MountainLore Podcasts

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… You can subscribe to the MountainLore podcast, if you’re so inclined, at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audacy, Audible, IHeart Radio, Goodpods, or on your favorite podcast app. Sweet dreams, podcast listeners……

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 subscribe to the MountainLore podcast at Apple Podcasts, IHeart Radio, Stitcher, Spotify, GoodPods, or on your favorite podcast app. …

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! Be sure to subscribe to the MountainLore podcast, at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, Audacy, IHeart Radio, RadioPublic, Stitcher, or on your favorite podcast app. Sweet dreams, …

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 garden. Then things began to get odd. What? You think we’re going to tell you anymore? Just click down below to listen on YouTube… …or …

Photo by Gabriela Cheloni from Pexels 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 subscribe to the MountainLore podcast in many ways: on Feedburner, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audacy, Stitcher, Goodpods, Audible, IHe…

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 bargained for that dark night amongst all the dead. Today we tell that tale. Be sure to subscribe to the MountainLore podcast; you can do so …

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 rock that extends down from the mountain to the Powell River below, allowing coal trains to pass through with their loads back in the days when coal was king. It’s also the dwelling-place of something …

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 untimely fate, which we’ll tell you in today’s tale. You can subscribe to the MountainLore podcast at Apple Podcast, Spotify, Audible, Stitcher or on your favorite podcast app. Sweet dreams, podcast list…

The Tweetsie Railroad ran from Johnson City, Tennessee, to Cranberry, North Carolina. The line transported passengers and freight, the most valuable of which was iron ore mined near Cranberry. Today we tell the tale of a strange man-like creature that was spotted around those mines over a hundred years ago. Happy Halloween, podcast listeners!…

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 marriage eventually led to tragedy for the man and for his milling business. Today we tell that tale. You can subscribe to the MountainLore podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, Google Pod…

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 found himself in and today we tell that tale. You can subscribe to the MountainLore podcast at Apple Podcasts, Audible, Spotify, Stitcher, Audacy or on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening and…

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. Be sure to subscribe to the MountainLore podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, IHeart Radio and more. Sweet dreams, podcast listeners……

Many years ago in West Virginia there lived a mischievous old witch who everyone called “Auntie.” Auntie tormented her neighbors until one of them managed to turn the tables on her. Today we tell that tale. Be sure to subscribe to the MountainLore podcast on your favorite podcast app. Sweet dreams, podcast listeners.…

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 Cherokee, this woman used native remedies to heal the men in her care. She later gained a reputation as a prophet, healer, mystical douser, and is said to appear as a spirit around the site of her former bus…

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, Spotify, IHeart Radio, RadioPublic and more. Sweet dreams, podcast listeners…By Steve Gilly

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, RadioPublic, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, Audible, IHeart Radio or on your favorite podcast app. We’re also on YouTube. Please click the “…

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 out! We’d appreciate it if you’d subscribe to the MountainLore podcast, at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, Stitcher, RadioPublic, Amazon Music and pretty much anywhere you find fine podcasts. We’re also …

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 losing them! The MountainLore podcast is available at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, IHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Audible, and more. Sweet dreams, podcast listeners… Subscribe at Apple Podcasts.…

What happens when a raccoon gets shot with a silver bullet? Find out on this episode of MountainLore… You can subscribe to the MountainLore podcast at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Audible, TuneIn, Amazon Music, RadioPublic and more. Check out our YouTube channel, too. Be sure to click that “Subscribe” button and ding the bell for notification…

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 episode we tell you that tale. The MountainLore podcast is available on fine podcast apps like these: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, RadioPublic, PlayerFM, Deezer, IHeart Radio, TuneIn, or on our web…

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 north controls the weather and the other about how a stone-armored monster is controlled in a most unique way. The audio version of the MountainLore podcast can be found at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spot…

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, above which was a rugged gorge. One of the men in the group had a problem with jealousy over a beautiful young woman who had fallen for another one of the settlers, so he decided to solve the problem …

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 looking for some food. There’s more to this story, though, so come on in and listen… You can subscribe to the MountainLore podcast for free at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, Spotify, RadioPublic, I…

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 said, still echoes in the winds that blow around a particular rock on a particular mountain, if you listen closely enough. The MountainLore podcast can be found on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Amazo…

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 is about a witch who couldn’t keep his spells straight when he tried to quench his thirst. The MountainLore podcast can be found on App…

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 water.” That’s the tale behind Hot Springs, North Carolina, and today we share that story with you. You can subscribe to the MountainLore podcast at Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Stitcher, Go…

View from atop Roan Mountain 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 epis…

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, Spo…

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, widel…

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, …

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 Mu…

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 t…

Picture by RebelAt at English Wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49137613 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 …

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, podcas…

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 …

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 ca…

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 podcas…

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, Rad…

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, Spotif…

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 f…

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… Subscribe at Apple Podcasts.By Steve Gilly

By Steve Gilly

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… Subscribe at Apple Podcasts.By Steve Gilly

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 …

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… Subscribe at Apple Podcast…

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.…