Folklore
An installment in our Folklore & Legends series As I wrote a blog post about Jack Tales, I was motivated to try my hand at writing a Jack Tale of my own. Drawing from literary descriptions of Jack, local moonshiner stories, and a neighbor’s tale of a mash-consuming, drunken bear, I put together a short…
An installment in our Folklore & Legends series We’ve all heard the story of Jack and the Beanstalk—an English boy, some magic beans, a giant, and an adventure up a towering beanstalk. But did you know that the English Jack has kinfolk in the Appalachian Mountains? Meet the star of Appalachian Jack Tales, a character…
An installment in our Folklore & Legends series Hungry Mother State Park might seem like just another peaceful Blue Ridge retreat designed to happily engage vacationers. The sparkling lake, the hiking trails, the beach, the cabins, the campsites, and the mountain air are delightful. But behind this serene landscape lies a powerful story of survival…
An installment in our Folklore & Legends series As a boy, I was fascinated by tales of lost treasure: The Hardy Boy’s Tower Treasure, Stephenson’s Treasure Island, and Poe’s The Gold Bug. Stories of long-lost fortunes conjure images of daring quests, secret maps, and the intoxicating possibility of striking it rich. Such tales are everywhere….
An installment in our Folklore & Legends series In Southwest Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, between the towns of Bassett and Stuart, nature and legend intersect in the tale of the Fairy Stones. The focal point for the legend is Fairy Stone State Park, a haven for nature enthusiasts, rock collectors, and seekers of magic. From…
An installment in our Folklore & Legends series Gazing upon the star-laden sky on a clear night, one expects tranquility. But an anomaly disrupts the sky’s serenity in the foothills of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Eerie lights dance on the peak of Brown Mountain, captivating and confounding observers. Their origin is a beguiling mystery…
An installment in our Folklore & Legends series The tale of the Saluda River Petrified Man is steeped in the superstitions and faux-science of the late 19th century. This extraordinary story emerges from South Carolina, where an alleged petrified body was discovered and displayed. The Saluda River forms in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North…
An installment in our Folklore & Legends series Cherokee legends tell of a short, white, blue-eyed race living in the Blue Ridge and Smokies hundreds of years before Columbus. They called them the Moon-Eyed People. Archaeology, historical records, and other tribal legends support these tales. Are they true? Childhood Threats and Moon-Eyed People Stories and…
An installment in our Folklore & Legends series Appalachian Folk Magic The Celtic roots of the Appalachian people run deep. Appalachian folk magic practitioners regarded natural openings like caves, lakes, graves, or a coffin as “thin spots” or portals between heaven and earth, where one can glimpse the spiritual world. In these places, lost spirits…