Story Of Bloody Mary

SUPERNATURAL Thursdays: Inside the Mythology - Bloody Mary

Last time we did an “Inside The Mythology” here on SUPERNATURAL Thursdays we touched on why Stull Cemetery was such an important place in the Supernatural universe . Today I’m going to change gears a little bit and write about one of Sam and Dean’s most memorable cases – the story of Bloody Mary . I’m an urban legend buff (seriously, you should see my book shelves, they look like they belong in an occult shop), and whenever I think about a GREAT Supernatural episode, Bloody Mary is one of the first.

Let’s talk about this supposed “urgban legend” and see what we come up with, shall we?

In season 1, Sam and Dean are presented with the case of, well, melting eyeballs. All the victims that shared this particular fate died in front of a mirror, and we soon discover that they had a secret. Regardless if it was accidental or on purpose, these victims all had a hand in killing another person – and Bloody Mary was out for revenge.

Now, the actual myth doesn’t go quite like the episode. In fact, there are so MANY myths in the Bloody Mary case file that they needed to be edited down to just a few. So while we’re talking, keep in mind that you’ve probably heard contradicting stories to this tale – but that’s what makes it an urban legend!

The most common known version of the Bloody Mary myth is the summoning ritual (let’s be honest here, that’s what it is!) that kids play at sleepovers. You dare your bff to go into a bathroom with only a candle (or to be MUCH safer, a flashlight) in hand, look in the mirror, and repeat three times “ Bloody Mary “. According to legend, the ghost of a murdered woman named Mary will appear in the mirror.

In some versions of the story, Mary will try to escape the mirror and scratch the summoner’s face, possess them, or or try to gouge out their eyes. Supernatural just went a little farther with this myth with the melting of the eyes.

Generally, the kid won’t last long in the bathroom and come out screaming that she (or he) saw the ghost – but how do we know it wasn’t a figment of the imagination? And just who is this Bloody Mary , anyway?

Little Miss Imperfect: Bloody Mary

She lived deep in the forest in a tiny cottage and sold herbal remedies for a living. folks living in the town nearby called her Bloody Mary, and said she was a witch. None dared cross the old crone for fear that their cows would go dry, their food-stores rot away before winter, their children take sick of fever or any number of terrible things that an angry witch could do to her neighbors.  then the little girls in the village began to disappear, one by one. No one could find out where they had gone. Grief-stricken families searched the woods, the local buildings, and all the houses and barns, but there was no sign of the missing girls. A few brave souls even went to Bloody Mary's home in the woods to see if the witch had taken the girls, but she denied any knowledge of the disappearances. Still, it was noted that her haggard appearance had changed. She looked younger, more attractive. the neighbors were suspicious, but they could find no proof that the witch had taken their young ones. Then came the night when the daughter of the miller rose from her bed and walked outside, following an enchanted sound no one else could hear. The miller's wife had a toothache and was sitting up in the kitchen treating the tooth with an herbal remedy when her daughter left the house. She screamed for her husband and followed the girl out of the door. The miller came running in his nightshirt. Together, they tried to restrain the girl, but she kept breaking away from them and heading out of town. The desperate cries of the miller and his wife woke the neighbors. They came to assist the frantic couple. Suddenly, a sharp-eyed farmer gave a shout and pointed towards a strange light at the edge of the woods. A few townsmen followed him out into the field and saw Bloody Mary standing beside a large oak tree, holding a magic wand that was pointed towards the miller's house. She was glowing unearthly light as she set her evil spell upon the miller's daughter.  The townsmen grabbed their guns and their pitchfork and ran towards the witch. When she heard the commotion, Bloody Mary broke off her spell and fled back into the woods. the far-sighted farmer had loaded his gun with silver bullets in case the witch ever came after his daughter. Now he took aim and shot at her. The bullet hit Bloody Mary in the hip and she fell to the ground. The angry townsmen leapt upon her and carried her back into the field, where they built a huge bonfire and burned her at the stake.

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