There are many skeptics in this world who refuse to believe in any type of curse. While it’s true some curses seem pretty far-fetched, others are extremely peculiar and even scary. Is it possible that some curses have any truth to them? Some examples of famous curses include:
- The Omen Curse,
- The Curse of Superman,
- The Kennedy Curse.
Although some curses seem a bit more ridiculous than others, the story behind each of them is always an interesting and intriguing one.
Here are 16 scary and real curses that are deadly.
1. The Cursed Tomb of Timur: In 1396, the great conqueror Timur began a bloody campaign against Genghis Khan, his great grandfather. He killed thousands of people throughout Persia and Southern Russia, and continued his massacre in Baghdad. He is estimated to have killed over 17 million people. In 1405, Timur died. He was placed in a tomb which had this curse inscribed in it: “When I arise from the grave, the world will tremble.” In 1941, a Soviet archaeologist excavated the tomb. Elders warned him that if he opened the tomb, a war would begin. The archaeologist did not listen, and removed Timur’s skull. The next day, Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa, and the German army invaded the Soviet Union. In 1942, Timur was re-buried, and shortly after, the Soviets overcame the Nazis during the Battle of Stalingrad.
2. The Tomb of Hermeru: The ancient curse which exists on the High Priest of Hermeru’s tomb translates to “I shall seize his neck like that of a goose.” Legend says that if a person dares enter the tomb, they will be cursed and die.
3. The Cursed Iceman Cometh: In 1991, the body of a man (referred to as Iceman) was recovered buried in ice between Italy and Austria. The man was killed with an arrow and had his skull bashed nearly 5,000 years ago. The Iceman has been linked to a total of 7 deaths ranging over a period of 13 years. Each person who died participated in the excavation of the Iceman’s body. People suggest that anybody who touches or comes into contact with the Iceman has a curse placed upon them for life.
4. The Curse of Superman: The Curse of Superman was allegedly started by the creators of the Superman character, Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel. Because DC owned the rights to the character, the compensation that Shuster and Siegel received from DC was extremely low. It has been suggested that the two placed a curse on the character. Since then, two people who have played Superman have had tragic deaths. George Reeves played the character in the TV version from 1952 to 1958. He committed suicide in 1959. Christopher Reeves played Superman in film from 1978-1987. In 1995, he became paralyzed after he fell off of a horse. He died 9 years later. To this day, many actors continue to turn down the role of Superman because of this alleged curse.
5. The Kennedy Curse: Many believe that a curse exists on the famous Kennedy family, and rightfully so. Not only did the curse supposedly kill John F. Kennedy and Bobby Kennedy (both men were assassinated), but many people also believe that other family members fell victim to the infamous family curse. In 1944, Joseph P. Kennedy was killed in a World War Two plane explosion, and Kathleen Kennedy died during the same war in Belgium by sniper fire. Jackie O, JFK’s wife, lost her son Patrick B. Kennedy due to lung issues from a premature birth, and John F. Kennedy Jr. was killed in a plane crash. Ted Kennedy is said to have managed to escape the curse. In 1964, he survived a plane crash, while in 1969 he accidentally drove off a bridge. Both passengers in each accident were killed, while Ted Kennedy survived. Many other family members have fallen victim to the curse, although some argue that with such a large family, death and fateful events are bound to happen.
6. The Cursed Telephone Number: The phone number “088-888-8888” was first issued by Bulgarian phone company Mobiltel. Each person who has ever had this phone number has died. The three people who had the number all passed away within two years of each other. The first person died of cancer, while the last two people were shot and killed. The number has since been taken out of circulation by the Bulgarian phone company, who wished not to comment when asked about the unusual phone number and the circumstances surrounding it.
7. The Björketorp Runestone: An ancient 14-foot stone found in Sweden is believed to have a deadly curse. The runestones read: “I, master of the runes, conceal here runes of power incessantly plagued by maleficence, doomed to insidious death is he who breaks this monument.” This means that the person who breaks or removes the stone will die an untimely death. Rumors state that the stone marks a grave site, although no human remains have ever been found there. Only once did a man try to remove the stone, and he died while doing it. No one has attempted to remove the stone since, and it still remains where it is today.
8. The Omen Curse: The popular 1976 hit horror film The Omen supposedly has a curse on it. It has wreaked havoc on multiple people who participated in the creation of the film. The film’s star, Gregory Peck, was the first to supposedly fall victim to the curse. His own son died just two months before filming. It has also been reported that on the flight to the location where he would start filming the movie, his plane was struck by lightning. He survived. Another interesting victim of this supposed curse was one of the producers of the movie, whose plane was also reportedly struck by lightning just a few days after Peck’s plane was struck. A tiger handler was also killed during the filming the movie, and a stuntman was attacked by a pack of trained Rottweilers who had scenes in the film. Is it all just coincidence, or is it a curse?
9. The 27 Club: The 27 Club refers to a group of musicians who all met their deaths at the age of 27. Musicians in this club include Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix and Amy Winehouse. Each of these rock stars were iconic music legends, and also had notorious drug problems. Each death was drug or alcohol related.
10. The Curse of Tutankhamun: Only a few months after Tutankhamun’s tomb was opened in 1922, Lord Carnarvon, who was responsible for financially backing the excavation, died from a mysterious infection. Several other people who were related to him are reported to also have suffered mysterious deaths. It has also been reported that the curse caused the deaths of 20 other people who were linked to the excavation of the tomb.