MountainLore

An old woman finds something very interesting, and tasty, while hunting for ginseng in the woods. Be careful, though, for what you eat may come back …

Today Steve and Gena tell you three witch stories from western North Carolina and Southwest Virginia about dealing with young love, the hunt, and …

Many years ago, in that part of Appalachia where West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania are located, tales were told of a ghostly beast that would …

For years folks have told of encountering strange creatures in the deep woods of Appalachia, including the Mothman, the Dwayyo and the Woodbooger. …

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…

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 we tell the tale of the Blue Ridge Witch of Tilley’s Bend.

You can …

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 we share with you today!

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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 a farmhouse for his wife and two daughters and started to raise a …

On today’s podcast episode, we tell the true story of a West Virginia mountaineer who was arrested and tried for shooting and killing a woman he claimed had bewitched him.

You can …

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.  Fortified with liquid courage, Mr. Wilson found more than he …

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 …

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 …

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

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 …

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 …

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 alive.

Today we tell that tale.

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

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 …

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 MountainLore podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Audible, …

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 MountainLore podcast at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, …

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 …

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 …

What happens when a raccoon gets shot with a silver bullet?  Find out on this episode of MountainLore…

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 …

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 …

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, …

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 …

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 …

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 will resort to extra-legal means to find those spirits.  Today’s tale …

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 …

Roan Mountain is one of the taller peaks on the Tennessee/North Carolina border.  The winds at the top blow almost …

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 …

The General Morgan Inn is a hotel and conference center in Greeneville, Tennessee, with a reputation for first-class hospitality and accommodations.  It also has a reputation for hosting the ghosts of former employees …

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 women who were found to be living in the forests of the area, …

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 listen to find out what happens after “then.”

The MountainLore podcast …

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 of ghosts that have lost their heads and are doomed to roam the hills …

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, …

The Martha Washington Inn is one of the best known resorts in …

Today we share three traditional Cherokee stories about that trickster, the Rabbit.

Be sure to subscribe to the MountainLore podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, RadioPublic, Spotify, TuneIn and on …

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 …

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 something close to normal. In the meantime we have a Jack tale for you, …

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 MountainLore podcast at Apple Podcasts, RadioPublic, Stitcher, …

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, but there’s much more to the story than that.

Today on the …

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 …

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.  …

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.  Today we tell that tale.

The MountainLore podcast is available on Apple …

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 butchered razorback that is brought back to life in order to seek …

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

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 Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, IHeart Radio and more.

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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 …