Tommyknocker

Mining is one the oldest professions out there as well as being one of the most dangerous.  No doubt that countless miners have been buried alive in the mines. Such an ancient practice will always have its superstitions, such as our dear little friend the Tommyknocker. 

The Tommyknocker has been held responsible for both the deaths and near death experiences of the miners. These Impish little creatures have been seen in the deepest parts of mines all over the world for centuries.

The Ghost Adventures crew investigating the Colorado Gold Mine recently and possibly capturing the first ever documented evidence of tommyknockers, this has brought up a lot of questions, questions on whether these devious little creatures, do they really exist? And just what are they capable of?

Tommyknocker is a term that sends terror into the heart of ancient miners. Today Tommyknocker is an untold truth, that we as the most curious of our generation, we hunt for. 

What is a TommyKnocker

 The TommyKnocker legend, so folklore tells us, is a little imp like creature that inhabits old mining shafts. The further back you dig the more chance you have of waking up a Tommyknocker.

They earned their names from the miners. Too often to be coincidence, the miners would hear a knocking coming from deep within the mines. Always in a pattern. Then the entire thing would cave in..

A typical gold rush mining Village – Travelmag

The Cornish believed these wee little men were the souls of the Crusaders who crucified Jesus Christ. They also believed they were sent by the Roman’s to work in the tin mines

The Tommyknocker was never heard on a Saturday or during any time of Jewish festivities. Ranging in size from 2ft tall to just inches from the ground, and most often seen as tiny little men wearing miners clothing. Kind of like grizzly little Gnomes.

The Nature of a TommyKnocker, Good or Evil?

There is a lot of theory around these little guys, some say they are the spirits of dead miners. Some miners believed their former workmates were tapping and knocking on the walls of the mines as a warning of danger, telling them to get out. 

You do not ignore a Tommyknocker, not if you want to live. However, nowhere else in the paranormal world have we heard of the ordinary ghost turning into anything but a human spirit after death. So it makes more sense that these things were never human, to begin with.

An Ancient Depiction of Tommyknockers, Tommyknocker

The one thing everyone does seem to agree on is that the Tommyknocker is mischievous. Experiences of miners in old shafts report that they eat your lunch, hide your tools, knock your hard hat off, pinch you, and they can appear as the spirit of a dead miner. 

They are said to, first, manifest as little glowing lights and then a strange mist will take the form of a fallen miner and then, but very rarely, show their true form. 

Funny enough this is exactly what happens in a recent episode of Ghost Adventures. If you are experienced in the paranormal you will know that inhuman entities can mimic or copy the appearance of people in order to gain the trust of those affected. If you are not then in-human spirits not something you might want to stay away from.

Miners for generations have been leaving out food for the Tommyknockers in order to gain their favor. However, there are those who have mocked them as well. A written story from miners in the hills of Smokeshire almost 200 years ago, tells us of a group of seven miners were at work when they heard a faint sequenced tapping from deep back in the mine.

Three of seven laughed and joked, claiming the Tommyknockers did not exist and began provoking them. ” Cmon then Tommyknockers show us what you can do.” The remaining 4 miners fled. They see they actually saw the impish like creatures running ahead of them whilst the mine collapsed. The three who mocked the Tommyknockers died. 

The remaining 4 miners fled. They see they actually saw the impish like creatures running ahead of them whilst the mine collapsed. The three who mocked the superstition died. 

Another theory is that they little monsters lure people deep into the shafts, you can sometimes hear them calling you by name. Also, a terrifying theory will tell us that the knocking sounds are the Tommyknockers chipping away at the support beams.

Whatever these incredible little creatures may be, they are elusive. If you wish to find them yourself a took a look where they have been seen, grab a torch and head into the mine. But, if you hear a knocking, by now, you should know what to do. RUN.