The Ghosts of Akershus Castle
Akershus Castle (Akershus Slott og Festning) in Oslo is considered one of the most haunted places in Norway. It has been used as a castle, fortress, prison, and military base. It has a very rich and bloody history that goes back centuries..
Akershus Castle was built in 1290 by King Håkon V to defend Norway from outside attacks. All enemies were defeated and the castle was considered to be invincible. It was renovated during the seventeenth century and turned into a castle. It is also the burial site of several members of the Norwegian Royalty.
It was also used as a prison. A famous thief named Ole Høiland committed suicide while there. There was a section for prisoners on work detail called the Slaveriet (Slavery). The prisoners in that section were forced into hard labor and mistreated. As a result, many of them died. During WWII, Norway was occupied by the Nazis and Akershus Castle was taken over. Many executions happened there. After the castle was liberated, eight Norwegian traitors were executed there.
With a history like that – reports of hauntings are not surprising. Some of the ghosts have become quite famous:
- Malcanisen the Demon Dog – Malcanisen is the castle guard dog. Rumor has it that he was buried alive on the castle grounds. (Which is fucked up!) It is rumored that if he appears to you, you will die a horrible death.
- Ole Høiland – The ghost of the Norwegian Robin Hood has been seen around the castle.
- Mantelgeisten – No one knows who she is or how she died. Legend has it that it’s the ghost of a woman locked in a castle chamber. She has no face and wears a long robe, and she is seen walking toward the chamber that she was locked in.
- People have heard screaming, whispering, scratching, and chains being rattled from the dungeon. There are also guards that suddenly appear and disappear.
- A Swedish soldier got drunk one night and rode to the castle. He was yelling that he was going to conquer Norway. He was shot by Norwegian soldiers. They say you can still hear him screaming and hear the sound of horse hooves.
Akershus Castle is still a military base and is also open to the public. The castle houses the Resistance Museum, a Prison Museum, and the Norwegian Armed Forces Museum. They also hold ghost tours.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akershus_Fortress
https://www.sofn.com/blog/a-mysterious-fortress-on-the-oslo-fjord/
https://www.visitoslo.com/no/produkt/?TLp=14900&Akershus-festning