Haunted Places, People, and Demons with Z Names

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Recently I learned what Z Day is and why it’s observed on January 1. I’m pretty sure I listed it on the Weird Holidays & Observances page because I thought it had to do with zombies.

Nope.

Although, Z Day is a perfect day to honor the letter by watching zombie movies. However, it was created to recognize people and places with Z names. It’s their day to go in reverse alphabetical order and come first.

I decided to consult a few of my books and resources and check out the Z information listed in their indices. Because I admit it. I’m guilty of overlooking this letter –or, worse, getting lazy and stopping before I even get there.

Here’s where I looked and what I found.

Books and Resources Consulted

• The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits by Rosemary Ellen Guiley
• Haunted Places: The National Directory by Dennis William Hauck
• Mystic Miscellany, the largest glossary of paranormal terms on the web

Zs in the Encyclopedia

Cult of the Zar

This is a type of possession recognized by Muslims. It’s a way for otherwise oppressed women to manipulate their husbands –and get gifts out of it in the process.

The zar are a malign, man-hating type of djinn. They attack women and demand all sorts of gifts –from clothes and jewelry to better treatment and luxurious surroundings– before they can depart.

A “beating the zar” ceremony is scheduled where the victim’s female friends and family join her as a shechah and her assistants perform the exorcism. They perform rites, chanting, dancing, and even sacrifice a lamb, whose blood is rubbed on the victim.

This gives women freedom to ask for gifts and scold their husbands in a culture where under normal circumstances this is forbidden.

Marian Apparitions in Zeitoun, Egypt

Marian apparitions are visions or supernatural manifestations of the Blessed Virgin Mary. There have been numerous such sightings all over the world, including in Zeitoun, Egypt.

It started April 2, 1968 and lasted about 14 months, until August 1969. The Marian apparitions occured two to three times a week during this time and consisted of at least 10 different shapes. The phenomena was reported in the vicinity of St. Mary’s Coptic Church and was witnessed by both Christians and Muslims alike, between 250,000 and 500,000 of them.

Johann Zollner

Harry Slade was one of the most famous slate writing mediums in the 19th century. He was so good at manifesting phenomenon that he convinced scientists, journalists, royalty and magicians to believe in Spiritualism.

Johann Zollner was a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Leipzig. Zollner was among the scientists who rigorously investigated Slade, and published his findings in Transcendental Physics.

However, years later the Seybert Commission, which investigated all facets of Spiritualism, discredicted Zollner’s findings.

Eleanor Zugun

As a child growing up in Romania, a poltergeist afflicted Eleanor between the ages of 12 and 13. It happened after she found money on the road while walking to her grandmother’s house. She spent it on candy but didn’t share with her cousin. Her grandma said the money had been left by the Devil and since Eleanor had spent it on food, she now had the Devil in her.

That night, stones rained down on her grandmother’s house and small objects near Eleanor flew around. It continued when she went home to her father. Then it escalated to include bite marks and scars she claimed she got from the Devil.

Her case attracted press attention and psychical researchers came to study her, including Harry Price. He took her to his National Laboratory of Psychical Research in London and observed her activity first hand. However, he also felt she had taken her grandmother’s accusations so much to heart she was physiologically manifesting the phenomenon.

As soon as she started menstruating, the phenomenon stopped and never plagued her again.

Zs in the Directory

Zaballa House

Guests who stay in Room 6 have reported paranormal activity in the guest book, like alarms going off, keys breaking and windows rattling. However, the innkeeper insists no ghosts haunt this inn in Half Moon Bay, California.

Zachary Scott Kleberg Theater

People accuse unidentified spirits of moving props, changing lighting and causing items to disappear at this theater in Austin, Texas.

Zakos House

Is this the spookiest house in Missoula, Montana? Maybe.

The Zakos family moved into the Victorian in 1938 only to have a woman’s screams from the walls immediately haunt them. Police, firemen, and even electricians could not find a cause.

The family tried to solve the mystery for years, but gave up in 1941 and resigned themselves to living in their haunted house. In 1956 the family had the house exorcised, which seemed to quiet the activity.

In 1980, Mary Zakos, who was a baby when her family first moved into the house, reported handwriting on the wall. However, perhaps Mary somehow projected it? That’s what a psychiatrist theorized, due to her job as a horror and romance writer.

Zander Building

A benign spirit haunts this shopping mall in Ventura, California. An apparition of a man dressed in an unbuttoned gray suit has made his presence known in several areas, including a couple of the shops and a rear stairway leading to the parking lot.

Zion National Park

Many, including Native Americans and psychics, consider this area outside of Salt Lake City, Utah, sacred ground. Native Americans believe it is a place to worship, meditate and talk to the gods. Psychics believe it’s a door to an ethericrealm.

Zs in the Miscellany

The following listing and info was taken directly from Mystic Miscellany’s site, which actually includes a couple other Z words not included below.

John Zaffis

(1955-p) – a demonologist and the star of Haunted Collector; the nephew of Ed and Lorraine Warren

Zak Bagans’ Haunted Museum

a repository of creepy and cursed items collected by TV show host Zak Bagans over his years of ghost hunting, which include the VW death van owned by Dr. Jack Kevorkian; a haunted house turned museum located at 600 E. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, NV

Zenner Cards

a set of 25 cards, having five of five different shapes – a circle, a cross, a square, a set of three wavy lines and a star – that are used by parapsychologists to detect clairvoyance in an individual; an experiment created by perceptual psychologist Karl Zener

Zeus

in Ancient Greek religion, the sky god and king of the gods of Mount Olympus; the son of Cronus and Rhea; the husband of Hera; as a philanderer, he fathered many children – Ares, Hebe, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Apollo, Athena, Artemis, Hermes, Persephone, Dionysus, Perseus, Heracles, Helen of Troy, Minos and the Muses among many others; the pagan god mentioned in biblical scripture, in Acts 14:8-13 and Acts 28:11; his Roman counterpart is Jupiter [PIE Dyeus “Sky God”] SYN Deus, Iuppiter, Jove, Allfather, Cloud-Gatherer

Ziz

in Jewish mythology, a giant griffon-like bird; it’s mentioned in two biblical places, Psalms 50:11 and Psalms 80:13-14 SYN renanin, sekwi, bariuchne

The Zohar

(c. 13th century) – the primary book of Jewish Kabbalism and a mystical interpretation of the Pentateuch; it contains a wide array of topics such as mythical cosmogony, psychology, the nature of God, the origin of the universe, redemption and the purpose of life [Hebrew “splendor; radiance”]

Zone of Silence

an area near Durango, MEX where radio and all other forms of communication do not work and also a place of anomalous activity such as UFOs and unexplained disappearances SYN La Zona del Silencio, Mapimí Silent Zone

Zozo alt. Zuzu