Woman who appears as a ball of blinding light when you shout her name three times by a certin bridge, and attacks those who have called her.
      There are some interesting varitiations though possibly not even a variation of the Bloody Mary story at all. There is one which featrues Maria. First, you sayd "I hate Maria" three times in the mirror and she would come to kill you that midnight if you were asleep or occassionall the next night. Unlike our Bloody Mary, her face is half that of a beautiful woman and half that of a bare skull. This appearance is similar to Death deities in Central America and Mexico. There are some versions in which she kills her children and then come looking for them, These are similar to the Weeping Woman legends of Mexico and surrounding areas as well as the Greek Lamia and Jewish Lilith figures. There are some similar stories that include Ouija boards talking about contacting spirits that feature a girl called Veronica. It's said Veroica went mad from the process and killed herself with a pair of scissors. There's a legend in which if you don't take the board seriously or use it the wrong way, she will come and kill you. There's another legend that says if you call for Veronica three times while in front of a mirror at midnight, you will see here in it with the scissors sticking into her neck. In both the stories of Bloody Mary and Veronica they are female spirits who attempt to harm those who try magic spells or summonings of some kind. Perhaps Bloody Mary was concoted to fighten children away from the occult?