Local Legends Specific To Your Area

Growing up, I always enjoyed learning and hearing tales of local urban legends and spooky things. I moved around alot and wherever I ended up, I always hunted until I found out about the local town spooky rumors and would gather a few of my new friends and explore these legends. A few times, we encountered some pretty crazy things.
I'm origionally from San Antonio,TX (which is one of the most haunted cities in the U.S. We had

1. The Donkey Lady
2. The haunted railroad Tracks
3. Fang Baby of old pearsall rd.
4.The Chinese Cemetary
5. Midget Mansion
6. Devil Worshipers Bridge
7. El Camarancito Bar (home of the dancing diablo) which is an awesome tale!
8. The old Nazi school
9. The Salt and Pepper lady
10. The haunted asylum
11. La Lechuza
12. La Lallona
....... and many others.. Feel free to research any of them.

Here In Lawrence Alabama. We have Henrys Hill. Supposedly a man Named henrys Car broke down so he got out to push it off the road and was hit and killed by another car. So when you go there..there are these grooves in the road at the bottom of the hill. You place your wheels in them and put your car in neutral. And your cars is pushed up the hill. Works every time..and doesnt matter which way youre facing. There is a Youtube video on it. If anyone cares to post. I havent yet figured out how.

Originally posted by ParanormalJessy
Here In Lawrence Alabama. We have Henrys Hill.

Henry Hill (gravity hill)
117 Gravity Hill Lane
Sylacauga, Al 35651
GPS: 34.456169, -87.469063

Location Description:

If you park your car in the hole and put it in neutral and turn it off the ghost of Henry will push you to the top in hopes that the same thing will not happen to you. Many people have done this, and it ALWAYS works.

Edited To Add: It is nothing but an optical illusion. A surveyor checked it once, and it has a 2 degree decline for about 75-ft. then a 31 degree decline, which gives it the appearance of going uphill.

Ive Seen that first video before..Pretty compelling photograph. Though I thought the LOOOONG video just to showcase it was unecessary.

Originally posted by ParanormalJessy
Ive Seen that first video before..Pretty compelling photograph. Though I thought the LOOOONG video just to showcase it was unecessary.

I threw them all in there for completeness and just in case someone is searching for it.

I lived in Birmingham for quite a few years but never heard of this place until now.

link

reply to post by JROCK2527


there is a story in nor cal about the mountian i heard about from a buddy that used to live around there,

Mount Shasta is a most majestic mountain, part of the Cascade Mountain Range, located in Siskiyou County in Northern California about 45 miles from the Oregon border. Mount Shasta is the cone of an extinct volcano rising to a height of over 14,162 feet above sea level, and is one of the largest volcanic peaks in the continental United States. Mt. Shasta is a very special place to say the least; it represents much more than just a mere mountain. Mt. Shasta can be considered as one of the most sacred places on this planet. The mountain is a mystic power source for this planet. It is a focus for angels, spirit-guides, spaceships, masters from the Light Realm, and the home of the survivors of Ancient Lemuria, which sank under the waves of the Pacific Ocean a little over 12,000 years ago. For those gifted with clairvoyant abilities, Mt. Shasta is embraced in a gigantic, etheric purple pyramid whose capstone reaches far beyond this planet into space, and connects us intergalactically to the Confederation of Planets for this sector of the Milky Way Galaxy. This awesome pyramid is also created as an inverted version of itself, reaching far down to the very core of the Earth. You can call Mt. Shasta the entry point of the Light-Grids of this planet, where most of the energy comes first from the galactic and universal core before it is disseminated to other mountains and into the grids. Most mountaintops, especially tall mountains, are Beacons of Light, feeding the light-grids of this planet.Strange lights and sounds are often seen or heard on the mountain. Lenticular clouds, shadows and outstanding sunsets add to the mystical aura of the mountain. Several tunnels stretch far into the interior of this majestic mountain. Mt. Shasta is also the home of the present-day Lemurians, survivors of the sinking of the continent of Mu over 12,000 years ago. Yes, our Lemurian brothers and sisters are real; they are well and physically alive, living in the subterranean city of "Telos" beneath Mount Shasta. Prior to the sinking of their continent, fully aware of the eventual destiny of their beloved continent, the ancient Lemurians, using their mastery of energy, crystals, sound and vibrations, hollowed out a vast underground city, with the intention of preserving their culture, their treasures, and their records of ancient Earth's history; history that has been lost since the sinking of Atlantis. Lemuria was once a vast continent, and larger than North America, connected to parts of California, Oregon, Nevada and Washington. This large continent disappeared overnight into the Pacific Ocean over 12,000 years ago in a vast cataclysm. All inhabitants of the Earth at that time considered Lemuria, the land of Mu, their motherland, and there was much weeping on the Earth when that happened. About 25,000 Lemurians at that time were able to migrate into the interior of Mt. Shasta, the most important of their various administration centers, prior to the sinking of their Motherland. And beloveds, you who are reading this writing, know in your heart, that they have never left. They are still here in tangible, physical, immortal bodies, totally unlimited, living a life of pure Heaven on Earth. American Indians believed that Mt. Shasta was of such immense grandeur, that its existence could only be attributed to the creation of a very "Great Spirit". They also believed that an invisible race of little people, about four feet tall, lived along its slopes as Guardians. These wondrous little people, often referred to as "The Little People of Mt. Shasta", are also kind of physical, but not quite, and they are very often seen visually around the mountain. They are third dimensional beings like humans, but they live on a slightly higher level of the third dimension, such as third and one half level, and they have the ability to make themselves visible and invisible at will. The reason they are not showing themselves physically to many people is because they have a collective fear of humans. At one time, when they were as physical as we are, and could not make themselves invisible at will, humans living at that time viciously maligned them. They became so fearful of humans, that they collectively asked the spiritual hierarchy of this planet for the dispensation to be elevated in their frequency, so that they could make themselves invisible at will, in order to be able to continue their evolution unharmed and in peace. There are also reports of the Bigfoot race of people being seen on some remote areas of Mt. Shasta, along with many other mysterious beings. The Bigfoot people are now very few in numbers around the world and around Mt. Shasta. They are of average intelligence and possess a peaceful heart. They have also obtained the dispensation to be able to make themselves invisible at will to be able to avoid confrontation with us and thus, like the little people, avoid being harmed, mutilated and used as a slave race.Things have not changed so much on Earth in our days. We have not yet, as a species, understood that we are guests here on this planet. We are the guests of our gracious Mother Earth who has volunteered to provide a platform of evolution for the many kingdoms she has chosen to allow to be evolving here. Humans are only one of those kingdoms. It was always intended and agreed at the beginning that all kingdoms would be honored, and be allowed to share this planet "equally". And it was that way for a very long time at the beginning. But for hundreds of thousands of years, humans have taken over, arrogantly thinking that they are the superior race, and that they have the right to control and manipulate other kingdoms that appear to be more vulnerable than they. Many of the species of the animal kingdom have also become invisible. They are still here, but in a slightly higher frequency and thus, invisible to us. Where do you think that all those supposedly "extinct" species have gone? Many of them are extinct because they have made a collective choice to not interact with us any more. Those species of the animal kingdom, which are still here physically with us, are not always loved and honored by humans. Go into your heart and explore how most of the animals are treated, used and abused by the supposedly "superior race". Are all animals treated, honored and loved as beings of other kingdoms meant to share this planet with us "equally"? Think how so many whales, dolphins, cows, chickens, cats, dogs, horses, etc. etc. etc. have been and still are used. The list is endless, and could be the subject of several encyclopedias. (I know that this last paragraph will raise many eyebrows, but it needs to be said. Let's now continue with Mt. Shasta).Today, several spiritual groups surround the Mt. Shasta area. Many truth seekers who have felt and heard in their heart the "Call of the Mountain" have moved into this area where they feel they have finally "come home". The dim memory of their far distant Lemurian ancestry is calling them back to a former point of origin.On a clear day, Mount Shasta stands as a white jewel and can be seen from at least 100 miles away. People who live nearby have remarkable stories about the 14,162-foot Cascade volcano. The most remarkable stories are the legends about the mysterious people who live inside the mountain. They are said to be descendants of an ancient society from the lost continent of Lemuria, living deep inside the mountain in round houses, and enjoying unlimited health and wealth, and true brotherhood. They have preserved their ancient culture. The Lemurians living underground, beneath the mountain, are commonly described as graceful and tall - seven feet and up --with long, flowing hair. They dress in white robes and sandals, but they have also been seen in very colorful clothing. They are said to have long, slender necks and bodies, which they adorn with beautiful decorative collars made of beads or precious stones. They have evolved their sixth-sense, which enables them to communicate among themselves by extra-sensory perception. They can also teleport and make themselves invisible at will. Their mother tongue is the Lemurian language, but they also speak an impeccable English with a slight British accent. They have chosen to learn English as a second language because they are situated in America where the people who live on their rooftop speak English as their main language. Dr. M. Doreal claimed years ago that he visited the Lemurians inside their mountain. He said that the space they came into was about two miles in height, about 20 miles long and 15 miles wide. He wrote that the light inside the mountain was as bright as a summer day because suspended almost in the center of that great cavern of space was a giant glowing mass of light. Another man reported that he fell asleep on Mt. Shasta, to be awakened by a Lemurian who led him inside the mountain to his cave, which was paved with gold. The Lemurian told the man that there were a series of tunnels left by volcanoes that were under the earth like freeways -- a world within a world.The Lemurians supposedly have mastered atomic energy, telepathic and clairvoyant skills, electronics and science as long as 18,000 years ago. They have technology that makes us surface dwellers, look as toddlers compared to them. They control most of their technology with their mind. Back then, they knew how to propel boats using energy radiated from crystals. They had airships and flew them to Atlantis and other places. Today, they have a whole fleet of spaceships called the "Silver Fleet" with which they come in and out of the mountain and go out into space. They also have the ability to make their spaceships invisible and soundless to avoid being detected by the local and national military. Though they are third dimensional people in nature, they are able to shift their energy field into fourth and fifth dimension and become invisible at will within seconds. Many people report seeing strange lights on the mountain. One explanation is that there are spacecrafts coming and going constantly from a spaceport deep within the mountain. Mt. Shasta is not only a home for the Lemurians, but it is also an inter-planetary and inter-galactic multi-dimensional portal. There is a huge etheric city of Light above Mt. Shasta called the Crystal City of the Seven Rays. At some point in our near future, hopefully within the next twelve to twenty years, this wondrous city of Light is destined to be lowered into our physical realm, and become the first city of Light to manifest tangibly on the surface of this planet. In order for this to happen, the people who live here will have to match this vibration in their consciousness. You can easily visit the Mt. Shasta area without reading or hearing about Lemurians, but if you have some former connections with them, you may be blessed with some revelations. Mt. Shasta draws visitors from all over the world, some seeking spiritual insight, others seek to glory in the beauty and natural wonders that "mother nature" has to offer here in this unique alpine region.Everyone loves a mystery, especially a mystery about Mt. Shasta. There have been many fascinating myths and legends written about this northern California giant, and the solitary mountain simply slumbers on, her secrets intact. But ever so often, another mysterious story surfaces, new casts of characters emerge and attention is centered once more on the mystic mountain. That's the way it has been for years and probably will always be. Mt. Shasta has a tendency to reveal "herself" only to those who honor life, honor themselves for whom they truly are, honor the Earth, and honor all other kingdoms sharing this planet.Another story about Mt. Shasta! The leading character in the following story is a baffling man by the name of J.C. Brown who, in 1904, was employed with the Lord Cowdray Mining Company of London, England. He was hired to prospect for precious metals in this gold-bearing region, and while here, he ran onto a section of rock in the face of a cliff which didn't seem to match the surrounding formation. While examining the curious stone, he noticed it blocked the entrance to what appeared to be a cave. Brown, a geologist, thought the entire scene was unnatural and began to dig out the mouth of the cave, which was full of debris and vegetation. He began to see that it was not a small cave and after much digging found himself in a tunnel which curved downward into the mountain. Equipped with lanterns and miner's paraphernalia he set out to explore. "Three miles from the mouth of the tunnel I struck a cross-section containing gold-bearing ore and farther on, I struck another cross-section where an ancient race apparently had mined copper," he said later. He believed the other cross-sections outcropped on some other part of the mountain. The decline continued approximately 11 miles inside the mountain to where he found what he called "The Village Blets", where many rooms and chambers were found.The rooms were literally full of various plates, all inscribed neatly. The walls were lined with tempered copper and hung with shields and wall-pieces made of gold. Some of the golden plates he found were engraved with certain drawings and hieroglyphics. Rooms opened into other chambers, one of which appeared to have been a place of worship. In addition, there were 13 statues made of copper and gold and a large sun design from which protruded golden streamers. The way the objects were strewn about, he had the feeling the occupants of the underground village had left on the spur of the moment. And then he came upon a macabre scene - in one chamber he counted 27 skeletons, the smallest of which was 6'6" and the largest stretching out more than 10 feet. Two of the bodies were mummified, each clad in colorful, ornate robes. Brown spent many days exploring, studying the hieroglyphics, and indelibly imprinting them in his mind. He was excited about this great archaeological find and decided to leave the tunnel and its contents exactly as he had found them. He would return, he thought. But first, he cleverly concealed the entrance of the tunnel and marked on his map exactly were it was on the mountain.The next three decades, those spanning 1904-1934, Brown's activities seem to be shrouded in mystery, but it is known that he studied the literature and philosophy pertaining to the lost continent of Mu and the lost Lemurian civilization, among other lore of prehistoric races. Years of study and comparison of the hieroglyphics and pictographs he had found in the tunnel convinced him that they were, indeed, records of the Lemurian race. And so, after 30 long years, Brown surfaced. He decided that the glory of those Lemurians and the golden artifacts still hanging untouched in the cavern of the mountain should be shared with others. In 1934, at the age of 79, Brown appeared in Stockton, California. His idea was to organize a group of people interested in accompanying him, at his expense to Mt. Shasta, and once there, they would explore further the ancient tunnel he had found in 1904.Eighty eager Stockton residents, including a newspaper editor, a museum curator, a retired printer, several scientists, and other solid citizens formed a group to investigate the tunnel with J.C. Brown. They met nightly for six weeks to plan the expedition, and also to listen to Brown's fabulous tales of lost continents, hieroglyphics, and the enticing descriptions of the treasure, which seemed to be just within their grasp. Some even gave up their jobs and some sold much of their personal property during those six weeks, so certain were they that their lives would be altered and enriched after their remarkable discoveries. The editor and the curator questioned Brown closely, going over and over the details of his bizarre story. Brown disclosed that he had spent much of the previous thirty years searching for ancient records pertaining to the Lemurians, and his mental pictures of the hieroglyphics in the tunnel village had convinced him that he had found the lost link in the story of civilization. And he told them he believed the golden antiquities he had found were those of the Lemurians or their descendants. Brown even promised to provide a yacht to transport the group as far north as they could go by water. They would leave on June 19th at 1:00 p.m. The day dawned clear and beautiful, and 80 Stockton citizens were waiting at the designated time for their leader to appear. They had met the evening before in order to consummate the final details, after which J.C. Brown bid them adieu until the next afternoon. However, Brown was never seen again by any of the group, and what happened to him is anybody's guess. The members of the group feared for his life, as he had previously mentioned that he had once been kidnapped by people who do not want this information out, (usually government agencies); and that he had barely escaped with his life. They called in the Stockton police, but no trace of the man was found. He had completely disappeared. But the 80 persons who waited in vain for him that June day believed the authenticity of his story and they believe in the existence of the vast tunnel in Mt. Shasta filled with golden artifacts.Unfortunately, J.C. Brown had never revealed the exact location of the secret tunnel in the mountain, and it is highly probable that these treasures of a prehistoric era will never again delight the eyes of another human. Wreathed in clouds and mist and sealed throughout the ages in ice and snow, Mt. Shasta keeps her secrets to herself, as always. There are numerous accounts and sightings suggesting that an ancient race that utilizes high technology now resides in the bowels of Mt. Shasta in the Cascade Range of northern California. According to researcher William F. Hamilton, who claims to have met representatives of this society, the inhabitants of the subterranean 'city of Telos' underneath Mt. Shasta are usually tall, blue-eyed blonds who number in excess of over one-and-a-half million in their large 5-leveled, 20-mile long underground city. Mt. Shasta has been a major site for UFO contacts for decades. These accounts are so well known that many of the travel guides to the Shasta area mention the legends of the ancient people who are said to dwell within this ancient volcanic peak. "I run across some fascinating people in the course of my investigations, said Mr. Hamilton, who tell me many unusual stories. While on the trail for reports of UFO base locations, I met a young, very pretty blonde girl with almond-shaped eyes and small perfect teeth, whose name is Bonnie. Bonnie told me an incredible story, and has related a volume of interesting information. Bonnie is sincere, cheerful, and rational. She says she was born in 1951 in a city called TELOS that was built inside an artificial dome-shaped cavern in the Earth a mile or so beneath Mt. Shasta."Bonnie, her mother (Rana Mu), her father (Ra Mu), her sister Judy, her cousins Lorae and Matox, live and move in our society, returning frequently to TELOS for rest and recuperation. Bonnie relates that her people use boring machines to bore tunnels in the Earth. These boring machines heat the rock to incandescence, and then vitrify it, thus eliminating the need for beams and supports. A tube transit tunnel is used to connect the cities that exist in various subterranean regions in our hemisphere. The tube trains are propelled by electromagnetic impulses up to speeds of 2500 mph. One tube connects with one of their cities in the Matto Grosso jungle of Brazil". "They grow food hydroponically under full-spectrum lighting with their gardens attended by automatons. The food and resources of Telos are distributed in plenty to the million-and- a-half population that thrives on a no-money economy". "I met Bonnie's cousin, Matox, who, like her, is a strict vegetarian and holds the same attitudes concerning the motives of the U.S. government. "Your government is constantly guarding against unusual discoveries", he said. The Lemurians' advanced awareness and technology assist them to remain vigilant and unnoticed"."Science Fiction? "Bonnie is a real person", said Mr. Hamilton. "Many have met her. Is she perpetrating a hoax? And for what motive? She does not seek publicity and I had a devil of a time getting her to meetings to talk with others, but she has done so. There has been little variation in her story and her answers in the past three years. She has given me excellent technical insight on the construction of a crystal-powered generator that extracts ambient energy. Bonnie's father, Ra Mu, is 300 years old and a member of the ruling council of Telos"."Many tunnels are unsafe and closed off. All tube transit tunnels are protected and are designed to eject uninvited guests. Does Bonnie have the answers that we are looking for? I don't know... Bonnie says she would like to satisfy our needs for proof and will work with me on a satisfactory answer to that problem, but she is unconcerned with whether people accept her or not. Bonnie is humorous, easy-going and well poised, yet sometimes she becomes brooding and mysterious". When Bill Hamilton asked "Bonnie" to elaborate about the power-sources which her people utilize to propel the so-called "flying saucer" crafts, she replied: "A lot of it is crystal generated, particularly the atmospheric vehicles. An Ion-Mercury engine drives the planet-to-planet vehicles. Spaceships can reach speeds way beyond light -- they can enter hyper space, which means you generate into the fourth dimension. This is controlled by an on-board computer that takes you into and out of hyper space," she continues. "I know this is a simplification. When you are on a ship going into hyper space, you will hear this vibration, and a loud screaming sound when you enter, then you will hear nothing..." Bonnie speaks about her home, Telos, a city built a mile or so beneath Mt. Shasta, CA. "This city was constructed just prior to the termination of the Lemurian continent. When the scientists and priests of Lemuria realized their continent was about to sink, they petitioned a group called the Agharta Network, which controlled all the subterranean cities. They asked permission to build their own city underneath Mt. Shasta. There was an original set of caves there. We chose to enlarge these caverns to make them bigger and more livable. There are now one and one half million of us living there." There is so much more that could be said about Mt. Shasta!To discover much more about Mt. Shasta, go back to the "Book List" section of this web site, and click on the Telos books thumbnail. The Telos books will give you so much more information about this magic mountain than this short writing can. Discover your ancient lineage!

reply to post by JROCK2527


I live in the Lowcountry of South Carolina in Charleston, one of America's oldest and most haunted cities. There are so many legends and haunted places down here, it'll make your head spin (haha, no green puke, though). One of the Lowcountry's most famous legends and cryptid is the Lizardman. Also, there is a very real history of hoodoo being practiced around here, with the last great hoodoo doctor (Dr. Buzzard, a real person that you can Google, LOL) dying in Beaufort SC in the eighties. The Old Charleston Jail is one of the most haunted locations in all of Charleston, purportedly haunted by prisoners who died there in the 137 years it was operational (1802-1939)...it's most well-known ghost is that of Lavinia Fisher who is credited as being the US' first female serial/mass murderer and who, on the gallows and in her wedding dress, uttered her last words, "If anyone has a message for the Devil, tell me quick for I am about to meet him!" and jumped from the gallows, hanging herself. Honestly, I could go on for hours about local legends...

WOW! thanks to everyone for keeping this thing going and all the awesome stories. Please keep them coming. I will research each and everyone that is brought up thanks.

In my area they scare kids and adolescence with a story about 3-4 mans dressed like priests who drive a black van and kidnapp kids for organ transplants.Some people says that they found some lungs or hearts over the road... and that belongs to some street kids,but the next day those "dead kids" made their everyday routine (begging,stealing and so on) so it was proved it was a prank
PS: I live in a small town in Roumania

In north Jersey it is the Jackson Whites.

No, not Michael later in his career, but a group of inbred, gun-toting, albinos that lived somewhere in wooded, northern Passaic or Sussex counties and will chase you down and kill you if they catch you on their property.

Here in South London there's supposed to be a black panther on the loose. A friend of mine said he saw it one night in a local park and a couple of times foxes have been found torn apart.

A hell of a lot of pet cats go missing as well.

A JOGGER was forced to run for his life after encountering the infamous Beast of Sydenham. Father-of-four Roger Fleming, 40, was on a late night run with his puppy King on December 9 near Sydenham Hill station when a giant cat chased them through Dulwich Wood.

www.newsshopper.co.uk...

In a town near where I used to live, called Passenham, there is local legend of a lady who threw her baby into the river, then threw herself in after, suicide intended. Apparently if you go to that town at night and hear a baby cry, the lady will come after you.

There are also various legends there of headless horsemen and haunted graveyards. It's quite an interesting town...very small, isolated and creepy. I've had a couple of odd experiences there myself.

Apparently Georgia has its own Lockness monster named "Altie".One of the largest rivers in Georgia is the famous Altamaha River in the southeast portion of the state. The river actually empties in to the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Georgia.And it is said that's where the monster lives.Not sure if I believe it but anything is possible :p

In Tennessee, we had the story of a headless train conductor who would haunt train tracks near where my father's family lived in Reliance. He would come out at night and walk a certain section of track, mumbling to himself, trying to warn people of approaching trains. If you were out in that section of track at night, you would hear the mumbling, look around to see a headless human shape walking toward you, completely dark except for the shiny brass buttons on his overalls, then hear a quiet clank clank, like a dying hand was trying to ring a warning bell. Speculation was that if you spoke to him, or followed him, he'd lead you to treasure or off a cliff or under a train where you'd lose your own head, but nobody knew because everyone ran away as soon as they saw him.

I'd heard versions of this story from my father's family growing up and had actually walked the tracks in question a few times over the years while camping in the area. Several had seen him or at least heard him. My mother eventually told me her story. Like me, she'd heard the legend and had walked the tracks at night looking for the headless train conductor, usually with friends as a lark. One night, they stopped giggling long enough to hear mumbling behind them. There was a dark shape walking toward them. All her friends screamed and ran away, but my mother was too scared. She stood and watched as the shape moved closer. She could see the brass buttons on the overalls gleaming as they reflected the lights of the distant town. She heard the soft clank clank of the bell. She shivered in fear until...

The large black cow walked right on by her, mooing softly to herself, her eyes reflecting the distant lights, the bell around her neck clanking softly with each step. While not supernatural, we decided that a cow walking along the railroad tracks at night was weird enough.

Not confined to my local area, the story of why a cougar's roar can sound like a woman's scream. A Native American (we just called them Indians back then) girl wanted to attend a meeting of powerful chiefs, but wasn't allowed because of her age. To sneak into the meeting, she disguised herself in a cougar pelt. When found out, they punished her by changing her into a cougar and banishing her from the tribe. Now she is cursed to wander the mountains forever, calling out to her lost tribe. That's the version of the story told to me by my mother when I heard screams one summer night and wanted to go looking for the hurt woman.

My grandfather's version of the story was a bit darker. According to him, cougars would stalk women and children at night and bite and claw them until they cried out for help, attracting more people for the cougar to kill and eat. Eventually, the cougar's learned to mimic the sound of a woman's scream so they could attract more victims. He also said that if you were in the woods at night and heard a deep voice quietly mumbling things like "stay there" or "come back" you should run away as quickly as possible. He said that black bears grunt to themselves as they walk along the woods, and it often sounds like a man mumbling to himself. The bears of course do it intentionally when approaching young children alone in the woods at night so they can get close enough to eat them. I think I remember that wild hogs were supposed to do something similar.

Looking back, I think all my family's stories were designed to keep me from going off in the woods by myself at night.

Oh, that reminds me. Around here (Polk County, southeast corner of Tennessee), cougars are considered extinct. They were killed off 100-200 years ago. The local wildlife agents actively deny there are any still around. Tales of sightings or attacks are dismissed as tall tales intended to scare tourists. I didn't hear one as a child in the 1970's, I wasn't raised to keep an eye on hillsides and trees where a cougar could jump down on me any time I was in the deep woods, and a local shortcut through the mountains definitely isn't called Painter Gap because cougars are regularly spotted cutting through there. (Cougar = panther = painter in old folk's language.) Cougars haven't been around in anybody's lifetime and we country folk just like to tell interesting stories.

In the early 2000's I was working at a local hospital when a tourist came in all cut up. His story was that he had been attacked by a large cat. I assumed cougar. Somebody called the local TWRA (Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency) to tell them about the attack. They sent a couple of agents over. I asked, "Are you looking for the guy cut up by the cougar?" The answer: "Yeah, we're here to take the Bigfoot report." That's when I found out that the TWRA, at least according to these two agents, considers cougars on par with Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster in terms of believability, and the TWRA (or again at least these two agents) actively resented being pulled away from real work to hear about cougars.

In related legends, water moccasins are apparently not found in this area, in spite of the fact that a local river feature is named Moccasin Bend because of their prevalence in the river and several local ball teams being named after them. Also, those civet cats I remember trapping with my grandfather as a child have apparently been extinct here since the last Ice Age.

I've lived in nearly 10 areas, and the one that comes to mind is The Lake Monster. Various tribal members go the the area to 'feed the lake'. They'll throw meat in the water as a sacrifice to the water spirits. This place is near Canada. a reply to: JROCK2527

For those of you who aren't Australian (which is probably 99% of you), we have the 'Bunyip" from Victoria.

en.wikipedia.org...