Obscure Appalachia

Somehow several hours of research and a decently lengthy script led to an 18 minute episode. I'm not sure how that happened unless I really talk that fast.

Continuing on with last episode's Bigfoot / Sasquatch info, this episode we delve into the folkloric Bigfoot creatures that are regional-specific, as well as into theories and ideas about who Bigfoot is and where our most famous cryptid may have come from.

TW: No triggers.

Find me on social media at Obscure Appalachia.

To support the podcast and get bonus episodes visit patreon.com/obscureappalachia

Submit your true paranormal, true crime stories, or love letters to [email protected]

Visit the website at obscureappalachia.com

Sources:

Bigfoot Theories – Washington Bigfoot

The Legend of the Boojum | Balsam Mountains North Carolina Folklore

Grassman | Cryptid Wiki | Fandom

Orange Eyes | Cryptid Wiki | Fandom

Whirling Whimpus | Cryptid Wiki | Fandom

The oldest account of Bigfoot was recorded in 986 AD - Sasquatch Chronicles

Tennessee Wildman | Cryptid Wiki | Fandom

COLUMN: The Tennessee Wildman | East Tennessean

Yeahoh, Yahoo or Bigfoot? - Appalachian History

Whirling Whimpus | Monster Wiki | Fandom

The five strangest theories about Sasquatch

The Bering Land Bridge Theory - Bering Land Bridge National Preserve (U.S. National Park Service)

Bering Land Bridge

Bering Land Bridge formed surprisingly late during last ice age | NSF - National Science Foundation

Skeptic » eSkeptic » April 12, 2004

The Man Who Created Bigfoot

These 5 Mythical Animals Turned Out to Be Real | Nature and Wildlife | Discovery

TW: No triggers I can see.

Bigfoot is Appalachia's most well-known cryptid. Probably the entire US, really. How have I made it this long without making an episode about the big, hairy guy himself? Part I of this two parter gives some Bigfoot basics, like a very brief overview on his appearance, his supposed communication methods, and territorial markings believed to be displayed by the Sasquatch. Then I go into a few Appalachian-based Bigfoot sightings. One of which is a full story from the witness, the others are synopses of the encounters. This is overall a research episode, not a story based one. Overall for a cryptid his lore is more cryptozoological rather than paranormal.

I'm eager for next episode when we can talk about some of the absolute insanity that are the theories on his origin.

Find me on social media at Obscure Appalachia.

To support the podcast and get bonus episodes visit patreon.com/obscureappalachia

Submit your true paranormal stories or love letters to [email protected]

Recommended videos referenced in the episode:

Pennsylvania White Bigfoot - slowed down - YouTube

Olympic Bigfoot - Beyond the Trail new Sasquatch evidence documentary On the Trail of Bigfoot tie-in - YouTube

Primary source for experiences:

Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization - They're so great, y'all. Check them out.

Other sources - Please note many of these sources will carry on to part II:

BFRO Report 73291: Couple's near-miss road-crossing sighting 10 miles south of Trenton

BFRO Report 2435: Several people witness 7 to 8 foot tall creature on an old mining road

BFRO Report 74666: RECENT: Father and daughter's daylight encounters with a sasquatch on large wooded property 16 NW of Durham

BFRO Report 57053: Fisherman has up-close daytime encounter with a hairy hominid near Clayton

BFRO Report 9546: Teens chased by upright running animal near Bradford

Bigfoot - Wikipedia

Bigfoot Theories – Washington Bigfoot

“A Strange and Frightful Being” – Appalachia’s Folklore Creatures Part 3 - Appalachia Bare

The Legend of Bigfoot | Washington State Military Department, Citizens Serving Citizens with Pride & Tradition

Scientists Propose a New Theory for Why Some Chimps Throw Stones at Certain Trees | Discover Magazine

The Art of Nest Building - Project Chimps

I just wanted to make a lil' year end wrap-up episode for the first full year of Obscure Appalachia. I talk about your favorite episodes, offer some bonus stories, and share my own favorite episodes as well. I also discuss some general thoughts on the near future of the podcast. Please let me know, do you prefer the narrative, research heavy episodes? Or do you prefer the story compilations? Or both, equally? Do you have any interest in watching me in video form do basically the same thing I do now? Lol. Share some thoughts with me.

Thank you all for an incredible first year plus. I have the most amazing listeners. Happy new year to all of you.

TW: None

Find me on social media at Obscure Appalachia.

To support the podcast visit patreon.com/obscureappalachia

Submit your true paranormal, true crime stories, or love letters to [email protected]

Be sure to follow or subscribe so you don't miss upcoming episodes. Also leave me a review if you haven't already, pretty please?

Sources:

This episode completes this round of listener submissions. Just like last time, there's a nice array of different experiences here. I tried to divide them up so each episode wouldn't be one solitary type of encounter. One of my favorite parts of doing these past two episodes has been connecting with y'all. It's so cool to not only get to hear your experiences, but to get to interact with you on a deeper level than I normally do. Unsurprisingly, you guys are really amazing people.

Just like last time, this episode does have adult language. But it also has hauntings, another freaky astral projection experience, a ouija board, and strange... Shadow person... Bigfoot... Cryptids? Ghosts? I love it.

TW: No real triggers here.

Find me on social media at Obscure Appalachia. Feel free to submit questions for these folks and I'll forward them their way.

The improved website is over at obscureappalachia.com. Leave a review there or on your podcast provider for me pretty please? It helps a lot with increasing my reach to new listeners.

To support the podcast visit patreon.com/obscureappalachia

Submit your true paranormal, true crime stories, or love letters to [email protected]

Sources:

Stories today are from Mel, Michelle, Anonymous, and Brodie.

Y'all really DELIVERED on telling me about your own personal, paranormal experiences. I'm so honored you trusted me to tell your stories. There's a nice mix of hauntings, unexplained creatures, and cryptids for you to enjoy.

If you'd like to ask the contributors any questions, contact me with those and I'll pass them along.

My apologies that there's some audio artifact in this episode that is driving me absolutely insane. Not sure what is going on with my set-up, but I'm working to fix it for next time. Look forward to volume 2 on December 12th, 2023.

TW: No real triggers this episode, just two f-bombs in the final story.

Find me on social media at Obscure Appalachia.

To support the podcast and get bonus episodes visit patreon.com/obscureappalachia

Submit your true paranormal, true crime stories, or love letters to [email protected]

Sources:

Bee, Father JP, Karah, Sherry Perry, Christopher Burns, and Earl.

The story of Corpsewood Manor is one of the more intriguing true crime stories, because it does have elements of the occult and the paranormal. I love when we get to do a deep dive into people who march to the beat of their own drummer. There's only so much "they lit up a room" mindset you can take before you want to know who people actually are. It's a shame Dr. Charles Scudder and Joseph Odom didn't have many more years of the life they envisioned when they came to Georgia. The US, and Appalachia, wasn't always the most welcoming of people who were so blatantly different.

What do you think of the paranormal element to the story? Do you think Corpsewood is haunted, or cursed? Do the ghosts of Charles, Joseph, or the dogs still roam the homestead? I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

Send in those paranormal stories of your own to [email protected] for inclusion on an upcoming episode. Please include the name you'd like for me to use for you in the story. You may of course stay anonymous.

Listener Note: This episode contains discussion of sexual activity that may not be appropriate with younger ones around.

TW: Murder, animal murder, prejudice and homophobia, drug use, potential sexual activity with a minor.

Find me on social media at Obscure Appalachia.

To support the podcast and get bonus episodes visit patreon.com/obscureappalachia

Submit your true paranormal, true crime stories, or love letters to [email protected]

Sources:

Corpsewood Manor – Abandoned Southeast

Satanic panic - Wikipedia

The Corpsewood Manor Murders in North... by Petulla, Amy

The Corpsewood Murders: 40 years later - Atlanta Magazine

The Nine Satanic Sins - Church of Satan

Haunted Horror: The Corpsewood Murders – Queer Paranormal

We're Here, We're Queer, We're Dead - OUT FRONT

Corpsewood Manor – Summerville, Georgia - Atlas Obscura

The Tragic Case of Dr. Charles Lee Scudder, Satanist - Church of Satan

Hey y'all! I'm in need of some more of your personal paranormal experiences, both big and small. Please write those out in as much detail as you can, and e-mail them to [email protected]. Please include the name you'd like for me to use for you on the podcast. Thank you!

Find me on social media at Obscure Appalachia.

To support the podcast and get bonus episodes visit patreon.com/obscureappalachia

Submit your true paranormal, true crime stories, or love letters to [email protected]

Sources:

A bit of a departure on format with this one, in such a fun way. This special Halloween episode was the perfect opportunity to do an episode on the Bell Witch. This haunting is infamous in Appalachia, particularly in Tennessee where the story takes place. It's fascinating to have a fairly well-documented in history paranormal story, especially one that is such an intelligent and interactive entity. There are many small variations in this story, so I went with the most commonly told and accepted versions, but there's a lot of nuance in here. Easy for that to happen when this was centuries ago. What do you think about this episode? Let me know. Y'all know I love the feedback. :)

TW:

Brief instance of animal cruelty, physical assault by an entity, murder...? by an entity.

Find me on social media at Obscure Appalachia.

To support the podcast and get bonus content visit patreon.com/obscureappalachia

Submit your true paranormal, true crime stories, or love letters to [email protected]

Sources:

Bell Witch - Wikipedia

TSLA::“Tennessee Myths and Legends"

#10 - An authenticated history of the famous Bell witch ... The mysterious ... - Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library

The Real People of the Bell Witch Legend

Really interesting further reading:

Historian, descendant recount Bell Witch legend | AP News

History of the Bell Witch is a dark tale, but could science explain it?

My experiences with the Bell Witch haunting : Paranormal

"The grinning man", Indrid Cold, is an elusive humanoid entity in Appalachia. Is he connected to Mothman? Is he actually Valiant THOR? We explore these possibilities in this episode as well as Woodrow Derenberger's book and experiences, and Stranger at the Pentagon.

Y'all, I lost brain cells researching for this episode. Get ready for the most cynical thoughts segment yet.

Also, I had some editing help this time around, and the pacing of this episode is much faster than usual. Do you prefer this faster pace, or the usual?

Obscure Appalachia LIVE will be 6:00pm October 29th at Downtown Drafts in Gainesville, Georgia.

TW: Extraterrestrials. Very poor novel writing.

Find me on social media at Obscure Appalachia.

To support the podcast and get bonus content visit patreon.com/obscureappalachia

Submit your true paranormal, true crime stories, or love letters to [email protected]

Sources:

Woodrow Derenberger and the Legend of Indrid Cold | The Daily Yonder

Indrid Cold | Cryptid Wiki | Fandom

Exploring the Reports of Indrid Cold: A Man Behind the Mystery? – 16% Nation

Wtf is Indrid Cold!?!? : cryptids

(2) Indrid Cold: The Woodrow Derenberger Interview (WITH CAPTIONS) - YouTube

That Charming Man: Indrid Cold Reconsidered, Pt. 1

Fact or Fiction - Valiant Thor

Stranger at the Pentagon

DR. STRANGES TO UFO CLUB

Ike and the Alien Ambassadors - The Washington Post

Visitors From Lanulos | PDF

[Book Review UFO/Paranormal] Visitor from Lanulos (Woody Derenberger, re-published 2014) : discoverthetruth

Indrid Cold Part 5: The Taunia Derenberger Interview

Canine cryptids cover a broad range of dog-like creatures. Whether it's Hell Hound, Dogman, or Werewolves, these creatures have existed in legend for thousands of years. This episode is a compilation of supposedly true experiences and encounters with this phenomena.

Some of these seem more like supernatural/paranormal entities than cryptids, but let me know your thoughts on them.

I'll probably make the audio announcement with the next episode, but Obscure Appalachia will be live onstage, Sunday, October 29th at 6:00pm at Downtown Drafts in Gainesville, Georgia. I'm not sure if any of you are local, but if you are I'd love for you to come out, hear some spooky stories, have some yummy beers and meet me.

TW: Injury and death to wild animals, people... and cryptids.

Find me on social media at Obscure Appalachia.

To support the podcast and get bonus episodes visit patreon.com/obscureappalachia

Submit your true paranormal, true crime stories, or love letters to [email protected]