The Conjuring universe started in 2013 with the release of the superhit horror flick, The Conjuring. Directed by James Wan and boasting the title of “based on a true story,” The Conjuring managed to surpass all expectations and became a runaway hit, amassing 319 million against a 20 million budget, making it one of the most successful ventures of 2013.
The film followed a slew of horror flicks, like The Annabelle, The Conjuring 02, Annabelle creation, etc. However, with each installment, the based on a true story tag became increasingly dubious since it deviated further from the source materials.
But none of the stories were more far-fetched than The Nun, a 2018 horror movie that takes place in 1952 Romania. It was the fifth installment into The Conjuring Universe, and though it did have a based on a true story tag, it couldn’t have been further from the truth.
The Origins of Valak
Valak is a powerful demon that originates from the Lesser Key of Solomon and is capable of causing great harm. This demon has terrible possessiveness, and its symbol, the Ouroboros, a snake eating its tail, represents this. Since Ouroboros represents Life, Death, and Rebirth, this is an accurate representation of Valak, as the demon possesses a host, makes its life into a living hell, and kills it. Afterward, it moves to another host and continues the cycle.
Valak is also capable of uncovering lost and hidden treasures, though it’s rarely the case. More often than not, Valak would possess the conjurer and would make the person succumb to the will of the demon. Even if someone is mentally strong, the demon has the ability to transform itself and would take the form of your inner fear. Once the victim is mentally weak, the demon would possess and manipulate his/her decisions.
Though this is the true story of Valak as an entity, this is not the case that inspired Valak the Nun, an entity that looks like it has arrived from the very depths of hell. Valak from The Conjuring series is a more personal haunting and is a case that affected Lorraine Warren. During the 1970s, Ed and Lorraine Warren visited The Borley Church in Southern England.
While the visit was meant to be a pastime for the world-famous paranormal investigators, trouble arrived, looking for Lorraine Warren. Once they arrived at Borley, Lorraine felt the presence of an angry young woman luring through the church grounds. Indeed, they were not far from the famous Borley Rectory, the most haunted place in England.
When Lorraine voiced her concerns, the priest explained that the place was indeed haunted. Visitors had seen a monk, church bells ringing at midnight, and a nun walking through the church premises in the dead of night. According to legends, centuries ago, a nun had an affair with a monk and was caught by the church.
After she confessed, she was sentenced to immurement or being walled up alive. Though it is believed that she was buried in the walls of the Borley Rectory, it could easily be the church too.
Interestingly, when Lorraine and Ed walked into the church at around midnight, she said that she could feel the presence of the nun inside the church. When Ed captures some pictures inside the church, with no lights turned on and using infrared film, they picture a figure that’s believed to be a shadowy entity that eerily resembles a nun.
Read More: The Cursed Hollywood Script That Killed Actors
The Mystery Deepens
After their vacation, the pair returned to their house in the United States. After a while, however, Lorraine reported that she felt another presence inside the house. Though she couldn’t pinpoint what it was, once, while she was reading, Lorraine described that a vortex of black mass, thicker than night, appeared in her room. Though she was shaken by the ordeal, she sternly asked the entity to leave. Thankfully, the whirlpool of black matter left the family alone.
This account was given to the director of The Conjuring, James Wan, while he was shooting the second installment of the series, The Enfield Poltergeist. When James heard the words “swirling tornado vortex,” he was quite disappointed, as he thought that he’d have to CGI it. However, he soon realized that he could have this relatively minor incident play a major role in the fictional Lorraine Warren from The Conjuring Universe.
The only thing he needed to do was that he had to come up with a proper story that ties it up well, along with a more believable character. So, James went on to create a demonic nun that would attack Lorraine’s core beliefs and faith. And that demonic nun has been the nightmare fuel of the world for over 6 years now.
Read More: The Halifax Explosion: A Man-Made Disaster
