Why do people like gruesome stories?

We provide themed Treasure Hunts and one of our most popular is Jack The Ripper, which is set around the back streets of Whitechapel in London. Many of the Victorian pubs which were around in the Ripper’s day and so much a part of the story, still exist and look very much as they did in those days – although cleaner and less smoggy.

We also have ghost events and other horror themes, with Halloween being a particularly popular time for evening and even night time events. So why do we like these gruesome themes so much?

One clue is in the word gruesome itself. The grue prefix has Scandinavian roots and means to feel horror and to shudder. Shuddering is the body’s physical reaction to an intense feeling, as a way of dispersing a build up of energy. You might be able to see where I’m going with this. Feeling horror, whether watching a horror film or walking in the footsteps of London’s notorious Ripper can be an intense physical experience. The release of a shudder is a thrill, and for many it has a slightly sexual undertone. At the very least it’s a great way of releasing the build up of stress in your muscles.

Join us for shudders galore on one of our gruesome themed Treasure Hunts.