Okiku Doll

You probably don’t need a reminder about why so many people are afraid of dolls, but here’s another terrifying story just in case. There is an actual doll (not a mythical one) known as the Okiku doll on display in a temple in Japan. Why is a doll on display in a religious temple? Because rumor has it that its hair grows. On its own. For no apparent reason. And, as if that weren’t upsetting enough, a sample has supposedly confirmed that the hair that grows from the doll’s head is human.

The doll was originally given to a two-year-old girl by her brother in 1918. She died a year later, and her family kept the doll as a remembrance of her. But soon they noticed that its hair appeared to be growing, so they brought it to a priest, who observed it for a few months and confirmed their story. The doll, which was named after the little girl who owned it, was put on display in the temple and remains there to this day.