It is fair to claim that various urban folklore, some hilarious and some gruesome, still circulates today and serves as the foundation for the city of Paris. Who wouldn’t appreciate a little mystique to cheer the monotonous life? Paris doesn’t celebrate Halloween in a major way, but there are plenty of eerie tales and urban legends to experience the city’s shadowy side.
Some of the ghostly myths about Paris stretch back to the medieval era, and exploring the city’s narrow alleyways in search of these eerie beings and creeps may be a lot of excitement! So, these are the three urban legends to encounter in the French capital.
The Phantom of the Opera
Wondering where and how did this renowned tale begin? A devastating fire in the Musical Academy in 1873 deformed an aspiring pianist named Ernest. He was engaged to a ballet dancer, but she perished in the identical fire.
Ernest spent the last of his life in the Opera Garnier’s crypt because he thought his deformed visage was unfit for public view. Ernest is thought to have passed away in the lake tank that is still present beneath the Opera building. His corpse had never been discovered. Feeling spooky, right? If you want to visit Paris soon, consider one of these vacation rentals in Paris.
The Tomb of Countess Demidoff
One of the most magnificent cemeteries in Paris is Père Lachaise. A lot of tales are associated with the area, including the one about Countess Demidoff. Russian-born Countess Deminoff was a very affluent woman who passed away in 1818. It is not lost on the nearby graves that she has been buried in a white marble tomb encircled by ten Doric columns.
She left an exact sum of money—roughly 2 million rubles—in her will to the first individual who would stand guard at her grave for a full year. Many prospective candidates attempted the journey but were mentally unstable after a couple of days. For three weeks, the person who survived the longest kept an eye on the countess before going insane.
Devil’s Door at Notre Dame
In the middle of the 13th century, a skilled blacksmith named Biscornet resided in France. The exterior doors of the Notre Dame church were given to him to decorate. He requested the Devil for assistance since the complexity of the assignment consumed him. On a demand that he surrender his spirit at the end, the Devil is reported to have consented. On the final day of the disclosure, the doors surpassed everybody’s hopes when Biscornet approved.
The gates weren’t unlocked until divine water was applied to them, which was a fortunate coincidence because it inadvertently prevented Biscornet’s spirit from entering into a contract with the Devil!
A city as ancient as Paris is full of mythical creatures. Here are the three most mysterious urban legends and tales centered around Paris, covering everything from demons to murder and fatal apprehensions mentioned above. If you’re about to visit Paris, visit any of these urban legends to get a spooky feeling!
