Aside from meatballs, Sweden is known for brännvin, a type of liquor that is distilled and is made from either grain or potatoes. However, what you will read about Sweden today is not about its food and liquor but about one of the most haunted places in the area – the Borgvattnet or The Haunted Vicarage.

Borgvattnet as photographed from the outside. (Link: http://paranormalinvestigating.com/haunted-borgvattnet-vicarage-sweden/)

History Of The Haunted Vicarage

Borgvattnet or The Haunted Vicarage is located in Northern Sweden specifically at the Jämtland County. The house was built back in 1876. There aren’t a lot of information about the building’s history and its original owners.

Borgvattnet at night. (Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3SHivKEMZc)

When Was The First Ghost Sighting At The Haunted Vicarage?

Accordingly, Borgvattnet was not always haunted – or maybe it was since the first ever documented paranormal experience was sometime in the 1900s. The letter was written by one of those who lived at The Haunted Vicarage namely chaplain Nils Hedlund. Hedlund claimed that when he went up to the attic to get his laundry, he saw that an unseen force was tearing down the laundry he hung up.

Hedlund, his wife Marta, and their 10 children lived in Borgvattnett for nine years (1900 to 1908). His wife died in 1907 after she gave birth to their eleventh child. Hedlund grieved over her death and decided to bury her body in their backyard. The neighbors and other villages then decided to convince Hedlund bury her in a cemetery. He did bury her but later, he dug the grave and left the cemetery with his wife’s body in tow. It is unclear if the unexplainable force was that of his wife.

The Other Occupants Of The Haunted Vicarage And Their Stories

After Hedlund, the house was occupied by chaplain Rudolf Tängdén. He said that he saw the ghot of a woman in the house. It might be that of Hedlund’s wife but there are no other descriptions or stories that could point to Hedlund’s wife being the ghost. Tängdén said that he later followed the woman as she walked away from a room but she vanished into thin air.

The wife of Tängdén claimed that she heard music coming from the hall and she would also hear footsteps walking up and down the hallways outside the room where they sleep. Mr. and Mrs. Tängdén also experienced things being thrown at them such as plates, marbles, and even a knife. They lasted 10 years at the haunted home.

Another occupant was Otto Lindgren. He and his wife said that they heard weird sounds and saw moving objects being moved by an unseen force. A woman, who was just a guest at the vicarage, shared that when she woke up in the middle of the night, she saw three old women sitting in a sofa and they were staring at her. She immediately turned on the light but the three women were still there – only blurrier. These women have been referred to as the crying ladies and the room where they are usually seen is called crying ladies room or “Gråterskornas rum.”

Gråterskornas rum at the Borgvattnet. (Link: http://wherethebadkidsgo.bloggplatsen.se/2016/02/15/11267600-the-haunted-vicarage-borgvattnets-prastgard/)

Another story is about a 19-year-old being raped by a priest. The woman started to show so the priest locked her up inside one of the rooms. Accordingly, after the woman gave birth, she murdered her child.

The Story Of The Rocking Chair At The Borgvattnet

The Borgvattnet was also occupied by chaplain Erik Lindgren. Unlike the other chaplains, Lindgren wrote about the paranormal experiences in detail. He had a journal where he documented the supposed ghost sightings and apparitions. One of which was that of the rocking chair he bought and took to the Borgvattnet when he started living there. He claimed that he was never able to sit in the rocking chair for a long time because an invisible force always threw him out of the chair.

The rocking chair at the Borgvattnet. (Link: http://theghosthuntuk.com/borgvattnet-vicarage-haunted-sweden/the-borvattnet-vicarage-rocking-chair/)

Priest Hoped To Remove Sprits Living At The Borgvattnet

Sometimes in the 1980s, a priest named Tore Forslund decided to live at the Borgvattnet in hopes of removing the spirits that have been reportedly haunting the home. He was so dedicated that he performed exorcisms. However, a year after living at one of the most haunted houses in Sweden, he left the area and did not succeed in reaching his goals.

Father And Daughter Spend The Night At The Haunted Vicarage

One woman shared her experience at The Haunted Vicarage through a blog on her website. She shared that her father gave her a present for her birthday, which was a trip to the haunted vicarage during All Saints day. She noted that they were with another family during their overnight stay and both of the families were given a tour of the home.

The father and daughter were then placed at the crying ladies room to spend the night. During the night, the father and daughter said they kept the light on and found it difficult to sleep. The woman was only able to sleep at 1 in the morning. She revealed, however, that she woke up suddenly and felt like she had a large block of concrete placed on top of her body. She felt like she could not move but she did not see the crying ladies. She did know, however, that there was something in that room. The incident took place for a good ten minutes.

The next morning, her father told her that he could not sleep that well because of the sound of branches touching the window. When they checked it in the morning, there were no branches near the window. It is unclear what has been making the tapping sound against the window.

Other Things You Need To Know Before You Go

The first floor of Brogvattnet is composed of the kitchen, the dining room, the pink room, and another room called the expedition. At the expedition, some said that they saw a man sitting at the table. Also, there are depressions in the bed as if someone has been sitting on it. In the pink room, cries of babies are heard.

The second floor is where the family room, the blue room, and the yellow room are located. Some claimed that as they went up to the second floor of the home, they found it harder to breathe and it is as if there is a weight pushing one down on his or her shoulders. In the blue room, there is a painting of a young boy and some said that when they took a photo of it, the boy is always blurry. Others said their camera won’t even work when they try to take a photo of the painting. From the yellow room, people hear scratches in the walls. Shadow people have also been seen in the area and a lot of deceased priests are seen.

A photo of the yellow room at the Borgvattnet. (Link: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/borgvattnet-vicarage)

A couple once visited the house and when they were on their way down from the second floor, the husband’s arm was grabbed by something. He was reportedly dragged down for the rest of the steps and was taken out into the yard. Other guests who went to spend the night also said they felt a cold hand pressed to their foreheads.

Borgvattnet Today

The Borgvattnet is now a bed and breakfast. It usually caters to those who want to see whether or not the ghost stories are really true. They could spend the night or rent the whole house. Those who will not fled from the haunted home and stay there for the whole night would be given a diploma. If you are up for it, you may visit http://www.borgvattnet.eu/.