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Medieval Ghost Stories Timeline and Origin
- Medieval ghost stories became more common around the first millennium, proliferating from 1100 to the mid-1500s.
- These stories originated across Europe, with a notable concentration in northern England.
Shifting Views on Ghost Stories
- From the 12th century, ghost stories gained acceptance, possibly linked to new commemorative rites and purgatory.
- William of Newburgh highlighted the reliability of witnesses recording these stories.
Purgatory and Iceland
- Purgatory, formalized in the 12th century, was a temporary state for souls to cleanse lesser sins before heaven.
- Iceland, with its volcanoes and remoteness, was sometimes considered a physical location of purgatory.