In the heart of Appalachia, Christmas is a blend of familiar holiday traditions and unique folk beliefs that have been passed down through generations. Join us as we tell about “Old Christmas,” along with the fascinating folklore that surrounds this special time of year.
Catch our tales on our YouTube channel!
Sweet dreams of Christmas, y’all…
Come on over to our YouTube channel and catch this famous Jack Tale!
There was once a clever young man named Jack, who befriended a cat he met on the road. This cat was special, helping him through some daring adventures, only to reveal a secret that changed Jack’s life forever. This Jack tale is another one of our tales from Appalachia.
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Sweet dreams…
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 profound belief in the supernatural.
Discover the haunting tale of Rhodey and Alamander, where a white feather becomes a symbol of impending doom and a connection to the otherworldly.
You can subscribe to the MountainLore podcast on Spotify, Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, or on your favorite podcast app.
Sweet dreams, podcast listeners…
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https://youtu.be/1H-4IBaJWNA
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 encounter with the devil himself.
Desperate to escape his fate, Ephraim fled through the woods and swam across a raging river to safety. Though he survived, the encounter left him scarred for life.
Ephraim Tucker’s story tells of the thin line between the natural and the supernatural, and the high price of seeking forbidden knowledge.
You can subscribe to the MountainLore podcast on Spreaker, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, or on your favorite podcast app.
Sweet dreams, podcast listeners…
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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 human’s tragic end at the hands of evil men.Â
This week, Steve and Gena tell the tale of the Headless Dog of Cove Creek, another one of the tales from Appalachia. Â You can subscribe to the MountainLore podcast on Spreaker, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Audible, or on your favorite podcast app.
Sweet dreams, podcast listeners…
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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 couple did that many years ago, resulting in one bad thing after another happening to them, each one worse than the last.
You can subscribe to the MountainLore podcast at Spotify, Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Audible or on your favorite podcast app.
Sweet dreams, podcast listeners…
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Near South Mountain in western Maryland, along the old National Highway, arose an Appalachian legend.
Back in the 19th century travelers on the National Highway reported a strange apparition appearing out of nowhere. What they saw was a creature resembling a very large and angry black dog, snarling and growling. That was enough, naturally, to cause the driver or rider to swerve to avoid the animal, which would suddenly vanish. Stories tell that the beast, known as the Snarly Yow, could keep up with a horse at full gallop before disappearing into the Maryland mists.
A hunter who happened upon the Snarly Yow tried to shoot it, becoming surprised, then alarmed, when his bullets just passed right through the angry dog. The last time the Snarly Yow was reported was back in the 1970’s when a motorist reported suddenly seeing the beast and then hitting it after not being able to stop in time.
The thing is, this driver didn’t feel any impact but when he finally stopped and got out to check the damage to his car, there was no dog there. At least not until he heard a low growling from behind. Turning, he saw the Snarly Yow slowly walk toward him from behind his car with its eyes glowing a bright red. Then the dog started getting bigger, and bigger and bigger. The man jumped into the car and, with the dog attacking, took off down the road. The Snarly Yow simply disappeared, not to be seen since.
Similar dog stories exist all across Appalachia, including in Carter County, Tennessee, where folks tell of the Devil Dog, a large black angry dog that will appear from time to time. It’s said there that only those evil enough can walk with the Devil Dog, all others are at risk of being killed.
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, horned man-goat named Krampus!
If you want to catch all our tale from Appalachia, be sure to subscribe to the MountainLore podcast. We’re on your favorite podcast app!
Merry Christmas…and, uh, sweet Christmas dreams, y’all!
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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 a ghost) and put together the tale you’ll hear in this episode.
It’s the story of the mysterious ghost rider of southwest Virginia, another tale from Appalachia.
You can subscribe to the MountainLore podcast at Spreaker, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible or on your favorite podcast app, whatever that might be.
Sweet dreams, podcast listeners…
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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 story told about one such raid which cost the life of a resident of Carter’s Valley.
His spirit demanded justice and got it…through his hand, brutally severed from his body by the Rebel raiders.
Today we tell that tale.
Be sure to subscribe to the MountainLore podcast at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, or on your favorite podcast app.
Til next time, sweet dreams, podcast listeners…
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