What a night for stories. Picture a setting on the banks of the mighty Ohio, huge trees overshadowing the pavilion, lights from the town on the other side blinking in the water. Kids in costumes straggle in with a few adults. It's spookily dim as we begin our tales.
The event was the brainchild of Donna Wilson, a storyteller who has a gift for knowing what will make a successful event. This one was low-key; she provide decorations, a mike and her stories, and I provided my stories.
This was the best performance I have seen from Donna. I've told with her several times now, and keep seeing improvement. One of the best ways to get better as a teller is to tell. And tell. And tell. Another way is to listen to and watch other tellers. and the third important ingredient is watching the audience and being able to read their reactions. Donna's ghost stories were perfect for the group we had tonight, and my tales went very well too.
On the drive home I thought about performance--driving 40 miles through quiet country and a few towns to get there, meeting people and just telling stories to them, then driving dark roads home. What makes me do this, over and over?
What I come to is this: it's the audience. Seeing their eyes, their delight, the memories I trigger. Tonight as I was telling Tailypo a young girl's eyes lit with pleasure, and when I got to the signature chant (Tailypo, tailypo, coming to get my tailypo) she know it and chimed right in! After the first time, I gave the mike to her for the repeated chants. That shared joy in the story is something I can't place a value on, and yet for all of us tonight the little girl's joy increased our enjoyment in a three dimensional way. Not only was I telling and they listening--now one of their own was participating and deepening the experience for us all.
Showing posts with label Granny's Ghost Stories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Granny's Ghost Stories. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
West Virginia Ghost Stories and Storytelling
In our state, stories and storytelling have been a part of our culture since the earliest pioneers crossed the Allegheny mountains. People told stories to while away the time during long winter evenings, or on the porch on hot summer days. Stories were a way to pass on family history, traditions, stories from the “old country,” and to teach children the accepted rules of behavior.
Of all the stories told in our state, the most prevalent is the ghost story. I sometimes think that every ridge and holler in our state has its own ghost. The reasons for the abundance of ghost stories are several. The simplest explanation might be that the mist rising from the hills at night can create a ghostly aspect that might make a person think of otherworldly beings. Some folklorists speculate that the settlers of West Virginia brought with them the stories and lore of their native countries. English, Irish and Scottish folklore is filled with supernatural stories and ballads. Some of these stories were transplanted with the people who told them with new twists introduced in their new land.
Religion might have also played a role. Many settlers believed firmly in the flight of the soul after death, and it wasn’t too much of a stretch to believe that some souls lost their way on this final journey and were trapped here on earth. Usually these lost souls had a specific reason for staying: revenge, relaying a warning to loved ones, or some other unfinished business.
Some ghost stories were cautionary tales, meant to discourage children from dangerous activities. The legends of Booger Hole in Clay County fall into this category, telling of terrible things that were believed to have occurred around a certain muddy portion of a road on Twistabout Ridge. In my county, there is a story of a headless dog that supposedly haunts Tug Fork after dark and chases people. Children in that area might think twice about going out after dark if there is a chance of encountering that dog!
Ghost stories are different than horror stories. Ghost stories tend to be stories with supernatural occurrences, rarely include violent acts committed by the spirit, and are usually fairly short. They are generally more haunting than scary, leaving the listener wondering what might have really happened, if the person really saw what they claimed, or why the ghost chose that place or time to appear. The haunting, unexplained nature of ghost stories probably explains their continued popularity. There is mystery in ghost stories that engages the imagination.
Many ghost stories have been collected and published in books; still others are still being passed down from parent to child. Below is a list of a few collections of West Virginia ghost stories.
People use a variety of words to refer to ghosts. Some used in West Virginia are: Haint, Booger, Revenant, Spook, Shade, Spirit, Apparition
West Virginia Ghost Stories Booklist
This list is not all-inclusive, but includes some of the most popular and easily found collections of West Virginia ghost stories. Many stories are included in old county history books, back issues of the West Virginia Folklore Journal (no longer in publication), Goldenseal magazine, and many local sources.
Author: Musick, Ruth Ann.
Ruth Ann Musick is undoubtedly the First Lady of West Virginia ghost stories and ghost story collecting. While teaching at Fairmont State College, Musick collected stories from her students over a number of years. She also did research and found many stories herself.
Ballads, Folk Songs & Folk Tales from West Virginia. Includes some very strange ghost stories.Morgantown, West Virginia University Library, 1960. Out of Print, but available through libraries.
Green Hills of Magic : West Virginia Folktales from Europe. A variety of stories that includes ghost stories.Publication info: Parsons, WV : McClain Printing Co., 1989.
Coffin Hollow, and Other Ghost Tales
University Press of Kentucky, c1977.
The Telltale Lilac Bush, and Other West Virginia Ghost Tales.University of Kentucky Press,1965
Author: Deitz, Dennis
The Greenbrier Ghost and Other Strange Stories. West Virginia’s most famous ghost story is told from several perspectives in this collection.
Mountain Memories Books, 1990
Author: Roberts, Nancy.
Appalachian Ghosts. Includes several stories from West Virginia, including one about John Henry.
Author: Jones, James G.
Appalachian Ghost Stories and Other Tales. Also wrote “More Appalachian Folk Stories.
McClain Printing Co, Parsons, WV. 1997
Author: Holstein, Susanna “Granny Sue”
Granny’s Ghost Stories. Includes historical, family and original ghost stories. Available from me!
Author: Shepard, Susan.
Cry of the Banshee. A collection of stories by Parkersburg’s resident ghost hunter.
Of all the stories told in our state, the most prevalent is the ghost story. I sometimes think that every ridge and holler in our state has its own ghost. The reasons for the abundance of ghost stories are several. The simplest explanation might be that the mist rising from the hills at night can create a ghostly aspect that might make a person think of otherworldly beings. Some folklorists speculate that the settlers of West Virginia brought with them the stories and lore of their native countries. English, Irish and Scottish folklore is filled with supernatural stories and ballads. Some of these stories were transplanted with the people who told them with new twists introduced in their new land.
Religion might have also played a role. Many settlers believed firmly in the flight of the soul after death, and it wasn’t too much of a stretch to believe that some souls lost their way on this final journey and were trapped here on earth. Usually these lost souls had a specific reason for staying: revenge, relaying a warning to loved ones, or some other unfinished business.
Some ghost stories were cautionary tales, meant to discourage children from dangerous activities. The legends of Booger Hole in Clay County fall into this category, telling of terrible things that were believed to have occurred around a certain muddy portion of a road on Twistabout Ridge. In my county, there is a story of a headless dog that supposedly haunts Tug Fork after dark and chases people. Children in that area might think twice about going out after dark if there is a chance of encountering that dog!
Ghost stories are different than horror stories. Ghost stories tend to be stories with supernatural occurrences, rarely include violent acts committed by the spirit, and are usually fairly short. They are generally more haunting than scary, leaving the listener wondering what might have really happened, if the person really saw what they claimed, or why the ghost chose that place or time to appear. The haunting, unexplained nature of ghost stories probably explains their continued popularity. There is mystery in ghost stories that engages the imagination.
Many ghost stories have been collected and published in books; still others are still being passed down from parent to child. Below is a list of a few collections of West Virginia ghost stories.
People use a variety of words to refer to ghosts. Some used in West Virginia are: Haint, Booger, Revenant, Spook, Shade, Spirit, Apparition
West Virginia Ghost Stories Booklist
This list is not all-inclusive, but includes some of the most popular and easily found collections of West Virginia ghost stories. Many stories are included in old county history books, back issues of the West Virginia Folklore Journal (no longer in publication), Goldenseal magazine, and many local sources.
Author: Musick, Ruth Ann.
Ruth Ann Musick is undoubtedly the First Lady of West Virginia ghost stories and ghost story collecting. While teaching at Fairmont State College, Musick collected stories from her students over a number of years. She also did research and found many stories herself.
Ballads, Folk Songs & Folk Tales from West Virginia. Includes some very strange ghost stories.Morgantown, West Virginia University Library, 1960. Out of Print, but available through libraries.
Green Hills of Magic : West Virginia Folktales from Europe. A variety of stories that includes ghost stories.Publication info: Parsons, WV : McClain Printing Co., 1989.
Coffin Hollow, and Other Ghost Tales
University Press of Kentucky, c1977.
The Telltale Lilac Bush, and Other West Virginia Ghost Tales.University of Kentucky Press,1965
Author: Deitz, Dennis
The Greenbrier Ghost and Other Strange Stories. West Virginia’s most famous ghost story is told from several perspectives in this collection.
Mountain Memories Books, 1990
Author: Roberts, Nancy.
Appalachian Ghosts. Includes several stories from West Virginia, including one about John Henry.
Author: Jones, James G.
Appalachian Ghost Stories and Other Tales. Also wrote “More Appalachian Folk Stories.
McClain Printing Co, Parsons, WV. 1997
Author: Holstein, Susanna “Granny Sue”
Granny’s Ghost Stories. Includes historical, family and original ghost stories. Available from me!
Author: Shepard, Susan.
Cry of the Banshee. A collection of stories by Parkersburg’s resident ghost hunter.
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