The village of Middleway, West Virginia, is a community with a population of less than 500 people. Though the area was first settled back in the early 18th century, it has its place in history because as the home of legend that dates back to the late 1700s when a local farmer and his family became the victim of poltergeist-like activity.

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For more than a century, the Brown Mountain Lights have baffled scientists, inspired ghost stories, and drawn curious travelers to the rugged wilderness of western North Carolina. Nestled within the Linville Gorge Wilderness Area of Pisgah National Forest, Brown Mountain has become ground zero for one of America’s most enduring paranormal mysteries.

Eyewitnesses describe glowing orbs—white, red, even blue—rising from the mountain, flickering like lanterns, and vanishing into the night sky. Some believe these lights are the restless spirits of Cherokee warriors killed in an ancient battle. Others claim they’re tied to long-lost lovers, murdered wives, or even extraterrestrial visitors.

In this episode of Southern Gothic, we uncover the tangled roots of the Brown Mountain Lights legend. From 18th-century accounts and ghostly Appalachian folklore to Cold War UFO sightings and government investigations by the U.S. Geological Survey, we’ll explore how science, superstition, and storytelling have shaped one of North Carolina’s greatest unsolved mysteries.

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Y'all join us as we explore ⁠Macabrium⁠, a podcast that explores the secrets of the past-- true crime, dark history, lore, and legends. Join Megan on Tuesdays for true crime & dark history, and Derek on Sundays for lore & legends. 

This Lore & Legends episode is titled "“The Murder Hole Room: Hauntings at Leap Castle, Part 1”

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Y'all join us as we explore Macabrium, a podcast that explores the secrets of the past-- true crime, dark history, lore, and legends. Join Megan on Tuesdays for true crime & dark history, and Derek on Sundays for lore & legends. 

This True Crime & Dark History episode is titled "Villain By Nature: The Cannibal Boone Helm."

Listen to Macabrium today on your favorite podcasting apps!

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On May 15th, 2025, flames tore through the largest surviving antebellum mansion in the South—Nottoway Plantation in White Castle, Louisiana. Within hours, the storied structure was reduced to a charred skeleton. But as officials made statements mourning the loss and news channels skirted larger issues, much of the public saw something different: the fire was a symbol of racial reckoning.

In this special episode of Southern Gothic, we examine how Southern plantations like Nottoway went from sites of forced labor to luxurious resorts and wedding venues. From the Lost Cause myth and the rise of heritage tourism to the backlash against plantation weddings and the emergence of museums like Whitney Plantation, which aim to tell the real story of slavery-- join us as we explore the history of plantation tourism.

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This week we are going back to you & telling your listener-submitted stories! Tales include a haunted college, an apparition on an old battlefield and a lonely spirit on vacation in Gatlinburg...

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In the shadow of Key West’s sun-drenched charm lies one of the island’s most disturbing true stories. In 1930, a reclusive hospital technician named Carl Tanzler became convinced that a young Cuban-American woman was his fated bride—sent to him by visions from beyond the grave. But after her untimely death, his obsession took a grotesque turn. From stolen corpses to waxen recreations, what followed is a tale so surreal, so haunting, it defies belief.

In this episode, we unravel the true story of obsession, violation, and the twisted lengths one man went to in the name of so-called love.

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Long before the Hatfields and McCoys became a symbol of Southern feuding, two Louisiana families waged a decades-long battle of their own. The Black River War between the Liddells and the Joneses tore through Catahoula Parish with ambushes, political rivalries, and cold-blooded murder-- culminating in a deadly shootout aboard a Mississippi steamer and vigilante justice carried out by torchlight. What sparked this violent feud? And why has history largely forgotten it?

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The Fitzpatrick Hotel has been standing on the courthouse square of Washington, Georgia for more than a century now, its red-brick walls and Queen Anne trim casting long shadows over the town’s oldest streets. But around here, folks say it wasn’t just the fire that cleared the way for the hotel to be built—there are darker stories too. Stories about graves left behind. About spirits that never moved on.

And one name you’ll hear more than any other is Polly Barclay.

Back in 1806, Polly found herself at the center of one of Georgia’s earliest true crime stories—accused of plotting her husband’s murder and sentenced to die. She was beautiful, sharp, and by all accounts sure she’d never see the gallows. But fate had other plans, and her execution would go on to spark one of the region’s most enduring legends. Some say Polly never left. Some say she's still there, beneath the Fitzpatrick, rattling her chains on stormy nights when the wind kicks up just right.

This week, we’re digging into the real story behind the legend—who Polly Barclay really was, what really happened that night outside Washington, and why her ghost might still be walking among us today.

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This week, we’re taking a brief detour from our usual haunted history to explore the deeper symbolism behind the stories we so often tell. Brandon sits down with artist and folklorist Stacey Williams-Ng, creator of The Southern Gothic Oracle, a richly illustrated divination deck that draws upon the archetypes, landscapes, and traditions of the American South.

In this conversation, Stacey shares the inspiration behind her work, from the hurricane lamp to the sassafras root, and discusses how these everyday objects become powerful symbols of Southern identity, memory, and myth. We also delve into her latest project, HAUNTS, an upcoming oracle deck featuring ghosts, cryptids, cursed places, and poisonous plants—all drawn from regional folklore.

Launching soon via Kickstarter, HAUNTS builds on the success of Stacey’s previous decks, The Southern Gothic Oracle and The Southern Botanic Oracle, and continues her mission of preserving Southern folklore through art and storytelling.

Stay tuned until the end of the episode for a special reading from Stacey using her original deck.

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