MountainLore

Roan Mountain is one of the taller peaks on the Tennessee/North Carolina border.  The winds at the top blow almost constantly.  And, whether its the wind or whether its ghosts or demons, as some folks say, when you travel to the top you are likely to hear voices all around you.  Today, in an encore of one of our first episodes, we tell the tale of the ghostly voices of Roan Mountain. You can subsc...

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 to prove it, just listen. You can subscribe to the MountainLore podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, IHeart Radio, Amazon Music and more. Sweet dreams, podcast listeners…

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 who apparently don't want to leave the General Morgan Inn behind. You can get your weekly dose of MountainLore at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, De...

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, apparently uncivilized and unable to communicate with those who came in contact with them.   Today we tell the story of this phenomenon, widely reported as the "wild women living in the wood...

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 is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, RadioPublic, Deezer, Amazon Music, TuneIn and more. Sweet dreams, podcast listeners…

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 forever.   You can subscribe to the MountainLore podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, IHeart Radio, Google, Deezer, Amazon Music and on many other podcast apps. Sweet dream...

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, sometimes she accosts strangers, and, most recently, sometimes she simply wanders the highways of the region trying to get….somewhere.   For our 100th episode we welcome Gena back, via Zoom, to help tell the story of the woman in black. You can subscri...

The Martha Washington Inn is one of the best known resorts in the southwest Virginia mountains.  There you can enjoy luxury accomodations, their world-class pool and jacuzzi, tennis courts, the fitness center, the spa, the golf course and, to top it all off, lots of ghosts!   Today we tell the tales that have arisen around the Martha Washington Inn… You can subscribe to the MountainLore podcast at...

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 most other podcast apps. You can also like and subscribe on our YouTube channel, Stories, A History of Appalachia. Sweet dreams, podcast listeners… Subscribe at Apple Podcasts.

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 MountainLore podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, IHeart Radio and more. You can also catch our tales on our YouTube channel, Stories, A History of Appalachia. Sweet dreams, podcast listeners… Subscribe at Apple Podcasts.

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, freshly recorded and produced! In today's tale, Jack tricks an old woman into making the most delicious soup ever…made with an old cats eye marble. You can subscribe to the MountainLo...

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, Deezer, Spotify, TuneIn, and lots of other podcast apps. Sweet dreams, podcast listeners… Subscribe at Apple Podcasts.

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 MountainLore podcast we share that tale with you. You can subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Radio.com, TuneIn and many other podcast apps. Subscribe at Apple Podcasts.

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 mansion and its slaves were under the thumb of a vicious master, who met his eternal fate on his deathbed.  Today we tell that tale. The MountainLore podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic, IHeart Radio, Spotify, and many other...

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.  Today we tell the tale of what happened when this farmer and his neighbor crossed paths. The MountainLore podcast is available at our website, www.mountainlore.net ; also at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, IHeart Radio and on many other podca...

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 Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic, Google Play, TuneIn, Spotify and more. Til next we meet, sweet dreams, podcast listener…

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 vengeance.   You can subscribe to the MountainLore podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic, Spotify, TuneIn, IHeart Radio and wherever fine podcasts are found. Sweet dreams, podcast l...

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 that tale. The MountainLore podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, TuneIn, among other podcast apps. Sweet dreams, podcast listeners. Subscribe at Apple Podcasts.

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. Sweet dreams, podcast listeners...

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 1945.  Today we tell a tale that's part history and part folklore, the story of John Hendrix. You can subscribe to the MountainLore podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Libsyn, RadioPublic, Spotify, IHeart Radio, and more. Sweet dreams, podcast listene...

A witch gets more than she bargained for when she starts killing a farmer's sheep. You can subscribe to the MountainLore podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, Tune In and on most other podcast apps. Sweet dreams, podcast listeners...

It's said that a fortune in pure silver lies hidden somewhere in Appalachia, just waiting for someone to find it. Today we tell the tale of Swift's Silver Mine. The MountainLore podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, IHeart Radio, Stitcher, Tune In and many other podcast apps. Thanks for listening and for sharing our tales of Appalachian folklore. Sweet dreams, podcast listeners… Subscri...

Today we tell the story of the Cherokee witch known as the Raven Mocker, which goes around stealing years from the sick by eating their hearts.   You can subscribe to the MountainLore podcast at Apple Podcasts, RadioPublic, Stitcher, Spotify, IHeart Radio or at our website: mountainlore.net. Sweet dreams, podcast listeners...

We continue our theme of tales about large black dogs with the story of Jim Banks and the dog that protected his granary and his grave.   The MountainLore podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, RadioPublic, Spotify, IHeart Radio, Tune In and wherever fine podcasts are found. Sweet dreams, podcast listeners… Subscribe at Apple Podcasts.

Mysterious black dogs with glowing eyes figure prominently in Appalachian folklore, and today we have a tale that features one.  However, this dog came to the aid of a young woman who was being used by her lazy step-mother. You can subscribe to the MountainLore podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, IHeart Radio, Tune In, Spotify, RadioPublic and on many other fine podcast apps. Sweet dreams, podcas...