White Lady, Black Lady, Red Lady and Brown Lady

I am so curious about the three kinds of lady ghosts - the famous White lady, the mysterious Black Lady, the unknown Red Lady and the infamous Brown Lady. I can't believe that, there are a bunch of lady ghosts with distinguishing color each. What if they haunt in the same place, perhaps, it will be the most colorful, unique and scary place ever?

By the way, there are three kinds of lady ghosts known:

1) The old story of the crying lady, sometimes said to be looking for her lost children, and sometimes warns of impending death. Usually said to head for the town square or a river.

2) The classic lady by the road, sometimes you pass her by repeatedly then disappear, and sometimes they just vanish immediately as you look back. Usually said to disappear by the bridge or a cemetery.

3) The modern hitchhiker lady, sometimes you drop her off at a certain destination of her request, and sometimes she vanishes as you pass by a cemetery. Usually, the driver would later find out that the lady was dead either from people who knew her or from a gravestone.

White Lady

A White Lady is a type of female ghost reportedly seen in rural areas and associated with some local legend of tragedy. 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 or said to be a harbinger of death similar to a banshee. I considered white ladies as the most famous of them all, because other countries are familiar with this kind of ghost. While the three, they are much unusual to others.

In Philippines, white lady is called as Kaperosa, but most Filipinos named this ghost in English. Kaperosa is a female spirit with no face or a spirit covered in blood which has been reportedly seen in empty buildings, near forests, on roads (especially at night) and on cliffs.

Appearances

In United Kingdom, Old Mill Hotel is said to be haunted by the white lady from long ago. A lady was engaged to a man and was due to be married in the old mill hotel. On their wedding day, the lady's fiance never arrived to the wedding, as he was beaten

up by another man who also wanted the lady. The lady was upset and angry, so she ran to the Nine arches where the trains run past. She sat on the edge crying and forlorn. A train rushed passed her and she jumped in fright, falling to the ground dead. For the rest of her fiance's life, the white lady (the lady who died in her white wedding dress) haunted him for apparently not loving her. Her grave is near the old mill hotel and she is said to be seen sitting under a beautiful tree.

The Castle Huntly, Scotland, is said to be haunted by a young woman dressed in flowing white robes. There are various stories concerning her history, one of which is that she was a daughter of the Lyon family who occupied the castle in the 17th century. When her affair with a manservant was discovered she was banished to a tower on the battlements. Unable to endure her suffering, she threw herself to her death from the tower. The ghost of the White Lady has been seen a number of times over the years, often on the grounds surrounding the castle. She has also been seen in the room in which she was imprisoned.

Muncaster Castle in the county of Cumbria is reputed to be one of England's most haunted houses. The vengeful ghost in white of Mary Bragg, a foul-mouthed local girl who was murdered by being hanged from the Main Gate by drunken youths in the 19th century after they had kidnapped her for a joke, is also referred to as the white lady. The white lady has been sighted in Chadkirk, Manchester going across the canal on a banana boat.

Roughwood Nature Reserve in the Black Country also has had a high number of paranormal incidents, including sightings of a woman in a white dress, drenched in ichor from the lake where it is rumored her body was abandoned. Local myths suggest this is the spirit of Pauline Kelly, who with her daughter Evelyn disappeared in the mid-19th century. The local community has a Halloween tradition involving wearing white dresses and speaking the mocking rhyme: "White Lady, White Lady, I'm the one who killed your baby."

In United States, a local legend tells of the White Lady of Acra, the ghost of a woman who died on her way home from her wedding night in the 19th century. Although no one has come into contact with her, many older people claim to have seen her especially on the abandoned dirt road near the Parchments and Castle Hill which she is rumored to haunt.

Another legend tells of the White Lady jumping off the Portchester Castle while she was carrying a child she didn't want. Her spirit is said to haunt the castle to this day.

In Germany, a white woman was first reported to be seen in the Berliner Schloss in 1625 and sightings have been reported up until 1790.

In the Philippines, the white lady is reportedly seen in Balete Drive of Quezon City and in Loakan Road of Baguio City. Both dwell in trees and haunts at roads, where, other said, they died from an accident or from being raped and was murdered. There are many ghost stories that depict this kind of ghost in the Philippines, with different reasons why they haunt the place, and how they became one.

Black Lady

Should I consider the black lady a banshee too? Actually, I don't know what they are. But I think yes, the only difference between the white and black ladies are the dress they wear as a ghost. They are sometimes associated with devils because they were black. Some says, they are more dangerous than the white lady. How good white ladies are, is equaled by black ladies for being wicked. They appear similar to how the white ladies appear in front of you. Their origin is almost the same as that of the white one. They may be harmful and vengeful. There are only few information or records about this creature.

Appearances

In Lincolnshire, England, the black lady of Bradley Woods is a ghost which reportedly haunts the woods near the village of Bradley. Alleged eyewitnesses have described her as being young and pretty, around 5'6" tall, dressed in a flowing black cloak and a black hood that obscures her hair but reveals her mournful, pale, tear-soaked face. According to the legend she has never harmed anyone and has only ever proved to be a pitiful, if unnerving sight.

The story is known to have been told for many generations. It was once used by parents to frighten children; this appears to have been a common practice among parents in the area, and children were warned that if they were not safely in bed by a certain time "the black lady will get you!".

One theory that has been put forward is that the Black Lady is the ghost of a nun. She appears dressed in black and at nearby Nunsthorpe (now an area of Grimsby) where a convent existed until the Reformation. This theory gives no reason as to why the Black Lady should have moved from Nunsthorpe to Bradley, 2 miles (3.2 km) away. Also, though she may be dressed in black, few if any eyewitnesses have described her appearance as matching that of a nun.

Another possible explanation is that she is a spinster who at one time lived a life of isolation in her cottage in the woods far enough away from the village. If village children had come across a woman living on her own in the woods, who became angry when her privacy and solitude was breached, then imaginary tales of witchcraft could have exaggerated the legend.

Neither of these theories ties in with the folklore.

In Fort Warren, Georges Island, Massachusetts, there was a famous legend about a lady in black. Here's the story: (by Edward Rowe Snow)

... During the War between the States, hundreds of prisoners were captured by General Burnside at Roanoke Island. Among the group incarcerated at Fort Warren in the Corridor of Dungeons was a young lieutenant who had been married only a few weeks before. He succeeded in getting a message to his young wife by the underground railroad, giving complete directions as to where he was and how she could reach him. Being very much in love, she obtained passage on a small sloop, and landed in Hull a few weeks later. She quickly located the home of a Southerner in that town and was fitted out with a pistol and dressed in men's clothing. Choosing a dark, rainy night, the lady rowed across Nantasket Road and finally landed on the beach at Georges Island. Slipping noiselessly by the sentries, she reached the ditch under the Corridor of Dungeons. After giving a prearranged signal, she was hoisted up to the carronade embrasure and pulled through the opening. As soon as husband and wife had exchanged greetings, they made plans for the future. The prisoners decided to dig their way out of the dungeon into the parade ground and set to work. Unfortunately for their plans, a slight miscalculation brought their tunnel with hearing of Northern soldiers stationed on the other side of the wall.

The commanding officer, Colonel Dimick, was notified and the whole scheme was quickly exposed. The brave little woman, when cornered, attempted to fire at the Colonel, but the gun was of the old-fashioned pepper box type and exploded, killing her husband. Colonel Dimick had no alternative but to sentence her to hang as a spy. She made one last request: that she be hanged in women's clothing. After a search of the fort, some robes were found which had been worn by one of the soldiers during an entertainment, and the plucky girl went to her death wearing these robes. At various times through the years, the Ghost of the Lady in Black has returned to haunt the men quartered at the fort.

Once, three soldiers were walking under the great arched sallyport at the entrance to the fort, and there before them, in the fresh snow, were five impressions of a girl's shoe leading nowhere and coming from nowhere. Ten years before World War II, a certain sergeant from Fort Banks was climbing to the top of the ladder which leads to the Corridor of Dungeons when he heard a voice warning him, saying: "Don't come in here!" Needless to say, he did not venture further.

There actually are on record court-martial cases of men who have shot at ghost-like figures while on sentry duty, and one poor man deserted his post, claiming he had been chased by the lady of the black robes. For many years the traditional poker game was enjoyed in the old ordnance storeroom, and at ten o'clock one night a stone was rolled the entire length of the storeroom. As all the men on the island were playing poker, no explanation could be found. When the same thing happened the next time that the men played poker in the evening, the group at the card table decreased appreciably.

By the end of the month the ordnance storeroom was deserted, and since that time, if any of the enlisted men wished to indulge in that pastime, they chose another part of the island. The ghost of the "Lady in Black" was, of course, blamed for the trouble.

In the Philippines, there was this news about a 10-year-old child who saw a black lady. Here is the whole story: (by Ria Mae Y. Booc/FPL)

Black ghost hounds pupil in Dalaguete?
CEBU, Philippines - The appearance of a “black lady” to a 10-year-old pupil in the middle of her discussion prompted grade four teacher Zita Hayo of Dalaguete Elementary School to suspend her class yesterday.

The pupils in the grade four class were terrified when one of their female classmates suddenly burst into tears because of fear. The pupil told her teacher that she is seeing a “black lady” in the classroom. She described it having black eyes with blood dripping from her mouth.

Hayo said she first noticed the unusual behavior of the pupil last Monday. According to her, she was having her class discussion in the morning when the pupil suddenly cried without any reason.

When she asked the child what was wrong the latter told her that a “black lady” appeared before her. Hayo referred the incident to their principal, Cecelia Cartilla.

They referred the child to healing minister Vioh Amamampang who performed a prayer over on the child. They also called the child’s parents who brought her to the district hospital. Upon examination, the doctors found her negative of any disease.

However, the same incident occurred yesterday morning prompting the principal to investigate the child. She said the pupil is not insane, in fact, she was doing well in her class.

Cartilla said the pupil told her that the “black lady” first appeared in her dreams and introduced herself as Nunita Cabal.

Cabal allegedly told the child that she died long ago and that she needs prayers. The “black lady” asked the child to offer prayers for her because she has no families to pray for her.

The pupil was allegedly instructed to offer five masses for her within five Sundays.

Upon hearing the child’s story, Cartilla said she immediately asked her staff to offer a prayer for the soul of Cabal. However, the pupil screamed and went wild because she is allegedly seeing different faces telling her that Cabal is not worthy of prayers.

This prompted Cartilla to send the pupil to Santo Rosario Parish in Cebu City for spiritual healing. – (FREEMAN)

Red Lady

Like other two ladies above, this ghost is wearing a robe or a gown in red from where she got her name as Red Lady. In stories I had read, the author said that this ghost is the most dangerous of the three, dangerous than the Black lady. It can give you goosebumps more that what you feel to black ladies. They said, red ladies died because of sexual abuses.

Appearances

There was a real ghost story that tells about a lady in red in University of Santo Thomas in the Philippines. According to the story, the lady in red was published in a news

paper of the said university for their All-Saint's-Day edition. The ghost haunts in the main campus, which was the oldest building, in the comfort room. The shocking thing about her is, she wears high heels. They would hear the rhythmic tock-tocking of her high-heeled shoes in the hallway, but mostly in the lady's powder room.

(by Triglyceride on PEX)

... the story goes there was this student who went in there and as she was relieving herself she heard someone walk in the restroom...tok tok tok tok the sound was unmistakable ...high heeled shoes....so there she was relieving herself when all of a sudden someone started pounding on the door of her bathroom stall. The door doesn't go all the way to the floor so you know...you could see the feet of whoever's in front of the door..well she got annoyed at how rude this person was so she said sandali lang! at the same time her eyes automatically drifted down at the bottom of the floor.....

she didn't see any pair of feet....and yet the pounding continued...

she looked above the door and that was the time she saw the lady in red angrily looking down at her...

In Montgomery, Alabama, there was this Red Lady in Huntingdon College. It is a ghost said to haunt the former Pratt Hall dormitory at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama. Her story is told in Huntingdon alumnus Kathryn Tucker Windham's book 13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey.

According to Windham and historian Daniel Barefoot, there have actually been two ghosts alleged to have haunted Huntingdon College. The first appeared in the late nineteenth century, while the college was still located in the town of Tuskegee, Alabama. She was described as a young woman wearing a scarlet dress and carrying a scarlet parasol who walked wordlessly up and down the halls of a women's dormitory late one night, bathed in a red glow. This apparition, according to Windham, ultimately left the residence hall and disappeared from view as she passed through a gateway outside. The alleged identity or origin of this wraith has never been determined, and she was apparently never seen again. [Click Here for other information]

Brown Lady

Another kind of colored ghost. Maybe the brown lady is the rarest of the four. I don't know about this creature, I had just stumbled upon this. Actually, I only know three colored lady ghost, not four. I can't believe that there's another one.

Appearances

The Brown Lady of Raynham Hall is a ghost which reportedly haunts Raynham Hall in Norfolk. It became one of the most famous hauntings in Great Britain when the image of the 'Brown Lady' was captured by photographers from Country Life magazine who were photographing the staircase in 1936, where it would become one of the most famous paranormal photographs of all time. The "Brown Lady" is so named because of the brown brocade dress it is claimed she wears.

This black-and-white picture depicted here (left) is thought to be that of Lady Dorothy Townshend, wife of Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount of Raynham, residents of Raynham Hall in Norfolk, England in the early 1700s.

According to legend, the "Brown Lady of Raynham Hall" is the ghost of Lady Dorothy Walpole (1686-1726), the sister of Robert Walpole, generally regarded as the first Prime Minister of Great Britain. She was the second wife of Charles Townshend, who was notorious for his violent temper. The story says that when Townshend discovered that his wife had committed adultery with Lord Wharton he punished her by locking her in her rooms in the family home, Raynham Hall. According to Mary Wortley Montagu, Dorothy was in fact entrapped by the Countess of Wharton. She invited Dorothy over to stay for a few days knowing that her husband would never allow her to leave it, not even to see her children. She remained at Raynham Hall until her death in 1726 from smallpox. [Click Here for more about this.]

Philippines

Questions of Filipinos:

Where did the belief of Filipinos for White Ladies (and also the other colors) originated?

So here's the answer:

Long time ago, before the time of Spanish colonialism, ancient Filipinos believe that every living and non-living things possess Kaluluwa (Soul) - Animism. These beings are actually called Diwata. They were usually depicted wearing white clothes and live within every trees, plants, etc. Filipinos believe, at that time, that they were gentle and helpful to people, but as time pass by, it changed. Suddenly, this creatures became white ladies by the influence of Americans.

Aside of that, the colors that vary from one lady to another symbolizes what their attitude is. Filipinos believe that, white symbolizes good and kind and black were wicked.

Others:

Aside of the four ladies above, there are more:

The Blue Lady is the ghost of a woman reportedly seen in and around the Moss Beach Distillery Cafe in Moss Beach, California; she is so-named because she usually dressed all in blue. She is said to originate from the Prohibition era.[1]

The Pink Lady is the unknown woman who visit the Grove Park Inn in Ashevile during the 1920's, and was a guest of room 545. Dressed in a long, pink, flowing gown, the woman fell to her death over the stone wall from the second floor. Though her body was removed, it seems that her spirit has lingered behind.[2]

The Gray Ladies are the ghosts of women who died violently for the sake of love or through the heartless actions of a family member. They are tragic figures and many ghosts fit this description. They are the lonely women ghosts who wandering the world, lost. There are grey lady stories throughout the world and they are as prolific as any ghost story, but my favorite Gray lady is a girl named Kate.[3]

The Green Lady of Caerphilly Castle. Old local legends suggested that the green lady was a very abnormal looking old crooked hag character. In fact The Green Lady was a french lady called Alice who apparently died after her lover was executed. She was basicalled having an affair, She was married to the dude living in the castle at the time and she went to confess her sins to a local monk who told the dude she was married to who owned the castle, he had the lover killed the monk killed and alice died of a broken heart. She is very occasionally seen by many people, Also the castle famous leaning tower smells of lavendar perfurme now and again but no wild lavendar grows in the area. [4]

That's all the color I found in Internet. Most of them died because of love, from unfinished wedding to deserted by a partner. Thus, being heart-broken, there arise a ghost. In addition to that, all the given ladies above, except the Gray (grey) Ladies, were so-called because of the color of gown, robe or any kind of dress they wear when they died or how they appear to human as their color.

I also wanted to research male ghosts in colors. Do you think I can find one?

If you know another colored lady or gentleman ghost, e-mail me at philurbanlegends@ymail.com or message me at http://www.facebook.com/PhilippineUrbanLegends for full data and story about them.

Visit also this site:

[1] http://seeker7.hubpages.com/hub/The-Colour-of-Ghosts

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ghosts

[3] https://sites.google.com/site/paranormalirgsite/home/paranormal-dictionary/j---k---l

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Lady_(ghost)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Lady_of_Bradley_Woods
http://home.comcast.net/~jay.schmidt/ft.warren/ghost.html
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=660132&publicationSubCategoryId=107
http://pinoy-horror-stories.blogspot.com/2011/06/red-lady-on-ust.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Lady_of_Huntingdon_College
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_Lady_of_Raynham_Hall
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Lady_(ghost)
http://hauntedstories.net/haunted-house/north-carolina/ghost-pink-lady
http://ghoststoriesandhauntedplaces.blogspot.com/2010/04/gray-lady.html
http://great-castles.com/caerphillyghost.php
http://www.worldofghosts.co.uk/about1928.html&sid=cb23cb79f4f8a72f19ba12cdb7bc44ac
https://sites.google.com/site/paranormalirgsite/home/paranormal-dictionary/j---k---l
[Picture from:]

http://www.strangehistory.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/white-woman-ghosts.jpg

http://calling.wikia.com/wiki/Girl_in_Red

http://theresashauntedhistoryofthetri-state.blogspot.com/2011/01/guyandottes-lady-in-black.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brown_lady.jpg