3 Black Folktales That Will Give You Goosebumps

black man screaming
Leslie Grover-Taylor
October 29, 2024

Some tales are so scary that they make you refuse to say a certain name five times or look under your bed before falling asleep. But these three should make your list because they just might be true.

#1 Boo Hags – In the middle of the night, this spirit slithers through window cracks and through keyholes to steal the breath of her victims. Unable to move, the victims are frozen and drained of their ability to rest.

#2 Night Doctors – Hiding away in the night, these doctors wait, needles and rope ready to poison Black people who dare to roam places after dark or visit cemeteries to visit loved ones. Their goal was to use Black bodies for medical experiments.

#3 Chloe’s Ghost – Chloe was an enslaved woman who became the mistress of a plantation owner in St. Francisville, Louisiana. When the man’s wife and children suddenly died, all eyes turned to Chloe, who was assumed to be heartbroken because he had lost interest in her. Though locals killed Chloe, many visitors claim to see her apparition haunting the grounds today.

Though unsettling, these folktales serve to preserve our stories and cultural memories. That’s why they’ve lasted all these centuries. What’s your favorite scary story? Could it have a little bit of truth in it?

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