Appalachian Folklore Unveiled: Mysterious Happenings of Folk Spirits and Mystic Shades from the Ancient Foothills

by Darkness Prevails, Carman Carrion (primary_contributor)

Step behind the veil of a rarely accessed culture with terrifying and mysterious ghost stories and lore as old and deeply enriched as the Appalachian Mountains themselves.

Hosts of the leading, ever-popular horror podcast network, Eeriecast, guide the reader through the winding trails and thick forests of Appalachia, encountering the ghosts, creepy creatures, paranormal sounds, and mysterious mists that cloak and roam this rarely-accessed region. With an emphasis on the rich history and deep cultural roots that haunt the folklore unique to Appalachia, Darkness Prevails and Carman Carrion illuminates the darkest and creepiest stories that have shaped a cryptic and essential aspect of Americana, including:

Wampus Cat
The Nûñnë'hï
The Story of Spearfinger
The Ghosts of Shut-in Creek
The Scorched Man
and more that demonstrate the tapestry of cultures that make up Appalachia, including Indigenous Native American-, colonial European-, and African American-influenced lore.

Artful illustrations of each eerie story take this compilation beyond the ordinary, bringing to life the ghosts, monsters, and cryptids of the Appalachian Trail.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Folklore, Historical, Mythology, Horror

208 pages, Hardcover

First published October 8, 2024

Reviews

[Hank Hoeft · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading Appalachian Folklore Unveiled: Mysterious Happenings of Folk Spirits and Mystic Shades from the Ancient Foothills was something of a surprise and a disappointment. I haven’t given a 2-star Goodreads rating in a long time – I usually choose the books I read more carefully to avoid that – but I cannot rate this book any higher. I was surprised at this because I checked it out from the local college library, so I was expecting a book with more substance. I am interested in folklore in general, and as I lived in north Georgia and east Tennessee for seven years, I am interested in Appalachian folklore in particular, so when I saw it on the “new books” display rack, I immediately snatched it up. It is a handsome, attractive, well-bound book and I looked forward to reading it. But alas, my anticipation exceeded the actual event.

Mainly, I was disappointed by the lack of content. There are a lot of folklore creatures mentioned in the book – I had never before heard of the Boojum, the Dwayyo, the Snallygaster, the Wampus Cat, Puckwidgies, the Raven Mocker, Spearfinger, the Squonk, Wood Boogers, or the Sheepsquatch – but while the list is long, the information on each entity was woefully sparse. There simply wasn’t enough in-depth detail on many of the topics the book touches. There seems to be a scattergun approach to what subject matter is included. Maybe this was in part due to the wide net the book casts, and the loose definition of what comprises “Appalachian” folklore. I could well be wrong, but I had never considered the Ozarks as part of the Appalachian mountain chain, and while the Appalachians do run through Maryland, I had never considered the city of Baltimore to be an Appalachian location. So while the topics covered is wide-ranging, in general there is not enough meat on the menu. This paucity of specific detail leads the authors all too often to tell the reader how terrifying and mind-blowing some creature or phenomenon is, rather than giving information that would show us.

This leads me to my second big criticism of Appalachian Folklore Unveiled: the writing style. The tone of the book is that of a badly written 1950s horror comic book, rather than that of a book of a more scholarly bent. I’ve read many folklore collections and studies, and found that most of the entertainment value comes from rich content rather than from any lurid writing style. The stories in Appalachian Folklore Unveiled are much too overly-melodramatic and and filled with too much purple prose for my taste. (A red flag that this might be the case was raised when I saw the author’s nom de plume is “Darkness Prevails.”) One weakness that stands out: the writing includes way too many adjectives, where stronger verbs and nouns would serve the material better. Also, there are too many grammar mistakes. (Too many published writers have a flawed understanding of the difference between “its” and “it’s.” This may be a small detail, but it’s a pet peeve of mine, and is often indicative of an overall sloppiness in regards to mechanics, usage, and grammar.) Also, I don’t know if it’s a function of today’s sensitivity to “wokeness” or simply not knowing any better, but I find annoying the abandonment of he/his pronouns for they/their. When this occurs in the text, the referent is obviously not a transwoman, and all its use accomplishes is to muddy the semantics of the sentence and paragraph. Another glaring indication the book would have benefitted from a more scholarly, rigorous approach to the material and more careful editing of the text is an entire paragraph which is repeated on the same page (page 159) with three words changed. During my 36 years as a high school writing teacher, I admonished my students ad nauseam of the necessity of reading what one writes before deciding it is truly in its final form. Appalachian Folklore Unveiled has not one, but two authors – it should not have so many easily-remedied errors and excesses.

[Cherise Isabella · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always enjoyed reading and listening to anything related to the Appalachian Mountains/trail.
Its vastness, the mysterious events and happenings that surround it, all things related always piqued my interest. So, naturally this book title caught my eye.

Much like the previous book(Freaky Folklore), the art work in this one is also well done. It dives deep into Appalachian culture and folklore, not just focusing on the spooky and terrifying tales. I learned a few things from this book and even picked up a biscuit recipe.

However, after a while this book felt a bit repetitive and I lost interest due to that. I did enjoy the section that featured the cryptids though. They were a few I never heard of before.

Overall, it was an interesting read that I was able to learn a few things from. If I didn't feel as though I were reading the same dialogue several times, I'd have rated it a bit higher. Still, not a bad book by any means.

Thank you to Netgalley, Quarto Publishing an the authors for my eARC of this book. All opinions are my own. Appalachian Folklore Unveiled comes out on October 8th 2024

[Elisabeth Valienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well that was FASCINATING. I've always been interested in Appalachian folklore, and this was a great overview and introduction for someone who wants to learn more. You get not just insight into the folklore and legends of the area, you also get a bit of background on the culture too, which I loved.

Well done, fantastic book and I really enjoyed reading it!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

[Gracie Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was definitely entertaining and had a lot of folklore etc but it was really repetitive without giving much detail at all. It’s fun if you just take it at face value but you’re not going to get anything in depth.

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you've ever been a teacher grading essays, this book reads like that. Like a student needing to meet a word count so they repeat the same thing over and over again in slightly different ways without really saying anything. One star because the pictures were nice.

[Torrie Shaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think with some editing and restructuring, this could have been a much more enjoyable and concise read. As it stands, there is a lot of unnecessary repetition, and the sections feel very disjointed. What a bummer.

[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

i got really into the second half of the book when there was more detail and descriptions- but the first half fell flat for me because the author would state something and then not explain anything about it!

[Kelli Santistevan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Step behind the veil of a rarely accessed culture with terrifying and mysterious ghost stories and lore as old and deeply enriched as the Appalachian Mountains themselves.

Thank you Quarto Publishing for making this book available on Netgalley as a Read Now book! I really enjoyed reading this book. I thought it was very interesting learning about the Appalachian culture. I liked reading about the monsters and demons and reading the ghost stories. This seems like it would be a good book to bring on a camping trip. The ghost stories in here weren’t scary but I still feel like you could read them when you’re gathered around a campfire with other people. I’ve never gathered around a campfire with anyone or heard any ghost stories so I don’t know what that’s like but I’m sure it’s a fun activity.

[Kayla Lantz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, but I thought this would be more spooky and creepy. It definitely had more of an informative feel to it. Lots of information that was interesting.
Going into this I thought it would be more folklore story style.


I did grow up hearing some of this info. Cryptids and good luck rituals/signs. Some was new to me. Appalachia to me is Tennessee/ North Carolina/ West Virginia/ Virginia so it was weird to me to hear about Maryland.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this digital ARC.

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review: Appalachian Folklore Unveiled: Mysterious Happenings of Folk Spirits and Mystic Shades from the Ancient Foothills by Darkness Prevails & Carman Carrion

Rating: 4 Stars

I recently had the pleasure of reviewing Appalachian Folklore Unveiled: Mysterious Happenings of Folk Spirits and Mystic Shades from the Ancient Foothills by Darkness Prevails and Carman Carrion, and it was absolutely fascinating! As someone who has always had a soft spot for folklore, especially from the Appalachian region, this book felt like a treasure trove of stories and insights waiting to be uncovered.

From the get-go, the authors invite you to step into a world that’s as rich in culture as it is cloaked in mystery. They guide readers through the dense forests and winding trails of Appalachia, revealing ghostly encounters, eerie creatures, and the paranormal phenomena that shape this uniquely American landscape. Each chapter peels back layers of history and cultural influences—be it Indigenous, colonial European, or African American—giving you a holistic view of the folklore that has permeated this region.

What I particularly enjoyed was how the book doesn’t just stick to traditional ghost stories like those of the Wampus Cat or Spearfinger (which, by the way, are chilling in their own right), but also dives into the everyday life and cultural practices of the Appalachian people. There are fascinating tidbits about omens observed in nature, delightful recipes like classic buttermilk biscuits, charms, plant superstitions. even insights into basket weaving, pottery, quilting, and more—each page brimming with the essence of Appalachian life.

The illustrations throughout the book are a beautiful addition that really brings these tales to life. It makes flipping through the pages a visually engaging experience, and I found myself lingering over the art almost as much as I did over the text.

Overall, Appalachian Folklore Unveiled serves as a wonderful introduction for anyone eager to learn more about this captivating culture. It strikes a lovely balance between being informative and entertaining, making it a perfect read for both folklore enthusiasts and casual readers alike. If you're curious about what haunts the Appalachian mountains or just want to enrich your understanding of its traditions, I highly recommend giving this book a try!

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book a step or three away from being fine – and that's only if it's the kind of book you want. I came here for the stories of the folklore in the Appalachian region – and after about a half-hour introduction the count was 'mentions of stories – 2, recipes – 1'. The introduction ends with a promise of what happens "as you read my retelling of some of the most integral stories" – only for us to get a gazetteer of trends and superstitions, and one that can only disappoint in a way for being quite close to the generic (western) worldwide one. For all of the exoticism we might have expected, especially with the promise of Cherokee influence, this is still a place where black cats on your path are bad, a broken mirror is seven years' bad luck, and red sky at night is a delight to shepherds.

There is some that is novel, such as the idea that if a man can rub his hands on a woman's apron he will fall in love with her. But there's no advice as to whether she has to be in it at the time, mind. No, if you do want the actual stories that resound within these hills, you have to wait for the ghost story chapter – and even then, spectral and disappearing hitch-hikers, or black dogs, aren't unique. Moving on to cryptids, the Dwayyo is a werewolf in all but name. Sorry, Maryland.

Still, I can call this book a success – for the right purchaser. If you know you're getting a generic, all-pleasing guide to the folklore, telling you what's in the stories as opposed to the stories, then this might be wonderful. I loved the line art, and the maroon-and-beige palette gives a classy appearance. It is, however, incredibly repetitive – not just in repeating the same stuff in different sections of the dictionary-type chapters, but even on the same page. If my early digital copy didn't look so advanced I'd rein in the criticism, but this has to be shot down as something that suffered from two authors, and nowhere near enough editing.

The tl,dr of this is that it looks great, and acts as a beginner's encyclopaedia to Appalachian lore for the layman. The scientifically Fortean kind of researcher, and those who hate to be told the same thing multiple times unnecessarily, will find it much less appealing. Hard to rate then, I'd give it three stars and change. It certainly looked the part, but for matching the style proved itself an opportunity widely missed.

[Maggie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will note that the two stars is for how visually appealing this book is - I really hope the illustrators got paid well.

Overall, the content and writing was extremely lacking. It was fine I suppose if you're looking for something that looks nice, and I have come to the realization that many of these books are really just made to be something pretty to gift someone or peruse through, but the content and writing was extremely lacking.

I really need to start checking in the back at the references section to get a feel of what a non-fiction book is going to be like before even beginning it. In the case of this book, it barely filled two pages and mostly referenced blog articles. Which. C'mon... Folklore is an actual field of study and it's a bit insulting to think you can write a book about a topic without even doing the basic research - and boy did this show.

The first chunk of the book made repetitive generalizations about Appalachia (which quite frankly, I don't think the author even understood the geography of? Why are you referencing stories from Bucks County, PA? Excuse me?) and the most basic of basic folklore superstitions with the academic depth of a Buzzfeed list just looking to fill space and make wordcount.

The main chunk of the book - the actual stories - is where those lack of references gets even more confusing. There are a lot of stories included, but many had few firm details or even background information to give the author any sort of credibility. Listen, I grew up on Weird NJ and I trust them more than this book.

I will also admit, the book lost me pretty quickly with the stories - and the writing was the final straw.

I love a good, descriptive prose. It's the backbone of storytelling in general, but it's especially important in folklore - a generally oral tradition. Draw the reader/listener in, paint a picture for them, keep them interested, and make it memorable enough for it to be passed down through the generations. There's more to it than that, but I'm not going to get into it here. The writing in this was so floral it was really difficult to get through, and the lack of content really made it grating.

Overall, very pretty but not worth the read.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Wellfleet Press for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Faye · Rating 1 out of 5]

Description:
A book nominally about the folklore of appalachia, but actually mainly about cryptids and ghosts… which is a fairly significant subset, I suppose.

Liked:
The illustrations were good, and the general layout looked professional.

Disliked:
The text is dross. It’s hugely repetitive - there are at least two separate sections on coins (coin omens and coin superstitions) for example, which are almost exactly the same, and a full page each. Many of the superstitions are obvious across the western world, rather than unique to Appalachia (e.g. Appalachians think Friday the 13th and broken mirrors are unlucky… woah!) and introductions to each section recycle the same piece about the coming together of Native American, European Settler and Enslaved African tradition ad infinitum. Even in the descriptions of the ghosts and cryptids, where the author obviously has a bit more interest, there was tonnes of padding. Lots of fluff, repeated anecdotes etc. Even then, the author somehow manages to do a terrible job of describing what these things are meant to look like (particularly the cryptids) and I get the impression the illustrations are nicked from elsewhere rather than custom-made for this book, so they don’t really help - for example, a creature that is said to haunt crossroads would have an illustration of a forked path rather than the creature itself.

I’m irritated at this book for wasting my time. Definitely would not recommend. I would not be surprised if this was largely written by AI.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although this book sounded appealing, I found it bland and generic. Parts of this book describe superstitions, beliefs, and practices that are extremely basic and common to many different regions, and I wanted more that was specific to Appalachian culture. The author also recycles some of the same material in different sections, padding this book out with unnecessary repetition.

I thought that this would get better in the sections about cryptids and legends, but the writing style remains stiff and detached, without the kind of storytelling flair that you need for campfire legends like these. Also, the author sometimes spent more time talking about how creepy or amazing something was than actually describing the details. There are entries that don't even clarify where an event happened, because the author references the county without even saying what state this was in. And lots of states have counties with the same fairly basic names!

This book will likely appeal to the author's online following, but I don't think it's effective at reaching a broader audience, since it's so surface-level and general. This book doesn't include enough details or a strong enough sense of drama for people who are passionate about this, or for people who are casually curious and want to know more.

I received a free copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine, and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Wellfleet Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First off the book is beautiful. The pictures throughout add such a great extra layer to the experience. They did make it a bit hard to read digitally so I would definitely recommend getting this book in a physical copy. It was a quick read that I enjoyed but overall I did tend to find it repetitive, especially in the “omens” and “superstitions” chapters. I also really wanted a bit more history and fact to really give great background for the folklore tales, but found a good amount of the factual elements to be really vague and nonspecific and nothing I wasn’t already at least vaguely aware of. So overall an enjoyable book worth the quick read time but I’m not overwhelmed.

[Leslie Ryan-Rodriguez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got this book while in the Appalachia at a mountain retreat and hoped this would be spooky and fun. The first half was insanely repetitive, the same information was literally repeated within pages of each other. Luckily I read that part while stuck on an airplane tarmac so I muscled through. The ghost stories lacked details. The cryptids and demon sections were a little more interesting, but I truly could gather more information on a Wikipedia page for each one. The descriptions were so vague but so wordy, I couldn’t get the thought out of my head that this reminds me of being a HS or college student writing an essay with a word count I needed to hit 🤣 had high hopes but I’ve read better. Extra star for the artwork.

[Caitlin Paton · Rating 1 out of 5]

I turned to my husband and said "this book feels like a teenager wrote an essay layout first, and then googled the info to fill in the layout." This book is ridiculous. There's broad information from all over the world attributed to just Appalachian origin (black cats and broken mirrors are bad luck? really? wow never heard that before), and information is actually repeated multiple times. Pages 56 and 67 have literally the same paragraph about snakes copy/pasted, once under "animal superstitions" and once under "omens". LITERALLY WORD FOR WORD EXACTLY THE SAME (I had to hit the word count!). I'd give this student an F if I was a teacher.

[Heartfelt Editing · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone native to the Appalachian region, this book feels close to my heart. I grew up at the base of the mountains, feeling connection to the environment with my native heritage. This book is filled with wonderful folklore and traditions from the area. There are pages on omens in nature, recipes for our classic buttermilk biscuits, and information on basket weaving. There's protection charms, superstitions for the moon phases, and animal signs. I will absolutely be purchasing a hardcover copy of this to cherish forever and share with my children.

[Siobhain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have already ordered a physical copy of this book because it is so informative and beautifully printed. I have always been interested in folklore. Appalachian Folklore Unveiled is an informative starting point, partially for someone like myself from a different country. The layout is user friendly and easy to use. I also loved that we have cultural information as well, not just the folklore side so it’s nicely rounded.

As always thank you to Wellfleet Press and Netgalley for my copy. My review is always honest, truthful and freely given.

[tapewitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a handsome and gift-able book. It's the type of book that you keep picking back up to read a snippet. I love the the way this book looks - the layout, the illustrations, how crisp it is. I've read a few books by podcast teams lately, and this is one of the better options. To begin, it discusses stereotypes and diversity, plus popular art/expression mediums in the region. The rest of the book explores different ghostly tales and creatures. And there's a great reference section in the back.

[Caylie Ratzlaff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book. 3/5 stars.

Not going to lie, I did skim a lot of this BUT I do love this area of knowledge between what I see online (and what's in Fallout 76). I appreciated how this discussed indigenous and enslaved contributions to the folklore. The folklore itself covered really only the basics and the history, and I think I was hoping it would go into more of what is more niche stuff (like what you see people talking about on tiktok living in this area). It was easy to understand and it was designed nicely.

[Annika M Baldwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Am I thoroughly creeped out alone in my home? Yes.

Was that enough to get past the horrible examples of proofreading and editing areas (two whole sentences were repeated at one part)? No.

Was it enough to get past the lack of original story for the legends even after they made it seem like they would hint at where the grains of truth came in? Also no.

Did I enjoy the background culture of the Appalachian region? Yes.

Was that enough to keep me from being incredibly annoyed at various parts of this book? Also no.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was disappointing. Nothing was "unveiled." Wikipedia has more information on Appalachian folklore and customs than this book. The book is also highly repetitive, repeating information disclosed mere paragraphs previously as if it is being mentioned for the first time. I disagree with the categorization as well. Most of the so-called monsters and demons could be (should be?) together with the cryptid, and the true crime info doesn't need to be included at all.

If you're looking for a very brief overview, look for this book at your local library, but don't waste your money on it.

[Jessica Hembree · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never knew a lot about Appalachian folklore and culture, but this book caught my eye. Not only does it have a wealth of folklore, but it also includes cultural information as well. It has recipes for making biscuits and instructions on making a protection charm. It’s a very good interesting look at the tales of this region.

[Rachel Webb · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review, and here it is:

It's basically an encyclopedia of different facets of the life and history of Appalachia, but there's no academic work here and there's no narrative to bring the elements together. It reads like they copied a wiki for each entry and left it at that.

The layout and graphics are pretty.

[Kayla Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was a good light read. It does not go too in depth into each subject which is fine for its format. The downfall in my opinion is some items were repetitive and others were lacking detail. For example, it may give you a county but not what state that county is in or a general area. The stories were simple in nature but I think that was the point.

[Everett · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started out promising and by the end I just wanted it to be over. Either this was partly written by AI or a new passion needs to be found by the writer, repeat sentences and phrases mere paragraphs apart isn’t a good look. I found myself rereading paragraphs in the second half of the book just trying to understand what they were trying to say, which wasn’t a lot.

[Bibliohiker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This was a dive into the myths and folklore in the Appalachian Mnts. I’ve heard of several of these but done were new to me. This is a fun read if you’re into cryptids, ghosts and the like.

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick impressions: I really liked the book, and I found it very interesting. The book conveys the diverse traditions and superstitions that whites, Blacks, and Native Americans gave the area.

(Detailed review on my blog.)

[Ally · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was largely repetitive and didn’t delve into any of the topics deep enough. It also didn’t include one of the most commonly sited (and feared) legends in Appalachia. It’s a good overview but if you want more information you’ll have to do the research yourself.