I have heard most of these superstitions, but then were heavily scots-irish and german around here too! An older ghost story stated about a woman and a baby who was murdered in the Jonas Ridge community which was used to incorporate the source of the lights. The farmer known as John Bell Senior used to reside with his family along the Red River in an area currently near the town of Adams. Rumors quickly spread through the company, where the name Bigfoot soon caught like wildfire. If someone opens a knife that person must close it. Never try to climb waterfalls or get close to a ledge to get a selfie. It includes hundreds of whimiscal superstitions as well as folk cures, charms, and chants . The couple described it as a large flying man with ten-foot wings that followed their car while they drove in the area outside town known as the TNT area, the site of a former World War II munitions plant. The Ever Changing Sky Second Excerpt Selection, Test Your Knowledge of Appalachian English, The Ballad of Fair Margaret and Sweet William. Maybe the dog senses something humans do not. The Flatwoods Monster was first spotted on September 12, 1952, when a group of boys playing football in a field near the town saw a bright object streak across the sky and crash land on a nearby hill. Just in case! 4.8 out of 5 stars 9. 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. If you find yourself under one, dont turn around back up. The first boy that comes along and says wax you will say stix. Never leave a rocking chair rocking, or you will invite spirits. 'Appalachian Folklore: Omens, Signs and Superstitions' explores the historical and cultural evolution of the pioneers who first ventured into the Appalachian Mountains. To relieve migraines, cut your hair because its too heavy for your head. Garden spiders write messages on their webs. Ive heard if you drop a dish towel in the kitchen it means somebody is coming. If you walk underneath a ladder, its bad luck. If you put shoes on the bed, it heralds death for someone close to you. RB An evolutionary step up. A chin dimple is a sign of bad character. her youngest sons skills she taught me, so I got to catch a Descriptions used in the introduction are mostly fictional and I believe many of the folklore, omens, signs and superstitions have originated in the authors own imagination. My mother had a first cousin that matched this 100%. The Bell Witch (who is thought to be a woman named Kate Batts) was supposedly cheated in a land purchase by John Bell, the patriarch of the Bell family. 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. Carrying a rabbits foot gives you good luck. It includes hundreds of whimiscal superstitions as well as folk cures, charms, and chants practiced by the early settlers of Appalachia. During one of these phases, the Creek people annihilated the race. If you hold in a sneeze, itll cause your brains to bleed. Given that, this list might call some to your mind. If squirrels gather nuts early, expect a bad winter. event : evt, Cherokee Death Cat) is a large cat similar to a mountain lion or cougar, with tan-yellow fur, six legs, and large yellow eyes. a rabbits foot is lucky and will protect from evil spirits. After reviewing the instrument's special musical features, the book describes some related instruments, and reveals . e) Dont wash clothes on New Years Day or you will wash a family member out. If your right palm itches, youll lose money. Love reading about superstitions and folklore. on: function(evt, cb) { You know! A rock with a hole in it brings good luck. Some of the ones I remember from my mother are, dont open an umbrella indoors, bad luck. A bird in the house means there will be a death in the family An enslaved person of the Bell family reported being followed by a large black dog on evenings as he visited his wife. Appalachian Dulcimer Traditions tells the fascinating story of the effort to recover the instrument's lost history through fieldwork in the Southern mountains, finding of old instruments, and listening to the tales of old folks. Despite being a story about Cherokee people, the Wampus Cat folktale did not originate with the Cherokee people. Appalachian superstitions surrounding Christmas also came from Scotland and Wales As in all cultures which celebrate Christmas, many superstitions and myths surround the holiday, most of them based on the pagan celebrations of the winter solstice which predated the Christian holiday. I love this post! ;-D Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Appalachia Bare Short Story Contest! Ear ache? 3) I never heard of a frog in a grave, here where i live in north central Pennsylvania, As a general collection of folklore, it's not bad, but it lacks the specificity promised by the title. Old timers used signs (scores of them) to foretell changing weather long before they had any pointy-headed pundits or prognosticators (had to use some p words for B. The Flatwoods Monster Of West Virginia. I stopped suddenly (a movement that explains this particular memory) and asked him why. Milk or food stolen from a neighbor and fed to a child will cure whooping cough. This was a commonly held belief back before the whooping cough vaccine when children came down with the dread disease and their little bodies were wracked with fever and severe coughing. When I was a kid, Mrs. Lane in Crab Orchard, TN was a noted weather predictor and she used the number of August fogs along with other signs like how high above the ground hornets built their nests to predict winter severity. WOW! The figure made terrifying hissing sounds and glided towards them which made Lemon drop his flashlight making the group run for safety. Pastor and his wife came home with The region, which reaches seven Southern states, is historically rich in folklore and superstition. Here goes: First and foremost, Id recommend the Foxfire Series, which you may find on Internet Archive. Photo by Bloodyboppa on Wikimedia. Few wanted a spoon to fall. For all you bald persons out there, have you tried this folklore remedy? Pennsylvania Dutch Pow Wow, for example, is one of those enigmatic ideologies brought to the New World from Germany. A large number of the included things were more general superstitions than specific to the Appalachians. Tipper (and Ethelene)Im fascinated by superstitions, although I prefer to consider them mountain folklore since a fair portion of them have some underlying factual basis. Thanks again for the terrific read Tipper Back in the days when witchcraft was more common, and some were suspected of being witches, there was a sure sign of whether the deceased was really a witch or not. And if you have a sore throat, a cure for it, according to folklore, is to wear wool stockings, and then at night, turn them inside out and wear them to bed to cure the inflamed throat. Heard some of them, not all. In 1964, a hairy ape-man (who sounds suspiciously like Bigfoot) was reported to be roaming around US 70. Dont leave the house during a full moon. of the things that got my attention, and Ive never heard, When trees leaves turn backward, rain will soon come. If you sleep on your left side (near the heart), youll have nightmares. In and out by the same door is the only one I follow. The Appalachian region is made up of several blended together cultures since the 18th and 19th centuries. Tipper and Ethelene All images and content are subject to copyright and are the sole property of Blind Pig & The Acorn. If you have a candle that is hard to light, it is a sign that rain is on the way. It is a really good contemporary version of Appalachian folklore. Thanks, Ethelene!! Paperback. Anyway here are a couple of superstitions that have been passed down through my family One 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. Id planned to sit among all the beautiful blooms in our flower garden, Gabriels Garden. An apple held by a dying person until his death, and then after his death given to an alchoholic or habitual drunkard to eat will cure that person of his craving for strong drink. tell granny enjoying the CD. Amy is excited to share her passion for the outdoors through her writing! The Bell Witch If you see a white horse, youll have good luck. And why would I value folklore and disbelieve superstition? But there's no charm to it unless it's dipped into moonshine poured into a tree stump in a graveyard. Whew. http://www.blindpigandtheacorn.com. A wild bird in the house means someone's going to die. forms: { I would look into the Apple shop which is a non profit for storytelling in the region. Appalachian Dulcimer Traditions is a first-hand report to enlarge our knowledge of the dulcimer's history by searching the hills and "hollers" of Appalachia, looking at old instruments, and listening to the tales of old folks. 1967 (GR108.J65) People's cultural heritage in Appalachia. get my head peeled, and daddys His father was was killed in WWII and I believe the veil is also referred to as a caul. The Flatwoods monster that is also known as the Braxton County monster is an entity reported to have been sighted in the town of Flatwoods in Braxton. })(); There are tons of things I could tell you about myself, but all you really need to know is I'm crazy in love with my home in Appalachia-the people, the food, the music, the colorful language, the sustainable lifestyle, the history, the soaring mountains, and the deep dark hollers. Here are a couple that have stayed with me. Enjoy your posts! Sole of your foot itching? If you come upon a black dog out of nowhere or if a black dog crosses your path, it foretells death. READ MORE: The 10 Most Haunted Places in Georgia to Visit. Your email address will not be published. window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { Other stories claim the moon-eyed people created the areas pre-Columbian ruins and they disappeared from the area completely without leaving any trace. Jim, Ive heard all of these. 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. Bad luck to go out a different door than you come in.. Dogs get them from eating cats! But, Baldness is a blessing. chickens on the X. Just to add a one superstition if you ever hear a rooster crow at midnight there will be a death in the family and this one i really do believe. Never tell a dream before breakfast or it will come true. If you say the wrong name in conversation, the named person is thinking about you. the necks came off real easy but So are the Moon-Eyed People another Appalachian Mountain scary story, or just early European settlers who never received their due credit? This is a story of Appalachian Traditions and superstitions of what a wake is in these mountains from personal experiences past down though the generations. If a broom falls over for no reason when someone walks past, it is an omen of bad fortune. Once inside, I performed my sanitation routine: I doused doorknobs, keys, purse, monies, phone, glasses, mask, and every contained food item with disinfectant spray (or 70% isopropyl alcohol). If the dough for baking bread cracks while being shaped, a funeral will occur soon. Several people live around the Appalachian Mountains with their culture and traditions being moved from one generation to the other. They could be found in the forests and known to scream and steal livestock. I wonder, has anyone seen this happen? Often it is in the form of parody. Like always, I entered with the groceries through the back door. Strangeways Brewing, which has locations in Richmond and Fredericksburg, Virginia brews a beer named after the Wampus Cat, the Wampus Cat Triple IPA. Heard many of them, but a surprising number were new to me. Todays Guest Post was written by Ethelene Dyer Jones. So if you went out there was a 4 or 5 foot drop to the ground. At this annual festival you can expect educational panels, a Bigfoot calling contest, a costume contest, and Bigfoot-themed dishes. The blood from a murder or suicide in a home wont wash away and you cant paint over it. There is a list of resources in the back, which is nice. To experience these Appalachian legends for yourself, visit the Historic Bell Witch Cave, which located in Adams TN. for me to turn my shoe sole side- I have not had them around to pass down the stories, not that they would as they are a very religious bunch, mostly. *shudder* lawd! It might seem obvious to readers, but the Moon-Eyed People were most likely just European settlers. Game Commission, it was a big delay. This legend stated that from 1817 to 1821, the family of John Bell and the local area came under attack by a mostly invisible entity that was able to speak, affect the physical environment and shape-shift. A rooster crowing at night is a sign of rain coming. My family is all from West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. If a grasshopper spits on you, its good luck. In one of her books, "Appalachian Folklore Omens, Signs and Superstitions," Richmond defines superstition as a seemingly "irrational belief, arising from ignorance or fear, that is held by a number of people but is without foundation." Superstitions are thought to influence coming events, despite any demonstrable correlation. At Fort Mountain, the Georgia Parks Division of the Department of Natural Resources has a marker about the origin of the wall and the moon-eyed people. Anyhow, I just wanted to say thanks for sharing.Whitney Miracle. j) Dont let anyone sweep under your feet. This is where Appalachian cultural stereotypes such as family loyalty, rebellion against authority, and passion for self-defense gave rise to the image of hillbillies as wild, reclusive mountain men. Dont walk under a ladder. Dont let a cat near the baby. Forever left to wander alone through the mountains, the Wampus Cat acts out in anger at being cut off from her former life. 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. 'Appalachian Folklore: Omens, Signs and Superstitions' explores the historical and cultural evolution of the pioneers who first ventured into the Appalachian Mountains. The Bell Witch Haunting started when John Bell witnessed the apparition of a strange creature resembling a dog. Colonial Survivals in Appalachian Speech. I see some were converted from bad luck to bad manners. Popular Native American folklore says that a bloody battle between the Cherokee and Catawba tribes took place on the mountain. Never wear the color of an opposing sports team in a season. Do it fast, though! If you have a toothache, drink liquids from a cobalt-blue glass to cure the ache. Wampus Cat. We are superstitious about a lot of things passed down from our family, we firmly believed if a bird hit a window or tried to get into the house someone in the family would die. I do believe in superstitions and some of these I had not heard of before. Dont wash clothes on New Years Day or you will wash a family member out. (Who wants to try that?). 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. Coal miners are doomed if a woman works in or steps into a coal mine. Sounds like youre between the devil and the deep blue sea., Do you stake your tomatoes? Him why in anger at being cut off from her former life took place on the bed, it an! Sea., do you stake your tomatoes and disbelieve superstition and will protect from evil spirits a rocking rocking... 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