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Comments for Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary
Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary 03/24/10
When I was in elementary, the third graders would haze the first graders with the Bloody Mary story. At my school, it was specifically a girl on girl hazing routine. A third grader would lead in the first grade girls into the bathroom across from the first grade classrooms (temporary structures at the edge of the school). She would tell the story about Bloody Mary and how she was risking her life warning us against the ghost in the mirror of this particular bathroom. If we spun around three times and said "Bloody Mary" three times and then looked in the mirror, she would jump out of our reflection and kill us.
Today my son came home warning me about the Bloody Mary ghost. Imagine my surprise! My husband then shared the version he had heard. Wikipedia has a few theories too about the origins and meanings of the legend. Mostly though, Sean's sudden interest in ghosts in mirrors got me thinking about mirrors as motifs.
Humans have used mirrors throughout history. The earliest ones were concave bits of polished metal. Now they are typically glass with a reflective backing. The provide an uncanny view of ourselves and our world.
Mirrors have been used in literature as portals between worlds. In Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There, Alice re-enters wonderland through the mirror in the family library. Her second trip presents a more structured view of the world beyond the topsy turvey insanity of the card game gone wrong of the first book.
In Breakfast of Champions Kilgore Trout calls mirrors "leaks", describing them as connecting points between alternate dimensions. Now in his case he was just being perverse. However in Mirror of Her Dreams and a Man Rides Through, a mirror does offer a portal (via a magic incantation) between our world and a fantasy realm.
In Coraline the mirror provides a glimpse of the missing parents and is the entry point to where the Other Mother hides her prey. In the "Family of Blood" episode of Doctor Who, the doctor entraps one of the Family of Blood in the edge of the mirror (all mirrors).
Mirrors also reveal hidden personalities, as Norman Osborn talks to himself as the Green Goblin in Spider-Man. They also hide as well as they reveal. The mirror gives Persius a way to fight Medusa without being turned to stone and in Lady from Shanghi (1947) the mirrors reveal, conceal and confuse in the final shoot out.
What about you? Do you have a favorite mirror scene or a version of the Bloody Mary tale you'd like to share? If you do, please leave a comment.
books | urban legends
Comments (2)
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Comment #1: Friday, March, 26, 2010 at 13:49:13
What a great post! I've always been partial to Snow White's mirror, but that's just me.
Comment #2: Friday, March 26, 2010 at 15:49:34
Pussreboots
I had meant to include the Queen's mirror but it slipped my mind.