A Canadian tourist, identified as Nicole, has returned five artifacts she took from Pompeii in 2005 only because they have cursed her. 

Nicole recently shipped two white mosaic tiles, two pieces of amphora vase, and a piece of a ceramic wall to the Archaeological Park of Pompeii. She explains her decision in a letter she sent with the relics.

“I took a piece of history captured in a time with so much negative energy attached to it,” Nicole writes. 

“People died in such a horrible way and I took tiles related to that kind of destruction.

“We are good people and I don't want to pass this curse on to my family, my children, or myself anymore.”

Nicole also wrote how she gave another tile to a friend. It is not clear whether the friend was affected by a curse or plans to give the artifact to its rightful owners. 

Around a hundred tourists have returned artifacts they stole during visits to Pompeii. Some of them with letters explaining various curses attached to the relics, according to a spokeswoman for the park.

You can read some of the letters claiming curses are attached to the artifacts at the site as a selection of letters with returned artifacts has on display. The Spokeswoman said the value of the artifacts was not significant but the letters are interesting from an anthropological perspective. 

The Guardian first reported this story.