Timeline

We do not claim a single history. The following is a rough guide to when certain figures or ideas appear in written or oral record. Dates are approximate and vary by region.

Gray Lady / Weeping Bride–type figures: Documented in various forms from the early modern period onward; oral tradition likely older.

Headless Horseman: European antecedents; American folklore (e.g. Sleepy Hollow) 19th century.

Goblins (hearth, chimney, bog): References in folklore and household tales across many centuries; names and habits vary by place.