8 True Stories Of Cursed And Haunted Dolls

A big 'ol bowl of NOPE.

1). "Robert," the doll who's always watching:

Amazon

First on our list of petrifying playthings is "Robert," who originally belonged to author and painter Robert Eugene Otto. The doll was (allegedly) known to giggle, run from room to room, cause household accidents, and walk past upstairs windows while the family was away. Robert was left in the Otto's attic until 1974, where he was passed around from owner to owner before eventually being donated to Florida's Fort East Martello Museum in 1994 where he still resides today. Staff members claim that the doll causes strange activity anytime it is rotated through the museum. Its head is also said to be seen turning to follow museum-goers as they pass by.

2). "Mandy," the doll with the sinister smile:

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Mandy has been scaring the absolute shit out of staff members and volunteers at British Columbia's Quesnel and District Museum since 1991. Shortly after she was donated, strange events started happening like the sounds of disembodied footsteps and vanishing office supplies, to name a few. Several museum guests are made uneasy by her, regularly commenting on her "sinister smile" and life-like eyes. We, however, would prefer to comment on said attributes from the safety of our office.

3). "Okiku," the doll whose hair grows:

Duy Phạm Nhật / Via flickr.com

In 1918, 17-year-old Eikichi Suzuki bought a doll for his sister, Okiku. She quickly became attached to it, even christening it with her first name. But sadly, she died a year later of an intense fever. The family built a memorial altar in her honor, placing Okiku (the doll) at the center of it. Shortly afterwards, the Suzukis noticed that Okiku's hair was growing. Believing that the spirit of their daughter had latched onto the toy, the family donated her to Japan's Mannenji Temple, where she is still on display. Her hair continues to grow, and is currently 10 inches long.

4). "Harold" the cursed doll:

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Harold pretty much tops the list of things that make us say, "Oh hell no." The doll was listed on eBay in 2003, where the seller alleged that his presence in their home caused the death of their cat, the end of their relationship, chronic migraines, and the seller even heard the disembodied voices of children playing in their basement. Harold was passed around from owner to owner for the next several years. He's been rumored to have caused various deaths and illnesses. His last owner was Anthony Quinata, who claims to have exorcised the doll and has sworn to never speak of Harold again. We don't blame you, Anthony.

5). "Annabelle," the doll that moves on its own:

Travel Channel

The story of Annabelle involves a young nursing student, Donna, who received the Raggedy Anne as a birthday present from her mother. Donna and her roommate, Angie, soon became convinced that the doll was alive following weeks of increasingly bizarre incidents, including repeatedly coming home to find that the doll had changed positions or moved to a different room. Following an incident in which their friend was attacked by an unseen force, the girls reached out to famed paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, who brought Annabelle to their occult museum, where she still resides today. Most recently, horror master James Wan has turned Annabelle's story into a series of films.

6). The Hands Resist Him, the painting that comes to life:

Bill Stoneham

Bill Stoneham's insanely-unsettling 1972 painting was listed on eBay in February of 2000. The sellers claimed that the doll in the picture would regularly come to life and force the boy out of the painting, and that the two would walk freely through their house at night. The listing drew over 30,000 viewers, many of whom reported feeling uneasy or ill at just the sight of it. Stoneham has since painted three sequels to the work, featuring the same characters, which are floating around the internet for your viewing (dis)pleasure.

7). Isla de las Muñecas (Island of the Dolls), the land of trapped souls:

vipertruck99 / Via flickr.com

Just south of Mexico City rests the straight-out-of-a-horror-movie Isla de las Muñecas. The land's original caretaker, Don Julian Santana Barerra, allegedly found the body of a drowned girl and one of her dolls floating near the island. He hung the doll on a tree in a sign of respect, but – after being haunted by her spirit – began hanging more and more dolls around the island in an effort to appease her restless ghost. After 50 years of obsessively collecting his dolls, Barerra died of drowning in 2001, apparently in the exact same spot as where he found the girl.

8). "La Pascualita," the mannequin that might be a corpse:

Angel Vega / Via flickr.com

This little lady is the storefront attraction at the La Popular bridal shop in Chihuahua, Mexico, where she's stood for over 80 years. Locals were initially unnerved by her life-like appearance and the striking resemblance she bore to the owner's late daughter. Rumors quickly spread that the mannequin was actually the young woman's embalmed corpse. Today, La Pascualita attracts fascinated tourists, hoping to catch a glimpse of her varicose veins, magnetic eyes, and eerily-realistic hands, which are covered in fine lines, thin hairs, and fingernails. NOPE.