The World’s Most Cursed Objects

Few things are quite as chilling as the story of a cursed object. Sometimes, these objects are stolen artifacts or items with a mysterious past. 

However, they can be simple, everyday objects, which means that anyone could possibly come into contact with a cursed object. The terrifying legends of curses and hauntings have been passed down for centuries, and we’re going to look into some of the most famous right now.

Want to learn more about ghosts, hauntings, and curses? Be sure to book a ghost tour with US Ghost Adventures in a city near you today!

What Are The Most Cursed Objects In the World?

It’s no easy task to say what item is the most cursed in the world. Some will point to the Hope Diamond, which is said to have killed multiple owners with an ancient curse. 

Others are disturbed by actor James Dean’s Porsche, which he was driving at the time of his death, and many believe it caused the deaths of others after that. Then there’s the cursed items market on eBay, featuring items like the Dybbuk Box, which holds a demon, and “The Hands Resist Him,” a painting where the figures come to life. 

What is perhaps most frightening about these cursed objects is that while many of them are safely tucked away in museums, others have disappeared, their fates a mystery. 

The Hope Diamond

Known to be one of the most cursed objects in the world, the Hope Diamond was allegedly stolen from a statue of the Hindu goddess Sita in the 1600s by Jean Baptiste Tavernier. Tavernier sold the blue diamond to King Louis XIV of France, and it was eventually handed down to Louis XVI, who was beheaded during the French Revolution alongside his wife, Marie Antoinette. 

The legend states that whoever comes into possession of the Hope Diamond is cursed by tragedy and death. While some owners have suffered misfortune, many argue over the authenticity of the curse. Today, the Hope Diamond is safely ensconced at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. 

Although the Hope Diamond curse is said to have caused many deaths, some of the more notable are:

• Jean Baptiste Tavernier: It’s said he died of a fever, and then wolves ate his body after he stole the diamond.
• Marie Louise, Princess De Lamballe: After allegedly wearing the diamond for a time, she was captured by a mob, decapitated, and her head was placed on a pike.
• Wilhelm Fals: He was a jeweler who recut the diamond. Wilhelm’s son killed him and then took his own life.
• Evalyn Walsh McLean: She was an heiress who wore the diamond often. Her husband left her for another woman, her mother-in-law died, her son died at age nine, and her daughter died of an overdose at age 25.
• James Todd: He was the mailman who brought the diamond to the Smithsonian Museum. His leg was crushed in an accident, and his house burned down.

The Dybbuk Box

The story of the Dybbuk Box began in 2001, after an antiques dealer purchased an old wine cabinet at an estate sale. Upon bringing the cabinet into his home, supernatural activity started to occur.

Plagued by nightmares, the dealer learned that the cabinet was haunted by a dybbuk. In Jewish culture, a dybbuk is said to be an evil spirit who terrorizes the living.

Despite the cursed nature of the Dybbuk Box, lots of people wanted it after the dealer listed it for sale on eBay. It was eventually purchased by Zak Bagans of Ghost Adventures for his haunted museum in Las Vegas. Rapper Post Malone was allegedly cursed by the Dybbuk Box after coming into contact with it on an episode of Bagan’s show. After filming, he was involved in a car accident, and his private plane experienced a malfunction, forcing an emergency landing.

The Tallman Bunk Beds

In 1987, Debbie and Allen Tallman purchased bunk beds at a second-hand store for their two children. After bringing the bunk beds home, the children reported seeing an old woman with black hair wandering around their room. 

When Allen confronted the entity, it began to stalk him. Allen would see visions of fog and flames, as well as hear disembodied voices. The children also claimed to have seen glowing red eyes. Even a local minister stated that there was a demonic presence in the house.

The demonic activity at the Tallmans’ led to the story being featured on a 1988 episode of Unsolved Mysteries. The activity reportedly ceased after the Tallmans destroyed the bunk beds.

The Busby Stoop Chair

In 1702, Thomas Busby was hanged for murdering his father-in-law, Daniel Auty. Busby was publicly executed next to a tavern he frequented, and may have even had his last drink in it before dying. It’s said that he put a curse on the chair where he usually sat, claiming that anyone who dared to sit in it would die like him.

Over the centuries, several people died shortly after sitting in the chair, giving credence to Busby’s curse. However, experts claim that the chair could not have possibly been made in the 1700s, and is likely not the original chair.

In any event, the cursed chair hangs on the wall at the Busby Stoop Inn so that no one can be cursed by sitting in it.

The Crying Boy Painting

In 1985, an article in a British newspaper titled “Blazing Curse of the Crying Boy” sparked a media frenzy in England. In the article, a couple claimed that their entire house burned to the ground with the exception of a painting of a crying boy. 

The article said that since 1973, over 50 home fires had been reported where the only thing to survive was one of these crying boy paintings.

The original paintings were made by artist Biovanni Bragolini in the 1950s, and they were later mass-produced in England. The newspaper offered to destroy these paintings on behalf of their owners. Over 2,500 crying boy paintings were destroyed in the process, but many more likely still exist. 

The Woman From Lemb Statue

The Woman from Lemb is an ancient fertility statue carved from solid limestone. Likely made around 3,500 B.C., it was found in Lemb, Cyprus, in 1878. After a man named Lord Elphont came into possession of the Woman from Lemb, he and his entire family died. 

That’s a total of seven unexplained deaths. The next two owners and their families also died. The final owner, Sir Alan Biverbrook, died along with his wife and two daughters after purchasing the Woman from Lemb. 

Biverbrook’s sons survived and quickly gave the statue to the Royal Scottish Museum. The statue continued its reign of terror there after a museum curator soon died. Since then, the Woman from Lemb has been safely stored behind glass and has remained untouched.

The Black Orlov Diamond

The Black Orlov Diamond is said to have been stolen from India by a monk. The diamond was part of a statue of the Hindu god Brahma, giving the stone the alternative name “The Eye of Brahma Diamond.” It is said that those who own the diamond will jump to their deaths.

In 1932, a jeweler brought the diamond to New York, where he sold it. After that, the jeweler proceeded to jump from the top of a skyscraper in Manhattan. 

In 1947, a Russian princess who had previously owned the diamond jumped to her death as well. This happened a third time with yet another princess who owned it.

All that is now known of the Black Orlov Diamond is that it was sold to an anonymous buyer in 2006.

James Dean’s Porsche 550 Spyder

In 1955, actor James Dean tragically died in a car accident while driving his Porsche 550 Spyder. He had nicknamed the car “Little Bastard” and had been driving it to a race when the crash occurred. A week earlier, actor Alec Guinness had warned Dean that there was something evil about the car.

The engine and transmission from the Spyder were placed into two different cars, both of which crashed. The driver of the second car perished in the accident. After that, the Spyder went on tour, later catching fire in a garage, and later falling on an unsuspecting bystander.

No one has seen the Spyder for 60 years, so the story of the car and its curse remains a mystery. Zak Bagans purchased the transaxle of the infamous car, which is displayed in his haunted museum.

The Basano Vase

The legend of the Basano Vase goes back to 15th-century Italy. The story goes that a bride-to-be was given a simple silver vase. When no one could find her for the ceremony, her future husband went searching for her.

He found her dead, holding the vase in her arms. A family member inherited the vase and quickly died. After this happened a third time, a priest had the vase buried on hallowed ground. However, it would eventually be unearthed.

Five hundred years after the bride’s death, someone dug up the Basano Vase, and the curse continued. A police officer eventually buried the vase in a cemetery, and it hasn’t been seen since.

There are multiple variations of the Basano Vase curse, but this is the most often told version.

“The Hands Resist Him” Painting

Created in 1972 by artist William Stoneham, “The Hands Resist Him” painting gained prominence when it appeared on eBay in 2000. The owners claimed that the painting was haunted and they needed to get rid of it. The painting was viewed hundreds of thousands of times and sold for over $1,000.

“The Hands Resist Him” is a bizarre painting featuring a young boy standing next to a girl with hollowed-out eyes. Behind them, tiny hands can be seen pressing up against glass windows.

According to the owners, they had purchased the painting at a garage sale and put it in their child’s room. The child complained that the children in the painting would fight, and the little boy would try to climb out of it. The painting was also associated with the death of three men.

“The Hands Resist Him” is currently owned by a gallery owner in Michigan who bought the painting on eBay back in 2000. 

Beware of Cursed Objects

From haunted bunk beds to cursed diamonds, the most cursed objects in the world prove that a curse might be easier to pass on than any of us would like to admit.

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Sources:

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