Real Women of Gaming

Sam Joseph, aka ThanaVonHel, writes about everything paranormal from her lifelong experiences and learning. She feels confident in writing about it, as she has a wealth of information to share.

I have read a lot of paranormal lore in my life and one thing I have noticed, that is common in many cultures, is the presence of a lady in white.

You are thinking, “Wait a minute, a lady in white?” Let me tell you about what I have found. It is a typically a female spirit wearing a white dress or other flowing clothes and her story is usually related to a tragedy involving loss, sorrow, or unresolved grievances.

There are so many stories to choose from, but let me share some of my favorites!

(Source: https://www.deviantart.com/nikulina-helena/art/Noonwraith-825096057 )

Poludnitsa

Many years ago, you may have been a farmer working in the wheat fields somewhere in the Slavic part of Eastern Europe. It was a very hot and bright day that caused you to sweat a quite bit. All of a sudden, you saw this beautiful blond woman wearing a white dress.

It made you think, “Why is she there?”

Curious, you approached her. She asked you why you kept working at a time when you could have rested instead. Your reply doesn’t please her and you start to feel dizzy.

            Poludnista is a woman in white spirit also called “Lady Midday”. She is a spirit that is attributed to causing heat strokes, aches in the neck, and even sometimes instills madness. She usually presents as a beautiful woman with blond hair reminiscent of the wheat fields she carries an ancient shear to harvest. In another variation of this legend, she carries a hand sickle. She uses it to cut the victim’s head off if they don’t answer or attempt to change the subject.

            She also loves to dance. If she sees a girl having a siesta in the field, Poludnitsa will wake her up and persuade the girl to dance with her. If the girl agrees, she is forced to dance into the evening.

If anyone bests the Poludnista, the person will reward a rich dowry.

(Source: Painting by Joe Servello; https://jaredfrederick.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-white-lady-of-wopsy.html )

White Lady of Wopsy

            The story was first shared in the American newspaper called “The Altoona Mirror”. It was about a beautiful woman being seen holding a candle or lantern aloft as if she is searching for something or maybe someone.

Let me come back to the word, “Wopsy”. What the hell is that, you ask?

Wopsy is a nickname for a mountain called Wopsononck, in Pennsylvania. The Wopsonock Hotel was built atop the mountain and thanks to the rail line that was built close by, soon became such a popular retreat and the property expanded with cottages and a carousel. The property also had a four-story observation tower that overlooked the valley of Altoona. Tragically, in 1903 a forest fire burned almost everything and the owners couldn’t recover to rebuild. What wasn’t burnt was dismantled and the wood taken elsewhere to be used.

It is on this mountain that the White Lady of Wopsy legend began.

The story goes that she and her husband were travelling on the roads around the Wopsy area by horse and carriage. In a particularly sharp turn called Devil’s elbow, known to have caused many accident and close calls, it is said that she and her husband went off the edge of the ravine, though whether it was by accident or choice is unclear. She wakens to find her husband and baby dead. Some stories say he was decapitated and the baby was thrown from the carriage. She spent many days alone on the mountain and eventually would suffer and die herself due to exposure.

As with any legend, there are differences depending on who tells it. Some say she was looking for her husbands head as she wandered. Or she is looking for her baby that died. Still others believe that she and her family lived on the mountain in a nearby undisclosed house and that is why she haunts so close.

Those that have spotted her along the road say she is seen wearing a white dress and carrying a light source, either a candle or maybe a lantern. Does she search for her family? Does she seek revenge for her husbands rumored infidelity?

Interesting, right?!

(Source: https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/La_Sayona )

La Sayona

This is one of my most personal favorite legends. It goes that there was a beautiful Venezuelan woman named Casilda. She lived in this cute little town with her husband who was very loving and caring. They had a baby boy together.

One day, Casilda was swimming naked in a nearby river and a male villager saw her. After that, he stalked her big time, and Casilda caught him one day.  She requested that he left her alone, but instead he ignored her and told her that her husband had an affair with her mother.

Casilda ran home and saw her husband sleeping with their boy in his arms. Blind with anger, she burned the house with them inside. Villagers could hear their screams while Casilda went to her mother’s home with a machete to stab her mother in the stomach. As Casilda’s mother were bleeding to death, she cursed her daughter that she would have to avenge all women by killing their unfaithful husbands. From that day, Casilda had became the “La Sayona”.

There is the other version to end the legend off; Sayona appears to men working in the jungle when the men talk about sex, or even think of women that they left behind in their hometown. Then she would lure them into the forest to reveal her true intention; to devour them with her animal-like teeth or even mangle them to leave their damaged bodies for their friends to find.

(Source: https://samuelallan.artstation.com/projects/8ezXBx )

The Pontianak

This legend originates in Malaysian folklore, and often describes a beautiful woman wears a blood-smeared white dress. She is said to have pale skin, red eyes, and long black hair.

During the day, she lives inside the banana trees. Under a full moon, she would change her features into a monstrous form of a vampire when she captures her prey. She is lured by the smell of fresh laundry hanging out to dry. She would make noise—loud enough that if you heard an infant crying or a woman laughing from a distance, you’d probably consider yourself lucky. But if you heard silence… well, that’s when you’d be in trouble.

The scent of the plumeria flower will give her away first followed then by a whiff of a decaying corpse; you will know that she is near. The Pontianak uses her long fingernails to cut the victims to remove and eat their organs. If she wants revenge against a man, she will disembowel them with her hands. If the victim has their eyes opened, the Pontianak will suck the eyes out of their head.

You can fend off her attack though, by plunging a nail into her neck. As long as she is speared by the nail, she will be a good wife. At least… until the nail is removed…

          

(Source: https://www.deviantart.com/gasporium/art/The-White-Lady-179484604 )

The White Lady of Fonté Point

Dating as far back as the 1600s in the Mariana Islands, this legend was passed down through the Chamorro people for generations.

The legend states a dashing Spaniard officer wanted to marry this beautiful woman from a prominent family. The woman’s parents were happy and proud that they gave him permission to marry her. Once they were settled in the village of Marina after returning from their honeymoon, they were happy until the officer’s attitude had changed. Soon, he expected on her to wait on him, resulting in being demanding and abusive.

Among the demands he gave her, she was set to retrieve water from a nearby river which was said to have fresh pure water. She found the chore to be a small relief, allowing her to get away from her husband for a little while. It became a secret ritual for her to enjoy the serenity of the water, flowers, and bamboo trees. She especially enjoyed a full moon shining above.

One day, she lost track of time and took longer than she normally would. Her husband became impatient and wanted to punish her for it.

On one stormy night, he demanded that she fetch him some water. Winds blew hard, and rain poured down heavy. It was totally in darkness as she went. She had difficulty finding the river’s edge, which led her to a patch of soft wet soil. Stepping into it, she was forcefully washed into the river. She screamed for help but no one heard her due to the storm. It is said he became a repentant man, and died not long after, alone.

To this day, a lady in a flowing white gown, with long silver hair and sad eyes can be seen at dusk, only to disappear once the moon rises over the bridge in Maina where the Fonté River is located. Even now, many people avoid passing that bridge at night.

The moral of that legend hits harder somehow, speaking on sensitive subjects that are pervasive even today.

As we’ve seen, the stories of ghostly women in white continue to haunt cultures across the globe, each with its own chilling twist. Whether they’re seeking vengeance, lost love, or redemption, these spirits remind us of the power of myth and the way stories evolve through time. So, the next time you hear whispers of a woman in white, remember—she might just be another legend waiting to be retold. And who knows? She might be closer than you think.

What’s your favorite ghost story or myth? Share your own spooky encounters with us—maybe you’ll help add a new chapter to these eerie tales!