Haunted doll

A haunted doll is a handmade or manufactured doll or stuffed animal that is reported to be cursed or possessed in some way. The earliest report of a haunted doll goes back to Ancient Egypt where the enemies of Ramses III attempted to use wax images of his likeness to bring about his death. The dolls used in this ritual were said to be living and would curse anyone who bore their resemblance. The ancient Egyptian poppet, effigy and voodoo dolls are often said to be cursed because of their long history of being used to place curses on other people and their association with the occult.

The earliest haunted dolls were poppets, effigies and voodoo objects which were created by early peoples for either religious or ceremonial purposes. These traditional objects were later acquired by various civilizations for mystical purposes or the occult. In Rome dolls were used quite often in magical rituals to represent a connection to a god or goddess. Egyptian priests and magicians often used poppets for ceremonial purposes, to rid the body of evil or to place curses on those who went against the will of the Gods.

Poppets have historically been used to place curses on other members of a community for religious or traditional purposes. Some of the earliest effigies were used by African, Native American, and European cultures. The European poppet has its roots in early Germanic and Scandinavian tribes which used them for ceremonial purposes. Modern day Wiccans have adapted this practice for their own uses. Most Wiccans use a poppet as a symbolic representation of a person. Spells and other actions are performed on the poppet to transfer whatever might be affecting the targeted individual out of their body in something like a healing ritual. The nkisi or bocio are traditional effigy-like dolls of West and Central Africa. These dolls were often used in specific ceremonies but could also be used in healing rituals or to bind evil spirits.Voodoo dolls are fairly modern novelty items. Their concept is thought to be based on European poppet dolls.

Although haunted dolls or cursed objects in general have a long history it is only within the last few hundred years that people have started cataloging specific haunted dolls. These are some haunted dolls which have widely been recognized as being haunted by the paranormal community.

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Wikipedia