10 regions with ghastly names and why

10 regions with ghastly names and why. Have you ever heard the phrase” what is in a name?”  Why it is called the Skeleton Coast or Death Valley? As we know, many areas of the planet have disturbing designations, but how many have an accompanying backstory to shed a “dark light” on them?

The locations mentioned here may be on your “bucket list,” or perhaps you have just heard of them in passing and thought, that is odd…How come. So the next time you ask, “what is in a name,” hopefully, these legends will create some insight and intrigue your imagination.

1 Dead Sea

Israel/Jordan

Laying at 1330 feet below sea level, coincidentally the lowest point of land on the earth. With a mineral content that far exceeds the ocean and nothing lives in the vast body of water. If you guessed the Dead Sea, you would be right. Located in both Jordan and Israel, this body of water is known locally by some very loathsome names, such as the Sea of the devil, Salt sea, among others. On one positive note, it is also of biblical importance. Water does not drain from the Dead Sea but can only evaporate, and this process leaves an extreme mineral concentration. Today it is estimated that 7 million tons of water disappear daily.

 Its high mineral content is sought after and used in medicines, fertilizers, and cosmetics. In addition, it is believed that the waters have health healing applications, making it an ideal place for the myriad of spas and resorts that line its coast.

 Today scientists are warning that the Dead Sea is dying. Documentation indicates that the Dead Sea has been slowly shrinking in recent years. Scientists have noted that over the past 50 years, the water level has dropped more than 80 feet, with the southern end disappearing. Add to that, the only thing that flows into the Sea is raw sewage with very little fresh water replenishing it. As a result, it has become apparent that this pristine body of water will never be what it once was thousands of years ago.

The death of the Dead Sea is indeed a self-fulfilling prophecy.

2 The Death Zone

Tibet

Many mountaineers define the death zone as an altitude above sea level of over 8,000 meters (26,240 feet). The majority of the peaks in the death zone are in the Himalayas. At this altitude, life cannot be sustained, due to the lack of oxygen. Climbers cannot acclimatize themselves to this environment, they cannot digest food, and their bodily functions begin to expire without the use of supplemental oxygen. The symptoms that they may exhibit include unconsciousness, deliriousness, hallucinations, and eventually death.

 There have been hundreds of poorly equipped climbers that have found their demise while hiking through the Death Zone. Proper equipment is paramount if you ever have the good fortune to climb in these regions. As you reach these great altitudes, there are reminders of those before you that did not make it back down the mountain in these scenic mountain ranges. Removing the bodies would be strenuous and extremely dangerous. The Death Zone is a graveyard at the top of the world.

3 Death Valley

Nevada/California

As you can gather from the name Death Valley, California is no place for a family vacation. That is why it is one of 10 regions with ghastly names. Unless, of course, you consider one of the hottest and inhospitable places on earth a place to have a great outing. Here you will find more than 3 million acres of the hottest wilderness you can ever encounter. With its towering mountains and deep canyons, you would suspect that you would get some respite from the oppressive sun- no such luck. The lowest point in North America is in Death Valley at Badwater Basin, with an elevation of a mere 282 feet below sea level. Although the temperature can rise to over 100 degrees F on most days. One of the highest recorded temperatures in Death Valley was just under 134 degrees F. 

The early explorers were novices. The Death Valley ’49ers, were poorly equipped and with little experience in such a hostile environment. Many perished in the unforgiving climate. Those that did survive the unforgiving trek created their morbid names for this area. Here is just a sample: The Funeral Mountains, Dante’s View, Furnace Creek, Desolation Canyon, Devil’s Cornfield, Black Mountains, Stovepipe Wells, Hell’s Gate. It seems very easy to assume what many of these pioneers felt the environment was conspiring against them.

Still can be enjoyed

Death Valley National park has existed since 1933, and thousands of people have visited each year. If you decide to visit, ensure that you stay on the established roads and paths. If backpacking off the “beaten trail” is your idea of a good time, make sure you enlist the services of an established guide. When driving through Death Valley, make sure that you have ample gasoline as breaking down and being stranded is far more common than the emergency services would like it to be.

4 Devil’s Island

French Guiana

As close to hell on earth that an individual could get was Devil’s Island, the notorious penal colony located in French Guyana. Of course, it is a misnomer as the central portion of the colony was on the mainland. Nonetheless, the colony as a whole would be known as Devil’s Island. The French government initially designated this area as a leper colony. However, in 1884, the infamous prison colony was founded and ran as a penal colony until 1952. 

The conditions and cruelty were unparalleled to any jail ever devised. Devils Island may have made the Gulag seem like a resort. The inmates were issued nothing more than a pair of shoes and a straw hat and forced to work waist-deep in water infested with malaria-carrying mosquitos while their torso baked under the harsh South American sun. In many cases, they received no more than a piece of very stale bread for their day’s labour.

Not an Island?

In Kourou, a village outside the capital of Cayenne was the deadliest camp on Devil’s Island. Four thousand prisoners died within a short three-year span from various ailments, not the least of which were malaria and often murder. Living in such an appalling environment with the only certainty being death, the only hope for many of these prisoners was escape.

Those prisoners that did escape had to endure some of the most hostile environments on the earth. Trudging through harsh, dense jungles, they had to compete with oppressive heat and humidity, hostile natives and the ever-present mosquitos. Only a tiny portion of those that did escape were fortunate enough to find sanctuary in Dutch Guiana. Others tried to flee by Sea using anything they could find to float and use as a raft; the lucky ones lived to tell their saga. Unfortunately, the unlucky found their final resting place drowned at the bottom of the ocean. Those that were not fortunate enough to escape or die endured solitary confinement at the colony. These men were chained to their beds after a hard day’s labour and received their meagre ration.

By 1938 the French Government no longer sent prisoners to Devil’s Island. However, there was a public outcry when the knowledge of the atrocious conditions that these men had to endure. As a result, the prison was officially closed down in 1952. And ranks high as one of the 10 regions with ghastly names.

Tourists assemble to explore Devil’s Island and Museum, a major attraction in the area. To recount the cruelness that man can inflict on his fellow beings.

5 Galgbacken (Gallows’ Slope)

Stockholm

The last execution in Stockholm, the capital city of Sweden, was in 1862 and took place at the notorious Gibbets slope, another name of the Gallows slope. As the title alludes, the method of execution was the noose of the hangman. Beheading was still a prevalent form of execution during this time in Swedish history. Justice was swift, and any felon found guilty was eligible for this form of punishment, regardless of social position. 

During the 1930s, workers unearthed the skeletal remains of those that found the gallows the place of their last breath. Unfortunately, many more remain unexcavated below this housing complex.

6 Golgotha (Place of the Skull)

Jerusalem

Located outside the walls of early Jerusalem, Golgotha was an ancient site according to a biblical entry. It is believed by many that the crucifixion of Jesus took place here. In addition, the Roman empire also used this site of execution.

 Although no one knows the genesis of the Golgotha name, a few theories are readily accepted. The general speculation is that the term refers to many human remains found at the site. While others believe the site itself resembles a physical skull. Still, others accept the notion that the original location loomed over a cemetery, naturally lending itself to a gruesome name.

According to the Jewish religion, all executions need to take place beyond the walls of the city of Jerusalem. Seemingly, the Romans, too, honoured this tradition when dealing with criminals. However, the exact location is still in dispute, primarily due to the many times Jerusalem was rebuilt throughout history. Although it is not unanimous, many scholars believe that the site lies within the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which Emperor Constantine built in 336ce. For this reason, the exact location may never be known, and we do know for sure that many brutal atrocities occurred on or near this location.

7 Hell’s Kitchen

New York City

You can not candy coat this; Hell’s Kitchen was once the most infamous neighbourhood in the USA. Located in mid-town Manhattan, it was notorious for crime, sex, and violence. The first reference appeared in the New York Times on September 22, 1881, when a Times reporter coined the phrase while referencing multiple homicides in the area. He indicated to a particular tenement at 39th Street and 10th Avenue as “Hell’s Kitchen,” 

Many of the early settlers were German and Irish immigrants who primarily worked as longshoremen, factories and slaughterhouses. After the American Civil war, the population grew, and the low standard of living created a very desperate environment to call home.

 Soon, tenement housing was created to help cope with the population, creating more gangs and more violence. The squalid living conditions became a breeding ground for the most dangerous urban area in the United States- Hell’s Kitchen.

Then came Prohibition.

In the early part of the 20th century, prohibition fostered an opportunity for many established gangs to pivot from their traditional business affairs. Soon they were bootlegging- the distribution and sale of illegal liquor. Consequently, this enhanced an already volatile environment. Hell’s Kitchen has constantly evolved. During the 1950s, Puerto Rican immigrants populated this part of Midtown Manhattan, the consequence was increased racial tension and subsequent violence. The last recognized powerful gang in the Kitchen was the Westies. A powerful and highly violent Irish-American gang that operated from the stomping ground of their ancestors.

 The modern Hell’s Kitchen has very few remnants of its violent past. However, you can still see the pornography shops and strip bars that once adorned this region if you look closely. With expanding real estate prices and the gentrification of the area, the once “most violent urban area in America” is now referred to as the neighbourhood of Clinton. Which is why it is one of the 10 regions with ghastly names.

 Let’s hope there is a plague as a reminder to what was once an area of New York City to be feared.

8 Murder Island

Nova Scotia

The Maritime provinces of Canada are known for their beauty and picturesque vista. Yet, there are some murky stories that have yet to be told. For example, if you drive three hours from Halifax, you will find The Tusket Islands, which are still only accessible by boat. Although they rival the rest of the province in beauty, they are also home to the mysterious and ominous Murder Island.

 Many macabre and bizarre tales surround the island, some dating back to the 1700s. However, of the accounts that seem most irregular is one that goes back to 1735. The “Baltimore” ( brig- a type of sailing vessel) ran ashore. When the locals finally got to the ship, there was no one left alive, except for a mysterious woman and a blood-splattered interior of the brig. She told a very confusing story that included an aboriginal massacre and a group of convicts that revolted against the ship’s captain and crew. Before verification could be established, the mysterious woman disappeared, and with her, any knowledge of the events she witnessed.

 During the 18th century, there is yet another thought-provoking tale that shrouds the island. A French fleet stationed in the area found themselves at the mercy of a smallpox epidemic. With no place to bury the deceased men, they used the tiny island as the final resting place for the hundreds of dead. Human remains being found on the island’s beaches far into the 20th century. Today, there is no documentation to substantiate these stories. However, Murder Island holds a very sorted history.

9 The Skeleton Coast

Namibia

The local Namibian bushmen referred to this location as the “land God made in anger,” with such a name, we know immediately that this is not a hospitable location. A barren desert landscape on the edge of the Sea. The area is strewn with the rusted out hulls of once-massive giants of ocean technology, now dilapidated ships that time has no memory of recalling. Now victims to the sands of time and their skeletal remains lay dormant at the foot of this southwestern African nation. Now we see only their remains jutting through sandbars within their sandy graves. Here punishing winds, unpredictable currents, and erratic weather have left this rocky coast a magnet for unsuspecting ocean vessels and more significant marine life to parish. The decaying and sun-scorched bones of deceased whales also add to the haunting allure of the skeletal coast.

 Legends tell us that many sailors that did not have the key to “Davey Jones’ locker” were left to wonder this sun-drenched desert alone. With no hope of finding fresh drinking water, they went with the prospect of marching perilously to their demise. Imposing dunes extended for a hundred miles inland, the survivors having no chance of survival. With death on the horizon from thirst and exposure. It can easily highlight 10 regions with ghastly names. Although slightly more accessible today, it is still very remote and notorious. Modern ships still stay farther at Sea to avoid the fate of those before them.

10 Tombstone

Arizona

A significant part of the old west’s allure is many colourful names that remind us of a bygone era. For example, Tombstone, Arizona, is located in the U.S. Southwest, a reminder of the old west’s violent past. Coincidentally the town is named after a prospector – looking for valuable minerals, was told that all he would find in this desolate land would be his tombstone. However, the prospector stumbled upon a silver mine naming it The Tombstone, soon the town was founded from there.

Much of the town consisted of saloons and brothels, which attracted some unsavoury groups, including many outlaws. The “Birdcage,” and was known as the wildest place in all states. Violence and bloodshed were common in Tombstone. Possibly the most famous shootout came at the OK Corral, where Wyatt Earp and his brothers and a gang of notorious outlaw “cowboys” fought a sinister duel. Fittingly enough, the modern Tombstone is a great tourist attraction where people reenact the famous gunfight and visit the cemetery.

Now we know what’s in a name

Often there is more to name that immediately surfaces. These famous and infamous locations are just that. These are just 10 regions with ghastly names, and we know the earth has many more to offer.

Have you ever considered visiting any of these places? Or perhaps you have already done so. The stories you could tell would be beyond the pale. In that case, we are confident that our many readers would enjoy your tales as much as we would. So please comment below, and we will be sure to get back to you.

At the time of this publication, Covid- 19 protocols are still in effect. However, should you consider visiting any of these locations, don’t hesitate to contact them directly or that country’s tourist offices.

As always, it is our pleasure to share these insights with you.

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