This legend advises young children, typically young girls at a slumber party, that if they enter a dark bathroom with a candle, stand in front of the mirror and repeat the chant "Bloody Mary" a specific number of times whole turning in circles, the image of a witch or female apparition will appear with a bloody face.
Simon J. Bronner describes the ritual as "a girls' tradition common in elementary school" that calls on an "atmosphere of the seance" (1988:168).
The spirit can be invoked saying different names:
- Mary Worthington
- Mary Worth
- Mary Jane
- Sally
- Kathy
- Bloody Mary
- Bloody Bones
- Hell Mary
- Agnes
- and Mary Whales among others.
Some versions of the legend refer to "Mary Worth" as a witch who was executed at the Salem witch trials, and others refer to her as a young woman who committed suicide after being blamed for the death of her children.
Reference list:
Bronner, Simon J. American Childrens Folklore. Little Rock: August House. 1988.
Great job! Do you have any source to check a written version of the legend?
ResponderEliminarThank you!
Thanks. Yes, you have here a very interesting article about the ritual. Enjoy it!
EliminarDundes, Alan. “Bloody Mary in the Mirror: A Ritual Reflection of Pre-Pubescent Anxiety.” Western Folklore, vol. 57, no. 2/3, 1998, pp. 119–135., www.jstor.org/stable/1500216.