MountainLore

The Ungrateful Witch

20 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Many years ago, it's told, a witch gave her powers to her daughter. Not a good decision, as you'll find out in this weeks tale... You can subscribe to...

The Blue Ridge Witch

06 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

About a hundred years ago or so a feud in an Appalachian community in north Georgia led to a curse being laid on all the unborn children there. Today...

Escape Up The Tree

21 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What do you get when you combine a brother and sister, three dogs, including one who talks, and a wildman?  A traditional tale from Alabama, which w...

The Ghost In the Cabin

07 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Many years ago a man and his family came to the mountains of eastern Tennessee to settle. He picked out his land, started clearing the forest, built ...

Bill Wilson And The Ghost

09 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Back in the 1850s a man named Bill Wilson was inspired to discover the ghost that was said to be haunting the cemetery in Pineville, West Virginia.  ...

The Bee Rock Troll

25 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Between the towns of Big Stone Gap and Appalachia, in southwestern Virginia, is a large hole in a rock.  Actually, it's a tunnel, cut through a large...

The Peddler

11 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

At one time peddlers would travel through Appalachia selling goods and services to folks who lived far out in the country.  One such peddler met an u...

The Wild Man Of The Cranberry Mines

28 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Tweetsie Railroad ran from Johnson City, Tennessee, to Cranberry, North Carolina.  The line transported passengers and freight, the most valuable...

The Witch and the Grist Mill

13 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

A life-long bachelor suddenly married a stunningly beautiful woman, much to the surprise of his friends.  Rather than a stroke of good luck, this mar...

The Man Who Found Out His Wife Was A Witch

30 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What would you do if you found that the wife you thought you knew was actually an evil witch?  That, podcast listeners, is the dilemma that one man f...

The Black Ghost

16 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

One day a man finds himself face-to-face with a daytime haint, black as coal, just like he was whenever he'd finish work in the mines while he was ali...

The Witch And The Needle

20 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Many years ago in West Virginia there lived a mischievous old witch who everyone called "Auntie."  Auntie tormented her neighbors until one of them m...

Pocahontas Hale, Cherokee Witch

13 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

During the Civil War a mysterious woman came to what's now Bristol, Virginia, to assist in caring for wounded Confederate soldiers.  Said to be Chero...

The Dismembered Ghost

06 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We're back!!!Several travelers encounter the former owner of a little house in which they are spending the night…piece by piece.You can subscribe to...

The Wampus Cat

11 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Today we tell the tale of a curious Cherokee woman who was turned into a cat-beast, doomed to wander the woods of Appalachia.You can subscribe to the ...

The Husband Who Minded The House

18 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when a grumpy old husband and his long-suffering wife swap chores for a day?  Well, click that button and listen to our tale to find out...

The Tablecloth, The Donkey And The Club

11 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Time for another Jack tale!  In this one lazy old Jack meets a mysterious old woman who gives him three amazing gifts, if only he can keep from losin...

The Raccoon

28 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when a raccoon gets shot with a silver bullet?  Find out on this episode of MountainLore... You can subscribe to the MountainLore podcas...

The Fiddler of Peter's Cave

21 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

It's said that if you enter one particular cave near Dungannon, Virginia, you'll hear the most beautiful fiddle music in the world. In this week's epi...

The Ice Man/The Stone Man

14 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The Cherokee told many stories about nature and the forces behind it.  Today we share two of those tales with you, one about how a man from the icy n...

The Ghost of Johnson's Gorge

07 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

There was once a group of Appalachian settlers who ventured into the wilderness of what's now Southwest Virginia and found the most beautiful valley, ...

The Headless Hobo

31 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

There's a tale they tell around Bristol Tennessee/Virginia about a homeless wanderer who, back in the Depression, came by a young widow's house lookin...

The Rock

17 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

No witches or ghosts in this week's story.  Today we tell a love story, set in West Virginia, that ended in tragedy way too soon.  That story, it's ...

The Witch Who Couldn't "Spell" Straight

03 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Witches, like people, are often drawn to spirits...no, not ghostly spirits but those spirits found in a bottle.  And, like some people, some witches ...

The Witch Waters

19 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

There's a legend about a Cherokee leader finding a magical healing pool of warm water in the mountains of North Carolina, a pool filled with "witch's ...

The Ghostly Voices of Roan Mountain

12 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Roan Mountain is one of the taller peaks on the Tennessee/North Carolina border.  The winds at the top blow almost constantly.  And, whether its the...

Cat's Breath

05 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

There's an old Appalachian superstition about cats being able to suck the breath right out of a baby.  And its true, I swear, and I've got a story to...

The Ghosts of the General Morgan Inn

29 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The General Morgan Inn is a hotel and conference center in Greeneville, Tennessee, with a reputation for first-class hospitality and accommodations. ...

Wild Women In The Woods

22 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For over twenty years after the end of the Civil War there was a rash of newspaper stories across Appalachia reporting the appearance of mysterious wo...

Raglif Jaglif Tetartlif Pole

12 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

That pesky Jack is back at it again!  First he wins a girl in a card game, then he's forced to tackle three tasks, then…well, you'll just have to l...

Losing Your Head

05 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's October and Halloween will be here before you know it.  To get in the spirit of Halloween, Gena and Steve are back with not one but three tales ...

The Woman In Black

07 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For over a hundred years tales have been told of a mysterious woman in black, who shows up in towns throughout Appalachia.  Sometimes she's silent, s...

The Martha Washington Inn

27 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Martha Washington Inn is one of the best known resorts in the southwest Virginia mountains.  There you can enjoy luxury accomodations, their worl...

Rabbit Tales

20 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today we share three traditional Cherokee stories about that trickster, the Rabbit.Be sure to subscribe to the MountainLore podcast at Apple Podcasts,...

Jack And The Search For Gold

15 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Our good friend Jack is at it again, this time tangling with a witch over her pot of gold, buried deep in the mountains.You can subscribe to the Mount...

Jack And The Marble Soup

29 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

I realize we've been off kilter ever since 2020 went off the rails. Gena and I will make it up to you, we promise, as soon as things get back to some...

Ellen

11 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A young couple's love ends in tragedy, with the spirit of a young woman fated to roam an Appalachian mountain for eternity.You can subscribe to the Mo...

Burnt House, West Virginia

28 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Burnt House, West Virginia, is one of those places in Appalachia with an interesting name. Yes, it’s named for a house that burned to the ground, b...

Joshua Phipps

14 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rotherwood Mansion is an imposing site, sitting at the top of a large hill next to the Holston River in Tennessee.  At one time, it's been told, the ...

Granny Myers' Curse

07 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Nearly 140 years ago a farmer lived in the mountains of Pennsylvania.  His closest neighbor was an old woman reputed to be a very powerful witch.  T...

Skee-lih, The Cherokee Witch

30 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Long, long ago the Cherokee faced a terrible witch named Skee-lih, who had a habit of killing the elderly and taking their brains to feast upon.  Tod...

Raw Head And Bloody Bones

19 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Never cross a witch and her hog, they say, or you might regret what happens to you.  Today on the MountainLore podcast we tell a tale about a butcher...

A Murder Solved

12 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

There once was an unsolved crime in a little town in southwest Virginia.  The sheriff cracked the case with a bit of Appalachian superstition.  Toda...

The Grateful Goblin

05 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today we tell a tale of impatience, greed, theft and reward when a logger frees a goblin from a tree.   The MountainLore podcast is available on App...

The Prophet Of Oak Ridge

27 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Back at the turn of the 20th century lived a man in East Tennessee to whom God revealed visions of the future.  Most folks called him crazy...until 1...

The Witch And The Oven

20 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A witch gets more than she bargained for when she starts killing a farmer's sheep. You can subscribe to the MountainLore podcast on Apple Podcasts, St...

Swift's Silver Mine

12 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's said that a fortune in pure silver lies hidden somewhere in Appalachia, just waiting for someone to find it. Today we tell the tale of Swift's S...

The Raven Mocker

06 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Today we tell the story of the Cherokee witch known as the Raven Mocker, which goes around stealing years from the sick by eating their hearts.   Yo...

Jim Banks

30 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We continue our theme of tales about large black dogs with the story of Jim Banks and the dog that protected his granary and his grave.  The Mountai...

The Protector

23 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Mysterious black dogs with glowing eyes figure prominently in Appalachian folklore, and today we have a tale that features one.  However, this dog ca...

Witch Anna

16 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Shortly after the turn of the 20th century a woman named Anna immigrated from Poland to the West Virginia coalfields, along with many of her countryme...

The Quaker Ghost

09 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In the western part of Virginia, early in the 19th century, there was a Quaker community.  After tragedy struck his family, one man there lived the r...

The Dark Hollow Cemetery

02 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After hundreds of years a woman of ill repute named Derinda is still trying to find her way to either Heaven or Hell, and she just may try to hitch a ...

Doc/The Devil's Looking Glass

26 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today we share a tale about a local doctor who went hunting for a ghost and got a brand-new, paid-for skeleton for his practice as part of his efforts...

The White Owl

12 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Many years ago a woman killed herself rather than leave her Appalachian home.  It's said she remains, though, in another form.  Today we tell her ta...

The Bathroom

05 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A young couple found the perfect house for rent in Bristol, Tennessee.  They loved it...until their previously unknown ghostly roommate made a bloody...

Jack And The King's New Ground

21 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jack was a lazy fellow, but he also was very, very lucky.  That's how he managed to dispatch a family of evil giants and win the favor and fortune of...

The Brushy Valley Witch Dog

14 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In 1934 stories began to circulate in the Brushy Valley section of East Tennessee, near Knoxville, of a large black dog that was taking livestock, oft...

Ghost Rider

07 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today we have a tale of forbidden love that was so intense it lasted beyond death. If you'd like to get these tales of Appalachian folklore automatica...

Stingy Jack

31 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We return with the tale of Jack and the devil and how the Jack O'lantern came to be... Happy Halloween, y'all! The MountainLore podcast is available o...

The Midnight Ride Of Sally Slate

26 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sally Slate was a witch, who lived in an odd, old house.  Most folks avoided her, but one night she found someone on whom to cast a spell, which allo...

How The World Was Made

19 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The original inhabitants of Appalachia, the Cherokee, had stories about how the world came to be.  They also had a Great Flood story, both of which w...

The Fingerbone

12 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On today's episode of MountainLore, we tell the tale of the ghost of a murder victim who enlists the aid of a mountain preacher to find justice in sou...

The Ghost Of The Silver Run Tunnel

05 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today we tell the story of an apparition that appeared at the entrance to the Silver Run railroad tunnel in West Virginia, a young, attractive woman i...

Big John

29 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

At the turn of the 20th century the coal industry in Appalachia was experiencing such a boom that operators had to bring in workers from eastern and s...

Wicked John

22 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today we tell the tale of a man so mean he whipped the Devil not once, but three times. The MountainLore podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Radio...

The Seven Gates Of Hell

15 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today we tell you an urban legend from Pennsylvania that involves deranged patients at an insane asylum and seven gates that lead to a portal to hell....

A Tale Of Two Ghosts

08 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week we tell two tales of ghosts who came back not to haunt the living but to help them.  In our first story the ghost of a man in Kentucky who ...

Soldier Jack

01 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's time for another Jack tale this week, and this one's a good one. After many encounters involving a mysterious old man, little devils and even Dea...

The Shadow Man

25 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today we tell a tale shared with us from a listener, about something that happened to her own family. It's the story of a strange shadowy figure who w...

A Haunting In Knoxville

18 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We're doing things a little bit differently on this week's podcast. Today we have a tale of ghosts, spirit possession, murder, and evil that happened ...

The Greenbrier Ghost

11 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today we tell the tale of the ghost of a murder victim that testified against her murderer.  It's a real story, too, from Greenbrier County, West Vir...

Tailey Po

04 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

An old hermit once lived in these hills, surviving on what he grew and what he caught.  One cold winter night he caught more than he bargained for. ...

The Demon Of Fire

27 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today we have a tale with a moral at the end: be happy with what you have.  Otherwise you might find yourself facing the Demon of Fire... The Mountai...

The Siren Of The French Broad River

20 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Beware the siren's call or you might find yourself adrift forever in the French Broad River... The MountainLore podcast is available, for free, on mos...

The Hermit of Pound Gap

13 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today we tell the sad tale of a man condemned to eternal grieving inside a cave on top of Pound Gap, on the border between Kentucky and Virginia. You ...

The Wizard of Fentress County/The Ghost Hog

06 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today we have two tales for you, one about an old man accused of putting a wizard's hex on a young lady and the lawsuit that came out of it; then we t...

A Golden Harvest

30 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today we tell a tale of a young boy whose hard work is rewarded handsomely by a fairy, once he learns to think of others besides himself. You can subs...

The Goblin

23 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today we tell a tale from Pennsylvania about a man who summoned a goblin and got more than he bargained for. You can subscribe to the MountainLore pod...

Gabriel's Coming

16 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today we tell a set of tales about the end times, all from the Cumberland Gap tunnel.   The MountainLore podcast can be found on RadioPublic, Apple ...

The Bell Witch

08 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today we tell the story of the Bell Witch, who haunted John Bell and his family in Tennessee for decades.   You can subscribe to the MountainLore po...

The Origin of Disease

01 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Many years ago, according to the legends of the Cherokee, there was no disease in these mountains and all the animals, plants and people lived in harm...

Haints in Bristol

25 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today we share some tales of ghosts that inhabit two cities that lie side by side in Tennessee and Virginia, Bristol. You can subscribe to the Mountai...

Haints In The Bed

18 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes that beautiful piece of furniture comes with a few surprises.  Today we tell a tale of a fine antique bed that was already occupied when it...

The Green Man

10 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today we tell tales of the Green Man, said to haunt parts of western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio.  We also tell you the true story of the real Gree...

The Bear Man

04 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week we have another traditional Cherokee tale, about the Bear Man. You can subscribe to the MountainLore podcast at RadioPublic, Stitcher, TuneI...

The Devil Cat

27 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today we tell the tale of a woman who loses her children, one by one, followed at the end by her soul.   The MountainLore podcast can be found on Ra...

Possums, Rabbits and Tar Wolves, Oh My!

21 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today we tell a trio of traditional Cherokee tales about animals that roam the Appalachian mountains.   You can subscribe to the MountainLore podcas...

John Brown's Ghost

13 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's said that the ghost of executed abolitionist firebrand John Brown still haunts Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, scene of his attempted takeover of ...

The Nunnehi

07 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cherokee tradition tells of a race of immortal spirit people who live underground or on top of high mountains that have no timber growing on them, or ...

Joash and the Woodbooger

01 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today we tell of the first deadly encounter between a longhunter and an Appalachian "hairy man," neither beast nor human but something in between.  I...

Jack and the Cat

22 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's Jack tale time! Today we tell about the time Jack defended a cat from a witch, striking it rich in the process.  Go, Jack! You can subscribe to ...

Wives' Tales

15 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today we tell how two wives met their fate, leaving behind apparitions for the living to meet.  Two ghostly stories from Appalachia on this week’s ...

Witch Mountain

08 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

There's a mountain near Hillsville, Virginia, that was once the home of a sect of Wiccans, or so it's told.  As a result, this place holds many stori...

The Slant Eyed Giant

31 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Among the tales told in these mountains are those told by the original Appalachian people, the Cherokee.  Today we tell one of their traditional stor...

The Light of Salvation

31 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today we tell a tale at the crossroads of religious faith and the supernatural, as a ghost leads a man to salvation. The MountainLore podcast can be f...

The Catwoman

25 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today we tell the tale of a man who found love in a most unusual way. The MountainLore podcast is available on Stitcher, RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts a...

The Unshaven Ghost

18 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today we have two tales for you, from Southwest Virginia. In the first, we tell of a house in Lebanon haunted by a ghost with a very specific request....

Jim’s Fiddle

11 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Appalachia is known for its bluegrass music.  This music, also known as “fiddle music” is loved far and wide.  But there were some who felt that...