In this Book
- The Telltale Lilac Bush and Other West Virginia Ghost Tales
- Book
- 2010
- Published by: The University Press of Kentucky
summary
" West Virginia boasts an unusually rich heritage of ghost tales. Originally West Virginians told these hundred stories not for idle amusement but to report supernatural experiences that defied ordinary human explanation. From jealous rivals and ghostly children to murdered kinsmen and omens of death, these tales reflect the inner lives—the hopes, beliefs, and fears—of a people. Like all folklore, these tales reveal much of the history of the region: its isolation and violence, the passions and bloodshed of the Civil War era, the hardships of miners and railroad laborers, and the lingering vitality of Old World traditions.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- Introduction
- pp. xi-xviii
- 1. Jealous Rivals
- pp. 1-10
- 2. Wives Who Return
- pp. 11-24
- 3. Ghostly Children
- pp. 25-33
- 4. Murdered Kinsmen
- pp. 34-39
- 5. Omens of Death
- pp. 40-47
- 6. Deadly Visions
- pp. 48-56
- 7. Headless Ghosts
- pp. 57-61
- 8. Hidden Money
- pp. 62-69
- 9. Haunted Places
- pp. 70-86
- 10. Negro Slaves
- pp. 87-92
- 11. Murdered Peddlers
- pp. 93-102
- 12. Mine Ghosts
- pp. 103-119
- 13. Railroad Ghosts
- pp. 120-125
- 14. Animals and Birds
- pp. 126-143
- 15. Weird Creatures
- pp. 144-149
- 16. Immigrant Ghosts
- pp. 150-161
- Bibliography
- pp. 187-189
Additional Information
ISBN
9780813128276
Related ISBN(s)
9780813101361, 9780813138053
MARC Record
OCLC
619384658
Pages
208
Launched on MUSE
2012-02-08
Language
English
Open Access
No