JACOB MARLEY
Class VII Corporeal Entity
Jacob Marley (1764-December 24, 1836) was a spirit who
appeared to Ebenezer Scrooge in order to warn him of his three impending
encounters with The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future on December
24, 1842. Scrooge’s account was told to his good friend, the author Charles
Dickens, who then fictionalized the experience into the best-selling novella A Christmas Carol.
In particular, he belongs to a particular class know as
Presages. These entities essentially
serve as spiritual carriers, either conveying a particular message, or serving
as a herald to more powerful spirits to announce their impending arrival. Another
particularly well known example of this type of spirit is the Irish Banshee.
His appearance was more or less similar to his appearance in
life, though with the addition of a kerchief tied around his face as though he
had a toothache. However, this actually served to keep Marley’s jaw in place in
accordance with standard British burial procedures at the time. Aside from the
kerchief, Marley also dragged an exceptionally long chain of moneyboxes with
him wherever he went as a form of punishment. We know that this particular form of eternal
punishment was tailored to the specter, as Marley remarked to Scrooge that his
chain would be longer than the Ghost’s considering he had worked on it for more
years.
In regards to physical manifestations and his ability to
interact with his environment, Jacob Marley had a myriad of abilities. He could
float, as most spirits, but he could also physically move objects, such as
bells and door knobs. In addition, he could influence the shape of physical
objects temporarily, as he was able to momentarily shape the door knocker of
Scrooge’s lodgings to resemble his face.
It appears that a major weakness of Marley’s ghost was the
physical limitations placed upon him by his punishment. These include the
confinement in chains to limit his movement. Given that there are no further
known reports of the specter, it may be the case that spirits in this situation
may only appear to those who knew them intimately. This is a somewhat
disturbing thought considering that a spirit may be in the immediate vicinity of
an individual, but still be unable to interact due to the inability to
communicate. It may also be noted that Marley was only able to appear to
Scrooge for a short interval. It may be that the energy required for a spirit
to make their presence know is simply too much to bring about except under
special circumstances.
The case between Scrooge and Marley is also notable as it is
one of the first times modern investigative techniques were applied to a
haunting. In particular, Scrooge eliminated a number of variables before
determining that it was indeed a ghost he was dealing with. Due to the weak
nature of the ghost, he should be considered relatively harmless, although care
should be taken, as is the case with all presages, to pay attention to the
warning that they offer.
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