France is a very old country, being a little over 1600 years old, so saying that, you can
expect that it has some tall tales and legends floating around the country, particularly
stories hailing from the streets of Paris.
So today on Top 5 Scary Videos, I’m going to be counting down our list of the Top 5
Scary French Urban Legends.
Before we begin though, be sure to stick around until the end of the video where I’ll be
responding to some of your comments, and with that, let’s jump in.
5 Jim Morrison Born James Douglas Morrison, he was a singer,
songwriter and poet who served as the lead vocalist of the rock band The Doors.
However, Morrison developed an alcohol dependency during the 60s, with him passing away unexpectedly
at the age of 27 in Paris.
As no autopsy was performed, the cause of his death remains unknown.
He was ultimately laid to rest in the famous Pere Lachaise Cemetery.
Over the years, his headstones were defaced or stolen, until Morrison’s own father placed
a rather ordinary looking one on the site with an inscription in Greek which reads “against
his own Daemon”.
However, in 1997, Journalist Brett Meisner was visiting the cemetery when he had this
photo taken of him, http://www.theparanormalguide.com/uploads/1/7/3/8/17382059/6730738.jpg?490 standing in front of Jim Morrison’s headstone.
However, in the background of the picture, standing in the doorway of a crypt you can
clearly see a semi-transparent figure, arms held wide, which resembles the late singer.
Many state that the pose is very reminiscent of a famous photo take of Morrison.
http://www.theparanormalguide.com/uploads/1/7/3/8/17382059/1156190.jpg?385 What do you guys think?
Ghost or trick of the light?
Whatever you think, it has been enough to drive more tourists to the cemetery to attempt
to catch a glimpse of the famous singer.
4 Sweeney Todd Now hear me out before we begin, yes I know
that Sweeney Todd is said to hail from Victorian London, however, this legend states that maybe
he didn’t, and maybe he walked the streets of France.
First and foremost though, Sweeney Todd is a fictional character who appeared as the
villain of the Victorian penny dreadful serial The String of Pearls.
The tale became a staple of Victorian melodrama and London urban legend.
A barber from Fleet Street, Sweeney Todd, murders his customers with a straight razor
and turns their bodies over to Mrs. Lovett, his partner in crime, who bakes their flesh
into meat pies.
However, could it be that the original Sweeney Todd was not from London but instead hailed
from Medieval Paris.
Legend states that Paris had its very own demon barber during the 14th century, and
was perhaps the first home to the cannibalistic pastries from the murders barber.
During this time, the rue des Marmousets was known far and wide for its succulent French
delicacies -- especially for those made by a butcher next door to a barber shop on the
corner.
The pies and pastries were said to be so tasty that even King Charles VI was said to have
been a fan.
From 1384 to 1387, the butcher was said to have been in cahoots with his neighboring
barber, with it being said that the pastries were so scrumptious thanks to the young flesh
of the victims of the demon barber.
The partnership was said to have thrived for three years, and would have continued if their
gory deeds weren’t discovered.
It was said that an abandoned dog was what gave them away, who was barking outside the
door of the barbers.
The police conducted a search and discovered heaps of human bones and flesh in the shared
underbelly of the two shops.
For their crimes, the barber and the butcher were burned alive, along with their shops,
in order to exorcise the area from their evil.
3 The Catacombs The Catacombs of Paris are underground ossuaries
which hold the remains of more than six million people in a small part of a tunnel network
built to consolidate Paris’ ancient stone quarries.
Now, it was largely forgotten until it became a novelty-place for concerts and various other
private events in the early 19th century, as well as a hot-spot for urban explorers.
Now, as you would expect there are a ton of legends surrounding this creepy burial site,
so I’ll be listing off a handful.
Let’s start with the ghost of Philibert Aspairt.
During the French revolution, Philibert was a doorman at the Val-de-Grace hospital.
During a mission to fetch a liqueur from a cellar, Philbert wound up in the Paris Catacombs
instead.
Walking around in the darkness alone with just a single candle, he became lost and confused.
His body was not found until 11 years later when a group of cataphiles uncovered it.
His body is now buried in the catacombs in the exact spot that he was found.
Legend now states that on each November 3rd, Philibert’s ghost haunted the labyrinth
of the catacombs.
However, the most disturbing story hails from the 1990s, when a group of cataphiles were
walking through the catacombs and discovered a video camera on the ground.
To their surprise, the camera had footage on it.
While watching the footage, it became apparent that the man filming was lost and had no idea
how to escape the winding tunnels.
The video then ends abruptly with the man dropping the camera on the ground and running
off into the unknown.
He was never discovered.
However, it was this legend that many believe As Above, So below was based off of.
https://thetourguy.com/travel-blog/most-bone-chilling-paris-catacombs-legends-and-stories/
2 The Phantom of the Opera We’re all familiar with the 1986 musical
based on the book by Gaston Leroux with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Its central plot revolves around a beautiful soprano, Christine Daae, who becomes the obsession
of a mysterious disfigured musical genius living in the subterranean labyrinth beneath
the Paris Opera House.
But, did you know, this story is actually based on legend, with many Parisian’s being
all too familiar with the story of the Phantom and the mysterious box number 5 at the Garnier
Opera House.
This legend began at the music conservatory on Rue Le Peletier, where it is said that
a young pianist and young ballerina fell in love.
Planning to be wed, the pianist composed a piece of music to symbolize their love that
was intended to be played at their wedding, however, that never happened, because on October
28th, 1873, a fire destroyed the conservatory and killed many, including the ballerina.
The pianist survived, but was forever scarred by the fire, particularly on his face.
He abandoned the world and took refuge in the underground passage of the Garnier Opera
House in order to escape the dreadful people who considered him a monster or a demon.
He stayed there for the rest of his life, devoting himself to his music.
Now, the pianist was never disturbed, but rumors quickly began to spiral, creating the
legend of the Phantom of the Opera.
The first rumors came from the opera house staff such as stagehands and dancers, and
it is also purported that Box Number 5 at the Garnier Opera House is said to be haunted
by the mysterious Phantom and should always be left vacant for him.
1 Notre Dame and the Devil’s Door Notre-Dame is one of the most infamous places
in French history, with it being a medieval Catholic cathedral that was consecrated to
the Virgin Mary and is considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture.
However, popular interest in the cathedral blossomed after the publication of Victor
Hugo’s novel, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, back in 1831.
The cathedral is holy ground, but saying that, how many tourists from around the world have
been ushered in by Satan himself?
Some history first, when it comes to the construction of buildings such as this one, construction
always starts at the back of the building, with entrances added last.
So, when it came time to add the famous door to the cathedral, a man by the name of Mr.
Biscornet -- a young metalsmith -- convinced the church to hire him.
The job lasted months, with Bicornet slaving away in his workshop, however, when he finally
finished, it was of course a masterpiece and blew the minds of Parisians.
However, were the doors perhaps too good to be true?
This all took place during the 1300’s when magic was believed and myth spread fast.
So, when people saw the door for the first time, they believed that Bicornet couldn’t
possibly have crafted it himself, and that instead he had sold his soul to the Devil
in exchange for the masterpiece.
Stories quickly began to emerge of people claiming to have visited Biscornet during
the creation, and found him unconscious on the floor with the project mysteriously completed.
The rumours began to spread with priests adding fuel to the fire by claiming that the doors’
locks refused to work until they were sprinkled with holy water.
To top things off, not long after this the artist died, with many speculating that in
order to fulfill the contract the Devil had to claim Biscornet’s soul.
Well, there we have it!
Do you guys agree with our list?
Were there any French urban legends that we missed?
Leave us all your thoughts and feelings in the comments down below and perhaps we can
do a part 2.
Before I go though, I just want to respond to a few comments from one of our last videos,
Top 5 Scary Werewolf Horror Movies That Changed All The Rules.
IneedAname said: “Van Helsing gave the best werewolf form and I will die on this hill.”
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Sara Zillwood: “Dog Soldiers, such a good film and so underrated!
Needs more credit and way better than underworld!”
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Netmystique said: “I’m glad to see werewolves getting some attention.
I love werewolf stories, but I have never cared for vampires.”
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Darkwaterentertainme said: “Ginger Snaps is the best werewolf movie.”
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Dough Boy said: “You rock Lucy, bring more scary videos for us” ---
Mask Maker Gingey said: “Lucy would you rather be a vampire or a werewolf, and Rick
Baker on American werewolf is just top dog” ---
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And until next time, see ya later.