Bloody Mary (folklore)
Bloody Mary is a well-known figure in folklore associated with a popular ritual game often played by young people, particularly in the United States. Participants typically gather in a dark bathroom, standing before a mirror and repeatedly calling her name, with variations in the number of repetitions. The legend suggests that if the ritual is performed correctly, Bloody Mary may appear in the mirror, often depicted as a ghostly figure, which can vary in appearance based on local interpretations. The origins of the Bloody Mary legend are unclear, with different stories across cultures attributing her character to various historical figures, including possible links to Queen Mary I of England and narratives of witches or tragic young girls. The game is often linked to themes of fear, superstition, and the challenges of adolescence, particularly for young women, as it evokes common anxieties related to puberty. Variants of the game and its figure exist in other cultures as well, such as Sweden's "Svarta Madam" and different interpretations in the United Kingdom. The interplay of the mirror, darkness, and the concept of a spectral woman reflects deeper psychological themes related to self-identity and societal pressures, making the Bloody Mary legend a fascinating study of folkloric tradition and cultural expression.
On this Page
Bloody Mary (folklore)
Bloody Mary is the name of the central figure in a game that is often played by young people. During this game, the participants stand in front of a bathroom mirror and call out to the spirit of Bloody Mary. The number of times the participants say the spirit's name varies from three to one hundred times. Sometimes participants are told to prick their fingers or spin around in a circle after calling out to Bloody Mary.
If performed correctly, legend says that Mary will appear in the mirror. In some variations, Mary appears as a bloodied ghost, while in others she may be a witch, an old woman, or a young girl. What Mary supposedly looks like varies widely from region to region. Depending on the legend, Mary may scream at the participants or try to scratch their cheeks or eyes.
Young women typically perform the ritual, though young men sometimes take part in the game as well. Bloody Mary is well known in the United States, but variants of the legend exist in other cultures. The United Kingdom has its own versions of "toilet ghosts," and children in Sweden call out to Svarta Madam (Black Madam) when playing the game.
Overview
Who or what the legend of Bloody Mary is based on is unknown, and the story's background largely depends on locality. In addition, the name used during the ritual is sometimes Bloody Mary, but it also can be Mary Jane, Mary Worth, Mary Whales, Mary Johnson, or a number of other alternatives. In some versions, participants are told to say, "I believe in" followed by the spirit's name. Some legends claim Mary was a witch who died during the famous Salem witch trials. In others, she is a young girl who was murdered by her father for "killing" her mother during childbirth.
People have suggested that the Bloody Mary legend originated with Mary I, queen of England, who ruled for five years in the mid-1500s. In real life, the Catholic Mary was known as "Bloody Mary" for her persecution of Protestants during her reign. Additionally, Queen Mary experienced several miscarriages and false pregnancies, which may be why some versions of the legend say that the Mary apparition appears with a dead baby in her arms. Despite this, many experts do not believe that the legend is based on the English queen, though her story may have contributed to some of its themes over the years.
In many versions of the game, young women go into a dark bathroom and stand in front of the mirror. Some rules call for participants to flush the toilet to make Mary go away after she has appeared. Folklorist Alan Dundes, the author of the book Bloody Mary in the Mirror: Essays in Psychoanalytic Folkloristics, associated the legend with anxiety concerning the onset of puberty and particularly menstruation in young women. The essential elements of the legend—the bathroom, the blood, the mirror, and the apparition of a woman—all can be linked to the self-consciousness that young women experience as they go through adolescence, according to experts.
Bibliography
Brunvand, Jan Harold. "I Believe in Mary Worth." Encyclopedia of Urban Legends, vol. 1, ABC-CLIO, 2012, pp. 313–15.
Catlin-Dupuy, Sarah. "Bloody Mary." Encyclopedia of Women's Folklore and Folklife. Edited by Liz Locke, et al., vol. 1, Greenwood Press, 2008, pp. 53–54.
Dundes, Alan. Bloody Mary in the Mirror: Essays in Psychoanalytic Folkloristics. UP of Mississippi, 2002.
Emery, David. "Explaining the Legend of Bloody Mary in the Mirror." ThoughtCo., 25 Sept. 2017, www.thoughtco.com/bloody-mary-in-the-mirror-3299478. Accessed 15 Jan. 2018.
Miller, Kelsey. "The Sad, True Story behind the Bloody Mary Mirror Legend." Refinery29, 25 Oct. 2017, www.refinery29.com/2016/10/127563/bloody-mary-queen-ghost-story-pregnancy-murder. Accessed 15 Jan. 2017.
Potter, Robin. "Bloody Mary or I Believe in Mary Worth." American Myths, Legends, and Tall Tales: An Encyclopedia of American Folklore. Edited by Christopher R. Fee and Jeffrey B. Webb, ABC-CLIO, 2016, pp. 130–131.
Tucker, Elizabeth. Children's Folklore: A Handbook. Greenwood Press, 2008.
Watts, Linda S. Encyclopedia of American Folklore. Facts on File, 2007, p. 41.