Ghost hunt: practices of exploring creepy spaces according to anthropology and folklore studies

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of basic theoretical approaches that conceptualize practices of exploration of dangerous, first and foremost urban, spaces within contemporary Folklore Studies and Anthropology. For our purpose, four research areas can be outlined: folklore, socio-psychological, anthropological and ecosemiotical studies. Each of these areas is distinguished mostly by its understanding of pragmatics of the practices in question, while presented at any rate as parts of an integral complex of “person-locus-narrative-practices”. The paper also defines the practice of visiting creepy places within various disciplines and approaches. Legend-tripping practices broadly include stable (ritualized, ludic, etc.) visits of marginal, often abandoned places connected to local legends, transmitted by actional text - the very visitation of such places and performing certain actions there along with telling stories. Such body of practices is also known as ghost walking, ghost tourism, supernatural tourism, industrial tourism, urban trip, a part of placelore, etc.