In the horror genre, there are many entities that can give a good scare.
So far in Darkology, we’ve explored the psychology behind what makes old people, children,
clowns, silent films and even bugs so terrifying.
And in this episode, we’ll be visiting a holier side and exploring the deeper workings
of what makes nuns so creepy.
In 2016 we got a glimpse at a rather frightening nun in James Wan’s “The Conjuring 2”.
"Who's that?"
And while there is a spinoff film currently in the works to focus primarily on the Nun
character, it isn’t the first time nuns have been used as a vessel for terror.
Here are just some films that feature a mean or creepy nun:
The Blues Brothers.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo.
Death Becomes Her.
The Nun (2005).
Species: The Awakening.
And while not a film, the entire second season of American Horror Story takes place in an
insane asylum run by nuns.
"Just remember.
If you look in the face of evil- evil's gonna look right back at you."
Perhaps in some, they trigger phasmophobia, the fear of ghosts.
There’s just something ethereal and otherworldly about the manner in which they dress and behave.
The outline of a nun is ghostly.
They’re like walking sheets.
The way in which they abstain from modern lifestyles makes them ghosts among us.
They may also trigger demonophobia, which is the fear of demons.
For some, the gothic design of Catholic churches can be unnerving.
Perhaps due to their association with The Devil, and being haunted in horror movies.
Being so closely associated with the church and often seen as possessing a closeness to
the spiritual that borders on an otherworldly level may bring some individuals to suspect
demonic workings at play.
Hollywood has only bolstered this questionable reputation.
"A movie full of fire, sex, and the death of Christians."
I couldn’t find any academic terms for the fear of nuns, but some words that have floated
around are "monachousaphobia" and "sphenisciphobia."
Some sites seem to get these two mixed up with the fear of penguins.
I’m not really sure which is correct or if they’re both wrong- but it's something
to think about.
Nuns and penguins do have a monochromatic appearance in common.
So they look strange, but what else is there?
One reason could be that they’re sometimes seen as mean.
One account I found online had this to say:
“Although I don't have a "phobia", I too have always been frightened by nuns, but with
good reason..
I was raised Catholic and in first grade began my religious instructions every Wednesday
afternoon..
My "teacher" was a horrible, mean, nun who seemed to take great pleasure in terrifying
us at every turn..
She would scream, slam things down, and threaten to hit the children with a ruler..
If that wasn't bad enough, she got on this kick about telling us that every morning when
we left our homes we should make a point of kissing our parents goodbye and telling them
we loved them because by the time we got home again they could be dead!!!!!
I was severely traumatized by that for many, many years and never felt the same about nuns
after that..
”
The fear of nuns might be triggered by algophobia, which is the fear of pain.
Nuns have a reputation for being absolute with punishment which is often depicted in
movies as a swift strike with a ruler stick.
"Get out!
And don't come back... until you've redeemed yourselves."
Or perhaps nuns are more related to scopophobia, the fear of being stared at.
They do appear to be rather judgemental.
Or perhaps it stems from nosocomephobia, the fear of hospitals.
Nuns are often associated with hospitals due to their caring nature.
This fear might stem from the anxiety of losing control once admitted.
There were some other phobias that were a bit farfetch’d but still related to some
degree.
Gynophobia, the fear of women might be connected as nuns are often seen as strict maternal
figures who often do what real mothers won’t in the name of discipline.
Melanophobia, the fear of the color black for their choice in wardrobe.
And then there’s gerontophobia, the fear of old people.
While nuns aren’t all old, a large portion of them, especially depicted in the media,
are seen as older, and their abstinent and strict behavior accentuates this idea.
At the end of the day, I think it has a lot to do with the mystery surrounding their heavily
veiled attire and their alleged just and caring nature.
In a similar way to how clowns have unusual appearances that can mask any evil that might
exist, nuns too have a benevolent agenda that evil can hide behind.
To avoid bias, I looked up some accounts from former nuns on their experiences.
On a reddit forum, I found quite a few stories from former sisters depicting their day-to-day
lives as nuns, that were pretty ordinary.
Nothing strange or creepy.
I was even surprised to read that they drank alcohol and that some of them were not virgins,
something I formerly thought to have been a requirement.
One poster pointed out the stereotype of the angry nun with a ruler and inquired to how
it came about.
Some replies cited private catholic schools.
Another pointed out that:
"It's less common nowadays, since recently almost all nuns choose to become sisters.
In the past, there were more societal reasons that forced young women into that life.
i.e.
In a large Catholic family, it was just expected that the youngest son would join priesthood,
and a few daughters would become nuns.
A large family just wouldn't have the resources to support unmarried daughters, and women
couldn't really live independently."
Another poster replied:
"Being expected to give your life to a cause makes me sick to my soul.
I understand the reasoning and societal constraints that forced this sort of thing, I just don't
like it.
If you join the priesthood, or in my case the military, it should be because you want
to."
There’s even a french film from 2013 that tells the story of Suzanne Simonin, a bourgeois
girl in 1765 who is forced to become a nun by her parents.
It’s based on a novel by philosopher Denis Diderot, who believed that many in religious
orders were there against their will.
Perhaps this is part of the reason some of us fear nuns- because they represent a lifestyle
that was traditionally forced on its subjects.
Because, they are living representations of truly not being in control of your fate.
Because, they are reminders of not being permitted to be you.
What do you think?
Hey did you learn something new?
Do you have a strange fear that you’d like to learn more about?
Let me know in the comments below!
And be sure to check out the Official Darkology Playlist to learn more psychology in pop culture.
Follow me on Twitter and Facebook at Bluelava6 to stay up to date on the channel or to just
say hello.
My name is Blue Lavasix, and as always- I will see you in the next video.