Appalachia: Spooky Flora, Superstitions, and Cryptids.

Hello Poison Friends! We are bringing you all more spooky season episodes! This one features good ole Appalachia and its spooky history and folklore. This is a huge area involving the Blue Ridge Mountains, Smoky Mountains, Allegheny Mountains, etc. The North, Central, and South Appalachians for ease, here, as it runs through thirteen states technically. This mountain range is older than trees themselves, and now they are covered in them. The forests are old and there are a lot of stories about what lives among them. Traditions, customs, and folklore from the Native Americans, early European settlers, and those forced to come here via the African slave trade have collided and melded together to form a unique culture full of superstition and ritual. Even some of the flora is super creepy, but beautiful. The ghost pipe plant (my favorite) and the Jack O'Lantern mushroom are two excellent examples of the spooky and toxic nature in the area. There are plenty of other poisonous plants we have mentioned before as well.Most who live in the Appalachian area or nearby know about the rules for the area. Do not whistle at night. Do not venture into the forest at night. If you hear your name being called...no you don't. Lets go over these rules and the spooky reasons behind them, as well as some other fun superstitions of the Appalachian region (at least the South and Central). We have to cover some of the many cryptids mentioned throughout the area. Some claim that the reasons behind some of the rules/superstitions there involve inhuman beings, evil spirits, and perhaps the devil himself. We are covering Mothman for one, but also the not deer as well as its similarities to some Native American cryptids that lure victims to themselves via mimicry and familiarity. Before being driven out of their ancestral lands, the Cherokee tribes living in the area told many stories about the land, mentioning several beings that lived in the surrounding mountains and forests. They had their own fairies of sort, who they called Nunne'Hi or "little people," and some were good while others were more complicated. They spoke of the moon-eyed people, the Wampus Cat, and spirit with the wings and cry of a raven that tormented the sick and dying so they could eat their hearts, and a terrifying witch known for eating the livers of children. The Appalachian region is huge and full of forests, abandoned mining towns, trails marked for visitors, and more forests. It is vast and easy to get lost in, if you are unfamiliar with the area, with little to no hope of anything good finding you. As such, it is easy to blame such mythical beings and superstitions for disappearances and misfortunes. Who knows, maybe there is some truth to some of these after all. Thank you to all of our listeners and supporters! Please feel free to leave a comment or send us a DM for any questions, suggestions, or just to say, "hi."Support us on Patreon:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/thepoisonersalmanac⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Merch-⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://poisonersalmanac.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on socials:The Poisoner's Almanac on IG-⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/poisoners_almanac?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube-⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@thepoisonersalmanac-m5q?si=16JV_ZKhpGaLyM73⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Also, look for the Poisoner's Almanac TikTok-