you know, it just occured to me (I really don't know why I didn't think of this sooner) that it might be fun and illuminating to share ghostly tales of the Middle Ages.

What do you think or maybe share places of antiquity, like castles who have a history of being haunted?

In York, England, there was a plumber who was working on a steam boiler (IIRC) in the basement of a house. He looked up upon hearing some strange sounds, and, in the opposite corner from where he was, he saw what he described as a raggity, battle-weary Roman army walk across the basement. It was a good 30-40 men strong train, complete with horses. Their clothing and armour had looked ragged and torn, and they had a very somber expression. The horses were being led, and all the men were on foot. The plumber could do nothing but sit on the floor in terror.

When he was questioned about the incident, he said that the strangest thing about the army (aside from them being dead) was the fact that he only saw them from the knees up. They were walking on the floor, with the area just below their kneecap on the floor.

Uncle Bob has a nice Haloween story for you. In Pembroke castle, which had at one time belonged to William Marshal, but after his sons died off passed for a while to the Clare family (I believe).

During the 13th c. there was quite a bit of warfare on the marches and in Wales proper. A young lady belonging to the castle, who was a lady in waiting for the Lady of the castle fell in love with a young Welshman. While most of the garrison was away on campaign, she had gotten in the habit of lowering a rope to her lover, who would climb up to her tower chamber, and they would pleasantly while away the hours together.

After several months of this, the young man (who was the leader of a group of Welsh soldiers) left the rope hang from the window during one of his daliances. His men climbed up the rope and into the castle, and proceeded to slaughter what was left of the garrison.

Hearing the comotion, and realising she had been betrayed, and herself had betrayed the family that had taken her in, the young lady took a knife and struck her lover down. She then in dispair lept out of the tower to her death on the rocks below.

From that time to this, that particular tower has been reputed to be haunted. To this day, people have witnessed in the tower stair the sounds of a man gasping for breath as he is dying, and in the tower room adjacent can be heard a lady sobbing.....

True enough story that it made it onto an episode of "Sightings" years ago. I can remember reading that particular story many years ago now as a kid.

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Bob R.

York, England also is home to Clifford's Tower, a rather unassuming two level, cloverleaf castle on the top of a hill a ways from the center of town. It was built on the ruins of a wooden tower of William the Conqueror's.

In 1198, following the festivites concerning Richard I's coronation and his departure for the crusades, two York Jews were murdered. Benedict was beaten to death in Nottingham, and the other gentleman, Isacc was forced to eat pork before being killed. In March of the following year, Isacc's house was broken into, his valuables stolen, his family murdered and the house was burnt to the ground.

These acts seemed to have prompted a fervor in the town, and a very angry mob was raised under the leadership of Richard Malebisse. The mob went around, proclaiming that the Jews could have their freedom if they passed over all their valuables and became Christians.

Seeking protection, the Jews of the town ran to the site of William's fort, and were let in by the constable. The mob was at the front door, and continued to offer conversion or death.

Rather than betray their faith, the majority of the people committed suicide. The fathers killed their children and their wives, and then turned on each other. Finally, only two of those remained, the leader of the community, Joseph of York, and Yomtob, the Rabbi. After saying a prayer over the fallen, the Rabbi took the life of Joseph, and took the sin of suicide upon himself.

Those that had not participated in the mass suicide opened the doors to the castle the next morning to bargin with the mob, the mob slaughtered the remaining Jews, only to find that thier valuables had been burnt the night previous.

Some 50 years later, the wooden fort was replaced with the stone castle that stands today. However, upon completion, the white stone that makes up the castle, turned blood red on occation. The people of York saw the castle still dripping with the blood of the murdered Jews.

In the 17th century, Lord Cromwell formally invited the Jews back to York to live in peace, and in 1978, the Jewish community formally forgave the city for the massacre in 1190. Sence then, the tower has remained white.