Humans have a complex relationship with caves.
On the one hand, they have often provided us with shelter from the elements or predators
that want to eat us - they were our first natural houses.
However, theyre also dark places which can hide things that will keep you up at night.
Most people avoid these kind of caves for their whole lives, but the ones that venture
in have returned with some horrifying stories.
Here are 10 of the best.
My name is Danny Burke, this is the Top 10 Scary Caves That Should Never Have Been Explored.
Coming in at number 10 we have The Hellfire Caves.
With a name like that, it had to be on the list.
These caves in England sprawn for a quarter of a mile underground and were first excavated
in the 1700s.
The man responsible for the excavation was Francis Dashwood - he was the co founder of
the Hellfire club, a secret society said to have held meetings in the caves.
As the years rolled on, the caves became famous for the groups supposed dark rituals, orgies
and devil worship.
The group eventually disbanded but something seemed to stay behind.
Those who visit the caves say they feel a presence, the ghosts of the members still
wandering the dimly lit rooms.
Apparitions appear and disappear in front of people, echos come from nowhere and last
for ages and a deep sense of dread grips people as they get further into the caves.
Next up at number 9 we have The Bell Witch Cave.
According to legend, in 1804 a farmer called John Bell bought some land in Tennessee for
his family to live in.
Locals claimed the cave was haunted by a woman called Kate Batts, who felt she was cheated
by the Bell family in the land purchase.
By 1817, strange sightings had become of animals and apparitions.
The family would hear knocking on their door and dragging along the walls outside of the
house.
When they went to investigate, there was nothing there.
They began to hear choking and growling noises.
Their youngest daughter was scratched by an unseen force, had her hair pulled and was
beaten.
Once the family were driven out, the hauntings seemed to stop.
Locals say the Bell Witch returned to her to the cave where she remains today.
Visitors can take a tour - but its not for the faint hearted.
Moving on to number 8 we have The Cave of Sibyl.
The ancient Greeks, like many cultures, believed there were certain portals on Earth to the
underworld and that naturally, they should be avoided.
To them, the Cave of Sibyl was one of them.
Its located in the ancient Greek settlement of Cumae, near what is now modern day Naples.
According to legends, even birds wont fly over the cave for fear of being pulled into
the underworld.
Locals say the 700 year old oracle of the dead priestess Sibyl guards the gateway and
acts as a guide for people on their descent towards Hades.
She wont take you to the underworld if you avoid the cave, but if you step inside, some
say youre as good as dead ...
Moving on to number 7 we have The Well of Sacrifice.
This is located a short walk from the Mayan Chichen Itza.
Many tourists visit the ancient pyramids there but not as many go to The Well of Sacrifice.
How do I know?
Well I was one of them.
I went to Chichen Itza the other year but I didnt know this was just around the corner.
The Well of Sacrifice is a limestone sinkhole cave.
In 1904, an American explorer dredged it to collect pieces of hold, copper and pottery
from the water.
He was amazed to find how old and far flung the artifacts were.
However, the dredging also uncovered a dark Mayan secret.
He found bodies.
The cave contained the remains of at least 120 adults and many children.
The bones seemed to suggest that they had been flayed.
The finding seemed to fit with the ancient stories of Mayans pushing people into the
hole while they were still alive.
The 65ft fall probably wouldnt have killed them, which meant they drowned while trying
to use their broken limbs to stay afloat.
What a horrible thought …
Next up at number 6 we have The Chislehurst Caves.
This vast complex in England contains some 22 miles of passageways, split into three
distinct sections named Saxon, Druid and Roman - they later join up through connecting passages.
People have mined the caves for thousands of years but the earliest written record comes
from around 1250.
In more modern times, the mines were home to to people escaping the bombing of London
during the 2nd world war.
The history, turmoil and darkness of these stoney halways seemed to have intertwined
and left a dark energy behind.
People regularly report hearing screams, murmurs, children giggling and footsteps echoing from
deep within the labyrinth - locals say its the ghost of those who died there and want
to let the living know of their eternal horror.
Moving on to number 5 now we have The Moaning Cavern.
These caves are found in Vallecito Califoria and when people say they moan - they arent
kidding.
Air is whipped through the caverns, creating a strange moaning sound.
Thats the official explanation anyway.
Locals have a different story.
They say its all down to the Tommyknockers, strange, mythical leprechaun like creatures.
Some believe they are the spirits of those who have died in the caves over the years.
Why are they there?
Well opinion is divided on that too.
Some say the creatures are warning cavers of potential collapses, others say they are
actually evil spirits who cause the collapses which kill people.
Some people don't want to take the risk of finding out which way they will go.
Coming in at number 4 now we have Robbers Cave.
This one is located in Nebraska and has long been known as a sacred meeting spot for the
Pawnee Indians.
The cave system lies durectly below an area where the tribe would carry out traditional
practices such as healing, animal spirit powers and medicinal work.
Some say the deep connection they made with the Earth has left a lasting impact, long
after the area was abandoned.
Locals claim they hear the sounds of beating drums and chanting as if the rituals are being
performed by ghosts.
They also say that from the outside, you can hear screams and moans coming from the caves.
Moving on to number 3 we have Mammoth Cave.
This one really creeped me out for a number of reasons.
Firstly - its huge.
This Kentucky cave is said to contain 400 miles of explored area - and thats only the
parts we know of.
Experts say there could be a lot more we havent seen yet.
Archaeological evidence seems to suggest that Native Americans were mining the cave as far
back as 4,000 years ago.
They did this very successfully, using the materials to make tools and weapons.
At one point they even began burying their dead there.
Things continued like this for another 2000 years but then, for some reason, they abandoned
the cave and never returned.
All evidence suggests they left the cave and never went back again.
What was the reason for this?
Did they find something horrific in the depths of the cave, or did something find them?
The only way to find out is to keep exploring - any volunteers?
Next up at number 2 we have The Washaba Street Caves.
This one is unique in a number of ways.
Firstly, it looks like a normal building from the outside - located in Saint Paul Minnesota.
It was built into sandstone caves along the Mississippi river so that locals could mine
silica.
Over the years though, it was overrun by gangsters who used the caves as a base of operations.
According to legend, three gansters were gunned down in the caves in the early 1930s.
The brutality of their deaths left their restless spirits behind in the caves.
The ghostly sightings of them have continued to this day.
Some even say the ghosts have begun to wander out of the caves and into cafe next door,
giving the fright of peoples lives.
Staff and customers have reported seeing the apparitions of a woman sitting at the bar
with a man in a panama hat.
Many people would want to avoid seeing such a sight, but if you do, they have a cave tour
for just 8 dollars.
Not bad.
And finally at number 1 we have the Devils Hole.
This is a famously creepy cave that lies near Niagara Falls.
The 20ft deep cave was first talked about by the Native Americans of the area.
They said the cave was the home a demonlike snake called the Evil One.
He is said to embody everything evil in the world.
Some of the tribe who entered never came out.
Others returned with their hair turned from black to solid white in pure terror from their
encounter.
They couldn't even describe what they had seen because theyd lost their minds inside
the cave.
They tried to warn the early French explorers of the evil inside but they didnt listen.
One of them went inside and was murdered shortly after by his own men.
In 1763, a conflict occured between the British and Native Americans.
The result was 80 British soldiers being scalped and thrown into the cave along with their
horses.
Although its been many years since these events, people say you can still feel the evil presence
by simply walking past the entrance to the cave …
Ahhh those stories kind of make me want to go and visit a cave - is that weird?
Am I asking for trouble?
Whats the creepiest cave story you guys have?
Lets hear some good ones in the comments section.
What video do you want next?
Thanks for watching as always, my name is Danny Burke and Ill see you all in the next
video.