Every year around this time, we are reminded of the rather supernatural aspects of our world: particularly, the strange creatures of folklore and local ghost stories. Have you ever wondered why so many people claim to have seen such things, even when they aren’t “supposed” to exist? Could it be mass hysteria, or perhaps some airborne hallucinogen? Whatever the cause, creepy animalistic things and spooky specters are prominent in local legends, and some of the most well-known tales take place right here in the South.
One of the most famous cryptids is the Mothman, a legend that originated from the Appalachian Mountain region. This creature is said to be a seven-foot-tall humanoid with massive wings and red eyes. It was first reported seen on November 15, 1966, in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, and shortly afterward, a local bridge collapsed. It has since been associated with disasters, both local and worldwide. Despite this, it has become a local celebrity, and there’s even a Mothman Festival held in Point Pleasant every year to celebrate the local lore.
But not all scary stories are about living creatures. Beginning in 1817 and not ceasing until 1821, a family living in Adams, Tennessee was plagued by a mysterious, disembodied entity. The harassment began shortly after the father of the family, John Bell, saw and shot at (but didn’t hit) a strange, dog-like creature running around his barn. In the days following this event, strange disturbances began to happen inside the Bell family house: unseen chains would be heard scraping across floors, and loud knocking and gnawing sounds would wake the family up at night. Soon, the activity began to become physical, with a being calling itself a ‘spirit’ would bite, pinch, insult, and threaten members of the Bell family. The worst attacks were allegedly directed at John Bell himself and one of his daughters, Betsy. Even the family’s friends and neighbors experienced some of these disturbances, and rumors became so wide-spread that it was said even Andrew Jackson himself paid a visit to the Bell family farm. Three years later, after John Bell had passed away, the disturbances occurred less and less, and eventually stopped entirely. But the Bell Witch mystery is still as popular as ever, and there are many speculations as to just what was the cause of these disturbances, if they even occurred at all.
A little closer to home, the Moon-Eyed People are a legend of the Cherokee from North Carolina. According to the Cherokee, the Moon-Eyed People are a short, bearded, and very pale race that built stone forts, unlike the Cherokee and another local tribe, the Creeks. These forts can apparently still be found across the rural areas of North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. Legend says that the Moon-Eyed People are nocturnal, preferring to live underground in “eternal darkness” after being chased underground and away from their original home– which was near the modern-day town of Murphy, NC– in a war with one of the local tribes. According to the legend, during a full moon they journeyed up into the mountains, where it is said they began to live as ghosts.
The story of Julia Legare is a strange and sad one. The details change depending on who tells it, but the general story goes like this: back in the 1852, a 22-year-old Julia Legare traveled down to visit family in Edisto Island, South Carolina. While she was there, she contracted Diphtheria (a bacterial infection of the lungs that produces a toxin) and fell into a coma. Thinking she was dead, she was buried in the family mausoleum. The family didn’t realize their mistake until fifteen years later, when the tomb was opened again. As they pulled the large marble door of the crypt open, Julia Legare’s body was lying on the floor next to the entrance. After the family realized that she had mistakenly been buried alive, they entombed her body once again. However, from then on the door of the crypt would mysteriously open, no matter how many times it was shut again– even after using chains and locks to keep the door shut. Eventually, the door was found completely broken off the hinges. The family gave up trying to seal the tomb, and to this day there is no door on the crypt of the Legare family.
