.jpg)
Ahaunted doll is a handmade or manufactureddoll orstuffed toy that is claimed to becursed orpossessed in some way.
According to Linda Rodriguez McRobbie, the concept of malevolent dolls gained attention in the 20th century when film and entertainment technology was able to realistically portray "safely inanimate" dolls as "dangerously animate". McRobbie cites examples such as the 1936 filmThe Devil-Doll byTod Browning, theLiving Doll episode of the TV seriesTwilight Zone, the clown doll from the filmPoltergeist, the Chucky doll featured in theChild's Play film franchise, as well as "B-movie variations on the homicidal doll theme" such asDolly Dearest,Puppet Master,Demonic Toys, andBlood Dolls. More recently, a character based on the doll namedAnnabelle owned byEd and Lorraine Warren has been featured inThe Conjuring series of films.[1]
The popularity of films and entertainment about haunted dolls has resulted in the sale of dolls claimed to be haunted oneBay,Amazon,Etsy and many other sites. According to Katherine Carlson ofThe New Yorker, sales listings are often accompanied by claims of paranormal phenomena associated with the doll.[2] Carlson wrote that such dolls bring with them a certain fascination that a regular doll does not, since "a haunted doll requires proof — or at least enough of a backstory that a prospective buyer can embrace the possibility of the supernatural".[2]
According to folklore professor Libby Tucker, "Ghost tours, ads for haunted hotels, and other monetary transactions build on preexisting beliefs and narratives. The fact that people buy and sell ghostly materials takes nothing away from these materials’ value for folklore researchers, which is considerable".[3]
A number of supposedly haunted dolls have appeared inpopular culture in recent years.[4]
Robert is a doll claimed to be possessed by spirits that is on display at theEast Martello Museum inKey West, Florida, that was once owned by Key West painter and author Robert Eugene Otto.[5][6]
Annabelle is aRaggedy Ann doll alleged byEd and Lorraine Warren to be haunted[7] and displayed in The Warren's Occult Museum inMonroe, Connecticut, the United States. The doll served as the inspiration for the filmsThe Conjuring andAnnabelle.[8]
Kerry Walton, ofBrisbane,Queensland,Australia, has appeared on a number of television programs with a doll he claims to have found while visiting an abandoned building in 1972 inWagga Wagga.[9] According to Walton, he named the doll "Letta Me Out" because of its supposedly supernatural characteristics. Walton claims that people have seen the doll move in front of them, and that the doll has left visible scuff marks around the house.[10]
According to modern Japanese folklore, in 1918, a teenager named Eikichi Suzuki purchased a large doll fromHokkaido for his younger sister, Okiku, who gave the doll her name. When Okiku died, her family came to believe that Okiku's spirit was inhabiting the doll and the hair on the doll was growing. The doll resides inMannenji Temple in Hokkaido, where it is claimed that a priest regularly trims Okiku's still-growing hair.[11]
Made in England or Germany between 1910 and 1920, Mandy is a porcelain baby doll donated to theQuesnel Museum in British Columbia in 1991 that is claimed to have supernatural powers: Mandy's eyes supposedly follow museum visitors. The doll has been featured on theMontel Williams Show.[12]
According to Singapore legend, Pulau Ubin Barbie is aBarbie doll displayed in a memorial temple said to have supernatural powers.[13]
Late night comedy panel showAfter Midnight features a haunted doll as a recurring prize.[14]
Sold in Brazil in the late 1980s, the doll was based on the children's showcharacter of the same name. They became the target of urban legends claiming that they had a knife or dagger inside their bodies used for rituals and to curse children.[15]
Similar to Fofão, also sold in the late 80s and based on children's show hostXuxa. One of the dolls became the target of a rumor claiming it had been possessed by the devil and had killed a child even being reported in a newspaper.[16]
| Models and manufacturers |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Types of manufacture | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Collections in museums | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Related topics | |||||||||||||||||||||||
