Loading summary
Transcript9 lines
- [00:00]
Amazon Music Announcer
Hey prime members, are you tired of ads interfering with your favorite podcasts? Good news. With Amazon Music, you have access to the largest catalog of ad free top podcasts included with your prime membership. To start listening, download the Amazon Music app for free or go to Amazon.com ADFreePodcasts that's Amazon.com ADFreeP Podcasts to catch up on the latest episodes without the ads.
- [00:27]
GEICO Announcer
All you Homeowners have unique needs. Some feel the need to leave up holiday decorations year round. Others have the need to use their garage as practice space for their new metal band. And because each homeowner has unique needs, GEICO helps you get the right coverage for your home and what's in it. That way you get exactly what's right for you, even if your needs are unique. Get more with Geico.
- [00:55]
Aaron Manke
Welcome to Lore Legends, a subset of lore episodes that explore the strange tales we whisper in the dark, even if they can't always be proven by the history books. So if you're ready, let's begin. All across America, there are bridges where you can hear a baby crying. This urban legend is fittingly called the Crybaby Bridge. If you have a spot in your hometown where people claim to hear ghostly babies wail, then I'm sorry to tell you but your crybaby Bridge isn't all that unique. In Kentucky, a bridge on Sleepy Hollow Road is rumored to be the site where mothers would drown their unwanted newborn babies. In Salem, Ohio, a bridge on Egypt Road is said to be where a child tripped and fell into the water. There's a bridge in New Jersey, one in Illinois, and there are at least three crybaby bridges in both Maryland and Texas. In Port Neches, Texas, legend speaks of a man who allegedly decapitated a mother before throwing her baby, Sarah Jane, into a river full of alligators. The baby could still be heard crying to this day, and the mother's headless body can be seen wandering the woods nearby, calling out for little Sarah Jane. Although I'm not quite so sure how she does that without a mouth. But although it's not fun to hear, almost none of these local tales are true. Folklorist Jesse Glass has said that most crybaby bridge stories were invented on the Internet. There was no oral tradition behind them, just an anonymous, creative individual sitting behind a keyboard. They are stories that were made up to generate clicks in a world where viral posts are a form of fame and glory. And sure, sprinkled among them are a handful that might go deeper into the past. The rare hand me downs of older Traditions from generations ago. But most of these legends are nothing more than that fiction. The tougher question, though, is how we can tell the difference. These stories might be part of our local culture, but in the end, they're not always what they seem to be. What truths do these stories hide? Products of a creative mind or the remnants of a terrifying past. I'm Aaron Manke, and this is Lore legends. There are 43 species of deer in our world. If you live in the eastern United States, like me, you're probably most familiar with the white tailed deer. If you live in England, you may be more familiar with the red deer or the Chinese water deer. And if you're visiting Japan's famous Nara park, you'll be seeing sika deer. Interestingly, deer are native to every continent on earth, aside from Australia and Antarctica. They've been featured in art since humans first started drawing on cave walls. They've starred in poetry since humans first picked up the pen. And so it is unsurprising that there are as many variations of deer in folklore as there are in real life. In ancient Chinese mythology, deer were associated with fairies who would ride on their backs. They also symbolized longevity. And if one appeared to a monarch, then it was a sign that that he would be a fair and righteous ruler. In Norse mythology, a stag named Eichtirnir stood at the top of Valhalla. All of the world's rivers were believed to flow from his antlers. And four other stags were said to eat the leaves of the world tree, Yggdrasil. Some scholars have suggested that these stags correspond to the four seasons, or perhaps the four elements in Cherokee legends. A white deer named Awi USTI watched over hunters, ensuring that they asked for forgiveness for every deer they shot down. If the hunters neglected this step, then Awi USTI would cripple them. And over in England, in the West Midlands village of Abbotts Bromley, a traditional horn dance has been performed every year since 1226. Some historians say that it's gone on even longer, in part because the antlers used in this ritual have been carbon dated to the year 1065. On the day of the horn dance, six men dance through the village while carrying caribou antlers. They are followed by a procession that includes a person dressed as a hobby horse, a boy carrying a bow and arrow, and a fool playing a triangle. It's believed that these characters were once figures from a play, but if so, then the play has since been lost to history. The horn dance was a ritual meant to Ensure a successful hunting season. Some historians have floated the idea that it was once a fertility ritual as well, but more evidence is needed to support that. Oh, and by the way, this horn dance is considered to be one of the oldest folk traditions in all of Britain. And it's such an important one that three Abbotts Bromley men were granted leave during World War I so that they could participate in the dance back home. The antlers are not allowed to leave the parish where they're kept when they're not being paraded around. And if they are removed, then rumor has it that a great calamity will befall the village. Those antlers don't just ensure prosperity. They protect the entire town. And throughout history, deer weren't just there to bring about successful hunts. They've also been used as political tools as well. According to the historian Plutarch, the Roman statesman Quintus Sertorius was once given a white doe as a gift. He then told the military generals under his command that Diana, the goddess of the hunt, spoke to him through the doe. And to ensure that everyone believed this bold claim, he would make sure that his messengers would only deliver military news directly to him. Then he would claim that the deer had come to him in his dreams and told him where to move his troops or where they could expect news of a victory. Once, he even held a tribunal and staged for the white doe to come running to him as a sign of Diana's favor for him. Actually, throughout history, deer have frequently been tied to women, from the Roman goddess Diana to the Slavic goddess Rohanica. And fairy tales have their clue from this connection. 1 17th century French fairy tale features a beautiful princess who is cursed to turn into a deer. A powerful fairy crab. Yes, you heard that right. A fairy crab was furious at not being invited to the princess's christening. And so the princess was transformed into a deer. And she didn't turn back until a handsome prince intervened. The French fairy crab fairy tale isn't the only one with a deer transformation. In the Persian fairy tale what the Rose did to the Cypress, a prince who has failed in a quest is turned into a deer as punishment. But the enchantress who cursed him adorn his antlers with gold and jewels. And the deer prince becomes the leader of a great herd of deer. In the end, the enchantress sister breaks the spell, and then she marries the prince. As you'd imagine, transforming into a deer is a pretty common trope in both fairy tales and folklore. And of course, the story usually ends with the cursed Individual transforming back into. Into a human. But sometimes they don't. Her attackers had followed her into the woods. Then, when they were far away enough from civilization, they struck. When they were finished with their horrible deed, they left her to bleed out on the forest floor, far from any settlement, deep in the trees. No one could hear her scream. No one, that is, except the stag. When he did, he raced to save her. But he, sadly, wasn't fast enough. By the time he found her broken body, she had already died. And so the stag did the only thing that he could. He brought her back to life. But when she awoke, she was half human and half deer. And thus, the Deer Woman was born. The Deer Woman is a common Native American legend from both the eastern woodlands and the Central Plains tribes of North America. She can be found in the traditions of at least a dozen people groups. And that's a lot of tribes for sure. But no matter where in the world people settle, there are always marginalized women who deserve vengeance for how they were treated. And at her very core, that's what the Deer Woman is, a harbinger of vengeance. In most depictions, she is a beautiful young lady with long black hair and a buckskin dress. Instead of feet, though, she has hooves. And in some variations, she also has antlers growing from her head. Once she was brought back to life after her vicious attack, she became a supernatural being that roamed the forest, protecting women from violence and enacting revenge on their behalf. Now, in some versions of her story, she lures violent men into the forest and then stomps them to death with her hooves. In others, she eats their flesh, and occasionally, she seduces them through enchantments to live in the forest with her. But once they're ensnared by her magic, they will fall into a depression and eventually die. According to the stories, the only way for men to escape her deadly lure is to notice her hooves before she has them alone. If they can recognize her for who she is, then they have a chance to run before she fully entraps them. Now, it may sound like an ancient story, but the Deer Woman legends haven't died yet. In fact, they've carried over to modern. One Dear Woman story actually takes place in the 1960s or 70s. It's said to have happened at the Haskell Memorial football stadium in Lawrence, Kansas. It was a beautiful autumn night, and the stands were packed with fans. An unusually beautiful woman had joined the football fanatics that night. Wrapped in a tribal blanket, she weaved her way in and out of the Tight crowd turning heads as she went. Her face was so stunning that it took hours for someone to finally notice she had hooves. Once she was discovered, she ran to the top rim of the stadium and leapt off, falling over 80ft. The crowd expected to see her body shattered on the ground below, but instead, witnesses report seeing her run away into the night. There are also several modern reports claiming to have seen a deer woman at powwows. In one, a beautiful woman attended a powwow, only disappearing after she went to the restroom. And the other women noticed her hooves underneath the bathroom stall. In another story, a security guard claimed to have been patrolling powwow grounds on a winter's night. He saw a female figure at the border of the forest, and when he approached, he intended to ask her what she was doing there. But then he froze. The footsteps leading to the woman weren't made by human feet. They were made by deer hooves. Turning, he sprinted to his car and sped away before the woman could catch him. There is a reason that the dear woman's story has endured for so long. There's a reason that people still want to believe in her, hooves and all. In a world where women face just as much violence as ever, it can be comforting to know that there is someone in the wings waiting to help them, or at the very least, enact revenge for them, even if that helper is adorned with antlers. Governor White stood in the middle of Roanoke Colony utterly helpless. The entire town was empty of the original 100 settlers. Not a single soul was left. Not even his granddaughter, Virginia Dare. Virginia had been the very first English baby born in North America. She came into the world on August 18th of 1587. And now, on her third birthday, her grandfather had arrived to find her and every one of his constituents missing. And most of us know the basics of this historical mystery. To this day, no one knows for sure what happened to the Roanoke Colony. A large number of modern historians believe that after running out of food and supplies, the colonists peacefully integrated themselves with the local Algonquin tribe living on Croatoan Island. 1 19th century theory, though, proposed that only a handful of those settlers joined the tribe. The story claims that the Roanoke settlement was attacked by the Roanoke Algonquins, led by a warrior named Wanches. The leader had previously had a good relationship with the English, but had cut ties with them in 1586. Once Wanches ended his friendliness with the English settlers, their only native ally was Manteo, the leader of the Croatoan Algonquin peoples. And according to this theory. Manteo saved a handful of the Roanoke colonists from Wanches 1587 raid, including baby Virginia Dare. But earlier theories regarding the Wanches attack simply say that Virginia and her mother managed to escape and join the Croatoan tribe on their own. Virginia Dare was a popular fascination for the Americans of the 19th century. They were absolutely certain that she had survived, possibly because the thought of a baby being killed in cold blood was too gruesome to bear. But she also provided them with a convenient opportunity to project their favorite fictional trope onto her story, that of a beautiful, virtuous woman being raised among the, and I quote, savage natives. And so, in 1837, the first book about Virginia Dare growing up among the Croatoan peoples as a blond pillar of white virtue was published. It inspired a slew of others, too, which then in turn turned into folklore about Virginia almost 300 years after she died. According to the most popular folktale, Virginia Dare grew into a beautiful woman, attracting the adoration of several Algonquin suitors. Two men in particular became enamored with her. An equally kind and virtuous man named Okeesco and an old covetous sorcerer named Chico. When Chico asked for Virginia's hand in marriage, she turned him down. And so, in his fury, Chico tricked her into drinking an evil potion. After her first sip, Virginia fell to the ground, writhing in pain. And when she finally stood up, her legs were that of a deer. She had been turned into a white doe. From that point on, people started noticing a beautiful white deer wandering around the abandoned Roanoke colony. And at other times, she was seen leading a herd of deer who had clearly recognized her pure heart and elected to follow her. Meanwhile, her lover Okisco, was putting two and two together. Sightings of the white deer had only begun after Virginia had disappeared. And he knew that Chico was perfectly capable of turning people into animals. So Okisco went to another sorcerer for help. And this sorcerer taught him how to make an arrowhead out of a mother of pearl oyster shell. If Okusko pierced her heart with his special arrowhead, then she would turn back into a human. The trouble was, he wasn't the only one tracking the deer. Wanches, the alleged attacker of the Roanoke colony, was also trying to bring the white deer down for his own personal glory. And to do so, he planned to use a silver arrowhead that had been gifted to him by none other than Queen Elizabeth. For weeks, both Okosko and Wanchees stalked the deer, and of course, they both found her at the exact same moment. Each man took aim as she bent her head to drink from a pool. Okasko's Mother of pearl arrow pierced her heart just as Wanchees silver arrow met its target. One arrow turned Virginia back into a human and the other killed her. Instantly. Realizing what he had done, Wanchees fled the scene. Okosco carried Virginia's body out of the forest, but instead of bringing her to the only home she had ever known on Croatoan, he laid her body to rest in the Roanoke Colony fort. It's said that even to this day, a phantom white deer haunts the location of the abandoned Roanoke colony. Anyone who tries to harm this deer, they say, is cursed to experience terrible misfortune. And over at the pool where Virginia's heart was shot, legend claims that a grapevine grew where her body fell to the earth. A vine with grapes that were the color of blood. I think it's pretty obvious the Virginia Dare legend is a work of fiction. There's no evidence that Wanchees ever attacked the colonists and no concrete record of what happened to little Virginia after those colonists disappeared. But honestly, every folktale is fiction to some degree or another. So what makes this one any different? Well, a lot of the details were invented to sell wine. You see, Virginia Dare wasn't just the name of the Roanoke governor's granddaughter. It was also the name of a wine company. Before Prohibition, Virginia Dare wine was the most popular wine in the United States. And they got to that point in part through their advertising a campaign that included a book length poem from the turn of the century called the White the Fate of Virginia Dare. This poem, which came decades after the first Virginia Dare story was published, added the love triangle, the reasoning behind Virginia's transformation into a dough, and most importantly, the blood red grapes. Those grapes were meant to be the grapes that Virginia Dare Company used to make their wine. And they had thought that by connecting their grapes to a tragic story about the ever popular Virginia Dare, it might compel more women to buy their product. The poem's author, Sally Southall Cotton, was actually a leader in the women's rights movement, but she was also known as a white supremacist. Sally was deeply interested in Virginia Dare as a symbol for noble whiteness and European superiority over other races. And the legacy of her obsession continues to this day. The modern white supremacist group V Dare is named after Virginia Dare and it has a deer as its logo. The story about Virginia Dare turning into a white deer may now be accepted in some circles as real folklore, but it was an invention with a dark purpose. Even years before Sally Cotton wrote her own take on the legend, Virginia Dare was being used to symbolize the goodness of the white settler over the native inhabitants. And the white deer was no accident either. For centuries, the white deer was a common motif in English literature, standing in as a symbol of for Christian virtue. But that's what's complicated about folklore. No matter how a story started or how hateful its original messaging truly was, once it's accepted by the general public as a genuine legend, then it takes on a life of its own. It's a powerful example of how everyday folks like you and I can pick up a story and carry it with us without seeing the filth that it's covered in. We're drawn to one aspect or another, unaware that they are nothing more than decals hiding some marketing campaign or twisted propaganda. All we see is a beautiful story without ever noticing the hooves I hope you enjoyed today's trip into the world of deer related legends. Personally, I did expect many of them to feature terrifying origins, just not in the way it ended up unfolding. It's what makes folklore so hard to define, and its origins even harder to swallow. But we're not out of the woods just yet. We have one more deer to stalk, and this one just might stalk us right back. Stick around through this brief sponsor break to hear all about it. This episode of Lore was made possible by Mint Mobile. I don't know about you, but I like keeping my money where I can see it. Unfortunately, traditional big wireless carriers also seem to like keeping my money. So after years of overpaying for wireless, I finally got fed up from crazy high wireless bills, bogus fees, and free perks that actually cost more in the long run and switched to Mint Mobile. Setting up a new Mint Mobile account is incredibly easy. I'm a big fan of how Mint lets you skip all of that in store stuff and set it up at home, which gets you a much better monthly price thanks to all the extra cost that was avoided and switching couldn't have been easier. Mint Mobile has premium wireless plans starting at 15 bucks a month. All plans come with high speed data and unlimited talk and text delivered on the nation's largest 5G network. You can use your own phone with any Mint Mobile plan and bring your phone number along with all your existing contacts. Ditch overpriced wireless with Mint Mobile's limited time deal and get three months of premium wireless service for 15 bucks a month. If you like your money, Mint Mobile is for you. Shop plans@mintmobile.com lore that's mintmobile.com lore upfront payment of $45 for 3 month 5GB plan required equivalent to $15 per month new customer offer for first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See Mint Mobile for details. This episode is also made possible by Smalls. There's a reason cat videos are so fun to watch online. They're adorable. Some of my favorite pet memories involve my beautiful black feline friend who saw me through over 12 years of adulthood and if she were still around today, I would be feeding her. Smalls, is your cat having digestive issues or throwing up their food? Or is your cat simply in need of a diet upgrade? If so, you should check out our sponsor Smalls. Smalls Cat Food is protein packed recipes made with preservative free ingredients that you find in your fridge and it's delivered right to your door. That's why cats.com named Smalls their best overall cat food. Smalls was started back in 2017 by a couple of guys home cooking cat food in small batches for their friends. Just a few short years later, they've served millions of meals to cats across the us. And if you ask me, I also love that Smalls works with the Humane Society. They've donated over a million dollars worth of food to help cats through the Humane Society and they even give you a chance to donate at checkouts, whether you donate $5 for flea and tick medications or $7 for vaccines. After switching to smalls, 88% of cat owners reported overall health improvements. That's a big deal and the team at Smalls is so confident your cat will love their product that you can try it risk free. That means that they will refund you if your cat won't eat their food. What are you waiting for? Give your cat the food they deserve. Head to smalls.com and use promo code LORE at checkout for 50% off your first order plus free shipping. That's the best offer you'll find, but you have to use my code LORE for 50% off your first order one last time. That's promo code LORE 50% off your first order plus free shipping@smalls.com and finally, this episode was made possible by Squarespace. Squarespace is the all in one website platform for entrepreneurs who want to stand out and succeed online. Squarespace makes it easy to create a beautiful website, engage with your audience, and sell anything all in one place and all on your terms. Now it's even easier to unlock your strongest creative potential with our new Design Intelligence feature. Design Intelligence empowers anyone to build a more personalized website and craft a bespoke digital identity to use across across your entire online presence. And Squarespace Payments is the easiest way to manage your payments in one place. Get started with just a few clicks and start receiving payments right away. Give your customers more ways to pay with popular methods like Apple Pay, Klarna, Ach Direct Debit in the us, afterpay in the US and Canada, and Clearpay in the uk and you can even use your Squarespace site to sell digital content, things like memberships or courses or files like PDFs, music or ebooks. So what are you waiting for? Head over to squarespace.com lore for a free trial, and when you're ready to launch, use the offer code lore to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. Squarespace Build something Beautiful night in the Appalachian Mountains is dark. Oppressively so. When you're deep in the mountains, there are no glowing cities to light your way. There's only the occasional firefly, and every so often, a sliver of stars peeking through the canopy above. It's the last place that you'd want to run into something odd. Appalachia stretches all the way from Maine in the north to Georgia in the south. These rolling hills may not look as impressive as the towering cliffs of the Rockies or the gravity defined peaks of the Himalayas, but don't let that small size fool you, because the Appalachian Mountains are old. Very, very old. Believe it or not, Appalachia is the oldest mountain range in the entire world. And not only the oldest mountain range, it's one of the oldest natural formations ever. The Appalachian Mountains are older than the Grand Canyon, older than Jupiter's rings, older than trees. Since the dawn of human history, people have made these mountains into a home. But just like any good home, it has its comforts and it has its haunts. Appalachian locals have never needed outsiders to tell them that these mountains have their secrets. After all, when you live in a mountain that's older than the very dirt you're standing on, you get a sense for these things. But recently, Appalachia has become a fascination for the Internet at large, and these creative netizens are inventing some new tales to explore. Tales like the Not Deer. It didn't actually exist until a few years ago, but now the Not Deer is a full blown cryptid. If you've spent any time online, you've probably heard of it. From far away, the creature looks just like a deer. Nothing to be afraid of. There are millions of them all over the world, as we've already discussed. But as this one gets closer, it starts to look a little off and then you realize that it's not a deer at all. There is no actual explanation for what this not deer is, simply that it's not a deer. And presumably it's actually something much worse. The not deer's limbs move jerkily like a newborn fawn. This might have something to do with the fact that they're double jointed. They're also barrel chested and their eyes are on the front of their skull rather than the sides, just like a predator. And apparently the not deer is a predator. They are much more aggressive than normal deer and have been known to chase people while standing upright on their hind legs. People who claim to have seen a not deer have also said that there is an unsettling intelligence in their eyes, something beyond animal and bordering on human. Disturbing stories about these cryptids have exploded online, and while most are reported to be seen in the Appalachian Mountains, the not deer have been seen as far afield as Texas, and in one case, even in Norway. Some have suggested that the not deer were never monsters. Instead, they may have been real deer suffering from chronic wasting disease, or cwd, also known as the zombie deer disease. CWD attacks the nervous system. Deer who contract the disease become emaciated and their movements deteriorate and become jerky. They may stumble, walk in circles, or adopt an uncanny blank stare. But sighting a deer with such intense symptoms is rare. Predators normally take them down before the disease can progress that far. There are two other explanations, though. The first is that the not deer is out there wandering through the Appalachian Mountains. The other is that the not deer is pure fiction, a story spread on the Internet. But just because it originated on the web doesn't mean that it can't take root in the public imagination. After all, the not deer clearly already has. And that, my friends, is all that matters. This episode of Lore Legends was produced by me, Aaron Manke, with writing by Alex Robinson and research by Cassandra D'Alba. Don't like hearing the ads? I've got a solution for you. There is a paid version of Lore on Apple Podcasts and patreon that is 100% ad free. Plus subscribers there get weekly mini episodes that we call Lore Bytes. It's a bargain for all of that ad free storytelling and a great way to support the show and the team behind it. For more information about those ad free options, go over to lorepodcast.com support. Lore is much more than just a podcast, though. There's the book series available in bookstores and online, and two seasons of the television show on Amazon Prime Video. Information about all of that and more is available over@lorepodcast.com and you can also follow this show on threads, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Just search for Lore podcast, all one word and click that follow button. And when you do, say hi. I like it when people say hi. And as always, thanks for listening.
- [30:30]
Ziply Fiber Announcer
When the Moore family ditched cable Internet and switched to Ziddly Fiber, they got so much more. Mr. Moore got more upload speed for next level gaming and live streaming to the masses with reliable service. Mrs. Moore is no longer her family's IT guru, leaving her more time to stream games into overtime.
- [30:45]
GEICO Announcer
Let's go.
- [30:46]
Ziply Fiber Announcer
And young Mason Moore got more done quickly uploading HD product demos and video conferencing without FreeSync.
- [30:52]
Aaron Manke
The numbers look good Brad. You're on mute.
- [30:54]
Ziply Fiber Announcer
Switch from cable Internet to Ziply Fiber and get more of what you love for $65 less per month than cable@ziply.
- [30:59]
Libsyn Ads Announcer
Fiverr.Com Marketing is hard, but I'll tell you a little secret. It doesn't have to be. Let me point something out. You're listening to a podcast right now and it's great. You love the host. You seek it out and download it. You listen to it while driving, working out, cooking, even going to the bathroom. Podcasts are a pretty close companion. And this is a podcast ad. Did I get your attention? You can reach great listeners like yourself with podcast advertising from Libsyn Ads. Choose from hundreds of top podcasts offering host endorsements or run a pre produced ad like this one across thousands of shows. To reach your target audience in their favorite podcasts with Libsyn ad, go to libsynads. Com that's L I B S Y N Ads. Com Today.