A Giant Bedsheet with the Holes Cut Out’:
Expectations And Discussions of the Appearance of Ghosts
‘Ghost’ is a problematic term: it
summarises a whole range of historical meanings and expectations. Although not
necessarily expressing an individual’s beliefs, it allows a conveniently
comprehensible way of discussing afterlife beliefs and experiences. The
complexity of believers’thinking has sometimes been subject to an unjust
academic reductiveness that fails to recognise its dynamism. In recent
ethnographic research in Britain I recorded a widespread willingness to
accommodate various manifestations within ideas of ghostly appearance.
The classic white-sheeted ghost
reflects neither the majority of described experiences nor the expectations of
most believers. Because of its connection with popular media representations,
and its association with practical jokes, it is often dismissed from serious consideration,
but it remains a potent point of entry for people who want to discuss seriously
some quite different beliefs and phenomena. It is useful when considering the
current negotiation of ghost beliefs through a combination of registers of
different transmitted material. Such complicated negotiations are found
throughout the historical record.
I here use the white-sheeted figure
as a way to explore the different apparel and appearances expected and reported
today. This covers anachronistic clothing and general pallor, as the white
sheet is often rationalised by reference to burial methods. Long historical
record suggests this is an over-determined academic interpretation that does
not adequately reflect the full range of reported sightings.
The image recurs in popular
considerations of ghosts, feeding into the continued unfolding of folk
narratives and explanations. This apparently outdated figure still retains its
potential for being believable, even where it might be expected to reflect
disbelief. By looking at how these images have been interpreted, discussed and
exploited in a variety of sources, I examine what is currently believed and
reported, and raise questions about the interpretation of reports and beliefs
over time.
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