A gho
st has been defined as the disem
bodied spirit or soul of a deceased person, although in popular usage the term refers only to the apparition of such a person. Often described as insubstantial and partly transparent, ghosts are reported to haunt particular locations or people that they were associated with in life or at time of death.
Phantom armies, ghost-animals, ghost trains and phantom ships have also been reported.The English word ghost continues Old English gást, hypothetical Common Germanic *gaisto-z. It is common to West Germanic, but lacking in North and East Germanic (the equivalent word in Gothic is ahma, Old Norse has andi m., önd f.). The pre-Germanic form would have been *ghoizdo-z, apparently from a root denoting "fury, anger", cognate to Sanskrit hedas "anger", reflected in Old Norse geisa "to rage". The Germanic word is recorded as masculine only, but likely continues a neuter s-stem. The original meaning of the Germanic word would thus have been an animating principle of the mind, in particular capable of excitation and fury (compare óðr). In Germanic paganism, "Germanic Mercury", and the later Odin, was at the same time the conductor of the dead and the "lord of fury" leading the Wild Hunt.
Ghosts or similar paranormal entities appear in film, theatre, and literature; legends and myths, and some religions.
Common attributes:
Another widespread belief concerning ghosts is that they were composed of a misty, airy, or subtle material. Anthropologists speculate that this may also stem from early beliefs that ghosts were the person within the person, most noticeable in ancient cultures as a person's breath, which upon exhaling in colder climates appears visibly as a white mist.[18] This belief may have also fostered the metaphorical meaning of "breath" in certain languages, such as the Latin spiritus and the Greek pneuma, which by analogy became extended to mean the soul. In the Bible, God is depicted as animating Adam with a breath.
In many traditional accounts, ghosts were often thought to be deceased people looking for vengeance, or imprisoned on earth for bad things they did during life. The appearance of a ghost has often been regarded as an omen or portent of death. Seeing one's own ghostly double or "fetch" is a related omen of death.[23]
White ladies were reported to appear in many rural areas, and supposed to have died tragically or suffered trauma in life. White Lady legends are found around the world. Common to many of them is the theme of losing or being betrayed by a husband or fiancé. They are often associated with an individual family line, as a harbinger of death. When one of these ghosts is seen it indicates that someone in the family is going to die, similar to a banshee.
Legends of ghost ships have existed since the 18th century; most notable of these is the Flying Dutchman. This theme has been used in literature in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Coleridge.
IN SIMPLE ENGLISH:
A ghost is considered to be the spirit of a dead person. Scientists say that there are no real ghosts, but many people believe that there are.
There are many stories about ghosts in books and movies. Sometimes the ghost is the spirit of a person who was killed by enemies or who died in a scary way. The ghost may stay on Earth because he or she is angry due to some problem in life and wants to scare people or to harm his or her enemies. Sometimes ghosts are said to live in a particular locality, for example an abandoned house, and when occupants come they tease them to drive away or cause serious damage to the occupants.
Sometimes the ghosts in these stories exist because of some problem the person had during life, that was not solved before he or she died. The ghost stays on the Earth trying to fix the problem. If the problem is fixed, the ghost can leave the Earth. Many ghosts stay on Earth also because they have died younger or have had sudden or abrupt deaths. Many people claim to have seen or heard ghosts. People who try to talk to ghosts as their job are called Mediums.
Many people believe they have seen ghosts. Others believe they have felt ghosts near them. Often the ghost is said to appear as a feeling of cold and a light or a misty cloud, but sometimes people say they have seen ghosts that look more like people. Sometimes ghosts are said to come in human form, that is, in the body of a person. Some ghosts might cause fear in the person who sees them, by being seen suddenly. Some ghosts are said to be friendly and help people who are in problems. The ghost might also appear as they did at the time of their death, including any blood or injuries. Ghosts can also appear and disappear as they wish. Many ghosts haunt the place they have died or a living loved one. (Or their murder, in some cases). Some may seek revenge or stay simply because they are confused.
Ghosts can form right after they die, or even centuries later. Many people make up stories or urban legends. many try to prove the existence of these paranormal creatures with special technology such as heat sensors. They also make TV shows dedicated to proving the existence of ghosts, often investigating cases where a person has seen one or visiting a place where there was a sighting.
