High Strangeness at the Castle of Good Hope

High Strangeness at the Castle of Good Hope
Paul Dale Roberts, HPI’s Esoteric Detective
Halo Paranormal Investigations
jazmaonline.boards.net/
Email: jazmaonline@gmail.com
Sacramento Paranormal Haunted Hotline: 916 203 7503

MY BOOKS:
www.lulu.com/spotlight/httpswwwlulucomspotlightjazmapika1

MY BIO:
jazmaonline.boards.net/thread/2495/paul-dale-roberts-biography-revised

MY MINI-BIO:
jazmaonline.boards.net/thread/3009/new-bio

PAUL’S EBOOKS:
jazmaonline.boards.net/thread/3222/pauls-books

The Castle of Good Hope was built by the Dutch East India Company between 1666 and 1679, the Castle is the oldest existing building in South Africa. It replaced an older fort called the Fort de Goede Hoop which was constructed from clay and timber and built by Jan van Riebeeck upon his arrival at the Cape of Good Hope in 1652. Two redoubts, Redoubt Kyckuit (Lookout) and Redoubt Duijnhoop (Duneheap) were built at the mouth of the Salt River in 1654.The purpose of the Dutch settlement in the Cape was to act as a replenishment station for ships passing the treacherous coast around the Cape on long voyages between the Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia).

During 1664, tensions between Great Britain and the Netherlands rose amid rumors of war. That same year, Commander Zacharias Wagenaer, successor to Jan van Riebeeck, was instructed by Commissioner Isbrand Goske to build a pentagonal fortress out of stone. The first stone was laid on 2 January 1666. The fortress was partially built by slave labor. The Dutch East India Company (VOC) was unsure about the size of the local population groups and thus feared a revolt if they enslaved them; instead they brought in up to 60,000 enslaved people from Madagascar, Mozambique, the Dutch-Indies, and India. The slaves were mistreated. There were many deaths from the extreme abuse from the guards. There was torture, whippings and with some cases, agonizing death. Because of all the brutality that happened at the Castle of Good Hope, there are many lingering spirits that haunt the castle.

The Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town is widely considered one of the most haunted places in South Africa and the entire Southern Hemisphere. Built between 1666 and 1679 by the Dutch East India Company (VOC), the country’s oldest surviving colonial building has a long history of military imprisonment, torture, and executions. One of the most famous ghosts that haunts the castle is The Lady in Grey. The Lady in Grey is a distressed woman. She has been frequently spotted running through the corridors and grounds, clutching her face and crying. She has been seen by many tourists and locals. Then there is the Bell Tower Incident. The tower’s bell once rang on its own. It is said to be haunted by a soldier who hung himself from the bell-rope, leading officials to permanently wall up the opening. Governor Pieter Gijsbert van Noodt is a popular ghost of the castle. The notoriously harsh governor died of a heart attack at his desk on the exact day he executed seven soldiers, one of whom allegedly cursed him with his dying breath. Visitors and staff still report feeling a heavy, oppressive presence in his former office. Then we have a ghost that no one should be frightened of. That ghost is The Phantom Black Dog. A mysterious spectral hound frequently appears to visitors before suddenly vanishing into thin air. Donna Lighthaven from the Isle of Man says she came across the Phantom Black Dog. Donna talked to the dog, and it actually came up to her and pawed her leg and then vanished. Donna says this dog’s spirit is friendly, nothing to be afraid of. Finally you have the ghost of Lady Anne Barnard. The 18th-century socialite and wife of the colonial secretary is said to occasionally roam the property and entertains the guests by making noises or moving objects.

Security guards, caretakers, and late-night visitors frequently report unexplained phenomena, including phantom footsteps, disembodied voices, sudden temperature drops, and the feeling of being watched. Paranormal investigation teams, such as Ghost Hunters International have also explored the fortress and documented unusual electronic and thermal readings. Lori Denser from West Virginia says that when she visited the castle, she was looking in a mirror and saw The Lady in Grey standing behind her. Lori says that her right shoulder was touched by the Lady in Grey.