American Folklore

Welcome to the United States of Cryptids, where mysterious monsters lurk in the dark forests, deep lakes, and sticky swamps of all fifty states. From the infamous Jersey Devil to the obscure Snallygaster, travel writer and chronicler of the strange J. W. Ocker not only uncovers the bizarre stories of these creatures but investigates the ways in which communities have embraced and celebrated their local cryptids.  

The air hangs heavy in the Deep South, thick with the perfume of magnolia and the stench of the grave. In the murky waters of the bayou and the decaying halls of forgotten plantations, the past is never truly past. It waits, patient and hungry. This chilling anthology of fifteen unsettling tales will drag you into a world of Southern Gothic dread. Witness a desperate fisherman follow a spectral bride into the heart of the swamp, where the only treasure is a tomb. Listen to a voodoo drumbeat that is not a drum at all, but a parasitic heart that feeds on the unwary. Stand vigil on a haunted ...

Ghost Stories of the Appalachian Trail: 30 Chilling Tales of Real Hauntings and Legends The Appalachian Trail winds through some of America's most rugged and mysterious wilderness — and not everything lurking in the woods can be explained. In this spine-tingling collection, explore 30 short stories inspired by real events, ghostly encounters, and chilling Appalachian folklore. From vanished hikers and phantom lights to haunted hollows and ancient curses, each story will leave you wondering what's hiding just beyond the next bend in the trail. Whether you're a believer, a skeptic, or ...

They said it was a bear. They said it was the wind. But from the Pacific Northwest to the swamps of the South, hundreds have whispered another name… Bigfoot. Bigfoot Unleashed dives into America’s most chilling and violent sightings, compiling real encounters, shocking local legends, and brutal face-to-face experiences from deep in the woods. Some survived. Others… disappeared without a trace. Are they hoaxes? Hallucinations? Or something ancient that never left? Read the evidence. Hear the screams. Decide for yourself.

In the deep hollows where the modern world fades to a whisper, the old ways still hold power. The land is alive, the water holds memories, and ancient things slumber under the hills. For generations, quiet families have served as the keepers of these secrets, their lives bound to a sacred trust. This anthology of ten short stories opens a doorway into this hidden country. Inside, you'll discover: A botanist whose arrogance pits him against a forest with a will of its own. A woman whose gift allows her to hear the ghosts of a creek, a power she must wield to save her valley. A logger whose ...

An extraordinary compilation of legends and rituals about nature's ever-present signs. From the birds that soar above us to the insects beneath our feet, Native American healer Bobby Lake-Thom shows how the creatures of the earth can aid us in healing and self-knowledge. “There are ancient...

Listen and relive exciting tales from Highlights, now on audio! Learn about a boy at a Spanish market who knocks over a stand of avocados down a hill and makes guacamole and about a jungle that is full of terror at the thought that a monster could be lurking in the shadows, along with other stories.

Dive into the chilling depths of American history with 'Fear & Folklore: American Witches,' a riveting exploration of the dark and mysterious world of witches in the United States. From the earliest days of the Virginia colonies in 1626, where Joan Wright faced accusations of witchcraft, to the haunting trials of Mary Johnson in Connecticut, found guilty of 'familiarity with the devil' in 1648, this book unearths the buried secrets of America's witch trials. While the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692 take center stage, 'Fear & Folklore' delves deeper into the shadows, uncovering the ...

Book One: A Youngsville Voodoo Affair A Novella by Sylvester Murray A mother’s secret. A child’s glow. A swamp that never forgets. When Mimi Broussard returns to Youngsville, she hopes the quiet Louisiana bayou will give her daughter the peace she’s been searching for. But the swamp remembers what Mimi tried to leave behind—and it remembers her child even more. Strange lights flicker beneath the cypress trees. Whispers curl through the water at night. And when her daughter begins to glow with an otherworldly spark, Mimi realizes the bayou isn’t just alive… it’s watching. As ...

From “one of the greatest writers of our time” (Toni Morrison)—the author of Barracoon and Their Eyes Were Watching God—a collection of remarkable stories, including eight “lost” Harlem Renaissance tales now available to a wide audience for the first time. New York Times’ Books to...

Drawing on the expertise of twenty-four renowned practitioners, this book features contemporary folk traditions from all over North America. Diverse as the landscapes they thrive on, these authentic practices will expand your worldview and inspire you to enrich your own spirituality. Explore the history, tools, and spiritual beliefs of many different paths of folk magic from Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

California is more than beaches and cities—it’s a landscape filled with mystery. From the shadowed depths of the redwood forests to the scorching silence of Death Valley, from the crashing Pacific coastline to the snow-covered peaks of the Sierra Nevada, the Golden State holds stories that refuse to fade. Cryptids of California explores the legends, sightings, and unexplained encounters that have lingered for decades across one of the most diverse regions in the country. Within these pages, you’ll encounter towering giants in remote mountain ranges, serpent-like creatures beneath dark...

Few events have sparked more legends and stories of the supernatural than America's Civil War. The accounts of gallantry and heroism have spread far and wide. Nancy Roberts grew up listening to her father's stories of the War Between the States, and she trekked over many battle sites with him during her childhood. After reading about General Joshua Chamberlain's supernatural experience at the Battle of Gettysburg, Roberts began to collect tales of the blue and gray and write them down.

What if the local legends were true? What if the whispers from the past never faded? In the quiet corners of New England, where history holds a grudge, some stories are best left untold. From a lonely Vermont trail where a mysterious lantern lures hikers to their doom, to a historic Salem house where a 17th-century diary is not a journal but a trap, this collection unearths the terrifying truths behind the region’s most unsettling folklore. Venture to a salt-scoured lighthouse on the coast of Maine where the dead keeper still stands watch, walk the silent grounds of a Harvard graveyard ...

Something ancient and terrifying lurks in the depths of Scape Ore Swamp. Lance Simms and Mark Briggs thought they were on a routine alligator hunt. They had their sights set on a record-breaking bull gator, but what they found was something else entirely—something that shouldn’t exist. When Mark is dragged beneath the water by a monstrous, reptilian creature, Lance barely escapes with his life. Now, the case has caught the attention of Dark Angel Medical—or rather, the team that operates behind its cover. Rick, Doc, Sarah, and D.A. have dealt with things most people wouldn’t believe...

More than 160 tales from eighty tribal groups present a rich and lively panorama of the Native American mythic heritage. From across the continent comes tales of creation and love; heroes and war; animals, tricksters, and the end of the world.

Explore captivating Native American myths.

17 Legendary American Monsters. One Unforgettable Book. From the swamps of Louisiana to the forests of the Pacific Northwest, America is haunted. Beneath every small town and behind every old story, something is watching. Monsters America is your illustrated guide to the most terrifying, fascinating and enduring creatures in United States folklore — the legends whispered around campfires and the cryptids that refuse to be forgotten. Download now and start reading in seconds. Inside this book, you'll come face to face with: Bigfoot (Sasquatch) — the giant shadow of the Pacific Northwest ...

In the chilling follow-up to Southern Ghost Stories: Tennessee Tales, Tennessee Tales Two delves even deeper into the Volunteer State's spine-tingling hauntings and rich folklore. This volume takes readers on a haunting journey through Tennessee’s eerie folklore, ghost stories, and legends, blending history with the supernatural in tales that defy belief. Explore haunted campuses across the state, where ghostly apparitions and unsettling legends linger. Discover ghost stories from the University of the South in Sewanee, East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, and Cumberland ...

Some legends don’t want to stay hidden—and some secrets won’t stay buried. When a Navajo girl vanishes in the high desert of Arizona, Lux Branson is asked to help, even though this time the stakes are deeply personal. Her old friend Jackson believes his girlfriend was taken by a Skinwalker—an evil shapeshifter from Navajo lore. Skeptical but determined, Lux joins the search. The deeper they go into the red rock canyons and sacred lands, the more disturbing the evidence becomes. Something ancient is watching. And it doesn’t want them to leave. With time running out and local ...