Cock Lane Ghost Unexplained Noises
Poet involved
What happened
The Cock Lane Ghost was a notorious haunting in London during the winter of 1762, characterized by unexplained knocking and scratching noises. The phenomenon attracted massive public interest and was investigated by Dr. Samuel Johnson and other prominent figures. It was later revealed as a hoax, but the case exemplified 18th-century fascination with the supernatural.
Literary impact
The Cock Lane Ghost case was satirized by Horace Walpole and discussed in the letters of Samuel Johnson, reflecting Enlightenment skepticism. The motif of ghostly knocking appears in Gothic literature, including the works of Ann Radcliffe and Edgar Allan Poe, as a device for creating suspense and exploring the boundary between rational and supernatural explanations.
Source: Wikipedia
