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Archives preserve valuable testimonies that allow us to explore facts and natural phenomena shrouded in mystery. Among manuscripts, letters, chronicles and photographs, stories of inexplicable events or unknown creatures often emerge, giving rise to myths and legends. These sources thus open a window onto the representation of mystery, revealing the intriguing blend of scientific reality and creativity.
The first episode of this journey into the archives of mystery begins with a true icon of Gothic literature: the vampire. Protagonist of 19th-century novels and a figure in the mythology of Northeastern Europe, according to myth the vampire feeds on the life energy of other creatures.
This 1830 publication from the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, titled “Têtes et crânes de divers Phyllostomes” [Heads and skulls of various Phyllostomes, that is, bats] describes the vampyre quite accurately:
Unfortunately, no pictures of vampyres’ skulls, but in these Annales, there is a short description: "We have short-snouted and longer-snouted phyllostomids: but they all make the same use of their teeth, whatever the differences, as they use them to break and split the elytra and thoraxes of insects".
For images of vampyres, the best is to go to cinema or theater, where the longevity of the vampire character is truly remarkable: from its early appearances in 19th century, it remains one of the most prevalent figures in horror films and plays.
Here a poster announces the comedy show Pulcinella Vampiro, performed by John Blick in 1856:
And here is a vampire on a moped in front of Kaufhaus Schneider, a common department store in Germany, during filming, in 1976:
Usually depicted as a reanimated corpse without consciousness, the zombie often appears in horror movies, books, and video games, where it is described as a slow-moving being driven by basic instincts, such as feeding on human flesh. In popular culture, zombies are often associated with pandemics or apocalypses. They originate from myths and legends, like those from Haitian voodoo, but have been reinterpreted in a modern context. Their symbolism often reflects social fears or themes related to the loss of control and identity.
An example is one of the 1099 post-it messages written during the Red Shirt street protests in Thailand in 2010: “Abhisit is a zombie. He loves to drink blood. From Ban Phai”, held in Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis.
As for the vampire, the popularity of the zombie character resonates in the performing arts: this is a poster announcing the show by Elkie Deadman and the group White Zombie.
Let’s now travel back in time to discover a XVI century haunted house!
Lorenzo López, a respectable resident of Peñafiel, Spain, finds himself embroiled in a most unusual legal case: he purchased a house in the parish of Santa María de Mediavilla, a transaction that initially seemed smooth. However, shortly after taking possession of the property, the tranquility of his new home is shattered by disturbing phenomena.
Strange noises at night, objects moving on their own, fleeting shadows that seem to come to life within the walls: everything suggests the presence of otherworldly entities. Terrified and overwhelmed by unease, Lorenzo declares that the house is infested with supernatural creatures: duendes, trasgos, and even devils. His home is not just an abandoned house but a refuge for mischievous spirits!
The Archivo de la Real Chancillería de Valladolid holds the documents showing the lawsuit filed by Lorenzo against the sellers Diego Martínez Bernal and his wife Ana de Gracia, residents of Ayllón.
Here's a truly creepy source! It’s a Conjuro (spell) made with a braid of hair, three nails, and threads, all wrapped in a piece of paper labeled "spells." This item belongs to the collections of the Council of the Supreme Inquisition, in the Archivio Historico Nacional.
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The Inquisition’s mission was to suppress offenses against the faith. Initially, it targeted false converts from Judaism, though, over time, its jurisdiction expanded to include offenses by Old Christians as well—such as witchcraft, bigamy, blasphemy, sodomy, and heretical propositions.
During the Spanish Inquisition (1478–1834), accusations of a "pact with the devil" were common in witchcraft trials. Seen as both a spiritual and political threat, witchcraft was persecuted as heresy. This pact was considered a blasphemous agreement in which individuals exchanged their souls for supernatural or material benefits.
Here is a prosecutor's allegation in the trial of faith of Andrea Crespo, a stocking maker from Madrid, pursued by the Court Inquisition Tribunal for sorcery and a pact with the devil.
And here another prosecutor's allegation in the trial of faith of Pedro Alcaide Baquero, a native of Oran, pursued by the Inquisition Tribunal of Murcia for a pact with the devil.
The motives for a pact with the devil can include wealth, love, power, or even the desire to gain special abilities.
Here is the letter written by the famous architect Ventura, declaring that he made a pact with the devil so that he could learn to fight bulls.
Geography has its own mysteries. Numerous places and mythical kingdoms, whose existence (or supposed existence) is recorded in archival sources, continue to captivate us.
The legendary kingdoms associated with Prester John and the Three Magi, for instance, are part of medieval traditions that blend history, legend, and Christian mythology. These figures and their imagined realms have fascinated the West for centuries, inspiring tales of exotic lands, wise rulers, and kingdoms filled with wonders.
In the mid-16th century, Diego de Noguerol, guarda mayor of the Cathedral of Zamora, wrote a work to educate and prepare the young Countess María de Urrea Toledo for her marriage in 1553 to the future fifth Count of Alba de Liste, Diego Enríquez de Guzmán (?-1604). This essay includes several chapters dedicated to distant Christian kingdoms, including those of Prester John and the Magi.
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Around two hundred years later, another astonishing phenomenon was recorded by travelers on a navigational map: "the unexpected encounter with numerous ice floes and their miraculous parting, as experienced by the ship El Diamante, at latitudes between 49 and 46 degrees south, during its return voyage from the port of Callao de Lima to Cádiz."
The archives are rich with accounts of unusual beings—both real and imagined. These records serve as a testament to humanity's fascination with what lies outside the bounds of the ordinary.
Among the records of the Archivo General de Indias is a drawing of a boy, three or four years old, from the province of Capiz in the Philippines.
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The boy, described as an "abnormal creature," is covered in hair from the chest upward, with numerous hairy moles densely scattered across his skin, accentuating his otherworldly appearance. Physical traits like these, such as hypertrichosis or abnormal hair growth, are rare in medical literature, yet their presence has long been a source of myths and superstitions in various cultures.
In Capiz, a region steeped in tales of aswang (shape-shifters and witches) and other supernatural beings, the boy's appearance would likely have been interpreted as more than a simple medical anomaly. To some, he might have been seen as a cursed child, a hybrid between human and spirit, or even a living manifestation of a local legend.
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If you remix, transform or build upon the object, you may not distribute the modified material.
This object is in the public domain, but has been digitised as the outcome of a public-private partnership, where the terms of the contractual agreement limit commercial use for a certain period of time. You can copy, redistribute, remix, tweak, and build upon the object for non-commercial use only.
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line with the requirements of the national law implementing Directive
2012/28/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October
2012 on certain permitted uses of orphan works.
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This object is in the public domain, but is subject to known legal restrictions other than copyright which prevent its free re-use. Please contact the providing institution for more information.
This object is currently in copyright. Please contact the providing institution for more information and in order to acquire additional permissions for re-use.
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