Hello and welcome to another Mythical Monday! Today I’d like to revisit an urban legend that seemed perfect for the month of December – – that of the Mistletoe Bride.
According to legend, a young bride suggested a game of hide-and-seek during the merriment of her wedding reception. The groom would be “it” and she and the guests would hide.
Most tales place the time near Christmas, the reception held in an elaborate country home or mansion decorated for the holidays. Several famous houses in England claim origination of the tale, such as Marwell House in Hampshire. Marwell was once owned by the family of Henry VIII’s third wife, Jane Seymour (not that Jane – – although I’m a huge fan!!).
In each retelling, the bride is dressed in her wedding gown, flush with the excitement of the game and the glow of being a new wife. She scampers off to find the perfect hiding place while the other guests join in the fun. After a suitable time, her husband locates each participant but is unable to find his bride. At first he thinks she is only playing, but as the hours wear on and she fails to appear, he grows worried. The guests help him search but are unable to find the missing bride. Eventually, they leave and go home, their hearts heavy with misgiving. Days pass, then weeks, and the heartbroken groom muddles through, forced to go on with his life.
Many years later a cleaning woman stumbles upon a locked trunk in the attic while tidying up. Curious about the contents, she breaks the lock and peers inside. To her horror she discovers the skeleton of a woman clothed in a moldy wedding dress, a piece of mistletoe by her side. Apparently, when the clever bride climbed in the trunk, the lid fell and struck her unconscious, locking her inside. When she awoke, she was trapped, her screams never heard by those who searched for her.
Freed from the trunk by the cleaning lady, her ghost now roams the halls of the mansion, fumbling at locked doors.
This is an extremely old tale that has had several variations in setting and time, but in all, the unfortunate bride is trapped inside the chest. It makes you think twice about hiding in anything with a lock, doesn’t it?
From the Pen of Mae Clair 
Oh ugh! That is one tale that gives me the shivers. And I Imagine if one had claustrophobic tendencies, this story would make them ill just reading it. My 5-year old locks the bathroom door which I hate. As a mummy, I think – what is he doing in there? What if anything happens? Ok! The locks are going! LOL
LikeLike
I used to like locks when I was a kid. Weird how it made everything seem secret and mysterious. I guess when you’re a kid you can make everything into an imaginative world. My parents probably worried themselves silly too…what are you doing in there?…but it’s so long ago I can’t remember, LOL
LikeLike
That is super creepy. I can’t even think about what the bride might have felt like.
LikeLike
Hey you! So happy to see you here. 🙂
Can’t you see this being made into a movie (remember those old “movie of the week” features?) Something creepy like this would have been perfect!
So glad you dropped by to comment.
LikeLike
What a terrible warning to stay away from anything with a top or a lock when playing hide and seek. Great myth Mae!
LikeLike
Thanks, Kourtney. This is definitely one of those spooky stories I could see being shared around a campfire or on Halloween eve (cue eerie music)
LikeLike
They say legends always come from a bit of truth…and this one makes me shudder! As always, another great post Mae!
LikeLike
Very scary to think of how it originated given there may be a morsel of truth in it. I’m shuddering right along with you, Debbie!
LikeLike
I hate small spaces, so I would never have thought to hide in a trunk. Her poor groom. I’m fascinated by anything Tudor, so this was a great legend to share. Thanks Mae.
LikeLike
Glad you found it intriguing, Gemma 🙂 I’ve never been a fan of small spaces either. Some people find them cozy but I find them confining.
LikeLike
Oh dear, that’s chilling. Being buried alive, trapped in a small space has to be one of my biggest nightmares.
I’m remembering the book Flowers in the Attic. One of the little children got locked into a chest or some item of furniture. Luckily they were found and the older brother went through the entire space breaking all the locks so his siblings would never be in the same danger again,.
LikeLike
I remember reading Flowers in the Attic but I can’t recall that scene. It must have really made an impression on you, Emma. I would freak to get trapped inside something. I often worry about that when riding on an elevator. As for being buried alive…even reading horror novels when that tactic is used, I scare myself silly! Edgar Allen Poe was the first one to do that to me!
LikeLike
Who knew mistletoe could be so malevolent? LOL Another wonderful tale — thanks for sharing these!
LikeLike
It does give you a whole new perspective on mistletoe, doesn’t it LOL! 😀
LikeLike
How horrible for the young woman and her groom. In her position, I’d be roaming those halls too!
LikeLike
It is such a sad story, isn’t it, Flossie? It has all the makings of a romantic and tragic ghost story.
Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLike
Oh, how sad! Heartbreaking for all those (hopefully) fictional characters involved.
LikeLike
Hi, Jessi. It would make a tragic romance novel, wouldn’t it? I thought it was horribly sad too. It’s amazing the tale has been around as long as it has, but I guess that’s the stuff of (urban) legends!
LikeLike
Hi Mae,
That’s one of the creepier tales you’ve related, mostly because it really could have happened. Keep up the great stories.
LikeLike
Hi, Mary. It is horribly creepy to think it could happen. I think that’s what makes the scariest urban legends…when they seem so real.*shudder*
Great to see you here! 🙂
LikeLike
That’s so sad. I might have nightmares. But what a beautiful photo to illustrate the tale!
LikeLike
Hi, Christy. I love choosing stock photography to go with my blog posts. So glad you like this one. It was one of my favorites. It kind of made the post sadder too, because it’s almost like putting a face with the story.
LikeLike
How could anyone miss the opportunity of telling the story of a ghost bride. It’s a sad tale but intriguing at the same time. Great photo!
LikeLike
Hi, Sheri! I thought if was very intriguing myself. So tragic and sad, the perfect fodder for a ghost story.
I loved the photo too. Bigstock Photos really has some good ones!
LikeLike