# Black Death Mass Grave theme :)



## Marrow (Feb 23, 2011)

Hey guys!

I'm starting building props for this years haunt, and the theme revolves around the black plague, and the mass graves. It will have a tall necromancer bringing the black plague victims to life all around him, atop a mass burial site. So he will be standing with groundbreakers emerging from the earth all around him (the victims of the black death), and he will also have a few minions, standing around watching. His minions are little things wearing plague doctor masks and black hoods. They will only be a foot and a half tall, some of them holding witch jars.

One of my groundbreakers will have a brick shoved into his mouth - a reference to the discovery of a so-called vampire corpse in a black death mass grave. If you haven't heard about it - click here. :devil:

Anyway, does anyone have any other ideas of things I could incorporate? The whole theme may seem a little morbid, but bystanders and TOTs wont realize that it's related to the black death, or mass graves. And by the way, my haunt is set up in a shop window, rather than a front yard. Pics here: http://marrowhouse.blogspot.com/2010/11/2010-haunt.html


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## Marrow (Feb 23, 2011)

Okay, heres an update.

I've had the whole mass grave idea for weeks now, but never thought to research on the internet about it (most probably because I'll stumble upon some nasty images). Oh well, I just spent 15 minutes looking, and have found that the mass graves were called plague pits, and that workers always covered the corpses faces in white shrouds. There were also many beliefs that there were vampires amongst the dead - corpses with holes around the mouth in their shrouds, and blood dripping from them. These were referred to as the 'Shroud-Eaters'.

So, I'll also be putting decayed white fabric over the groundbreakers faces, and black ichor oozing from the mouth holes. If there are enough holes in the fabric, I'll be able to see the rotten faces, but still have the shrouds. Grisly.
I don't want to go off too far in the vampire direction - I'm not even going to imply that there are vampires, just that people believed there were.

And by the way, the haunt is set only a few years after the black death - so the bodies won't be skeletons yet. But nice and rotten nonetheless.


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

First off you work is amazing. And you have done a excellent job working in a small space which can have it's pluses and minues too.
Your theme is a good one with lots of possibilities for the display. The main problem is that most people will not know you are using the "Black Plague" as a theme unless you put up a sign saying so. Remember the general public are not haunters or historians for that matter. They will look at the display and say "graveyard" or "zombies" and not catch the idea of the black death (or plague). You may well be the only one that knows what it is. Frankly if you can be happy with that, then enjoy your creations as you understand what they are. If you want the general public (non-haunters) to know what the theme is you will need to make a sign to tell them. I think the sign would be a distraction from you amazing work and not worth the effort of trying to educate the public. Frankly, my job is to scare people, not teach them history.


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## pensivepumpkin (Mar 27, 2011)

I love your ideas! I agree with Bone Dancer that few will know exactly what you are doing, and that in the end it does not matter one whit. No one ever gets my consumes, and after a few years that became half the fun of them. They just want to talk to my husband, who is always Elvis. huff.

The plague is an awesome inspiration. If you want some more images, words, etc, there is a great book called The Great Mortality. 

Awesome stuff!


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## Terrormaster (Sep 27, 2007)

Marrow don't let anyone tell you otherwise if they don't get it. It's the same whenever I say I want to do a Lovecraft themed haunt. Bottom line is it doesn't matter if they get it just that its creepy and scares the crap out of em. One thing I've considered is handing out business cards with a URL on it that lets them dig deeper into the mythos if they so desire. Its a nice little extra detail that goes into the treat bag while not distracting from the display when you want them focused on it.

I have a soft spot in my dark heart for necromancers and the plague era. Its always refreshing to see someone break away from the traditional Halloween tropes of ghost, skeletons, vampires, pumpkins, and witches or Hollywood monsters. Go with it and have fun. Looking forward to seeing the final results.


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## Allen H (Feb 13, 2010)

Wow, why hasnt anyone mentioned rats?


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## Marrow (Feb 23, 2011)

Thanks guys!

I think it may be a good thing that people don't know the exact theme. You never know how mass graves can go down with parents. Perhaps a few people will recognise the plague doctor masks. After all, the backstory is really just for yourself isn't it.

I live in New Zealand, and Halloween isn't very big here, so more people will see it on my blog than actually in person. And I'll make sure everyone on my blog reads about the last grisly detail.


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## oyayubi (Dec 13, 2009)

*Potential suggestion for your story*

Marrow,
I think this is an awesome idea and a great way to put an incredible twist on the common cemetary haunt. I'm not sure if yours will be a walkthrough but this could be a great opportunity to give the the haunt even more death...I mean life. 

Tell the story either by voice recording or sign near the haunt.

Maybe start spreading rumors a week or two before your haunt about something that you recently uncovered about your neighborhood, perhaps your neighborhood was built on top of one of these plague pits then the hight of your haunt a man in a strange garb came through the neighborhood then all hell broke loose. Use what people don't know to your advantage.


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