Ghost Hunter Notes

 

Research for Icelandic Ghost Hunters

 

How to Find Local Ghosts

A "real ghost story" is only as credible as the history that supports it.

When Haunted Walks hears a report of a significant haunting, I research the story before we take it seriously.

Here's an overview of the research process that we use at Reykjavik Haunted Walks:

1. Verify the age of the site.

Often, especially in areas anticipating tourism, new buildings are designed to look far older than they are, find the original date.

You can often trace a building's history the same as title insurance is researched. Usually, the local city or town hall has ownership records and building permits to indicate the age of the site.

City directories -19th-century listings, similar to phone books but before telephones -usually include a section listed by address. Use them to learn more about an address: Who was there, what the purpose of the site was, and more.

2. Verify the history of the site.

You may need to trace the homeowners' histories. Start with ownership records at the town or city hall. You may also need to check historical diaries and other documents, especially court and probate records, to determine the reported ghost's links to the site.

Likewise, if someone claims that an event took place at the site, check contemporary records. Look at newspaper reports from the time of the event, and verify the locations or addresses.

Verify the ghost's personal history.

At Haunted Walks, we steadily hear reports about "real ghosts" and they often have names and stories. If a story sounds a little like an urban legend, it probably is one. However, whether the ghost story sounds real or not, homework is necessary.

First, be sure that the person really existed. Birth, marriage, and death records, as well as census records, should support the ghost story. At Reykjavik Haunted Walks, we routinely check the free and paid resources at Ancestry.com (other resources apply in Iceland.).

However, those same census and vital records are available to the public at no charge, especially if you live in the area of the reported haunting.

Your public library probably has census records that you can use. Birth, marriage, and death records are generally kept at the town, county, and/or state levels, and may be free for you to examine.

Or, you can check online for helpful research materials. You're doing genealogical research, so the best single source for links is CyndisList.com. (other resources apply in Iceland.).

For a quick search on ghosts from the early 20th century and before, we usually check the LDS Church's database, FamilySearch.org. That resource may contain errors, but in many cases it's a fast way to gather information. (other resources apply in Iceland.).

This has been more an overview than a tutorial, but if you follow our guidelines and research every site before taking a ghost story seriously, all ghost hunters will benefit from improved credibility.

Before you tell others about a "true ghost story," be sure that there really is a ghost, and that history supports the story that you're repeating.

 More Ghost Info. Just follow the links.

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Research for Icelandic Ghost Hunters.

How to Find Local Icelandic and Foreign Ghosts.

Identify Your Icelandic Ghost.

Cemetery Etiquette for Icelandic Ghost Hunters.