Crossroads Aren’t Just for Demons

This article was originally published on Morbid Planet on August 13, 2018.

The show Supernatural has been entertaining fans since 2005 and the main characters, Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles), have been known to make a deal or two over the years with a demon at a crossroads.

Wikipedia explains the significance of a crossroads as:

In folk magic and mythology, crossroads may represent a location “between the worlds” and, as such, a site where supernatural spirits can be contacted and paranormal events can take place.

Now what most people don’t know, is that in England, people were frequently buried at crossroads back in the day. A crossroads grave dating back from the 18th century can still be seen in Dartmoor, England today.

The history behind this particular grave is hard to confirm, but according to the book “Dark and Dastardly Dartmoor,” the story goes like this:

Kitty Jay’s wayside grave is sited on the road between Hound Tor and Heatree Cross. Solid facts are hard to establish about this young girl, who is believed to have committed suicide after becoming pregnant out of wedlock. In keeping up with tradition, she had to be buried at the nearest crossroads, rather than in the consecrated ground of a parish church cemetery. Until 1823, the law required that suicides and criminals should be buried at the crossroads, with a stake through their bodies. The idea was that their troubled spirits would not e able to find their way back to the village.

No one has proof, but locals claim that Kitty’s ghost still lingers by her grave on occasion. Perhaps she is admiring the small trinkets and flowers that are often left for her. Apparently years ago when she passed on, flowers would always appear on the grave and locals had no idea who was leaving them.

[su_button url=”https://www.google.com/maps/place/50°36’18.3%22N+3°47’33.7%22W/@50.60509,-3.79269,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d50.60509!4d-3.79269?hl=en” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#dd3333″ color=”#000000″ size=”13″ center=”yes”]Find this deathly destination now![/su_button]

Notes:

1. Wikipedia. “Crossroads (Mythology).” Last modified May 17, 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossroads_(mythology).
2. Barber, Sally and Chips. Dark and Dastardly Dartmoor. Great Britain: Obelisk Publications, 2008.