My newest OC Iris!
She has a human disguise but barely uses it. She tries to repay for her sins in the past.
There is a particular person that she adores.
The REAL Story Behind The Nun (2018) And The 9 Other Demonic And Ghost Nuns That You Don’t Want To Know About Because F*ck That
They say it started with footsteps.
They say it started with local villagers hearing the crunch of stones trodden by invisible feet. But we know that the haunting of Borley Rectory really began in 1900.
And it began with the nun.
It was the rector’s daughters that first saw this black, cloaked figure amble across the backyard during a garden party. The dark figure crossed the lawn, a mere 40 metres from where they shared a drink or two one summer’s evening. But as they got closer, it disappeared.
This was not to be the only sighting of the ghost nun, and it would figure prominently in the paranormal investigation conducted by Harry Price of Borley Rectory - an investigation that concluded this was the most haunted house in Britain.
It was also not the only ghost nun to ever be witnessed.
But what really makes this female spirit stand out is her legacy. She was just one of the stories of real paranormal activity that would go on to fuel one of the highest-grossing horror films of all time (no, seriously, it’s No.19):
The Nun (2018)
Valak might be the modern horror monster lurking in your nightmares, but there is far more reality to her than a smattering of CGI and prosthetic facial feature.
And, because I’m your favourite paranormal blogger, I thought I’d make your nightmares that much worse just because, well, I can! Today we are going to be working out who in the hell is Valak, and the 9 real demonic and ghost nuns that’ll be haunting your dreams tonight.
First, Let’s Recap The Nun
The Nun - Valak to her WhatsApp group chat - has already featured in most of The Conjuring universe, but without giving away too many spoilers, all you have to know is that she is a demonic presence that is personally looking to haunt Lorraine Warren.
We see this in The Conjuring and Annabelle movies, but she is most known for her own horror flick: The Nun (2018).
The story follows a young woman in, uh, nun-training, and a priest who are sent to investigate the odd goings-on at a Romanian Abbey. Basics, all of the Nuns are dead, which isn’t a good start for any place of worship.
(Or any place, I guess.)
On the road they join forces with lovable and suitably out-dated local villager Frenchie, and investigate the dark and twisted tale the Abbey is built on.
Who Is Valak?
There’s two sides to this story, and the first flip of the coin is on the ‘demon’ part of the nun. Not only do we see the first-hand evidence that this entity is demonic, we also learn about which demon she is:
Valak.
More commonly known as Valac, this demon has featured in four Goetic Grimoires, including The Lesser Key of Solomon.
However, the physical form this demon takes is far from the monster we see in the movie; Valac is often portrayed as a small child with wings who also happens to ride a 2-headed dragon. And when he’s not busy using his excessive powers of flight - whether using his own capabilities or that of his pet - he is finding hidden treasure. In fact, according to lore, that’s his speciality.
Whilst we might not see any of these traits in the films Valak has had a starring role in, we do a smattering of references.
The most notable example of this is when our heroic priest researches the strange happenings occurring at the Abbey, and finds a notebook belonging to the man who conjured her from the depths of hell via the catacombs.
In this notebook we see references to her alternative beastly form, with giant black wings referencing the folklore she is based on.
But it’s not just the folklore that gives the Nun a far more real presence in this world.
It’s the other tales of ghost nuns which draw her out of your Netflix and Chill session and have her reaching into your bowl of popcorn.
(Psst.... If you want to hear about another film that’s based on real demons, check out this post.)
What Was The Original Inspiration For Valak?
If you have the misfortune of stumbling into the Warren’s haunted museum, you’ll have been in the presence of one of the most incredible pieces of paranormal history: a single brick from Borley Rectory before it was suspiciously burnt down.
You see, Annabelle the Doll isn’t the only item in the museum inspiring the Conjuring movies - it was Lorraine Warren’s personal encounter of the nun at Borley Rectory that directly birthed Valak.
What a messy few minutes that would be.
Of her experience at the most haunted house in Britain, Lorraine captured two images showcasing the spirit of a small figure draped in black, clergy-like clothing. The presence she also felt at the church - where the nun obviously would’ve spent most of her time - is just another piece of the puzzle.
But what really connects the dots between the ghost nun at Borley Rectory and the Demonic nun haunting your darkest dreams is their backstories.
You see, the nun at Borley Rectory didn’t just die and then spend her afterlife enjoying cool summer breezes and walking in the woods. In 1362, a nun reportedly has a relationship with a monk near the rectory.
The monk was executed for his sins; the nun was bricked up alive in the walls of the rectory by her the other Sisters.
According to film lore, Valak was spawned from a medieval ritual in her residential Romanian Abbey. It is in the same place that she was conjured - from underneath a brick floor within the catacombs to represent the depths of hell - that she is once again forced to return and sealed in.
Both were trapped within the walls of their place of worship, and both were trying to get out.
Yet despite Lorraine’s initial experiences with the nun of Borley Rectory, the inspiration for Valak was specifically grounded in a demonic haunting Lorraine personally experienced on the other side of the pond. In fact, it was within the safety of her own home.
She claimed a “swirling tornado vortex of this hooded figure” suddenly emerged one night before she banished it back to hell, a classic one-liner in The Conjuring universe.
From the black, hood-like figure of a nun in a habit, to the tornado-esque banishment of Valak back to the depths of the underworld, Lorraine’s personal dealings with those beyond the grave (whatever that grave maybe) has conceived one of the most frightful beasts from the belly of the Box Office.
The thing is, this isn’t the only story of a ghost or demonic nun. There’s far more that are still roaming the realm of the living in the dead of the night.
(Yes, I see you rolling your eyes.)
The 9 Other Demonic And Ghost Nuns That Will Have You Hiding Under The Quilt Covers
#1 - A Headless Nun Worships At Colchester Castle
Like most castles stationed in the UK - especially on the coast - Colchester Castle was constructed to protect against invasion from Scandinavian forces. And like most castles, it once homed a chapel.
Given one of the most popular ghosts is a decapitated nun who turns to look at living visitors and then promptly disappears, it seems this innocent sister may have been caught in the midst one of these attacks.
#2 - Ghostly Clergy Are Witnessed Throughout Charnok Hall, Preston
Preston has never struck me as a paranormal hotspot. Turns out that I was very much mistaken.
Charnok Hall is actually known for its striking levels of supernatural activity, whether it’s the electric disturbances in the house’s appliances, or the young boy that plays with a ball outside the house - but it’s the unnerving collection of dead clergymen that make an appearance which is the focus of our attention, today.
Paranormal investigators often note that when glancing in the bathroom mirror their face tends to turn into that of an unknown nun. And if that wasn’t enough, the investigators reported being locked into the same bathroom, too.
Unfortunately, it still doesn’t stop there.
This nun is also joined by at least one phantom priest. Dark shadows with cloaked figures bear a resemblance to the clergymen that are reported frequently.
#3 - The Black Nun Of Ballycastle
No, this title of this urban legend isn’t a reference to the deceased sister’s race.
It’s a reference to the dark ritual one needs to employ to summon her.
Legend has it that if you walk around the grave of Julia McQuillan seven times clockwise and seven times anticlockwise, and then place your hand through the holestone in her grave, you summon her ghost.
You don’t have to conjure her, however. To catch a glimpse of this ghost, simplu rock up to the ruins of her former residence.
It might sound like a simple urban legend, but it’s the history of the myth which twists this tale:
It is said she was a recluse who lived at the Bonamary Friary in the 17th century. Alongside performing her usual duties, it is also said she shared seven prophecies. Unfortunately, we have no record of what these predictions were.
#4 - Former Nuns Of A Covent Still Haunt Covent Garden Underground
Most of London is home to its fair share of ghosts due to its thick history and huge population. It’s only right that some of these ghosts would resemble Valak.
One warehouse worker for the market claimed he was fixing a fuse in the basement when he suddenly paused; someone was watching him. He quickly finished the repair, desperate to leave the area, but when he looked up, he came face-to-face with the presence he was sensing:
A cluster of orbs and lights in the shape of a woman’s face draped with a nun’s habit was looking at him. She then raised her hands towards him, and began to talk. He didn’t know what she said.
#5 - The Corpse Of A Nun Is Still Trapped Within Arno’s Manor
Borley Rectory is not the only haunted location with the bones of a nun caught in a scandal still trapped inside.
The story goes that this former private home contained a chapel which was run by local nuns. One of these nuns fell pregnant and committed suicide as a result of her ‘sin’. To contain this scandalous turn of events, her fellow nuns bricked her body up in an alcove - an alcove found during the Second World War.
The manor was damaged by a bomb and thus required repairs. But during these repairs, they discovered the remains. They hid the bones in another location.
To this day, a nun-like figure is often seen wandering around the hotel, particularly in room 160. And if you choose to stay in this hotel, you might just hear her call your name, too.
#6 - The Haunted Church of St Mary The Virgin
Ok, fine, you might not believe in demonic nuns.
But what about demonic churches?
British churches have always been incredible, historic sights to behold, whether you follow the teachings of Jesus, or believe something rather different.
But amongst the beauty in this set of ruins in Clophill is a far darker past, and it starts with its construction in 1848:
The church is supposed to face the West, to look towards where Jesus will come from during the Second Coming. The thing is, this church was built backwards.
It’s essentially an upside-down cross, but hell of a lot bigger.
And that’s probably why ghost monks are often seen here. And, the frequent satanic rituals. And the routine desecration of graves.
Yeah.
#7 - St Nicholas Church
Pluckley is one of the most haunted locations on the planet. This small village has a variety of ghosts to its name - including those wandering ‘the Screaming Woods’, and that should tell you enough about the paranormal goings-on, here.
But the epicentre of this haunting is St Nicholas Church.
Unexplained knocking from the floor of the church and flickering lights form the basis of the haunting, but what sets this church apart from your local chapel is the woman wandering around outside.
The Red Lady Ghost is said to walk around the local gravestones in the church cemetery, and is supposedly looking for her infant child. And if that wasn’t terrifying - and tragic - enough, the woman she is believed to be was buried in 3 lead coffins to prevent her decay.
Lady Dering is probably as preserved in her physical state as her supernatural one.
#8 - St Bartholomew The Great
Another location to add to your “never-visit-under-any-circumstances” list is in the heart of London.
It’s housed Christian worship since 1143, and some of its residents are as old as that. There’s Rahere, a monk who roams and the church on the 1st July at 7am because that’s not really specific, there’s the clergyman in a black gown who delivers his sermon as timely as Rahere, and there’s that demonic presence which takes the form of a black shape.
So pretty chill, really.
Churches and their clergy have been at the centre of society throughout history, providing sanctuary to locals - whether they believe, or not.
They’re a place of peace, a place that you can be safe from harm.
Yeah, about that...
Want to hear about more horror films that are based on true stories? Then you’re in luck. Be sure to check out my previous posts, and hit follow to read about the scariest paranormal phenomena known to mankind every week.
