We usually think of objects as lifeless things, but history is full of Cursed Objects that seem to have a mind of their own. From gems that kill their owners to dolls that move by themselves, these artifacts are not to be touched.
Unlike the Music Urban Legends which are often just rumors, many of these items have documented police reports and tragedies attached to them. Here are 10 Cursed Objects that bring nothing but bad luck.
Warning: Some of these stories might keep you up at night.
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Top 10 Cursed Objects in History
1. The Real Annabelle Doll
Forget the porcelain doll from the movies; the real Annabelle is a Raggedy Ann doll locked in the Warrens’ Occult Museum. It allegedly attacked people and caused fatal car accidents.
It is considered so dangerous that a priest blesses the museum every week to keep the evil contained. It is undoubtedly the most famous of all Cursed Objects.
⚡ Fun Fact: A man who mocked the doll reportedly died in a motorcycle crash hours later.
2. The Hope Diamond
This beautiful blue gem is worth $250 million, but the price of owning it is much higher. Legend says it was stolen from an idol in India, cursing anyone who touches it.
Previous owners suffered beheadings (Marie Antoinette), suicide, and financial ruin. It now sits safely behind glass at the Smithsonian.
⚡ Fun Fact: It was mailed to the museum in a plain brown package via regular mail.
3. The Dybbuk Box
This wine cabinet is said to hold a “Dybbuk,” a malicious spirit from Jewish mythology. It became famous when it was sold on eBay with a terrifying warning.
Owners reported losing their hair, smelling cat urine, and having horrific nightmares. It inspired the horror movie “The Possession.”
⚡ Fun Fact: Post Malone touched it in 2018 and immediately suffered a string of bad luck.
4. Tutankhamun’s Tomb
When Howard Carter opened King Tut’s tomb in 1922, it unleashed the “Curse of the Pharaohs.” The inscription warned death to those who disturb the King.
Within months, the financial backer Lord Carnarvon died from an infected mosquito bite. Several others connected to the excavation died prematurely, fueling the legend of Cursed Objects.
⚡ Fun Fact: At the exact moment Carnarvon died, the lights in Cairo went out.
5. The Crying Boy Paintings
In the 1980s, British firefighters noticed something strange. In many houses that burned down to the ground, one thing survived: a cheap painting of a crying boy.
The tabloid “The Sun” claimed the paintings were cursed. People started burning them in mass bonfires to break the hex.
⚡ Fun Fact: It turned out the prints were just treated with fire-retardant varnish.
6. The Basano Vase
This silver vase was a wedding gift in Italy in the 15th century. The bride died that night holding it. It was passed down, and every family member who owned it died shortly after.
It was hidden for years but rediscovered in 1988 with a note: “Beware… this vase brings death.”
⚡ Fun Fact: It is said that police buried it in a secret location to stop the deaths.
7. The Hands Resist Him
Known as the “Haunted eBay Painting,” this artwork features a creepy boy and a doll. Sellers claimed the figures moved at night and even walked out of the frame.
People who viewed the online listing reported feeling dizzy or fainting, making it one of the first viral digital Cursed Objects.
⚡ Fun Fact: The gallery owner and the critic who first reviewed it both died within a year.
8. Thomas Busby’s Stoop Chair
Before his execution in 1702, Thomas Busby cursed his favorite chair, saying death would come to anyone who sat in it.
Over the years, many people who dared to sit in it died in strange accidents shortly after. The museum eventually hung it on the wall to prevent further victims.
⚡ Fun Fact: It has allegedly claimed over 60 lives.
9. James Dean’s “Little Bastard”
Actor James Dean died crashing his Porsche 550 Spyder. But the car kept killing. When parts of the car were reused in other vehicles, those drivers also crashed and died.
The car once fell off a truck and broke a mechanic’s legs. It eventually vanished during transport and hasn’t been seen since.
⚡ Fun Fact: Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan Kenobi) warned Dean he would die in that car 7 days before the crash.
10. The Woman from Lemb
Dubbed “The Goddess of Death,” this limestone statue belonged to four different families. Every single member of those families died shortly after owning it.
The last remaining owner donated it to a museum in Scotland. Within a year, the museum curator who handled it also died mysteriously.
⚡ Fun Fact: It is now kept behind glass, and no one is allowed to touch it.
Would You Touch These Cursed Objects?
Whether you believe in the supernatural or not, the coincidences surrounding these Cursed Objects are terrifying.
Which artifact would you be most afraid to own? Read more scary history at History.com.