The Messed Up Origins of THE HAUNTED HOUSE | Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Explained

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▼ Timestamps ▼
» 0:53 - The Haunted House (Full Story)
» 7:19 - Athenodorus and the Ghost (Origins)
» 9:42 - A Tale from the Cumberland Gap (Origins)
» 13:06 - A Tale from Germany (Origins)
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▼ Credits ▼
» Edited by: Jon Solo & Lu Solo
» Written & Directed by: Jon Solo
▼ Resources ▼
» my favorites: messeduporigin...
» Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
» Old Greasybeard: Tales from the Cumberland Gap
▼ Art Sources ▼
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» Spooky Background Music Tracks provided by CO.AG Music: / @co.agmusic
#messeduporigins #scarystories #folklore

[@JonSolo]

Thanks for watching, mere mortal! Hope you enjoyed the episode! If you want to hear more breakdowns of the Scary Stories series check out the playlist linked below! 👇 kzbin.info/aero/PL9QtT_u7JDM9PAhjgkrKE9obnUPKE-fnt

[@ModernMedusa]

Please do The Drum! Rings on Her Fingers, Oh Suzannah, The Cat's Paw, The Black Dog. Also please cover that story you said needs its own video!

[@royaltyking08]

My father read these stories to me n my brother, i read them to my kids, i hope my kids will continue the tradition, and Lord willing, as a grandfather I'll be able to witness it. The Thing has always and will always be my favorite story from the collection. I wouldn't be mad if you covered that one. Thanks for all the great content.

[@seanfrizzell8227]

Thanks for the video, I'm thinking of getting the Scary Stories to tell in the dark collection book. I wanna see if there are more stories in these books, more scarier than the last. Thanks man and can't wait to see more mess up stories out there.

[@Why-areyoustilltalking]

Plz do the white wolf next

[@mousemd]

I consider myself fortunate to have gotten a copy of some of Grimm's Fairy Tales. I mean a translation of the original not the candified Tales that I read as a child

[@seanfrizzell8227]

There are two stories that I hope Jon covers soon. One is called "Me Tie Dough-ty Walker," and the other one, "The Drum." These two creep me out badly. And I always wonder, "What inspired these two stories?" Have a good day, everyone.

[@ModernMedusa]

The Drum is based on a story called The New Mother, really hope he does this one!

[@TyraSaysTuMadre]

I LOVEDDDD THESEEE

[@Rylosalex]

@@ModernMedusa I want him to cover "The bed by the Window" I never really got that story. I would love an explanation.

[@user-cl9re9wr9n]

@@ModernMedusa "The Drum" is the one that freaked me out the most as a child and has stuck in my head since then lol. Would love to see this one done.

[@alistertowelie]

the drum is my favorite

[@BennyLlama39]

Jon: "Should I keep covering them, and the folklore that inspired them?" Me: Do bears $#!t in the woods? 😀

[@kallmekatt_318]

no they shit in your bathroom specifically. they just shit really quietly and flush every time. its not me

[@Blatantplanet]

I'm so glad your covering these stories! They really are iconic & reminds me of when I read them as a kid.

[@Wooshey_Wooj]

The spiders in the cheek illustration scared me the most. Her face its more terrifying to me. Also, the girl who starred in the grave. The fact that she died a fright when it was nothing, makes it even more terrifying with the illustration.

[@PhoenixRising883]

Yes! The girl with the spiders illustration was terrifying.

[@PhoenixRising883]

Story suggestion: I think it was from one of the Scary Stories books, but there are two stories that absolutely terrified me as a kid. One was about an English boy who was attending a New Year's family party. It was late one night and he had to leave to use the outhouse or something. Screams were heard, so the party goers ventured outside and followed his tracks in the snow until they just stopped, but they still heard him screaming from somewhere up high. The other was about a spot on the ceiling in the living room of an old woman. I don't remember much about this story other than it caused more than one sleepless night staring up into my own ceiling, so I'm guessing I blocked it out or something. If anyone else recognizes these stories let me know. For context, I started school in the late 1980's and graduated around the millennium.

[@kalishiva18]

I remember the spot on the ceiling story. I don't remember the other one.

[@dragonflower50]

Those 2 are from “The World’s Best True Ghost Stories” by C.B. Colby. I had the book in grade school. It had tons of great stories that stuck with me!

[@PhoenixRising883]

@dragonflower50 Nice! Thank you! My daughter shares a love of ghost stories, now I know which book to point her to! After 30 years and numerous readings of any ghost story books I could get my hands on it's difficult to remember which story came from which book.

[@RealBradMiller]

I remember that first story, it was in a collection of scary stories and lore, iirc. Same book had a couple stay at a nice hotel after getting lost, when making it to their destination the hotel of course burned down decades ago. 👍👍

[@PhoenixRising883]

@@RealBradMiller oh yes, I remember that one! That was one I didn't really find scary, and wondered why it was included in the book. I looked the book up after someone else commented with the name but couldn't remember the name of the story with the spot on the ceiling. I don't know why not remembering the name of the story bothers me so much, but it does.

[@Wolfbane382]

Omg this picture. I love the story but that picture gave me nightmares for weeks. I still can't look at it even now when I re-read the story itself. I've got to cover it up with something.

[@barbarahouk1983]

I enjoy your Thursday content. You are NOT a horrible KZbinr. Information and entertainment you have given well. I have been following since your college days. And yes, Jon shot first.

[@josephharden5592]

The amount of sarcasm that these protagonists have is pretty awesome 😊...making the ghosts shake beds "a little faster" and things like that 😂

[@garveyneal1672]

Can you do messed up origins of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Cricket on the hearth, The Little Drummer Boy, and Frosty the Snowman?

[@PrincessFromHell139]

The Haunts illustration was so terrifying to nine year old me that she singlehandedly caused me to put down the book, return it the next day, and never read the remainder of the stories

[@stephanieperri5012]

Been a long time subscriber…PLEASE continue the Scary Stories to tell in the dark!!! It’s 1 of my favorite books growing up as a kid. I still have the 3 books to this day! I’d love for you to read any of the stories from these books. You’re a great KZbinr…don’t ever say otherwise

[@jinji77]

I used to read this all the time when I was younger I don't know why but I love scary stories like nothing else

[@tegan-lynn889]

I love hearing about real horror, the fake stuff just isn't as terrifying as reality.

[@pierrebuieii3908]

Believe me even the fake horror movies are such a let down

[@dicorddeucewolf3217]

I understand why this is the two of you, but usually neither scares me anymore (desensitization)

[@Lutherstrode17492]

Idk man, the idea that we’re all in the dream of a giant monster and that if he ever wakes up, we’re all fucked, is definitely more terrifying than someone like Ted Bundy

[@tegan-lynn889]

@@Lutherstrode17492 Ted Bundy is real. And his victims didn't die peacefully. If something woke up and I was suddenly dead like a Thanos snap I wouldn't care. Comparing a real killer to a fake story we know isn't real is honestly ridiculous and I hope you grow up and don't disrespect the families or victims.

[@tell-me-a-story-]

What isn’t real can’t hurt you.

[@TigersRforever]

You should definitely do a video of the longer grim Brothers version. I love hearing the history of my favorite stories.

[@enriqueramirez0615]

The story "The Haunted House" was used for the film only instead of the Haunt we have the main protagonist Stella step into the life of Sarah and later on in the dark room she comes across the ghost of Sarah Bellow.

[@sarahmelody9366]

Was "The Boy Who Went Forth To Learn Fear" ever told under the title "The Kings Son Who Knew No Fear"? I have Grimm's Complete Fairy tales book.There's 211 stories in that sucker so I had to have a looksie for this story and the closest title I could find was the latter.

[@Uncleed251]

Should do wonderful sausage next I'm from Chicago so I think I know most of the inspiration for it but not entirely sure I'm right.

[@asterix4651]

Nothing hits harder than watching this during night

[@ochacouraraka5471]

When you listen to all of this, you notice that the ghosts and spirits used in the movie are actually not as bad as we thought. The Haunted House was just a woman that wanted to get revenge on her killer. The pale lady was just giving people warnings. Harold was just filled with the negative energy of two stupid farmers.

[@JStryker47]

I think I would've liked the movie better if it'd been a compilation of those stories - including this one. Perhaps told to some travelers, by the host of an old mansion, where they're spending the night; only for it to later turn out that he died there years ago, when the house burned down. Anyway, I hope you'll cover The Thing. While most of the stories in those books are pretty scary, I feel that nothing could be scarier than being told that you're going to die soon *and* shown exactly what your corpse will look like.

[@richewilson6394]

Jim Hansen did a version of the fear not in his productions of the storyteller. Really good job on it I wish you could have done more before he died.

[@squabhead]

Yes! I was long awaiting this one! The illustration still gives me the heebie jeevies to this day. It would interesting to hear the origins on The Trouble and/or The Wolf Girl.

[@michaelbrousseau1075]

Please keep covering the scary stories to tell in the dark there wonderful I remember a story about a girl with a green ribbon around her neck i vote for that one

[@sabrinaloizides-merideth9874]

I think that was in Alvin Schwartz's other book "In a Dark, Dark Room" but yeah, it's definitely memorable and I would love to see that one as well.

[@Tribalfan88x]

Personally, I don't know this book series, guess it didn't pick on so much outside of the U.S. But I vote for more scary stories in general

[@KayentaRojo]

That picture of the dead girl has literally haunted me for 24 years lol. And I only saw it one, or two times as a kid because it scared me so badly. This video was straight up the first time I’ve seen this image since I was a kid. I somehow remembered every single detail of her face perfectly after all these years (including the faint blue light in her eye socket). It was literally burned into my brain, like the picture was just floating around in there lol. I guess that shows how much it traumatized me as a kid 😂 It’s still one of the scariest pencil drawings I’ve ever seen in my entire life.

[@blavkbee15]

I do want to hear more stories to tell in the dark, only because i never heard of them before especially since i don't believe i saw these books unless it was a book fair..i love to know more of their origins

[@Yarn3ater]

I used to love those when I was younger!!!!

[@DoubleDealingDisarray]

Yes, please do more Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark! 😃 I'm actually amazed bowling goes as far back as Egypt. 🤔 That's pretty cool! Keep up the great work! 😁

[@Lumen_lune]

Can I suggest Jon breaks down the Ovid and Iliad of the Trojan war and how war and death compares with Ancient Greek myth compares and contrasts to Greek society.

[@Jean-yn6ef]

💯

[@texasgirlmomx2342]

As a former English teacher, THE KIDS LOVED this book. Long live the Scary Stories series!!

[@dustinwood7999]

Here’s my thought.. Death rituals for a “proper burial” don’t start unless weird shit happens first. People react more than they pro-act in most situations.

[@T3485mmmediumtankflamevariant]

Romanians often nail coffins shut

[@chrystals.4376]

Scary Stories was one of my favorite book series when I was a kid!

[@MEllingson23]

Definitely loving the deep dive into Scary Stories. Absolute classics and never thought about their origins

[@labyrinthgirl17]

This video made me think of an episode of "Jim Henson's The Storyteller", it was called Fearnot, and it was about a young man trying to learn to shudder, because he didn't know fear.

[@sabrinaloizides-merideth9874]

I would really like to see an episode on the "White Satin Eventing Gown" and "May I Carry Your Basket." Those are two of my favorites!

[@Beatlesfanish]

not gonna lie, Messed up Origins was the last place I expacted a FNAF reference but here we are. Awesome episode. Please keep going with the scary stories in the dark series. I really enjoy it even tough I've never read the books.

[@DaryTremar]

you can check "Viy" by the Ukrainian writer Nikolai Gogol. the priest was supposed to spend the night with a coffin of the witch to read her the last rites. his lack of faith harmed him though. you can find a lot of interesting folklore there.

[@Sir_Outsider]

keep doing them, ones i recommend is the ghost with the bloody fingers, the dead man's hand, the bad news

[@PandoraB17]

I'm still waiting on the lady with spider eggs in her face-

[@ElicBehexan]

As I may be old enough to be your grandmother, my roommate is 50 and I'm old enough to be her mother, I had never heard of these books until you started talking about them. Having said that, I hate horror so I very much doubt I would've read them. And, since I never had kids, I wouldn't have had one to expose me to them that way.

[@ScaryUniversity]

You shot first and scared the winnie the pooh out of us with this one!

[@alexandragutierrez393]

LOVE THIS!!!! Hope you talk about that hide n seek bride chest story someday. Or the glowy vampire eyes window one. Or that wolf girl one.

[@kristincox4041]

I was born near the Cumberland Gap and lived in the area until I was 18. I grew up in a family that loved and told ghost stories so I feel it’s my duty to buy the Old Greasybeard book.

[@shannon8254]

I have scary stories to tell in the dark lol. I wanted a copy of the book when I was 11 or 12. I was a weird kid.

[@hospitalcakewalk]

The best qoute Schwartz made about his book was actually about horror. He explained that people just enjoy being scared. 'Since there isn't any danger, we think it is fun.' That's the tattoo I have from him, written in the same scary story font. Great writer, great cultural mashups, great story, amazing memories and the first thing i bought when i understood as an adult i could own and buy anything i wanted and i could keep it.

[@RCHPproductions]

Please keep covering these. Thanks!

[@katelynolinn6711]

Only putting this comment under this video because I feel it's more likely to be seen than if I comment on an older one 😅 I've been bingeing your channel the last couple days while I do housework, and I'm absolutely loving how you present your material (especially the myths and legends)! I was wondering if you happened to have plans on going into any deep dives or anything on the Hindu pantheon lol. Thank you for the work you do to help teach us!

[@ThatsWillyGeneric2U]

“Maybe You Will Remember” has always been one of my favorites. Alfred Hitchcock did a great job adapting the story on his show and it stands as one of my fav episodes! That would be an awesome story to go over! But oh man are there so much more haha 😂

[@EFEF-3334]

Well it didn't terrifying me it got me interested in scary things

[@wasumoto457]

Jees 11 minutes I’m getting good at early uploads 😅

[@zetomer5468]

You always release these videos when it's night or almost night and I have trouble falling asleep afterwards because I see these monsters in the dark (literally, I have way too good imagination and sometimes I can't even control what I imagine)

[@envies_ephemeres]

THIS. This is the image that horrified me the most as a child. I love that you're covering these, and have binged the series since I came across your channel. Subscribed: Stay amazing!

[@tatacousin]

My God! I used to love these! I remember summer nights, laying on our porch swing reading these & falling asleep! My dad would have to bring me in at night!

[@LimeGreenUnicorns123]

Yay! I’m early! Love your videos :)

[@ModernMedusa]

THE DRUM. Rings on Her Fingers. Oh Suzannah. The Cat's Paw. The Black Dog. Also please cover that other story you mentioned needed its own video!

[@Down222Mars]

there’s nothing i want more than junji ito to do his rendition

[@drewper2]

"Maybe You Will Remember" was the one story that always stuck with me. You should definitely cover that one.

[@scipio109]

I don’t know why but i findthe athenodorus story hilarious the idea of him going “hang on a minute I am busy”😂😂

[@viviemorton14]

I know John has been doing scary stories books but the book that actually terrified me as a child by Alvin Shwartz was in a dark dark room. I hope John does the green ribbon story from that book.

[@AllAndMore849]

Normal People: AAAAAAH A GHOST IM SHITTING MYSELF Me: OMG! Ghosts are real?! I’m your biggest fan, sign my shirt please please. CAN YOU WALK THROUGH WALLS?! SO COOL

[@winterwine460]

This is the one I’ve been WAITING FOR!! I absolutely refused to even touch this book on our living room bookshelf after the first time my mom read it out loud to our Halloween party when i was a kid. The picture of the woman absolutely terrified me to the point where she was popping up in dreams. Not nightmares though, it was like she was a guest star in some random dream i was having every now and then. Believe me, when i saw the scary stories film in theatres, i damn near had my eyes closed during the scene where they showed her on screen😭i was like 16 and i had seen plenty of scary movies by that point. But she was still terrifying to me

[@annettemiranda4923]

I always liked the one where the cats keep saying wait till Matin comes

[@lashonnakennybrew4847]

This man here I swear this man be telling the craziest wildest stories you could ever find I saw nothing but true love and respect to the man himself that does mythology Greek mythology Norse mythology and folklore this KZbinr here that always be telling stories

[@thornglitter]

These books and goosebumps were the reason I love all things horror.

[@enriqueramirez0615]

I'll bet "The Red Spot" will be next story to cover or maybe "Me Tie Dough Ty Walker" because no one likes spiders pulling out of your bodies and hear a haunting song while a decapitated head screams.

[@stevencook9526]

Best books ever

[@QUEEN_Alpha_Mama86]

I would like jon to cover "the walk" , "what do you come for?" "The man who lived in leeds", and "the girl who stood on the grave" thoes stories scared me but i loved reading the book series of this.... hope to see some of these stories get covered by JonSolo i think it be a great adventure to ride with❤🎉❤

[@kaiumeda6341]

Why don’t you cover the origins of: -Dionysus -Pecos Bill -Mike Fink

[@TylerRakstis]

Small nitpick, but you forgot that the Haunted House story was used as the main story that ties all the stories together in the 2019 movie, with Sarah Bellows. But still nice insight to the similar folklore around the world. Plus the 3rd tale mentioned was adapted for Jim Henson's The Storyteller as "Fearnot."

[@bribrilolzOG]

I’m so glad you did thus one! This was always my favorite story in the books bc the image alone was the scariest imo. :3

[@xmariner]

Charles Dickson's "A Christmas Carol" has the three different Spirits that visit Scrooge. That sounds familiar!

[@totalnoob5578]

Honestly, I'd love to know if there are earlier versions of the Harold story. You know, the one where two brothers mistreat a scarecrow, so it skins one of the brothers and stretches the still-bloody hide out on the roof... Wait, how was this a kid's book again?

[@LadyMorganLavon]

These reminds me of Jack Tales. Old American folk tales . In one Jack captures death in a bag. In another he rids a haunted house of its demon. Etc. I can’t remember if you’ve done these already but Washington Irving stories would be a good one or Edgar Allen Poe stories

[@Janawrites]

I love hearing about these spooky spectres! The Scary Stories series was a favorite growing up.

[@yamisarkar91]

The Five nights at Freddy's......still be great 😎👍✨ I got a book and love the game.....the movie not seen yet. There soo many horror games with great back story inspiration...it be great to hear.

[@PixelSparrow]

Little fun fact: at 14:10 I know that story from the Jim Henson The Storyteller series the episode is called Fearnot. Highly recommend watching the series if you want to watch fairytales adapted with Jim Henson creature puppets in them.

[@VileScoundrel]

Frome the way these stories were described, I was hoping you might describe an old story I was read. I've been trying to remember from where I have read it but i never figured it out. It was very similar to all these stories in a way, but a man threw a couple of books at a dark, devilish figure, but it never landed until the man picked up the last book in his pile, which made the dark figure react negatively to it. When the man threw it, it landed, making it disappear. When the man reached out to pick up the book, he realized his "lucky book" is a bible. I dont remember much other than the man died in the end.

[@LadyYT100]

This isn't a book, but a video game, that one can play on a PC, it is called Bonfire Stories, and the premise of each game, is a group of campers telling a scary story that involves certain things that might have happened, there are three tales, which are The Faceless Gravedigger, Heartless, and Manifest Horror, which ends with a character from the last stories. Check it out and maybe, discuss it next Halloween.

[@Dannylives1]

7:53 badass moment

[@justshanie101]

I remember one story that scared the crap out of me. The story about the man who stole a pair of gold coins from the eyes of a dead woman, and that night she came to his home saying "give me my coins" and the story about the person being followed by a shadow and the shadow bite them and drinks their blood. I didnt sleep that night😅😅😅😅

[@katywynter6419]

Jon is me hahaha Last year, 2019 (it is currently 2023)

[@raeofanangel]

I was literally thinking about FNAF when you mentioned it 🤣

[@ChosenOneOnAMission]

Hey I've been a fan for years and love your story telling. I would love for you to do the green ribbon it's my favorite story in the book and would be awesome to know the origin

[@Ghostface2252]

Please keep covering these stories.

[@MzBleuBunni]

This was a cool episode! ❤I hope to see more in those series. 😊

[@bensantiago9612]

“Nasty your goose” is what my wife says when she’s not in the mood 😭💀😂

[@muddy_dk3840]

What's that song in the credits? I had heard it years ago and now im feverishly trying to figure it out.

[@OceanWilks]

can you review emesis blue please

[@ericcook5745]

I've always been kind of curious about the big toe story or even the hook

[@MrJermeyp]

That last one is basically fear not from the 80s Jim Henson story teller series that’s killer

[@FNAFFANVR83]

Did Bro just mention Fnaf?!?!?!?🤣 17:27

[@vixtex]

Best selling books since the 1980’s new and used.

[@TheGentlemanPsychic]

*like you and me. Not “like you and I” You and I will go to the store That works for you and me.

[@Lenny-d8z]

I love knowing the facts not a made up story great job Jon keep the stories coming

[@ladiesman181002]

That’s why never read them as a child! I heard them on here and they are scary!

[@gabbdrg]

I'm 48 years old and read Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark in second grade, to this day the Illustration of the Women still gives me the creeps. The other one that gives me the creeps is the story about Jim and the Illustration of him.

[@crablegs1]

It would be really cool if he covered the Hearse song

[@sharamolina7333]

Love this series! So interesting!

[@scarlettbrooks-gw1nx]

scary video

[@imagraph1597]

5:25 Wrong move