Appalachian folklore

Articles on oral traditions, myths, old wives’ tales, fables, tall tales, legends, and ballad lore, back to 2006. Most recent articles appear first.

When you grow up sheltered in the shadows of the Appalachian Mountains, magic is all around you. A mixture of religions, demons, folklore, and wisdom combined with the ever-present heady spirituality of the hills is what forms the Wise Women or the Appalachian Granny Women (article by Linda Hinkle)

The Snallygaster is a mysterious unknown cryptid that is said to look like a dragon. The legend of the beast originated with German immigrants that settled in Frederick County in Central Maryland.

Are your premises safe against haints, furies & other such ornery spirits? Seen a sudden upsurge of bottles dangling upside down in trees?

These sayings are taken from Shenandoah Voices: Folklore, Legends, and Traditions of the Valley by late Shenandoah Valley historian and author John Heatwole. Many early valley settlers were Scots-…

Autumn road trips are fun, but here are nine other unique ways to see the vibrant colors of fall.

A reader asked me to write a post about the superstitions and related things I knew about. Over the years I've been writing this blog, I've actually written a lot of posts on the topic of folklore, superstitions, and so on. So here is a list of some of them; bookmark it and then you can come back to find the quick fix for whatever situation you might find yourself facing in the future! This is the tip of the iceberg, of course. For every human activity and every natural phenomena, there are…

The Southern region of the Appalachian Mountains covers parts of Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky. (The chain continues into Ohio and onward, all the way to Maine.) The unique sayings, culture and charm of mountain people have been cap...

In just over two centuries, this area has seen more than its share of tragedy. Is it a product of happenstance, or is there something more at work upon Black Mountain?

Our Father who art in Heaven Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done On earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this Day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses As we forgive those…

Those with “the Sight” claim there are wee folk among us in the Land of the Pines. Do you believe in fairies?

Appalachian folk magic came about because it gave these people a sense that things were going to be alright even in the poor circumstances most found themselves in.

There's a simple beauty in them.

What terrors lurk in the mountains and hollows of some of the oldest mountains in the world...? My APPALACHIAN GOTHIC series unveils the story of one couple and their lifetime of descent into madness. Created by Vellectrum using Midjourney

At one juncture, the moon appeared from behind clouds and fully revealed his consort: a Negro apparition, barely dressed, with a broken neck!

In your long hikes and woodland quests, have you ever heard some noise you can’t quite place? A growl, perhaps, or even a howl? Have you shuddered when leaves rustled or a twig snapped? Walking on your way home in dark hollers, did you have a creepy feeling that you were being watched? Have you

A reader asked me to write a post about the superstitions and related things I knew about. Over the years I've been writing this blog, I've actually written a lot of posts on the topic of folklore, superstitions, and so on. So here is a list of some of them; bookmark it and then you can come back to find the quick fix for whatever situation you might find yourself facing in the future! This is the tip of the iceberg, of course. For every human activity and every natural phenomena, there are…

Read the original post here and find more fun folklore on AppalachianLifestyles.com.