A childhood belief about basements

When I was younger, I was often afraid to turn of the lights in the cellar. Because, each time I did I would think of an old farmer by an old-fashioned house, kinda zombie-looking, sometimes with a stick in his hand. He would come out of the dark to hunt me down or something - I was never sure exactly what he would do - moaning and crying and reaching out towards me. I would always hurry up the stairs and close the door quickly, fear just a step behind. I don't know why it was a farmer, we don't even live near any farm or on a farm, and I don't have any fears for farms as my grandparents have one. The strangest thing is, though, that the old farmer is so familiar-looking, as I've seen him before...