There are countless intriguing mysteries in the world, but some are interesting as they are deadly. From a vase that kills its owners to the curse of 5000 year old man, taking the lives of those who would dare disturb its slumber. This is a list of 9 real cursed objects.
The Basano Vase
The Basano vase was given to an Italian bride in the 15 century as a wedding gift. But, what was supposed to be a token of joy, became a focal point of a tragic and mysterious end. On the day of the wedding, the bride lay dying on the floor, clutching the vase with her hands. No one knows how or why she died, but before she did, she spoke of vengeance. Over the next 500 years anyone in possession of the vase would die in mysterious circumstances not long after obtaining. Eventually, a pharmacist acquired the vase in an auction and died not long later. A surgeon purchased it after that event, and he died only a couple months later. It was then sold to an archaeologist who died, a short time after the purchase. After this, it fell into the hands of the police and was never seen again. Considering the amount of deaths caused, the Basano Vase could be considered one of the most dangerous cursed objects in history.
The Dybbuk Box
The story goes, that a holocaust survivor accidentally summoned a demon known as a Dybbuk while using a Ouija board, but managed to seal it inside a wine cabinet before it could escape. This cabinet has since been the cause of strange, and mysterious happenings. At first, it was simply nightmares about the demon Dybbuk. Not just by the owner, but anyone who slept in the building with the box would have the same nightmares. One owner of the box suffered from a stroke the day they received the box, after having the same nightmares. The last known owner of the box, suffered the nightmares, and then developed a mysterious skin condition. He supposedly contacted his rabbi, who sealed the demon once again, and hid the box in an unknown location.
The Hope Diamond
An ironic name for a diamond supposed to have caused countless deaths, and tragedies over thousands of years. It’s 1.1 billion years old, and worth over $200 million. The curse on the diamond causes great misfortune to fall upon anyone who holds the diamond. From financial ruin, and execution, to being ripped apart by dogs and and murdered by the mob. The Smithsonian Natural History Museum now keeps the diamond, so anyone can see it.
Little Bastard
Little Bastard is the name James Dean gave to his Porsche. In 1955, he crashed Little Bastard and died. The car was then purchased by a Hot Rod designer, who sold it for parts. As it was being disassembled, the car fell and crushed his leg. But, this was only the beginning of the curse. As the parts spread, so did the curse. Several people who bought the parts all either died, or suffered serious injuries, and only in car crashes. The engine, tires, transmission, and shell of the car were all involved in serious accidents. After, a truck carrying the shell crashed, the trucker driver died. The shell was then stolen, and never heard from again.
The Crying Boy Painting
The Crying Boy painting is one of the most famous cursed objects in the world. There have been a number of households in the UK which had a Crying Boy painting, and burnt down. Everything in the house burnt in the fire, except for the crying boy painting, lying among the rubble. This same strange incident happened to so many households, that people began to believe that the painting was actually cursed, and caused the fire itself. The story was originally reported in the Sun, and the next month, the Sun was organising mass bonfires of the paintings, in order to destroy the curse.
The Woman From Lemb Statue
The statue is over 5000 years old, but was only discovered by modern men in 1878. Since it was uncovered, it was owned by four different families, and every one of those families was dead only a few years after obtaining. Lord Elphont was the first to own it, after which he and his entire family died. Then it fell to Ivor Menucci, and then he and his entire family died. Lord Thompson-Noel’s family died after obtaining, and finally Sir Alan Biverbrook and his whole family died as well. However, before Biverbrook died he donated it to the Royal Scottish Museum. After one year, the museum curator died as well.
The Curse of the Pharaohs
One of the most well known cursed objects is the Tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. The curse of the pharaohs is said to afflict anyone who steps foot inside the tomb. The first to die was the canary being used by Howard Carter, the explorer who discovered the hidden tomb. The canary had led him there, and then died. Then, Howard’s benefactor died, and so did 20 people connected to the tombs discovery in some way. Is there a curse protecting the tomb from raiders, or is there another more reasonable explanation?
The Ghost In The Turban
Sara and Clarke Woodruff once lived on Myrtles Plantation in Louisiana, and are believed to have owned a slave who met and an unfortunate end, and then made an unwelcome return. The legend says that a slave named Cloe was taken by Clarke as a mistress, but was caught by Sara, who cut off Cloe’s ear in fury. From then on, Cloe wore a green turban to cover up the wound. Although, the punishment may have been meant to keep her line, Cloe decided to take drastic action in response. She baked a poison cake and fed it to the family. It’s possible she was trying to redeem herself in the family’s eyes by curing them of the poison, but it all went awry when Sara and her two daughters died from the poison. The other slaves then hanged Cloe, perhaps to save themselves from being accused of coconspiriting. A number of people in the modern day have claimed to have seen strange apparitions in the plantation. A ghost in a green turban wandering the grounds, and the handprints of children that don’t exist. The historical accuracy of the legend is dubious, but it’s an interesting legend nonetheless.
Otzi The Iceman
In September, 1991, in the Otzal Alps of Italy, the remains of a 5,000 years old man was discovered. The man is believed to have been in his mid 40’s when he died, and his body is covered in tattoos. Otzi is the oldest known remains of a human that lived in Europe. His discovery is a window into the past, but it was followed by multiple tragic incidents, that some refuse to simply write off as coincidence. After being discovered, a string of deaths occurred. The lives of those involved in the discovery of examination of the body were lost in different ways, some of which were accidents. A potential reason given is that instead of mere coincidence, this is a curse set upon the Iceman.