What the Folk?

How the Folklore of Appalachia Brings Communities Together

WRITTEN BY CELIA HAWK PHOTOS BY ALICE FALKOWSKI

Driving across Appalachia, mothman bumper stickers and bigfoot prints on rear-view mirrors are a common sight. A popular bumper sticker reads, “Mothman is real and he sells me weed in the Waffle House parking lot.” How can you argue with that experiential evidence? Many people in the Appalachian region may feel a personal connection to cryptids that mimics that bumper sticker’s message. A shared fear of the unknown unites communities. Then, oftentimes, that fear is combatted through acts of community-lead fun, making the fearful creatures seem much more like friends than foes.

Many people have heard the story of Bigfoot, the large and furry creature who wanders rural America.

Bigfoot’s name conjures images of him mid-stride which circulate through media-coverage of the being. Pictures like this drive many believers to go searching for him, equipped with high-quality cameras and sometimes bear traps.

Lois Manon, a 76-year-old woman who lives alone on top of a large hill in Appalachian Pennsylvania, has allowed many people to search for Bigfoot on her land through the years.

She is a non-believer, but when the paranormal search parties arrive, she invites them onto her wrap-around porch and they share a cup of tea. She often humors the “outlandish” views of the Bigfoot-hunters so she can understand what evidence they have for the hairy giant’s existence.

Lois lives alone in a rural house that relies on stove-heating. When a big storm hits, people from the Bigfoot search parties will drive to the top of her hill with soup and offer to help her haul wood to her stove. Her kind act of offering up her land for their adventures is always repaid in some way. This shows the true spirit of Appalachian people.

Bigfoot seems to be the most well known, but there are multiple mysteries for believers to chase. Mothman is a humanoid creature reportedly spotted for the first time in November, 1966 in Point Pleasant, West Virginia.The first couple who spotted the creature reported a “man-sized bird…creature…something.” Nowadays, his description is a lot more specific. Mothman is supposedly 10 feet tall with wings and glowing red eyes. In 1967, locals saw Mothman flying over Silver Bridge. Soon after this sighting, the bridge reportedly collapsed, resulting in the deaths of 46 people.

People have claimed to see Mothman before other disasters such as earthquakes or intense storms.This leads people to question whether Mothman is causing the chaos or being sent to warn people of impending disasters.

The Mothman Festival in Point Pleasant, West Virginia is an annual event. The festival includes a Mothman museum, live music, guest speakers and cosplay. Ohio University freshman Morgan Snyder drove down to Point Pleasant to attend the festival this year. She recently took an interest in cryptozoology, the study of mythical and legendary creatures, and wanted to further explore that fascination. Mothman was of particular interest to her because he is often spotted close to Athens, where the university is located. Upon arrival at the festival, Snyder said, “the town was packed - parking was a nightmare but it gave us time to people-watch everyone dressed up in Mothman costumes”. These costumes must have inspired her because Snyder dressed as Mothman for Halloween this year. She said, “everything was Mothman-themed, from the food to the art that vendors sold at table to the town’s centerpiece, the sculpture of Mothman himself.” Despite Mothman’s frightening appearance, the festival is joyful. No one faces Mothman alone.

There are a few lesser known myths that are interesting to discuss as well, including the mooneyed people and the Wendigo. The idea of moon-eyed people stems from Cherokee stories. The story goes that Cherokee people expelled the moon-eyed people, a group of short, bearded, whiteskinned people with large blue eyes, from Appalachia upon arrival in the area. Moon-eyed people are believed to be so sensitive to light that they only emerge during the night. Many wonder if the moon-eyed people still inhabit Appalachia as ghosts or in hiding. Historians have considered that the moon-eyed people could have been Welsh explorers who landed in the United States around 300 years before Columbus did.

The Wendigo is a cannibalis- tic cryptid first discovered by the Algonquin tribes. His name translated means, “the evil spirit that devours mankind”. He is reportedly a creature that thrives in cold habitats, so most sightings are in Canada or colder regions of the northern United States. The Wendigo has been described as up to 15 feet tall and stick thin. He is said to mimic human voices in order to lure in prey. The Wendigo can also possess the minds of his subjects and eventually turn them into Wendigos, spreading the curse. In 2019, mysterious howls in Canada led many to question whether or not the Wendigo is still out there searching for his next victim.

Myth has historically surrounded Appalachian people, twisting them into stereotypes and pushing them while they are down. One would think in Appalachian country “myth” would conjure up images of stereotypes and the supernatural would trigger thoughts of harmful movies such as Deliverance…but, just like the Wendigo, supernatural creatures can take the place of oppressive forces. Cryptids do not inspire the type of fear that drives people apart; instead they bring groups of people together.

There is beauty in a simple, country life where nature surrounds you. The natural world is so mysterious, who is to say there is nothing lurking in the shadows? Paranormal creatures bring a sense of mystery that keeps people chasing. Snyder’s takeaway from the Mothman festival was, “Point Pleasant embraced something they once feared, and I’m so grateful I got the chance to celebrate with them”.