In the ancient mountains of Western North Carolina, where emeralds hide in weathered stone and mist cloaks valleys older than memory, something watches from the shadows. This episode explores the legend of the Boojum, a massive, hair-covered recluse that has haunted these hills since before the Cherokee walked the ridges.

Part Bigfoot, part treasure guardian, and wholly mysterious, the Boojum collects gems with the eye of a connoisseur and the strength to tear trees from the ground.Our story begins with a shaken geologist stumbling into a Burnsville diner with an impossible tale, then reaches back through centuries of encounters.

From Cherokee oral traditions that speak of Nun'Yunu'Wi's cousin who left garnets at the doors of newborns, to Civil War soldiers fleeing in terror from a creature that seemed to forbid violence in its domain, to modern-day scientists discovering inexplicable forest gardens tended by an unknown hand, we trace the evolution of a legend that refuses to fade.

Drawing from historical accounts, family journals, and the testimony of a secret network of protectors known as the Keepers, we explore  what happens when ancient mystery collides with the modern world of GPS tracking and thermal drones.

In an age where every square foot of earth can be photographed from space, the Boojum reminds us that some things are more valuable when they remain hidden, and that wonder itself might be worth protecting.


Get Our FREE Newsletter

Get Brian's Books

Leave Us A Voicemail

Visit Our Website

Support Our Sponsors