Podcast Summary: Heart Starts Pounding – Episode 158

"Inside the World's Most Haunted Castles | True Ghost Stories"
Host: Kayla Moore
Date: December 30, 2025

Episode Overview

In this chilling year-end episode, host Kayla Moore guides listeners on a ghostly tour of three of the world’s most haunted castles: Windsor Castle in England, Mösern Castle in Austria, and Himeji Castle in Japan. Each segment delves into the history, legends, and spine-tingling hauntings tied to these formidable fortresses, with stories ranging from royal apparitions to tragic victims and vengeful spirits. The episode blends historical context, vivid folklore, and eerie eyewitness accounts, making it a compelling listen for fans of the paranormal, true mysteries, and cultural lore.

Featured Castles & Key Discussion Points

1. Windsor Castle, England (01:02–14:33)

Introduction to Windsor

• Kayla sets the mood by inviting listeners to cozy up for tales of haunting legacies set in one of Britain’s most iconic royal residences.
• Overview of castle layout and the centuries of royal history embedded in its walls.
  “Windsor Castle sits on a chalk cliff above the River Thames just west of London. And it’s been watching over England for nearly a thousand years.” — Kayla Moore (02:24)

The Royal Ghosts of St. George's Chapel

• St. George’s Chapel: Resting place of 11 monarchs, including Queen Elizabeth II.

• King Charles I: Executed and allegedly haunted the grounds.

  • Sightings of his specter in the castle, especially walking through the Cannon’s Cloister.
  • Creepy detail: His head was reportedly sewn back on after beheading.
    “You could even see marks on his neck that showed someone had stitched it back on after his death.” (05:43)

• King Henry VIII: Known for heavy, echoing footsteps—accompanied by the dragging sound of his ulcerated leg.

  • Staff hear moaning and the telltale limp throughout the castle.
  • Henry’s turbulent life makes his ghost even more unsettling.
    “If you’re walking the castle at night... you may want to run.” (08:43)

• King George III (Mad King George):

  • Suffered from severe illness; spent final years at Windsor, often incapacitated.
  • Emotional posthumous sighting: Guards reportedly saluted him at his window after his death. “The commanding officer saw the unmistakable figure of the king standing in his customary place... every single one of them saw the king standing there, and they watched as he returned their salute one final time.” (11:45)
  • Seen as a comforting haunt, embodying dignity lost in life.

The Legend of Herne the Hunter (14:33–16:51)

• Not all ghosts at Windsor are human—legend tells of Herne, a royal huntsman who saved King Richard II, only to become a horned ghostly apparition after his dismissal and suicide.
  • Herne’s antlered ghost is said to appear during storms, signaling disasters or impending death for the monarchy.
  • Shakespeare referenced Herne in “The Merry Wives of Windsor.”
  • Modern sightings continue to this day.
    “Herne’s ghost appeared to them, and he was wearing the bloody stag’s antlers… he tends to appear during winter storms, usually at midnight, and the legend says that his appearance signals national disasters.” (15:44)

Royal Attitudes Toward Ghosts

• “Prince William reportedly said when he was warned about the ghosts before moving in: ‘No old hall would be complete without ghosts, would it?’” (16:07)

2. Mösern (Moosham) Castle, Austria – The Witch Trials (16:52–31:21)

Unnerving Architecture and History

• Perched above forests near Salzburg, the castle features gloomy dungeons, torture chambers, and a sinister well.
• Visitors today report echoing footsteps, cold spots, and a chilling presence in the dungeons.

The Salzburg Witch Trials (Late 17th Century)

• Trigger Event: Arrest and torture of Barbara Collen, falsely accused and forced to confess to witchcraft.
  • Her coerced confession implicates her son, Jacob (“Jackal” or “Wizard Jack”), setting off mass hysteria.
• Rampant Persecution: Authorities round up homeless children, coercing them under torture to implicate each other as disciples of “Jackal.”
• Demographics: In a reversal of typical witch trials, 81% of the victims were men and boys, many just children or teenagers, almost all homeless.
• Horrific Executions: Children under 14 had hands cut off, were branded, paraded, then burned; older victims saw hanging or decapitation before burning.
• Motivation: Authorities used the witch trial narrative to remove beggars and visibly poor from the streets post-Thirty Years’ War. “No wealthy aristocrats were accused of witchcraft, just the beggars that the government wanted off the street anyways.” (21:43)

Post-trial Hauntings

• After abandonment, hauntings escalate: locals blame werewolf attacks on the site’s cursed past; a mob eventually massacres remaining residents.

• Present-day visitors report ghostly children, dragging chains, touching by unseen hands, and the apparition of a woman in white (possibly Barbara).
  “Visitors report hearing footsteps echoing through empty hallways… the most common apparition… is a young woman in white who wanders the corridors, moaning, disappearing when she’s approached. This may very well be Barbara.” (29:51)

• Jackal: Remains a mysterious, never-spotted figure—his legacy now a warning against scapegoating in times of fear and prejudice.

3. Himeji Castle, Japan – Spirits of the White Heron Castle (33:28–45:16)

Eerie Introduction

• Kayla sets the scene: “Picture this, it’s nightfall at Himeji Castle in feudal Japan...” (33:28)
• The tale of Morita Zusho, dared to ascend the keep and encounters Osakabe Hime, the Lady of the Walls—a powerful yokai who reads hearts, predicts doom, and kills those who see her face.

The Lady of the Walls: Osakabe Hime

• Once displaced by construction, now the castle’s enigmatic protector.
  “She despises humans, and she only emerges once a year to meet with the castle lord and foretell the castle’s fate.” (34:32)
• In stories, she sometimes spares those who approach her with honesty.

The Legend of Okiku’s Ghost

• The most famous haunting: Okiku, a young servant, is framed for breaking a priceless plate by a lustful samurai.
• After enduring torture and refusing his advances, she is thrown down a well—her ghost haunts Himeji, eternally counting the plates:
  “At night, those near the well would hear a woman’s voice echoing up from the depths, counting 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9… When she reached 9 and found no tenth plate, she would let out a blood curdling shriek.” (39:40)
• The ghost’s relentless counting drives her murderer mad; a Buddhist priest eventually attempts to end the haunting by shouting “10!” during Okiku’s nightly count, granting her spirit peace in some versions of the legend.
• The well still stands, and stories persist of her ghostly voice echoing at night.

Okiku’s Enduring Influence

• Okiku’s story inspired the J-horror classic “Ringu” (The Ring), with her legend reshaped for a new era—embodying the enduring terror of vengeful spirits. “Okiku’s story was the direct inspiration for the 1998 Japanese film Ringu... Sadako, or Samara in the American remake, is essentially Okiku transported into the modern age.” (43:31)
• Himeji Castle is revered for surviving fires, wars, and earthquakes, with some saying the ghosts protect it.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the depth of history and haunting at Windsor:
  “A thousand years of history doesn’t just fade away. Sometimes it rides through the park still on winter nights. Sometimes it returns a salute one final time.” — Kayla Moore (16:03)

• On the cruelty of the Salzburg witch trials:
  “The phantom at the center of all of this, Jackal, has never been seen and he was never caught. But his legacy, which is now a cautionary tale about how fear, prejudice, and crisis can combine into lethal persecution of the most vulnerable, still haunts the stone walls of Moosham today.” (30:48)

• On Himeji’s spectral stories shaping modern horror:
  “Okiku’s story was the direct inspiration for the 1998 Japanese film Ringu... Okiku’s well still sits at Himeji Castle. It’s covered in iron bars today, and this castle has survived everything… And it’s said to be all because of the ghosts that still linger there to this day, protecting it eternally from these threats.” (44:06)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Windsor Castle Ghosts: 01:02 – 14:33
• Herne the Hunter: 14:33 – 16:51
• Moosham Castle & Witch Trials: 16:52 – 31:21
• Himeji Castle: Osakabe Hime & Okiku: 33:28 – 45:16

Episode Tone & Closing

Kayla’s narration balances cozy fireside storytelling with detailed historical research and atmospheric suspense. She closes the episode by inviting listeners to share ideas for future haunted places to explore and expresses excitement for the coming year, infusing the ending with warmth and genuine curiosity.

Recommended For:
Fans of history, folklore, and true ghost stories; listeners with a taste for the eerie, mysterious, and thought-provoking tales rooted in real events and legends.

Memorable Final Line:
“A thousand years of history doesn’t just fade away. Sometimes it rides through the park still on winter nights… And sometimes it returns a salute one final time.”