Tag Archives: satanic

Satanic group on Turnbull Canyon trail

Age: 20s Location: Whittier, CA

Context: This legend was shared during a classroom setting by a female participant (JG) who has lived in Whittier, CA her entire life. As a local, her knowledge of the area is rooted in community sharing and knowledge.

Text:

JG: I guess mainly from where I live there’s a trail called Turnbull canyon.

JG: Basically there’s legend going around that in between one of the trails there’s this satanic group that does animal sacrifices and other rituals.

Me: And where are you from?

JG: I live in Whittier, CA.

Me: So, have you ever gone to this specific trail or just heard about it?

JG: I just heard about it mainly. I’ve never been, at least I don’t think?

Me: Do you know where this spot is said to be located?

JG: It’s never really specified where it is on the trail. But I think it’s on the border between my town and the one over. Somewhere in between.

Me: Who told you about it?

JG: It’s a very popular story. I think I just heard about it in passing from friends and stuff.

JG: But I heard about in depth when I went to a track training camp near this trail and one of coaches had a lot to say. They even mentioned that the city has been trying to cover it up.

Analysis:

The legend of a satanic group Turnbull Canyon serves as a classic urban legend, placed on the border between towns, enhances its status as a dangerous, liminal, and mythical space. The classic satanic elements, such as animal sacrifice and occult rituals, are commonly rumored to exist in outlying areas between suburban towns. JG’s mention of a city cover-up adds a conspiratorial element that explains the lack of physical evidence while simultaneously increasing the story’s validity. Furthermore, the transmission of the lore through an authority figure like a coach validates the legend, elevating it from a story passed peer to peer to a cemented truth about the canyon.

The Previous Resident

Nationality: Caucasian
Age: 18
Occupation: USC Student
Residence: University Housing - Dorm
Performance Date: November 12th, 2013
Primary Language: English

My friend once told me about his dad experiencing some spooky stuff when he was just out of college. He was in his early 20s. He didn’t have too much money at the time. I forget which town he lived in, but he was desperately trying to find a place to rent. Eventually, he realized that it would be financially wise to rent just one room in a house. So he found a location that allowed him to pay for just a bedroom. The seller though had to disclose information that the previous resident who rented the room was a criminal. In fact, this guy apparently was a brutal murderer. I don’t know if he did it in the house, the room, or whatever. But supposedly no one was renting out the other rooms at the time. This guy had the entire house to himself when he lived there. Well, my friend’s dad was pretty curious and would often meander around the house looking for history or clues as to what exactly happened. I guess he started lifting up the carpets and found some sort of satanic markings on the floorboards. After that, my friend’s dad said he always felt some sort of presence in the house. Especially when walking up the staircase. He always felt like someone or something was accompanying him from the first to last step.

 

I heard this story in a USC cafeteria around 3:30pm during a late lunch. The informant is a good friend of mine. He heard this story from a friend of his, who heard it from their father. The father directly experienced this event. My friend thinks it’s creepy, “especially the satanic markings part.”

I found a multitude of ghostly motifs in my informant’s tale. These motifs include satanic markings, murder, and the renting of property with abnormal history. Though the motif that stands out to me most would be the staircase. Ghosts are liminal beings and tie themselves to liminal times, events, and locations. Staircases are arguably liminal locations because they are neither the bottom or top floor of a house. I find it interesting then, that my informant explicitly states that his friend’s father felt the most discomfort on the staircase than in any other part of the house.