Real Haunted Dolls | Annabelle, Robert The Doll, and Lily

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Posted by in US Ghost Adventures

Many creepy dolls throughout time have earned a reputation for terrifying their owners and hapless passersby. Those haunted dolls are a touch different than the Lily Host a Ghost Doll, a haunting 13-inch figure with an interesting purpose. Lily’s history predates even the most well-known haunted doll, and as we’ll explore, her unsettling appearance is intentional for reasons you would never think of.

Emotionless, glassy eyes stare at you from a face plastered with an unwavering, singular expression. They remain eternally still, trapped in whatever position you’ve decided for them. Yet, you still swear you’ve seen their hand twitch or their head turn a fraction of a degree. Haunted dolls, despite being inanimate in every way, exude uncomfortable energy, as if an unspoken life force brews behind those eyes.

Before you take home your own tiny menace to square off against the dark entities drifting throughout your home, explore the history of some of the most haunted dolls ever to grace our reality, including the real effigy for which the Host a Ghost Doll is named. These stoic figurines and stuffed toys have long since forgotten their purpose of bringing joy and comfort and have instead become vessels for vicious manifestations and lost souls.

Who is Lily?

So much more than a novelty, Lily’s roots date back to the 17th century, when practitioners of the occult used handmade figures to fend off resident spirits and vicious ghosts. The original Lily doll was a recreation of Elizabeth Bathory de Eased, the Hungarian “Blood Countess” responsible for killing more than 650 people and bathing in the blood of virgins. The doll captures her vile appearance and wards off other hauntings.

@usghostadventures Back in 2020, we received an unusual delivery–a haunted doll named Lily. She arrived in a tiny wooden casket with a note that said “Please Help.” ⚰️📝 This year, she decided to return just in time for the holidays–to comfort…or to haunt? 👻 Perhaps to play pranks, as is her custom! 🔗 Visit the gift shop link in our bio to get your own Lily or give the gift of FUN or FRIGHT this Holiday Season with our version of a spooky Elf on a Shelf! Lily’s origins can be traced back to the early 1600s, when Dutch colonists of Lower Manhattan used it to ward off local spirits and New World ghosts. She is said to model the infamous Blood Countess, Elizabeth Bathory. Lily fits on most shelves, desks, or porches, giving her endless hiding spaces.✨ Known to move on her own, cause lights to flicker, and emit unusual scents, she can add a spooky flair to any home and is the perfect holiday gift for yourself or a fun stocking stuffer for family and loved ones that want something unforgettable and unique!🎁 #HauntedDoll #CreepyDoll #SpookyGifts #SpookyVibes #HolidayGiftIdeas ♬ original sound – US Ghost Adventures

Lily first arrived at our office doorstep in 2020 in a small wooden coffin with a note attached. It read nothing more than “Please Help.” We went to work doing what we do best and discovered her gruesome origins.

This spooky doll’s story may have begun with the 17th-century Blood Countess, but her journey was long and filled with fear. Before she landed at our door, she had found herself in Jacksonville.

According to the woman we contacted, who pleaded to remain anonymous for fear of retribution from Lily, things got spooky almost as soon as she opened up that tiny coffin. Cabinets opened on their own, and plates flew across her kitchen. She told us in tears how chairs would spin in the air upside down as a dark smile appeared in the mirror in the woman’s kitchen.

Curious, as we often are, we asked her where she got Lily from. She said she found her in a storage sale. A recently deceased Floridian had collected a large amount of creepy dolls and toys. The woman regrets her decision to this day.

Lily, from what we have deciphered, is an original doll used by those occultists all those years ago. Lights flicker in her mere presence, and strange odors are known to follow her. Don’t you want to take her home with you?

The World’s Most Infamous Haunted Dolls

Robert The Doll
Annabelle
Ruby
Okiku

Robert the Doll

Is the locked cabinet keeping the antique doll safe from curious hands, or is it keeping curious hands safe from the ill-tempered spirit inhabiting the 100-plus-year-old haunted doll? Legend has it it’s the latter, as the straw and wood toy has been tied to quite a bit of villainy.

The origins of Robert the Doll are a matter of debate. Some believe it was just a toy from Germany gifted to a young Robert Eugene Otto in 1904 by his grandfather. Although there’s no indication of where the darkness within the doll would have come from. Another version states that a maid for the Otto family gifted the boy the doll, hexing it to get back at her employers for an unknown reason.

Whatever the real story was, Robert and Robert quickly became friends, but it wouldn’t take long for the normalcy in the Otto household to be shattered. Robert’s parents would overhear the two talking, two distinct voices bookending both ends of the conversation. The closer Robert grew to his creepy doll, the more volatile the friendship became.

Soon, unexplainable activity started to disrupt the household. Much of it centered around the doll tormenting young Robert by leaving him in a mess of destroyed toys or overturned furniture with no other culprit. Even outsiders took note of the eerie activity, such as Robert the Doll moving on its own or objects impossibly moving when only the doll was present.

Robert the Doll’s troublesome behavior continued even long after his owner’s death. Many who have encountered the doll over the years believe he’s directly tied to misfortunes like car accidents, dissolved relationships, and sudden illness. Only by asking Robert the Doll for forgiveness can one be freed of his grip.

Luckily, Robert isn’t something you’ll accidentally come across in your travels. He’s currently under lock and key at the Fort East Martello Museum in Key West, Florida. He still dishes out mischief to anyone who disrespects him and fails to apologize.

Annabelle: The Real Story

If your knowledge about Annabelle comes strictly from Hollywood creations, then it’s time to introduce you to the real terror behind the infamous story of this haunted doll. First and foremost, the Annabelle you’ve seen on the big screen is a far cry from the real thing. In fact, the real Annabelle is even more haunting. Her large black eyes and wide smile are a stark contrast to the sinister reality.

The first known appearance of the haunted Raggedy Ann doll was in 1970 when it was purchased for a girl named Donna for her birthday. With the doll in her possession, Donna, a student nurse, lived on campus with another student, Angie. Both would eventually become subject to Annabelle’s antics of moving about the apartment on her own. However, the haunted doll’s wrath was mostly focused on Donna’s friend Lou, who was uneasy around its presence. Notes to Lou were left on scraps of parchment paper despite neither Donna nor Angie ever having any on hand.

Things escalated when Annabelle physically assaulted Lou, scratching him across the chest as she tried to strangle him. This spurred the involvement of world-renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, who deduced that something inhuman, dangerous, and evil was inhabiting the doll. Initially, a medium told Donna and Angie the spirit was the doll’s original owner, a young girl, Annabelle Higgins, who passed away.

Hoping to free Donna and Angie of Annabelle’s grip, the Warrens took the doll into their custody. Annabelle was added to their Occult Museum in Connecticut after their car faced several mechanical failures. Even there, locked within a glass case, the entity proved too powerful to restrict. After an attempted exorcism nearly resulted in Ed’s death in a car crash, the Warrens kept watch over the doll until their passing.

Though the Occult Museum closed due to zoning issues, it’s believed Annabelle is still there, trapped within her locked prison, awaiting a curious traveler to set her free.

Ruby

Not every haunted doll is a harbinger of evil. Take Ruby, for instance, who wishes only to feel the love and comfort of another. Believed to be over 100 years old, the porcelain doll (later known as Ruby) had been passed down across generations. Her true owner was a young girl who tragically passed away with the doll in her arms. A kind soul, the girl imprinted on Ruby, giving herself the chance to remain on our plane of existence.

Unlike her more demonic and malevolent counterparts, Ruby doesn’t harbor ill will against the living. After the young girl passed on, Ruby remained within the same family for generations, and though it was common for anyone who held her to feel ill and exhausted. It’s not unthinkable that the young girl’s spirit was siphoning energy to allow her the strength to move about on her own and emit unexplainable sounds.

No one has ever knowingly been injured by the doll, and more recent accounts suggest there was more to it than initially thought. Now part of the Traveling Museum of the Paranormal and Occult, anyone who happens to pick up and hold Ruby is said to feel a maternal wave rush over them, as if the young girl’s spirit is reaching out in search of a mother to take her home.

Okiku

This Japanese curiosity may have you checking the length of any doll hair in your home. Okiku’s legend begins with a teenager, Eikichi Suzuki, purchasing the traditional Japanese doll for his three-year-old sister, Kikuko. It was a simple act of kindness between siblings, and there was nothing truly remarkable about the doll when Kikuko first received it.

It was only after the young girl’s sudden passing from a cold that the aura around the creepy doll shifted. Poor Kikuko loved the doll and was often seen carrying it with her. It’s not unthinkable that she would remain a part of the object. The family held onto the doll as a way to remember their daughter, often praying to it to ensure Kikuko found peace in the afterlife.

The longer the family held onto the haunted doll, though, the more they realized the original okappa hairstyle had been growing longer. An impossibility for the inanimate object, they immediately believed that the sweet girl’s soul was attached to the doll.

They kept the doll for themselves, feeling connected to Kikuko’s spirit. Years later, though, after deciding to move from Hokkaido island, where they lived, the family entrusted Okiku to the Mannenji Temple munks. The doll and Kikuko’s spirit have remained at the temple ever since, drawing in curious travelers who come to see the impossible flowing locks.

If you listen to some versions of the doll’s legacy, you’ll hear that the hair that continues to grow has been tested and scientifically proven to be real human hair.

Ward Off Spirits With Your Own Lily

Do you fear specters that may come rapping at your door? We’re constantly surrounded by negative energy, and you don’t want to inadvertently bring it home with you. Lily Host a Ghost may be your best defense against the aimless apparitions that wander the world in search of someone with a heartbeat to terrorize.

Keep your home clear of pesky spirits and malevolent entities with your very own Lily Host a Ghost Doll, perched safely in your home or, as tradition states, just outside the door. Just be sure to keep her away from mirrors, or else you risk releasing the murderous Blood Countess.

For even more about Lily, haunted Voodoo Dolls and other unusual haunted objects across the United States, be sure to read our blog and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.