America’s first settlers were afraid of a lot of things and when they were afraid of something they reflexively connected it to the Devil – whether it was places like forests and woods or people, like the Native Americans who had predated their arrival on these shores by hundreds of years. In other words, whatever they didn’t understand, they feared, and whatever they feared, it must be the work of the Devil.

But it wasn’t just the indigenous people they feared and disliked – it was also the Africans. Small groups of them began arriving in the British colonies as early as 1619. They weren’t immigrants, though. They had been kidnapped from their homeland and transported to America against their will. Their numbers grew at a gradual pace throughout the seventeenth century, before increasing dramatically in the century that followed. Nearly every African in America at that time was held in bondage by white settlers, who, while perhaps not terrified by the slaves themselves, were terrified by their persistence in upholding the traditions and beliefs they brought to the country with them.

At home, magical practices had been central to the supernatural beliefs of the slaves. When they were brought to American in chains, their beliefs may have changed somewhat but they still included a legion of spirits who influenced their daily lives. And not all those spirits were benevolent ones – especially toward the white slave owners.

The Puritans and the early colonists found more monsters in America than just witches. The Devil had birthed a variety of what were often called “monstrous births” and they became signs and omens for the believers in an angry god. Spectral, shape-shifting dogs, along with demonic, giant black bears, haunted the woods around the settlements. They believed they were surrounded by evil spirits in the sea, the rivers, lakes, forests, and swamps around them.

But the Puritans were not the only ones finding monsters on the American frontier. Sea serpents swam in our waters and strange beasts populated the wilderness that loomed over most new American settlements. But the response to the beasts the settlers met were not always the same and didn’t always share the Puritan desire to destroy all monsters or cleanse the American landscape – no matter how devilish the monsters might be.

Instead, they turned them into legends.

A special “Very Scary Christmas” Episode!

Traditional Christmas celebrations in colonial American were much different than they are today. It was a public celebration in the streets and the pubs. Few people celebrated in church and even fewer celebrated with family at home.

And for good reason. The winter nights were cold and dark. It was a time of snow, ice, and being trapped indoors with that family. The coming days – and weeks – were going to be spent around the fire, waiting for better weather to return. That fire, along with candles and oil lamps, were the only way to stay warm – and to keep away the shadows that were creeping outside your door.

This made it the perfect time for stories and storytelling, especially stories of ghosts, hauntings, spectral travelers, and the night folk. In those days, the cold winter months were considered the spookiest time of the year. It was a dark season that began with Halloween and lasted until the spring thaw. In centuries past, the holiday season was not just a time of celebration – it was a time to be afraid.