This week we celebrated International Women’s Day, so I really thought it would be nice to have a ghost story about a nice, strong, woman ghost. And, dum-da-da-dum, I found one!
The woman was Sister Marie Inconnue and her story is set in the 1800s. Now, to tell you the truth, her last name is probably not Inconnue because inconnue is a French word (which is where she was from) meaning unknown. So, I think someone probably had a conversation like this:
“So, this dead nun, what was her last name?”
“It’s unknown.”
“What?”
“It’s unknown.”
“What?”
“Unknown!”
“Okay. Sister Marie Unknown.”
Sister Marie Inconnue was raised in France and she asked her superiors to send her to Canada because she wanted to help the Acadians.
The Acadians were colonist from France who settled between French Canada and the British territories, not an easy place to live. They were farmers who also learned fishing and hunting techniques from the local indigenous people, the Wabanaki Confederacy. So, Sister Marie was not asking for an easy assignment when she chose to go help the Acadians.
Sister Marie took care of the ill and the despaired. And, from all accounts, she was loved by the people in the community. She also was in charge of a fund that was set up to assist the needs of the Acadian families. But because banks were scarce in that part of the country, Sister Marie buried the money for safekeeping.
One night, after caring for an ill person, she was attacked by a person or persons who wanted the money. The details of the story vary. One version of the story has a mad fur trapper attacking her and another has two sailors doing the evil deed. But either way, poor Sister Marie ended up both dead and headless. And, to make matters worse (although, really, how much worse can it get when you are already dead and headless) whoever did this foul deed also took her head with them.
Sister Marie’s body was sent home to France to be buried. But, she just wasn’t happy with the whole “someone else has my head” deal. So, she roams the French Fort Cove in Northumberland County, New Brunswick, Canada, looking for her head.
But, there’s a little more to the haunting.
According to Dark Hauntings blog, “People have reported a powerful feeling of being watched and studied, by an unseen force, on the bridge she is said to haunt. Ghostly voices have been heard in the wind and an uncomfortable feeling of being followed and stalked in the woods past the bridge, where it is believed Sister Marie was killed. Visitors to the area have claimed they were approached by Sister Marie’s spirit late at night, asking them to help find her head. Others believe she has found her head and carries it in her arm asking them to bury her head with her body. The presence is very active both day and night but becomes stronger upon sunset.”
If that weren’t bad enough, Haunted History Facebook states that “Surviving an encounter with the Headless Nun is just the beginning, as she has been known to follow and haunt survivors until their last days.”
Which brings to mind the old, familiar French phrase, “l’enfer n’a pas de furie comme une femme décapitée.” Hell hath no fury like a woman beheaded.
Happy Friday!
Like what you read? Find more stories by Terri Reid here.