5 Chilling Facts Proving The Nun Is NOT A True Story (But What Really Inspired Valak?)

The short, definitive answer to whether the 2018 horror film The Nun is based on a true story is no. Unlike the main installments of The Conjuring universe, which are loosely based on the case files of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, the events depicted in The Nun are entirely fictional, serving as a dark origin story for the demon Valak. However, to say the film has no basis in reality would be a disservice to the chilling, real-life elements that inspired its creation, from a terrifying vision experienced by Lorraine Warren to the ancient mythology of a demon with a completely different form, making the story a masterful blend of fact and fiction.

As of December 2025, with the release of the sequel, The Nun II, the entire sub-franchise remains a work of fiction, yet it successfully weaves together disparate threads of demonology, religious history, and the personal experiences of the Warrens to achieve its terrifying realism. The true horror of The Nun lies not in a single documented case, but in the specific, unsettling inspirations that anchor its fictional narrative in the world of the paranormal.

The Real-Life Inspirations: Lorraine Warren's Vision, Mythology, and A Haunted Abbey

While the story of Sister Irene, Father Burke, and the abbey in Romania is a cinematic invention, the core elements that make the film so terrifying—the demonic entity Valak and the unsettling image of a demonic nun—are drawn from three distinct real-world sources.

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1. The Origin of the Demonic Nun: A Vision from Lorraine Warren

The most direct "true story" link comes from the late demonologist, Lorraine Warren. Director James Wan, who helmed The Conjuring and The Conjuring 2, was looking for a specific demon to challenge Lorraine's deep Catholic faith in the sequel. He wanted an entity that would specifically mock her beliefs.

• The Ethereal Entity: Lorraine Warren had indeed described a shadowy, swirling entity that haunted her, an entity she felt was powerful and purely evil.
• The Nun Form: When discussing the entity with James Wan, Lorraine suggested that the demon had appeared to her in the form of a nun, a figure that would be the ultimate affront to her faith and a symbol of corrupted goodness. This specific imagery was a horrifying vision that Lorraine experienced, and Wan latched onto it as the perfect visual for the demon Valak in The Conjuring 2.
• The Name Valak: Wan then tied this visual to the name Valak, which Lorraine had also encountered in her research. The demon's name was the key to defeating it in the film, a detail often found in real-world exorcism practices.

Therefore, the terrifying visual of the "Nun" is a direct result of a horrifying, real-life vision reported by Lorraine Warren, though the full story of the 1952 investigation at the Cârța Monastery is fictionalized.

2. The Mythological Valak: A Child on a Dragon

The name Valak, or Ualac/Volac, is not a modern invention but is found in ancient demonological texts, most notably the 17th-century grimoire, The Lesser Key of Solomon (specifically the Ars Goetia). The description of the demon in these texts, however, is drastically different from the figure seen on screen.

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• President of Hell: Valak is listed as a Great President of Hell, commanding 30 legions of demons.
• Actual Appearance: In the grimoires, Valak appears as "a Child with Angel's Wings, riding on a Two-headed Dragon." This image is far less menacing than the pale, ghoulish nun, but the core entity—a powerful, malevolent demon—is drawn directly from centuries-old occult literature.
• Powers: Valak's traditional role is to give true answers about hidden treasures and to command serpents. The film repurposed the name and power level but completely altered the physical form to maximize its religious affront and terror.

This mythological connection adds a layer of topical authority and historical weight to the film, lending credence to the idea that the entity is an ancient, powerful evil, rather than a simple Hollywood creation.

3. The Setting: The Real Haunted Cârța Monastery, Romania

The fictional Abbey of St. Cârța, the primary setting for the film's terrifying events, is based on a real location in Romania, the Cistercian Abbey of Cârța (or Cârța Monastery). While the specific demonic possession narrative is fabricated, the real abbey has a genuinely dark and unsettling history that contributes to the film's atmosphere.

• A History of Death: The Cârța Monastery, located in Transylvania, was established in the 13th century. Life for the Cistercian monks was harsh, especially during the cold Transylvanian winters. Historical accounts suggest a high mortality rate among the monks due to the brutal conditions.
• Paranormal Reputation: Today, the ruins of the abbey are considered one of the most haunted locations in Romania. Visitors and locals often report strange occurrences, including unexplained noises, figures moving in the shadows, and objects moving on their own. The site’s eerie atmosphere and history of death provide a perfect, authentic backdrop for a horror story.
• Filming Locations: Although the exterior shots are inspired by Cârța, the primary filming location for the abbey was the Corvin Castle in Hunedoara, Romania, and a fortified citadel in Sighișoara, further grounding the film in authentic, historical Romanian architecture.

The Nun's Place in The Conjuring Timeline and True Story Connections

The Nun is not a standalone film; it is the earliest chronological event in The Conjuring universe, serving as a deep dive into the origins of the demon that later torments the Warrens in The Conjuring 2. This connection is crucial for understanding its "true story" context.

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The entire franchise operates on the premise that the Warrens' cases are real, even if the cinematic interpretations are exaggerated. By linking the fictional events of The Nun (1952) to the later, purportedly true events of The Conjuring 2 (1977), the filmmakers create a sense of continuity and authenticity.

• Sister Irene and Lorraine Warren: Actress Taissa Farmiga plays Sister Irene in The Nun and The Nun II, while her real-life sister, Vera Farmiga, plays Lorraine Warren. This casting choice subtly reinforces the idea that Sister Irene's experiences are a precursor to Lorraine's, suggesting a spiritual or familial connection to the demon Valak's long-term plan.
• Frenchie's Possession: The final scene of The Nun reveals that the character Frenchie (Maurice Theriault) is possessed by Valak. This directly connects to an archival footage segment in The Conjuring, where Ed and Lorraine Warren attempt an exorcism on a man named Maurice. This Maurice is the real-life Maurice Theriault, an actual case file of the Warrens, though the details of his possession are heavily fictionalized in the film.
• The Nun II: The sequel, released in 2023, continues the fictional battle between Sister Irene and Valak, further cementing the franchise's strategy: fictional characters fighting a mythological demon, all framed within the "true" case files of Ed and Lorraine Warren.

In conclusion, while you won't find a police report or church file detailing the events of The Nun, the film is a masterclass in leveraging real-life fear. It blends a genuine, terrifying vision from a renowned demonologist (Lorraine Warren), the name of an ancient mythological demon (Valak), and a historically haunted location (Cârța Monastery) to create a horror narrative that feels deeply rooted in the paranormal world.