Aloha, Tide Riders, and welcome back to Strange Tides, where history gets weird and the past refuses to stay buried. In this third installment of our Castle-Mania saga—which is also a Short Board Session—we’re heading deep into the haunted heart of France at Château de Brissac.

Known as the tallest château in France, Brissac isn’t just stacked with royal history—it’s layered with betrayal, violence, and one of the country’s most infamous spirits: the Green Lady. Said to be the ghost of Charlotte de Brézé, her tragic murder in the 15th century still echoes through the halls, with countless reports of sightings, eerie sounds, and encounters that blur the line between legend and lived experience.

We’ll break down the real history, dig into the folklore that refuses to fade, and explore modern paranormal activity that keeps this place firmly on France’s haunted map. Then, as always, we’ll paddle out past the facts and into deeper waters—because you know what time it is. We’re crossing the borders into Speculation Nation, throwing out theories ranging from the usual suspects like the stone tape hypothesis to something far more...unexpected .

So wax up your board, keep your eyes on the shadows, and let’s ride the waves of the strange.

Sources:

Official Château de Brissac Website - https://brissac.net/en/

Wikipedia – Château de Brissac - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Château_de_Brissac

Wikipedia – Charlotte de Brézé - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_de_Br%C3%A9z%C3%A9

Experience Loire – Château de Brissac - https://www.experienceloire.com/brissac.htm

Ancient Origins – Château de Brissac and the Ghost of the Green Lady - https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-famous-people/ch-teau-de-brissac-and-ghost-green-lady-006045

The Little House of Horrors – Chateau de Brissac - https://thelittlehouseofhorrors.com/chateau-de-brissac/

Moon Mausoleum – The Lady in Green Haunting Château de Brissac - https://moonmausoleum.com/the-lady-in-green-haunting-chateau-de-brissac/

The Vintage News – The Ghost of the Green Lady Haunts this Spectacular French Chateau - https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/12/16/green-lady/

Great Castles – Green Lady of Château de Brissac - https://great-castles.com/brissacghost.html

History Witch – La Dame Verte - https://historywitch.wordpress.com/2014/10/06/la-dame-verte/

Seeks Ghosts – Chateau de Brissac: The Lady in Green - https://seeksghosts.blogspot.com/2013/01/chateau-de-brissac-lady-in-green.html

Anecdotrip – Brissac castle: a ghost, a marshal of France and a reconciliation by vinaigrette - https://en.anecdotrip.com/brissac-castle-a-ghost-a-marshal-of-france-and-a-reconciliation-by-vinaigrette

Mystic Pages – “The Haunted Château de Brissac: Unveiling the Tale of the ‘Green Lady’” - https://mysticpazes.medium.com/the-haunted-ch%C3%A2teau-de-brissac-unveiling-the-tale-of-the-green-lady-670bb83bdff4

Neziralp – “Château de Brissac: France’s Haunted Jewel” - https://medium.com/write-a-catalyst/ch%C3%A2teau-de-brissac-frances-haunted-jewel-8e4ed17d8ff7

TripAdvisor Reviews - https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g1125985-d482555-r418238008-Chateau_de_Brissac-Brissac_Quince_Brissac_Loire_Aubance_Maine_et_Loire_Pays_de_l.html

D. Hardie – Haunted Castles: Ghosts from History (2015) - https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-famous-people/ch-teau-de-brissac-and-ghost-green-lady-006045

A Ghost a Day: 365 True Tales of the Spectral, Supernatural, and… - https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Day-Tales-Spectral-Supernatural/dp/1440506086

YouTube – “The Green Lady of Château de Brissac – The Secrets Behind the Walls - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzxTDRY0vjc

Aloha Tide Riders and welcome back to Strange Tides as we dive into the second installment of our “Castle-Mania” saga—this time heading deep into the shadowy halls of Chillingham Castle, often called Britain’s most haunted fortress.

From its brutal origins along the Anglo-Scottish border to its infamous dungeon—where echoes of torture, chains, and screams still seem to linger—we unpack the chilling history that may have left a permanent mark on the castle’s very walls. Meet the spirits said to roam its corridors: the radiant Blue Boy, whose ghostly glow and midnight cries still unsettle guests; the Grey Lady, forever searching for what she lost; and darker forces tied to the castle’s violent past.

But we don’t stop at the stories. We explore the theories—residual hauntings, ley lines, thin places, and even the idea that something far older than the castle itself may be at play. Are these ghosts… or something else entirely?

So dim the lights, maybe don’t listen alone, and step inside a place where history and the paranormal collide—and where the past might not be finished with us just yet.

Sources:

Official Chillingham Castle website - https://chillingham-castle.com/

The Little House of Horrors – Chillingham Castle - https://thelittlehouseofhorrors.com/chillingham-castle/

Real British Ghosts – Chillingham Castle Ghosts - http://www.real-british-ghosts.com/chillingham-castle-ghosts.html

Icy Sedgwick - https://www.icysedgwick.com/chillingham-castle/

Northeast By Lines – https://northeastbylines.co.uk/region/north-east/the-ghosts-of-chillingham-castle/

Kat Devitt – “Chillingham Castle: England’s Most Haunted Castle?” - https://katdevitt.com/2024/10/15/chillingham-castle-englands-most-haunted-castle/

Most Haunted TV series episodes (2005–2006) - Check Local Listings

Aloha Tide Riders. Welcome to a new month and a new saga - Castle-Mania. All month long, we'll be dive into the haunted histories of creepy castles all over the world. To kick things off, we step into the shadowy halls of Leap Castle — a place often called the most haunted castle in Ireland, and for good reason. In this episode, we dig into centuries of blood-soaked history, from brutal clan rivalries and betrayals to the infamous “Bloody Chapel” where a priest met a violent end mid-mass. But the real question is: did all that darkness leave something behind?

We explore the castle’s most chilling paranormal encounters, including sightings of the Red Lady, eerie child spirits, and the unsettling presence of the Elemental — a non-human entity so disturbing that even seasoned visitors have fled in terror. Along the way, we break down firsthand accounts, historical records, and the psychological factors that might blur the line between legend and lived experience.

Is Leap Castle truly a hotspot of supernatural activity, or is its reputation the result of centuries of trauma echoing through stone walls? Plug in, turn down the lights, and decide for yourself.

Sources:

Official Leap Castle Website - https://leapcastle.net/

Irish Central – “Leap Castle ghost story” - https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/leap-castle-ghost-story

The Little House of Horrors – Leap Castle - https://thelittlehouseofhorrors.com/leap-castle/

Offaly History – “The most haunted castle in Ireland: the story of novelist Andrew Merry (aka Mrs Mildred Darby)” - https://www.offalyhistory.com/uncategorized/the-most-haunted-castle-in-ireland-the-story-of-novelist-andrew-merry-aka-mrs-mildred-darby-of-leap-castle-co-offaly-by-noel-guerin

Celtic Elegance – “Exploring the Paranormal at Leap Castle” - https://celticelegance.com/exploring-the-paranormal-at-leap-castle/

European Waterways – “Leap Castle: Ireland’s Most Haunted” - https://www.europeanwaterways.com/blog/shannon-princess-leap-castle/

Ireland.com – “Getting spooked at Leap Castle” - https://www.ireland.com/en-us/magazine/built-heritage/getting-spooked-at-leap-castle/

State of the Unknown – “Leap Castle: Ireland’s Haunted Fortress and the Elemental” - https://stateoftheunknown.com/blog/leap-castle-irelands-most-haunted-fortress-and-the-elemental-that-lurks-within

Haunted Rooms UK – Leap Castle - https://www.hauntedrooms.co.uk/haunted-places/ireland/leap-castle

Moon Mausoleum – “The Ghost Crowds of Leap Castle” - https://moonmausoleum.com/the-ghost-crowds-of-leap-castle/

EsoterX – “Leap Castle and the Fear of Ubiquitous Ghosts” - https://esoterx.com/2021/04/15/leap-castle-and-the-fear-of-ubiquitous-ghosts/

Carpe Diem Eire – “Visiting The World’s Most Haunted Castle” - https://carpediemeire.com/2020/10/12/leap-castle/