MountainLore

Granny Weiss And The Cursed Money

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the 1820s, a man named Johnson from North Carolina fell gravely ill after stealing money from a cattle buyer. With the help of a wise granny woman,...

The Haunting of Walsingham Manor

07 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In Georgia, the Walsingham place, haunted by restless spirits and terrifying phenomena, drove a brave man to madness after a night of unspeakable horr...

Andrew Jackson and the Bell Witch

31 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the hills of Tennessee, General Andrew Jackson's encounter with the supernatural connects that famous man with the famous entity that haunted the B...

The White Feather

24 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the mountains of Appalachia, a grieving widow named Rhodey experiences an eerie omen before her husband's tragic hunting accident, leading her to a...

The Seven Spirits of the Haunted Spring

17 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the mountains of North Carolina, tales are told of a haunted spring where, on a dark night, you might witness a chilling procession of seven possum...

The Devil's Due

10 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the mountains of North Carolina, nearly 200 years ago, Ephraim Tucker's quest to learn witchcraft from a mysterious witch led him to a terrifying e...

The Headless Dog of Cove Creek

03 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the mountains of western North Carolina, a headless dog was said to emerge from an old schoolhouse grave to chase travelers, fueled by his and his ...

The Tale of Phoebe Ward, The Witch of the North Carolina Mountains

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the mountains of North Carolina, the mysterious and feared witch Phoebe Ward once roamed from place to place, weaving spells and leaving a mysterio...

The Haunted Cowee Tunnel

19 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

One cold December day over 140 years ago, 19 shackled convicts lost their lives crossing the Tuckaseegee River in North Carolina to go work on a railr...

The Haunted Pines

11 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week we tell the strange tale of Silas McKean, a young man whose life took an extraordinary turn when he encountered a radiant ball of light betw...

Haints in the Holler

04 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of MountainLore, we share the eerie tale of a remote holler, where a widower's new wife harbored a dark secret, one that chilled the e...

The Ghost Came A'Knockin'

17 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of MountainLore, we tell the tale of a once beautiful old house nestled deep in the woods.  For over a century and a half, whispers o...

The Ghost of Gamble's Run

09 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Venture with us into the heart of Appalachia, to a place where the whispers of the past speak of betrayal and justice—a justice that may tarry but n...

Old Bill Mullins and the Burning Bible

02 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of MountainLore, we tell the tale of Old Bill Mullins and his fiery reckoning. A man known for his sinful ways and a life lived in def...

The Wicked Sisters of Appalachia

25 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today's tale takes us deep into the mountains of Southwest Virginia, where a legend tells of two sisters whose very souls seemed woven from the darkes...

A Cold Slap to the Cheek: The Tale of an Appalachian Haunting

18 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today we tell a tale about a mysterious and unsettling visit to an old, grand house nestled deep within the Appalachian hills—a place where ghosts l...

The Preacher and the Ghost Of The Blackwater Farmhouse

11 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Venture with us into the stormy hills of Southwest Virginia, where a stop on a preacher's journey brings him a ghostly plea for justice in this episod...

The Twisted Tree of the Witch's Wrath

04 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the dark hollows of Appalachia, a tale as twisted as the branches of an ancient oak unfolds in this episode of MountainLore. We're taking you back ...

The Haunted Tavern of the River's Bend

28 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this ghostly journey through the heart of Appalachia, we recount the spine-tingling tale of two brothers, Jacob and Ritchie Vail, and their fateful...

Old Richter's Ghost

21 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this chilling episode of MountainLore, we delve deep into the eerie tales of western Pennsylvania as we recount a story that's lingered in the whis...

Big Fraid and Little Fraid

14 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today we tell a tale from southwest Virginia about a man, his young son, and the family's cows, which the son tended during the day up in the mountain...

The Hollow Branch Witch Trial

07 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

One summer, many years ago, a small community in the mountains of Kentucky suffered through the worst drought any of them had ever experienced. Searc...

The Tell Tale Lilac Bush

29 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Bill and Elie had a long life together, made even longer by their utter dislike for each other. One day Elie disappeared and Bill became a man set fr...

Ghosts of Days Gone By

22 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We have reached a milestone: 200 episodes!To celebrate, we bring you a folktale from the mountains of western North Carolina...A hunter resting one e...

The Tragedy of Octavia Hatcher

15 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On May 2, 1891, Octavia Hatcher of Pikeville, Kentucky, died from a strange, new illness. Well, no she didn't, but nobody knew that at the time.You se...

The Ghost Stalker

08 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Bobby and Clara, together since high school, lived in a small Appalachian town, leading normal lives...until Bobby broke off their relationship to mar...

A Ghostly Run of Likker

25 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Many years ago, it's said, a moonshiner running his still had a supernatural encounter that changed his life, another bit of MountainLore for you!Be s...

The Water Witch

18 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There are those in these mountains who have an ability to find good underground water with nothing more than two sticks or wires to guide them. Years...

Marrying on Horseback

11 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today we tell a tale about a superstition, once widely believed, that it was bad luck for a couple to get married while on horseback. One young coupl...

The Tale of The Bunnyman

04 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Bunnies are cute and fluffy. The Bunny Man is not; in fact the Bunny Man can and will kill you.This week we tell a tale about a man in a rabbit suit ...

Ghostly Redemption: A Coal Miner's Tale

28 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A tragic accident in the mines brings profound grief and anguish to a coal miner until one day, while working his shift, he finds the peace he had bee...

Appalachian Christmas Traditions and Folklore

21 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Christmas is upon us, so we thought we'd share not a tale this week, but a story about how Christmas was celebrated in Appalachia over the years, alon...

The Devil Dog and the Broken Toe

14 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Many years ago, it's said, a man who lived up between Norton and Pound, Virginia, was surprised by a strange dog standing in his kitchen when he retur...

Krampus: The Dark Side of Christmas

07 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know that Christmas has a dark side? It does, at least in some parts of not just Appalachia but around the world, in the form of a shaggy, hor...

You Can't Take It With You

30 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In Franklin County, Virginia, a man is buried along with all his money, apparently with the intent of paving his path to the afterlife with gold.Only ...

The Witch's Revenge

23 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

One of life's lessons is "respect your elders." A lot of folks ignore that advice, earning them not much more than a scolding or a shake of the head f...

A Ghostly Reckoning

16 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A tragic tale of two young women, best friends, who were divided by their desire for the attentions of a young man. Jealousy turned to murder which i...

The House of the Vanishing Chains

09 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We are back after a couple of weeks of being under the weather, but that time was put to good use in gathering up the story we have for you this week!...

The Haunted Door

19 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Once upon a time an Appalachian preacher had a son who loved to swing back and forth on the front door of his farmhouse. We'll tell you the rest in t...

The Log Cabin Ghosts

05 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There's nothing like a rustic log cabin nestled in a picturesque Appalachian valley. Folks dream of having such a place in which to live.What they do...

The Mysterious Ghost Rider of Southwest Virginia

28 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today's story comes from a listener, who remembered the bare bones of this tale but not the entire story. We've taken that "ghost" of a story (about ...

The Mysterious Tale of the Headless Hobo

21 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

During the Great Depression, times were hard. Many men were forced to take to the road to find any kind of work or handout they could get, just to su...

The Bewitched Chestnut Tree

07 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There's an old story from the mountains of southwest Virginia about a witch named Bill Boggs. It was said that Boggs got his powers from a chestnut t...

The Hand of Justice

31 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Civil War came to East Tennessee in the form of Confederate raids against the mostly Union sympathizers who lived there. Today's tale recounts a s...

Haunted Droop Mountain

24 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The final battle of the Civil War in West Virginia was fought at Droop Mountain. Apparently, the spirits of many of the fallen soldiers, North and So...

The Running Rattlesnake of Bear Creek

17 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Once upon a time a man, Brother Johnny as he was known, decided to throw a party, with moonshine being part of the festivities. Brother Johnny invite...

Sheepsquatch

10 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What, dear listeners, has wooly fur, goat horns and a naked possum tail? A critter/cryptid known as the White Thing, or, as we'd prefer to call it, th...

Whispers From the Haunted Lovell House

03 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Somewhere in Scott County, Virginia, is an old house, abandoned since the death of a mother at childbirth. Listen closely, though, and you might hear...

Breaking the Witch's Spell

27 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

About a hundred years ago, according to newspaper accounts of the time, a young boy outside Bluefield, West Virginia, had a strange encounter with wha...

The Lights of Cole Mountain/The Legend of Long Dog

20 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We have a two for one podcast special for you! Not one, but two ghost stories, one from West Virginia told to explain strange lights on Cole Mountain...

The Deer and the Fawn

13 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Once upon a time, as some folks would say, a farmer had made the acquaintance of a woman and her young daughter. At the same time, wild animals were ...

The Devil's Guard Dog

06 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Many years ago two men headed out to bring some shine to a friend of theirs that lived on a Kentucky mountain. They never made it there, thanks to the...

The Curse of the Silver Bullet

29 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 1888 a young schoolteacher named Lula came to a small community in the mountains of western Virginia. There she learns of a murder, a witch, and a ...

The Spirit Hog

22 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Many years ago a young man undertook a trip by foot through the mountains to visit relatives in a remote part of Appalachia. One night, after he had ...

The Skeleton in the Cabin

15 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A young man was seeking solitude so, as many people have been doing the last few years, he began to search for some inexpensive real estate in Appalac...

The Murder of Mother Boggs

25 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we have a true story about a West Virginia man tried for murdering an old woman who he claimed had "witched" him, forcing him to fly her to ...

The Path of Vengeance

11 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A man is murdered in the mountains of western North Carolina. The only clue to the killer is a mysterious path of dead vegetation that ends where the...

The Black Cat

04 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Many years ago in the mountains of North Carolina, it's said an old woman who lived by herself in a cabin had the power to turn herself into an evil b...

Appalachia's Slavemaster from Hell

27 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Over 160 years ago the historic Rotherwood Mansion in Kingsport, Tennessee, was sold to Joshua Phipps. Phipps property used slave labor, which he crue...

Screaming Jenny

13 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Many of the tales told in these parts involve the railroads that served to haul goods into and coal and timber out of Appalachia. Today we share two ...

The Three Sisters

06 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Around the turn of the 20th century three sisters became involved in a women's college in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Rumors soon spread about the three ...

Bouncing Bertha's Ghost

23 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tales of witches, ghosts and demons abound in Appalachia. Today we have a story that may have involved all three, and it's a true story to boot!Join ...

Ashpet

09 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today's tale comes from Wise County, Virginia, by way of the Palatinate region of what's now Germany, from which the ancestors of many of today's Appa...

The Headless Horseman of West Virginia

02 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tales are told of headless horsemen across the mountains of West Virginia. Today we combine a few of those tales for this weeks ghostly episode.Be su...

Ulagu

23 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Cherokee once told of a monstrous creature that was part man and part hornet. This being, named Ulagu, would swoop in and feast on the children o...

The Jealous Conjurer

16 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when you mix jealousy, resentment, and the dark arts? Tragedy for an innocent soul.Today we tell a story that's been told in parts of ea...

The Ghost of the Reed Gold Mine

09 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Reed Gold Mine was opened during the first gold rush, in Western North Carolina, back in the first part of the 19th century. And the mine needed ...

The Peddler's Ghost

02 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Once upon a time, folks here in Appalachia couldn't run down to the Dollar Store or the Dollar Tree or the Dollar Whatchamajig to buy those everyday t...

Sop Doll Sop

26 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We have a Jack Tale for you today.Once upon a time old Jack decided to hit the road to find some easy work. This he did, and in the process he encoun...

The Winking Corpse

19 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the latter part of the 19th century feuds were common across remote parts of Appalachia, the most well-known of which was the feud between the Hatf...

Jack's True Love

12 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today we tell a Jack tale about Jack and his most unusual true love, who he found during one of his countless adventures in Appalachia.Thanks for list...

The Praying Ghost

05 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A sailor retired to the Bull Run Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge, in Virginia. With him, the sailor brought many exotic and unusual things and peopl...

The Bride and Groom of Mt. Pisgah

29 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We are back from Christmas break with a new bit of folklore for you!If you're in the Asheville, North Carolina, area when it snows, look up at nearby ...

The Legend of Spearfinger

15 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today we tell about the legend of Spearfinger, or U'tlun'ta, the Cherokee witch whose diet included something very, very bad.The MountainLore podcast ...

The Haint in the Pillow

08 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What happens if that bargain you got at a yard sale turns out to be occupied by the ghost of a person who happens to be experiencing the horrors it sa...

The Dark Side of Christmas: Krampus

02 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We're back after the Thanksgiving holidays, ready to head on into the Christmas season. Speaking of Christmas...Did you know that Christmas has a dar...

An Animal Tale

20 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today we tell a traditional "talking animals" story, about Dog, Cat, Jackass, and, ummm, Rooster....enjoy!You can subscribe to the MountainLore podcas...

The Legend of Annie and the Boojum

13 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Many years ago, it's said, a young woman met and fell in love with a strange, hairy creature in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Today we tel...

The Mothman

06 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the fall of 1966 several men digging a grave in a town in West Virginia first spotted a strange being with wings and red, glowing eyes. Over the ne...

The Haunting

27 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Halloween is fast approaching, so Gena and I did a little digging in our archives and found the scariest tale we could find for you...that is 100% TRU...

The Woman In The Blue Polka Dot Dress

20 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In 1932 a woman's body was found alongside a road in Logan County, West Virginia. The woman was wearing a bloodstained blue polka dot dress.There wer...

Headless Annie

14 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Many years ago, it's said, a cruel coal mine owner in Harlan County had a troublesome miner and his family brutally murdered. Ever since that time ta...

The Legend of the Greenbrier Cove Gold Mine

06 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Greenbrier Cove is located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It's a great place to hike and to enjoy nature.It's also a great place to find...

The Vampire of Big Stone Gap/The Haunted Rock

01 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Wise County, Virginia, is full of history, from the early days of the pioneers, through the coal boom after the Civil War, to the Cold War (U2 pilot F...

The Unshaven Ghost/The Visitor

23 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today we tell a couple of traditional ghost stories from Southwest Virginia. First up, from Russell County, is the story of a ghost that demands a go...

Shooting at Witches

16 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Straight from the news headlines in 1875 we tell the story of a man so obsessed with the witches invading his home, he turned it into a shooting galle...

Tunnels of Doom: The Sensabaugh Tunnel and the Big Bull Tunnel

09 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With the coming of the railroads into Appalachia came tunnels through which tracks were laid, making it easier to transport people into the region and...

The Wizard Clip

02 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Many years ago on the Virginia frontier, in what's now West Virginia, a man sought room and board from a farmer. This man later got sick and died wit...

The Cussin' Cover

26 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Many years ago in Cade's Cove a husband made a solemn promise to his dying wife. When the time came he broke that promise, with deadly results. Toda...

The Haunted Barter Theater

19 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today we tell the ghostly tales told about Virginia's state theater: the Barter Theater in Abingdon, another bit of the folklore of Appalachia. Sweet...

The Moon Ghost

12 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ghosts pop up in the most unusual places: hitching rides on the side of the road, in old houses, in podcast studios (we can verify that one) and, in t...

The Ghosts at Moundsville

05 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Moundsville, West Virginia, is where the Virginia state penitentiary was located. Designed after the Illinois state prison in Joliet, Moundsville was...

Dan's Shadow

28 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A man condemned to be hanged for the murder of a young girl swore on the gallows that he'd prove his innocence of the crime.He finally did...nearly 70...

The Witch Diggers

21 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After the Civil War two brothers and a sister from Ohio go mad in their relentless pursuit of hidden witches on their property. It's said that at lea...

The Nolichuckey Witch

07 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when you turn down the offer of a bed for the night at a farmer's home? Evil happens.Listen as we tell the tale of the Nolichuckey Witch...

The Devil Dog of Death

22 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There have been told stories of a big, black dog with glowing eyes that mysteriously shows up at odd times and places here in Appalachia, leaving noth...

The Big Hairy Toe

16 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

An old woman finds something very interesting, and tasty, while hunting for ginseng in the woods. Be careful, though, for what you eat may come back ...

A Witches' Brew of Tales

09 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Today Steve and Gena tell you three witch stories from western North Carolina and Southwest Virginia about dealing with young love, the hunt, and cast...

The Snarly Yow

02 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Many years ago, in that part of Appalachia where West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania are located, tales were told of a ghostly beast that would s...

The Devil Monkey

26 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

For years folks have told of encountering strange creatures in the deep woods of Appalachia, including the Mothman, the Dwayyo and the Woodbooger. Am...