Eleonore Zugun Poltergeist — Romanian Girl Bears Bite Marks and Scratches as Investigators Watch

Eleonore Zugun was a Romanian peasant girl born in 1913 who, from approximately 1925 onward, was the alleged focus of extraordinary poltergeist phenomena including objects flying through the air around her and, most dramatically, the appearance of welts, bites, and scratches on her skin while she was under observation by researchers. At age 12, Eleonore was reportedly tormented by an entity she called Dracu (the Devil) which she believed was causing objects to fly around her home. She was investigated by psychical researcher Harry Price in London and Vienna in 1926, where she was placed under strict controlled observation. During these sessions, witnesses including skeptical scientists and journalists observed objects flying through the air in her presence and, more disturbingly, saw bite marks, scratch marks, and welts appear on her skin in real time while her hands were held. Price published an account of the investigation and documented his observations carefully. Subsequent investigators also reported witnessing the spontaneous appearance of physical marks on Eleonore's skin. Medical doctors examined the marks and could offer no conventional explanation for their sudden appearance. The phenomena appeared to diminish as Eleonore entered puberty and had largely ceased by 1927. This pattern of poltergeist activity linked to a pubescent individual and subsiding with physical maturation is consistent with many other poltergeist cases. Eleonore Zugun is considered one of the most closely studied poltergeist subjects in the history of psychical research.