Have you ever seen "the hat man"?

jessabell88

I got to thinking about a thing i saw a few years ago while with friends and when i googled it it turns out this is an actual phenomenon... The general term is called "the hat man". He typically has an old fashioned hat on with a rim, long black coat/cape and is generally estimated to be well over 6 ft or in or around to that depending on who it is that is describing him. The main thing that seems to differentiate him from a normal man with a wacky dress sense is that he is pitch black from head to toe. His entire attire is pitch black and you can neve usually see his face either. its just pitch black. He is essntially featureless in the face but from what i saw, a tall slim "man" in out line. he essentially looks like a pitch black shadow of a man but upright if you get me. Also when you see him peope typically feel absolutely petrified.

Just wondering if anyone else has had any experience with this?

Matt_Trakker

yea, he can sometimes be seen rockin out like a mad eejit on his over-sized keyboard on grafton street........well it's a few years since I lived in Dublin but there was one guy fitting that description.
When he wasn't played he's stand under a street light too with his head into his chest so you'd only see the top of his hat and he'd be leaning onto the pole so it made some kind of weird stance with the light shining down on him, I thnk wacko Jacko had a similar pose in one of his videos.

Senor Willy

My wives brother seen him many times when he was young.
He would walk into his bedroom and just stand there before vanishing.
He would be scared ****less..

Kwack

Reminds me of something me and a friend seen when we were kids. There was a creepy old shed at his house and we were sent out to get some coal(we were about 8 and too scared to go by ourselves as it was a creepy shed). As we walked in something looked in our direction and jumped out a window. It can only be described as a shadow and the window it jumped through was 6 feet high and only small enough for a child to get through. To this day we both remember it. I'd it was one of us by ourselves we wouldve put it down to children's imaginations but we both seen the same thing...

jessabell88 wrote: »

I got to thinking about a thing i saw a few years ago while with friends and when i googled it it turns out this is an actual phenomenon... The general term is called "the hat man". He typically has an old fashioned hat on with a rim, long black coat/cape and is generally estimated to be well over 6 ft or in or around to that depending on who it is that is describing him. The main thing that seems to differentiate him from a normal man with a wacky dress sense is that he is pitch black from head to toe. His entire attire is pitch black and you can neve usually see his face either. its just pitch black. He is essntially featureless in the face but from what i saw, a tall slim "man" in out line. he essentially looks like a pitch black shadow of a man but upright if you get me. Also when you see him peope typically feel absolutely petrified.

Just wondering if anyone else has had any experience with this?

jessabell88

Senor Willy wrote: »

My wives brother seen him many times when he was young.
He would walk into his bedroom and just stand there before vanishing.
He would be scared ****less..

Yeah, when we finally noticed him behind us he was just standing there staring at us! its such a bizzare thing but its a very common thing by the looks of things on the interent anyway. I just dont get how so many people see the same thing whether they are wide awake and out and about or in their beds. weird.

There was a guy on here asking this before. He used to see a man who he described like the Martini man. He used to always see him in his house. He wanyed to know if anybody else had seen this .

Oryx

There was a thread on this before. I always called this figure the sandman, because he is like the figure on a bottle of sandeman port. Yeah, Ive come across something like that.

jessabell88

If you could, would you mind sending me the link that thread?

Morag

I have encountered him, so have friends and family members.

jessabell88

sharrow, can you descirbe what you saw and the circumstances?

Oryx

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054877817

Ive locked it so it doesnt get bumped.

jessabell88

Oryx, thanks!, much appreciated. BTW just googled the sandman port image and thats it exactly!

faceman

Sounds a bit like the stories about the Slender Man and the internet fabricated "Rake"

jessabell88

slender man and the rake lol? what are they when they're when its at home lol

faceman

jessabell88 wrote: »

slender man and the rake lol? what are they when they're when its at home lol

Slender Man
http://theslenderman.wikia.com/wiki/Slender_Man

The stories about "the rake" were fabricated on the internet.
http://theslenderman.wikia.com/wiki/The_Rake

jessabell88

Dont think slender man and the hat man are the same thing by the sounds of it

Morag

faceman wrote: »

Sounds a bit like the stories about the Slender Man and the internet fabricated "Rake"

Shadow people and the Shadowman with the hat pre date those,
which are fairly new urban/internet myths but may well be grounded in the stories which were told about shadow people on american radio in 2010.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_people


jessabell88 Been seen outside of houses, lurking under trees or across the road near street lights.

sambuka41

I totally seen this guy, I've seen him several times through out my life, each time he is getting closer. I posted about him in the Ghosts thread.

Mad that other people are seeing him too. I spoke with a medium who told me if I looke in the newspapers from 1890-1900 I would see his face, so far I haven't (but I haven't put much effort in). She told me he had something to tell me, but that he was aware that I was frightened by him, and that if I acknowledged his presence it would be easier, if I say hello and good night to him.

jessabell88

sambuka- I read some where where this guy said he and his girlfriend were in bed and in he middle of the night this guy came in and that the hat man told him something, and the guy apparently just kept saying "i know that you're right" and was sort of laughing and then went back to sleep. his girlfrined heard him i know in response to what he was being told but when h woke up although he felt he had been told something big, like the meaning of life big he just couldnt remember what was said to him. the girl friend never saw anything and thought he was just sleep talkng but when he described the man and looked it up it was the hat man lol. creepy!.... who was the medium you saw

Rasmus

Jessabell, have you seen him more than once? I haven't see the hatman, but have had many encounters with 'shadow people'. Some say the two phenomena are related..

face1990

faceman wrote: »

Sounds a bit like the stories about the Slender Man and the internet fabricated "Rake"

Slenderman was fabricated too. It originated from a sort of 'make a spooky photo' competition.

But I think the reason Slenderman caught on so much is that there are so many stories of tall men, dressed in black. There were a few in the ghost experiences thread recently.
I've heard varying accounts of the man, but the common characteristics seem to be a tall man, dressed in black (sometimes a black suit) and wearing a hat, whose face is either too dark to see or completely featureless.

My skeptic explanation would be that there's something in the human psyche that responds to this oddly specific set of features. It's a sort of archetypal boogeyman. If thats the case, I expect you'd find stories (contemporary and historic) of this 'man' in many cultures.

Maudi

jessabell88 wrote: »

I got to thinking about a thing i saw a few years ago while with friends and when i googled it it turns out this is an actual phenomenon... The general term is called "the hat man". He typically has an old fashioned hat on with a rim, long black coat/cape and is generally estimated to be well over 6 ft or in or around to that depending on who it is that is describing him. The main thing that seems to differentiate him from a normal man with a wacky dress sense is that he is pitch black from head to toe. His entire attire is pitch black and you can neve usually see his face either. its just pitch black. He is essntially featureless in the face but from what i saw, a tall slim "man" in out line. he essentially looks like a pitch black shadow of a man but upright if you get me. Also when you see him peope typically feel absolutely petrified.

Just wondering if anyone else has had any experience with this?

I believe my father had an encounter with him in the early sixties...i posted it on this forum about a week ago.

sambuka41

jessabell88 wrote: »

!.... who was the medium you saw

I can't remember her name, I'll ask my mam because she knew her, I just spoke with her at a psychic fair she was at. I was a bit sceptical of it, but it's interesting to follow up on things when your given specific instructions.

I did go to the library once to look into it, and while I waited to get my card I heard a guy talk about a newspaper from Rathmines around that time, (my favourite place in the world!!) so i looked it up, didn't see the guy. I really thought that was a sign, that there would be something.

(my first bedsit was in Rathmines, it felt right as soon as I seen it, even though I had to share a bathroom with one other flat. Later when I checked the 1901 census I found out that there was a kid there who had pretty much the same name as me, my first name and surname where his first name and second name. it was creepy, also the kids father was called William and when I was younger I named my ghost man Billy Bob!!) It was in that flat that I seen his face on the wall.

All just little coincidences but interesting tangle none the less!!!

sambuka41

face1990 wrote: »

My skeptic explanation would be that there's something in the human psyche that responds to this oddly specific set of features. It's a sort of archetypal boogeyman. If thats the case, I expect you'd find stories (contemporary and historic) of this 'man' in many cultures.

I agree somewhat with this, I think Ireland in particular is lacking a strong father role, hence the joke of the Irish mother and her son. And even more so since the church lost some of its grip on the country, with disappointing male politicians (for the most part the worst ones were male) unable to fix the problem,
The elder man who represents a different time, maybe that is what the person is searching for? maybe?

The man I have seen is dressed from that bowler hat era, he is a grandfather type, not threatening (scary purely cause he shouldn't be there!) so maybe. I wonder in years to come will we being seeing ghosts that are dressed in t-shirts and jeans, with tattoos!!

jessabell88

Rasmus wrote: »

Jessabell, have you seen him more than once? I haven't see the hatman, but have had many encounters with 'shadow people'. Some say the two phenomena are related..

Rasmus, as far as i can tell I have seen him twice, once years ago with others and very recently as a shadow on my wall, i looked all around the kitchen to see what was casting it and moved things but it stayed there, then i went out of the room for less than a minute and the shadow was gone and the whole wall seemed brighter again. it was a shadow from the chest area aup and he out line of a wide brimmed hat. there was nothing casting that shadow and i still dont know why it just vanished.

I have also witnessed this black smoke that almost looked like liquid in a mirror a few months back. Such a strange thing but these things always seem to happen when you least expect them to.

any ideas of what the hat man or shadows want or is there even a reason behind it?

jessabell88

Sambuka, lol thats really interesting, maybe its all coincidence but its a strange thing all the same!... do you think its a ghost of that guy or something else? dont know why hed be appearing around the world to people if hes just a ghost lol

sambuka41

jessabell88 wrote: »

Sambuka, lol thats really interesting, maybe its all coincidence but its a strange thing all the same!... do you think its a ghost of that guy or something else? dont know why hed be appearing around the world to people if hes just a ghost lol

Yeah I'd like to think it was him, but maybe that is just wishful thinking. I had another experience in Rathmines not too long after I moved from that flat. I moved to another house on the same road (1 bed flat) one night I came home, the light in the sitting room was gone, I only had a lamp on top of my telly across the room, I was about to walk in to turn it on when I seen a light on in the bedroom. The door was shut I could see the light under it and it looked like someone was walking around in there.

I ran out I thought someone had broken in (there had been a break in downstairs 2 weeks previous) I waited downstairs in hallway (I was on first floor) no one came out and I heard no noise. I convinced myself to go back up, I couldn't see anything, no light, no person, no missing stuff. (the house that backed on to ours was abandonded so light couldn't have come from there.)

Anyway I found out much later that one of the guys in the house had keys to everyones apartments and was letting himself in when ever he wanted :eek: He was a creep. I'd like to think that was Billy Bob in his own way letting me know that someone had been in my apartment.

Could all be wishful thinking

Ann22

Quite a few stories that sound like they're about him on the 'Ghosts, what are your experiences' thread.

jessabell88

Ann22, any chance you could maybe link me a couple? that thread is pretty long lol

marozz

My father told me a story about a strange thing that happened to his father. My grandmother also confirmed the story and that it actually happened. It was years ago and they lived in a room of one of the old tenement houses along the quays in Dublin. He worked nights and was walking home from work in the early hours. He noticed that there was a man with a hat and a long coat following behind. He felt uncomfortable and quickened his pace. He got to the front door, opened it and quickly closed it. When he turned around he was shocked to see the man standing at the top of the stairs. He ran into his room and locked the door behind him. He was still very shaken when he relayed the story to my grandmother the next morning.

jessabell88

Marozz, thats actually one of the creepiest stories I heard about him lol, could he make out any feathures like his face ?

Ann22

jessabell88 wrote: »

Ann22, any chance you could maybe link me a couple? that thread is pretty long lol

I'll have a look Jessabell.

marozz

jessabell88 wrote: »

Marozz, thats actually one of the creepiest stories I heard about him lol, could he make out any feathures like his face ?

No. The rim of his hat cast a shadow over his face and it was dark. Scary story alright. My grandfather was big man and my grandmother said he was very shaken up.She never saw him so scared and she never doubted his story.

Ann22

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=60093388&postcount=551

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=80646906&postcount=1341

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=80667295&postcount=1352

And here's mine...

Now when I think of it, my mam told me that years ago before she was married, she was going to early mass..it was still dark. She was walking down the street and became aware of a man in front of her standing still with his back pressed against the fence. She said he was extremely tall, was wearing some kind of hat and all dressed in black. She didn't look directly at him as she passed by she got an awful dose of the creeps..never again did she go to early mass on her own. I remember when she told me about this, when I was young, I didn't really understand what was so spooky..but after reading posts here about a similar figure, I do now

Urizen

This kind of story could well have inspired Slendy and his pals. Never had an experience like this myself though, but it's weird hearing about so many people who have.

Loughc

Is it just me or does anyone not think the Hat man sounds like people are describing The Undertaker from WWE? :pac:

jessabell88

lockie1983 wrote: »

Is it just me or does anyone not think the Hat man sounds like people are describing The Undertaker from WWE? :pac:

jessabell88

it does seem like that but as far as i can tell the hat man story is far older than the comic... and he actually looks nothing like slender man lol but i do see why people think it

jessabell88

Thanks, ann22, really appreciate you posting the links. Lol "awful does of the creeps" thats exactly what people experience when they come across the hat man... To be honest when i posted this I really didnt know if anyone would have seen it too... reading it on other forums on the net was weird enough, seeing the images of this guy but the fact that alo of people on her have experienced it too or have heard stories about it is pretty cool considering ireland is a small country. thanks for sharing Ann22

Ann22

You're very welcome Jessabelle, it's a hair raiser all right:eek:

screamer

Maybe it's some sort of optical illusion. I think that we are always trying to decipher what we see, and make it look like something familiar. For example, I saw the lights in the sky from that space debris, and thought it was some helicopters, although there was no sound. To my eye, that's what it looked like, so, to my brain that's what it was.
I've also heard of people who have seen this "hat man" image, different people, in different places, at different times, and one who said they also got a message from him, that scared the bejaysus out of her so much, that in school, she had to be accompanied by a friend to go down the corridor during class time, when no one else would be in the corridor, such was her fear of encountering him again.............. dunno, could have been a breakdown of some sort too, I dunno.................

RhubarbCrumble

Have never heard of the hat man before, but am slightly freak out now. As a child I was terrified of the Sandeman ad, and now I'm wondering if there's a reason for that? Maybe I had seen something else and just not realised it/made the connection at the time.

pontia

jesus,that reminds me of story a guy worked with years ago,he was coming home one night and came across a strange figure/ghost like the sanderman port ad,was early 90s.totally forgot till now

jessabell88

screamer wrote: »

Maybe it's some sort of optical illusion. I think that we are always trying to decipher what we see, and make it look like something familiar. For example, I saw the lights in the sky from that space debris, and thought it was some helicopters, although there was no sound. To my eye, that's what it looked like, so, to my brain that's what it was.
I've also heard of people who have seen this "hat man" image, different people, in different places, at different times, and one who said they also got a message from him, that scared the bejaysus out of her so much, that in school, she had to be accompanied by a friend to go down the corridor during class time, when no one else would be in the corridor, such was her fear of encountering him again.............. dunno, could have been a breakdown of some sort too, I dunno.................

Screamer, almost dont want to ask but... what did he say to her lol

screamer

Well, it's a long time ago now, and I don't remember the exact contents of the conversation, but seemingly, she'd been messing about with a ouja board a lot, and supposedly he told her that unless she stopped messing with it, that death would come for her..... I was a good bit younger in school than her, but it scared the bejaysus out of a lot of us, and the girl herself was changed completely after that, you could see it in her face, so I think there was something to it.

daredevilfan

seen in Drogheda many times. Articles were written in the local rag and he is known as the Sandeman as he looks like the guy off the label of Sandeman bourbon.

Dave!

Sounds to me like a kind of psychocultural phenomenon along the lines of the "old hag" that scares the shít out of children. There are probably analogous characters present in different cultures which show up with the right combination of dim lighting, unfortunately placed props and credulous children!

I recall an "old hag" appearing one night when I was staying in my aunt's house in Spain. Was pretty scary, and even when I looked away and back again a few times, there she remained. However my curiosity got the better of me (or perhaps I was already anesthetized to the paranormal by then ) and I switched on the lights, and sure enough it was the silhouette of some clothes hanging awkwardly off a hanger or two.

maccored

to be very honest, most people would have probably assumed that was a silhouette of some clothes before assuming it was an 'old hag'.

Dave!

If in fact people did go through all the rational explanations for phenomena before having an emotional reaction to them (and then promptly forgetting or blurring the details), then I think you would find your paranormal investigation group without much to investigate.

sambuka41

Dave! wrote: »

If in fact people did go through all the rational explanations for phenomena before having an emotional reaction to them (and then promptly forgetting or blurring the details), then I think you would find your paranormal investigation group without much to investigate.

It is possible to have an emotional reaction to something and also look for rational explanations at the same time. And even more it is possible to come to a decision/conclusion about what you've seen including both emotions and rationality.

You also assume that people are frightened when they see "the hat man" I wasn't scared on most occasions, slightly bemused, does that sully the credibility of my accounts or does give them more weight than someone who was scared? :rolleyes:

sambuka41

I seen a man this morning on my way to work wearing a long black coat and a black hat!!! A very real man though, I had to look twice through the rain!! he just looked so out of place!!