Mythologis
The Ghost Book: Spirits, Hauntings and the Folklore of the Dead

Mythical Creatures Mythology

The Ghost Book: Spirits, Hauntings and the Folklore of the Dead

The Restless Dead, Hauntings and the Spirits of the World

The complete guide to ghosts: the restless dead of the ancient world, the ancestors and hungry ghosts of Asia, the hauntings of European folklore, and the long human conviction that the dead do not always stay dead.

170 pagesPDFEnglishMythologis Library

$14.99

Pre-order: delivered within 24h

Inside this book

What you will read

  • 11 chapters, primary sources
  • Instant PDF download
  • Original ink illustrations
  • The dead across the world’s beliefs
  • Designed for print quality
See all chapters  +
  1. 01The Most Universal Belief
  2. 02The Restless Dead of the Ancient World
  3. 03Feeding the Dead: Burial, Rite and the Hungry Ghost
  4. 04Ghosts of Greece and Rome
  5. 05The Ancestors and Hungry Ghosts of Asia
  6. 06The Dead in the Bible and the Abrahamic Faiths
  7. 07The Revenant: When the Body Returns
  8. 08Hauntings: The Folklore of the Haunted Place
  9. 09White Ladies, Death-Omens and the Warning Dead
  10. 10Why the Dead Return, and How to Lay Them
  11. 11The Ghost in the Modern World

About this book

About this Mythical Creatures mythology guide

No belief is more universal than the conviction that the dead come back. This is the complete guide to ghosts, hauntings and the folklore of the restless dead.

No belief is more universal than the conviction that the dead can come back. The ghost is found in every culture and every century: the spirit that lingers because something is unfinished, the dead who must be fed and placated, the haunted house and the vengeful shade, the ancestor who watches over the living and the restless one who torments them. The ghost is how humanity has always thought about death, grief and the unpaid debt.

This is the complete guide to the ghost. The restless dead of Mesopotamia, Greece and Rome, who had to be buried, fed and laid; the hungry ghosts and honored ancestors of Asia; the dead of the Bible and the question of where they go; the hauntings of European folklore, the revenant, the white lady and the death-omen; and the rules, across all of them, for why the dead return and how to send them back.

The book follows the ghost across the world's beliefs about death, drawing on the epics, the religious texts and the folklore, with every chapter citing its sources.

Delivered as a print-quality PDF within 24 hours of purchase.

What you will discover inside

  • Why nearly every culture believes the dead can return
  • The restless dead of the ancient world and the rites that laid them
  • The hungry ghosts and honored ancestors of Asia
  • The revenant: the folklore of the corpse that walks
  • White ladies, death-omens and the ghosts that come to warn
  • The rules for why a ghost lingers and how to send it on

Mythical Creatures mythology book at a glance

TraditionMythical Creatures mythology
Chapters11 chapters
Length170 pages
SourcesDrawn from the primary sources, cited inline
Reading levelBeginner-friendly. Every name and place is explained from scratch
FormatPrint-quality PDF
DeliveryPDF within 24 hours

Formats and editions

EditionWhat you getPrice
Instant PDFPrint-quality download, readable on any device. PDF within 24 hours.$7.99
PaperbackA paperback edition is on the way. Sign up on this page to hear when it lands on Amazon.Coming soon

About the author

Guillaume Henry, founder of Mythologis

Guillaume Henry

Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Mythologis

Guillaume Henry founded Mythologis to make the world's mythologies readable without losing what makes them strange. Every Mythologis book draws on the primary sources first, cross-references multiple translations, and avoids inventing details that aren't in the originals.

More about the author

Questions about the Mythical Creatures mythology book

When will I receive my PDF?

Within 24 hours of purchase. Your download link arrives in your inbox automatically.

Is this folklore and myth, or is it about real hauntings?

It is about belief: the myths, religions and folklore of the dead across cultures and history. It takes those beliefs seriously as human ideas about death and grief, rather than trying to prove or disprove any modern haunting.

Is this book based on primary sources?

Yes. It draws on Mesopotamian and classical texts on the dead, the Hebrew Bible, the Buddhist and Chinese traditions of the ancestors and hungry ghosts, and the European folklore collections, with references to the standard editions.

How long is the book?

Eleven chapters, around 170 pages depending on the final layout.

Will there be a paperback on Amazon?

The PDF is available immediately. A KDP paperback edition follows once the book has been validated by readers.

What formats is this book available in?

Every title is available as an instant PDF, downloaded the moment you buy it: the link appears on the confirmation page and lands in your inbox. Selected titles also have a paperback edition on Amazon. Where the paperback is not out yet, you can sign up to be notified the day it does.

What is the return policy?

The PDF is delivered instantly by Mythologis. If a download ever fails or a file looks wrong, get in touch and we will make it right. Paperbacks bought on Amazon are handled under Amazon's own returns and refund policy.

Can I order from outside the United States?

Yes. The PDF is a digital download, so it works instantly anywhere in the world, with nothing to ship. Where a paperback edition exists, it is sold across Amazon's international marketplaces, with shipping rates and delivery times depending on your country.

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