June 27, 2024 | Sarah Ng

7 Of The World’s Most Haunted Dolls


Why Are Dolls So Creepy?

It wasn't until I became an adult that I realized that dolls could be incredibly unnerving. Horror films have done an excellent job at making dolls more creepy than they actually are, but it's the real-life stories that are truly terrifying.

Buckle up, because these are seven of the world's most haunted dolls.

Haunted-Dolls-Msn

Annabelle

Horrifyingly, the Annabelle doll from The Conjuring franchise is based on a true story. However, she doesn't look anything like the doll Hollywood cooked up. The real Annabelle is actually a classic "Raggedy Anne" doll. But I wouldn't go near her with a 10-foot pole.

Annabelle dollNew Line Cinema, The Conjuring (2013)

Annabelle

In 1970, Anabelle belonged to a nurse, who received the doll as a gift. But this gift was more like a curse. Disturbing things began happening.

"Annabelle" dollBoston Glob, Getty Images

Annabelle

Allegedly, Anabelle would mysteriously move positions and even track blood. The worst claim of all was that the doll left behind handwritten notes reading, "help us" and "help me."

, 'Annabelle' the dollVisit El Paso, Flickr

Annabelle

Paranormal investigator Lorraine Warren explained that the nurse had uncovered the truth about Annabelle. Apparently, the nurse's apartment was where a seven-year-old girl named Annabelle Higgins had passed away. It was believed that Annabelle's spirit possessed the Raggedy Anne doll.

Lorraine WarrenGage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Annabelle

Believing that the doll posed a serious danger to people, Ed and Lorraine Warren decided to lock up Annabelle for good. They displayed her at The Warrens' Occult Museum until its closing—but even there, she managed to wreak havoc.

WARREN'S OCCULT MUSEUM826 PARANORMAL, Flickr

Annabelle

Reportedly, one visitor met a twisted fate after poking fun at Annabelle. After he left the museum, he lost his life in a tragic motorcycle accident.

Annabelle at the Los Angeles premiereTinseltown, Shutterstock

Robert

From afar, Robert the doll seems quite harmless, but the closer you get to him, the more unnerving his appearance becomes. Dressed in a sailor suit and with jet-black eyes, his gaze is chillingly empty. 

It may not come as a surprise that Robert has a dark backstory.

Robert The DollCayobo f, CC BY 1.0, Wikimedia Commons

Robert 

Robert originally belonged to Robert Eugene Otto. The doll came from Germany—gifted to Otto by his grandfather. But odd things began to happen around the funny sailor doll.

Robert Eugene Otto on the rightFlorida Keys History Center, Flickr

Robert 

Beginning with Otto, whoever possessed Robert the doll experienced supernatural occurrences. Reportedly, his facial expressions would mysteriously change. The doll could move on his own, sometimes appearing in windows or even giggling. 

Robert The DollCayobo, Flickr

Robert

Today, Robert can be found at the East Martello Museum in Key West, Florida—and even visitors have been thoroughly creeped out by their experiences with the doll. Some even say "failing to respect Robert" has resulted in personal adversities or mishaps.

Key West Fl East Martello Tower MuseumEbyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Robert 

Even the celebrity Ozzy Osbourne is convinced that Robert is haunted. He once purchased a souvenir of the doll from the museum and later experienced health problems. And who did he blame? Well, Robert, of course.

Ozzy Osbourne at the OZZFEST 2007 press conference in black clothes and  jewelss_bukley, Shutterstock

Okiku

Okiku is a Japanese doll with a shocking reputation. However, her story begins back in 1918. The doll initially belonged to a young girl named Okiku, who tragically passed from a deadly flu.

japan doll shrineReggaeman, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Okiku

Following Okiku's death, her family decided to honor her by preserving her doll in a shrine. But as time passed, they began to notice something deeply unsettling...

Japanese dollToru Kimura, Shutterstock

Okiku

Okiku the doll was changing. Her hair was growing. It was now much longer than the short bob she once sported. Even when she had a haircut, the growing hair persisted.

okiku dollTerumasa, CC BY-SA 4.0 , Wikimedia Commons

Okiku

Okiku's family was undoubtedly disturbed by this, believing that their daughter's spirit possessed the doll.

okiku dollYOS RICKI YANUAR, Shutterstock

Okiku

Okiku the doll's final resting place was Mannenji temple, and she's been there since 1938. People are still visiting her today.

Okiku-shrineTerumasa, CC BY-SA 4.0 , Wikimedia Commons

Renesmee

In the popular Twilight series, Renesmee is the daughter of the two lead characters, Bella and Edward. In the 2011 film, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 1, the production team provided a prop to stand in for the character—a very strange animatronic doll...

Renesmee dollSummit Entertainment, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)

Renesmee

While fans got to see Renesmee in all her unsettling CGI glory, the actors had to act alongside one of the creepiest dolls imaginable. Even better? This doll is reportedly haunted.

Renesmee dollSummit Entertainment, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)

Renesmee

The Renesmee doll has been put on display at Forever Twilight in Forks, Washington. But employees have made some disturbing observations.

Renesmee dollSummit Entertainment, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)

Renesmee

In 2020, Lissy Andros shared with Jezebel, “One day she might be standing up straight and the next when you come in on another day, she’s in a weird position. It’s like, is she moving around in there? We don’t know. But we tell everybody that the cover is on her for their protection.”

But the horror doesn't end there.

Renesmee dollSummit Entertainment, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)

Renesmee

The creepy cherry on top is that Renesmee is slowly breaking down. This means that she looks even more demented than she originally did. Made of delicate materials, the doll wasn't made to stand the test of time. 

So thankfully, if she really is haunted, her days are surely numbered.

Renesmee dollSummit Entertainment, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)

Mandy

Oh, Mandy. Mandy is terrifying to look at. She's an antique baby doll dressed in a pretty innocent white dress... only her face has sustained some unsightly cracks and she has an unnerving thousand-yard stare. So, what's her story?

haunted dollDesertrose7, Pixabay

Mandy

Mandy was originally a gift—one given to a woman named Lisa Sorensen. However, Lisa had a strange feeling about Mandy and decided to wash her hands of her, ultimately giving the creepy doll to the Quesnel and District Museum, located in British Columbia.

Quesnel Museum, British Columbia, CanadaDavid Buzzard, Shutterstock

Mandy

In her new home at the museum, Mandy is still scaring people. Employees claim that Mandy's eyes follow their movements. Even weirder?

Those who have tried to record Mandy have had their equipment strangely malfunction.

haunted dollDesertrose7, Pixabay

The Island Of The Dolls

So, this is not just one haunted doll, but rather, a whole island of them. La Isla de las Muñecas, or The Island of the Dolls, is located in Mexico—and its history is pure nightmare fuel.

The Island of the Dolls a chinampa of the Laguna de Tequila, Mexico City, MexicoAmrith Raj, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

The Island Of The Dolls

As the story goes, the island's caretaker, Don Julian Santana Barrera, made a disturbing discovery: He found the body of a little girl in the canals. But that was only the beginning.

Boat at the island of the dollsPx-lga, Wikimedia Commons

The Island Of The Dolls

Barrera later found something else in the canal: a doll. He assumed it had belonged to the young girl. In her honor, he decided to string the doll up in a tree. However, he didn't stop there.

Island Of The Dolls/Isla de la MuñecasFlyingCrimsonPig, Flickr

The Island Of The Dolls

Barrera continued to add more dolls to the island's landscape, so much so that dolls now cover the island. In a chilling twist, Barrera reportedly drowned in the same location as the little girl in 2001. 

Island Of The Dolls/Isla de la MuñecasAlejandro De La Cruz, Flickr

The Island Of The Dolls

The Island of the Dolls has become a popular tourist destination, and visitors claim that it's haunted. Some have supposedly witnessed the dolls moving their limbs and eyes. Others have said they've even heard the dolls quietly whispering.

Island Of The Dolls/Isla de la MuñecasWa17gs, CC BY-SA 4.0 ,Wikimedia Commons

Letta

Letta is short for "Letta-Me-Out," which is already a red flag in my opinion. This 200-year-old doll is allegedly an ancient marionette from Eastern Europe. However, she was found beneath an abandoned house in New South Wales, Australia.

New South WalesDiliff, CC BY-SA 3.0 , Wikimedia Commons

Letta

Kerry Walton is the owner of Letta, and he has openly shared the strange things that have happened because of the doll. According to him, animals behave strangely around Letta. As well, objects have a tendency to shift positions. 

haunted dolldemm28, Shutterstock

Letta

Walton has also explained that every time he tried to sell Letta, he'd be overcome with an uneasy feeling. He could never bring himself to get rid of her.

haunted dollArtem Avetisyan, Shutterstock

Letta

However, there are other rumors that revolve around Letta. Apparently, she can make it rain if she's brought outside, and she can reposition herself on her own.

haunted dollPexels, Pixabay


READ MORE

wallup.net

Blood-Curdling Facts About Horror Movies

"We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones." - Stephen King
December 31, 2023 Miles Brucker

Myths About Motherhood

Uncover 14 assumptions often made about motherhood, and whether or not they are true. From having natural instincts and instant bonding to the challenges of breastfeeding and feeling frustrations, some of these misconceptions can be harmful to mothers causing undue stress and greatly impacting their mental health.
May 31, 2024 Penelope Singh
Woman is cooking in home kitchen. Female hands cut salami, vegetables, greens, tomatoes on table on wooden boards. Ingredients for preparing italian or french food. Lifestyle moment.

The Surprising “Secret” Ingredients Home Chefs Reach For

Every good home chef has a few tricks up their sleeve when it comes to cooking. And that includes some seriously surprising “secret” ingredients that they add to their signature dishes.
May 31, 2024 Samantha Henman

Giethoorn Village, Netherlands

Discover Giethoorn village in the Netherlands. This quaint little village has become a popular tourist destination due to its picturesque fairytale-like charm, and the fact that is has no roads. Residents and visitors must travel by foot, boat, or bicycle. With old thatched roof houses and traditional wooden bridges, find out what else this small Dutch village has to offer.
July 31, 2024 Allison Robertson
the konyaks

The Konyaks, India's Last Headhunters

Join us as we uncover the secrets of the Konyak Naga. Explore their fearsome headhunting history and learn more about their unique traditions and way of life.
January 31, 2024 Kaddy Gibson
Fraud Internal

America’s 25 Most Notorious Fraudsters

From Wild West outlaws to the robber barons of the Gilded Age, it seems like America as we know it was built on fraudsters.
May 31, 2024 Samantha Henman