SDC Rewards Member
Upgrade yours now
A
.png){kind=icon}
Fact of the Day: Shakespeare's grave is believed to be cursed
When visitors step into Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, they’re greeted not just by the final resting place of William Shakespeare — but by a curse. Etched into his gravestone are these haunting lines:
'Good friend, for Jesus' sake forbear,
To dig the dust enclosed here.
Blessed be the man that spares these stones,
And cursed be he that moves my bones.'
To dig the dust enclosed here.
Blessed be the man that spares these stones,
And cursed be he that moves my bones.'
Grave-robbing was a serious concern in 17th-century England, and Shakespeare wasn’t taking any chances. But centuries later, in 2016, a radar scan of his grave revealed a mysterious twist: his skull might actually be missing.
The strange finding echoed an 1879 article that claimed Shakespeare’s head had been stolen by trophy hunters. While originally dismissed as fiction, the scan gave new weight to the old tale — though the alleged skull, found in another church, turned out to belong to a 70-year-old woman.
To this day, no one knows for sure what happened to Shakespeare’s skull… or whether the Bard’s curse had its effect after all.
Source: CBS Sunday Morning / YouTube
