Human sacrifice is a surefire historical pisser. However, if you’re building that dream house, castle or whatever…you may want to consider having a hitobashira or “person-post”—literally a human being, usually a woman, that’s buried alive in the foundations or walls of a structure to ensure stability and protection.

“Legend says an old peasant woman is the hitobashira of Maruoka Castle. She allowed herself to be built into the castle’s base on the condition her son would be made samurai. The daimyo reneged on his promise and the locals say that when the moat floods (which it often does) it is the old woman weeping for her son. Another tale of hitobashira says a beautiful maiden was sealed into the walls of Matsue Castle. She was said to be fond of dancing and after her death a law had to be passed forbiding girls to dance in the streets. The spirit of the young girls [sic] would become jealous and it is said the castle would shake and shudder.” [Link]

There’s no real evidence to support these stories, but you have to admit, it’s kind of cool. I’ve also read of a legend that tells of hundreds, thousands…sometimes up to ten-thousand people being buried alive within the Great Wall of China, facing outward towards the rest of the world to protect and stand watch. However, that story has almost no basis in fact, or so I’ve read.