Case file · Haunting
The phantom carriage of Ana Jansen
Ana Jansen, the most powerful woman in 19th-century São Luís, Maranhão, died on 11 April 1869. Oral tradition says her ghostly carriage, driven by headless slaves and pulled by headless horses, rolls through the historic centre at night as punishment for her cruelty.
1869 CE · -2.53, -44.30 · status: legend
The account
In one version anyone who meets the carriage is handed a candle that turns into a bone unless they pray for her soul. The legend is part of guided tours of São Luís's old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The sceptical view
There is no dated sighting; the story is a moral tale about slavery told after her death.