Bloody Mary

Bloody Mary is a figure from a common American Urban Legend. The story of Bloody Mary is commonly known among teens and preteens, though the details vary from person to person. Some believe the legend to be metaphorically related to puberty with the bathroom, mirror, and blood.

Bloody Mary is associated with a simple ritual meant to summon her from a mirror.

– Some believe you must stand in an unlit bathroom, stare into the mirror, and say “Bloody Mary” three times.

– Some believe the name must be said thirteen times or some other amount.

– Sometimes it is necessary to prick ones finger in order to make her appear.

– Sometimes you must declare your belief in her before she will appear.

After being summoned, she appears in place of the summoner’s reflection and may attempt to kill, scratch out eyes, or pull the summoner through the mirror into a hellish other dimension.

Her origins often say her real name may have been “Mary Worth” of “Mary Jane.” She typically appears as a bloody female ghost who died an unnatural death.

Stories of her origins vary.

– Stories in the South say she originated as a woman wrongfully executed for witchcraft.

– Some thought to be the ghost of a girl killed on prom night.

– Sometimes she is thought to be a woman who was murdered with no one there to help.

Citations:

Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural Beings That Haunt Us, Hunt Us, and Hunger for Us. United States, Kensington Publishing Corporation, 2006.

Watts, Linda. Encyclopedia of American Folklore. United States, Infobase Publishing, 2020.