Bell Witch

There are several versions of the story of the Bell Witch, a ghost that appears intent on wreaking havoc on a household. All versions of the story share certain elements. Between 1817 and 1820, John Bell and his family were tormented by a ghost on their farm near Adams, Tennessee. The ghost was that of an old woman and appeared to family members as well as to several people outside the family and then began to speak to people. The ghost revealed its identity on several occasions. Although the name it gave varied, its most consistent claim was that it was a witch named Kate. The ghost subsequently swore that it would torment John Bell to death, and from that point on, John Bell frequently felt himself being pinched, pushed, and otherwise physically tormented.

Because of the nature of the ghost’s actions, the Bell Witch is considered to be a classic case of poltergeist activity. This same force also knocked pictures off walls, flipped over chairs, threw dishes and rocks, pulled hair, and tugged blankets off of beds. Sometimes these activities were accompanied by piercing shrieks or loud moans. After newspapers reported on the ghost’s antics, the Bell farm became somewhat of a tourist attraction, with people coming from as far away as New York to see the phenomenon.

These violent activities took place in front of many witnesses. The first person to see the Bell Witch was John Bell’s twelve-year-old daughter, Betsy. Yet although the witch tormented her father and other family members, it left her alone. A few years later, though, when Betsy became engaged to be married, the ghost began to torment her as well. It vanished for good only after John Bell fell into a mysterious coma and died.

Some who have studied the case believe that Betsy Bell was responsible for the existence of the Bell Witch. This contention is based on the theory that teenagers, possibly as a consequence of hormonal changes associated with adolescence, can create phenomena such as poltergeists with their own minds. But because Betsy herself was eventually tormented by the Bell Witch and the poltergeist activity only stopped after John Bell’s death, other people believe that his mind was causing the phenomenon. Still others say that the simplest and most logical explanation is that an angry ghost really was tormenting the Bells. Skeptics reject all these notions, suggesting that the Bell Witch was either a series of hallucinations or the product of fakery.

SEE ALSO:

• Human Ghosts
• Poltergeists

SOURCE:

The Greenhaven Encyclopedia of Paranormal Phenomena – written by Patricia D. Netzley © 2006 Gale, a part of Cengage Learning