Michael Rivers, lead investigator of the Smoky Mountain Ghost Trackers and an author who has written extensively about Appalachian folklore, says that the Appalachian Mountains are ripe with paranormal activity. When they arrived at the site of the lights crash, they saw a pulsing red light and a 10-foot-tall creature with twisted hands and a glowing green face that seemed to levitate off the ground. They brought with them colorful, Elizabethan era words and phrases one can find in the works of Shakespeare. While the banjo, a folk instrument long associated with mountain whites, was originally brought over by enslaved Africans. In Southern Appalachia, the, But Native American life changed dramatically with the arrival of European settlers. Dont wash clothes on New Years Day or you will wash a family member out. To support our blog and writers we put affiliate links and advertising on our page. The Brown Mountain Overlook, Wisemans View Overlook, and Lost Cove Cliffs Overlook are the most popular places to see them. The Wampus Cat (a.k.a. Such Old World traditions are sometimes known as Appalachian Granny Magic.. In Georgia, the stories of the, Many ghost stories and legends have their origins in real life hardship and tragedy. READ MORE: Visiting Expedition Bigfoot Museum (AKA Sasquatch Museum) in Cherry Log, GA. Found in the Blue Ridge Mountains ofNorth Carolina, the Brown Mountain Lights are a true Appalachian mountain mystery. For instance, settlers would share tales of Scottish haints and Irish fairies, then adapt them into Appalachian stories over generations. If you want to find out for yourself, the best time to see the Brown Mountain Lights is September through early November. His words call to mind the misty 'hollers' and breathtaking views . 2 yr. ago. While reported sightings of the colorful lights are known for their inconsistency, the lights are typically seen at night, especially after a rainfall. If you see a white horse, youll have good luck. Little sanitation, children without shoes or fresh clothes, and large families crammed into dirty, one-room shacks were common sights. Furthermore, part of the Underground Railroad ran from Tennessee to points north via Appalachia. I just dont believe that many people could have made up the same story, says Wamsley, but what it was they saw, I dont believe will ever be truly explained or solved.. She would often focus on Johns daughter Betsy Bell, pulling the sheets off her bed, or even physically harming her with kicks, punches, and scratches. Folklore: Beliefs, traditions & culture of the people. Appalachian Folklore . Jane Goodall has even weighed in on Bigfoots existence, telling reporters that she wants to believe that Bigfoot is real. Some believe the moon-eyed people built the fortifications on this mountain., Artists impression of the Mothman. Foxfire and Appalshop are two well-known organizations arming Appalachias youth with multimedia tools to keep the traditional folk arts alive, while also looking toward the future. A UFO writer, Gray Barker described the Flatwoods Monster as 10 feet tall, with a round blood-red face, a large pointed hood-like shape around the face, eye-like shapes which emitted greenish-orange light and a dark black or green body. Articles on oral traditions, myths, old wives' tales, fables, tall tales, legends, and ballad lore, back to 2006. W. midwives helped deliver babies in the remote hollows. Another ghost story about the lights includes one about a Revolutionary War soldier linked to the Civil War ghosts. Appalachian folks blended ancient Celtic rituals from Scotland and Ireland, Protestant Christianity, and African traditions with teaching from local Native Americans into a unique mixture of witchcraft, religion, and earth magic. Additionally. Wampus Cat. When you look at how long the story has endured and how many people have put forth theoriesdoctors, lawyers and preachers back in the day signed eyewitness manuscripts saying they witnessed these things, says Fitzhugh. According to the Prose Edda, there are two types of elves - light and dark. Appalachia saw its share of both, especially in the 20th century. Intermarriage between Africans and other ethnic groups further diversified Appalachian folklore and culture. But his written account stated that he saw the lights at a consistent time every night, leading many people to believe he was actually seeing train lights in the distance. Hence, these social workers brought what became the first wave of modernization to the hills. Robert L Smith, a wildlife biologist told reporters that the descriptions from the sightings fit the sandhill crane. Seven years later Kate did return, visiting John Bell Jr. who was not living at the Bell farm at the time. Appalachia is an ancient land one of the oldest mountain systems on Earth. . Reports of UFOs and suspicious men in black began streaming in to the Point Pleasant authorities. All are located off NC-105 S or NC-181 near Asheville and Boone, and offer great scenic vistas at any time of day. New words were created to fit the rugged life these settlers faced. Shes known for standing on her hind legs and using her supernatural powers to drive her victims to insanity. Open the window when someone dies and cover the mirrors so that their soul can leave. For instance, trained nurses taught families about personal hygiene and homemaking skills. Although skirmishes with the Cherokees occurred from time to time, many early settlers learned to co-exist. After responses, teacher reveals they are the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains . We're close. Fairy Tales of Appalachia. And the. , nearly eradicated Cherokee culture from Appalachia. To punish him, the witch set her sights on the man, giving him a beating that had Jacksons men begging to leave. October 15, 2019 Appalachian scary tales / Folklore / Halloween. Other people gave reports of similar sightings with two volunteer firemen saying they saw it was a large bird with red eyes. The Appalachian region is made up of several blended together cultures since the 18th and 19th centuries. Staurolite crystals? When I asked my Tennessee-based family about the most common Appalachian superstitions, I was shocked by how many we still practice today. Consequently, they sought a place where their Protestant beliefs could flourish without interference. Jack is an English hero and archetypal stock character appearing in multiple legends, fairy tales, and nursery rhymes. Artists impression of the Flatwoods monster. Eat black eyed peas or collard greens with hog jaw on New Years Day. It's a Southern Thing. (Fans of Appalachian folklore and ghost stories should read Foxfires story collection, Many parts of Appalachia today rely on tourism, deep-pocketed retirees, and second homeowners. In the Appalachian Jack tales, where the English original would feature a king or other noble, the Appalachian Jack tale version would have a sheriff. found their way into ghost stories told around the fireplace at night. The rich history and culture of the region is also home to many supernatural tales and folklore that stem from a culture that for many years was geographically isolated from . A book by Richard Chase, published in 1943, is a collection of at least some of the Jack tales. The legends said these people could not see well in the sun and so they came out at night, leading to the name of "moon-eyed people". Many claim that the lights seen today are the spirits of the Catawba women, still searching for their loved ones. The Bigfoot tales were told by many of the indigenous tribes of the Appalachian Trail where they claimed that mysterious hair-covered creatures lived in forests. Here are 50 Best Folklore Podcasts worth listening to in 2023. They began hearing noises such as scratching, knocks on the walls, and chains being dragged across the floor, says Pat Fitzhugh, an author and historian who has written two books about the events that occurred on the Bell farm. Some thought it was an act of the supernatural, says Fitzhugh. While on the western side is the Cumberland Plateau, stretching from southern West Virginia to Alabama. Some scholars believe that the danger and isolation of early mountain life gave birth to many of the legends that still exist today, banging around in our brains and compelling us to take an extra look over our shoulder should we find ourselves alone in a dusky forest or a creaky old cabin. These lights are purported to be ghost lights near Brown Mountain in North Carolina around the Appalachian Mountain area. This years festival falls on September 17 and 18, 2022. Most original settlers were immigrants from the English Isles. 51. The Appalachian Mountains are some of the oldest mountains on Earth - and if these mountains and valleys could talk, one can only imagine what stories they could tell! The museum is home to a statue that was found at the confluence of the Valley and Hiwassee Rivers in the early 1800s. The Cherokee legend stated that the monster is the cat-like embodiment of a female onlooker cursed by tribal elders. Whatever they heard or saw in the dark woods probably found their way into ghost stories told around the fireplace at night. Read on to learn more about some of the most famous Appalachian folklore stories and superstitions. John Bell grew so concerned by these violent escalations that he shared his story with a family friend, James Johnston. anything this strange has multiple legends associated with its origin. Maybe youve even sped up on a mountain road at night, thinking you see glowing red eyes in the woods? The story of the Bell Witch is one of the most popular examples of Appalachian Mountain folklore, and it began in Robertson County, Tennessee. Appalachian folk tales are rooted in English, Scottish, and Irish fairy tales, as well as regional heroic figures and events. Teachers taught children to read and write. They were visiting family that still lives in the mountains & rented a cabin near them. Some rock structures date way back to the. Two brothers, Edward and Fred May and their friend Tommy Hyer reported having spotted a bright object cross the sky and land on the property of a local farmer on 12th September 1952 at 7:15 p.m. Over time, the noises became more intense and more frequent. It makes it more than just your standard folktale.. But even now, traces of traditional Appalachian culture can be seen. After that, the Bell Witch bid farewell and promised to return in 107 years. There are countless popular Appalachian music artists that have recorded and performed Appalachian folk music. Or the tears of fairies? But show a Southerner a photo of a Cool Whip container and we immediately think, "Oh . Others refuted the sightings, believing that residents of Point Pleasant were actually seeing a sandhill crane that had wandered out of its normal migration route. This was a way of life for many Appalachians and was taken very seriously. So are the Moon-Eyed People another Appalachian Mountain scary story, or just early European settlers who never received their due credit? In folklore, it was a spiritual green-eyed cat which had occult powers or sometimes was taken as an undefined imaginary animal. mixed with the indigenous belief in the "Little People" called "Yunwi Tsunsdi" in Cherokee, and . However. As a result, the shameful. Old English, Scottish, Irish, and German (see: the Brothers Grimm) fairy tales came from Europe. Some former working-class towns have become quaint shopping and entertainment districts. In fact, some say that the speech of the southern mountaineers is "pure Elizabethan English" just as Shakespeare would have spoken it. Some of these communities were once very isolated from the outside world. But the discovery of gold in north Georgia accelerated the forced removal of the Cherokees by the United States government. Although exact boundaries are up for debate, the history, culture, and folklore across these regions are in many ways similar and very different. For instance, communal activities like corn shuckings, house raisings, and log rollings brought people together. Some people even believe these mysterious nocturnal people were responsible for the pre-Columbian ruins found in the area. Bartons legend about the moon-eyed people is from a story he heard from Leonard Marbury who was an early European settler in the area. taught were comforting to early settlers, combating fear and uncertainty in the strange land they suddenly found themselves in. 09 Jan 2023 12:39:40 Whatever you call it, it is the enduring folk magic that haunts the hollers and lingers . The fact that the UFO sightings, men in black presence, and the Silver Bridge disaster all happened during the Mothman sightings intrigues many people, says Wamsley. In A Witch's Guide to Faery Folk, Edain McCoy refers to this kind as green elves. Therefore, many ghost stories, songs, superstitions, and folk remedies considered "Appalachian folklore" can actually be traced back to places like Scotland or Ireland. Dont walk under a ladder. Appalachian Tales, Remedies, & Folklore Folks who inspire me The Appalachian Tail Go To Recipes Life in Appalachia is full of Tales, Remedies, & Folklore. Your heart pounds in your chest and you realize, jarringly, that the sounds of the forest have died. On September 12, 1952, Edward May, Freddie May, Neil Nunley, and Tommy Hyer were playing at Flatwoods Elementary when they spotted a light shooting across the sky. Family intermarriage helped this unique language flourish for many years. Often with the help of the Cherokees, they raised corn, potatoes, and black-eyed peas. In areas heavily dependent on coal mining, the industrys latter-day decline spelled economic ruin for many families and communities. Photo by U458625 on Wikimedia. A. Cherokees learned to adopt civilized ways of life, such as individual farming, business ownership, and their own syllabary and newspaper. We took a look at six of the most popular legends in our region. Whatever they heard or saw in the dark woods. Appalachian Folklore, Culture, and Language 5 Time Procedures 1-2 Setting: Computer Lab minutes Introduction Teacher pulls up the map of the United States on the board and asks students if they know the two major mountain ranges in the United States. While taking a graduate course in Appalachian literature at the University of Tennessee, Stacy . The animalor whatever it isis large and covered in dark fur. F, Spanish and French explorers pushed into Appalachia as early as the 1500, ollowed by immigrants from the British Isles (largely Scotch-Irish). The Appalachian Folklife Archive at Radford University is a collection of around 650 field collection projects compiled and submitted by undergraduate folklore students from 1981 through November 2020 and by graduate folklore and folk culture students between 1987 and 2009. Since settling in the mountains in the 18th and 19th centuries, Appalachian people have developed a unique blend of cultures that has its own way of thinking. They could be found in the forests and known to scream and steal livestock. But even now, traces of traditional Appalachian culture can be seen. In 1964, a hairy ape-man (who sounds suspiciously like Bigfoot) was reported to be roaming around US 70. Consequently, the coal camps became largely integrated communities. The poltergeist received the name Kate after it claimed to be the witch of a local lady named Kate Batts. Photo by Tim Bertelink on Wikimedia. Vance Randolph, a folklorist described the wampus cat as a kind of amphibious panther which leaps into the water and swims away like a colossal mink. Blue ghosts and synchronous fireflies used to be common in other areas such as the southwest, but in recent decades habitat loss and light pollution have limited their range. Many parts of Appalachia today rely on tourism, deep-pocketed retirees, and second homeowners. With fresh memories of the horrors of war, Appalachian storytellers spun ghost stories of eternally damned and suffering soldiers from both sides, their cries heard in the darkness of devastated mountain battlefields. In Flatwoods, a young couple encountered the monster when they were taking a drive one night. If your nose is itching, it means company is coming. The lights can be observed on the Blue Ridge Parkway at the Brown Mountain Light Overlook located at milepost 310 or the Green Mountain Overlook at milepost 301. Newspapers dubbed the creature Mothman. The Folklore Podcast. Also on display are the 'fairy tears' which tie the story not with the Moon-Eyed People but The Little People whose fallen tears . Therefore, many ghost stories, songs, superstitions, and folk remedies considered Appalachian folklore can actually be traced back to places like Scotland or Ireland. early Appalachian settlers included Native Americans, newly arrived European whites and Africans, all living in close proximity. The national press picked up the story, and Mothman became a sensation. Robbers and guerrilla fighters from both sides stole livestock and food, burned farms, and terrorized the women left behind. It is very violent, exceedingly strong, alert, and fast. Wear a buckeye in your bra to ward off rheumatism. Hang a horseshoe upside down to keep good luck from running out. Mostly just considering the fairies or 'Fair Folk'. w this character reacts teaches lessons about this societys moral codes. For example, y'all may all see a photo of a Cool Whip container and think, "Oh, that's a topping for my dessert!" And that's totally fine, and valid. On the contrary, such stories argued that life must be lived to its fullest, no matter the hardships. Two couples Roger and Linda Scarberry, and Steve and Mary Mallette reported seeing a large flying humanoid with a 10-foot wingspan and glowing red eyes following their car. The Civil War hit Appalachia harder than almost any other region. But Appalachian ghost stories serve as vessels of mountain folklore, culture, and values stretching back generations. At this annual festival you can expect educational panels, a Bigfoot calling contest, a costume contest, and Bigfoot-themed dishes. Fairies entered the movement's folklore through literature and are popular because they are thought to preserve elements of ancient Pagan belief and. Formed roughly 480 million years ago, the mountains are over five times as old as the taller, more rugged Rocky Mountains. Its a fascinating turn of events for a small town like Point Pleasant., For his part, Wamsley does believe that the people of Point Pleasant encountered something out of the ordinary. Though its hard to say why stories of unexplained phenomena pop up in these mountains, Rivers says that fear can easily get the best of people. At the same time, many Appalachian natives proud of their heritage especially younger students sought to redefine and preserve Appalachian folklore and tradition. Their eyes were supposedly so sensitive to the sun that they remained nocturnal, which is why theyre called moon-eyed.. While the Silver Bridge that connected Point Pleasant to Gallipolis, Ohio was teeming with rush-hour traffic, the bridge collapsed, killing 46 people. The 20 Best North Georgia Christmas Events for 2022, 20 Ways to Celebrate Christmas in the Blue Ridge Mountains, 20 Fun, Festive Places to Celebrate Christmas in Georgia (2022), The 20 Best Christmas Lights in Atlanta and North Georgia (2022). If cows are laying down, or leaves are upside down, its going to rain. He laughs and tells me it's okay. Many other indigenous tribes had their own version of a large, hairy monster, but the myth of the Sasquatch was the first to be recorded by European settlers. . I live in the Appalachian Mountains and I've heard a little bit about some of the folklore here. Most recent articles appear first. As a result, the shameful Trail of Tears removal of 1838, nearly eradicated Cherokee culture from Appalachia. And the lessons these legends taught were comforting to early settlers, combating fear and uncertainty in the strange land they suddenly found themselves in. 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