The next chapter in The Conjuring [1]'s ever-expanding universe is being called the "darkest chapter" yet. This new film, called The Nun, is inspired by the dark and nightmarish entity that seems to haunt Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) throughout the entirety of The Conjuring 2. We'll admit, the numerous trailers [2] have us trembling, and don't even get us started on that controversial "jump scare" ad [3]. But when it comes to the films that spin off from the ghoulish adventures of Ed and Lorraine Warren, one question always comes to mind: is it true?
We've already explored the real Enfield haunting [4] and the tale of the Perron family [5], which stem from the first two films. But when it comes to The Nun, we'll be blunt: it's pretty much entirely a work of fiction. That said, there are a few nuggets of truth that have worked their way into the narrative in easy and detectable ways. Wonder what, exactly, about The Nun is based in fact? It's not much, and we use the word "fact" loosely, but let's dive in just for the sake of clarity.
The Real-Life Lorraine Warren's Account
There are two sources that communicate a similar haunting experienced by the real-life Lorraine Warren. The first comes direct from The Conjuring 2 director James Wan. While doing press rounds, Wan recalled how Warren described the shape of an entity that had haunted her once upon a time. "From talking to Lorraine in passing, she mentioned a spectral entity that has haunted her in her house," he said, "And it's this swirling tornado vortex with this hooded figure in there." This description is actually how Wan got the idea for the look of his creepy nun in the first place!
In another interview, this time a 2013 chat with the The Telegraph, Warren recalls the only time she was ever scared [6] during her work with paranormal and supernatural forces. "I have been thrown up in the air by the power of a demonic spirit," she said, "and it's not easy to go back to your work after that. But you have to." While it's not clear if the entity Wan described is the same as the one that threw her, it's easy to see where "Valak" from The Conjuring 2 originated. And speaking of Valak, we've arrived at the next piece of The Nun's puzzle.
The Mythological Roots of Valak
The disconnect here is that Lorraine Warren never claimed to have been haunted specifically by the entity known as Valak (at least, not that I could find). But that's not to say that Valak isn't a figure that already exists in our world. In fact, mentions of the demon date back to the 17th century, in a book known as Lesser Key of Solomon. It was a "grimoire" of sorts, a guide to demonology. It's not hard to find a PDF file [7] of the text online, and from there, you can locate the passage about Valak.
The Sixty-second Spirit is Volac, or Valak, or Valu. He is a President Mighty and Great, and appeareth like a Child with Angel's Wings, riding on a Two-headed Dragon. His Office is to give True Answers of Hidden Treasures, and to tell where Serpents may be seen. The which he will bring unto the Exorciser without any Force or Strength being by him employed. He governeth 38 Legions of Spirits, and his Seal is thus.
Now that we've identified the context of the Warrens and the origin of Valak, we arrive at The Nun . . . which, as I said, isn't really based in reality at all.
The "Darkest Chapter" in the Conjuring Universe
So, here we are. By now, you surely recognise that The Nun isn't based very much in fact at all. The narrative is removed from the truth in a few ways. It's inspired by a demon that was, on a whim, attributed to an entity that once haunted Lorraine Warren. So, when you go see the film, you can take solace in the fact that The Nun is not based on something that actually happened. Unfortunately, we don't think that'll do much to keep the nightmares at bay.